Thrill! (33 page)

She noticed Joey reach for Lara's hand. This was love all right, she'd never seen Lara in such a trancelike state.

"So, you're an actor,"

Richard boomed, joining them at the bar.

"What have you done?"

Lara laughed lightly.

"Now, now, Richard, Joey doesn't travel armed with his resume."

"Maybe he should,"

Richard said nastily.

"Yeah, why's that?"

Joey asked, challenging the older man with a long hard look. He wasn't about to take shit from anyone.

Fortunately Mick chose that moment to make his entrance. True to his word, he'd worn a tie - decorated with a nude Marilyn Monroe. He also wore an ill-fitting sixties style white tuxedo, baggy pants, a frayed shirt and a goofy grin.

Aiden Sean shuffled in behind him - low-key in khakis and sinister impenetrable shades.

"Welcome to our home,"

Nikki said graciously.

"I'm glad you could make it."

"I bet you are!"

muttered Aiden.

She pretended she hadn't heard as she effected introductions.

Joey checked out Mick and Aiden. A couple of bigtime losers who'd struck it lucky. Shit! Why wasn't he directing movies and starring in them? He probably had more talent in his dick than these two had between them. And Lara - his Lara - was putting herself in their hands, it didn't make sense. He nudged her.

"This is the boy wonder?"

he whispered rudely.

"What a jerk!"

"Be nice,"

she whispered back.

"Don't judge him on his appearance."

Why the fuck not? he wanted to say. But he remained silent. He'd learned at an early age that the smart thing was to find out everyone's deal and then speak up.

"Lara,"

Mick said, gulping down a frozen Margarita as if it was lemonade,

"gotta tell ya - I'm totally psyched you're doing my movie."

229 Nikki caught the

"my movie"

and didn't like it one bit. Since when was it his movie?

"Nikki's developed an excellent script,"

Lara replied, dazzling him with a smile.

"How could I resist?"

"I got a lotta new ideas,"

Mick said enthusiastically.

"Lotta bigeroonies."

"Great,"

she replied,

"I'm always open to suggestions - if they're good."

That put Mr Big Shot Stefan in his place. Joey was proud of her, she knew how to handle herself around jerks. Not that he'd ever doubted her.

Aiden Sean hadn't said a word. After ordering a Jack Daniel's on the rocks, he'd slumped down on a lounge chair as far away from everyone as he could get.

Nikki contemplated going over, playing the polite hostess. Then she thought, Why should I? He's the uninvited guest, let him put himself out.

Summer timed her entrance five minutes before dinner. She sauntered outside, barefoot, in sprayed-on denim cut-offs, and a midriff-baring top. Her long white-blond hair was freshly washed, framing her pretty face.

"Hi, everyone,"

she said, innocence personified.

"Gee, Mom - dinner smells good enough to eat!"

"Holy shit!"

Mick exclaimed, his voice cracking.

"Meet my daughter,"

Nikki said, hoping he wasn't into teenagers.

"Everyone - this is Summer."

"Your daughter?"

Mick croaked, arms flailing wildly.

"Yes,"

Nikki said, noticing that Juan was standing to attention, completely mesmerized by Summer.

Fortunately she hadn't spotted him yet. With a little luck it would stay that way.

Ignoring Mick, Summer spotted Lara and ran over.

"Lara!"

she squealed.

"You've certainly grown up,"

Lara said, hugging her.

"And so pretty. Say hi to Joey Lorenzo."

"Hello, Joey,"

Summer said, checking him out.

"Hello,"

he replied, staring jailbait in the face. If Nikki was

230

smart she'd lock this one up and swallow the key until she was eighteen.

Summer edged her way over to Aiden Sean. He looked at her blankly. Tm a major fan,"

she said, determined to get his attention.

"Seen all your movies like ten times! You're way, way the most genius actor around."

No reaction from Aiden, who seemed more interested in nursing his glass of Jack Daniel's.

"Don't you remember me?"

Summer demanded, lowering her voice so nobody else could hear.

He barely moved his head.

"Nope."

"The Viper Club."

"Sorry, kid,"

he said, yawning in her face.

She glared at him. He'd pay for calling her kid.

ft ft ft

Across the deck Joey didn't miss a thing.

"How old's the nymphet?"

he whispered to Lara.

"Fifteen. Frightening, isn't it?"

"She's sure made Mick's evening. Take a look - his eyes are buggin"

out."

"Don't be disgusting, she's a child."

"This one grew up a long time ago."

"What makes you think that?"

"I can tell."

ft ft ft

Mick grabbed Summer's attention on the way into dinner.

"Whyn't you tell me who your mother was?"

he demanded, mouth twitching.

"You didn't ask,"

she retorted flippantly.

"And how come you didn't call me?"

"

"Cause I knew you'd be mad when you found out my mom was Nikki Barry."

231 He looked perplexed. This little Lolita was confusing him. Before he could say anything else, she'd moved away, and he found himself seated between Lara Ivory and Aiden.

ft ft ft

The conversation around the dinner table was dominated by Mick, who decided the only way to get Summer's attention was to spew forth his opinions on everything from politics to crime.

"We gotta bring back public hangin',"

he said, distractedly circling Marilyn's left tit with his index finger, while managing to keep a keen watch on Summer, who so far had refused to look at him.

"Hang

"em up by the balls an"

watch

"em squirm. I'd pay."

"That's obscene,"

Richard said, his face clouding over.

"We may as well all run around in loincloths carrying spears."

