Dreaming With A Broken Heart (Hollywood Legends Book 1) (8 page)

“I’ve lost so much weight,” Jade explained.
“Even before the… even before. I couldn’t bring myself to eat. Not because
I wanted to starve — honestly. Or maybe I did. I don’t know anymore,
Garrett.”

“Are you eating now?”
Please say yes
.

“I’m eating more.” Jade sighed. “Everything
tastes like dust. Or chalk. Except chocolate pudding. Unfortunately, my doctor
tells me I can’t live on that alone.”

“Calcium. It has to be good for your bones.”

“That’s what I said.” There was surprise and a bit
of humor in her voice.

“If I keep the lights out, will you sit on my lap?
Nothing will happen. Let me hold you until the cab gets here.”

“I’m a rack of bones.”

“You are Jade,” Garrett told her firmly.
“That’s all I care about.”

Garrett didn’t know how much time passed. One minute? Two?
When he heard Jade’s first step, he let out the breath he had been holding.
When she stood in front of him, he could see her outline.

“It’s been a long time since anyone held me.”

Garrett took her hand. Delicate. Almost fragile. Yet it
gripped his with surprising strength. Like Jade herself. Deceptively strong.

“I’m here, Jade.”

Garrett guided her onto his lap. She weighed nothing. Less
than a child. Jade wore a thick sweater that should have stifled her in the
evening heat. With the natural layer of insulation gone from her body, she
needed protection. From the elements — from the world.

At first, Jade held herself away from him. Stiff and
upright. Garrett didn’t speak. Instead, he rubbed a hand up and down her back
in what he hoped was a soothing motion. Slowly, she began to relax until she
was curled close, her head resting on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Garrett asked.

“It must be like holding a sack of bones.”

There were tears in her voice.
Good
, Garrett thought.
Let it out
. Didn’t his mother say there was nothing as therapeutic as a
good cry? He wondered how often Jade let herself go? Not often enough.

“I’m a little embarrassed,” Garrett told her.

“You are? Why?”

“I promised you nothing would happen. And it
won’t,” he said. “I can’t seem to control my body when I’m around
you.”

“What…?” Jade shifted slightly. “Oh.”

“Oh, indeed. Instead of providing platonic comfort, I
have a hard-on. I’d yell,
down, boy
, but what would be the use? That
part of me has always had a mind of its own.”

Jade didn’t seem put off. If anything, she relaxed even
more.

“It’s a relief,” Jade sighed. “I was afraid I
might repulse you.”

“Hardly.” This time he was the one who moved. Ever
so slightly. “No pun intended.”

Garrett was rewarded by the best sound in the world. Jade’s
laughter. It was a brief chuckle, but it counted.

“Jade, honey. You smell like heaven. Vanilla?
Lemons?”

“Yes,” Jade whispered. Her arms snuck around his
waist.

“I remember spicy oranges the last time we were this
close.”

“We never got this close,” she reminded him.

“Mmm.” Garrett breathed deeply. “It was worth
the wait.”

They sat, content to hold each other. Words weren’t
necessary. Not right now. When Garrett’s phone buzzed, signaling the cab was
waiting, there was a bond between them. New. Tentative. Yet unmistakable.

“When can we meet again?”

Jade slipped from his lap.

“Thursday?”

Two days. Garrett ran through his schedule. No night shoots.
In fact, the next month would be routine. He was free whenever she was.

“Why don’t you let me pick the place?”

“No,” Jade said. She picked up her purse before
putting her hand on the doorknob. “This is fine.”

“Will you tell me why? Why here?”

Jade opened the door, looking at him over her shoulder. The
lights from the parking lot were harsh, making Garrett squint. Her face was
completely shadowed.

“According to the gardener, it’s where everybody
rendezvous.”

Before Garrett could respond to her outrageous statement,
Jade firmly closed the door. He rushed to the window, making sure she was
safely in the cab and on her way.

The gardener? Really? Garrett shook his head. There had to
be more to
that
story.

There was.

THURSDAY NIGHT COULDN’T come soon enough. He kept looking at
his watch, fidgeting. He willed the long-winded backers meeting to end. No one
seemed to notice his restlessness — except Wyatt. He was grateful his brother
kept his observation to himself.

