Page 26 of The Starlet
When she steps out of the bathroom in her wedges and flowy dress, I can’t stop myself.She’s so fucking beautiful.I’ve already seen her in this dress, but after yesterday, everything has changed. It’s like I’m looking at her with fresh eyes. I notice the tinge of color in her cheeks and her shallow breathing as I gaze at her from head to toe. She licks her lips, and I watch as her pupils dilate the longer I appraise her.
I glance around. No one is close by, so I close the gap in three long strides, scoop her up, and nuzzle my nose into the crook of her neck. She wraps her arms around my neck, and when I kiss her and nibble at her sensitive skin, she moans for me.
“Good girl.”
She inhales deeply as I slowly lower her to her feet. I step back and her eyes are wide. “You can’t say that to me.”
Confused, I ask, “Why not?”
She struggles with a response. She purses her lips, breathes deeply, and then clenches her jaw. Finally, she takes one more deep breath and speaks. “Because you have no idea what hearing those two words does to me, and it’s really not fair.”
I light up. My lips curl up into a knowing smirk, and I wrap a tendril of her hair around my finger.I’m keeping that information for a later date.“Does it make you wet?”
She nods and bites her lip. The ruby red lipstick is a direct contrast to her stark white teeth.
Cristina and Chloe join us and I take a step back, giving her some space. We walk down the hall to the ballroom, where the photographer is setting up the last light and checking the levels.
He turns to look at us, and his face brightens. “Ms. Conners, Mr. Mathas, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name Alex Papagios, and I’ll be taking your pictures today.” He extends his hand, and I shake it. When he reaches for Elena’s, he softens his touch and lingers a little too long. She blushes and pulls her hand from his grasp. A snarl builds deep within my chest, and I fight the urge to curl my lip in distaste.
“I’m Matt O’Donnell, I’ll be doing the interview with you two.” Another gentleman walks up behind us. “Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us.” He offers his hand, and we each shake it. Unlike the last man, he releases his grip quickly. “So, I thought we would get the interview out of the way first, and then the pictures. Does that work?”
“Yeah, that sounds fine,” she says.
“Great, well, let’s jump right in.” He motions for us to sit, so we do. “Do you mind if I record this?” We shake our heads, and he smiles. “Great, so Elena, Bradley, tell me what was going through your head after you got cast in these parts.”
Elena smiles wide and tucks some hair behind her ear. “I was thrilled. I wanted the part of Sofia so bad. I remember, when I got the call, I screamed so loud my neighbors came running over to check on me.” Her cheeks redden, and she can’t contain her smile. “I read the book series and knew it was going to be a hit. We’ve been having a blast filming this one so far, too.”
“Yeah, like what she said. It’s been great. I’ve been so lucky to be able to work with this stellar cast. Everyone has been really welcoming. I actually found out right after my read-through with Elena. They called me back into the room and offered me the job. I couldn’t scream with excitement like she could, but I did get a beer with some buddies that night to celebrate. They made me pay.” I chuckle.
Everyone laughs, and he continues.
“Now, Bradley, you were a last-minute addition after Marcus Gordon dropped out. How hard was it for you to learn all the fight scenes in such a short period of time?”
“They brought me on with just a month to learn the fights. I spent a lot of time with our stunt coordinator, Adam, even after everyone else left for the day, just to make sure I knew what I was doing. It was intense, but a fun learning experience.”
He hums. “Bet you went home pretty sore, huh?”
I nod and smirk. “Yeah, I had to take a few ice baths, and I ended up with a lot of random bruises. I’m sure I still have some around my hips and shoulders.” I glance toward Elena, and she’s fidgeting in her seat.The bruises I have are definitely not from training. Those are all Elena.
“Elena, what did you do to get into character for this role? If I remember the story, you and Bradley are sharing a lot of time between the sheets. Are these scenes difficult to film?”
She laughs it off, but I see the gears in her mind spinning. I can’t wait until later when I get to spend more time between the sheets with her. I zone out as she responds, picturing what it will be like when she’s waking up with me every morning from now until we are done filming—the quiet moans she makes when she stretches, the curve of her body as I wrap my own around hers. I start growing hard just thinking about it.
“Right, Bradley?” she asks.
“Huh?”
She playfully slaps me in the arm, and I want to lace my fingers with hers. “I was telling Alex here that we spent some time getting to know one another prior to filming as to make it less awkward filming the love scenes.”
I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest, and place my ankle on my knee. I keep my eyes glued to hers.I wonder if she’ll break with what I’m about to say.“Yes, we hung out a few times. Plus, she’s been agood girland has been kind enough to have a mint before we film any kissing scenes.” I hear her subtle intake of breath and watch her eyes darken a fraction. “We actually haven’t filmed the racier scenes yet.”
“Oh? When’s that happening?”
“Soon. Next week, if I’m not mistaken.”
The interview carries on for a few additional minutes as he asks us more about our characters and if we have any additional projects coming up. When he’s out of earshot, she leans toward me. “Really, Brad? Good girl? I nearly choked.”
“Just trying to keep you on your toes, babe. Glad to see it worked.” I smile in victory as she stands and walks away.