Page 11 of Kiss Me at Midnight
“I’d rather not relive the past.” Lily kept it locked up in a box in her memory attic.
“And yet, you’re going to face it head on,” Jud pointed out.
A surge of uncertainty had Lily staring at the papers she’d signed and considering tearing them up.
“So, Lily, you either agreed to Abe’s intervention plan because you feel responsible for Rachel’s life derailing or...” Jud stood and helped Grandma Dotty to her feet. “…because you still hold a grudge over what happened.”
“I’m not responsible for who she is today.” Lily frowned, searching her motivations. “Beyond the donation… I signed because Rachel could use a friend. Abe said none of hers support this marriage.”
Jud shrugged. “We all tell ourselves the truth we want to believe.”
Suddenly, Lily wasn’t sure what to think about herself, Rachel, or the past. “Gosh, look at the time. I need to text Ryan that we’re ready to head home.” She bent her head over her phone.
“I need to use the facilities before we go.” Grandma Dotty yawned again as she made her exit, leaving Lily and Jud alone.
Text complete, Lily’s gaze went to Jud’s mouth. The excitement of being in his arms rushed back, as intense as that feeling of cresting a rollercoaster’s first big hill, one that dropped quickly down the other side. She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t suppose you can get your own ride.”
“You wouldn’t ditch your boyfriend in the middle of the night, would you?” Those words. So layered with invitation, innuendo, and tease.
Lily’s eyes flew open. “Fakeboyfriend.”
That smile of his…How could she love it and hate it at the same time?
“Even fake boyfriends have benefits.”
Lily took a step back. “Car rides and hand holding. That’s it.”
“More like long slow kisses in front of an audience.” Jud’s gaze descended upon her lips.
Lily gasped, darting out of the library and toward the front door. “Our relationship is only just developing, remember? And we’re not sharing a room onboard.”
“Aren’t we?” Jud captured Lily’s hand, slowing her down enough to give her a mischievous smile. “Admit it. You liked it when I kissed you.”
Her pulse pounded out an answer she didn’t like. His kisses were hot and she wanted another.
“There will be no more kissing.” She should have paperwork for that–the No Kissing Contract. “We have a job to do.”
“You never heard of mixing business with pleasure?” Judson put a hand on the front door, keeping Lily from bolting for the elevator and leaving Grandma Dotty behind. “That’s a shame. That’s a real shame.”
Chapter Three
“The network needs an answer Friday, Jud.” Darian Rutledge, Jud’s agent, stood next to him at the entrance to the slip where Abe’s yacht was docked. “The money they’re offering for three more seasons of Titanium Talon is enough to fund your little indie film later.”
“Don’t jump the gun. I told you that Abe Cohen is going to put up five million.” The ocean swells rocked the dock beneath Jud’s feet and challenged his equilibrium. The brisk ocean breeze ruffled Jud’s hair. But he refused to let his agent’s negativity ruffle his resolve. “That leaves me with another fifteen million to raise.” Either through a loan or investors. “Ten if I put up five.”
Jud wished he felt better about the job that was required to earn Abe’s five-million-dollar investment. Stopping Rachel’s wedding gave a whole new meaning to the term cut-throat. Not even Lily’s sweet kisses could absolve him of that sin if the couple were truly in love.
“You’re giving up millions–guaranteed money–to make a movie that could sink your career?” Darian was beside himself, looking out of place on the dock in his blue Tom Ford suit and red power tie. “Listen to what you’re saying.”
“Darian, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but you know I’ve been searching for a new challenge.” Jud wasn’t absolutely certain that directing was what he was looking for, but it was what actors did when they felt creatively burnt out. “The network loves to see me featured with my latest date in the gossip magazines. It brings in viewers. If I sign that contract, that’s what they’ll expect of me–titillating gossip about the latest celebrity I’m dating. There’s more to me than that.” He had his eye on the long-term game. “It’s why I want to date someone different. Someone less…titillating. Someone who the gossip rags find boring and who doesn’t tempt me. Honestly, I just want a fake date. And I found the perfect woman for the role.”
“You want to give up mega-acting deals and date Mary Poppins?” Darian glanced away, frowning.
Why? Because he didn’t want to reduce Jud’s exposure in the tabloids? Or because… “You don’t think I have what it takes to direct.” Jud didn’t phrase it as a question. He didn’t bother to disguise his hurt, either. “Need I remind you that I’m a Hambly? Or that my family has a case filled with ten Oscars?” Directing was in his blood. He’d practically been raised on movie sets. “I can do this.”
Not to mention his family expected him to. When his father had won the Oscar for his directorial debut, he’d laid down the gauntlet to Jud, saying,“God willing, my son’s going to carry on the family tradition and win this for directing one day.”
“Direct a short or a documentary first, not a feature.” The wind blew Darian’s red tie into the air. It flailed about until Darian caught it. “If I represented your father at your age, I would have given him the same advice.”
