Hollywood & Vine (21 page)

Josie grinned and stepped out of his arms, moving toward the rocks that formed a natural set of steps down the canyon. Anders jogged to catch up, his eyes widening when Josie stepped to the edge and peered over. “I think,” she began, toeing off her shoes, “we can do better than practically.” Kicking off her shoes, she shimmied out of her shorts and tugged the string of her bikini top until the knot pulled free. With a final glance over her shoulder, she jumped.

“Oh, fuck,” Anders gasped, both from seeing her shed her clothes and jumping off the side of the canyon. Stripping down to his swim trunks, he got a running start and followed. When he broke the surface of the water, he shivered. “Whoa, this is a lot colder than I expected.”

“No shit.” Josie swam to Anders and wrapped her arms around his neck. His warm, slick skin was a stark contrast to the cold bite of the water.

Anders caressed her side, tracing the outline of her breast with his thumb before settling on her hip. “So is this cool?”

“Yeah, it’s cool.” Josie leaned forward and kissed him, her hands sliding into his hair. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“I just wanted an excuse to get you naked.”

“You could have done that back at the inn. I wouldn’t have objected.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I plan to rid you of your clothes the moment we get back.”

Josie laughed and wrapped her legs around his waist. “Is it time to go back?”

“I knew you just wanted my dick.” Anders swam towards the bank until his feet brushed the bottom. Sliding his arms down her back, he cupped her ass and pulled her flush.

“Your dick has nothing to do with it. You lured me in with your humble disposition and humanitarian outlook on life.”

“Ivy?” Anders grinned and tightened his hold.

“Yeah?”

“Hold your breath.” Still smiling, he submerged them under water. Josie’s arms flew above her head as she sputtered for air, but Anders held her close as they sank down. When his lips touched hers, Josie stopped fighting, letting his tongue slide into her mouth. She scraped her nails across his shoulder and tapped once, letting him know she needed air. As soon as they surfaced, she leveled him with a playful glare.

“That’s wasn’t very nice.”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m not a very nice guy.”

Josie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I think I’ve heard that mentioned once or twice.”

They spent the rest of the day wrapped in a bubble. They lounged on rocks, swam under the waterfall, and bickered about everything under the sun. The more they talked, the more they realized how little they had in common, but for some reason it didn’t bother them. If anything, it fueled their attraction. Every time Anders gave his opinion about something and Josie argued, it was like a magnet pulling them a little closer.

When the sun descended from the sky, they headed toward the inn. With their fingers tangled together and their steps in line, they made their way down the trail. The tension that had built throughout the course of the week paled in comparison to how they felt after their time at the falls. The world had slipped away, and they were able to be with one another without worrying about cameras, fans, or coworkers.

Anders couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so unburdened, but the underlying feeling of fear still hovered just below the surface. The uneasy thought that today was one of a kind made desperation surge through Anders—desperation to hold on to her as long as he could. His hand tightened around Josie’s and his steps picked up pace when the inn came into view.

“Where’s the fire?” Josie stumbled forward and tried to pull her hand free, but Anders held tight.

He wasn’t in the mood to explain. Instead he answered her in true Anders fashion. “I’m fifty yards away from a bed and a condom that I plan to use to fuck you senseless. I’m a bit eager.” He looked over his shoulder and winked, his entire demeanor mirroring his words. Josie grinned and moved faster, completely fooled. She bought his fake, cool façade hook, line, and sinker.

Warm fingers brushed over soft skin as Anders backed her into the bedroom. His eyes were dark, clouded with confusion and fear, but masked by lust. Josie’s lips parted as he pulled off her shirt. He kissed her neck and cupped her breasts before pushing her shorts to the floor.

“I want you.” Raw desperation lingered on the edge of his words. “Can I have you?”

A shiver of fear slid up Josie’s spine. Her throat tightened and her heart leapt. She tightened her grip on his shoulders, her nails cutting into the top layer of skin. Anders hissed and pulled her closer. With his jaw clenched and his lips pulled into a thin line, he spoke again, his words slow, each one enunciated with his demand. “Answer me. Can I have you?”

Josie’s eyes burned with unshed tears and her stomach twisted. Fear and insecurities trapped the words in her chest. With a long exhale she dipped her chin in answer, but it wasn’t enough, not for Anders.

“Say it, Ivy. Tell me.” He pushed her onto the bed and stripped out of his shorts until every inch of his bare skin pressed against her. Shivers moved along her spine when his teeth scraped over her neck and bit down. With a forceful exhale he moved his lips to her ear. When he spoke again, his voice was raw and commanding. “I want to hear you say it. Tell me, Ivy.”

“You can have me,” she gasped. He rested his face against neck for a moment before removing a condom from the drawer. With his arms under her shoulders, he thrust into her. He moved slowly, squeezing, licking, caressing, and drowning. Drowning with no signs of ever surfacing.

When they lay beside each other in silence hours later, he held her close. “Stay?” It was risky, careless, but he wanted her to make him feel the way he did in that moment for as long as possible.

“Okay.”

“Because I have you.” His words were no more than a whisper, meant for no one’s ears but his own. He got what he wanted.

“Please don’t break me,” was her reply into the dark room, the sound of Anders’ deep, even breaths the only response.

