The Last Thing (13 page)

“Really?” I studied his face harder. I’d known from the
moment I’d laid eyes on him that he looked Hispanic. “And your dad is
Caucasian?”

“Yup. He lives in New York now doing only God knows what. I
swear, the only time he calls is when he wants something.”

“That’s awful.” I bit my lip and reached out to grab his
hand.

“What about you? Are you close with your parents?” he asked.
He finished off the last of his wine and reached out to push a piece of my hair
behind my ears. My heartbeat pounded against my ribcage when he touched me. I
reached out to grab his hand before he moved it back, a bold move on my part.

“No, but I’m okay with it.” I stared at him when I spoke and
entwined our fingers together. His hand was bigger than mine, but his skin was
soft and warm.  Squeezing my hand, he leaned in to me close enough that I could
feel his warm breath against my face. My body tingled in anticipation.
Just
do it!

“I need to kiss you,” he confessed.
Should I stop him or
should I kiss him?
I didn’t know. My mind was confused, but my body recognized
exactly what it wanted so I licked my lips and waited for his to meet mine. It
was pure torture, and he had to of known this as well because he took his sweet
time.

 By the time his lips met mine, I was absolutely starving for
his touch. I relished the way he caressed my mouth with his tongue. This was
different from our kisses before. Before they were rough and eager; this time they’d
been slow and sweet. I parted my lips slightly to invite him to deepen the
kiss. Somehow his hands found their way up to my face.

My body ached for more than just his kisses, even though they
were the most passionate and beautiful kisses I’d ever experienced. Our tongues
swirled together in a fiery excitement, and I moaned as he gently nibbled on my
bottom lip with his teeth. He pulled me out of my chair so that I straddled him
with one of my legs on each side of the lap. My arms were around his neck; his
hands on my hips.  I could feel him growing hard beneath me, so I wiggled my
hips just slightly. It was enough to make him moan against my lips.

“You better be careful or I’ll take you right here in this
chair,” he mumbled against me.

“What if the waitress walks in?”

“Fuck, you’re killing me, Quinn.” He ran his hands up my
shirt to cup my breasts then moved them back down slowly to my hips again.  I
pressed my body against his. Closer. I needed to be closer to him.   Shit, it
was happening. No matter how hard I fought it, I was falling hard for Chase
Crowley.

“Have I proved to you how much I want you, Quinn?”

I nodded, my head against his chest.

“Good because I plan on seeing you again.”

Chase

 “Seriously, dear. I have a headache. Could you tone it down
a bit?” I snapped. Chloe rolled her eyes at me  and went back to her phone
call. I placed my baseball cap over my face and leaned back against the limo
seat.

After my date with Quinn last night and parting with that mind-blowing
kiss, I’d gone out to meet with Tucker at a local club. I’d needed to clear my
mind of my sexual frustration. In hindsight, that had been a terrible idea. Now
I was hung over and had a long day of work ahead of me.

“You think we’re there yet?” Chloe asked, looking out the
window with wide eyes. Her phone now sat in her lap.

“I dunno.”

“I’ve never been to Calistoga before. Is it pretty?”

“This is wine country, dear. Everything is gorgeous.”

“I can’t wait to start filming!”

“Me either. Did you read the book?”

“Of course! Didn’t you?”

 The film was based off a best-selling novel that I’d been
meaning to read.

“Not yet.”

“Are you nervous?”

“About what?” I cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Our sex scene.”

I laughed. “I do them all the time on
Timelines.
”

“Oh that’s right…” she gave me a devilish smile. I forgot
this was her first gig.

When the limo stopped, we both climbed out and walked over to
the stylists. There weren’t many people on set today, just a few of the crew
and the director. This was our only day in Calistoga; the rest of the shooting
would take place in New York.  I glanced at my phone to check the time. It
was still early, but if we didn’t finish quickly it would be too late before I arrived
back home. I wanted to stop by and see Quinn after she got off work.  Rhea
walked up to me the second I stepped onto the set.

“Chase, we need to talk,” she told me in her scratchy
smoker’s voice. I put on a pair of dark glasses to block out the bright
California sunlight. She normally started conversations like this when she had
a publicity stunt.

“Go ahead.”

“With the movie in production, we feel it would be beneficial
if you and Chloe began a romance,”

Typically, I would let these rumors slide. I would have
helped her promote them. Anything to get my name in the headlines, but with
everything that had happened in the past few days, I wasn’t sure being in the
spotlight would help my situation with Quinn.

“Chloe? Really? I find her rather annoying,” I said
scrunching up my face.

Rhea put her hands on her wide hips and scowled up at me.  “You
didn’t seem to mind so much a few days ago.”

“Well that was before I got to know her. She acts like a
spoiled child,”

“That is because she practically is a child. Let’s
compromise, a few scheduled dates around town and a few flirty shots of the two
of you on set? A relationship like this is usually sealed in contract with her
publicist as well, but it won’t be anything you can’t handle.”

“Fine, just get me the paper, and I’ll sign them,” I said. I
wasn’t in the mood to argue with her today. I just wanted to get this shoot
over with.

“Find me an aspirin,” I told Rhea.  I placed my hands on the
side of my head. Today would drag on slowly.

I was right. The rest of the day seemed to take forever, but
we finished many of the scenes before the sun began to set.  By the time
it was all over, I was ready to strangle Chloe. It was strange how days earlier
I’d only thought about how hot she was.

