Craig, Dede - Three Kisses of Lust (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 10

  She lowered her hands to the top of his pants, still kissing him. She was loosening the zip and—“Oh my God!” she shrieked.

  With a jolt Aidan opened his eyes, only to find hers frozen, looking past his shoulder.

  When he turned, it took a second to register what she was looking at.

  The door of the private room was opened, and overlooking the clear glass wall across the hallway. On the other side of the glass stood a photographer who was still clicking away.

  Before he could react, Gia was at the door and she slammed it shut. With her back and hands to the door, she was heaving, and her face white with shock.

  He dashed toward her, and grabbed her shoulders, knowing full well what the ramifications would be if those photos got out. Thinking quickly, he grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed security. His instructions were clear. Stop the paparazzi and bring him the camera so he could destroy it. When he clicked the phone off, and looked back to Gia, the dread he had feared earlier was plastered across her face. “Gia.” He raised his hand to her face, but she jerked away.

  “I’m sorry,” she stammered, and her body was trembling as she shook her head. “I can’t do this. I just can’t.”

  “Gia, the security will stop him, don’t worry about it. It’s going to be okay.”

  She walked slowly towards the door, and nervously opened it. She paused at the door then tilted her head to the side without looking at him. “I’m sorry. It will never be okay. If it’s not him it will be somebody else. This will never work.”

  And she was gone.

  Chapter 10

  The bile rose quickly, and Gia was already sprinting toward the bathroom closest to the exit of the private dining block.

  She was reeling, and her nerves a mangled mass of anxiety. She couldn’t bear to think what would happen if those photos got out. The scandalous scoop of the Hollywood minute. That’s what.

  Gia lowered her head, and rinsed her mouth then looked up into the bathroom mirror. Her emotions were reflected clearly there.

  Gripping the edge of the gray marble basin, she breathed deeply in an attempt to calm herself. What was she going to do?

  A part of her had never gotten over the whole debacle with the producer. The married producer. No matter how many times she had refuted the story, it made no difference. The truth, as she learned, did not spread like wildfire. Salacity sold newspapers, and advertising space. The story had damn near killed her mother, who had had a stroke when her house was staked out for four days straight. Literally. As much as she’d told her mom not to read the tabloids, she didn’t have to. People in Arlington and Poughkeepsie tended to use her mother as their go-to person for news on her famous daughter. Shit. This was all she needed right now.

  She raised her hands to her hair, and tugged it, still staring at her flushed face. How was it possible to go from an orgasm to agony in the space of a minute? This was all their fault. Aidan and Liam. If they hadn’t lured her into their web of seduction, she wouldn’t be in this position. But even thinking it, she knew it was a lie. She was a willing party. And, she had to admit, she had enjoyed it, which only made everything worse. For the life of her, she couldn’t get either of them out of her mind. Even the possibility that she might be tomorrow’s headline didn’t seem to deter her body or emotions from thinking about the two men that had sent her world into a flat spin. “Urgh!” She shook her head, berating herself. How did she get here so fast? She turned and walked out of the bathroom to head back to the set.

  “Hey, gorgeous, you okay?” Maggie asked as Gia reached her trailer.

  Maggie was sitting on the hot pink couch, watching the “dailies,” the scenes filmed the previous day, on her air-thin laptop. She placed it at her side and stood up then walked towards Gia.

  “No offense, kid, but you look like shit. You’ve still got two scenes to go. Are you ill?” Squinting, Maggie raised the back of her hand to Gia’s forehead.

  Gia turned, not wanting her to read anything in her face, or smell the tongue sex she was sure she reeked of. She could still smell Aidan on her, his heady cologne wafting through her nostrils, still able to drive her crazy with desire. But she couldn’t do it anymore. She had to face the reality that, no matter how much the twins had gotten to her, both physically and emotionally, she had to wake the fuck up. She couldn’t risk her career or her mother’s health. Gia had sacrificed her heart all her life, and now was not the time to change that.

  “Gia?” Maggie walked around, facing her. She crossed her arms and bowed her head. “Wanna talk about it?”

