Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
I barely have time to swallow the last drop before he drags me into his arms. His wild gray eyes meet mine, his breath a ragged pant. And then his mouth slants over mine, his kiss hard and insistent.
"Fucking perfect little princess," he growls against my lips.
"You're not so bad yourself," I whisper, beaming.
"My turn." He reaches for my zipper.
Bang, bang, bang.
Kaiden whips his head in the direction of the door.
"Two minutes until the set meeting, Ms. Groves!" someone shouts through the door.
"Son of a motherfucking bitch," Kaiden curses.
I bury my face in his shoulder, laughing loudly.
Chapter Seven
Kaiden
"Jesus Christ," I mutter, dodging boxes of Christmas shit as I scour the set in search of Laura. This place looks like the North Pole took a shit right in the middle of it. I suppose it's not entirely terrible. It has a certain charm about it.
Or maybe Laura is softening me. I don't fucking know. All I know is that being here isn't nearly as intolerable as I thought it would be. I've mainly stuck to the edges of the set, keeping to myself since the set meeting ended an hour ago. But being here feels a little like coming home. I didn't expect that. I expected it to hurt a whole helluva lot more, truth be told.
For months after the accident, I woke in a cold sweat, plagued by nightmares. The sounds of the trailer caving in on me haunted my mind. Small spaces gave me full-fledged panic attacks. The myriad of bandages and the never-ending parade of surgeons and specialists drove me insane. All I wanted to do was fucking forget what happened to me, but it was everywhere.
I was almost relieved when people stopped coming around. When they stopped asking how I was doing. It allowed me to move on and put it behind me. I just never realized until today how far I'd moved on. It doesn't hurt like it used to hurt. Being back on a film set feels good in a strange sort of way.
It's bittersweet.
I round a corner and nearly bowl down Audrey…at least I think that's her name. She works in hair or makeup or something like that. I wasn't paying attention when everyone was introduced. I was too busy staring at Laura. She thinks it's hilarious that someone interrupted us before I got to eat her cunt in her trailer. She'll change her tune when I finally get my hands on her.
"Shit, sorry." I take a quick step back into the shadows out of habit, not that it matters. Everyone here has already seen the scar across my face. There were a few uncomfortable stares and lingering looks. No one commented on it, though. Then again, they usually don't say anything to my face. They wait until my back is turned to start whispering.
"You look lost," she says, giving me a friendly smile. She focuses on my eyes, barely even glancing at the scar. Interesting.
"Not lost," I mutter.
She ignores my surly attitude and presses forward with the conversation. "You're Kaiden, right? Kaiden Huxley?"
"I am," I growl and then huff out a breath. Fuck. I'm being an ass. I'm trying to rejoin society, not make everyone hate me. I need people to root for my relationship with Laura, not go out of their way to destroy her reputation for choosing to be with me. I don't get the impression this woman would do that, but still. I'm supposed to be playing nice. "Sorry." I grimace apologetically. "Yeah, I'm Kaiden."
"I'm Audrey Jones. It's been a long time since you were on a set, hasn't it?" she asks softly.
I jerk my head in a nod.
She smiles kindly. "Well, I'm happy to see you back on one, Kaiden." Her expression turns knowing. "And so is your girl."
"My girl?" We've been on set for all of an hour and a half. How the fuck does work travel so fast? Not that I personally object to the world knowing she's mine. Fuck no, I don't. But I don't want to make her life more difficult than it already is, especially right now.
The last thing she needs is to be linked to someone like me.
"If you're looking for her, she's over in Wardrobe," Audrey says instead of answering. "They're fitting her for tomorrow."
"Thanks." My gaze flicks over her shoulder as Luca Regis, the director, spots us. His eyes narrow as he looks between us, his broad shoulders tensing. His gaze lingers on me for a moment, cool and assessing. Even from here, I can read the hot stamp of possession in them, the territorial warning. Ah, goddammit. He's read the situation all wrong, and he's pissed.
Right on cue, he charges toward us like a bull, his dark eyes spitting fire.
Audrey glances over her shoulder at him.
I decide to beat a hasty retreat. The last thing I need is to piss off the director on day one, especially over a woman I have no interest in pursuing. Laura owns me, heart and soul. He's welcome to this one.