Torn (11 page)

Jake’s dark blonde hair was long and thick, and he wore it bound in a braid that hung like a thick, antique gold rope to nearly his rear. Julie knew several women back home who would have no qualms about scalping him for that hair, or –– failing that –– wouldn’t mind feeling him drape that hair over their naked bodies. It was easy to see why Chelsea had married him.

Julie had visited their home, had seen them together. Nothing she saw implied trouble in their marriage. Hell, she’d even gone with Ty to have dinner at the Morgan’s. Several times. That Chelsea could cook her ass off. The only thing that stood out, now as Julie thought about it, was the fact that Chelsea and Ty were consistently aware of the other’s presence.

The moment Chelsea walked into whatever space he was in, Ty would look up as though alerted by some internal bell. Chelsea would always seem to know whenever his eyes would fall on her too, because she’d look up at him and smile. Also, Julie noted, Ty seemed to go out of his way to make a favorable impression on Chelsea’s daughters. He had a natural way with children and animals, but with Faye and Grace, Julie could see a genuine, mutual affection growing between the three. Not overly difficult to understand when she knew how much Ty wanted to have kids someday, that “some day” preference being sooner rather than later.

What bothered her was that if
she
could see this –– this chemistry between Chelsea and Ty –– Jake could too. Granted, he didn’t know Ty like she did, but presumably, he knew his wife. Other than the occasional odd look toward the pair, Jake seemed oblivious to the silent communication between his wife and the actor.

Julie frowned. While it was all fine and good for Ty to mess up his own marriage ––which in her esteemed opinion had been on a downhill slide since the “I Do’s” and which should have been “I Don’t’s”, he had no business muddying up Chelsea’s. There were children to think about. And, in a few months, he’d be back home in California.

The thing of it was, in all the years she’d known Ty, he’d never gotten even remotely involved with a married woman. And she and Ty –– they went way back. Back to the days of her managing a McDonald’s while he bartended at the discotech near her apartment. She knew her boy. Something was definitely up. And not just the monster in Ty’s pants, although Julie was fairly certain that bugger –– god forbid –– had its
own
opinion of matters.

Clearing her throat, Julie stepped in between the pair. “Ty, I need to speak with you privately.” She waited a beat for effect. “Now.”

Ty arched a brow at Julie, while simultaneously flicking a glance over at Chelsea, who paced the small bedroom nervously, paying either of them no mind. The cautious action raised Julie’s own brows. Oh, crap. He wasn’t. He couldn’t be. No way ––

“All right,” he said in a low voice as he turned.

Julie saw his gaze sweep over the camera and sound crew in a manner that was steely and downright protective and suddenly she knew that Tyler had heard the rumor she’d tried to squash. Crap! She looked over at Chelsea, who’d stopped pacing to stare at them, a wondering expression in her eyes. She exhaled a sigh of relief. Chelsea didn’t know. Thank God, because if she was this nervous doing a love scene in front of the crew, imagine if Chelsea knew what the crew members filming the scene were thinking…

She shuddered, suddenly doubtful of her decision to cast the rookie in the movie. But then she remembered how fabulously Chelsea carried out her scenes, and stiffened her spine. Chelsea could handle it. She was only using three cameras for this scene, and the set was closed, so that cut down the number of gawking eyes enormously.

“Jules?”

Mentally shaking her head, Julie cleared her mind of her musings, and walked over to Ty who waited for her at the other end of the set.

“You’ve heard,” she said, casting a glance over her shoulder back at Chelsea who now sat on the bed, a copy of the script in her hands.

“But something happened. I can tell by that non-look on your face.” She stopped herself just short of asking what. It wasn’t her business. Instead, Julie chose to focus on what
was
. “Whatever happened… It won’t affect my scene… Will it, Ty?”

His hands clasped behind his neck, Ty shook his head. “Chels may be new at this, but she’s a natural. I think she just missed her true calling.” He was unaware of the pride in his tone that thickened his voice, of the way his eyes glowed a darker blue as he spoke of his supporting actress.

Jaw slack, Julie gaped at him. Good lord, he
was
. He
was
, and he didn’t even
know
it. He was in it so deep, Cairo was just upstream.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk with the guys and clear up that rumor,” he said, all brisk and business. His hands fell to his sides as he straightened and looked at his director. “What?”

