CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Another party, another red carpet. In the last month Paige and Nate had attended no less than four charity events, two movie premieres, and the opening of a bookstore. Tonight was an event to raise money for the homeless and so far it had gone off with military precision. She had the process down. First, there was hair and makeup. Then dressing, which usually involved keeping Nate out of her lingerie drawer long enough to find whatever bra and knickers she needed. It wasn’t that he wanted to wear her lingerie. Oh no, that would have been easier to deal with, actually. The problem was he had an opinion about what she should – or shouldn’t – wear. He was quite the proponent of her going commando so they could shag in the bathroom wherever they were. He also liked lacy black bras and he wanted her to wear them with everything even if it showed through, something she simply wouldn’t allow.
After they were finally dressed, they’d pile into a limo and head for whatever fancy venue was hosting the party. They walked the red carpet, holding hands and posing for pictures. And smiling. Always smiling. Nate would sign some autographs and give a few interviews. Sometimes she’d join in and other times she’d hang back, depending on her mood and how much Nate begged. They’d dance, drink, and eat tiny food, then leave, grabbing some Chinese or a pizza on the way home where they’d eat and make love in front of the fire before heading to bed to do it again.
All in all, life was good. Bu tonight was the biggest event yet.
Paige watched as Nate buttoned the crisp white shirt he would wear with a dark blue suit. A new one the stylist had chosen for him. He’d lost a few pounds of muscle in the past few months and his other suits didn’t fit quite right. He was such a clotheshorse, fussing with his cufflinks and tie as the makeup and hair artist had worked on Paige. This was an important night for Nate and he wanted it to go well and so did she. It was the end of an era and the cast and crew were sending it off in style.
Tonight they were in Los Angeles for the Thunder party to celebrate the end of shooting, although Nate had finished his scenes the week before he’d met Paige. His character Kai had been killed off with a hero’s death that galvanized the remaining characters to vanquish their opponent.
It was also the last movie for a good chunk of the actors and actresses, Nate included. The last few weeks he’d appeared tense and a little moody. At first, she’d put it down to his suddenly having a live-in girlfriend, but it soon became clear what the issue was.
He was going to miss Kai.
The makeup artist finished and wished them luck before leaving Nate and Paige alone. Paige had chosen to wear a white chiffon dress with a halter neckline and a handkerchief hem. Her accessories were gold, right down to the Christian Louboutin high-heeled sandals.
“You look so damn sexy I may have to have you right there in the limo,” Paige giggled, running her fingers down his arm. “I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself.”
Nate smirked and pulled on his jacket, smoothing the lapels. “I don’t intend to, so why should you, love? I’m all yours.”
Paige gave him a smile of pure delight. “Yes, you are. I’m a lucky girl.”
“I’m a lucky man.” He turned to the mirror, frowning at his reflection. “What do you think?”
“You look gorgeous.” She reached up to smooth the frown lines on his forehead. “Stop making that face. You’re giving yourself wrinkles.”
Snorting, Nate leaned down to rummage in the closet for his shoes. “I doubt anyone would notice when their eyes are immediately drawn to my receding hairline. Jesus, I saw a comparison of me in the first Thunder movie and now. Fuck, I’ve lost at least an inch or more of hair.”
And he was still the sexiest man she’d ever seen. Who would notice his hairline when he had that long, lean body to ogle?
“You could see a doctor about that.”
She didn’t really want him to, hating the look, but Nate was an actor and he had to worry about these things.
He straightened and shook his head. “Not unless I absolutely have to. I really don’t want to do any medical intervention. The facials that you give me are fine but I don’t think I’d ever have a face lift.” He shuddered. “I hate hospitals.”
He’d bitched about those treatments but they had improved his skin a great deal and had easily taken off five years.
“I think you’re wise to grow old gracefully. Now are you ready to go? We have a red carpet to walk.”
Checking his tie in the mirror, he looked at her reflection. “Just one more question. I don’t suppose you know where my gray shoes are? I’m sure I packed them.”
Shit, she was hoping he wouldn’t notice.
“Your gray shoes?” Shrugging, she played innocent. “Are you sure you brought them?”
He looked down at the black leather shoes on his feet. “I’m positive, yet somehow they walked out of my suitcase all on their own, like magic. Do you know anything about that, love?”
