Keep To The Script (Complete)

~ Chapter 20 ~

Two days, she went a whole two days of ignoring Angel and wanted to go longer, but he wasn’t having it. That day at lunch, she watched as he rushed Molly out to the car, but she held back. She knew he wouldn’t wait for her, not because he was a d**k, but because he had to get back to work, and she really didn’t have to. After a few minutes, he finally sent her a text saying he was sorry, but he couldn’t wait, and that he’d see her on set. Except, she didn’t go back to the set.

She spent the rest of the evening with the writers. And when he texted her saying he was done and would wait, she told him to go ahead and go. She was going to be working late and she’d just catch a cab. That was her excuse and she kept sticking to it. It was a good one. But she didn’t need to spend all of her time with the writers, going over many points that she already had. Besides, the buzz around the set was the look of both Molly and Angel together. And how it seemed that talk about a movie that wasn’t even ready yet was gaining more hype.

It would take a fool to not see the goldmine that everyone was sitting on. And it was only a matter of time before the executives said something to both Molly and Angel about being a couple to rake in the sales. And where would that leave Judith? Of on the sidelines, watching, and she didn’t like that. So, it was better to start easing her way into distancing herself as best as she could before her heart got drawn in anymore. Or at least that’s what she kept telling herself was the smart thing to do. But when someone knocked on her door and she answered, shocked to see Angel there, she had to second guess everything.

“So, we’re back to you ignoring me,” he told her, breezing past her and waltzing into her apartment.

“No,” she told him, closing the door. But as she turned around and saw the crossed arms and the lifted brow, she knew he wasn’t buying it any more than she was selling it. “I’ve been busy,” she tried again but his look never faltered. She let out a sigh and glanced downward, her toe pushing against the carpet. “Fine, yes, is that what you want to hear?”

“Why?”

“You can’t be that dense, Angel! Come on, it’s all over the news!”

“What is?”

“You are not stupid!” she cried, throwing up her hands and walking into the kitchen. She needed to put more space between them. Having him here, in her private domain, was clouding her judgment and she didn’t like it.

“No, I’m not, but I’m failing to see why you’re pulling back, again! This is getting old, Judith, and I know this is not how you really are.” She wanted to close her eyes and ignore him as she had been. But that was easier to do on set with others around that she could talk to or pretend to be busy with than it was in her space, where it was just her and him. Where she could breathe in his scent, which smelled delicious. It looked like he had just gotten out of the shower, by the wet locks, and damn it, she had to restrain from reaching out to touch it.

“I’m not,” she glanced at him and then mumbled, “exactly.”

“If there were lighting in the sky right now, Judith, you’d be struck with it, you know. Why not tell me the truth?”

“Everyone knows they’re sitting on a gold mine when it comes to you and Molly, do you know that? You two look amazing together! And the chemistry is felt across the field and for sure in the pictures.”

“And?” He stepped closer she realized and as she glanced around, she noticed she had put herself in a corner. There was no way to bypass him now. She closed her eyes again and dropped her head.

“In order to bring up sales, or to make waves for the movie, they’re going to start putting you together. Going out, taking pictures, and staging it to look like some great Hollywood couple. And I can’t blame them, because it’s the smart move to do.”

“Okay, and?” Why was he even closer? She felt him behind her now, his chest brushing along her back, and it was driving her crazy. She wanted to turn around and touch, to wrap her arms around him, and she couldn’t phantom why. That wasn’t part of their relationship, they hadn’t gotten there yet.

“And….,” she trailed off as his hands settled on her hips as his breath floated across her neck. Hell, when had he gotten that close to her? And why did that feel so good? “And….,” she tried again but failed as he moved so his body was pushed against hers.

“Go on, and what? What has your mind so twisted up there, that it has to pull away from me? Pull away from something that wants to go, but can’t seem to get the legs to run and get it started?”

“You’re going to date.” He chuckled as he brushed the hair away from her neck and softly, his lips replaced it.

“Can’t, I’m dating someone else.” She sighed as she felt that caress and then melted back against him. Oh, she wanted to believe him. I mean, they hadn’t officially said anything to anyone, but she guessed it could be termed as that, right?

“Yeah, but the powers that be…”

“Don’t get a say in my love life,” he told her, cutting her off. His arms wrapped around her waist as his lips peppered soft kisses along the side of her neck. “So, what if they want Molly and me together? There will always be stories. And just because they want us to seem together, doesn’t mean we will be.” He had stopped long enough to turn her around and she tilted her head back to look up at him. “Hollywood is made up of lies, lots of lies to sell lots of stories, you need to remember that.”

“You would lie to the cameras?” He chuckled as his head descended to drop more kisses along the front of her neck.

“I would, because it’s what we do. The number one thing to remember in this town is that it’s the greatest city of magic and illusion. I will never date Molly, and though the uppity men who sign my paycheck may want that, it won’t happen. I can snap photos with her, walk the red carpet with her, but I will only date you.”

“Won’t that make me seem like a mistress or something?” He sighed as his body pushed hers back into the counter and she gasped as she felt his hips against hers, along with something else. What the hell made him that hard? It couldn’t be her; she hadn’t done anything! At least, nothing that would warrant that. And she firmly thought that women had to do something to make men feel like that.

“No, it won’t. Because there will be no official word about Molly and I dating. Every pose, every look, every line, it’s all an illusion, it’s to make the people out there think it’s real when it isn’t.” His hand cupped her chin, and she was forced to look up at him, look into those brown depths that she was swimming in framed by those lashes that would make any girl swoon with both desire and envy. “I want you, JD, just you. Why keep running? If you want me to, you’re going to have to get more of a backbone.” His lips brushed over hers, but he didn’t kiss her and when she made the move to kiss him, he pulled back. “Do you want me?”

“I…,” but she stopped at the shake of his head. His hips pushed into hers again and she moaned at the contact. How was that fair?

“Do you want me?”

“Yes,” she cried out, jumping forward to kiss him hard. She did, she really did. She didn’t want to think about him with Molly, or what the studio may of ask him. She just wanted him, wanted him with her, wanted him to touch her, to kiss her, to pick her up and put her on the counter, and do all kinds of naughty things to her.

But he didn’t. Instead, his hips rubbed against hers even more, making her go crazy with passion and need. And frustration. She moaned against his mouth, her tongue meeting his, and still nothing. Her fingers clenched his shirt from behind his neck and she tried to lift it, but he finally broke the kiss, his forehead resting against hers.

“Not yet,” he told her, kissing the tip of her nose. She blew out her breath in agitation and glared at him.

“But you’re hard and in need.”

“And by you yanking on my shirt, I’m guessing you are too. And that moment will come. I will slide deep into you, rock my hips against yours, and have you crying out my name over and over.” She whimpered in response to him, no one ever getting to her as he did. “But not now, not like this, and not after that. You came to me, that’s enough for me right now. But JD.” She blinked up at him. “You need to fight, you can’t just run away anymore, please.”

“Fine, sorry, you’re right.”

“Music to a guy’s ears.” He winked at her and smiled, still trying to calm herself down.

“What about that?” she asked, glancing down at the bulge still pressing against his jeans.

“Let’s go to the park and people-watch. It might, or might not help,” he teased her, and she agreed, her mind twisting to all the things she could do at the park to tease him.