Giving herself another mental shake, Julie nodded. “Nothing. I mean, good. I don’t want it getting back to Chelsea. She doesn’t need that crap in her head while she’s working a love scene. Understood?”

“You and me both,” he muttered. “Understood.”

“Cool. That’s all I wanted to clear up.”
For now
. “Let’s get back to work.”

~ *~

Chelsea looked up from the script when Tyler came back onto the set. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” he said, not quite meeting her eyes. “Are you ready to shoot the scene?”

A faint blush tinted the curve of her cheeks and he knew –– absolutely knew –– she was thinking of the run-through they’d had in his trailer. “As I’ll ever be,” she murmured.

Tyler’s smile deepened. The last time he’d seen a woman blush was when he was a Senior in high school back in Wauneta, Nebraska, where he’d been born and raised. It was hard to reconcile the young woman who’d asked him to autograph her ass with the shy figure before him.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly, hooking a finger under Chelsea’s chin, and tilting her face up toward him. “We’ll be great. You’ll see.”

Sighing, she fidgeted with the sash of the burgundy flannel robe that was her costume. The tip of her tongue darted out to lick her lips in a nervous gesture, and she bit her bottom lip.

Tyler followed the movement, his sky blue eyes turning cobalt. “Chelsea ––“

“Places!” Julie’s clear voice rang through whatever Tyler had been about to say; startling Chelsea who flinched her head back from his unwitting caress.

She hurried to grab her prop, a hairbrush from the dresser, and sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. Pulling her hair free from underneath the collar of the robe, the dark tresses fell in curly waves down her back.

“Chelsea, do you
really
think Tina would sit on the edge of her bed as though she’s at a tea party while watching her husband and love of her life undress?” Julie called over from her director’s chair.

Scowling, Chelsea rolled her eyes and scooted back up onto the length of the bed. Sitting up in its center, she bent her knees –– Indian style –– and crossed her legs at the ankles. The robe loosened with the movement and the inside curve of a lush breast showed clearly at the neckline. Chelsea didn’t heed it; she was too busy making sure the robe didn’t gape open over her lap.

Julie’s voice sounded pleased as she called out, “That’s much better! Now Ty, you need to unbutton that shirt all the way… and leave it hanging open… Yeah,” she added, as Tyler complied with the instruction, “like that.”

The director scanned the set, and seeing that all was at the ready, picked up her megaphone. “Lights! Cameras!… Action!”

~ * ~

Chelsea drew the brush through her hair in slow even strokes, her eyes on Tyler as he unhooked his belt buckle. “You were right, Paul… I went to see Doc Walter today, and he figures I’m about four months along.”

Tyler’s hands froze in the act of unlacing his tan, leather breeches and he raised his head to look at her with infinite slowness. “Tina,” he whispered, his eyes filling with fierce joy. “You mean…”

She nodded and the private smile curving her lips widened to include her husband. “I guess the third time
is
the charm.”

Letting out a whoop, Tyler crossed the bedroom in two strides, grabbing Chelsea in his arms as he fell onto the bed beside her. The brush clattered, unnoticed, to the floor. He pressed one hand to her abdomen, and Chelsea lowered her gaze, one hand covering his. “A “Tina…
baby,
” he said softly, reverently.
Thank
you.”

“Well, I reckon we
both
took part in the making of this miracle.
Our
miracle.” Raising her eyes, Chelsea lifted one hand to touch his cheek with loving fingertips.

“God, I love you, Tina,” Tyler murmured, his voice low.

“Oh, Paul,” Chelsea whispered back, “I love y––“ The rest of the word was cut off as Tyler’s mouth slanted over hers.

Chelsea’s response was tentative at first, but when his tongue swept a hot, sensuous trail across her lips, dipping into the moist crevasse, desire replaced all thoughts of caution, of awareness.

A moan escaped from her throat, turning into a gasp of pleasure when Tyler’s fingers brushed against the swell of a breast. She tilted her head back to allow him better access as he glided the tip of his tongue down the length of her throat.