Clearly she was busted by the smirk on his handsome face. “I might have seen them on the floor by the bed at home.”
“They were in my suitcase.”
“And now they’re not.”
Throwing up his hands, Nate tucked his phone and the room key into his jacket pocket.
“What do you have against those shoes? It’s like a vendetta with you. They’re comfortable shoes that look good, and they were expensive too.”
“They’re ugly,” she said bluntly. “I’m sorry I took them out of your bag but you’re so good-looking and then you wear those shoes. They make your feet look long and skinny.”
“My feet are long and skinny,” Nate laughed, holding up her wrap. “Thank you for the apology though. I do appreciate it but I don’t want to encourage this going forward. I think you need some form of punishment for this behavior.”
Ohhh. That sounded…kinky and dirty. Just the way she liked it.
“I have been a bad girl,” she nodded, her pulses leaping at all the possibilities. “Very bad. Clearly I haven’t learned my lesson.”
“I think you’ll spend the limo ride to the party on your knees.” Nate leaned forward to whisper in her ear, his breath hot. “With my cock in that pretty mouth of yours.”
Paige gave an exaggerated sigh even as her legs began to quiver. He was going to mess up her makeup. “If that’s what it takes to make this up to you, then I guess I have to.”
She needed to be bad more often.
* * *
Paige was reasonably put back together when they stepped out of the limo. What had started out as purely an oral exercise had quickly turned to something else. She’d spent the entire drive in L.A. traffic bouncing up and down on Nate’s very hard length. At first, he hadn’t wanted to let her come – part of her punishment and all – but a few raunchy suggestions in his ear won him over. She’d come in a glorious waterfall of technicolor pleasure. Then they’d had the task of freshening up, using almost the entire tiny box of tissues in the back of the vehicle. She’d swiped on a fresh coat of lipstick just as they’d pulled up to the curb.
Nate stepped out first, offering her his hand before leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I’m going to hold you to those suggestions, you naughty minx. When we get back to the hotel, you’re in for quite a night.”
Smiling broadly as she stepped out, she waved to a crush of fans behind a barricade.
“That’s the plan, handsome. When you say night, you better mean all night.”
His deeply satisfied laugh could be heard all the way up the red carpet and heads swiveled at the sound. “It’s a promise, my love.”
Just as they had a dozen times or more, they worked the red carpet slowly and methodically. Posing for pictures and signing autographs. It didn’t bother her as much anymore, especially with Nate at her side. She wasn’t blasé about it either but this was something she could handle. Loving it was out of the question. Nate, on the other hand, was in his element, laughing and joking with reporters and fans alike. He was energized by the attention and sometimes she simply wanted to stop and watch him work. He loved them as much as they loved him.
By the time they reached the end of the carpet and the entrance to the venue, Paige was ready for a strong drink. This evening was supposed to be a chance to have fun and let loose. She wasn’t much of a party girl but this night was important to Nate. It was his final goodbye, although he’d see all of his friends when it came time to promote the film. This chapter of his life was coming to a close and she hoped he was in the right frame of mind to move on. With her and Flynn.
The minute they walked inside the venue they were greeted by a grim-faced Max.
“Max, smile. It’s a party,” she teased him, giving him a hug and getting kisses on the cheeks in return. “Loosen up. Have some fun.”
Not even a little smile from him. He grabbed Nate’s arm and dragged him aside, whispering fiercely into his ear. Paige stood there trying to figure out what was going on or read Max’s lips. Nate, for his part looked just as agitated, his cheeks turning red and his fingers scraping through his perfectly gelled hair.
Something was definitely up. Nate straightened his tie and strode back to her, placing an arm around her waist. “Love, we need talk.”
She’d never heard Nate sound so tense, almost fearful.
“I’m listening.”
Nate’s gaze darted around the dimly-lit packed room, his jaw tight. “Not here. In private. It’s important or I wouldn’t ask.”
Something had gone, as Nate would say, “tit’s up” to put him and Max in such a tizzy.
“Let me sneak off to the ladies’ room and finish freshening up and then we can talk.”
Nate nodded. “Max and I will be by the bar. He said there’s a private terrace just next to it where we can talk.”
“Get me a Cosmo?”
