Star Crossed (Starlight #3) (12 page)

The network men exchange glances.

‘Look at the bottom,’ continues Adam. ‘Where the witnesses should have signed.’

Peter lifts the paper and examines it. His eyes drop to the bottom. He looks back up at Adam questioning.

‘The manager’s name on the form is Dez Bomb,’ Adam explains patiently. ‘The witness signs his name as Desmond Ogden.’

There’s a fractional pause. I can see that Peter understands but John doesn’t.

‘It’s the same person,’ says Adam. ‘Dez Bomb is the management name for Desmond Ogden.’

He pauses to let this sink in.

‘And as you know,’ continues Adam, ‘the witness on a contract can’t be either of the legal parties.’

Peter’s mouth is a tight thin line.

‘So this ridiculous meeting has been set up for nothing,’ concludes Adam. ‘You have a Mickey Mouse contract here. It’s worth nothing. It means nothing.’

Adam pauses for effect.

‘Gentleman,’ says Adam. ‘I would have hoped that you’d have more intelligence than to waste everyone’s time like this.’

The network men look utterly crushed.

‘You’ve kinda pissed me off,’ concludes Adam. ‘I certainly don’t want to hear that you’re dragging Summer into private meetings in future. Are we clear?’

The men have descended to mumbles now. I can tell they’re angry, and it worries me. Is Adam being sensible, riling them up?

Peter coughs again, and collects the papers.

‘
Mr Morgan,’ he says, ‘it seems as though we came here under false pretences. We won’t take up any more of your time.’

‘
Glad to hear it,’ says Adam. He reaches over and tugs my old contract off the top of Peter’s document pile.

‘
Best I take this and shred it,’ Adam says, with the ghost of a smile on his face. ‘We don’t want this particular piece of fiction causing any more trouble, do we? I should hate to see it end up in the hands of the press.’

For a moment, Peter looks as though he might snatch the contract back. Then he turns to his colleague, nods, and the two of them exit.

As the door shuts behind them, Jenny, Adam and I are left alone.

‘
Adam,’ blurts Jenny, ‘I’m sorry. They asked me to arrange the meeting. It sounded serious. I didn’t think…’

‘
No,’ says Adam sternly. ‘You didn’t think. And you could have put one of my performers in a very difficult situation.’

He glares at her for a moment, and Jenny seems to wither slightly. For all her immaculate make-up and perfect hair, she looks like a little girl, suddenly.

‘It’s not a problem,’ I interject, feeling sorry for Jenny. ‘It’s all been sorted now, no harm done.’

Adam turns to me, and I see some of the anger go out of him.

‘Ok,’ he says after a moment. ‘Well, we’ve lost enough rehearsal time Summer, through this little interlude.’

He shoots another hard glance at Jenny.

‘Let’s get back to the house,’ he concludes. ‘We’ll do our best to make up for lost time.’

Chapter 14

Adam seems mad the whole way back to the house. He’s so preoccupied that I’m a little frightened to talk with him. First he conducts several clipped conversations on his phone. Then he sends a barrage of emails.

I’m not quite sure what they’re about.
But I have a terrible feeling it’s something to do with the meeting.

Could my old contract be a problem after all?

The car pulls up outside a huge London townhouse. But I’m so preoccupied with Adam’s behaviour that I hardly pay attention.

Finally, he closes his phone, gives me a warm smile, and gestures through the car window.

‘Here we are,’ he says. ‘Home sweet home for the next few days.’

Before I can respond, he slips out of the car, holding the door open for me.

‘We need to get inside fast,’ he says, taking my arm as I step out of the car. ‘The press aren’t onto this house yet. So we need to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible.’

He draws me quickly towards the front door, and we’re inside the threshold so fast that I barely have time to register.

On the other side of the door is a beautiful white marble floor and a sweeping curve of a staircase. It’s absolutely enormous.

My eyes drift about, taking in a huge vase of flowers and the elaborate cornicing and décor.

‘What do you think?’ grins Adam, waving his hand expansively.

‘
I…’

My words are stalled by the sheer confusion of him behaving so mercurially. One minute he’s barking orders into his phone and ignoring me,
the next he’s showing off this incredible pad. I can’t keep up.

‘
Ok time out,’ I say, turning to him. ‘You need to tell me what the hell is going on.’

Adam just looks at me, so I carry on speaking.

