Scandalous (4 page)

Shit, not now. Not this.

“There you are.”

I sigh with relief, instantly forgetting my annoyance as Roman’s arms wrap around my waist. Having him close, my body against his, is just what I need. I focus on the beat of his heart and nothing else, willing myself to calm down.

“I got sick of waiting for you,” I mumbled, my heart still racing. “Where did you go?”

“Just back to my office. I had to take a call.” He studies my face, a look of concern on his own as he reaches up and touches my cheek.

The gesture makes me jump, and I cringe at my reaction.

“Are you okay?”

I nod and force a smile, not wanting to admit how close I’d just come to having a panic attack. I know how proud he is of me in overcoming what I have in the last year, and I’d hate to ruin that for him.

“Yep, I’m fine. Hey, can we go?” I ask, my voice light. “I’m starved.”

“Sure.” He takes my hand and leads me through the back, the same way we came in. As soon as we’re out the door it’s like an instant rush of relief. He glances at me, furrowing his eyebrows. “You look a little off.”

“I’m okay, I just haven’t eaten much today,” I assure him.

He accepts my response and opens the car door for me, letting me slide in. Taking a deep breath, I force my body to relax. It’s been a long while since I reacted this way, but it always seemed to come back to being alone. Take tonight, for example: with Roman I felt confident, in control, but the moment he’d left me, all that control had vanished.

I hate that after all this time, what happened to me still has such a hold on my life. I can fool myself into thinking I’m over what happened all I want, but the reality is, I’m not and I probably never will be.

Chapter Six

Roman

It’s the following night and I’m sitting down with Beth, working on my laptop while she watches TV. I’m concerned about her, especially after her odd behavior last night, even though she assures me she’s okay. At least worrying about Beth takes my mind off my own worries and frustrations.

I smile as she snuggles into me, closing my hand around hers. There’s nothing better than watching her when she doesn’t know I’m doing it. She’s completely unguarded and beautiful. I could literally sit here all night, watching her. Her eyes flitter toward me, catching me staring at her.

“What?” she asks, blushing.

“Nothing,” I say, chuckling. “I can’t help but stare at you sometimes. You’re beautiful.”

She rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch into a grin. She gets to her feet and leans over me, planting a kiss on my lips.

“I’m getting a drink. Want anything?” she asks.

“A coffee would be good.”

She nods, and I watch her walk away, my eyes on her glorious ass.

No sooner has she left the room than my phone begins to vibrate. I glance at it, my jaw clenching when I see who it is. I get to my feet, my stomach tight. This is the last person I want to speak to.

“Be back in a sec,” I murmur, poking my head into the kitchen. “Work call.” I wait until I’m safely outside and the door closed behind me before I press answer.

“I told you last night not to call me again,” I snap. I walk down the driveway a little bit so I’m far enough away from the house that there is no chance Beth will hear any of this.

“Relax, Roman. I told you last night—I just want to know how my kid is,” Carlos replies.

“So ask her your-fucking-self. I can’t be your middleman anymore. I told you that. I’m done with lying to her.” I run my hand through my hair. Why won’t he take the fucking hint? I can’t risk Beth finding out about my connection with her father.

When he cornered me last night at the club, I realized how close I’d come to fucking everything up. It had taken me nearly an hour to get him to leave, and when he finally had, I was sure that was the end of it. I should’ve known, though: it never ends with Carlos.

“Sure,” he laughs. “I’ll ask her. And while I’m at it, how about I tell her all about you and me, huh?” he snarls. “You say you’re done lying to her, but I bet she knows nothing about your connection to me, right?”

“Don’t fucking threaten me,” I growl, my voice rising. “You won’t say anything if you know what’s good for you. Don’t call me again, Carlos.” I shove the phone in my pocket, cursing loudly.

“Everything okay?”

I jump at the sound of her voice.

“Fine,” I say, turning around, glad I’m far enough away that she can’t see my face. How long has she been standing there? How much of that conversation did she hear? Walking over to where she stands leaning against the doorframe, I slide my arm around her shoulders and kiss her cheek. “Just work issues. Nothing to worry about.”

She giggles as my tongue rolls over her neck, and I relax. That was way too close. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lead her back inside, guiding her down the hallway toward her bedroom.

“I’ve just put coffee on,” she protests.

“Fuck coffee,” I grumble, hoisting her into my arms.

She laughs, curling her delicate arms around my neck, her fingers toying with my hair.

“You’re so fucking sexy.” I throw her down on the bed, and myself on top of her, nestling between her legs. The flimsy cotton nightgown she’s wearing rides up her thighs with the help of my fingers.

“You’re very aggressive tonight,” she observes. “I like it.”