“Of course.” Nate kissed her, his lips urgent as his fingers brushed her cheek. “I adore you, Paige. Please remember that.”
“I adore you too.”
Those were facts she wasn’t likely to forget.
Paige found the restroom without any trouble, despite the horrific lighting and dark corners. Quickly taking care of business, she was just about to come out of the stall when she heard the bathroom door swing open and the sound of giggling. Voices. Young.
Holy hell. It couldn’t be. She had to be mistaken.
Her.
It was her. Stella Riley.
This had to be what Max and Nate were so upset about. But why was she even here? She wasn’t in any of the movies. Christ, was she dating some other poor bastard and planning to ruin his life too?
“I can’t wait to see his face,” she laughed. “I’ve brought the two women he had the threesome with and they’re going to make it look like I ran into them by accident, only to be reminded of my heartbreak last year. I’ve got paps stationed at the exit to capture my anguish. His PR people threw me under the bus after I ended it and now he’ll pay for that. He thinks the press and the public have forgotten his kinky night at the hotel. Well, I never forget anything, and now everyone else is going to be reminded of what he did to me. The press will be talking about his cheating and deviant sex life for weeks or more. My name will be in all the papers and everyone will want to interview me. Maybe even Oprah.”
This little bitch was evil. Paige had known that already but to see – or hear – it in action was something completely different. This girl needed to grow the fuck up and move on.
“I bet he’s wishing he still had you,” the friend said. “Have you seen his new girlfriend? Ugly. She’s like a hobbit or something.”
Paige had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Hell yes, she was short. She was probably ugly too, but then she had brains and a sense of humor. That would last longer than firm tits and a flat stomach.
“She writes books,” Stella snorted. “So boring. She’s like…ancient.”
Compared to this snotty little miss, Paige was pretty old. Not enough to be her mother but enough to know better. The universe didn’t revolve around Stella Riley.
Paige made a mental note to kick Nate in the balls. What had he been thinking getting involved with this bitch, even if it was only fake?
“She’s just his speed,” the sidekick giggled over the sound of sniffing. Jesus, were they doing cocaine? Did people still do that? It wasn’t the eighties anymore. “You said he was bad in bed and had a tiny dick. He’s probably all she could get.”
So Stella Riley was trying to pass off Nate as an actual boyfriend? Paige knew good and well the lousy actress had never slept with him.
Boy, had Stella missed out.
Smiling widely, Paige straightened her dress and shoved the door open so it banged against the other stall. If she was going to do this, she might as well make an entrance.
“Excuse me.”
Paige elbowed her way in between the two girls to get to the mirror to reapply her lipstick. She was halfway through when she looked up to see Stella and her friend staring at her. Excellent.
“Stella, honey. Your mouth is hanging open.” Paige pointed to the stunned girl who was wiping white powder from her nostrils. “It’s not a good look for you.”
Stella recovered quickly, her lip curling into a sneer. “Whatever, Grandma. This is a private conversation.”
Paige’s smile grew wider. She kind of felt sorry for Stella but not that much. She brought on most of her own problems. She lived for the drama.
“A private conversation held in a public bathroom while you’re snorting an illegal substance. Right.” Paige dropped the gold tube of lipstick back into her purse. “I just thought I’d let you know that I heard what you said and there is no way those paps are getting one picture of your fake tears. You’ll have to get your name in the paper another way because you’re not using him again. Those days are over.”
Smirking, Stella leaned down to get in Paige’s face. “He’s going to leave you, you know. The whole time we were together he was fucking everything with tits. If he couldn’t be faithful to me, there is no way he’d be faithful to someone like you.”
Paige casually shrugged. “I’m not surprised he was getting a piece elsewhere since you two weren’t even really together. But you see, that’s how we’re different. I keep Nate plenty busy. I doubt he has the energy or the inclination to look at another woman. In fact, I rode his monster cock in the limo on the way here like he was the pony I never got for Christmas. I came twice and that was just the appetizer tonight.” She opened the door and shot Stella one last grin, enjoying the shocked looks on their faces. “And by the way, your acting sucks.”
The door swinging shut behind her, she went to find Nate and tell him she already knew what he was going to tell her. It was certainly going to be an interesting evening. Because Paige was sure Stella wasn’t done trying to cause trouble. She wanted her name in the papers.