The Passion Series (14 page)

2 – Missing Ryan

Heather had been alone for a month. She had to stay in New York to manage her gallery and continue to paint. Her life had been complete in the Manhattan apartment, Ryan managing his growing company and Heather creating more new paintings. She used to say painting was her passion, but now it was second to the man she craved. And he was too far away.

The silly grin had been on her face ever since she decided to surprise Ryan by showing up a day early. She was supposed to arrive tomorrow. Instead, she’d managed to get an early flight for today. Her heart beat faster at the thought of seeing Ryan.

Daniel had picked her up at the airport and delivered her smoothly to Ryan’s Beverly Hills home, taking her suitcase to the luggage stand in the bedroom. He’d even set out some mineral water with lime, just like she preferred, and she drank it down promptly. Air travel always dehydrated her.

She’d visited several times since Ryan had been on this shoot, so she knew her way around his home. She kicked off her shoes and turned on the sound system, needing to unwind.
Let’s see what Ryan has been listening to. Oh sweet, “Beyond Beautiful.”
Heather danced to the sound of Aerosmith belting out the lyrics and sang along.

Ryan wouldn’t be home for a while. When he was filming, he often got home later in the evening. And he didn’t know she was here. It occurred to her that she could show up at the set, unannounced. A gleam sparkled in her eyes at the idea of seeing Ryan.

She had been on the set many times now and even the director knew Heather Ann Lawson, the blonde that Ryan so adored. Heather even knew him enough to greet him with a nod, or even a hello. There’d be no problem getting in. Maybe she would surprise Ryan.

3 – Impulsive

Heather looked in the mirror, turning to check from every angle. The soft beige sweater-dress she chose highlighted every curve. It felt like wearing nothing at all and was sure to drive Ryan nuts. Well, that was the idea. All she needed was the gold bracelet Ryan had given her. She was sure it was in the drawer by the bed.

Heather glided over toward the bed and noticed purple long-stemmed feathers flutter in a vase on the floor. That was new. She wondered about Ryan’s color choice for the new decoration. Hmm, she’d have to ask him.

The bedside drawer was open but the bracelet wasn’t visible. Heather’s attention was pulled to an item she didn’t recognize. She reached in to pick up the green silk pouch, no bigger than the size of her palm. The oriental embroidery was lovely.

Curiosity drew her to open the pouch. It weighed at least a few ounces but that clue didn’t reveal what was inside. She couldn’t imagine. She lifted the flap, opened the delicate zipper, and lifted out two jade balls linked together on a waxed string. And there were several spare strings in a plastic case. Apparently, the string part was disposable.

Each of the balls was about an inch in diameter. She held the light green one in her left hand and the dark green one in her right hand, noticing that it was just a bit heavier than the other. Recognition hit her and she blushed.
It has to be…

She took the parchment paper out of the pouch, confirming that the lovely green trinkets were Ben
Wa balls, just as they appeared to be. She’d never seen them in jade before. Sometime past, she’d had some that were sterling silver, which she learned in an embarrassing incident not to wear through airport security. But these beauties were a work of art.
Leave it to Ryan to find something like this.

She scanned the words on the parchment. Jade was compatible with the body’s energy. And the different weight of each ball caused more motion, thus increasing arousal. A heat warmed her lower belly and her heart raced a bit at the excitement of using the new toy.

Heather washed and dried the balls while she was in the bathroom, then returned to the bed. She reached back into her drawer and fumbled around for the lubricant she kept handy. She pulled up her tight dress, pulled down her silk thong, and leaned back on the bed to insert the tiny balls.

Oh, my
. She felt her vagina clutch the moving objects, creating a pleasure sensation each time. What a delightful gift. She bounced off the bed and went to get her suede pumps and Burberry coat from the closet, noticing that the stimulation increased the more she moved, especially when she bounced.
Nice
.

Heather was definitely going to the studio to see Ryan now. That settled it. She wanted to thank him properly for this special gift.

4 – Kissing

The set was quiet.
It must be a break from the filming, good timing
. Heather saw groups of people and heard voices in several areas, but couldn’t spot Ryan. He had to be here; Daniel was still waiting to take them home later, as she instructed.

