Losing your ability to
speak at the age of seventeen; it’s not normal or fair.
speak at the age of seventeen; it’s not normal or fair.
But trauma, has a way
of throwing normality out the window.
of throwing normality out the window.
Dani lives anything
but a normal life.
but a normal life.
Her sister is married
to one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
to one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Her best friends are
rockstar duo AD2.
rockstar duo AD2.
And she has more love
around her than most people experience in a lifetime.
around her than most people experience in a lifetime.
But that doesn't
change the fact their parents are dead.
change the fact their parents are dead.
Or that it's her fault.
It seems her new
normal is being a mute, living on the inside, unable to actually communicate on
the outside.
normal is being a mute, living on the inside, unable to actually communicate on
the outside.
That is until
Hollywood’s newest heartthrob Lincoln Greene hires her as his assistant for the
summer.
Hollywood’s newest heartthrob Lincoln Greene hires her as his assistant for the
summer.
He's gorgeous,
completely unavailable, and unobtainable.
completely unavailable, and unobtainable.
But that doesn't stop
her from wondering...if things were different...would he want her?
her from wondering...if things were different...would he want her?
If she was whole, would he be the other half?
EXCERPT
“Finally!” Jaymeson
pointed at both of us. “Lincoln, show her to her mark. Dani, for this scene
you’re simply staring at him like you want to eat him. Think you can do that?”
pointed at both of us. “Lincoln, show her to her mark. Dani, for this scene
you’re simply staring at him like you want to eat him. Think you can do that?”
I nodded.
Any woman could do
that.
that.
Most men too.
“Cue music!”
Jaymeson called out. “Action.”
Jaymeson called out. “Action.”
A techno mix of
AD2’s latest song filled the air as the extras started dancing around us. I
stayed glued to the wall while Lincoln delivered his lines to Pris, and then he
lifted his head, meeting my gaze.
AD2’s latest song filled the air as the extras started dancing around us. I
stayed glued to the wall while Lincoln delivered his lines to Pris, and then he
lifted his head, meeting my gaze.
It’s just a movie.
It’s just a movie.
It’s just a movie.
The breath left my
chest on one slow exhale as he moved toward me, his body making fluid
purposeful movements through the crowd.
chest on one slow exhale as he moved toward me, his body making fluid
purposeful movements through the crowd.
My lips parted; my
entire body felt heavy as he approached.
entire body felt heavy as he approached.
He stopped in front
of me, his forehead grazing mine as he leaned in a few inches. Our breath
mingled as the music and scene faded around me.
of me, his forehead grazing mine as he leaned in a few inches. Our breath
mingled as the music and scene faded around me.
“Cut!” Jaymeson
yelled.
yelled.
Holy crap on a
cracker. I almost experienced my first stroke — at seventeen.
cracker. I almost experienced my first stroke — at seventeen.
“You okay?”
Lincoln’s eyebrows knit together in concern.
Lincoln’s eyebrows knit together in concern.
I licked the
lipstick from my lips and nodded quickly.
lipstick from my lips and nodded quickly.
Jaymeson approached.
“Time for the kiss, remember kissing, not hockey. Clearly, you were confused
earlier.”
“Time for the kiss, remember kissing, not hockey. Clearly, you were confused
earlier.”
Lincoln gritted his
teeth and let out a little groan.
teeth and let out a little groan.
I patted his arm and
grinned, my way of encouraging him. He seemed to pale more.
grinned, my way of encouraging him. He seemed to pale more.
My stomach sank.
Maybe it was me.
I was the problem.
Not the kiss, but
me. If he’d had trouble kissing my gorgeous sister, how was he going to be able
to kiss me?
me. If he’d had trouble kissing my gorgeous sister, how was he going to be able
to kiss me?
“Hey…” Lincoln
cupped my cheek. “… focus on me, nothing else, alright? It’s only us.”
cupped my cheek. “… focus on me, nothing else, alright? It’s only us.”
