Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) Read online

  “I'm so sorry.”

  He squeezed her hand back and didn't let go. “Don't be. It's one of the things you sign up for when you choose this life.”

  He took a breath and said, “I believe you asked me a question when we arrived. I wasn't dodging the answer, I just wanted to get inside before anyone caught up to us. The paparazzi know I come here and they also know they aren't welcome anywhere within a few blocks, but that doesn't mean some of them don't still try.”

  “So why haven't you had many relationships? Are you difficult?”

  “Truthfully? You'd have to ask the women I've dated if I'm difficult. I don't think I am, but maybe I'm wrong. But it's tough in this business to date. If you meet someone at work, it's often another actor and there are all sorts of reasons why those relationships fail. And as you've seen, even when you've found someone to see regularly and it's going well, there's the outside world that thinks they should have a piece of you every chance they get. It makes for a tough go of things.”

  “Have you ever gotten serious about someone?”

  Emily wondered if he'd been in a situation like hers with Josh – live-in, long-term girlfriend – but she didn't want to ask that directly.

  Rob gave her a big grin. “I forget that you're not a rabid fan so you really don't know all this stuff already.”

  Em looked down at her lap, ashamed that she didn't know much of anything. He tipped her chin so that she looked at him again. “Emily, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. It's nice to act like a regular guy for once. I rarely meet anyone who doesn't know who I am or think they do, at any rate. To have a real conversation with someone the way it used to be when I was just starting in the business, it's not only a relief but it's a treat.”

  The look in Rob's blue eyes said all Em needed to know – he really meant it, that he was happy to share himself with someone who was genuinely curious about him as if he was a normal guy. He'd never be average, but she still couldn't quite think of him as famous. Within the safety of the club, they were just a guy and a girl on a first date.

  “You asked if I had been serious about anyone. I was, for quite a while, actually, when my career first took off.”

  “Wait, did you marry your co-star from the war epic? What was it called? Freedom Riders? Am I remembering that correctly?” she asked.

  He laughed. “You're thinking of Rough Riders. It was Freedom Isn't Free. No, I was never married, but I was engaged for a while.”

  They played a game of guess who – which Em failed repeatedly – and Rob laughed at her hypotheses.

  “So, it's not her. Oh! Was it the girl in all those romantic comedies? That's more my speed. I think I remember seeing you in one that was based on a book I'd read. What was it called...Real Men Wear Tiaras? It was your co-star in that movie, wasn't it?”

  “Bingo. Her name is Rachel Eames-Wilson. That's not where we met, though. By the time we did that movie, we were already engaged. Actually, between the time we shot principal photography and the time we did the press junket, we broke off the engagement.”

  “Wow, that must have made for an awkward situation. And here I thought that it would be tough to deal with Josh when our parents were still friends. At least I don't have to worry about what the public says or get intrusive questions from random strangers.”

  Rob was introspective for a moment. “It wasn't so much that. Not that it was a picnic, mind you. But the worst part was that I still loved her and I knew it wasn't going to work, no matter what we did. Having to sit with her during interviews was painful, especially the first few times. Eventually, I just had to get over it. I haven't done any romantic comedies since then. You never know when they'll recast their original choice with Rachel to see what happens. I'm over her, but I don't need to work with her, either.”

  Emily started to say something, then she hesitated. She didn't want to pry. But she wondered, if he was so in love with Rachel, why didn't it last?

  “You want to ask something you think might be too personal.”

  “Yes. How did you know that?”

  “I can see it on your face. You're not exactly good at hiding your emotions. No offense. You'd probably make a bad actress,” he teased. “Go ahead, you can ask. I'm comfortable with you, Emily. I know you're not looking for dirt on me. You're just curious for your own sake, as you would be about any new guy you wanted to date.”

  She blushed at his comments. She'd known she was bad at hiding things, but was it that obvious her interest in him increased as they spent more time together? Did he see how his touch made her pulse race, how it stirred things in her that were long dormant? He hadn't done much more than hold her hand and she was aroused.

  Rob grinned. She must be wearing her thoughts and emotions on her face right now. Might as well go for it. She couldn't get much more embarrassed, could she?

  “If you loved her so much, why didn't things work? What happened? Did one of you cheat?”

  He could have looked hurt, but he didn't. He knew she didn't imply that he had been the cheater.

  “No, it's not that simple. If she cheated, I didn't know about it. We were really young when we met. We had big dreams of becoming huge movie stars together – us against the world, you know?”

  Emily nodded. She understood that kind of optimism.

  “We were in love and happy and the engagement seemed like the right thing to do. We wanted to reassure each other that we'd keep faithful when we were on set, having scenes with other people. It's possible to treat love scenes clinically, as another form of choreography, but a lot of times that's how couples hook up on set. Hell, that's how we got together in the first place, because our characters were lovers in the movie.”

  “So you knew from whence you spoke and getting engaged ensured she'd be faithful because she had a ring on her finger.”

  “Well, it wasn't just my idea. She liked it, too.”

  “I just meant, it seemed like a good way to pledge fidelity for both of you. I'm sure she didn't wear her ring on set all the time. It's that everyone knows you're together and really serious about it, right?”