A female voice pierced the quiet. She recognized it but no name came to mind. “You don’t look as big and intimidating as you do in the movies,” the voice claimed.

“Well, anyone looks big on a thirty-foot-high theater screen.” That was Ryan’s voice, off to her right.
Oh, good, I’ve found him
. She heard a delighted giggle from the same female voice in response to Ryan’s humorous statement. That voice was definitely familiar.

Heather went in the direction the voices had been. It was dead silent now. Behind a partition, on a short sofa, she spotted a couple sitting alone, kissing. Instantly, she flinched away, not wanting to intrude. In the same second, her heart fell.

It was a slap in the face to her. Ryan was locked in a passionate kiss with Julie Page, his voluptuous new co-star, his hand in the woman’s luxurious strawberry blond hair. Heather froze. No reaction was possible.

The embarrassment, fury, and heartbreak descended on her so unexpectedly that her knees felt weak. Tears streamed down her face. She wanted to shout, to scream at them and make it all go away.

***

She’d seen too much. What she didn’t see was a black high heel peeking out from a drape not far from the kissing couple. Nor did she see the long, slender, perfectly shaped leg, also exposed. But Christina saw her.

Heather fled, her heels clicking in a rapid staccato as she ran to the exit. Christina Levain had been dumped by Ryan before he met Heather. So she knew the feeling. Ryan was no longer her concern. She had her choice of men and her new beau was treating her right. It gave her perverse satisfaction to witness the scene that just took place.

She stepped from the curtain. She’d been on her way to speak to the director, never expecting this turn of events. Ryan and Julie were both staring at her. The sound of someone running away had caught their attention.

“No, Mr. Ryan Spencer Blake, I’m not spying on you,” Christina spat out. “I could not care less. But you might want to know that the gorgeous blonde that just sprinted for the exit was Heather.” Christina couldn’t suppress a smirk, admitting to herself that it gave her pleasure to see Ryan squirm.

“What?” Ryan’s mouth dropped open and he leaped up from Julie, nearly knocking her to the floor. “She doesn’t arrive until tomorrow.”

“Well, you might want to tell
her
that,” Christina retorted, and smugly strode off in her four-inch heels.

“Oh, Ryan.”
Julie blushed, seeing the look of shock on Ryan’s face. “I’m sorry.” Ryan gave her a light touch on the cheek. “I’ve got to go,” he stated without further explanation, and jogged for the exit. Behind him, Julie shouted, “I’ll tell the director not to expect you back today.” But Ryan had no thought other than catching up to Heather, and fast.

5 – Shock

Ryan was too late. He hit the parking lot at a run, only to see his black Escalade exiting. Of course, Daniel would take Heather home at her request, seeing how upset she was. Ryan wasn’t supposed to be done filming for several more hours. Daniel would have known that was plenty of time to return to pick him up. Panic gripped him. He needed a car, now.

***

All the way home, Heather sobbed. Daniel noted her frail state and refrained from asking what had happened.

Heather managed to get inside, only with Daniel’s assistance, knowing she was just about to collapse. He took care of her coat before leaving her. She felt lost and betrayed. But there was nowhere else to go but this enormous Beverly Hills home that she only hoped would swallow her up to put her out of this intolerable misery.

Her sobs echoed through the cavernous entry and she staggered toward the stairs. She kicked off her shoes and clutched the railing, making her way down to Ryan’s wine cellar. Centered on the back wall, highlighted with perfect spotlights, was the painting Ryan had commissioned her to paint for him.

Seeing it now drove a knife into her heart. She’d given him everything. She’d opened up to him, unable to suppress the passion that boiled within her. That was exactly why this hurt so much.

And this beautiful wine cellar, with prized wines behind the wood and glass, was the first place Ryan had made love to her. There had been earlier interludes, extremely erotic moments, like the masquerade party, a memory that still made her blush. But there was closure to their intimate relationship here, in this warmly decorated cellar. The memory wrenched her heart.

She craved Ryan, only him. Her mind refused to accept that he would betray her. Always, he’d been kind and loving toward her. It didn’t make sense. Self-doubt clutched at her. It was possible she saw their relationship differently than he did.