I nodded.
“You ever been to a
party?”
party?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Ever made out with
a guy at a party that wasn’t your boyfriend?”
a guy at a party that wasn’t your boyfriend?”
I thought about it
then slowly shook my head.
then slowly shook my head.
“So that’s what this
scene is about. It’s about a guy seeing a girl from across the room and wanting
her so badly that he’s willing to cheat on his own girlfriend for just one
taste. Granted, he’s supposedly drunk and high, but that just takes the romance
out of it, doesn’t it?”
scene is about. It’s about a guy seeing a girl from across the room and wanting
her so badly that he’s willing to cheat on his own girlfriend for just one
taste. Granted, he’s supposedly drunk and high, but that just takes the romance
out of it, doesn’t it?”
He released my cheek
and stepped back. “Imagine you’re trying to attract me, make your body as
inviting as possible. Hell, just stand there and look at me, and you’ll sell
it.”
and stepped back. “Imagine you’re trying to attract me, make your body as
inviting as possible. Hell, just stand there and look at me, and you’ll sell
it.”
Sell it. I repeated
the words in my mind.
the words in my mind.
I could do that.
Because I wanted him
to kiss me.
to kiss me.
It made my heart
beat faster.
beat faster.
My blood pump
harder.
harder.
And for the first
time since my parents’ death, I was actually excited about something. Nervous,
but excited.
time since my parents’ death, I was actually excited about something. Nervous,
but excited.
“Okay,” I mouthed.
I must have
surprised him again because his eyes darkened, and then he grinned. “One day,
Dani. One day I’m going to hear my name coming from that gorgeous mouth of
yours, and I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions… damn the
consequences.”
surprised him again because his eyes darkened, and then he grinned. “One day,
Dani. One day I’m going to hear my name coming from that gorgeous mouth of
yours, and I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions… damn the
consequences.”
My breath hitched.
“Quiet on set! And
action!”
action!”
There was no
warning. Suddenly, Lincoln’s mouth was fused against mine, no teeth, just his
soft lips pushing, prodding, moving slowly back and forth until his tongue slid
through and made contact with mine.
warning. Suddenly, Lincoln’s mouth was fused against mine, no teeth, just his
soft lips pushing, prodding, moving slowly back and forth until his tongue slid
through and made contact with mine.
Heart racing, I
opened my mouth enough to deepen the kiss as heat washed over me.
opened my mouth enough to deepen the kiss as heat washed over me.
He groaned and dug
his fingers into my shoulders then slid his hands down my back and gripped my
butt. I let out a squeak of surprise as I flicked his tongue with mine.
his fingers into my shoulders then slid his hands down my back and gripped my
butt. I let out a squeak of surprise as I flicked his tongue with mine.
“Cut!” Jaymeson
yelled.
yelled.
I kept kissing.
So did Lincoln.
His chest brushed
roughly against mine; my breasts ached at the sharp contact. I let out a little
hiss at the exact time Linc let out a groan and nudged his knee between my
legs.
roughly against mine; my breasts ached at the sharp contact. I let out a little
hiss at the exact time Linc let out a groan and nudged his knee between my
legs.
“Cut!” Jaymeson
yelled again.
yelled again.
Slowly, Lincoln
pried himself away from me, chest heaving.
pried himself away from me, chest heaving.
“Good enough,” said
Jaymeson.
Jaymeson.
“No,” Lincoln argued
without taking his wild grey eyes off me, “I went off script. We need to do it
again.”
without taking his wild grey eyes off me, “I went off script. We need to do it
again.”
“The hell you do,”
someone mumbled. I wasn’t surprised to see Demetri glaring daggers at Lincoln’s
back. Alec was next to Jaymeson, giving him an earful. I noted the strong tick
in his jaw.
someone mumbled. I wasn’t surprised to see Demetri glaring daggers at Lincoln’s
back. Alec was next to Jaymeson, giving him an earful. I noted the strong tick
in his jaw.