  Gia stepped back, pursed her lips, and willed herself to appear as unaffected as possible. She was an actress for God’s sake, she could fake anything. Putting on her best showbiz smile, she beamed up at Maggie. “I’m fine, just tired I guess. Don’t worry.”

  But Maggie didn’t look convinced. Her gray eyes shone with disbelief, then softened in concern. “Okay. But I’m here for you if you need me. Don’t be melting down on me, you hear me?” She quickly pulled Gia into a hug.

  Gia stiffened against Maggie, the smell of smoke assaulting her senses. And she hoped, again, that Maggie couldn’t smell the after effects of her time with Aidan. The good part of it anyway.

  Chapter 11

  “Let’s hope she’s here,” Liam said to Aidan as they walked onto the outdoor set. It was only six a.m., but already crew members were busy setting up a diner scene. He turned and scanned the lot for signs of Maggie. If anyone could help them get Gia back, Maggie could.

  Liam’s stomach was clenched in a tight knot. Thank God the security had managed to apprehend the photographer and Aidan had burned the memory stick. Though he would have loved to watch it, he didn’t have to, to know what it contained. The thought oddly gave him no jealousy. In fact, he was relieved that finally there was a woman that both of them felt the same way about. Neither could ever be with someone else without the other coming in the way. The only solution was one woman. Hopefully.

  “There she is.” Aidan pointed when he spotted Maggie’s flaming hair, tossing animatedly while she spoke to a cameraman, her familiar trail of smoke hovering above her.

  They jogged across, ignoring the confused, jaw-dropped stare from her companion. Aidan took her elbow and gently led her away.

  “Aidan? You’re back. I missed you, honey.” She threw her arms around him, keeping him firm in a tight embrace. “Let me look at you. You look tired, actually you both do.” She turned to Liam then back again. She quickly killed her cigarette and folded her arms. “Okay, I know your look. What’s wrong? If you’re both here, it’s a good sign. Looking all glum, not so good.” She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, waiting for them to respond.

  Aidan spoke first. “Have you seen Gia?”

  Maggie’s thin lips rose at the corners, and her eyes practically twinkled with delight at the question. “You don’t see me for months and all you can ask is if I’ve seen Gia? Must be in her trailer, I imagine. Why?” She arched a ginger eyebrow in Aidan’s direction before moving it to Liam.

  Liam’s face was tensed from lack of sleep through thoughts consumed by Gia. But he softened with relief on seeing Maggie. He moved forward and gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. “It’s complicated. Let’s just say I took your advice, about asking her out—”

  “And?” Maggie smiled then retrieved a stick of gum from her pocket and quickly shoved it into her mouth.

  “And the inevitable happened.” Liam raised his hands, placing both on his head. Maggie knew them too well. He didn’t have to go into detail. She was the one person who knew how they worked, how Aidan and he were intrinsically bonded.

  “Remember your Southern belle, what was her name, oh yeah, Trisha. She didn’t go for it, and she was quite the hoedown. What makes you think Gia will? She’s pretty straitlaced, you know.”

  Liam and Aidan sighed in unison.

  Liam rolled his neck and half yawned. In between their trip to Gia’s house and Aidan’s
catastrophe with the paparazzi, neither he nor Aidan had gotten much sleep in two nights. She hadn’t taken either of their calls. But he knew they had to see her to convince her to change her mind about being with both of them. She was only due in at nine, so hopefully they could get Maggie to help before she did.

  Aidan leaned forward and squeezed Maggie into a tight hug. “I missed you, Aunty Mags, always to the point.”

  Maggie playfully slapped his arm and he pulled away. “Maggie, Gia is different. I think you know that. It will be strange in the beginning, but I think she can come around.”

  Maggie made a soft sound of disagreement while she stroked her chin and chewed on it. “I’m not so sure. What makes her different? What makes her different from a Trisha, or Amber, or Elizabeth? All women you thought were special, all ran for the proverbial hills when they found out they were going to be shared. And it always left you devastated. You know I love you both. You are sons to me, and I don’t want to see you getting hurt.” She leaned in, tucking her hands into the pockets of her black cargo pants, her eyes soft and warm.