  “You're right, that's exactly what we thought. But then it became this huge...thing. We got questions about a wedding all the time once we'd both hit it big. We were on movie sets constantly and increasingly spent time apart. We told ourselves that neither of us could afford to take a break and just be the supportive partner instead. She became a huge movie and TV star and she ate it up – she was born to be a star. She is nice, but she loves the spotlight.”

  “I'm going to guess that you weren't as happy to be in the spotlight as she was.”

  He gave her a half-smile, tilted his head and shook it lightly, not to say she was wrong, but to indicate that she seemed to get him.

  “That's exactly it. The greater the fame, the greater the pressure. I did a couple more high-profile action movies after Freedom Isn't Free, but I hated the constant presence of the paparazzi and worse, I hated the idea of being typecast. Rachel thought I was crazy to want a break from it all, but she said she understood that I had my reasons. But when I turned down a multi-million-dollar deal to make a sequel to one of the action films, she was pissed. I wanted to do an Indie drama with a director I respected and the schedule didn't work to do both. She said she refused to attach herself to someone who wanted to throw away their career. That's when I agreed to do Real Men Wear Tiaras. It satisfied my desire to go against type and proved that I wasn't opposed to big budget movies and didn't want to throw away my career.”

  The DJ transitioned to a new mix then, one with an even heavier bass line which thrummed loud enough that she had to lean closer to Rob to hear him. She caught an intoxicating whiff of his cologne, so subtle that only someone near his body would notice. It was a masculine scent filled with notes of a summer forest, heady and somehow erotic.

  Or maybe that was just her reaction to the proximity. She blinked a few times to shake the sensation.

  “But obviously, tha
t didn't work. You said you broke up after filming and before the press junket. That wasn't enough for her?” Em asked.

  “No, it wasn't enough for me. She thought it was great and loved the idea of us working together all the time, figured we'd become the new Meg and Tom and the public would eat it up because, unlike them, we were a real-life couple. But I hated that idea. Nothing against romantic comedies, but they aren't challenging acting most of the time. Sure, every once in a while a role comes along that pushes the envelope, but most of the stuff Rachel does is not like that. She has no desire to really stretch her range. She'd rather have the fame than the accolades.”

  Emily gave him a raised eyebrow look that suggested he might be bitter.

  “I swear, she's the one who said that to me. That's not an opinion based on her professional choices. She said it when I suggested she join that Indie movie when we were done shooting Real Men. Her exact words were, 'Why would I want to go back to the gutter when I can keep doing what I'm doing and stay on top with the real celebrities?' All those years before, when we had shared goals and dreams, I never thought my dreams would change and hers wouldn't. Because that's what really happened. I figured out that what I loved was the work and not the fame, that fame was the price I paid to get the work.”

  “That was very insightful of you at such a young age,” Emily noted, impressed.

  “Thanks. I've always been glad I figured it out early. Anyway, I did that movie, Indiana Road, while she was making the first of those romantic action movies, the ones about the female detective.”

  Emily nodded. She knew which movies he meant. She realized that she'd seen Indiana Road and perhaps more of his movies than she previously suspected.

  “Rachel thought we should take a break while we were apart on separate continents – her first film had some major location shooting in Australia. By the time I wrapped the movie, I knew it was over for good and not just a break. When she was back in LA for some studio shots, we broke up permanently.”

  He seemed a little sad, reliving it all. Emily felt bad having asked, but he continued.

  “Indiana Road got a lot of awards that year, as did I for my role. The movie won the Golden Globe for drama and I got a Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Globe, too. It even got nominated for a few Oscars, including me for Best Supporting Actor. I didn't win, but man, just the nominations made a huge impact on my career. I had such a great experience making the film that I couldn't imagine going back to just any old movie set. I wanted to take advantage of my good fortune and cherry pick what I did, maybe take a little time off here and there.”

  Rob looked introspective for a moment. Emily wondered if he'd accomplished that goal.

  “Of course, once I was even nominated, Rachel came around, hoping to get back together. And I took her to a couple of minor awards shows, but I took my sister to the Globes and my mom to the Oscars. Rachel was pissed, and she's hardly spoken to me since then. I don't know if she's more mad that I didn't let her ride my coat tails or that she didn't listen to me about Indiana Road, because the role she would have taken went to Lola Benedict, who also got a bunch of nominations.”

  “She sounds like she's a little resentful.”

  “I think she's over it. She married her director, the guy who made the romantic action movies. I heard from a producer friend she's pregnant and they've written that into her character in the next installment. I'm happy for her. She has what she's always wanted.”

  “Do you have what you've always wanted?”

  Rob looked wistful. “Some, but not all. I'd like to have a family, but only with the right person.” He stared at her for a beat and Emily's heart involuntarily leaped into action. What was that?

  “And I want to get behind the camera at some point. It would be nice to have a more normal existence and still be able to occasionally do what I love.”

  Emily looked at Rob and couldn't read what he was thinking. She could tell there was something on his mind, but she had no clue what it was.

