Thrill! (29 page)

199 wide gold bracelet Richard had given her shortly after their marriage. Satisfied with her appearance, she went downstairs.

Joey was standing in the living room talking to Cassie.

For a moment she was filled with confusion. Joey was back. Her Joey.

He's not your Joey. Get your head together and stop fantasizing.

She stood very still.

"Look who's here,"

Cassie said, like it wasn't painfully obyious.

Time to return to her movie star roots. Chill him out. Nobody played Ice Princess better than Lara Ivory.

"Joey,"

she said lightly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'll go see if the car's outside,"

Cassie said, hurriedly heading for the door.

"Don't!"

Lara said sharply.

Cassie paused, unsure what to do.

"Uh ... I'd kinda like to speak to you alone,"

Joey ventured, giving her one of his intense stares.

"I'm sorry,"

she replied, green eyes freezing him out.

"We're late for the wrap party. Maybe another time."

He edged closer, speaking in a low voice.

"You're pissed, huh? Not interested in hearin"

why I had to split."

For a moment she weakened. Then her strong side took over and she thought, To hell with him - he's stringing me along like some nothing little bimbo.

"No, Joey, I'm not angry,"

she said evenly.

"Why should I be?"

And as she spoke, she moved toward the door, adding an offhanded

"Right now you'll have to excuse us."

Thillipa tried to kill herself,"

he muttered flatly.

"OD'd on pills."

She stopped abruptly.

"Oh, God!"

"Don't you understand?"

he continued.

"I had to leave."

"Wait in the car,"

she said to Cassie, who quickly left.

"Why didn't you call me?"

she asked, turning on him accusingly.

"Why did you take off without a word?"

"Had to get my head straight,"

he explained, running a hand through his thick dark hair.

"You've no idea what it was like - the

200

guilt - sittin"

in the hospital . . . knowin"

that all I wanted was to be with you."

"Oh,"

she said, completely confused.

"Soon as she was strong enough, I told her there was someone else, an"

came right back."

He moved closer, taking her hand in his.

"Didn't mean to let you down."

A feeling of relief swept over her. Perhaps there was a future for them after all.

"It can't have been easy,"

she said quietly.

"Hey"

he said, squeezing her hand.

"It wasn't."

And he knew, as he gazed into her eyes, that his plan had worked - she was all his.

"If it's OK with you, this time I'm stayin'."

She felt the sheer physical thrill of having him close again, and her anger and disappointment slowly began to dissolve.

"Yes, Joey,"

she said, with a little sigh.

"It's perfectly all right with me."

# # #

"Holy shit!"

Roxy shrieked.

"Will ya get an eyeful of who Lara's comin"

in with."

"Who?"

Yoko asked, craning to see.

"Joey whatever his name is. And Lordy, Miss Y - they are holdin"

hands!"

"No!"

"See for yourself."

"Thought he was engaged."

"One sniff around our Lara, an"

his engagement musta taken a dive."

Roxy and Yoko weren't the only two observing Lara's entrance

- the buzz was everywhere. Kyle, who'd flown in his estranged wife, Jean, for the party, noticed immediately.

"Whatis Lara doing with that deadbeat^ he demanded of Jean - a pretty woman with curled brown hair and a long-suffering expression.

"What's wrong with him?"

Jean asked, wondering if her unfaithful dog of a husband had slept with the exquisite actress.

"He's an extra, for Chrissakes,"

Kyle said grumpily, nonplussed that Lara would show up with such a loser when she could've had

201 him.

"Jesus Christ!"

he added, conveniently forgetting about his own many indiscretions.

"Doesn't she get it? Hollywood Rule number one - never screw below the line."

fr & #

"I got a hunch we're causin"

a commotion,"

Joey remarked.

"What?"

Lara asked, clasping his hand.

"I'm tellin"

you - we're exhibit number one. Everyone's starin'."

"Really?"

she said, completely unabashed. Let them stare, let them all stare. She was with Joey, and she didn't care who knew it.

"Your hairdresser's eyes are out on stalks!"

he added, laughing.

"Hmm . . ."

she said, with the trace of a smile,

"I've a feeling you were starring in a few of Roxy's fantasies."

"I was?"

he asked innocently.

"Come on, Joey,"

she chided.

"You must know how women feel about you - they consider you prey."

"You say the cutest things!"

"It's true,"

she said, smiling broadly.

"I'm sure you're aware of your lethal effect."

"I'm not interested in women,"

he stated.

"Only you."

"How gallant,"

she said, shivering with anticipation, because tonight they'd surely consummate their relationship.

"Cold?"

he asked, concerned.

"No. Veree, veree hot,"

she murmured, teasingly.

"Hey,"

he said, grinning,

"you're tellin"

me? I'm the lucky guy who was on the beach with you - remember?"

Their eyes met, fusing a connection that blew her away.

"I ... I've got to mingle,"

she said, catching her breath.

"Y'know, take pictures with the crew, play nice."

"Are we goin"

to LA in the mornin'?"

he asked casually.

"You're coming?"

He grinned again.

"Think I'd let you go without me?"

202

_^^^^J^

"WHAT IN hell's going on?"

Roxy asked Trinee, ^^^B^B^A raising her painted eyebrows.

