More Than Famous (Famous #2) (8 page)

"They'll love you, Brook. We won't have much time to talk with them tonight, but I'd like to arrange something for tomorrow evening, okay?"

"Jeanne told me that we can't have our parents socializing beyond the premiere because it screams that you and I have a relationship outside of the film, but maybe I can sneak over there and have breakfast or something while you're at your radio thing."

"Yeah, I'd like to be there with all of you, but I guess that would work.  Are you sure?"

"Sure.  I want to know them, Cade.  Don't worry, I won't ask any embarrassing things about you, I promise." I grinned at him and he smiled in return.

The screams got louder as we inched closer to where we'd disembark from the limo.  He brought my hand to his mouth and placed a soft, open-mouthed kiss on the top. 

"Here we go.  I won't be able to kiss you all night, so I need one for the road."  He smiled as he tilted my chin up with his hand and covered my mouth with his.  I opened to him and put my hands at the back of his head, pulling him closer, but careful not to make a mess of it.  Our tongues slid deliciously into each other's mouths as we sucked and pulled on each other's lips in what turned into several kisses.

"Ugh!"  He pulled his mouth from mine for the last time, and I clung to his lips, not wanting to let him go.

"You make it hard to stop. I love you, Brook. Tonight while we're talking to all these other people, my mind will only be on you.  Remember, this is my fucking job, and that's it."

I knew what he was saying, but my heart fell slightly, despite my conviction to steel myself against it. "I know." I placed another small kiss on his mouth and inhaled deeply.  "I know." 

"Are you scared?"

"A little, I guess."

"We're going to do this together, just like we've done all along, right?"

I nodded. Cade squeezed my hand one last time before letting go as the driver opened the door.  The screams flooded our senses as they increased in volume.  Cade got out first, paused, and then offered me his hand.

We waved at the crowd, and each of us went to opposite sides of the carpet to begin signing autographs and talking to fans.  It seemed like hours later when we stepped off to our individual photo calls and were able to talk to some of the other cast members.

Wendy and Jennifer were there along with Martin, our director. We had photos taken with all of them.  Wendy and I weren't hanging out as much, so when she came over and hugged me to her for a photo, I was surprised.

"Hi, Brook!  It's great to see you. 
Love
your dress!" 

"You look good too, Wendy.  Let's catch up at the party, huh?" I smiled warmly at her and hoped the strain between us would be in the past.

"Sure thing.  See you later!"  She walked off into the theater, but I still had some photos to do.

When they called for Cade and I to pose together, I was thankful to have his arm around me again as he pressed his fingers into the side of my waist.   His hand went around my body so naturally and as I gazed up at him, I felt calmed by his presence next to me.  Peace within the madness.  I watched him talk to his fans and do the interviews with me, and when his hand ran through his gorgeous mane again and again, I figured he was a little flustered, too.

I felt like we were shouting our answers to the television hosts and news media, and I could barely hear myself talk above the roar of the crowds. 

"I think I'm going deaf!"  Cade murmured down to me at one point.  "But I'm not going blind.  You're so beautiful; I can't keep my eyes off of you, Brook.  I'll be watching you all night, babe.  I love you."

"Me too."  I smiled as the cameras flashed again and again.

CADE AND I
sat next to each other in the middle of the theater with our families on both sides.  He'd introduced me to his parents, and his brother, Oliver, briefly, but I hadn't really had a chance to speak to them.  Oliver had Cade’s coloring and was very handsome, though, my biased mind argued, not as handsome as his brother. Layla, who I'd met during the filming, was slender and elegant, dressed head to toe in Versace, her dress glimmering softly as the cameras flashed.  Cade's parents were a lot like him, down-to-earth and normal people.  It was apparent that they were extremely proud of his success by the way his mom couldn't stop smiling and touching his hair, and his dad's chest was all puffed up.

Rightfully so
, I thought.  He's amazing. I took a deep breath as the movie started and my voiceover came over the speakers.  Cade grabbed my hand and held on tight.  I glanced up at him and smiled to myself.

The looks on the faces of our mothers were priceless.  There were times during the movie when I felt Cade tense and sensed he wanted to flee the theater.  He was especially uneasy during the scene when his character, Ryan, touched Julia as a lover for the first time.

It was so emotional, and he played it so realistically. I did too, but I’d been in such awe of him, and I was secretly living it in real life. I could watch him for hours on end
.
I of all people knew it was acting, but it seemed so real. I watched the reaction of some of the people around us, and people were completely drawn in.

I scratched the inside of his palm and he glanced at me with a secret smile, and then rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb.

Hopefully, everyone was so caught up in the movie that they didn't notice our entwined hands, but somehow, we just
had
to touch each other.

Memories flooded my mind as the movie played, of times that we shared during the shoot; so many memories.  Being in the car mock-up against the green screen for hours and hours while we did the scenes of the drive from San Francisco to Boston, the closeness we felt while we worked on Ryan's bedroom scene, totally lost in each other as we rehearsed, and the full day of filming that first make-out scene. 

I felt my pulse speed up as his hand moved on mine again.

Wow, that was quite a day.  Reality was so intense, it made the film that much hotter. 