  “Care to share?” she asked, curious.

  “Can I kiss you?” he replied, his voice steady.

  Em was stunned. She didn't know what to say. It had been over five years since she had been asked to be kissed. She nodded slowly, so as not to appear too eager, though she was, in fact, dying to kiss him. She had been looking at his mouth quite a bit these last few hours, and it always seemed so kissable.

  Rob leaned toward her, and she met him halfway. That heady forest scent invaded her nostrils more thoroughly now and her brain swam. He looked at her with a sweet smile, just a little grin that said he was looking forward to this. She met his eyes and his smile with one of her own, though she suspected that, as soon as he'd asked, he'd known what her answer would be by the expression on her face.

  His lips brushed against hers, gentle at first, with just a little bit of pressure. The gesture implied respect without stifling the desire that raced through Emily's blood. Her skin heated and the dampness between her thighs, which had been present since dinner, bordered on embarrassing. How could she want someone so much from just a simple kiss?

  He kissed her like that a few more times, one hand reaching up to cup her face, the other sliding along her thigh ever so slowly. His hands weren't as soft as she would have guessed, with light calluses brushing her cheek. The roughness was a strangely welcome sensation, one that suggested there were layers to him she'd yet to see.

  Emily parted her lips a little to let him know it was okay to slide his tongue in her mouth. He got the hint. And then it was all over for her.

  Em was glad that Rob could control himself. Left to her own devices, she would make out with him like they were the only two people in the room. And that couldn't be good, what with it being a public place.

  Fortunately, he kept things a lot lighter than she could have. While he continued to kiss her and his tongue plundered a little bit deeper than at first, he still kept his hands in decent places and his passion lidded. But she sensed it bubbling just below the surface. The way her bones turned to liquid couldn't be a one-sided experience when she heard little moans of pleasure escaping both their mouths around kisses that left her lips swollen.

  Rob pulled away from her mouth for a moment, to which she would have objected had he not kissed her neck, in that perfect spot just below her ear. It was an erogenous zone for Em, and she thought she might die right there, or at least have a spontaneous orgasm.

  He whispered, “Let's get back to the hotel,” and all Em could do was moan her agreement.

  He pulled away then, looking at her intently, and while still maintaining eye contact, he took his phone from his pocket and dialed. He told the person on the other end of the line, “In five minutes, if you can get here that fast. Good. Yes, the usual place.”

  Then he hung up and said, “Now, where were we?” and he kissed her again.

  What seemed like seconds but was probably minutes later, they were headed down a back hallway, Rob's arm around Em's shoulders, having separated briefly to gather their things to leave. When they got to the door, Rob drew Emily to him with much more passion than he had shown in the main area of the club, pressed her against the wall and kissed her hard, taking her breath away. He stepped away, breathing a little heavy and looking at her with a lust she knew she felt from her head to her toes and everywhere in between.

  He clutched her hand and headed for the outside, where a black town car had parked as close to the door as could be. The gray exhaust swirling in the air behind it indicated the car was running. The driver didn't even get out as they walked to the car. The black limousine's door swung open and Rob nudged her inside, then jumped into the vehicle just as a car careened around the corner. A photographer leaned out the window, snapping photos. Two more photographers yelled as they ran down the street.

  The limo driver gunned it before the car could catch them. Rob yanked the door closed as the car sped away from the curb. The driver pulled onto a one-way street and as Emily turn
ed, she saw out the back window that another car pulled across the street, blocking access. Moments later, they had made another turn and then another, and the driver slowed a little. She realized that the pursuers had been thwarted for now.

  Emily sank into the seat and turned to face front, startled when she noticed for the first time that someone sat across from her and Rob. It was the man from the club entrance. Somehow, that seemed wrong. She looked at Rob for an explanation – by now she realized that she could silently communicate with him, her face was apparently so readable. He smiled his lovely, dimpled grin.

  “Emily, this is Rick Deacon. My bodyguard and my older brother.”

  Rick said hello, smiled at her and stuck out his hand for her to shake. She took it and just stared at him, idly pumping his hand. While there was a vague resemblance between them, if Rob hadn't said Rick was his brother, she would never have guessed. The man was huge like a pro wrestler, with bulging muscles and an imposing presence. Brown eyes observed her instead of Rob's potent blue and the hair was shorter and lighter in color. One thing he shared with his brother was the dimpled, naughty grin. Rick's smile widened.

  “She's a talkative one, Rob.”

  Emily shook her head. “I'm sorry. I'm just...I'm still a little stunned by all that back there. What the hell was that?” She looked at Rob for an answer.

  “That was the paparazzi.”

  “I thought you said they can't go near the club?”

  “Well, they aren't supposed to go near it, but they do it anyway. There's actually a city ordinance that forbids them, but if the police aren't there to catch them in the act, there isn't much anyone can do about it. That's why I always have Rick go ahead to the club to let me inside and have him come pick me up in the back at the last minute when I'm ready to leave.”

  She looked at Rick. “How did you know where we were going? I didn't even notice you at the restaurant in the hotel, and you're not exactly easy to miss.”