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  “Blake, I don’t think I care what the tabloids write about me. It’s a small price to pay to be with you. I mean... if we were to become seriously involved.”

  “Aren’t we?”

  I swallowed with difficulty, as I angled my head to look up at him. His gaze was intense on mine, searching ardently for a sign. I thought I saw anxiety in his eyes, as he waited for me to reply.

  I parted my lips slowly. I didn’t know what I was going to say, but Blake didn’t need words. My body language was enough to show him what I felt. In a heartbeat, he lowered his mouth to mine. He kissed me possessively, sliding his tongue deeply over mine. Hunger and desperate need seemed to envelop us both, and he pulled me closer, moving his hands all over my body, building heat and passion. My weak legs were unable to support me any longer, but there was no need for that. Blake lifted me up against him and in a few seconds we were lying on the bed, still kissing madly. The weight of him on top of me was as exquisite as his tongue inside my mouth, and his hands on my breasts. I wanted him so badly I ached.

  But somewhere beyond the haze of desire, a thought struck me as brutal as a wave of icy water. Suddenly, I pushed him off me and rolled aside on the edge of the bed.

  “No! I won’t let you use me.”

  My shout echoed in the spacious room, leaving behind a vacuum of silence. The only sound was Blake’s ragged breathing—and mine.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he gasped. “Use you? Why the fuck would you say something like that?”

  The fact that he seemed genuinely shocked and insulted made me even more furious. I shot off the bed to face him.

  “Yeah, use me to nurse the hard on Sandra gave you. Don’t deny it,” I went on, although he was gaping at me soundlessly. “I saw you, after you filmed that sex scene. You were really into it, and it was plainly obvious to anyone who cared to look,” I finished, staring pointedly at his lap.

  “You think Sandra is responsible for this?” he asked incredulously, pointing at his crotch.

  I snorted. “Maybe not for this one, but she’s definitely responsible for the earlier one.”

  A few more moments elapsed into silence. Blake rose slowly off the bed, raking a hand through his hair and looking as though he was trying to find the best way to explain something very simple to an extremely idiotic child.

  Finally, after taking a few steps around the room, he turned to face me.

  “Kendra, have you ever heard of Pavlov’s reflex?”

  I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Yeah. So?”

  “So, when a man has a half-naked woman under him, rubbing herself all over him, it’s impossible not to get a physiological response. It means absolutely nothing, other than a knee-jerk reaction. It certainly doesn’t mean my mind or my feelings are involved in any way, or that I’m even attracted to Sandra. I’m not.”

  “Right.” My snort of derision turned into a gasp of surprise when he caught me by the arms and pulled me toward him.

  “That’s right. I’ve been sporting this hard on for more than a week, ever since I left your bed. You’re not giving yourself enough credit. Since the first day I saw you, I wanted to fuck you and only you. All the time.”

  The words were barely out before he crushed me against him once more and claimed my mouth. This time, I had to surrender or die. I responded to his kiss with all the longing I’d accumulated since the last time I’d seen him, entwining my fingers in his hair, moving my hands greedily all over his body. I yanked off his robe at the same time he dragged my T-shirt over my head, then we tumbled into bed together, locked in a searing embrace.

  We tore our mouths apart only for the brief moments it took to undress. When we were naked, he pushed me onto my back, sealing our mouths again. His beard felt strangely erotic on my skin, raspy and rugged. I realized how wet I was when he slipped his fingers inside me. Moaning, I reached down to stroke him, but we were both past waiting. With a long thrust, he pushed himself deep inside me, making me scream against his shoulder. The pleasure was so powerful, the sensations so potent, I couldn’t think. I could only feel. I was drunk and dizzy with arousal, wanting him so much it took only a few thrusts to make me shatter into a mind-blowing orgasm. As I tightened around him, squeezing his hips between my thighs, he groaned and pressed his teeth against my neck. Then he came, shuddering in my arms, holding me tightly as wave after wave of fulfillment shook us both.

  Our hearts pounded rapidly in unison for several minutes. When they began to slow down, Blake rolled off me and drew me to his chest, holding me tight against him.

