Chapter 1

Riley

"It's here! It's finally here!" Charlotte bounced on her toes as we waited in the line for our tickets.

"We're not going to get a seat." I glanced over at her and couldn't help but grin. She was head over heels in love with Ethan Lewis, but so was half the universe. The child-star had grown into the sexiest man in America, or so the magazines touted. I moved up behind a group of teenage girls, giggling wildly as they worked through all the details of the handsome actor’s last movie.

"Stop being negative. We're getting in. I'll sell my soul if I have to." Charlotte nudged me with her shoulder.

"That's not going to get us more than a small popcorn." I gave her a cheeky grin and took another step up. The line for Ethan's new movie, Down Under was around the side of the movie theater, and it was the final showing of the night.

"Very funny. Just get our tickets. I'm going to stare at the movie poster with the rest of the teenage girls and lonely women." She tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder and shook her hips as I chuckled.

The number of women crowded around the movie poster was a little concerning. Ethan was beyond sexy, but nothing more than the average jock on campus. He played his parts well, and unfortunately, most girls had convinced themselves that he was the new James Bond that he played on the big screen. The youngest man to be invited into the Bond world, and if nothing else, I had to hand it to him. He was a brilliant businessman.

What would it be like to have people lined up outside the movie theater just to see me?

I stepped up as the clerk glanced up with a weary look on his face. "How many tickets?"

"Two, don't you want to know which movie we're here for?" A smirk lifted my lip.

He shook his head. "Let's see... you're a girl at the movies with your girlfriend on opening weekend for Down Under. I'm thinking you're probably following the rest of your female companions into theater three."

I laughed. "It's been a long day, I take it?"

"You've no clue." He handed me the tickets. "Theater-"

"Three. Got it. Best of luck tonight." I walked toward Charlotte and paused, pulling out my phone and taking several pictures of her as she muscled her way closer to the poster of Ethan looking like a billy-badass. "Smile."

Charlotte turned toward me and cheesed hard for the picture. She stuck her tongue out as if she were licking the dirty plastic beside her, and I cringed, but took the picture anyway.

"Let me see." She reached for my phone, and I handed it to her before looping my arm into hers and dragging her toward the theater.

"Come on. I don't want to fight the hordes of horny women to get our seats." I kept my arm locked in hers, pulling her along as she moved through the pictures, not paying a bit of attention. At times it felt like we were still fifteen and not about to graduate college. Charlotte hadn't changed a bit over the years, which kept us both young, or so I told myself.

"God, Riley. He's so fucking hot. Please get in a movie with him so I can touch him." She snuggled up against me as I handed the attendant our tickets.

"I need to find an open audition for one of his movies, and then I can." I let out a frustrated sigh under my breath. There were too many people around us, leaving me to feel like a cow in the middle of cattle being forced to move. There was no way in hell I would ever be an A-cast actress. Having people pawing at me left me wanting to crawl in a corner and shake like I had demons living in me.

I chuckled at the thought.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Charlotte glanced over at me.

"We've known each other for the last eighteen years. Do you really need to ask me that?" I held the door and let her go through before moving back into the line of women. "I'm the only one that won't argue when I have a brilliant idea."

"You're so weird, but you knew that." She glanced up from the phone as we rounded the corner. "This place is oversold. There are two seats at the very back. Come on."

She bounded up the stairs as I glanced around and shook my head. My stomach was a ball of knots. Acting I adored with a passion inside of me that wouldn't quit, but talking with random people and shooting the shit? Hell no.

I walked up the stairs as a few girls whipped past me, almost knocking me over.

"Sorry!" they called over their shoulders.

"It's all good. It's Ethan Lewis. I get it." I smiled, talking under my breath as I made my way to Charlotte. I dropped down in my chair and reached over, clamping my hand on her knee as it bounced like a jack-hammer. "You all right?"

"Yes, but dude, this guy is the wettest dreams I have. I love, love, love him." She squealed as the lights dimmed.

"He's all right." I shrugged.

She popped me in the arm, and we both chuckled. I could play it cool with the best of them, but seeing a new movie with the handsome billionaire in it left me a little breathless too.

I leaned back and snagged the popcorn from her as the previews started. My mind slipped into the same place it always did. My acting career, or lack thereof.

I'd worked so hard to pimp myself out since I was a teenager in drama clubs and had found a bit of success in various commercials, but when it came to films or movies, I just couldn't find the door to knock on. It was a tight knit community and outsiders, no matter how talented, just weren't accepted.

A preview for another movie that Ethan was doing in the coming months appeared on the screen and pulled me from my thoughts.

I glanced up and let out a soft sigh, praying like hell that Charlotte didn't hear me. She would never let me live it down.

The smirk that lifted his perfect lips caused my stomach to contract, my nipples to harden. The guy was good. Really good.

His warm brown eyes filled with compassion as he reached out and touched the face of the girl who played his fling in the movie.

The whole movie theater started to make girlie noises. I wanted to roll my eyes, but didn't want to miss the kiss.

"Kiss her," Charlotte whispered and moved to the edge of her seat.

I gripped the side of my chair, wanting to move up too, but refusing to play into the hype.

"It's just a preview, Char. Jeez." I forced myself to sound as sarcastic as I could before I licked my lips. He appeared to be a damn good kisser, the kind that would promise to leave your knees weak.

His voice was deep, sexy, delicious. "You don't have to go, Tanya. Stay with me. Just tonight."

Charlotte squealed as he moved in for the kiss. The screen cut to an action scene, and the sound of disappointment filled the air around us. I let out a tight chuckle.

"Wow." She dropped back in her seat. "What is it about that guy? I swear I need a cold shower or a vibrator."

"You don't have to go, Charlotte." I turned toward her and touched her face, lowering my voice as the girls around us laughed.

She swatted me away. "Okay. Keep it up. You're going to be in a movie with him one day, and when you are... don't say I didn't tell you so."

"Please." I turned around and started to eat the popcorn again. "It's never going to happen, but if it does, I'll be sure to describe the fake kiss in detail for you."

"Every wicked lick of his tongue, please." She grabbed a handful of popcorn and missed her mouth with most of it.

I smiled and turned back to the screen as the movie started. The cheering that occurred when Ethan came on screen let me know right away that I was in for a long two hours.

Were people really this nuts over actors and if so... did I really want to be worshiped?

Not in the slightest.