More Than Famous (Famous #2) (51 page)

IT WAS CRAMPED
and loud in the backstage area of the small venue that hosted Daniel's concert, but it was fantastic to be out with Brook, and
just
Brook. This was the first time we'd been out together without other cast members along to keep the media dogs off our scent. Most of the cast already left Vancouver and wouldn’t be back until a cast party which would serve as a wrap on the second film, and also, to introduce the new actors, added who would join the third and final film, to the rest of the cast. Brook and I were living this script, and I was more than apprehensive about the actress they were choosing to play Jane.

In only a month I’d be heading to New York to begin shooting my next film,
Only Us
.  I was leaving the day after the MTV awards where
The Future of Our Past
was up for several awards. Saddened by the thought of the impending separation from Brook, I realized it was going to be harder than I’d thought. The only other time we were apart that long was during the Wendy episode, and the weeks between the promotional tours, but never for this long. I was already anxious, and wondered how in bloody hell I'd make it through.

I was also concerned about the inevitable drama the press would cook up about my new co-star and me, and how Brook would handle it. It was always the same shit, so I fully expected it. Two films back-to-back would elicit drama seeds regardless if they were through the same studio or two different ones. One studio would essentially kill two birds with one promotional stone, and two competing studios would try to keep the focus on their film. Either way, I was screwed.

I'd gotten word last week that they cast a woman named Leah St. Clare opposite me for
Only Us.
Honestly, I couldn't remember much about her other than she was blonde, ordinary looking and was a regular on an America network TV.  She was a good actress, no question, but she certainly hadn't affected me like Brook had during her audition. No one could ever be like Brook. The memory was comforting but my heart already felt the loss of not working with Brook everyday. Flashback to the end of
The Future of Our Past
and this pain was equally intense. We weren’t together then, and I didn't have the right to want her and miss her. Now, she was mine and I'd grown used to having her with me every night. No question this would be an adjustment, but one we’d have to deal with if our relationship were to survive long-term.

I was anxious to find out my production schedule so that I could compare it to Brook's for her new dystopian flick. My brain was already clamoring to work out when we’d be able to see each other. Denise warned there wouldn't be many times during the twelve weeks of my shooting schedule when we'd have the same days off. Brook would even have less than I would, due to her fitness training.

Damn Pinnacle! They probably planned it that way to keep their blasted illusion alive. There was more than one way to confine our relationship, and those fuckers would use any means they could come up with.

Brook was dancing around with Daniel's girlfriend and some overly attentive male fans about twenty feet in front of me. I took a pull of my beer, leaned against the wall, content to watch. Most of the people in the backstage area were friends of Daniel's and although some of the fans could see us behind the curtain from the front of the stage, I was beyond caring.

I'd worn a hoodie to help hide, but I acknowledged it was probably completely pointless. Being incognito was something I couldn’t get away with anymore and it was even more difficult when Brook was with me. Twitter really fucked us. We couldn't go anywhere for more than twenty minutes without being mobbed. I found it maddening. Surprisingly, the female fans were less touchy and demanding when Brook was around. She was always nice to them; more than gracious, but something about “Julia” being with “Ryan”, just made them back off. I grinned at the thought.

Thank you, Kahlen Aymes. You made my entire life the day you sat down to write
The Remembrance Trilogy
because it brought Brook to me.

I glanced at the object of my musings. Brook was dressed casually too. This togetherness in public was still new to us, so we'd been reining it in all night. I wanted to touch her, hold her, act like her boyfriend, but instead, I was in the background watching other blokes flirt with her.

I nursed my beer and chilled, watching her dance and perch on the edge of the stage. The only obvious thing about my actions was that I couldn't take my eyes off of her. The looks she shot at me were completely mesmerizing and the little secret of our relationship was overtly sexy. Those poor bastards dancing with her could dream, anyway. My lips turned up in another grin.