  “God, I missed you,” he murmured, kissing my temple.

  I nestled my face in the hollow of his shoulder, so my words were muffled when I replied, “I missed you too.”

  “Did you?”

  The sigh I released was almost grudging. “Yeah, so much it was unsettling. I guess that’s why I acted like an idiot. I was mad because I couldn’t wait to see you, and the first thing I find when I get here is you and Sandra in bed, groping one another.”

  He turned onto one side to face me, reaching out to brush the hair off my face.

  “Kendra, I told you this is my job, nothing more. I truly am not attracted to Sandra.”

  “I understand. I really do,” I added, noticing his skeptical expression. “The same happened to me with Danny, even though I don’t feel a thing for him.”

  A frown creased his brow and a steely glint flashed briefly in his eyes.

  “Danny? Your sleek, buffed up agent? I thought you said there was nothing between you two.”

  The sound of my amusement filled the room. I was convinced now the glint was pure jealousy. It probably was petty of me, but I was enjoying it immensely.

  “Buffed up?”

  Blake made a snorting sound. “He probably has steroids for breakfast. I didn’t know you’re into that Dwayne Johnson type, so pumped up they can’t even turn to wipe their asses.”

  “I’m not,” I said through waves of hilarity.

  “Then why are you avoiding the question? Are you involved with this guy or not?”

  His dead-serious tone made my laughter fade. I could see he was quite anxious to hear my answer. That touched me as much as our passionate lovemaking. I reached out and cupped his cheek in my palm.

  “No, I already told you. It’s only that... He kissed me once, just after I’d broken up with Richard and signed the contract with MBM. I shouldn’t have let it happen,” I said, recalling that day in London, when my life was beginning to take so many sudden twists and turns. “I was feeling very lonely then, overwhelmed by everything that was happening so fast. Anyway, what I meant to say was that, even though I don’t like Danny as a person, I understand the body’s natural reaction to certain stimulants. I overreacted today when I saw you with Sandra. I’m sorry about that.”

  “You don’t have to. I’d probably feel the same,” he said, entwining his fingers with mine on the pillow.

  I cocked an eyebrow, curious.

  “It must be awkward for you, actors, when you have to do something intimate like this. Have you ever filmed nude scenes?”

  His mouth quirked in a smile.

  “A few times. And yeah, it can be kind of awkward, but as you noticed, nothing is intimate when you’re in a room with twenty people, filming a sex scene. We have this modesty pouches...”

  “Modesty pouches?”

  “Yeah, well, basically it’s a cock sock one might just as well not bother to wear. I lost mine once in the john.”

  “Get out!” I rolled over onto my stomach to watch him incredulously, shaken by laughter.

  “I mean it. In the end, I said ‘screw it, that wasn’t much of a cover anyway’. So I filmed the rest of the scene naked as a jay bird.”

  “I know that movie! It was the one where you were a paid assassin, and you fell in love with the woman you were paid to kill.” My eyebrows arched. “You appeared naked from behind. I remember drooling over your ass.”

  �
��Really?”

  “Me and a few million women all over the world. And don’t pretend you don’t know that,” I said, nudging him in the ribs.

  He grinned sheepishly, but after a few moments his face sobered. Reaching out, he took my hand in his once more. He studied my fingers thoughtfully, one by one, as though weighing what he was about to say.

  “I hope you know you’re the only woman who matters to me, Kendra,” he said softly, gazing earnestly into my eyes. “And I want you to understand why I acted so casually toward you on the set today...”

  “I know you were trying to preserve my reputation,” I interrupted him in the same tone. “I appreciate that. It’s... Men like you are very rare, Blake, especially in Hollywood, where everyone screws everyone and then brags about it. Your discretion is legendary.”

  His mouth twisted in wry humor. “Yeah, it drives the paparazzi nuts.”

  I uttered an involuntary sound of derision, which expressed my opinion about that idea. But Blake ignored it and continued to watch me seriously.

  “Are you sure you want to make our relationship public, Kendra? The press can be vicious, our private life would no longer be private, and you might find yourself reading ludicrous lies, about you, about me, about us.”