"The law of the jungle - fuck

"em before they fuck you,"

Mick said, winking at Summer, who immediately looked away.

Joey observed the scene. Someone should tell the kid that directors were the ones with all the power, not actors - the little tease hadn't taken her baby blues off Aiden all night. He placed his hand on Lara's leg under the table, slowly moving it up her thigh.

"Are you aware of how many people are executed by mistake?"

Richard demanded, banging his fist on the table.

"Hardly any,"

Mick responded.

"An"

y'know why?

"Cause bleedin"

heart liberals like you wanna end the death penalty altogether."

"The death penalty is not a deterrent,"

Richard announced sternly, wishing everyone would get the hell out of his house.

"Bullshit!"

shouted Mick, turning to Lara.

"What do you think?"

"It depends on the crime,"

she said, determined not to get trapped in the middle of their fight.

Aiden stood up from the table. He had not removed his dark glasses all night and barely spoken a word.

"Where's the head?"

he muttered.

"In the front hall,"

Nikki replied.

Til show you,"

Summer said, leaping to her feet and accompanying him from the room.

232

She led him all the way to the guest bathroom, and when they arrived she attempted to enter with him.

"What the fuck are you playing at?"

he asked, blocking her at the door.

"Nothing,"

she answered innocently.

"I had no idea you were in my mom's movie."

"And I suppose you didn't know Mick was her director,"

he said, as if he didn't believe her.

Ah, so he did remember her.

"Honestly, I didn't,"

she said, trying to edge into the bathroom with him - aware that if she wrapped her long blond hair around it, and enclosed it with her sweet young lips, she could send a man to heaven. Mick had been susceptible, but it was Aiden she really wanted.

"Go away, little girl,"

he said, slamming the door in her face.

Reluctantly she returned to the dinner table. Aiden Sean hadn't heard the last of her, she'd show him.

# # ft

Lara and Joey left shortly before eleven.

"Some night!"

Lara exclaimed in the car going home.

"I must say - Mick's quite a character. And as for Aiden Sean . . ."

"Your ex has a major crush on you,"

Joey remarked.

"Not really,"

she said quickly.

"How come he let you get away?"

"I told you, he was unfaithful,"

she said with a deep sigh.

"I finally realized I'd had enough."

"Bet he regrets it now."

"He and Nikki are very happy."

"Don't be so sure."

"They are,"

she insisted.

"C'mon, honey,"

Joey teased,

"you don't think he doesn't dream about you in bed? Your incredible skin? Your soft arms? Your long legs wrapped around his neck . . . ?"

He took one hand off the steering wheel, and cupped her left breast.

"Take off your bra,"

he ordered.

"What?"

she replied breathlessly.

233 "You heard. Slip it out from under your top."

"Joey,"

she laughed nervously,

"can't you wait until we get home?"

"No,"

he said insistently.

"I've been wantin"

to touch you all night. Now do it."

Her throat was suddenly dry with anticipation. This man was insatiable, and she loved it.

Reaching under her blouse, she undipped her bra and slipped it off.

Immediately his hand snaked under her blouse, pressing her nipple roughly between his fingers.

She moaned, flooded with desire. He had such an amazing effect on her, she couldn't think straight when he touched her.

"Unzip my pants,"

he instructed, staring at the road ahead.

"Take it out."

"Joey,"

she objected,

"we're on a public highway. People will see . . ."

"What people? We're in a moving vehicle. Do it!"

"Joey . . ."

But in spite of her protests she found herself obeying. It was almost as if he had her under a spell and she was powerless to say no. The truth was she had no desire to refuse him anything. Releasing him from his pants, she caressed him, wishing they were home so he could make love to her properly.

"Suck it!"

he commanded, pushing his hand firmly against the back of her head.

Oh, God! All he had to do was ask . . .

She bent her head, tasting him, enclosing him. And when he came, they were racing along the Pacific Coast Highway at seventy miles an hour, and the kick was so potent that she felt herself climaxing too.

"You belong to me, baby,"

he said, his eyes fixed on the road.

"Don't ever forget it. You're mine, all mine. Right, baby. Right?

And she nodded dreamily and leaned back in the seat and couldn't wait until they were home in bed together.

ft &

234

As soon as Aiden Sean and Mick Stefan left her mother's stupid dinner party, Summer called a cab. Aiden wasn't treating her nicely, even though he now knew who she was.

God! Mick's face when she'd walked in and Nikki had announced she was her daughter. Talk about sudden panic! She'd almost laughed out loud. Mick had taken her for some little nymphet fan the night she'd met him at the Viper Club - nothing more than a teenage blow job. Big shock for him!

She didn't care about him anyway, he was too geeky. It was Aiden Sean she liked, and when Summer wanted something she was determined.

Before the party she'd called the production office and told them her mother needed Aiden's home address. Smart thinking, because as soon as he left she'd informed Nikki she had a party to go to, and now she was sitting in a cab on her way to his place.

He lived in a ratty little apartment in North Hollywood on a narrow dusty street. She paid off the cab and rang the doorbell.

Aiden came to the door stark naked, except for dark shades covering his eyes, and a pair of knitted slippers on his long callused feet.

"Aw, Jesus!"

he groaned.

"You followed me home."

"You're not very nice to me,"

she said, pushing past him into his apartment. The television was blaring and there was a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's on the table. She remembered all the things she'd read about him in the tabloids and shivered with excitement.

"Are you really a drug addict?"