I grab her face and kiss her roughly as my erection presses impatiently against my jeans. Reaching down, I unzip them, my hard cock springing out. My hands explore her body, rubbing her breasts and squeezing her nipples. I can’t get enough of her.

Leaning over her, I close my mouth over one of her nipples, sucking, as my tongue circles around its stiffness. She groans, squirming underneath me as her fingers clutch at my hair. I move lower, my tongue trailing down her stomach and over her narrow waist until I reach her entrance.

She parts her legs further, her grip on my head tightening as I tease her, my tongue dipping into her wetness as she arches her back. I lock my arms around her thighs, holding her steady, marveling at how sweet her taste is.

“Oh yes!” she gasps as my tongue plunges deeper inside of her.

She’s soft and tight all at once, and it’s making my balls ache. She whimpers some more as I furiously lick. Her legs curl around me, digging into my waist, and I can feel she’s close to climaxing.

“God! Oh fuck me, oh God,” she mumbles. Her hips buck, pressing her pussy further into my face.

I grin and sidle up her body until we’re at eye level. I press my lips against hers and slide a finger into her pussy. She gasps, her legs closing around it, locking it in place.

I laugh. “If you give me my finger back, I’ll fill you with my cock.”

“How can I say no to an offer like that?” she smirks. Before I can react, she’s on top of me, lowering herself onto my erection.

“God, you feel good,” I groan as she rides me.

She takes my hands and places them on her hips. We get a rhythm going and I feel like I’m ready to explode. Just the sight of her riding me, her breasts bouncing softly with each movement, is driving me insane.

She clenches her thighs, her muscles contracting around me. I groan, thrusting her hips faster against my cock, driving as far into her as I can. My speed picks up even more as she moves up and down on my length. I gasp, ecstasy ripping through me as come.

She collapses on top of me, smiling as I struggle to catch my breath. Rolling her next to me, I spoon her. She laughs as I kiss her neck, her back against my stomach.

“I’m so lucky to have you,” I mumble, kissing her some more.

And I can’t imagine losing you.

**

Rolling over, I sigh as I listen to the sound of Beth breathing next to me. I can’t sleep. All I can think of is how much of a mess I’ll be in if Carlos does have the balls to tell her the truth. If he thinks he has no chance at a relationship with her, then what’s stopping him from just telling her everything? And if she finds out about that, she might just keep digging and discover the rest of my secrets—things I’ve worked hard to keep hidden from everyone.

I creep out of bed and throw on my boxer shorts. The door creaks as I open it, causing Beth to stir. I hold my breath and wait for her to settle before I exit the room.

In the living room I pour myself a scotch and slump down on the sofa, attempting to numb myself with shitty late night TV. Pretty soon, it’s apparent that it’s not working. Out of nowhere, I find myself struggling to breathe. I’m feeling claustrophobic, like all this shit has suddenly crept up on me.

I need to get out of here.

Throwing on some clothes, I grab my keys and head out. If I’m not going to be able to sleep, I might as well do something useful—like paperwork.

I park my car near the back entrance of the club and get out. A figure stalks outside the door, pacing back and forth. As I edge closer I realize it’s Carlos. Seriously? It’s fucking five in the morning. What, was he camping out here, waiting to run into me? I get out of my car and storm toward him. Luckily we’re alone, because I’m not sure I’ll be able to contain my annoyance. This guy just won’t fucking take a hint.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I grumble, pushing past him. I unlock the door and he follows me inside. It’s late—and early—enough that I know nobody else is here, so I’m not worried about being spotted with him.

“To finish our conversation.”

“Our conversation is finished,” I mutter, throwing some paperwork down on my desk.

“See, you think that,” he drawls, sitting down in one of the chairs across from my desk, “but I did some digging on you and I found out some very interesting things. Say I came clean to Beth about everything, you might be able to get her to forgive you for how you came to meet her. She’s that kind of girl. But this?”

My body tenses as his laughter echoes through me.

“This is a whole different ballgame. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you, Roman?”

I collapse into my chair and sigh. “How did you find out?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“Never mind how I found out. All you should be concerned about is that I know.” He tosses a thin manila folder across the desk. “Just so we’re on the same page.”

I reach forward and grab the folder, flipping it open. Images fill my head—images I swore would never see the light of day again. It was a time in my life I so desperately wish I could take back, but no amount of regret could undo what I’d done.

All I could do was learn from it.

“What do you want from me?”

“I want you to keep updating me on my daughter. I want you to finish the job I hired you to do in the first place,” he says, his voice calm. “I want you to do whatever the fuck I ask you to do.”

“Why?” I reply, exasperated, leaning back in my chair. I feel defeated because he has me by the balls. There is no way out of this for me—at least not one that will end well. “Why is this so damn important to you?”