  My eyes were steady on his as I replied, “I’m ready to face all of this if you are.”

  Our gazes stayed locked meaningfully while he raised my hand to his lips and kissed it.

  “I would be honored. I can’t wait to face the world with you by my side, to hold your hand in front of everyone, and be the target of every guy’s envy. Especially that slime-ball, Danny,” he added, tongue-in-cheek.

  Chapter Nineteen

  When the clock started beeping at the brutal hour of six a.m. the next morning, I buried my head under the pillows, searching for escape. Blake reached across me to shut off the alarm, then leaned down to kiss my shoulder.

  “Why the hell do you have to wake at this ungodly hour?” I mumbled raspily from under my precarious refuge. “You’re the star, for Heaven’s sake! You should get there when you want to.”

  He laughed and rolled out of bed, heading toward the bathroom.

  “It takes discipline to become and stay a star, babe,” he told me over his shoulder. “Mark is maniacally professional, and I respect his work. We need to film at all hours, since the characters live in the castle for a few weeks, remember? Besides, we have to finish shooting everything by November.”

  I groaned, sighed, then pushed the pillow off my head and sat up. I wanted to accompany Blake to the set, but I had to admit I was nervous about what the others’ reactions would be when they saw we were a couple. Besides, I was honestly curious to see how a movie was made. It was going to be a long day. In order to face it, I desperately needed coffee.

  I got up and went to the sofa, where I’d dumped my bag last night. I rummaged through it and dug out a robe, then wrapped it around me. Bleary-eyed, I took my first good look at the interior of the houseboat, which in daylight looked even more opulent. The honey-colored wooden floors were so polished my bare feet glided over them. The bed was fit for a king, as was the black marble bar. There were very few pieces of furniture—everything being built-in to allow for movement at sea—but it was more than enough to suit anyone’s needs.

  I plugged in the coffee maker I found on the bar, then started to prepare two cups of coffee. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. As the smell of the coffee tickled my nostrils, I sighed contentedly. I didn’t remember ever waking up so happy in my life. I thought about calling Mrs. Finch to see how Duke was, but my mind was too groggy to calculate the time difference. Surely she was still asleep, so I marked this task for later.

  By the time the coffee aroma rose seductively from two mega-sized mugs, Blake was out of the bathroom, smelling of masculine shower gel. He saw the mug, sniffed deeply and bent to give me a sensual kiss.

  “I could get used to this pampering,” he murmured. “If you tell me you can cook, I might beg you to marry me.”

  My heart tripped with pleasure, even though I knew he was kidding. Smiling up at him I said, “As a matter of fact, I’m an excellent cook. So I guess you’re in trouble, Mister Tyler.”

  “I’m gonna hold you to that.” He took a sip of coffee and closed his eyes. “Mmmm.... Perfect.”

  “Glad you like it. Now I’ll shower and dress as fast as I can. Will you wait for me?”

  “Sure. Want some breakfast? I think we have bagels.”

  “No, thanks. No time now. Maybe we’ll grab something for lunch,” I said, rushing into the bathroom.

  Twenty minutes later I was dressed in faded blue jeans and a black stretchy T-shirt, my feet comfortably tucked into ballet flats. I’d applied a minimum of makeup and twisted my hair in a braid that fell over one shoulder. Thus groomed for this morning’s crucial public appearance, I struggled to control the butterflies in my stomach. As we walked toward the castle, Blake must have sensed my apprehension, because he linked his fingers with mine.

  “Hey, we’re not accountable to anyone, remember? I’ll make sure no one says anything inappropriate or nosy to you.”

  I sent him a grateful smile. “Thanks. I don’t know why I’m acting so stupidly. I’ve always been able to look out after myself, but being among all those strangers, who are all so curious about me... I bet they’ll start talking behind our backs as soon as they see us together.”

  “Bet they already are. They saw us leave together yesterday, so they must have guessed you spent the night with me. If you’re not sure about this, it’s not too late to change your mind.” He said it in a humorous tone, but underneath, his voice reflected my own nervousness and the uneasy feeling I actually might change my mind.