I'd allowed myself to give in to all of the want I'd been feeling; the longing caused by being near him and not being able to touch him.  He had too.  I'd felt his arousal pressing against me several times during that day, and I wanted him so badly, I ached with it.  He wanted me to feel it as he moved against me, needed me to know that he really did want me.  There had been many times when we'd been alone that I'd wanted him to touch me like that, but we both held back, so when we finally had the chance to get our hands on each other, we really let ourselves fall in to it. The thoughts made my blood flush my skin as my body quickened.

Martin used the close up shots instead of the full screen ones.  He'd said the full body shots were too hot.  That was an understatement.  In interviews, he continually made fun of Cade because he fell off the bed during one of the takes.  Hell, I would have too, if he hadn't caught me.  We'd forgotten anyone was on the set with us and had gotten so lost in each other.  I was shaken when it was over.  Obviously, the studio hadn’t reined Martin in the way they had Cade and me.

Remembering, I’d been stunned as Cade picked himself up and sat down next to me on the bed sheepishly, running his hand through his hair.  He'd taken my hand in his other one and looked into my face as we waited for the crew to reset the cameras and the set for the next take.  Something passed between us in that moment that changed our relationship. Any time we spent alone after that lost the light, carefree feeling and something unspoken hung between us from that moment on; the sexual tension thick.

I sometimes wondered at Martin’s mental maturity. I was young, but he was so completely juvenile, always ramming that slip up in Cade’s face.

I could feel the sweat starting between our palms and his breathing increase, sensing he was sharing the same thoughts as the scene played out in front of us.  
Oh, God.
 

I wanted so badly to lay my head on his shoulder, to communicate with him how this was affecting me.  He leaned his head closer to me and whispered in my ear.

"I know, Brook.  Me, too. Watching us like this together… it’s stunning."

Of course, he knew.  He always knew. His hand tightened on mine.

THE ROOFTOP TERRACE
of Armand Hammer Museum was decorated with lots of twinkling lights and a mural of the Boston skyline in the background was lit from behind, making it appear realistic.  It was cool and insanely crowded.  The theater held thirteen hundred people and while all of them weren't invited to the after party, there must have been somewhere around a thousand people in attendance.

The crowds outside the theater had been maddening.  I was thankful that Brook was there with me.  Even though I’d attended loads of these things, her presence gave me a center.  Unconsciously, my eyes were always searching for her when she wasn’t near me, even as I was talking to other people, or doing interviews.  It was hard to keep track of her with so many people in attendance, but I would find her and meet her gaze every now and then.

Roxanne Mason tracked me down and basically followed me around most of the evening.  She was pretty, in a hard sort of way.  She seemed so much older than her age, and I wasn't sure why.

"You know, Cade, the studio has plans for us." She smiled and put her hand on my forearm.  I took a drink from my glass and looked at her blandly.  I hoped I wasn't being rude, but I wasn't interested in this conversation at all, as my eyes landed on Brook across the room. 

She was talking to Noah and Gavin, laughing with them until her eyes landed on me with Roxanne's hand on me. She visibly stiffened, and I had to tear my eyes away from hers.
Fuck.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Oh, they didn't tell you?  We're supposed to hang out, plant speculation that we may be dating."

"Yes, my manager mentioned something of it to me, but I'm not particularly into lying to my fans or anyone else."  My voice was flat and bored.

Her lips pouted as she looked at me.  "Maybe it wouldn't be a lie.  You might like me, you know."

I moved away from her slightly so her hand fell away from my arm.  "I'm sure you're a wonderful person, Roxanne, and very talented as well, but I thought you were dating that Eli Dominic."

Bloody hell.
  Brook was gone from the where I'd last seen her.

"Well... yes, and no. So, you've been checking up on me, have you?" Her blue eyes flashed over my face. “I’m flattered.”

I raised my eyebrows at her and wanted to kick myself for mentioning it.  "Um, not really. My manager keeps me informed of things she thinks I need to know.  Will you excuse me for a minute?"  I nodded to her and moved off to see if I could find Brook.  I hadn't spoken to her since we'd arrived at the party, and I just wanted to make sure she was okay.

As I made my way through the crowd, I didn't see her anywhere.  Her parents were gone as well, so maybe she'd left.  My sister and brother, along with Nathan, were along one of the walls talking, so I made my way over to them.

"Hey, are you all enjoying yourselves?" I leaned in and gave my sister a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, excellent, Caden. This is a big one," Layla teased. "Mum and Dad are so proud of you.  We all are."

I smiled at her.  "Thanks, sis.  Have any of you seen Brooklyn? I was going to leave soon because I've got an early call tomorrow for a radio program and wanted to say goodbye."

"I think she left a little while ago, Cade. Crowds aren't her thing." Nate put his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I know.  Okay.  Listen, Oliver, Layla, I'd like Brook to have brunch with you at the hotel tomorrow morning with Mum and Dad. Can you arrange to have it brought into the suite?  I'll have Denise figure out how to get her over there, yeah?"

"You won’t be there?"  Layla asked.

"Um, not sure, but definitely not at the beginning of it.  I'd like her to have some time with all of you. She's fine with being there without me; we discussed it tonight."

"Sure, sure. I'll take care of everything.  I've got her number. "