Thrill! (23 page)

Oh, great, she thought. You really do like him, because if you didn't, you'd talk to his fiancee and explain why you're calling.

To make matters worse, that night she had an erotic dream about him, awakening in the early hours of the morning flushed and aroused.

Nikki was right. It was time she got herself a man.

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^^^L^Jj^

"YOUR FEELINGS are showing up in dailies,"

^^^H0k«ft Miles said over a catering truck breakfast.

"Excuse me?"

Lara responded, pushing two poached eggs around her plate because she wasn't hungry and the Swedish caterer - who harboured a big crush on her - had insisted on fixing her an enormous plate of food.

"We're making a love story,"

Miles pointed out, removing his glasses and staring at her with faded blue eyes.

"And the chemistry between you and Kyle is fast running out."

She pulled a face.

"Is it about the kissing scene yesterday?"

"You got it."

Tm sorry, Miles,"

she said.

"Kyle had garlic for lunch and his breath stunk, plus he's always trying to shove his tongue down my throat."

"I know he's a pain in the ass,"

Miles agreed, nodding his shaggy mane of silver hair,

"only we're making a movie here, and on screen you two are supposed to be hopelessly in love. I have to see it, otherwise we're stone cold at the box office."

Tm trying."

"Try harder. Weave your special magic, Lara, pretend he's someone else."

Pretend he's Joey. The thought popped into her head completely unexpectedly. Pretend he's Joey Lorenzo whom I haven't heard from in two and a half weeks even though I promised to get him an audition for Revenge, so shouldn't he be calling daily?

157 "OK, Miles. I promise I'll do something about it,"

she said, getting up from the table and heading for the make-up trailer.

Today they were shooting the big love scene, which meant she'd have to summon all her acting skills and try her best to get into it.

As far as she was concerned, Kyle Carson was the worst kind of phony. He presented one image to the world - that of the poor hard done by movie star whose wife had abandoned him, while in true life he was an out and out womanizer who couldn't keep it zipped. Over the last few weeks his supply of females had accelerated - a new one arriving every other day. Roxy commented he was having a fuckathon - an apt description of his activities. Roxy also observed that he had a saggy butt and should hire a butt double a pronouncement that broke everyone up.

Lara sighed - not only did she dislike kissing him, she was also nervous she could contact some dreaded disease. Thank God she had a body double replacing her for the more intimate moments of the love scene. It was sad that females on the screen were forced to show it all, whereas their male counterparts modestly got away with a brief flash of butt. Demi Moore was probably the only movie star who actually seemed to enjoy revealing everything.

The previous week three actresses had arrived from LA to audition for her body double. There was much ribald laughter and nudging on the set as the girls paraded into Miles"

trailer for their interviews. Miles had asked her to sit in on the auditions.

"After all,"

he'd said,

"it's your boobs that'll be up there. You want

"em to look good, don't you?"

Tm sure you'll pick the best pair,"

she'd replied wryly, wondering what it must be like to parade in front of a bunch of strangers exhibiting your breasts.

Barbara Westerberg stood in for her, and they'd finally hired Wilson Patterson, a veteran who'd doubled various body parts for Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts and Geena Davis. She wasn't knockout beautiful, but she did have a spectacular body and was not shy about showing it.

Today Wilson stood naked at the other end of the make-up trailer, having body make-up applied to every finely toned inch.

"Hello,"

Lara said, as she entered the trailer.

158

"Hi,"

Wilson replied, completely unembarrassed.

"Hope I'm gonna do you justice."

"I'm sure you will,"

Lara said, sitting in the make-up chair deciding that in her next contract she would not allow a body double, it was cheating of the worst kind.

"Have you seen the wig?"

Yoko asked, cleansing Lara's face with a moist pad of cotton.

"What wig?"

"Roxy came up with this fantastic wig. From behind Wilson looks exactly like you."

"I don't know why they have to do this,"

Lara complained.

"It's embarrassing."

"How come you allow it?"

Yoko asked, patting a fine moisturizing cream onto her skin.

"Because they're paying me megabucks, therefore I'm expected to make concessions. And if I refuse to do it myself. . ."

She trailed off.

"This is the last time."

"I like Roxy's idea,"

Yoko said, giggling slyly.

"A butt double for Kyle. How about a front double, too? You know, if an actor has a tiny dick, bring in a stuntman with a huge one - that'd be good for their egos, huh?"

"You're beginning to sound more like Roxy every day,"

Lara said, laughing.

"God, no!"

Yoko objected.

Lara closed her eyes, allowing Yoko's soothing hands to work on her face. As she lay back, her thoughts drifted once more to Joey. Nikki had called yesterday and said, "Where is he? The movie's practically cast. I thought you wanted me to see him."

"I've no idea,"

she'd confessed a trifle sheepishly.

"I haven't been able to reach him."

"Gee,"

Nikki had said sarcastically.

"He must be really anxious to make a career for himself

She couldn't understand it, why hadn't he called? Maybe he and Phillipa had run off and gotten married. The thought disturbed her more than she cared to admit.

Kyle was waiting on the set with minty breath and an overly friendly smile.

"Ready for our big love scene, Princess?"

he greeted.

159 "Do me a favour, Kyle,"

she said vehemently.

"No more garlic for lunch."

"Sorry about yesterday,"

he said, not sorry at all.

"Did my breath offend you?"

"/wouldn't do it to you, so kindly return the favour."