Oblivious to the rolling cameras, Tyler’s body gently brought Chelsea’s down to lie against the pillows while he stretched out full-length beside her. Her arms slid around his waist, under his shirt, skimming lightly over the bare heat of his skin until reaching the dip of his lower back. She grazed the sensitive skin with her fingernails, and he growled softly into her mouth while he rolled his pelvis against hers.

Purring like a kitten, Chelsea lifted a smooth, mocha leg, wrapped it around him even as she pushed off his shirt. Tyler leaned back, pulled his shirt from his arms with shaky movements, flung it to a far corner of the room. He started to bend forward, but Chelsea sat up, her slender fingers deftly working the ties of his worn, tanned leather pants, pushing them down his hips.

Her head tipped down, her dark hair fell around the sprung erection like a shield. When she raised her eyes to his, her cheeks were hot and flaming… But she kept up the cover for him; her face revealed only passion.

Julie had the cameras pan out in a blur to the fireplace in the background as Tyler kicked off his pants, sending them to the floor. When the cameras came back into focus, it was just in time to see Chelsea’s robe join his pants on the floor, and then up to the bed to see Tyler’s form start to cover hers –– Julie’s butt-shot –– just before he flipped the covers open on the bed.

Chelsea slid in between the sheets, Tyler following her lead, bringing the blankets to cover them up to his shoulders as his mouth, hot and delicious, fell on hers. His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth, tasting her, mimicking the actions of their hips as his hands slid up her arms, bringing her hands up over her head against the pillows.

Neither of them heard Julie’s hurried whisper for Camera Two to zoom in on Chelsea’s naked breasts as she lay down on the mattress, Tyler’s mouth seeking the succulent, dark berry.

Chelsea’s back arched upwards as he sucked the already aroused nipple, her full lips parting in a silent gasp. Her hands above her head clenched into fists and then flexed open again until Tyler reached up and clasped his hands over hers, tightly interlocking their fingers while he ground his pelvis sweetly against hers.

Moaning against his mouth, Chelsea’s legs parted and she instinctively lifted her hips. She was smooth shaven and bare. She was hot. She was
wet
. So wet against his cock as she rubbed her clit along its length that he trembled with the strain. Her pelvis rocked against him, nudging his thick head closer to her slick cleft with each upward motion. She stroked the tip of his cock again with her pussy and whimpered with need as her tongue stroked his. Tyler broke out into a sweat, a guttural moan escaping as her next movement dipped him just barely inside for a sweet taste of what he could have. Of what was his.

“
Christ…”
Tyler whispered, and, the next time her hips flexed under his, he slid his thick length into her welcoming, wet heat.

Her muscles clenched around him, her legs wrapping around his waist beneath the covers, coherent thought wiped clear from her mind. Her body was a giant, white, pulsating pleasure coil, and it was screaming with need, crying for release.

His thrusts were slow, subtle… and sublime. He couldn’t stop kissing her; he sucked on her bottom lip, stroked her tongue with his own. His heart was constricted in his chest; felt as though it would stop from sheer pleasure. He could barely even breathe she felt so good. The transcendent way she clenched him, caressed him, held him deep inside her made his eyes roll back in his head. Making love to this woman was incomparable to anything he could have imagined.

Then her breath hitched and she convulsed… Tyler swiftly claiming her mouth with his, effectively muting their cries of passion as she shattered around him. Her walls wetly milked him and he came violently, his semen flooding inside her with each pulse of his spent cock.

A long moment passed and then he rolled onto his side, bringing her with him, the covers falling away to their waists. She reflexively curled against him, her back against his chest, his hand draped possessively over her still quivering stomach. Her eyes were closed and sated, she started to drift off…

“
Cut
!”

At the director’s triumphant cry, Chelsea’s eyes flew open and she jolted around to face Tyler, who looked as shocked as she did.

“That was
fabulous
! Tyler, you are
amazing
! Chelsea, I swear to
God
, Girl! You have a career waiting for you in Hollywood!” Julie jumped down from her perch, her and nearly skipped over to the startled pair. “Bar none, that was the
best
, most realistic love scene
ever
! In
one
take even! What movie’s getting the Golden Globe?
My
movie! I’ll have to edit a bit keep it to an R rating, but still…
Fantastic
!” she crowed.