“No. Frank and Jimmy Kozlowski are bankrolling it.”
“Together with a few other investors, and I happen to be one of
them.”
Nostrils flaring, Simon clenched his jaw. When he spoke, it
sounded like he forced each word through his teeth. “
You
put up money for
Hellion?
Your name
has never been mentioned in connection with the project.”
Tex gave a careless shrug. “Ian knew when I came on board. I’ve
never made a secret of it.”
Gail felt her fingernails curve into her palms. Good old Ian,
playing both ends against the middle. What had he been thinking? That Simon
would never find out his father was involved?
That wasn’t realistic. He must’ve been hoping the movie would
be done by the time Simon learned. That was certainly possible. When there were
a number of producers, a group of investors, not all of them had a say in the
actual making of the film.
“Why?” Simon asked. “There are so many other projects, so many
other actors. Why are you involved in
this?
”
“Frankly, it was the kind of opportunity I didn’t want to pass
up. A script like this doesn’t come around every day. And you couldn’t be more
suited to the part.”
Disgust etched lines in Simon’s forehead. “I’m playing a serial
killer, for God’s sake!”
“But he’s a good husband and father at the same time, very
complex. That’s what makes him interesting and I’m sure it’s why you took the
part. Anyway, not too many actors have more box office appeal than you do right
now. We wait much longer, that might not be the case. So how can I convince you
to get your ass back to work?”
Now Simon laughed. “You can’t. I’m not going back until I gain
custody of Ty.”
“You won’t get Ty. You’ve already made sure of that.”
Simon folded his arms. “I wonder where I learned the behavior
that brought me to this point.”
“It’s not your behavior I’m trying to understand. It’s why you
didn’t bother to be more discreet.”
“Maybe I’m not interested in becoming the Great Pretender, like
you.”
“If you had any brains you wouldn’t be in this situation. You
had Bella by the jugular, and you let her go. No one knows that better than
me.”
“That you could even suggest I go public with what happened,
after the part you played, makes me want to kick your ass,” Simon growled. “You
were probably hoping I’d do just that. Give you a spot in the limelight
again.”
Tex waved his words away. “Oh, come on, your marriage to Bella
would never have lasted, regardless of anything I did. It was already on the
rocks.” He gestured toward Gail. “This one won’t last, either. One woman could
never keep you happy, not when just about every female you come across is
willing to lie down and spread her legs. You’re too much like me.”
Gail felt sick. “Out,” she said. “Get out of our house.
Now.”
Simon grabbed her by the arm before she could get in Tex’s
face. “I’m nothing like you, and I’m going to prove it.”
His father adjusted his hat. “Knock yourself out,” he said.
“But understand this—you have three days. I’ll be staying at the B and B on
Sutter Street until Tuesday. You don’t make arrangements with me to start that
damn film, I’ll sue you for breach of contract and hire someone else. We’ll see
if the publicity from that helps you get Ty back. The judge and everyone else
will think, ‘Simon screwed up again, just like we figured he would.’ Then hiding
out here in the back of beyond will be a waste of time. Why not be realistic
while you have the chance?”
“While it serves you, you mean?” Simon said. “While it gives
you a film that’ll make you millions more than if you hired another actor?”
“The people I talked into signing on are upset at the way this
thing is going. I owe them something, too.”
“But who do you owe more?” Gail asked. “Don’t you care about
your grandson? Don’t you want a better relationship with him than you have with
your son?”
Tex shifted his attention to her. “I think you shouldn’t get
involved,” he said, and stalked out.
* * *
Rage consumed Simon. His father’s nerve in showing up
here and acting as if…as if he’d had nothing to do with the situation that had
started everything made Simon want to put his fist through a wall.
“You okay?” Gail’s voice came to him as if from far away. He
knew she meant well, that she was trying to help him, but he couldn’t be with
her right now. Considering the rage bubbling up inside him, he couldn’t be with
anyone he hoped to have a relationship with afterward because there’d be no way
to take back the things he was about to say.
“I need to get out of here,” he muttered.
She stood in his path. “And go where? You don’t even know the
area.”
“Who cares?”
“
I
do.”
“Then you’re a fool. And you’ll live to regret it. Get out of
my way.”
“No. If you leave now you’ll do something
you
regret.”
On some level, he agreed with her. He thought of Ty and wanted
to make him proud. But even his son wasn’t enough to stem the deluge of anger
whipping through him. Because trying to reclaim Ty felt like he was grasping at
air. His father was right; he’d never get his son back.