“That,” he says, standing up, “I don’t need or wish to share with you. Do what I ask you to and your little secret will stay hidden. Don’t, and all bets are off.”

I watch him walk out of my office, my eyes then falling on the folder I’m still clutching in my hands.
I have to get rid of this
. I reach into my bottom drawer and retrieve a lighter. Walking over to the small sink, I hold up the folder and watch as the flames catch on the bottom corner. I drop it into the sink as they slowly engulf the folder, leaving nothing more than a charred mess as evidence. I run the tap and watch as the remnants disappear down the drain.

Sighing, I collapse back into my chair, lifting my feet up onto my desk. This is fucked. I’m fucked. How the hell did he find out? And what am I going to do about it? I lost control once and I swear I’d never do it again, but a little voice in the back of my head keeps taunting me…

How far am I willing to go to keep my secrets hidden?

Chapter Seven

Beth

“I’m an idiot, and I’m sorry,” Coop finishes, shrugging apologetically.

He places his hands palms-down on the round table between us as he eyes me earnestly. He seems genuine, but with Coop you never know. I glare at him for a moment before responding, not quite ready to let him off the hook just yet. I toy with the handle of my coffee cup and sigh as a waitress breezes past us.

“Fine. I’ll forgive you this time, but I swear, Coop: bring this up again and our friendship is over. Okay?” I narrow my eyes, hoping he can tell how serious I am.

He nods, his dark eyes focused on mine. I smile, satisfied that he’s gotten whatever the hell it was he had in his head out of it. Now, if only
I
could. How little I actually know about Roman is beginning to get under my skin, especially with his odd behavior lately. And then when I woke really early yesterday morning, he was gone—just when I thought things were finally getting back to normal.

I hesitate. “Can I ask you something?”

He waits expectantly as I continue.

“Scarlett—Roman’s assistant at the club—hates me.” I pause, trying to get the words right in my head. “To my face she is overly nice, but I overheard her bitching about how Roman can do better than me. And I think she means
her
.”

“Just ignore her. Or talk to him if you’re worried.”

“I’m not worried,” I retort, making a face. “I just don’t know how far she’ll go to try and prove her point.”

“Then talk to her about it. Maybe she’ll back off if she realizes you overheard her.”

“Maybe,” I mutter, but I’m not so sure. I’ve met chicks like her before, and they don’t back off. Ever. I quickly change the subject and ask about his study. I only half listen as he babbles on about his exams. What I’m really thinking about is how I can get Scarlett out of the picture—or at least make Roman see how two-faced she is without coming across as a psycho girlfriend. It’s a tough call, though, because I know anything I say will be rebutted with my relationship with Coop.

We finish our drinks and leave the café, walking down the main street headed for the parking lot. It feels good having my friend back, and I already feel better having somebody to talk to about the thing with Scarlett. I decide to take Coop’s advice and speak to Scarlett at my first shift tonight.

On the way home, I satisfy a craving for a double-shot mocha latte from Starbucks. As I’m leaving, my phone rings. I answer without checking caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Beth, this is Cameron Merchinson. We worked together on your last movie?”

“Right,” I say, unlocking my car. “How are you?”

“Great, thanks. Listen, the director wants to get you back for another audition if you’re interested. He thinks you’d be perfect for the role in mind.”

“Um, sure,” I say, both shocked and flattered. “Can you email me the details and I’ll go over it tonight?”

“No problem, I’ll do that right now.”

I hang up, a smile tugging on my lips. I was shocked at how much I had enjoyed the movie I did. Though I was happy to be on a hiatus from my music for a while, doing another movie definitely appealed to me. Especially when it was with Ben Mooney. He’d been an amazing director to work with.

I dial Roman on my phone, excited to tell him my news. There’s no answer, so I hang up and call his office line. Still no answer. Deflated, I call Coop. I need to tell
someone
this news or I’m going to burst.

“Hey,” he says, answering right away.

“Hey yourself. You’ll never guess what.”

“Okay, so tell me then,” he chuckles.

“I’ve had another movie offer. With the same director as last time. I don’t know all the details yet, but I’m excited.” I grin, tucking my hair behind my ear. I’m doing all I can not to jump up and down, screaming on the spot.

“That’s great news,” he replies enthusiastically. “Where is filming? When do you start? I’m so happy for you, Beth.”

“No idea,” I laugh. “They’re emailing me all the information tonight. You’re the first person I’ve told.”

“Well, then, I feel special,” he says, laughing.

“Don’t. I tried Roman twice but he didn’t answer,” I tease, arriving at my car. I press the remote, unlocking it, and slip inside, throwing my purse on the empty seat next to me.

“Well, I’m happy for you regardless. Call me when you know more, okay?”