In the same borrowed car, Garrett drove through the streets
of L.A. He purposefully left home early. He didn’t want to risk Jade arriving
before he did. They spoke that morning. And the morning before.

With the arrangements for their second rendezvous in place,
Garrett hadn’t known if she would continue their daily calls. He was very
pleased when, exactly at ten, his phone rang.

As conversations went, it was generic. Strictly vanilla. If
anyone tapped the line, he would have been bored to tears. Garrett wasn’t
anyone. He was the man Jade Marlow propositioned. She wanted his help. She
wanted to be guided back to the sexually living. Was he nervous? Sure. A little.
He didn’t take it lightly. Was he confident he could give her what she needed?
Damn straight.

What Jade didn’t know was how much further he planned on
taking her. She would never describe his lovemaking as
nice
.
Pleasant
?
Why bother? When he was finished, neither of them would be able to think
straight. Then, he planned on starting all over again.

That was for later. Right now, he was taking it slow. For
the next few weeks, Garrett Landis was a fucking snail.

The motel had not undergone a miraculous transformation in
forty-eight hours. It was still dingy and run-down. In the corner, by the
broken ice machine, a drunk urinated on the door of unit seven. Unlucky for
some.

Garrett, as he had the other night, collected the key
wearing dark Wayfarers and a Dodgers cap pulled low. The night manager, if
that’s what he was, seemed uninterested in the celebrity status of his
customer. TMZ would pay a tidy sum to find out who Jade Marlow was meeting. And
where. Toss in the name Landis, the man could name his price. Luckily, he was
more interested in Family Feud and his bag of Cheetos.

Garrett signed in.
John Smith
. He couldn’t resist.
Cash was accepted — preferred. He gingerly took the key from his orange-stained
hands, and then made his way to the unit at the far end of the parking lot.

Once inside, Garrett set the backpack he brought with him on
the table. Not a speck of dust. Someone took pride in her work. There was no
way to turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse, but the cleaning person made an
effort. Knowing he and Jade were unlikely to contract typhus was the only thing
that kept him from insisting they move to a different location.

Taking off his sunglasses and cap, Garrett went through the
same routine as the last time. Air conditioner on. Lights out. Curtains pulled
tight. This time, though, when he sat to wait, he faced the door.

Garrett settled back. To pass the time, he ran through the
script changes he wanted to make before starting his next movie. The screenplay
was solid. The best to come his way. However, solid did not mean perfect. The
writer seemed amicable to work with him. The tweaks he wanted to make were
minor, yet intrinsically vital to the flow of the story. It could be the
difference between a good movie and a great one.

The speech the female lead made halfway through the film was
running through Garrett’s head when he heard the sound of a car pulling to a
stop outside the door. Standing, he put one finger on the edge of the curtain
giving him a sliver to look through. He was just in time to see Jade slide from
the cab.

As though sensing his gaze, Jade managed to keep her face
averted while she paid the driver. Not that it would have mattered. She wore a
large, floppy hat with her hair tucked inside. The brim drooped over her
profile. When he was certain she was safely delivered, Garrett retook his seat.

“Have I kept you waiting?”

“No.”

She didn’t voice an objection when she saw him facing her.
Was that progress? Or did she realize the room was too dark for it to matter?

“I was delayed.”

She removed her hat, shaking her head. Long tresses tumbled
down around her shoulders. Garrett inhaled sharply. Jesus, that was sexy. All
done in silhouette, he felt as if he was watching a crazy kind of peep show. It
teased glorious images, just out of reach, and then never delivered.

One day soon
, he promised himself,
Jade
will
trust you enough to turn on that light
. Until then, he would remain a shadowed
voyeur. Not the perfect arrangement. For now, he could live with it.

“Anything serious?”

“Hmm?”

Jade ran her hand through her hair, arching her back. The
image, along with her deep, husky sigh, shot straight to Garrett’s dick. Crazy
libido.

“Jade. Honey.”

“Yes?”

“You are so damn sexy.”

Jade froze. Slowly, her head turned toward him.