  Liam raised his hands and placed it on Maggie’s shoulders, his fingers pressing softly. “There was a connection there, a deep-seated mixture of chemistry and magnetism, love at first sight, whatever you want to call it. And Mags, it was the same with both of us. You know with all those other women, either Aidan or I always felt slightly more or less than the other. Gia is the only one where those feelings are identical. I think we’ve both fallen for her.” He shook his head, exhaling while he looked at Maggie. He knew he didn’t need it, but her approval meant something, to both of them.

  “Fallen for her in one day? How do you know it’s not just a physical thing? You have been scraping the virginal pile for a while now. How do you know she’s not simply filling a temporary need?”

  Liam dropped his arms, and angled toward Aidan. But Liam knew just from looking at him that they felt the same about her. It was just there. Of that he was certain. Turning back to Maggie he said, “You loved my father, right?” Maggie nodded, and then he continued. “I know for a fact our father fell for you the minute he saw you screaming at the studio tour guide to let you off the bus. There were a dozen guys there, but my father was the one you connected with and you didn’t even know he was on the tour. For years he still spoke about his crazy redhead who came to Hollywood with only enough saved for a studio tour and pack of Marlboros. It was the first day you met. Can you honestly tell me it wasn’t the same for you?”

  Maggie smiled and sighed while she listened. She nodded slowly, seeming to know where he was going with this.

  Aidan picked up from Liam. “It’s the same with Gia. It’s something inside of her, a spark igniting our dual souls simultaneously, equally. With all the other women, I think we tried to force ideals onto each other as individuals, not considering the whole. They tended to lean more to one than the other. We confused sex with love. It’s only now we’re older we see how the extra bit is needed for it to be truly fulfilling. And I think we’ve found it with Gia.” Aidan exhaled, sighing deeply.

  Maggie flashed her brow, her face crinkling into her familiar smile. “And here I always thought you would be the more romantic one.” She held her hand out and squeezed Liam’s cheek playfully before turning to Aidan. “You surprise me, Aidan. I guess you boys are growing into each other after all.” She smiled, lowering her hand before continuing. “Congratulations, boys, I’m so happy you finally found someone. But—” She shrugged, taking in Aidan’s rolled-eye expression.

  Liam shook his head at Aidan. That was the one personality trait they didn’t share. Aidan hated the word “but.” To him everything had to be carefully calculated with no room for negative conjunctions. It either was or wasn’t, period. He winked at his brother, giving him a small smile then braced himself as Maggie seemed to carefully contemplate her next words.

  “There has to be a but. I’m not sure Gia will understand. I’ve known her for a long time. Granted it’s more a professional relationship, but she strikes me as a one-man kind of girl. She’s also an A-lister. Practically, how would she pull off a relationship with two men and keep her reputation intact? Is she going to have to divvy up time?”

  Aidan cleared his throat, though he was beaming, evidently already having an answer. “We’re twins for God’s sake, identical. She could just be seen dating one of us, perhaps me, and then it wouldn’t be as unfavorable as being with the studio boss. We’ll make a public statement and everything so everyone knows and there’ll be no public shame to worry about.”

  “Excuse me?” Liam interrupted, laughing, “What exactly is so unfavorable about dating the studio boss? She could be seen to be dating me, and you can step in and run the studio. God knows I’ve been carrying your weight for long enough around this place.” He punched Aidan’s arm playfully. Though he knew his brother would never step in to take the helm, preferring to be in the background.

  “Boys, boys, look, let me make a suggestion. Let me speak to her, feel her out. Maybe I can get her to come to your place tonight to, well, talk things through. As much as I know you want to burst into her trailer and declare your undying love, we do have a movie to make. In exactly three hours Tony is going to roll film, and we don’t want our lead actress running off into the sunset either from fright, love, or lust. Let me handle it. I’ll call you later, agreed?” She moved her hands to each of their arms.