  “Never.” I squeezed his hand tighter, huffing a bit as we climbed the hill toward the castle ruins.

  As they came into sight, I stopped to admire the spectacular tableau of rock and sunrise.

  “God, this is so gorgeous,” I whispered, looking up. “I mean, when it comes right down to it, it’s nothing more than the crumbled walls of an old castle. But...”

  “It’s more than that,” Blake finished, his mouth touched by a smile. “In the same way a diamond is more than just a rock, a song is more than just sound, and so on. There aren’t many people able to see the beauty in all those things. I’m glad you’re part of the special ones,” he said, lifting my fingers to his lips.

  We came across Denise and another girl, who were climbing out of one of the vans that were part of the campsite. The way their jaws hung when they saw us was wildly hilarious, but I managed not to burst out laughing. They stared, gaping, at Blake and I, as we headed toward them, hands firmly clasped.

  Denise was the first one to recover, pushing her shiny, green-and-blue hair away from her forehead.

  “Good morning, Blake, Kendra,” she said almost reverentially, as if addressing royalty.

  “Morning, Denise, Jennie,” Blake replied cheerfully, then he turned to me. “Jennie is our wardrobe magician. She’s done an impressive job, especially with the Countess’s gowns. Jennie, this is Kendra Kensington, who you probably met yesterday. She’s the genius who wrote The Diary.”

  Jennie was a plump girl with round, blue eyes and short blonde hair arranged in spikes. She blushed a little when I shook her hand and told her it was nice to meet her.

  “I didn’t have the chance to meet everyone in person yesterday,” I added with a warm smile, “but I plan to rectify that today. It’s amazing to be here, to see how the movie is actually being made.”

  “Oh, you’ll love it,” Denise assured me enthusiastically. “It’s mostly routine work for us, but when you get to watch the final product, to know you were a part of that, even a small one, and helped make it happen... It’s beyond awesome! It must be even more amazing for you, since you came up with the whole idea—which, by the way, is incredible.”

  “Thanks,” I said pleased, despite the little twinge of doubt that mad
e me wonder if she was sucking up to me because I was Blake Tyler’s lover. “I can’t wait to... well, see everything. So, what happens first?”

  “First we’re gonna take Mister Tyler here and do his makeup, dress him up, then we’ll wait for Sandra, who’s always late, and then we listen to Mark bitching at her and...”

  “Denise!” Jennie admonished her friend, giving her an emphatic nudge.

  “What? I’m only telling Kendra how things go. She asked,” Denise answered with an unrepentant grin.

  Blake laughed, urging all three of us toward a large tent.

  “Come on, ladies, walk and talk, or Mark’s going to bitch at me this morning instead of Sandra.”

  ****

  The atmosphere on the set wasn’t at all what I’d expected. Everyone was friendly, not staying in shadows watching and whispering among themselves, as I’d feared they would. Subtly but firmly, Blake made it clear to all that he and I were a couple, so maybe that was why I was treated like the Queen of Sheba. Mark frowned a little when he saw Blake giving me a quick kiss as they were preparing to start shooting, but he said nothing. His jovial nature asserted itself, and after all, Blake was the star. Besides, as Denise whispered to me during a break, ‘everyone screws everyone’ during the making of a film, so relationships on the set were nothing unusual.

  Another surprise was Sandra, who’d dyed her hair red to play Serena. She proved not only to be a good actress, but was very friendly toward me. We bonded quickly, which was a relief to me and made me feel badly for misjudging her the first time we’d met. She wasn’t very bright, but she was funny and vivacious, always careful to include me in conversations and make me feel as though we were the best of friends.

  Mark kept a tight schedule, so there wasn’t much time for chatting. I watched fascinated as they filmed take after take, sometimes repeating the same scene more than a dozen times, until Mark was satisfied. There were a few hilarious moments, like the one where Hunter and Serena—Blake’s and Sandra’s characters—were having breakfast. After dusting her hands of crumbs, Sandra got to her feet and said, “Come on, let’s dish those washes.”