“Are you making fun of me?”

“What?” Garrett asked. Was she crazy?

“Then you’re being kind,” Jade whispered.
“I’m about as sexy as a limp rag.”

“Then I have a limp rag fetish of which I wasn’t
aware,” Garrett said. “Right now, I’m hard as a rock. Not the first
time, if you recall.”

“You should see your doctor about that, Garrett.
Getting excited over a walking bag of bones is not normal.”

“Fuck that,” Garrett shouted. He regretted the
outburst immediately when Jade flinched. What was wrong with him? She needed
delicacy. Jade wasn’t there five minutes. He was shouting and mentioning about
erections. Smooth.

“
Don’t shout at me, Garrett
,” she yelled
back.

Jade gasped, her hand going to her mouth. Garrett jumped
from his seat. He took one step, ready to comfort her, when he heard something
that froze him in his tracks. Her laughter. Not brief or subdued. The sound
was… joyous.

“That sounds good.”

“It feels good,” she told him. “I can’t
remember the last time I laughed like that.”

“When was the last time you yelled at someone?”

“Years.” Jade laughed again. This time with a bit
of sadness. “My therapist assured me my backbone would return.
Eventually.”

“I like her.” Garrett wanted to send the woman a
roomful of roses. Whatever she was doing, it was helping Jade find herself.

“I needed to trust the person.” Jade cocked her
head to the side. Even though he couldn’t see her eyes, he could feel her gaze.
“I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“Not all men hit, Jade.”

“No,” she nodded. “My father uses words
instead of fists. It’s a different kind of pain.”

Garrett didn’t know how to respond to that. He wasn’t going
to throw platitudes at her. Or threaten her father with bodily harm, tempting
as the thought was. When she wanted to talk, he would listen. Right now, he had
something else in mind.

“Let’s eat.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Food. I had an early lunch. I’ve been so busy. I
didn’t have time for anything since. I’m starving.”

Garrett unzipped the backpack, pulling out the containers
stored inside. On the way here, he stopped at his favorite takeout place for
hamburgers and French fries. It seemed like a safe choice. Plenty of ketchup
and mustard. A couple of Cokes. The last covered bowl was for later. A
surprise.

“I’m not hungry, Garrett.”

“Then keep me company,” he said as he removed the
lids.

The smell of greasy goodness quickly filled the room, making
his mouth water. He told Jade the truth. It was long past his usual mealtime.
What he didn’t tell her was he deliberately skipped dinner. He wanted to eat
with her.

“Sit.”

There were two chairs in the room. The one he used while
waiting for Jade, and the one he held out for her now.

“I’ll wait over here.”

She tried moving toward the bed. Garrett stopped her. Taking
her hand, he gently tugged until the chair was behind her. Then he pushed.

“There,” Garrett said, satisfied.

His eyes were used to the dark room, enabling him to see
well enough to eat. And see Jade’s shadowed face. If she would look up.

“Sure you won’t join me?” he asked, waggling a
French fry at her.

Jade slowly raised her chin. Her eyes didn’t meet his; they
were fixed on the fry.

“Are they hot?”

“And salty.” Garrett let it hover over the pool of
red sauce on his plate. “Ketchup?”

“Please.”

Garrett made a quick swoop, and then held his hand out. When
Jade tried to take the French fry, he pulled back.

“Open up.”

“Bossy,” Jade said, smiling slightly. She opened
her mouth.

“What do you think?” Garrett asked, watching her
eyes close as she savored the mouthful.

“That is the best French fry ever.”

“Everything tastes better when you eat with a friend.
Want another?”

Jade shook her head. “I want a plate full.”

Grinning, Garrett loaded a paper plate with fries and
ketchup.

“Burger?” He waved the still wrapped sandwich
under Jade’s nose.

“Is it plain?”

Garrett drew back in horror.

“Don’t insult me or Alf. He makes a bacon cheeseburger
so fantastic, cows bow in reverence.”

He could tell Jade was tempted. After a moment, she said,
“Maybe a bite?”

“Wait.”

Garrett rummaged around in the backpack. He pulled out a
single candle, setting it on the table between them.