“Can we stop and get some food?” Chloe asked as we were
getting into the limo that evening. I just wanted to get home, but at the
mention of food, I realized how hungry I was. The jet would have food though.

“We can eat in the air.”

“But I’m hungry now!” she complained and crossed her arms in
front of her body.

 “Fine. Anything to shut you up.”

“You don’t have to be so rude about it, boyfriend.”

“I’m not your boyfriend, Chloe.”

“That’s funny!” she laughed. I didn’t get the joke so I
ignored her.

Chloe was still in the position where she could go in
anywhere without anyone recognizing her. She gave the driver
instructions to stop at the next food joint. Pulling out my phone,
I text Quinn while we drove.

Me: On my way home
 

Quinn: Did you have a good time?

Me: Chloe was annoying, but we got many of the scenes out of
the way. Can I come over?

It was a few minutes before she responded

Quinn: It’s getting pretty late. Can we try again tomorrow?

My hopes died when I read her message, but I was tired of
always being the one to pursue her.

Me: That’s fine. See you later.

I slid my phone in my pocket and turned to look at Chloe who
was now watching me with an interested expression on her face. She moved across
the seat and rubbed her hands across my chest.

“You’re tense babe. Let me help you take off some of that
stress,” she purred into my ear.

Her touch was soft, and I struggled to keep my hands in my
lap. It would be all too easy to take her right there in the limo.

No. You promised Quinn that you were different. Be different,
don’t be the asshole who makes her cry.

“Not. Now. Chloe.” My mind and body fought back against each
other.  Chloe didn’t want me. She wanted fame, and I wanted Quinn.

“You upset about something?” She scooted back and stuck out
her bottom lip.

“Yeah, you women are confusing.”

“You…women? Thanks, Chase. I’m glad to hear you are
generalizing me with the female population.”

She scooted a bit closer again and flipped her hair behind
her ears in a flirty manner that caused me to raise an eyebrow at her. 

“Can you get me some food while I stay in here?” I asked her.

“Why can’t you come in with me?”

“Because people hound me for autographs, you, my dear, are still
undetectable under the radar.” I gave her a charming smile, one that worked
well with persuading people to do things my way. To my dismay, she didn’t seem
to bat an eye at me.

“I can’t wait until this movie comes out. This is going to
change my life,” she squealed, clapping her hands together in excitement.

“Enjoy the quiet. Fame isn’t always a good thing.”

“Are you kidding me? I was born for this. The fans, the
autographs, the magazine covers…”

Wow, she’s really fame hungry.

“Yeah some parts are nice.”

“I forgot. You’ve been in the spotlight since you were a kid
right?”

“I don’t wanna talk about my past with you.”

“Does your moodiness have anything to do with the waitress
from the other night?”

I played dumb. “Who?”

“I’m not stupid, Chase. I saw the way you were both looking
at each other. Even when we left, I noticed her staring at you. There was
something going on.” She pointed at me with one finger, which made me feel like
a scolded child.

I didn’t know Chloe well, and she seemed like an amusing girl,
but my personal life wasn’t any of her business. “Just leave it be, Chloe.”

“She’s a common waitress, a nobody. What could you possibly
see in her?”

I had to defend Quinn. “Her cousin is Ginger Teague, and
Quinn happens to have a stunning personality.”
Unlike you
.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know exactly, she’s just…why am I discussing this
with you? This is none of your business.”

“You do know that our agents want us to spark romance rumors,
right? My career is riding on this movie.  I’ll do anything to make
it in this business. There’s no way in hell that I’m gonna to let you ruin this
for me.”

“Not to worry, dear. I’m well aware of our situation. Quinn
won’t be a problem.”

I chuckled at her little fit and promptly ignored her. She
was going to make it big all right. Her looks alone guaranteed that.

The limo slowed to a stop by the side of the road near a small
taco truck. Excellent. Nothing like local food to end a hard day’s work. Chloe gave
me a doe-eyed look. “Don’t be a party pooper, come on out and get some food
with me.”

She tugged on my arm persistently. After a few moments, I
reluctantly gave in. My stomach growled, and I was much too hungry to argue
with her. I pulled my hoodie up over my head to hide my face and walked behind
her. A few people were walking around getting food, but it was mainly commuter’s
picking up dinner after work on their drive home. Chloe pointed to a park
across the street.

“Look! It’s a petrified forest. We should go check it out.”
She jumped up and down impatiently.

I rolled my eyes at her before speaking, “Calm down, Chloe.
Let’s just get our food and go home.  I don’t know about you, but I
have to be on set early in the morning.”

She stuck out her bottom lip in a fake pout and threw her
arms around me. Thanks to her melodramatic scene, people were already staring
us.

“Please?”

Now she was really beginning to annoy me. I’d never had
issues with a co-star before, and normally I would enjoy her carefree attitude
and join in on her games.

“Get off me,” I said coolly. I tried to pry her arms off me
without drawing the gaze of the onlookers.

“It’s Chase Crowley,” I heard someone whisper.  If
people recognized me, they would take pictures and it might get back to Quinn.
I went into panic mode. I promised her I would try my best to stay out of the
tabloids. I couldn’t begin this relationship on the wrong foot. I’d never been
so terrified of getting my picture taken as I was right now. Then again, my
agent would kill me if she heard it through the grapevine that I wasn’t my
charismatic self.

I smiled at the young teenagers who walked up.

“We love your shows. Are you going to be back on
Timelines
soon as well?” one of them asked.

“You’ll have to watch and find out.” I noticed the other girl
had her phone out snapping away with her camera.