Page 55 of A Star is Scorned
“No one’s ever complained about my enthusiasm,” he growled under his breath.
Curtis interrupted their back-and-forth, calling up, “Everyone set?”
“Yes,” they both replied.
Livvy stuck her head out from her hiding place, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Think you can manage to hold on to the railing this time?”
“You worry about your blocking and I’ll worry about mine.”
This time, when they got to the kiss, it was Flynn who escalated things first. He tangled his hand in her hair and turned her head to face his so he could get a better angle on her mouth. He sucked at her bottom lip and her eyes flashed open, flaring with want and surprise. From this angle, no matter what Little Flynn did, the camera wouldn’t be able to see it.
He knew better than her how to hide a passionate kiss behind the limitations of the Production Code. He nibbled at her, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth until two pink circles came to her cheeks. He knew he was pushing things with how long this was going on, so he swept his tongue into her and pressed his lips so firmly against hers that she released a guttural whimper.
He broke away, and this time she was so breathless, she could barely tell his character good night.
“Perfect, I think that was the one,” Curtis called from his post beneath them.
Livvy didn’t break eye contact with Flynn, studying him like he was a difficult puzzle she had yet to work out. But she called down to Curtis, “Really? That wasn’t too much? I got lost in it a bit. I could try it again and hold back a little more.” The entirething came out on a huff of breath, and Flynn took in the heaving rise and fall of her chest with delight.
“No, Miss De Lesseps, that’s not necessary. The angle will hide any overeagerness.”
She flushed at the director’s words, and Flynn tried to memorize the sight of her porcelain flesh turning a titillating pink as it disappeared into the neckline of her bodice.
He leaned over the railing of the balcony so that his head was right behind hers. “I don’t think you can hold back. What’s more, I don’t think you want to. And neither do I.”
Livvy’s head snapped back at the words. But he was leaning so close to her that he didn’t have time to get out of the way. The back of her head smacked him in the face, connecting with his nose.
Holy hell, that hurt. Livvy gasped. Flynn’s upper lip was suddenly warm and wet with a profusion of blood pouring out his nose.
He clapped his hands to his face, forgetting for a moment to hold on. Livvy screamed as she grabbed onto the front of his shirt and tugged him over the balcony, saving him from falling but pulling him down on top of her. His face collided with the ornate bodice of her gown, his blood smearing across the delicate embroidery.
The fleeting realization that his face was pressed into her chest flitted through his mind. Then she moved, sending another searing shock of pain through his face and banishing any vaguely erotic thoughts.
“Oh God, Flynn, Flynn, are you all right?” She tried to scramble backwards so he could sit up, but the result was only that his face dragged down her gown, bringing a smear of blood with it. He looked up, still holding his hands to his nose, and watchedas she pressed her hands to her bodice and drew them away in horror. “Oh, no.” Her face turned a pale shade of green and she started to wobble. Oh Christ, she was going to—
Clunk.She hit the balcony floor, collapsing at the sight of his blood smeared all over her. He managed to roll off her, hoping that if he gave her some space, she might regain consciousness.
From below them, he heard a cry. “Rallo, no! Come back here.”
Suddenly and without warning, the little monkey sprang onto Flynn’s head, chittering and moving.
“Rallo, stop,” Flynn begged, sounding like he had a cold.
The monkey jumped off Flynn’s head, mercifully, and began gently slapping its hands against Livvy’s face, apparently trying to revive her.
“I see that you only have eyes for the lady as usual,” Flynn muttered.
Livvy’s eyes fluttered open. She noticed the monkey sitting on her chest, and her eyes rolled back into her head as she fainted once more.
Flynn sure as hell hoped they could cobble something together from the footage they had, because it was abundantly clear that filming was over for the day.
Chapter 19
After the bleeding finally stopped, Flynn pulled the two twists of tissue out of his nostrils and studied his face in the dressing room mirror. A few spots around the edges of his nose were starting to turn black and blue. He gingerly pressed at them, and they were sore, but nothing seemed broken or out of whack. Thank God. Though he supposed maybe he’d look more rugged with a broken nose. It would add to his appeal as a scallywag.
There was a soft knock at the door. “Can I come in?” trilled a voice he realized might be his favorite sound. Even if its owner had nearly misaligned his face.
“As long as you haven’t come to finish the job,” he called out.