"Ah . . . Lara, Lara,"

he said, shaking his head.

"You're so perfect. Don't you ever get wild? Let it all hang out? What d"

you do for/ww?"

"I work,"

she replied, stony-faced.

"Work ain't fun. Getting down is fun."

"From what I hear, you've been getting down every night."

He gave a brittle laugh.

"What's a guy supposed to do when his wife walks? I was married for ever. Now it's getting out of jail time."

"Aren't you worried about catching something?"

He regarded her as if she was crazy.

"Me? Worried? No way. All I have to do is look at a girl, and I can tell if they're clean."

"That's kind of dumb, Kyle."

"Are you calling me dumb?"

he said, bristling.

"Not at all,"

she said, realizing it wasn't worth a fight.

An hour later they were embroiled in a heavy love scene. She hated every minute of it, but she was an actress, so she closed her eyes and made believe he was somebody she yearned for. It worked. Their kisses took on a new intensity. Now Miles would be happy.

In the middle of the second take she felt Kyle's erection against the side of her thigh and tried to ignore it.

"Oh, baby, am I hot for you,"

he muttered, right after Miles called cut.

Coldly she replied

"Let's see if we can act like professionals, shall we, Kyle?"

"What are you - frigid?"

he taunted, furious he couldn't get to her.

"Don't like guys?"

Why was it when a movie star couldn't score there always had to be something wrong with the woman?

"That's right,"

she said, deliberately needling him.

"I'm lesbian of the year, didn't you know?"

By the time her body double took over, she was desperate to get out of there. Wilson sauntered into place wearing nothing but body

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make-up and a pleased smile. The entire crew went into a state of schoolboy excitement. Kyle immediately began making tit jokes.

Lara walked off the set, she had no desire to hang around watching all the guys ogle Wilson. It didn't take much to reduce grown men into horny little boys. They all acted like they'd never seen a pair before.

Her designated driver was sitting in the car outside. He could hardly wait to drop her off at her house and race back so that he could get an eyeful too.

She had the afternoon free, so she put on shorts and a T-shirt, took a towel and her script of Revenge, then set off down the beach. Finding a shady spot, she spread the towel out, lay on her stomach and began studying Rebecca's lines. Revenge was definitely the movie she'd been looking for - certainly the meatiest role she'd ever had.

She stayed on the deserted beach for a while, enjoying the solitude. When she returned to the house, Cassie greeted her on the back steps looking agitated.

"That actor's here,"

Cassie said.

She frowned, hoping it wasn't Kyle and his erection paying a house call.

"What actor?"

"You know, the goodlooking one. Joey something or other."

"Joey's here?"

she said, experiencing a small shiver of excitement.

"I know I should've sent him away,"

Cassie wailed.

"Only he was very insistent, assured me you'd want to see him. He's sitting in his car."

"You made him wait outside?"

"You didn't tell me he was coming. Were you expecting him?"

"Yes,"

she said, hating that Cassie felt she had to know everything.

"I must have forgotten to tell you."

"Oh,"

Cassie said, not pleased to be left out of the loop.

"Invite him in,"

Lara said, hurrying into the guest bathroom. She stared at her reflection, picked up a brush, ran it through her hair, then quickly dabbed gloss on her lips. All of a sudden her heart was pounding.

Trying to compose herself, she went out to the deck, sat in a chair and picked up a magazine.

161 When Joey walked out she was cool and collected.

"Hey,"

he said, grinning at her.

"Don't you look cute in shorts."

"Hey,"

she replied, putting down the magazine and smiling up at him.

Cassie stood in the doorway, observing the two of them, wondering what was going on.

"Would you like a drink? Tea, coffee . . . something stronger?"

Lara asked, her voice sounding husky.

"I could use a beer,"

he said, cracking his knuckles.

"Cassie - one beer, and I'll have a 7-Up."

"Coming right up,"

Cassie said, reluctantly going back into the house.

"So, Joey, this is a surprise,"

she said, putting down the magazine.

"Have a seat."

He flopped into a chair, long legs stretched out in front of him. He had on scuffed combat boots with ripped jeans, and a white Tshirt that denned the muscles in his arms.

"Guess you're wondering what I'm doing here,"

he said.

"Weren't you supposed to call me?"

she asked, trying to sound as if it didn't matter.

"I set up an interview for you in LA."

"Had other things on my mind,"

he said, taking a long beat.

"It's been a tough coupla weeks."

"Really?"

she said, once again admiring the darkness of his eyes, the faint stubble around his chin and the thrust of his finely etched jawline. Oh, God! What was going on here?

"Yeah,"

he said, grimacing.

"Then today everything blew up. Hadda talk to someone - an"

you always seem to understand me."

He threw her a long, penetrating stare, thinking she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

"You're not pissed I drove down to see you?"

"You came all this way just to see me?

He nodded.

"Phillipa an"

I finally broke up. We, uh . . . couldn't work out our differences. She gave me back the ring an"

here I am."

He laughed ruefully.

"Hey - now I can go to LA."

"Is that what you were fighting about? Going to LA?"

"Naw,"

he said, clearing his throat.

"She was so into her career,

162

she didn't have time for me."

A long pause, another penetrating stare.

"I need somebody who's gonna put me first."

"Of course you do,"

Lara murmured sympathetically.

"I kinda figured that as we got deeper into our relationship, things would change,"

he continued, drumming his fingers on the coffee table.

"Then I started realizin"

her career came before me, an"