He shook his head, walking away and pushing all thoughts of violating Marissa Sparks out of his mind.In this industry, getting spanky with a co-star was out of the question.Nobody kept a secret in Hollywood, and the media would turn his kink into some kind of pedophilia in the blink of an eye.Still, she brought out the dominant, protective side of him.He wanted to pull her away from the excessive partying, shelter her from the gossip and take her over his knee for a long, hard lesson in respecting herself and her profession.
This wasn’t her.Or at least, he’d seen a different Marissa in New Mexico, when she’d been away from her rock-star boyfriend and her wilder-than-Paris Hilton sister.She’d been serious about her work then, and sweet, almost shy around him.
He’d found her staring at one of the gossip rags one day.He had snatched it out of her hand, rolled it up and swatted her ass with it.“Don’t you know the first rule to surviving Hollywood is never to read the gossip about yourself?”But then he’d seen her face.She looked like she’d been kicked in the gut.He unrolled the paper to take in the headline.Bad Boy Billy Foxx Cheats on Actress/Girlfriend Marissa Sparks.“I’m sorry, kid.That sucks,” he’d said with sympathy.
She had shrugged, her jaw tightening.“Good riddance,” she’d said.But the public humiliation of being cheated on seemed to have kicked off her current downward spiral.
He looked over at her now.She sat hunched over her script, her lips moving as if she were whispering her lines.
“Sparks, did you figure out your line?”Antonio called out loud enough for the entire set to hear.
“Yep.I’m ready,” she said, springing to her feet and jogging back to the elevator.
Antonio started the shoot again and Joel entered, wrestling physically with Marissa—one of his favorite parts of the job.He captured her against his body, holding the dull prop blade at her throat, feeling the flutter of her rapid pulse against his knuckles.Her breasts were pushed up by his arm, her nipples hard again.“Who are you working for?”
“Easy, big guy.We’re on the same side.Jones sent me.”
“Cut!”Antonio yelled.“What the hell is wrong with your face, Sparks?”
Her hands flew to her cheeks in terror.“What do you mean?”
“I mean, your lips are twitching, your pupils are tiny and there’s a muscle pulling your left nostril up.Are you on coke?”
“No,” she gasped.“I’m not.I took a prescription?—”
“Fuck this,” Antonio said, cutting her off in disgust.“Get out.Get the hell off my set.You go home and get your shit together and if you don’t show up tomorrow ready to roll, you’re fired.”
Technically, Antonio couldn’t fire her.Joel was an associate producer, so he could call the shots.But then he’d run the risk of Antonio quitting.
Marissa’s slender shoulders slumped.No defiance or backtalk from this little starlet—she had submissive written all over her.Another reason he found her so attractive.He’d released her from the hold, but he still stood close enough to feel her body trembling.She licked her lips.“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking.
Antonio had already walked away so she turned to Joel, her eyes not quite meeting his.“I’m sorry,” she whispered.“I really am.”
Again, a surge of protectiveness came over him.He wanted to take her in hand and remedy this for her.“Don’t be sorry, just fix it,” he said, leveling her with a stern look.
She nodded.“I will.I promise.”She turned away.
“I liked theyes, sir, you gave me earlier,” he said before he could stop himself.
She turned back to him, her cheeks flushing an enchanting shade of pink.A glint of something—recognition?connection?deviant sexuality?appeared in her eye.Once more, the evidence of her arousal showed in the stiffened peaks of her nipples through the latex catsuit.One corner of her full lips turned up.“Yes, sir,” she murmured, her voice sultry and thick, like honey.
It took all his self-control not to lean forward and smack her ass as she turned away.
She keptit together as she walked out of the studio trying to figure out how she was going to get home.Neither her sister nor her mom answered their phones because, of course, they were getting sheep placenta facials that probably cost one thousand dollars each.They should’ve been helping her here today.It was their fault she’d been up most of the night because no one had wanted to leave the party and take her home.
She started walking.Maybe she could call a cab.
Her phone rang.She looked at the caller ID and glowered.Julie, her agent.“Hi Julie,” she said.
“What in the hell is going on?”Julie demanded.“I just got a call from the studio saying you’re in danger of being fired.”
She had planned on playing it cool, but instead she made a ridiculous snorting noise trying to hold back the tears.
Julie softened.“What’s going on?Is this still about Billy Foxx?Do you need to see a therapist or something?”
“No,” she exclaimed, scowling.“I just need to get a good night’s rest and everything will be fine in the morning, I promise.”
“Okay,” Julie said, sounding unconvinced.“So why is your mom calling me asking if I can get you a few commercials for extra cash?Have you run through your advance already?”
