CHAPTER THIRTEEN - DUNCAN
Watching Rachel work was fascinating to me, and I had the perfect job that gave me a front row seat to the action, at least for a while. I’d sure enjoy it while it lasted and I made a mental note to thank my sister again. I’d been angry with her at first, but I was happy she’d gotten me and Rachel back in each other’s lives.
The moment Brock showed up on set, though, my mood changed. The little punk was way too familiar with Rachel, and I’d noticed he took no restraint with the way he touched her. I imagined myself holding him down and snapping his arm like a twig, but then Rachel glanced over and gave me a bright smile, and I couldn’t help but lick my lips and give her one right back.
I had been thinking about the next time since the last, but she’d been a bit sore, so I was taking it easy on her, for now. It was easy to get addicted and with us both having something we’d never had before, it made it even more special for me. I wish we hadn’t waited, but it was definitely worth it.
I glanced to the back door where a couple of teenagers had planned to slip inside after we finished for the day, but I’d caught them camped out behind the dumpsters with a backpack full of snacks and Star’s latest CD and a few magazines they’d hoped she’d sign. They were harmless, but it showed me the lengths that some obsessed fans would go through to catch a peek at their shining Star Summers.
When I looked back across the room, I took a step forward seeing that Brock had his arm around Rachel, his hand resting on the small of her back. She seemed to cower a bit like he was some kind of bird of prey and she was his feast.
I was just about to walk over and distract him from his attempts when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“You’re a lousy guard. I walked right in the place, and I could have been a maniac.” I turned to see my beautiful sister, her face glowing with a wide grin and her eyes widened at the set before us.
“You are a maniac. And I know you didn’t get past Patrick outside without him noticing.” I’d had my best guard come aboard to give him a bit of a break, but he wasn’t a slacker.
“Yeah, he stopped me. He frisked me too, said it was standard procedure.” She lifted her shoulder.
I narrowed my eyes. “Did he? So, I should go break his neck for touching my sister?”
“You really would, wouldn’t you? I mean, if I were telling the truth.” She threw her arms around me, and I glanced over her shoulder across the room to see what Brock was up to. His arm had moved, but he was still hovering close to her. Too close.
“I would, even though he’s my best man.” I turned my eyes back to the cocky producer, and my sister noticed my anger.
“Wow, who’s that icy glare for?” She followed my eyes to see the loser in action. “Oh my, promise me you won’t kill him. Harris would be terribly upset if this deal goes sour and you’re not only representing your company and your reputation but mine and Harris’ as well.”
“Relax, I’ll spare him his life, but she really could be more assertive and tell him to stop pawing at her.” I ground my teeth together and turned my attention to my baby sister. “So, to what do I owe this honor, or did you come to see Rachel?”
“I came to see you both. I hoped I’d find you in a better place than you were a week ago, but it seems that’s not a problem. Did the two of you kiss and make up?” There was a gleam in her eye, and I knew she meant to pry for much more information than that.
I tried to keep my smile in check as I responded. “There were kisses.”
Her eyes flared, and she let out a little squeal of delight. “Okay, I’ll spare you the torment of asking for details, but just so you know, I’m going to ask Rachel all about it and you better have treated her like a lady.”
My smile played around one corner of my mouth, and she giggled and turned her attention back to Rachel across the room who was headed our way, thankfully without the producer as her shadow.
“I’m so happy for you!” Shauna closed the last few steps and pulled Rachel into a hug. “I know congratulations are in order, but I’ll spare you both the embarrassment, but I really want to take you out to lunch.” She glanced back and forth from me to Rachel and back again waiting for our answer.
“I’m game.” I glanced at Rachel.
Her expression turned grim. “I can’t. I’ve to stay here through lunch, but you two go and have a good visit.”
“Fine.” My sister stepped closer but didn’t bother to whisper. “I want to hear all about it later though when he’s not around.” Her voice turned sour at the mention of me, and she curled her nose playfully as if to say yuck.
Rachel gave me an accusing glare, and I shook my head. “Oh no, don’t give me that look, I didn’t tell her a thing.”
“He didn’t have to. The two of you are practically glowing.” She turned to Rachel and took another hug and then stepped back to me locking her arm. “We’ve got to be going, are you sure you can’t come?”
“I’m positive.” She gave me a sad look, and though we’d agreed not to put our relationship on display at work, I stepped closer, and instead of whispering in her ear, I gave her a little kiss. Her cheeks flared, and she glanced around, but only her assistant saw, and he pulled his lips in tight as if to hide his own smile.
Shauna didn’t pry me about anything too personal during lunch, but she did ask me my intentions toward her best friend. I had to remind her that I was her brother and not the enemy, but promised I’d take special care of Rachel’s heart this time around.
“Last time you shattered it. I know we’ve never really discussed this, with the two of you being so hell bent and kept me under your gag orders, but she was devastated. She was merely a shell of herself, and I missed her during that time. She couldn’t bear to spend much time with me. I reminded her too much of you. Don’t take my friend away again, Dunc. She’s all I’ve ever had, and I love her as much as I love you. Hell, I’ve known her nearly as long.” The two had been friends since they were in diapers and were each other’s first friends.
“No worries. I’m in love with her, always have been, and things are different now, Sis. There’s no one and nothing standing in our way.”
She’d been content to let lunch end on a different subject, and as we discussed what to do with the remainder of our mother’s things, the last couple of things we’d been holding onto simply because getting rid of them would have made it all too real. Since we were both in a better place, we could make a clearer decision about it, and agreed that it was time to sell the house.
I’d gone back to the set only to find that Rachel had left for the day and Jefferey, who seemed a bit worried that she’d claimed to have gotten ill at lunch, even though she hadn’t eaten anything, suggested I go check on her. I told Patrick I was heading out for the day and hurried to her house.
I sped over and banged on the door, and it took a moment, but I heard her footsteps and the lock. She opened the door and fell into my arms.
“What’s the matter? Are you sick? Hurt?”
She shook her head, but I picked her up and carried her to the couch where I sat, holding her in my lap. She settled against my chest and rested her face in the crook of my neck.
“Please don’t be angry with me.”
“What happened?” My voice was harsh as she went still in my arms.
“Brock made a pass at me. He had asked me to stay at lunch, but he only wanted to see if I’d sleep with him.”
“Did he touch you?” I pushed her off my shoulder and captured her face in my hands. “What did he do, Rachel?”
She shook her head to play it off, but I could tell by her expression, the hard set of her lips, that she was upset. “He grabbed me and kissed me, and I pushed him off. I stomped his foot and elbowed him, and he got angry and screamed at me. He said he’s going to see to it that I never work in the business again and that I should reconsider.”
My blood was boiling by the time she finished telling me, but I wasn’t angry with her. I pulled her close and told her it was okay, not to worry about a thing.
She pulled away and met my eyes. “Duncan, promise me you won’t do anything. Harris really wanted this deal to work out, and I’m okay. I left right after it happened and was only scared of what you might think—”
“What I might think? Jesus, he’s lucky I don’t hunt him down and snap his scrawny fucking neck.”
She kissed my mouth, and I claimed her with a little more force than usual, reminding her how a man, one that truly loves her, could kiss. But I knew I needed to calm her nerves, to stop her trembling.
“I promise I’ll behave. But, so help me, Rachel, if he steps one toe out of line again, one fucking pinky toe, I’m going to lay waste to his entire fucking world, and Harris can eat shit.” She nodded and lay her head on my shoulder, and I rocked her against me until her trembling stopped.