  Their heads nodded together. Maggie was, of course, right.

  * * * *

  Gia’s mouth had dropped open when she stepped out of her trailer. In the distance she could see the familiar dark heads huddled in a conversation with Maggie. What were they doing here? She had known the possibility existed they might come looking for her on set, but this early? Seeing them now, she was suddenly terrified. Of what though, she wasn’t sure. Even after receiving Aidan’s text message that he’d destroyed the photographer’s card, she still hadn’t recovered from the possibility that it could have leaked. She’d barely slept, and only after three cups of strong, black coffee was she able to get herself to work, deciding to come in earlier. Thankfully she was already done with hair and makeup, so had some free time to process everything.

  She quickly ducked back into her trailer and paced the floor. Her scene was first, and she knew if they were there, watching her with their scorching eyes, there was no way she could do it.

  She already felt naked and exposed. It would only aggravate things to the nth degree. She was already dressed in a tan Von Furstenberg wrap dress with nude Louboutin heels, her hair perfectly styled into a sleek, straight style, falling to her waist. She could feel the sheen of sweat on her forehead threaten to frizz out her style, and already the dress was beginning to suffocate her.

  She moved her hands to the crossover belt and loosened it before standing directly underneath the air-conditioning vent. She lifted her chin toward it, feeling the cool air trace down her face, neck, and body, heaven against her sweltering skin. She had already decided that she didn’t want to have anything to do with them. It was just too risky. But, damn them, she cursed. Why did they have to look so hot, so tempting, and so infuriating?

  With their messy, black, screaming-sexy bed hair and smoldering jet black eyes. Even their white shirts in stark contrast to their gorgeous tanned arms were a taunting cry to her aching body and frustrated heart. She jolted when she heard a sharp rap on her door. She bit her lip, hoping it wasn’t them, not now when—

  “Gia, honey, you in there?”

  Thank God it was just Maggie. Gia quickly walked forward and leaned toward the door, opening it. She beamed at Maggie, though she caught the glint in her eyes. She definitely knew.

  Gia cleared her throat and moved back to stand underneath the cold air. She could see Maggie was here to talk to her about more than just work. She of course knew Maggie and Liam were particularly close. It was common knowledge she had dated their father and was closer to him than most. And having worked with Maggie
on several movies, she knew all her “looks.” This one was different. She could see a mixture of guilt and collusion plastered there.

  “You look stunning. The wardrobe team seems to be working for their pay. You’re lucky you get to keep some of the haute couture items. The folds on this thing are incredible,” Maggie reached a hand toward the velvety fabric, rustling it between her fingers.

  “Maggie, I love you, but get to the point. You never comment on folds or couture, so I know something is up. I can smell it.” Gia raised her eyes upward, pretending to stare at the air-con with one hand relaxed over her neck and the other dangling at her side. She could hear Maggie sigh alongside her and hoped she couldn’t sense the anxiety snaking through her chest.

  “Okay, promise me you won’t freak out.” Maggie walked around to face Gia, tilting her head down, and she met her eyes.

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Okay, then promise you’ll try not to freak out.” Maggie reached her hand out, resting it on Gia’s bare arm.

  Gia nodded slowly, her breathing becoming shallower by the second while she waited. Whenever someone told her not to freak out, inevitably they were softening the blow, knowing full well she would freak out anyway. She chewed her lip, a dead giveaway of her raging tension, but what the hell. She was tense and nervous as the day of her first real audition. Maggie had been talking to Liam and Aidan. It was the only thing she could possibly be here to talk about. Everything to do with her role always went through Charlie first, and he hadn’t called her yet, so what else could it be?

  “Okay. It’s about Liam and Aidan. Honey, they’re like sons to me, maddening, hot, and crazy at times, but they are sweethearts. I’m not really the cupid type, but these boys are different. They are special. Fuck me over and call me a romantic, but I think they both have, well, deep feelings for you—”

  “Maggie, please, I don’t have time for this. I can’t—”