The Accidental Movie Star (13 page)

“Much better.”

***

Caz tilted his head and stared with an intent expression as Ashley chopped and threw the ingredients together.

“This is TexMex, not California-style Mexican. Like we talked about.” Chop, toss, and bake. “It’s way better.” Ashley served the food on off-white plates she found in his kitchen and they carried them over to his coffee table.

From the first bite forward, his expression was gratifying. He ate everything she put in front of him.

She took a sip of her iced tea. She hadn’t bothered to call Dad. His own project kept him horribly busy. Five dinners in a row with him not showing, she’d given up on sharing meals.

“This is good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Yes. The flavors make me think of holiday.”

“Yeah? Have you decided to take one when the shooting wraps?”

Caz shrugged. “My agent is pushing for another film after the press tour.”

“That martial arts thing?”

“No, that’s a done deal. I mean, one after that.”

“Is it a film you’re interested in?”

“No, I’m interested in a film based on a Moliere novel, but she’s pushing to go big budget.”

“Nothing’s wrong with low budget. We’re studying Moliere too. He’s one of the authors on my summer reading list. Just think, if you make the movie, no student will ever have to read the novel again.”

“My contribution to education.” Caz took another bite, swallowed, and said, “I really want the holiday.”

“Well, you’ve decided then, vacation it is.”

“My schedule’s not that simple.”

Ashley shrugged and moved over to her bag and pulled out five DVDs. It sounded simple to her. “In addition to dinner, I brought the five greatest onscreen movie kisses ever. Prepare to learn.”

Caz frowned and took a last bite, carrying his plate back into the kitchen. The plate clattered into the sink. “I know how to kiss.”

Ashley laughed. “We can watch these tomorrow if you want.” She put the movies on his coffee table. Shouldering her bag, she headed to the door. “I marked the scene numbers on the covers, so you can fast forward right to the good scenes.”

“No, I didn’t mean you should leave.” Caz moved around the kitchenette. He tugged her toward the couch and put her drink back in her hand. “You said you’d help.” He frowned as the ice clinked against the side of her glass, and he gave a small shudder. “Iced tea.”

“If you’d try it, you might like it.” After putting her bag down by the sofa, she took a sip of the icy drink.

“Never.” He moved to the player and slid the top DVD in.

She caught the remote control he threw to her. “This is so, uh, weird. I bet Petra would be glad to help you.”

His mouth twisted, and he thrummed his fingers against the couch cushion, shaking his head at her suggestion. He poured himself another cup of hot tea.

Ashley scooted a bit away from him to lessen the tension. Kicking off her shoes, she folded her legs beneath her. “Have you done this a lot? Screen kisses?”

“I had a small part in a French film not too long ago. So yeah.” He muttered a few words in French.

Ashley smiled and said a small phrase in her own high school French, a little jealous of the European ease with languages. She hadn’t thought the British spoke as many languages as continental Europeans, but she’d heard him use French before. “Where’d you learn French?”

“Summers abroad. You?”

“Mrs. Hart’s third period French class. I finished French Two, but I’m nowhere as proficient as you. Teach me some?”

Caz bargained, “Maybe you could cook dinner for me again?”

“Okay.” Ashley pressed the power button. “This first one is cool. I think you should assess the movies, see which kiss is your favorite so you can duplicate it. Or maybe do a combination of the kisses on the discs.” She felt a little chatty and was generous with her advice.

Caz sighed. “I know how to kiss.”

“Well, that kiss with Petra was bad,” she said honestly.

Caz shrugged. “My character wouldn’t kiss her. I wouldn’t kiss her. It has no authenticity on either level.”

What an artsy thing to say. Ashley tried to imagine a guy at her high school saying something like that. It would never happen. They’d see Petra in the red lingerie and that would be enough. Then again, no matter what the reason, she was glad Caz wouldn’t kiss Petra. His rejection of her made this task okay somehow.

She cued up the scene then hit play.

Onscreen, the actor lifted the actress against his body and looked deep into her eyes. She looked longingly at him and then he kissed her and spun around. Her legs flew out, buoyed by each rotation of the spin.

“What’s romantic about that?”

Ashley hit pause. “You’re kidding?”

“Looks dizzy. What else did you bring?”