“Garrett…” The worry in her voice made him
hesitate. Was he doing the right thing? Was he pushing too hard? Too fast? He
would leave it up to Jade to decide. If she protested, he would pull back.

“Trust me,” Garrett said as he struck a match.
“Everything is better by candlelight.”

Jade blinked, her eyes wide — vulnerable.
A man could
drown in those eyes
.

“No,” Garrett whispered. “Don’t turn away,
Jade.”

Tentatively, Garrett lifted his hand, then hesitated when
Jade’s eyes widened. To his relief, she didn’t flinch. Instead, she jutted her
chin out almost daring him. His touch was gentle — almost a caress — turning
her face toward him and the flickering light.

“Your skin is like fine silk,” Garrett said. He
ran his thumb over her cheek.

He now knew why she was reluctant to show him her face.
Gaunt, he supposed was the word. Alarmingly so. Yet what Garrett saw didn’t
make him want to turn away. He wanted to gather her close so he could protect
her from a world that put the sadness in her large, expressive eyes.

“Our fries are getting cold,” Jade sighed. Her
face turned toward his hand, giving the palm a soft kiss before she pulled
back.

“So they are.” Garrett swallowed. That kiss. That
small gesture moved him more than he could say. Almost as much as the
thank
you,
he saw in her eyes.

They made small talk for the rest of the meal. Garrett was
happy when Jade ate a third of her hamburger and most of her French fries.
Conversation helped. She didn’t have time to think about what she was putting
in her mouth when Garrett entertained her. Location shoots were a breeding
ground for hilarious anecdotes.

“You did not fall into a portable toilet.”

“Not in, as much as through,” Garrett chuckled
ruefully. It was funny now. Then? Not so much. “When you work with actors
known for pulling practical jokes, sometimes you become collateral
damage.”

“That must have been…”

“Disgusting,” Garrett finished for her.
“Crap, urine, and blue… dye, I guess. Whatever that chemical is they use
in those things. After that, I made sure we rented the environmentally
friendlier toilets. Once you’ve walked around for a week looking like a mottled
Smurf, you never want that to happen again.”

Jade smiled. Really smiled. Garrett decided his discomfort
had been worth it.

“Did you ever discover the toilet saboteur?”

“Sure,” Garrett nodded. “Benjamin
Larson.”

“Oh, come on,” Jade gasped. “Now I know
you’re kidding me. Benjamin Larson? He’s a Shakespearean legend. I saw his
Hamlet last year when I was in New York. He was brilliant.”

“He
was
,” Garrett agreed. “On stage,
he is as serious as a heart attack. Off, when he is passing the time on a movie
set, he acts like a crazed three-year-old hopped up on too much sugar. And
speaking of sugar.”

Garrett cleared away their plates, putting them and the
leftovers in a plastic bag. Then, giving Jade a spoon, he opened the last
container.

“Pudding.” Jade’s eyes grew wide, the hazel
turning almost green.

“Chocolate. My parents’ cook makes the best — bar
none.”

“You remembered.”

“Surprised?” Garrett took her spoon, scooping up a
bit of the creamy dessert.

“You’re a busy man,” Jade said with a shrug.

“In other words, the men in your life have not paid
attention to your likes and dislikes.”

Again, Jade shrugged.

“Want to know what I think?” Garrett held the
spoon out.

“What do you think?”

“Take a bite, then I’ll tell you.”

Jade stared for a moment, long enough for Garrett to wonder
if she was going to refuse. Finally, she opened her mouth. He held her gaze
while her lips closed over the spoon

“Mmm,” Jade sighed. “That is much better than
the instant stuff.”

“Instant? Sacrilege.”

“Well?” Jade asked.

“Oh right. I think you need to hang out with a better
class of man.”

Before she could comment, Garrett offered another bite. Then
another.

“Aren’t you having some?”

“Thank you for offering.”

Before she could pull away, Garrett covered Jade’s mouth
with his. The kiss was brief. But memorable.

“Sorry.” Garrett’s smile wasn’t the least bit
remorseful. “I couldn’t resist.”

“How was it?” she asked with a touch of unmasked
anxiety in her eyes.