I'd never get used to the feeling of my heart filling up my chest whenever I looked at her, how my fingers itched to touch her, or my mouth longed to taste her. The love was unbelievable. After nearly a year of being together, it was as exciting as it was when we first met, but now we had a depth that came from knowing everything about each other.

I met Brook’s eyes and made a head motion indicating she should come back to my side. The guy who was talking to her leaned in and put an arm around her shoulders as he said something in her ear. She shook her head and then moved away from him toward where I stood in the back room.

I was leaning nonchalantly against the wall, and she came to stand in front of me, pressing her back flat against it. Her position allowed her to talk to me, yet still see the stage.

"You're looking very happy! Daniel's great. Are you having a good time?" She flashed a gorgeous smile; her face was flushed due to the heat in the bar, the cramped quarters, and the two hundred people stuffed into the small space.

I leaned down to speak to her and her perfume assaulted my senses. "Yeah. I'm glad we did this, but it would be so much better if I could wrap you in my arms as I’d like," I said, as I handed her the drink I was watching for her. "You looked like you were having a good time dancing with those guys."

Brook's eyebrows raised and she bit the corner of her lower lip. "Oh, yeah. Sure I did, but they weren't the dance partner I really
wanted
." She nudged into me and her free hand slid around the back of my waist to drop to my ass. When her hand closed around one of the cheeks and squeezed, her eyes flashed flirtatiously.

My face split into a smile and Brook laughed out loud. "You're playing with fire, little girl."

"Is that right?" she asked as she licked her lips, glancing up at me through hooded eyes. She was so bloody sexy, I couldn’t stand it. It was all I could do not to pull her into my arms and kiss her full on the mouth for the entire bar to see. "Well, that's good, cause’ I like things
hot
."

"Mmmmm.” I know you do." I grabbed her hand, turned and pulled her back into the throng of people behind us.

"Excuse me. Pardon us," I said to the women standing behind me as I worked my way through twenty or so people to take Brook into the backstage area behind the curtain behind the band. We received inquisitive glances as we pushed our way through them, but I was beyond caring. "Excuse us, thank you."

"Cade... are you sure this is such a good idea?" Brook asked.

I wanted space and a lull in the din of the music. I wanted her against my body and my mouth on hers.
Now.

Daniel's band began playing a softer song as I pushed her up against one of the walls behind a curtain and pressed my body into hers. Her breath left her chest and rushed warmly over the skin on my neck. Her eyes fell to my mouth. I bent, and licked her upper lip with my tongue as my hand rested on the wall beside her head. I leaned in toward her so I could ghost her mouth with mine.

"Yes... I think it's an excellent idea," I whispered against her mouth, before parting her lips and sliding my tongue into the warm depth of her delicious mouth. She moaned into me as her mouth worked with mine, and her tongue moved inside my mouth.

Oh God.
She tasted so good, and it must have been, what? Hours, since I'd kissed her like this?

Her hands slid around my waist and under my sweatshirt and shirt. My skin was damp with perspiration but I wasn't sure if it was due to the heat of the bar or the desire that was washing over me. Her cool little hands curled into my skin, the nails making me shiver despite the heat.

I cupped her cheek gently, and then the back of her head as our kisses deepened and became more urgent. I loved the feel of her response. She pressed into me as her breath came in faster gasps matching my own. I felt my dick thicken and swell against her softness. It felt so good; almost to the point of pain.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard people milling around, but it didn't really register. I was so caught up in the moment, her kisses so exquisite I was lost completely to everything else but Brook. I pulled her hips closer to mine and she moaned. Minute after minute passed as we made out under the curtain, and I never wanted to stop kissing her.

"Cade… uhhhh... you don't play fair. I was trying so hard to be good," she said against my mouth before sucking my lower lip into her mouth then pulling her mouth from mine.

I pressed my forehead to hers and took a deep breath. "Trust me, love, you're very, very
good
. So good, it's bloody insane," I said suggestively. "I
don't
want to play fair."

