Take Three (The Jilted Bride #2)(10)

Still, even though he’d sent me that dismissive text, I knew that Phillip would call to talk to me eventually. I knew he would say he was going to sort things out with the media and come to my defense, and that those divorce papers he’d told me about would be finalized any day now.

I kept replaying our “affair” over and over in my mind, hoping that by the end of the week the public would know how it really happened…

A few months ago, I was sitting alone in my trailer, rehearsing my lines and wishing that the production break would end at any moment.

Since I’d fired my latest assistant hours earlier, I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I picked up my phone and called Matt Sterling.

“Hello?” he answered in that I’m-only-answering-because-this-might-be-the-call-telling-me-that-you’ve-died tone. “What do you want Selena?”

“I just realized that we don’t hang out anymore, Matt! We used to be such good friends before we got engaged! Don’t you want to come to my set and eat lunch with me? Don’t you want to catch up?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Matt, please! I’m really lonely…”

“I don’t care,” he huffed. “Is that the only reason you called me?”

“No, I really want to talk to you in person…I want to go over a few wedding ideas with—”

“Selena, we’ve been through this. I’m only hanging out with you once a week, in full view of the paparazzi, until the wedding. I’m sorry you’re lonely, but…I can’t be your friend right now, especially since you’ve threatened to ruin my career with a stupid domestic violence story if I don’t go through with our wedding…Are you willing to put that threat aside now?”

“No…” I needed the exposure. I needed the press.

“Goodbye then,” he hung up.

I dropped my phone and lay back on my couch. I felt bad for ruining my relationship with Matt—us dating was extremely fun in the beginning, but my career practically took off overnight and I started to like the fame more than I liked him; it was never the same after that.

I heard a knock at my door and mumbled, “Come in, whoever it is.”

“Someone doesn’t sound too happy today,” Phillip walked inside and locked the door.

I immediately sat up and tried not to gape at him.

Even though he was forty years old, he was hot. Insanely hot. He shot all of our film’s outdoor scenes while wearing nothing but swim trunks and I had to remind myself that he was my boss, that he was completely unavailable.

There were times when I caught him staring at me in between takes, when I thought his chocolate colored eyes were checking me out, but I brushed away those thoughts. I figured he was probably just wondering how I could elicit more emotion in certain scenes.

He handed me a single sonata lily and sat beside me, clasping my hand in his. “Tell me something. Why do you always sit alone in your trailer whenever we take breaks?”

“Umm,” I blushed. “I don’t know…”

He used his other hand to caress my thigh and I gasped. “I think we should change that, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean by—” before I could finish, his lips were on my lips and he was kissing me passionately.

I felt myself kissing him back, enjoying the feel of his touch—wondering if he could hear how loudly my heart was beating against my chest.

“I’m sorry,” he slowly pulled away, “but I’ve wanted to do that ever since we started filming.”

I was speechless. I couldn’t believe that had just happened.

“Is Matt Sterling really the love of your life, Selena?” he lifted my hand and kissed it. “Is your upcoming wedding real?”

“No…It’s a staged relationship,” I barely managed.

“I thought so…Well, I only stopped by to give you your favorite flower and tell you that you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

I blinked. Then I whispered, “Sonata lilies aren’t my favorite…I just tell the press that…”

“Oh really?” he pulled me into his lap and swept a few stray hairs away from my face. “Well, what is your favorite flower? I’ll have to get that next time…”

I started to tell him, but he cut me off and kissed me again. This time it was more forceful, more possessive—he wrapped his arms around my waist and didn’t release me until we were both out of breath.

He planted kisses up and down my neck, whispering, “I would like to take you out to dinner tonight, Selena…I won’t take no for an answer.”

My pulse quickened and I murmured “okay,” as he slid his hand underneath my shirt.

“I know this is premature,” he looked into my eyes, “but I’m a pretty straightforward guy: I’m going to make you mine someday. Soon.”

And that was it. That was all it took for us to begin a six week affair of dinners, lavish trips, and hot passionate sex in hidden hotels.

He didn’t want to destruct my public image of being engaged to Matt, so he made sure each of our dates was as private as possible: We arrived to dinners separately, checked into hotels underneath different names, and spent plenty of time in each other’s apartments.