"How would I know?"

Trinee replied, irritated because she didn't.

"You were tight with the guy. You should be able to give us the scam."

Trinee shrugged.

"Soon as he unglues himself from her side, I'll ask him."

"Do that,"

Roxy said."

"Cause I know men, and this one's a player."

"Why do you say that?"

Yoko interrupted.

"We never saw him screw around, and he sure had plenty of opportunities."

T got a hunch about him,"

Roxy said, nodding knowingly.

"He's not for Lara."

"You've got a hunch

"cause you wanted him for yourself,"

Yoko said.

"Now our star has him and you're green, baby."

"Not true,"

Roxy objected.

"I'm glad Lara's landed herself a guy. I only hope he's the right one."

"Tall, dark and handsome, something wrong with that?"

"Lara's not streetsmart like us,"

Roxy responded.

"She hasn't been around the block three hundred times."

"Speak for yourself,"

Yoko said crisply.

"Personally, I'm a oneman woman."

"Yeah,"

Roxy muttered.

"One man at a time."

# - &

203 Joey found a corner and settled back in a chair. Lara had fallen into position - no problem. Keep

"em wanting more and they'll always be there.

It occurred to him that maybe he hadn't needed to play games, but it had certainly been a smart move.

After taking off, he'd checked into a nearby motel and holed up for a couple of days doing nothing except stare at the TV. It had taken all his self-control not to call her. Now, as he watched her flit around doing her movie star thing - posing with the guys, smiling nicely and making conversation, he knew that she was his.

Every so often their eyes met and the connection between them was on fire. Tonight he'd make love to her. She was more than ready - although anticipation always added to the event.

"So,"

Trinee said, flopping down in a chair opposite him, interrupting his flow of thought.

"I thought you were this engaged person - same as me. Now you're here with Lara. What's goin"

on, man?"

He regarded Trinee through narrowed eyes. She had a nerve, coming over and pestering him with personal questions. Didn't she get it? Things were different now.

"It's like this, Trinee,"

he said, feeding her the information he wished her to pass around.

"Do you believe in fate?"

"Fate?"

she repeated blankly.

"That's what happened between Lara an"

me."

"Yeah?"

"Unavoidable."

"What about your fiancee? Man, she must be pissed!"

"She'll get over it,"

he said calmly. Across the room he caught Barbara Westerberg glaring at him. He avoided eye contact.

"You're somethin"

else,"

Trinee said.

"What I am is honest."

Trinee flounced off.

Eventually Lara came back, face flushed. She was clutching a gardenia one of the grips had presented her with.

"Duty done,"

she said breathlessly.

"We can go now."

"Good. The natives are not exactly friendly."

"Who's not friendly?"

204

"Barbara Westerberg's been throwin"

me the cold-fish eye all night."

"She wanted you,"

Lara said lightly.

"They all wanted you."

"And look who won the prize."

"You know what they say about prizes?"

"Tell me."

She laughed softly.

"They're to take home and play with."

"Lara!"

he said, pretending to be shocked.

"An"

I thought you were a nice girl."

"No, Joey, I'm not the perfect little prude everyone imagines."

"Let's split,"

he said.

"We got better things to do."

She found Cassie and told her they were leaving.

"You sure you're OK?"

Cassie asked, frowning slightly. This thing with the actor was beginning to worry her.

"OK?"

Lara said, glowing.

"I feel absolutely wonderful."

"If you say so,"

Cassie said, thinking she'd never seen Lara so out of control.

"Oh, c'mon, Cass . . . how long is it since I've been this happy?"

"I want it to be good for you, Lara,"

Cassie said earnestly.

"If you think Joey's the right guy . . ."

She laughed. Tm not marrying him, Cass, I'm merely having fun. Oh, and by the way, you'd better let the pilot know that Joey's coming with us in the morning."

Now Cassie was really confused.

"To LA?"

"That's right,"

she said, running over and kissing Miles.

"See you in LA, my darling."

"Lara, you're the best,"

he said, beaming.

"You make my job easy."

"The same applies, Miles. We'll do it again."

She nodded at Kyle and his wife, feeling sorry for the poor woman.

"Jean, nice to see you again. Kyle, I'm sure we'll meet in the dubbing rooms."

"Be careful, Lara,"

Kyle said, standing up.

"Excuse me?"

He leaned close to her ear so his wife couldn't hear.

"You got no idea where he's been, honey. Make sure you get him tested for AIDS."

205 She drew away, flushed with annoyance.

"One rule for you, Kyle, another for me,"

she said in a low voice.

"You give chauvinist pigs a bad name."

Joey was waiting outside in the car. She slid into the back seat next to him. He took her hand and they rode in silence until they reached the house.

Once inside, he stopped her from switching on the lights by grabbing both her wrists, holding them above her head and roughly kissing her, bruising her lips.

"I've been wanting to do that all night,"

he said, releasing her at last.

"And I've been wanting you to,"

she whispered back.

"How long's Cassie stayin"

at the party?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah, it matters. We should be alone here."

"She'll be a while."

"Lock the front door."

"Joey . . . shouldn't we talk?"

"Not now,"

he said, and began kissing her again - long deep soul kisses until she didn't care about anything except him.