He needed a liquor store, some way to dull the jagged emotions
that felt like barbed wire being yanked through his heart. If he didn’t do
something he’d explode—or finally give his old man what he deserved. He wanted
to do exactly that, but if he ever started down that road, he’d wind up in
prison. He doubted he’d be able to quit slugging him.
He tried to get around Gail, but she stopped him. “No!” she
said more firmly. “I won’t let him take from you what you’ve achieved during
these past two and a half weeks.”
“I don’t give a shit about what I’ve achieved. I don’t give a
shit about anything!” He thought his temper would frighten her. It’d certainly
frightened her when he’d stormed into her office following that bogus rape
accusation. But she didn’t let go or back away, even when he tried to shake her
off.
“I’m not giving up on you, damn it!” she cried. “Don’t let him
win!”
“You have no choice but to give up. Our marriage—this joke of a
relationship—is over.” Determined to get through the door, he picked her up and
set her aside. But she came after him again, catching his arm. When he whirled,
ready to shout—to say whatever he had to say to get her to accept who and what
he really was—she grabbed his hand and shoved it up her shirt.
“Stay,” she breathed.
The shock of suddenly having her breast in his hand shot
straight to his groin. He told himself it wasn’t right to take her up on the
offer she was making. Not when he knew why she was making it. But the anger was
like a monster inside him, a monster with a mind of its own. It demanded some
kind of physical action, a release....
Still, he hesitated for a second and almost let go. He
respected her too much to use her. But there was more than anger at work. He
also wanted her—badly. And when her hand clenched in his hair and she turned his
head to kiss him as if she wouldn’t take no for an answer, he knew he wouldn’t
be able to refuse.
Especially when she met his lips with an open mouth and arched
into him, holding nothing back.
23
G
ail had never experienced anything even
close to what was happening. The emotions flying between her and Simon were so
charged they seemed to be sparking. Desperate to come together as fast as
possible, they tore at each other’s T-shirts, managed to remove them and, naked
from the waist up, feasted on each other’s mouths, necks and chests—gasping for
breath in between.
Gail felt as if she’d just climbed aboard a runaway train. The
crash was coming. But she wasn’t tempted to jump off. Not yet. Everything had
changed. It didn’t matter that they were only temporarily married. It didn’t
matter that sex was against the rules
she’d
established. It didn’t matter that it was full daylight and, after spending the
night in Simon’s sleeping bag, she didn’t look her best. She was keeping him
safe. That was all she cared about.
Fortunately, he was too preoccupied with touching and tasting
her to notice that her hair was messy. And she was too busy enjoying the
pleasure he gave her to be self-conscious.
When Simon lifted her in his arms, she warned him not to pull
out his stitches, but he didn’t seem concerned. He carried her to the mattress,
yanked her pajama bottoms off and buried his face in her breasts while touching
her in other, more sensitive areas.
“I wish I had better use of my right hand,” he muttered, but he
was doing just fine with his left.
Recalling all the fantasies she’d had over the years that
centered on Simon O’Neal, Gail could hardly believe this was real. Especially
because Simon in the flesh was so much sexier than the Simon in her dreams. He
was far more aggressive than either of her former lovers—more demanding, too—but
he was also careful not to take it too far. She could sense whenever he’d draw
back, when he’d check her expression and responsiveness to make sure she was
enjoying how he touched her.
They were both walking on the far edge of control and there
wasn’t a more exhilarating feeling. Gail had never let herself go to this point.
She
couldn’t
pull back, didn’t even want to.
“I was wrong about you,” he told her, his voice husky as he
spread her legs.
She could barely speak. She was trembling as she clung to his
arm, already close to climax. “In what…way?”
“In every way.” His mouth descended on hers, mimicking what he
was doing with his fingers until she stopped him.
“I want
you
inside me,” she
whispered. “I can’t wait. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for the man I
could desire this much.”
His gaze locked on to hers. She wasn’t sure if he was still
angry, but there was a feral look in his eyes. He got up to get a condom from
his wallet and put it on. But then he pinned her arms above her head and covered
her with his hard, warm body.
Gail allowed her eyes to close at the solid weight of him, the
delicious pressure as he pushed inside. She was lost. She hadn’t protected
herself against anything. She’d fallen head over heels for a man who was
emotionally damaged and she’d done it in record time. Probably because, despite
what she’d tried to tell herself, she’d been halfway in love with Simon from the
beginning. Matt had been a schoolgirl crush by comparison, someone she’d only
thought
she wanted.
A trickle of fear ran through her as that truth crystallized.