“Fine.” Jaymeson
waved them both off. “We’ll do it again.”
waved them both off. “We’ll do it again.”
“Take two, and
action!”
action!”
This time the kiss
was slow, languid in its movements. Hot waves of pleasure coursed through my
body as his tongue slid seductively pass my lips. His taste, the feel of his
mouth was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Greedily, I moaned, desperate
for more of him as I reached for his shirt then fisting it with my hands and
tugging him tighter against my body, wanting more contact with him. I felt
every plane of muscle as he slowly turned us so his back was semi facing the
camera. His knee nudged my legs apart as pressure increased down the middle of
my body. I hadn’t really looked long at the script, but I was pretty sure that
this wasn’t part of it.
was slow, languid in its movements. Hot waves of pleasure coursed through my
body as his tongue slid seductively pass my lips. His taste, the feel of his
mouth was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Greedily, I moaned, desperate
for more of him as I reached for his shirt then fisting it with my hands and
tugging him tighter against my body, wanting more contact with him. I felt
every plane of muscle as he slowly turned us so his back was semi facing the
camera. His knee nudged my legs apart as pressure increased down the middle of
my body. I hadn’t really looked long at the script, but I was pretty sure that
this wasn’t part of it.
Not that I was
complaining.
complaining.
He rocked into me,
my back connected with the wall. With a possessive growl, he nipped my lower
lip then started kissing down my neck. Kissing in public had never been my
thing — but maybe that was because I’d never kissed Lincoln.
my back connected with the wall. With a possessive growl, he nipped my lower
lip then started kissing down my neck. Kissing in public had never been my
thing — but maybe that was because I’d never kissed Lincoln.
I would kiss him
anywhere.
anywhere.
All he needed to do
was ask.
was ask.
Body humming with pleasure,
I let out a little gasp as his warm lips met the pulse on my neck. Then his
tongue licked where his lips had just been.
I let out a little gasp as his warm lips met the pulse on my neck. Then his
tongue licked where his lips had just been.
His knee rose higher
and higher as my body sank onto his; the first contact of his leg had my body
screaming with pleasure — just a little higher, just a little more.
and higher as my body sank onto his; the first contact of his leg had my body
screaming with pleasure — just a little higher, just a little more.
“Cut!” someone
shouted, though it didn’t sound like Jaymeson.
shouted, though it didn’t sound like Jaymeson.
Suddenly, Demetri
was pulling Lincoln away from me and glaring daggers at both of us. “I think
you guys got the scene.”
was pulling Lincoln away from me and glaring daggers at both of us. “I think
you guys got the scene.”
Embarrassed, I
looked down, tucking my silky hair behind my ear. Did I really almost just dry
hump Lincoln Greene’s leg? In front of about twenty people, including my
sister?
looked down, tucking my silky hair behind my ear. Did I really almost just dry
hump Lincoln Greene’s leg? In front of about twenty people, including my
sister?
“You sure?” Lincoln
asked, voice hoarse. I glanced up at him, his chest was heaving with exertion,
his lips swollen. “Because I could have sworn I messed up my lines.”
asked, voice hoarse. I glanced up at him, his chest was heaving with exertion,
his lips swollen. “Because I could have sworn I messed up my lines.”
“There are no lines,
you bastard,” Demetri muttered under his breath.
you bastard,” Demetri muttered under his breath.
“Damn it!” Jaymeson
shouted. “Hey, guys, I’m going to need you to shoot it one more time. Remember,
Lincoln, you’re supposed to proposition her.”
shouted. “Hey, guys, I’m going to need you to shoot it one more time. Remember,
Lincoln, you’re supposed to proposition her.”
Lincoln grinned
smugly at Demetri.
smugly at Demetri.
Demetri didn’t move.
York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency
and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking
coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho
with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from
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