Tinseltown (2 page)

“What?” He’d frowned, sitting up and trying to pull her into his arms.

“I’m still dreaming and when I wake up, this will be a horrible nightmare.”

The words had pricked his ego. “We’re married, Deb. It’s what you wanted.”

She laughed. “Now I know this is a dream.”

Zach had taken her hand as his heart accelerated.
Please don’t let her regret this
.

“You’re my wife. I have the marriage certificate to prove it and about thirty magazines covering the breaking news on the front page.”

Then, as if she had suddenly awakened, horror filled her eyes and tears welled in their blue depths.

“You did this,” she said with a wobbly voice. “You did this to get publicity for the movie and, in order to do that, you took advantage of me while I was drunk.”

His next mistake was laughing at her. “You’ve got to be kidding. You wanted it as much as I did.”

“No, I didn’t. I was drunk.”

“You were perfectly sober when you said ‘I do’ just as sure as I was. You can’t fool me, Deb.”

She’d fallen silent but only for a moment. She’d narrowed her eyes at him and the corner of her mouth had lifted as she shot him a glare. “I’d rather be dead than be married to you. Besides, I love someone else.”

Zach wasn’t used to rejection. He went immediately on the defensive. “I guess you better tell him you’re married now.”

“If it’s all over the news, my guess is he already knows.”

“I can’t believe you!” Zach jumped up and paced, ignoring his nakedness. Turning back to face her, he gritted his teeth. “I can’t believe you could be so immature. I didn’t have a clue you couldn’t handle liquor.”

“I can handle liquor, Zach. It’s
you
I can’t handle. Whatever made you think I’d want to be married to an emotionless, egotistical jerk who takes advantage of people to get ahead in his career?”

Zach had swallowed the lump in his throat and stared. Did she really think so little of him? Before he could figure out what to do next, she’d locked herself in the bathroom while she dressed then exited, holding her chin high, her jaw clenched.

And that was that. Zach had watched as she flounced off, albeit a little crooked, and raised her middle finger just as she closed the hotel door. And just like that, Zach set a new world record for not only getting married, but dumped, inside of twelve hours.

Every day on set afterward had proved to be a nightmare, both of them trying desperately to hide their negative feelings. He knew she thought he was a jerk. But he wasn’t at all. Maybe he wasn’t perfect, but who was? He loved her. Love was what he wanted in his life, except his wife was supposed to love him back.

What a tangled web.

Coming back to reality, he realized there was less than an hour to pack and catch his flight. Things had to be done right, if only to help Deb. After all, he’d made a promise to himself the night of their wedding. He would not abandon his marriage. He had asked her to marry him, after all, and he felt guilty he hadn’t figured out exactly how drunk she had been.

Making quick work of packing, he rushed out to his car.

The early winter breeze held a bite, speaking of the holidays to come, and he pulled his leather jacket up around his neck to keep the chill away. The ground was crunchy from the morning freeze. A sigh escaped him as the heater in his car warmed and he backed onto the road.

Absently, he twisted the gold band on his finger that represented the best and worst night of his life.

He’d learned early on he wasn’t a quitter, and he’d spent the past ten years proving it. The next two weeks would make or break his marriage.

Taking a deep breath, he grinned. By the time they returned to Hollywood, Deb would love him too.

Chapter 2

Deb saw Zach walk onto the plane, with his cellphone to his ear, just before the hatch closed. Lucky dog. If it had been her, she would have closed the hatch and waved a friendly goodbye. She didn’t
want
him to come along.
Needing
him to help her with her parents was something totally different. She could pretend the stories in the tabloids weren’t real and her parents would never know the difference. As for the director, she’d wing it. She was an actress, after all.

A frown formed as she thought about Zach messing up her plans, but she hid it quickly when he snapped his phone closed and searched through first class to find her. He glanced at his ticket a few times as he continued his trek toward her then grinned as he stood beside her, a cloud of delicious cologne enveloping her.

“Well, wouldn’t you know? Fernbank was serious about us getting all cozy.”

Deb eyed the empty window seat next to her. She should have known. Even being a recognized actress, she never got to sit alone on a plane lately. She started to entertain the idea of buying her own plane.