Ashley set her glass down and rose to switch out the first DVD for the second one.

Onscreen, the couple stood in the rain silently staring at each other. Then the actress dropped her little dog and flew into the hero’s arms. The actor lifted her by the hips and gave her a passionate kiss. The rain cocooned them in its embrace and the only sound was the fall of the drops.

Ashley raised her eyebrows.

Caz wrinkled his nose and took a sip of his drink, clearly not impressed. “Looks cold, and drippy. And what happened to the dog?” He snagged the remote and rewound the disc to replay the dog part.

Kneeling on the cushion, she grabbed his arms. “He can’t resist her. They don’t feel the rain. Their passion is so intense they defy the elements.”

Caz shook his head. “She lost her dog.”

Pouting a little, Ashley got up to switch out the DVD for number three. How could he not like her choices? These were great romantic scenes, the best. “If all British people found the rain cold and drippy, there wouldn’t be so many of you. It’s romantic.”

“We have indoors.”

In DVD three, the onscreen couple eased from the water toward the shore. The night was dark, lit only by stars. Italian opera played softly in the background. The actress ran her hands lightly up the hero’s arms and to his face. Rising on tiptoe, she leaned her bikini-clad body against his.

His hands went to her hips and yanked her flush against him. Bending slightly, he shoved the actress back into the sand and followed her down, pressing inch by inch against her until he lay fully on top. The sandy beach took on an imprint of their bodies.

Music swelled. The actor clasped her hands and raised them above her head then pressed his mouth against hers. Moaning, she wound her leg around his. The scene darkened.

Caz tilted his head. He looked from Ashley to the screen and hit pause. “Maybe. What do you like about that one?”

“The atmosphere. The music. And the contrast. She’s all gentle and he’s all alpha-manly.”

Caz rose. “Okay, let’s try it.” He took her arm and led Ashley to the back of his trailer—to his bedroom.

Chapter 12

Her eyes widened at the sight of his bed. They’d put a wall-to-wall king-size bed in his trailer.

Caz grabbed a remote and clicked away at the buttons. Country music filled the room. “Because you’re from Texas,” he drawled.

She laughed, and leaned against the wall while he dimmed the lights. She hadn’t known he could imitate her accent, and wanted to make him say more. The laughter eased her nerves, but the darkness was bringing it back—well, nerves and excitement. She’d been interested in kissing him again ever since his kiss in the hallway.

Caz dropped the remote and lifted an eyebrow in challenge. Ashley rubbed her arms then stepped close.
Okay, I can do this. This is fake. He’s hot. It’s only a kiss.
Lightly touching his hands and arms then his face, she felt sparks against her fingertips. Rising on her toes, she leaned toward his mouth. She floated her lips over his, then retreated.

His hands landed on her hips and pulled her forward, flat against him like in the video. She felt the roughness of his jeans and the hardness of his chest against her softness. His mouth landed on hers, warm, determined. She moved against him and closed off her mind to everything else. The sensations felt great. Caz lifted her and tossed her back.

Bouncing down to the mattress jolted Ashley out of the moment. Her arms flew out against the sheets, and she shook her head. “The throw looks better than it feels. I was getting into the kiss, and you broke the momentum.”

Caz grinned at her complaint and leaned down carefully against her, most of his weight on his elbows.

Her eyelids lowered. “Mmm, okay, yeah, that’s good.”

Following the script, he grabbed her hands and raised them above her head. The new position took his weight from his elbows and put the bulk on her. For a second his body felt great, enticing, satisfying; then he was too heavy. Pulling her hands free, she shoved at his shoulders and he rolled to his back, his arm banging against the wall. Country music twanged in the background.

She crawled on top of him. “You’re too big, you’ll crush the poor girl. That actor must be one of those little short ones who looks large on screen.” Grabbing his hands, she pulled them above his head and grinned at him. “How’s that?”

Shaking his hands free, he slid his palms against her waist and under the hem of her shirt and used his fingers to brush against her skin. It made her squirm and her breathing shallow. She lowered against him.

“Hmm,” Caz said. “You have to sacrifice for your art.” He spoke in his own accent.