No, she was losing her mind. That wasn’t possible. When they made love, she knew how he felt—didn’t she?

6 – Amends

Ryan raced into the house and into the bedroom, hoping to find Heather. He knew she must be crying her heart out. Stepping inside, his heart fell at seeing an empty room. He hesitated a brief moment and noticed the bedside drawer was open.

A thought struck him, but didn’t fully come to view, until he walked over and lifted out the silk pouch. It was empty. He would have smiled if he hadn’t been so worried.

Ryan left the room quickly, heading for the stairs. She had to be down in the wine cellar. He was pretty sure that was where she’d go. He slowed as he entered the room, stepping on the thick carpet. The sight of Heather, slumped against the wine cabinet near the sensual painting she’d created for him, broke his heart.

She had her hands over her face, her sobs quieting. Her soft golden curls fell around her face and she had her knees pulled up to her chest, revealing her lean, bare legs in the slip of a dress she wore. Even at a time like this, Ryan couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. “Baby?” he whispered, not wanting to startle her. There was no response.

Ryan walked over to her, kneeling down to wrap his arms around her. She seemed only half conscious. He feared for her. “It’s not what you think,” he reassured her. “I love you.”

Heather looked up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. The sadness engulfing her made it hard to speak. “You—were—kissing her,” she barely choked out. Ryan was still in the tight gray T-shirt he’d been wearing on the set. The sight of his solid chest and bulging biceps sped her heartbeat and made the pain of losing him even worse, if that were possible.

“Rehearsing,” Ryan pleaded. “We were rehearsing.” Heather looked at him blankly, as if not comprehending what he was trying to tell her. “You’ve met Julie. She’s my new co-star. When Christina was chasing after me, mercilessly, I refused to work with her. I’m sure you remember that, which ought to show how much I care about you. I wouldn’t work with someone who couldn’t be professional. Julie has been good to work with.”

“So, you kissed her,” Heather said incredulously, gazing at the perfect cupid’s bow of Ryan’s all-too-kissable lips.

Ryan could see he wasn’t getting through, so tried a different approach. “Julie is a talented actress. Casting made a good choice. I agree that she fits as the female lead in this romantic comedy. We work well together. There’s just one issue we’ve been working on.”

“Kissing?” Heather asked with a puzzled look. Ryan hoped the light would dawn but so far it wasn’t breaking through.

“Yes, kissing, but not because I’m having an affair. Julie was excited to work with me. She told me she’s always admired me. She was embarrassed to admit that certain scenes made her nervous, as much as she tried to work through it. I guess she may be a bit over-awed about working with me, in the flesh. Which I guess I can understand,” he added, unable to suppress a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Heather was trying to wrap her wits around this dilemma. Ryan saw his opening, “So, we thought it might help to rehearse without an audience and we gave it a try during the break. It was my idea, maybe not such a good one, after all. The goal was to get ‘in character,’ and feel more comfortable in those types of scenes. That’s all.

“I know what you thought when you saw us. But you have nothing to worry about, baby. I crave you. You are my only love. Nothing has changed.”

Heather’s life wasn’t over. Ryan was still hers. But she was embarrassed now. “How could I not trust you? I should have trusted you more. I just reacted. It made me so jealous,” Heather admitted.

“I like you jealous.” Ryan smiled softly. “I want you to care. I treasure your love and want you to rip the eyes out of any woman that tries to take me away from you.” Color came back to Heather’s cheeks, much to Ryan’s relief.

Heather gave a weak laugh. “I just wanted to surprise you by arriving a day early. I couldn’t wait.”

“Seems like you got more of a surprise than I did,” Ryan said. “But I am so glad you’re with me. It was torture waiting until tomorrow to see you. And now I don’t have to.”

“I’m sorry,” Heather apologized with a regretful sigh. “Truly, I am.” Ryan tried to stay focused, but Heather’s lovely breasts heaved up and down a bit at the top of her barely there dress, and he envisioned kissing her all over, naked.

“You can make it up to me,” Ryan promised, and he knew just how.