“Scoot,” he said. “I like the aisle seat.”

“Your ticket is apparently for the window seat. I’ll keep my seat, thank you.”

“Deb, come on, we’re supposed to be making an effort here,” he pleaded with innocent eyes.

Stay strong
, she told herself. “You can start by not issuing orders and expecting me to follow them just because you like something.” But she vaguely remembered the orders he’d issued on their wedding night and the bliss it had brought. Oh, the bliss.

She shook her head, forcing the memory away.

Zach grimaced. “Okay, look.” He lowered his voice as he glanced over his shoulder. His mouth hovered near her ear as he bent over her, his closeness intoxicating her. “I get really air sick if I have to sit in the window seat. Can we please switch so I can keep my dinner down?”

Deb eyed him a moment, trying to figure out if she believed him. But a quick glance around told her she better make her decision quick. People were starting to stare. “Sure, but keep in mind, first class or not, if you throw up on me, you’re sleeping in the doghouse in my parents’ backyard.”

Zach grinned. As he crawled over her, he whispered, “Sure thing, wife.”

She glared a hole through him, but he simply leaned his head back against the seat and rolled it around to look at her. “What? Have you changed your mind about your parents finding out?”

“No. I intend to tell them we’re in a relationship.”

“Good.”

“But this is on my terms, Zach. And we’re not sleeping together,” she told him quickly.

“Is your family one of those old-fashioned types? I mean, do they not know how you were conceived?”

“No, they just expect me to respect myself, and I think sharing a bed with you would be the utmost disrespect.”

His jaw clenched. “I guess we’re off to the right start, huh? You already hate me. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like when we’re eighty?”

“I don’t hate you,” Deb said sweetly. “I just don’t like you.”

“Either way, how are we going to convince your family we’re together if you can’t stand me?”

“Oh, cut the crap, Sparks, I know you don’t like me either.”

“Actually,” he said and held up a finger in front of her face, “I liked you quite a bit until I realized how much you played me.”

Deb’s mouth fell open in surprise. “I didn’t play you!”

“Oh, come on.” Zach laughed. “Everyone saw it. If I hadn’t been so enthralled by how pretty you are, I would have seen it too. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess. I would have played the game too.”

They looked at each other for a long while. All anger was erased and her lungs felt like the wind had been knocked out of them. She really had liked him, but he was the one playing games, not her. “I didn’t play you, Zach.”

Waving his hand in dismissal, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Tell me about your family,” he said just as the plane taxied down the runway.

Miffed at his abrupt change in subject, she glanced at him, but his eyes were still closed.

“My mom is the one you’ll love the most. Her name is Marie. She’s beautiful, doesn’t look a day over thirty-five and is the sweetest thing you’ll ever meet. My dad is the strong and handsome type—”

Zach chuckled. “Something tells me I won’t see your dad as handsome.”

Deb smiled despite herself. “Maybe not, but he is. His name is John. My brother—” She cleared her throat from emotion at thinking about her brother. “My brother, Eric, is the eldest of the two of us. He’s thirty. He’s married and has two kids, Jesse and Elizabeth.”

Deb felt Zach eyeing her. He could no doubt see the tears in her eyes she fought to hide.

“You must really love your brother.”

She smiled hesitantly, wondering whether to tell him of Eric’s disability but decided against it. It didn’t mean anything to her family anymore that Eric was in a wheelchair. Zach would see Eric soon enough and make his own decisions. “He’s a special man.”

Continuing, Deb told him about every member of her family and their personalities. When she finished, she looked at him.

“Where is your family?”

She saw a wall go up behind his eyes as he looked away. “They’re dead.”

Deb found her fingernails overly interesting. “I’m sorry.”

Zach shifted away from her in his seat. “I’m not. I think I’ve had all the small talk I can handle for one day. I’m going to try to catch a nap before we land.”

Nodding, Deb turned away, confused, and looked out the window, trying to enjoy the sunset as she floated on the clouds.