Her eyelids lowered and wanted to crush his perfectly shaped lips against hers before his words fully registered. She lifted up. Caz said
art
. He was just practicing a scene. Ashley sucked in a breath. She shouldn’t forget that; she was getting too involved with the kissing, as if the emotions were sincere. No wonder costars fell for each other—rehearsal kisses felt real. Backing away, she gave him a small pat on the knee. “Come on, three down, two to go.”

Her legs weren’t quite steady as she went back to the living room. She adjusted the hem of her shirt and leaned over to put in DVD number four. When she was certain he’d joined her, she hit the play button. The fourth scene came on.

The setting was a spaceship. The male actor was in a captain’s chair. The actress straddled him and his hands rested against her hips. Her hands ran through his long hair and she kissed his neck above his pointy collar. He kept still. She used her teeth and tongue, striving for a reaction.

Suddenly, he moved. He kissed the skin of her shoulder over the strap of her sequined camisole then nipped at her collarbone. The actress shuddered against him and yanked his head back to press her lips hard against his. Rising on her knees, she straightened in order to lift his polyester tunic over his head. She tossed his uniform to the floor. “Oh, Dirk,” the onscreen actress pleaded, “only you can help me save the planet.” Rubbing his chest, she said, “Come with me to Quataria and free our fellow humans.”

Dirk’s mouth lifted from probing her ear and an orange-striped lizard tongue slid free, flicking into the air. He said, “I am a Quatarian.”

The actress screamed.

Caz looked at Ashley with raised eyebrows. She grinned and grabbed disc five. “Okay, that one was a mistake. Or, I should have stopped the clip before he finished probing her ear.”

Caz stilled her hand. “No, I’d do that one.” Taking disc five from her, he set it on the couch then lifted Ashley onto his lap. She smiled at him and straddled his legs. She’d kind of wanted to do this one too. He had a nice neck and he always smelled like soap, shampoo, and Caz. Leaning forward, she kissed his skin then tasted him with her tongue. His skin was smooth. He must have shaved before she came over. He tasted salty and clean, unique. Using her other hand, she brushed against the other side of his neck and continued.

His hand tugged down the neck of her shirt to expose her shoulder. Caz ran his tongue from her shoulder to her collarbone. The sensation made her bite down lightly against his neck. He returned the gesture on her collarbone, causing an electric feeling.

In reaction, she sucked his skin between her teeth then released him. Her forehead fell forward against his shoulder, and she trembled. Feeling adrift, she clenched her hands against his sides. Using his hands to lean her back a little, he nibbled.

She reached for him. Lifting his wrist to her mouth, she ran her tongue over the inside and gave it a kiss. She felt a faint tremor go through his powerful body and then he stilled. Her gaze fell on his mouth; her memory made her want to feel it. Ashley swallowed and tried to suck in a breath.

Caz lifted his head, his eyes on hers. She dropped his wrist and her hand fell to the couch. When her fingers landed against DVD five, she lifted the disc and shoved it against his chest, trying to calm her heart rate.

His hand fell over the top of hers. He took his own deep breath and his body shook against hers. The movement caused their hands to rise and she wanted to slide her hand under his shirt. She pulled her hand from under his and reached down for his hem.

Looking at DVD number five, Caz rose, sliding her off his lap. She fell back against the couch cushion and watched him. He inserted the DVD into the player and the images appeared. DVD five displayed another scene in the rain.

The actor stood close to the actress and he rubbed his hands against her sides. She moaned and leaned into him. His hands slid over her breasts and cupped the back of her neck, and he kissed her.

Ashley’s eyes widened. She’d forgotten how risqué this one was, how hot.

The damp of the weather made their clothes see-through. One of his hands slid under her thigh. He lifted her leg against him, then ran his other hand down to her other thigh to lift it too. She grabbed his shoulders to hold on while he supported her weight with his hands beneath her butt. The actress squirmed against the hero.

Caz hit stop before the scene even finished. “We can do that.”

“Uh. The weather’s rainy too. You already vetoed the water scenes.”

Caz held out a hand, and Ashley took it, unable to resist following him down the hallway. After opening a narrow door in the hall, he pushed her inside. His bathroom smelled like his shower gel. She took a deep breath and looked at him curiously. He stuck a hand into the stall and turned the water on.