J
osie stayed awake for hours that night, her eyes trained on the ceiling. She knew the bubble they had wrapped themselves in was fragile and thin. Once they returned to LA and the reality of their lives, their time in Arizona would seem like a dream. A life where they didn’t have dark secrets, thick walls, and a million obstacles set to rip them apart.

Even so, Josie and Anders didn’t dwell on what was to come. They spent the remaining days sneaking stolen glances and sharing sweet moments. It wasn’t until the last two days of shooting that things began to shift. The walls Anders had dropped reemerged. He snapped at the crew more than usual, and his time with Josie became more intense, more strained. Josie knew he was thinking about going back to LA where he’d be under a microscope once more. Instead of forcing the issue, she let him hold her a little tighter, and when he asked her to stay, she did. She fell right in line and followed his lead, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t lead them down a path of destruction.

J
osie woke back in her own bed in LA with a sense of unease sitting heavy on her chest. Maybe she was psyching herself out, or maybe it was her fear of the unknown. Whatever the reason, after living in a bubble with Anders for the last two weeks, the thought of returning to the real world was unsettling. With a resigned sigh, she crawled out of bed and stumbled to the shower.

An hour later she pulled open the door of the studio, her stomach fluttering when she thought about seeing Anders. A smile played on her lips as she unpacked her things, her mind drifting to their time in Arizona. The sound of her cell phone ringing broke her from her memories and she scrambled to answer.

“Hello?”

“I don’t know what kind of place Argent is running, but they need to get a handle on their employees.” Anders’ voice was stern and playful, making Josie laugh then sigh.

“I bet it’s the costume department, isn’t it? It is, right? I swear,” she exhaled. “You can’t find good help anywhere these days.”

“It really is quite sad. Is it asking too much for the beautiful Costume Supervisor to be in my trailer wearing only a tie when I walk through the door? For modeling purposes, of course.”

Josie laughed, her heart skipping. “Of course.”

“It feels weird being back.” He spoke quieter, his tone softer.

“I walked outside this morning and my makeup didn’t slide off my face from sweating. It was very disconcerting.”

“Get your ass to my trailer and I’ll have you sweating in no time.”

“Mr. Ellis, that sounds highly unprofessional,” she chastised, grabbing her clipboard and heading toward his trailer. “We both know how you feel about remaining professional on the job.”

“Well I see your smart mouth found its way back to LA.” Anders shook his head, a small smile tugging up the corner of his mouth.

Josie grinned and pushed open his door but continued to speak into her phone. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you sound relieved.”

Anders snapped his head to the side, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he stood from his chair, his phone still pressed to his ear. “Relieved is a bit of a stretch. Although, I must admit, I’ve thought of some creative ways to shut you up.”

Josie licked her lips and dropped her phone to her side. “Creative?”

Anders tossed his on the vanity and crossed the room. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her before whispering in her ear. “You have no idea.”

“I have a few.” Josie grinned and hugged him close, her eyes falling shut and the tightness in her chest loosening for the first time that day.

Anders leaned his forehead against Josie’s. “Is it weird that I missed you?”

“Totally weird. You’re such a freak.” Her tone was playful, but the strain in her voice and the softness in her eyes showed her true feelings.

“Can I come see you tonight?”

“Yeah.” Josie smiled and tightened her hands in his hair just as his trailer door banged open.

“Anders!” Josie and Anders ripped away from each other, their eyes wide with shock and fear as Aubrey Nash burst into the room.

Anders was an actor, after all, and if he knew how to do anything, it was how to perform. Which was exactly what he did.

“Aubrey.” He smiled and shifted away from Josie. His eyes focused on the beautiful girl in front of him.

Aubrey flicked her eyes to Josie before dismissing her. Wrapping her arms around Anders’ neck, she planted her lips against his. “I have been waiting to do that since the day I heard you resumed this role.”

“Have you now?” Anders chuckled, his hand sliding to her waist and pushing, wanting to create a bit of distance between them.

“Oh, Anders.” Aubrey laughed, playfully hitting his stomach. “The only reason I took this role was to have dirty sex scenes with you.”

Anders grinned and gripped her a little tighter, unaware that the color had drained from Josie’s face. “Well, I’ll do my best to not disappoint.”

Josie swallowed around the lump in her throat and stepped to the side. She felt like an outsider and wanted nothing more than to escape the sick feeling twisting in her stomach. Unfortunately, slipping out the door and away from Aubrey and Anders did nothing to relieve her tension because neither seemed to notice her leave.

She marched inside the studio and down the hall to her department, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. Anders asked to keep things private, and while she knew part of the reason was to protect her, it was more to protect himself. As long as they played by his rules, they’d never be a normal couple. When she agreed, she hadn’t given their futures any thought. Perhaps that was the point; she wasn’t supposed to imagine them together long term.

While Josie wrestled to get a handle on her emotions, Anders remained trapped with Aubrey. He smiled and laughed at the right moments, but nothing about it was okay. His stomach had twisted when Josie walked out the door, but his stubbornness and blind determination to not show weakness kept him in place.

“We should grab lunch later.”

Anders didn’t want to talk about lunch. He wanted to go after Josie and wipe away the expression on her face when she slipped out the door, but he couldn’t, not with Aubrey focusing all her attention on him. “Sounds great,” Anders agreed. “I can have lunch brought here.”