* * * *

Zach stood next to Deb on the front porch of her parents’ home, freezing his tailbone off. The outside was decorated tastefully with wreaths and clear lights. On the doorstep, ice had formed, making it difficult to stand.

“Why don’t you just ring the doorbell already?” He grabbed the railing as his foot slipped.

Deb shot him an irritated glance as her finger hovered over the doorbell. “They don’t know we’re coming yet. I didn’t tell them. Tonight is their annual Christmas party for all their friends, and I didn’t want them to worry about me flying in or picking me up from the airport. And
you’re
with me.”

Looking over at her, he saw fear in her almond eyes, and it dawned on him how truly awkward this must be for her. If she told them her job was at stake, she would risk embarrassment in front of her close-knit family. He understood all too well the need she felt to keep both her career and her family.

If she told them they were together, they would be forced to be around each other and act like the married couple they were, kissing and touching, which appalled her. Not to mention the other man she loved…

Just the thought sent a chill down his spine that had nothing to do with the weather. He hoped for the man’s sake he didn’t run into him while he was here.

Inside, he could hear the tinkling laughter of people gathered for an evening party. The faint aroma of cider reached his nostrils.

“From what you tell me they’ll be thrilled to see you. Come on, it might not be much comfort but this will be awkward for me, too.”

He slid over to her at the end of the railing and took her forearm, urging her toward the door. Just as they stepped forward, they both lost their balance and fell. Zach turned so he caught the brunt of the fall, Deb landing on top of him.

The breath
whooshed
out of his body and his mouth hung open for air. The surprised look on Deb’s face was too much. Finally air filled his lungs and he gasped, laughing instantly.

Deb’s sweet voice followed his. “Oh…my…goodness…this is so… classic!”

He couldn’t say anything. Instead, his smile faded and he watched as Deb laughed. Her face was so full of happiness. Before the wedding in Vegas, this had drawn him to Deb the most — the wonder which filled her inside and out. She never seemed to be in a bad mood, except for when he was around, and she always looked on the bright side.

He had watched her talking to fans at a television show appearance once, and her patience had amazed him. She spoke to each one of them and asked questions. He bet if he asked her, she’d remember every one of them too.

When her laughter died, a moment passed between them. Her eyes were full of fire and potent desire.

She braced herself to get up, but he touched her cheek. Despite knowing he would meet her wrath, he had to taste her. But she didn’t pull away when he lifted his head to touch her lips with his.

Instead, he thought she might meet him halfway. It wasn’t a kiss of need or passion. It became one of exploration, meant for nothing more than enjoyment. Feeling her spread against the length of him reminded him why he was so hungry for her.

Abruptly, he pulled away. He couldn’t let this get out of hand on her parents’ front porch. Paparazzi were probably hanging around somewhere anyway. “Something tells me that’ll make things more awkward between us, huh?”

Deb smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Probably.”

“Did it gross you out to kiss your husband?” he asked half-heartedly and helped her roll off him. He tried to ignore the perfect way in which they fit. It wouldn’t do him any good to think about physical things right now.

As they stood, she looked at him and he could tell she was about to be brutally honest. “Yes, and you better not do it again.”

He shrugged and gave her his most charming grin. “I promise I won’t unless you ask me to.”

Her laugh sounded forced. She shook her head as she carefully hobbled over to the front door and rang the doorbell, holding onto the brick for dear life. “Zach, it’ll never happen.” She hesitated a moment then bit her lip just before she asked, “Have you thought about whether or not you’re going to ruin my life?”

Eyebrows drawn, he didn’t understand what she meant until the door flew open and a woman who looked to be Deb’s identical twin sister squealed and grabbed her into a big bear hug. He barely heard Deb call her
Mom
and he realized she hadn’t been kidding when she said her mother didn’t look a day over thirty-five.

After the grand hug, Deb stepped inside and motioned for Zach to enter. “Mom, this is, um, this is Zach Sparks, my…”

He understood the circumstances of wanting the people around her to love her and be proud. There was no question about how to handle this. Stepping inside the massive foyer, he took Marie’s hand, kissing it smoothly. “I hope you don’t mind my intrusion, ma’am, but I didn’t want to spend the holidays without Deb.”