I pull into the driveway, parking my car in the garage and then entering the house through the internal door.

“Hello?” I call out into the empty house.

I throw my keys on the hall table and toss my shoes off. Pouring myself a soda, I collapse onto the sofa and open my laptop. Sure enough, an email is waiting from Ben. I quickly read through it, trying to process all the details for the movie.

Holy shit, this is a huge role.

Names like Billy Chase and Mason Lexton jump out at me. My heart begins to pound. Both those actors have freaking won Oscars. Why the hell would they want
me
for this movie? I read through the plot, trying to keep my excitement under control.

This is big. I have to tell someone. I try calling Roman but get no answer. Frustrated, I slam the phone down and try his office. Again, no answer. I call Coop, because next to Roman, he’s about the only other person I would want to tell.

“You can’t keep away from me,” he chuckles when he answers.

“Get over here,” I reply, grinning. “I’ve got great news.”

“What is it?” he pushes.

“Come over and find out! And bring a bottle of champagne or something.”

“You’re not getting married or something, are you?” he asks suspiciously.

I laugh. “God no. This is better.” I end the call and pace the living room, not sure of what to do next. I’m buzzing with excitement and nobody to share it with.
Come on, Coop. Hurry up.
I even try Roman again, but I’m not shocked when he doesn’t pick up.

Sitting down, I pick up my laptop and run through the information again. They want me. Me! I shake my head, still having trouble believing it. Just when I was starting to go crazy being at home all day every day, this opportunity comes along.

The doorbell rings, and I jump up to answer it.

Coop stands on the mat, a bottle of bubbly in his hands and a grin on his face. “Will you tell me this news already? I’m excited for you and I don’t even know why yet.”

“The assistant to the director of the movie I was in called. He wants me for a starring role, Coop! You’ll die when you hear the names of the other actors.” I shake my head, tears in my eyes. “I still just can’t…”

He sets the bottle down on the coffee table and throws his arms around me. “That’s great news! Congratulations.”

“Thanks, I’m…I just can’t believe it.”

“Why wouldn’t they want you? Your performance got great reviews, and they were obviously impressed with how you work. When do you start filming?”

“In a month. Filming is in London, though,” I say, wincing. “They expect it will take nine months.”

Coop lets out a low whistle. “Shit. Still, it’s an amazing opportunity. What did Roman say?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I blush. “You’re the first to know. I couldn’t get ahold of him and I had to tell someone…What if he doesn’t want me to take it?” The thought had been in the back of my mind since Cameron had first called me.

We hadn’t had the ‘talk’ about my career—or lack of—since the movie, but I got the feeling Roman enjoyed going to work and coming home to me. I had no idea how moving to another country for the best part of a year was going to go down with him.

“Well, if Roman won’t, I’ll come with you,” Coop assures me.

I snort, not sure if he’s serious or not. “And I’m sure Mia would love that,” I retort dryly.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind,” he says, an edge to his voice.

Before I can question him any more, the front door opens and Roman walks in. He glances from me to Coop.

“I didn’t know we were having visitors.”

“We weren’t,” I say, rolling my eyes. I stand up and walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I kiss him tenderly on the lips. “Coop came over to help me celebrate.”

“Celebrate what, exactly?”

“My new movie role. Well, if I accept.”

“I didn’t know you were auditioning for more roles,” Roman mutters.

“I wasn’t. They contacted me,” I reply, annoyed at his tone. Is he pissed off about the role or because Coop is here?

After an awkward silence, Coop gets to his feet.

“I’m gonna run. Congrats again on the offer.” He leans in and kisses me on the cheek while Roman scowls. “Call me if you wanna talk.”

I wait until I hear the sound of the front door closing before I stalk over to the kitchen. I retrieve a glass, slamming the cupboard door closed, and pour myself another drink, not bothering to offer him one.

“What’s your problem?” he asks, and I laugh.

“My problem? You’re the one who’s been in a mood since you walked in the door.”

“I’m not in a mood, I just didn’t realize you were going to be accepting more movie roles. It kind of affects me too. What happened to working for me?” he asks sourly.

“Come on, Roman. You weren’t exactly over the moon at the idea of me working for you. And I know Scarlett hates the idea. This is a huge opportunity. Surely you get that?”

Where is this one filmed?” he asks. “I’m just shocked you’d accept something so big without talking to me about it first.”

“I haven’t accepted anything,” I exclaim, throwing my hands up in frustration. “I was only offered the role a few hours ago, for God’s sake!”

“And the first person you decide to tell is Coop?”

I shake my head and storm past him, headed for the bedroom. “If you’d answered your damn phone, you would’ve been the first to know,” I yell over my shoulder. I slam the bedroom door shut and fall onto the bed.

What the hell is his problem?