‘What happened?’ I ask, ‘In the meeting? I mean, is that ok, or what? Because it seemed to be when we left. But then you spent the last twenty minute ignoring me, shouting instructions to people. And I got the impression you were mad.’

Adam rubs his forehead thoughtfully.

‘You want me to answer all those questions at once?’ he says, with the tiniest of smiles.

‘
Yes. No. Just tell me what’s going on,’ I conclude in frustration. ‘A minute ago you seemed angry. Now you’re all smiles and showing me this amazing house. Which is amazing by the way,’ I finish breathlessly.

‘
I’m glad you like it,’ replies Adam. ‘Will you let me talk now?’

I open my mouth to reply and then just nod instead.

‘Thank you,’ says Adam. He runs a hand though his dark hair.

‘
Ok, first things first,’ he says. ‘You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t keep you in the loop. Damage limitation. I wanted to get things sorted fast.’

Damage limitation?

The horror must have shown on my face, because Adam raises his hands.

‘
Not like that,’ he says quickly. ‘Nothing for you to worry about. It’s just…’ His face twists. ‘You don’t need to worry about your old contract Summer. I told you that already.’

‘
Then what should I be worried about?’ I demand.

He frowns.

‘Nothing,’ he says, ‘you shouldn’t be worrying about anything but the contest.’

I glower at him.

‘So if there’s nothing to worry about, why ‘damage limitation?’ ‘ I ask.

‘
If you want to know what I’m concerned about,’ he says with a sigh, ‘I want to know how those network men got that contract.’

I nod at this. I’d thought the same thing myself.

‘I wondered that too,’ I admit.

Adam nods.

‘There’s no way they could have got access to it,’ he says. ‘Unless someone from inside the show gave it to them.’

I think this over.
Someone inside the show.

‘
Does that mean someone is trying to sabotage me?’ I ask in a small voice.

Adam’s expression is deadly serious.

‘Maybe,’ he says.

‘
It wouldn’t be the first time,’ I say. ‘Scandelous have been out to get me from the start. And Deven isn’t my biggest fan after I turned him down for a romance.’

‘
I don’t think it’s anything for you to worry about,’ says Adam gently. ‘I was just mad, is all. Those network men can be tricky customers. I don’t want them to have any ammunition on you.’

He pulls me close in a hug.

‘I want to protect you Summer,’ he whispers into my hair. ‘Sometimes I probably overreact.’

I smile at the confession.

‘At least you’re honest about it,’ I smile. The tensions of the last hour are easing away, and his proximity suddenly raises other ideas.

I still owe him from the car.

Still held tight in his arms, I drop my hand, and slide it between his legs.

‘
You know what would take my mind off things?’ I murmur.

Instantly Adam hardens at my touch.

I smile to myself.

That’s the reaction I was hoping for.

‘I forgot,’ says Adam. ‘You owe me a debt. Don’t you?’

‘
I wouldn’t put it that way,’ I say, moving my hand to rub him seductively. ‘I don’t like the word debt. Let’s just say, I’m inclined to do you a favour.’

Adam makes a tight noise. He draws back to look in my eyes.

Then without warning, he’s kissing me deeply.

Something about the uncertainty of the last hour has unleashed something between us.

The second his lips touch mine, I feel as though a thunderbolt has echoed between us. Suddenly the only thought in my head is to rip his clothes off.

We kiss passionately, tearing at each other’s clothing.

Adam part walks, part carries me to the curving staircase.

But we’re only a few steps onto it, when he plunges me to the ground, tearing away my panties.

I gasp, naked from the waist down, with my dress open at the front.

Gripping his head, I pull him back into the kiss. He responds eagerly, his tongue mapping mine, his hand between my legs.

‘Wait,’ he gasps, ‘condom.’

He’s reaching into his back pocket, but the force of my desire for him is too much. I pull him back down.

I want him…

‘
Now,’ I demand, wrapping my legs around his back.

He groans, and then he’s plunging deep inside me.

‘Oooooo,’ the sounds comes involuntary from my lips. Sex with Adam, with no condom. There are no words. I can feel every inch of him. It’s incredible.

My arms and legs are holding him close, and I bite at his neck as he thrusts.

Then he’s kissing me again, and I’m transported into the smell and taste of him. At this moment, nothing exists but his powerful body, driving me towards orgasm.