"Yeah, I
want
as well, and I don't care how you play, as long as you play." She giggled softly, and brought her hand up to my jaw and then her thumb moved over my lower lip. I kissed it and sucked it into my mouth as her eyes met mine and I could see the desire smoldering in the blue depths. "You're so beautiful."

"Hmmph!” The corners of my mouth twitched in the start of a sardonic smile. "That baby we're gonna have in ten years is going to be amazing, yes? Because I think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on."

Brook gasped at my words. Truly, I couldn't wait for that day.

I brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her softly one more time before I moved back from her. It wasn't easy to control the desire I felt surging in my veins. Her eyes were molten fire as she looked at me and I didn't want to tear my gaze away, but I realized we should get back to watching the concert. We were playing with fire.

Someone would see us if we weren't careful; and there was still the worry that, at least as far as the world knew, she'd only split with David a week ago.

My fingers threaded through hers as I turned to go back to our perch nearer the stage when I noticed a waitress was looking at us with interest.

Fuck.

"Crap," Brook said in a rush as she noticed her presence too. "We're screwed."

"No. Wait." I pulled her with me toward the girl.

"Hi. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Do you need something from the bar?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, in a moment. Do you know who we are?"

"Sure. Everyone does," she said nervously.

"Yes, well, you know we're in town shooting our next movie, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you a fan of the series?"

"Um, not really. I don't know much about it other than the chatter I hear around town. Everyone is always trying to get a look at you both, but that's all."

I smiled and ran a hand through my hair. I was going to invite her to the set to watch us work in order to get her to keep quiet about the kiss she'd obviously witnessed, but if she wasn't a fan, that wouldn’t help. Brook's hand squeezed mine as she shifted back and forth beside me.

"We will need a vodka cranberry and a Heineken when you have a moment, and um, we'd really appreciate it if you could keep quiet about, um..."

"No problem. I didn't take any pictures. Don't worry, it's cool."

"Yeah, thanks," Brook inserted, "See, we were uh… rehearsing this big scene. A very important scene." She chewed her lower lip, knowing full well the waitress knew what was really going on. She started laughing playfully and the waitress nodded knowingly and winked.

"Uh, right. I'll be back with those drinks." She smiled wryly as she walked away.

"We're rehearsing a scene? Is that what we were doing?" I teased.

"What? She knew I was being a smart ass," Brook protested but she was still smiling. “Obviously we wouldn’t rehearse here.”

When the waitress brought the drinks, I put three one hundred dollar notes on her tray. "Keep it, and thanks," I said, and her eyes got wide.

"You don't need to do that," she objected.

"No, it's my pleasure. We don't get this kind of help often, and I really appreciate it. Privacy is a scarce commodity to us these days." I smiled and the waitress nodded.

"Thank you," she said as she moved off.

"Jesus. Dazzle her much? Poor thing didn't stand a chance."

I leaned into Brook and smirked at her. "If I didn't know better, you sound jealous, love."

"Hmmph! In your dreams, Carlisle," she scoffed as she took a sip from her drink.

"Good. I hate jealous women!" I said playfully and took a drink of my beer.

Her eyes burned me alive as she bit her lower lip and shook her head ever so slightly. As much as I'd wanted to take her out tonight, I found myself longing to be alone with her between the sheets.

"Mmmm.” Brook acknowledged. “Well, what kind
do
you like?"

My mouth opened and I smiled as the air rushed out... "Um, the beautiful, strong and sexy type with a sarcastic wit.  Blonde with deep blue eyes, perfect little body and, uh, she has to love me unconditionally."

"Oh, is that all? Had any luck with that?" she asked with mock sarcasm.

"Yeah. I think I’m the luckiest wanker on Earth," I said softly as my hand ran up her back under her hair to caress her neck. She shivered and it did strange things to my insides that I could affect her that way with the slightest touch.

"Well, I'm even luckier, because my list is even longer than yours."

Pleasure shot through me at her words. "Do tell," I urged.

This would be good. I licked my lips and leaned down to hear her above the music. She looked up at me through half closed lids and cocked her head to one side.