Because an even harder truth came right behind it. Simon was going to break her
heart, and that wouldn’t take very long, either. But as the friction increased
and the tension mounted, future pain wasn’t a concern. She’d never made love
like this before because she’d never
felt
like this
before. Despite all the reasons she shouldn’t be, she was desperately in love,
and her body
knew
Simon’s touch, could distinguish
it from anyone else’s.
As she reached that first peak, with Simon’s smell and body in
and around her, she felt as if her bones would melt and somehow meld with his.
She looked up to see him watching her. He was soaking up every nuance of her
expression, reveling in every gasp, and the smile of accomplishment that curved
his lips in that moment was probably the best part of all.
* * *
Simon was shaking with the effort of holding back, but
he was determined to bring Gail to climax several times before allowing himself
the same pleasure. He liked feeling her shudder when she reached that crest,
liked hearing her moan his name. But he knew he was being unselfish partly to
escape the guilt. He no longer had a heart to offer, so he had to deliver where
he could.
He happened to be good at this. Today he was too worked up to
have the stamina he wanted, but he was doing what he could to last.
“Again,” he whispered, and closed his eyes. He needed to think
of something other than the warm wetness, the clenching of her body, or it would
all be over. But she didn’t seem happy that he had to mentally check out in
order to make that happen.
Encouraging him to roll onto his back, she got on top and that
was the beginning of the end. When she took control, he could believe she was
making love to him because she wanted the pleasure as badly as he did and would
have no regrets—and that was all it took to render him helpless.
As soon as his hands found her breasts, wave after glorious
wave ripped through him. Closing his eyes again, he succumbed to the release
until he felt completely drained. Then he looked up at her, still breathing
hard. He had no idea what to expect next. He was terrified she’d start to cry,
feel angry that they’d broken her “rules,” cling to him as if this was the
beginning of forever, or—worse than anything—make him squirm by telling him she
loved him.
Fortunately, she did none of those things. With a devilish
smile, she bent her head for a quick peck that ended with a playful bite on his
bottom lip.
“Not bad,” she said. “Not bad at all.”
He raised an uncertain eyebrow. “You’ve had better than that?”
He
certainly hadn’t. Not in recent memory. Maybe
it was because he hadn’t been drunk, for a change, but he already knew he’d
never forget this.
“A couple times.” Her manner suggested she might be teasing,
but he couldn’t be sure. “Anyway, I think you’re talented enough to make the two
years we’re married go a lot faster.”
He still wasn’t convinced she felt as cavalier as she was
acting, but he was willing to play along. “You thought I might not be?”
“I thought you needed a break from your stud services, but…I’m
glad I decided not to worry about that,” she said. Then she got up and headed
into the bathroom as if what had happened was nothing more than a casual
encounter.
Thank God.
Covering his face with
one arm, Simon breathed a sigh of relief.
* * *
Pressing herself against the bathroom door, Gail covered
her face. She was shaking and couldn’t seem to calm down. But she wouldn’t let
Simon know how deeply their lovemaking had affected her. He wasn’t capable of
dealing with anything that complicated right now, even if he cared about her.
And she knew he didn’t. Not in the same way she cared about him.
“What have I done?” she mouthed as she stared at herself in the
mirror. But it was too late for regret or remonstrance. At the very least, she
was infatuated with Simon. Now that she wasn’t caught up in the moment, she was
reluctant to call it
love.
Even if it was, she could
still salvage her pride.
“Gail?”
He was outside the door.
She hurried to flush the toilet, even though she hadn’t used
it. “Yes?”
“You okay?”
“Of course. Why?”
“Just wanted to be sure.”
“I’m fine. Thanks. You definitely know how to show a lady a
good time.” She bit her lip, forcing herself to stop talking before she gave
away the fact that she was completely thrown by what had just happened.
“Good. Glad to hear it. Let’s take a shower.”
He wanted more. And, heaven help her, so did she.
* * *
Their first encounter hadn’t been bad, not by any
stretch of the imagination. But, thanks to practice and a growing familiarity,
sex with Simon got even more enjoyable as the weekend wore on. Gail was
surprised at how quickly she became comfortable with the intimacy and how easily
she lost her self-consciousness. She’d been so worried about comparing
unfavorably to his other lovers, but that was crazy. If their relationship
wasn’t going to last, what did it matter?
Other than a short stint here and there when they ran out to
buy food and more condoms, they’d spent the weekend holed up in the house,
making love, sleeping and eating. Ironically, it felt like a real honeymoon.