Without a condom, it’s s
uch different sex. So intense. The skin on skin contact is having a huge effect on him. Adam moves like a man possessed, like he’s trying to drink in every inch of me with his body.

More quickly than I thought possible, the sensation of him moving inside me is too much. I feel myself rising up towards him.

Oh my God. I’m coming through penetrative sex…

‘
Adam,’ I gasp, between kisses.

I don’t need to finish the sentence. He knows I’m close. His body responds by taking me deeper, harder. The pleasure is so intense I cry out.

And then I’m coming hard, clawing at him as the sensations rip me bodily.

‘
Summer,’ he gasps, ‘I’m going to come.’

He says it like a warning, and too late I realise we abandoned the condom. But I can’t stop. I can’t draw him out of me. Instead I hold him close, so he can’t pull out.

Adam groans as he comes inside me, and I feel all of him as he ejaculates.

I sigh out, loving the closeness to him.

He gasps, breathing hard.

‘
That was incredible,’ I say, looking deep into his eyes.

‘
It was,’ says Adam. There’s regret in his voice. ‘I’m sorry. I thought I could pull out in time… But it was just too good.’

‘
For me too,’ I admit, ‘I didn’t want you to stop. I wanted to feel you.’

I consider the implications of what’s just happened.

‘I think it will be ok,’ I smile, trying to map the date of my cycle. ‘It’s only a few days until my next period.’

Adam considers me carefully.

‘Are you sure?’ he says. ‘I wouldn’t want you to risk your career because of me.’

‘
Um. Yeah I’m sure,’ I say, thinking perhaps I should have been more cautious. ‘Maybe I should take a morning-after pill anyway?’

‘
Yeah, maybe,’ he says.

Adam lifts me slightly up off the stair.

‘But you know,’ he says. ‘If you were to get pregnant, I’d look after you.’

Whoa. Where did this come from?

‘Is this an Irish Catholic thing?’ I joke, ‘Are you looking to knock me up?’

He laughs, and his rugged features crinkle in that cute way I love.

‘No,’ he promises. ‘I like you as a career girl, I promise. I think you deserve to get famous before you commit yourself to a family.’

He studies me, his blue eyes gentle.

‘I’m just saying,’ he murmurs, ‘that it wouldn’t frighten me. If you were pregnant.’

‘
Then you’re not like most guys,’ I reply.

‘
But I
am
like most guys,’ says Adam. ‘That’s what I’m trying to tell you. In fact,’ he pauses, ‘I’m probably
worse
than most guys.’

‘
You are?’ I tease, pushing a lock of hair from his face. ‘Because you seem a lot better than most guys to me.’

‘
Seriously,’ he says. ‘I was the worst kind of guy. No commitment. Drifting from one girl to the next, never having a relationship. If one of those girls had told me she was pregnant, I would have run a mile. I mean,’ he adds quickly, catching my frown. ‘I would have done my duty. Paid my alimony. Seen my kid. But the prospect of getting a girl pregnant. It would have made me feel trapped.’

‘
And now you’re saying it doesn’t?’ I ask curiously, moving to rest my weight on one elbow.

‘
That’s exactly what I’m saying.’ Adam has a strange expression on his face. Like he’s completely blissed out. ‘It’s the most incredible feeling,’ he whispers. ‘Knowing a girl is so right, you’d stay with her forever.’

Wow.

A burst of joy erupts in my heart.

‘
I feel the same way about you,’ I breathe. ‘I want to be with you forever too.’

We stare into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

‘I mean,’ I add, ‘I don’t think we need to have children yet.’

Adam laughs and then his expression turns serious.

‘Should we get you a pill?’ he asks.

‘
Aren’t you Catholic?’ I ask, surprised by his suggestion.

‘
I am,’ he says. ‘But you’re not. That’s why I use condoms with you.’

I consider this.

I imagine that for a Catholic, the morning-after pill is a more serious breech than contraception.

‘
I really don’t think there’s any risk,’ I say, mentally counting the days to my next period. As far as I can work out, there’s no chance at all I could get pregnant now.

I stroke his cheek p
layfully. ‘You look fairly virile,’ I tease. ‘But I don’t want to make you compromise your religion.’

Adam laughs.

‘If you’re sure,’ he says. ‘I don’t want to ruin your career.’

I smile.
‘I’m sure. So let’s rehearse.’