Gail knew Josh would love to hear the dirty details of the past two days, but
she planned to give Simon the same respect and privacy she was counting on from
him. As if to confirm that, she ignored Josh’s call when it came in.
“Who is it?” Simon asked when she set her phone back on the
carpet.
Curling into him, she kissed his bare shoulder. “Josh.”
“What do you think he wants?”
“To update me on how things are going.”
“On Sunday?”
“He’s a workaholic, like me. And he’s probably dying to hear
what’s happening with us.”
It was getting dark outside. Gail almost couldn’t believe
they’d spent the whole weekend indulging in hedonistic behavior. But she’d
already crossed all the lines she’d intended not to cross. At this point, there
was no reason not to enjoy Simon while she could.
“It’s peaceful here, don’t you think?” She’d been careful not
to mention his father, but the knowledge that Tex was staying at A Room with a
View and had been there for two days made her uneasy. She guessed Simon felt the
same, probably worse, and wondered what he planned to do about his father’s
ultimatum.
Maybe she’d lose Simon much sooner than she’d expected
to....
“It’s been perfect.” He kissed her, and his tongue met hers
briefly. “You don’t regret what we’ve done, do you?”
He’d spoken casually, but she sensed that her answer
mattered.
“What’s to regret? It was about time I got laid, right?” She
chuckled as if it meant nothing more than that, and he didn’t follow up.
“Who were the other two?” he asked at length.
She ran a hand over the contours of his flat stomach. “The
other two?”
“You said you’ve slept with two other guys.”
Rising up on one elbow, she gave him a challenging look, but
she was teasing and she could tell he knew that. “Do you really want to talk
about past lovers?”
He surprised her by remaining serious. “Only because I’m
guessing they meant something to you.”
The air mattress shifted as she rearranged the blankets, which
were twisted around their feet. “Hardly.”
“What does that mean?”
“The first was more of a date-rape situation. He didn’t like me
saying no, felt I owed him more than a good-night kiss in exchange for
dinner.”
His eyebrows knitted as he helped her untangle the blankets.
She liked him with his hair mussed and his jaw darkening with beard growth. She
wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him look sexier, even in the movies. “I hope you
turned him in.”
“I wish I had. At the time I felt that maybe I’d invited it by
acting interested in him. I was so excited when he finally asked me out. Now
that I’m older, I have no idea why I let him get away with what he did. But I
was twenty-five and inexperienced. And I thought maybe I was weird for not
wanting
to have sex with him on the first date. He was
really handsome, someone most girls would desire.”
“Where is he now?”
“Who knows? I met him at a dance place some of my employees
dragged me to. We didn’t have any contact after that.”
“And the other guy?”
“That was a much better experience. He was quite a bit older
than me, very kind—a college professor complete with the tweed jackets.” She
smiled in memory of Skylar Henshaw’s conservative wardrobe. “I liked his calm,
trustworthy manner. We were together for several months.”
“Why’d you break up?”
“He decided to get back with his ex-wife. She was a lovely
woman, and they had children together. I never could understand why they
split.”
His hand slid over the curve of her waist and down around her
hip in a gentle caress. “Was it because of you?”
“No, I met him at a Starbucks after his divorce. He offered me
his table because it was too crowded for me to use my laptop any other way.”
“How romantic,” he said dryly.
She smiled. “He was nice, like I said.”
He kissed her neck, her ear. “Did he leave you brokenhearted,
Gail?”
She closed her eyes. “Not really. I was ready to tell him I
wanted to move on. I figured it was lucky he’d come to the same decision. Our
relationship was…comfortable but not passionate. I liked that he didn’t demand
more from me than I was willing to give. I was building my business and didn’t
have a lot of time or energy for anything else. He took care of my creature
comforts.”
Simon raised his head. “Sounds more like a father figure.”
“I guess he was. But we both understood that.”
“And then there was Matt.”
Gail stretched. “I didn’t sleep with Matt, remember?”
“You wanted to.”
She didn’t correct him.
“Will you in the future?”
“Maybe.” She glanced away so he couldn’t tell how troubling she
found that question. He’d spoken as if it wouldn’t matter to him if she did.
“Why haven’t you slept with anyone from Whiskey Creek?” he
asked.
“I almost slept with Ted in high school.”
“Your friend? The author?”
“That would be him.”
“What happened?”
“His mother caught us getting naked and told her sister, who’s
the biggest gossip in town. The rumors going around afterward were enough to
keep me on the straight and narrow. I couldn’t bear the thought of news like
that getting back to my father. My mother had already disappointed him. I didn’t
want to be next.”