Behind the Scenes Read online

  He watched her walk out. As soon as she was gone he leapt from the bed and threw on his clothes. He was going to be mature about this. If she didn’t feel as if her world had just changed irrevocably, he’d just accept that. If she hadn’t figured out that the notion of them ever parting was now out of the question, he’d just be good and patient and take what she would offer him, and not ask for a thing more. He wouldn’t question her, push her or crowd her.

  Bullshit.

  He left the room still pulling the sweater over his head and knocked into the wall once before making it down the hallway to the living room.

  Tanya was just adjusting her dress back in place when she looked up and smiled. “My shoes have gone missing.”

  “Oh. I took them off so you’d be more comfortable,” he said, staring at her feet. “I’ll just get those.”

  “Thank you.”

  He headed back to the bedroom, his mind in a jumble. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to force any issues. She looked so damn happy and he didn’t want to spoil that.

  On the other hand, he thought as he picked up the silver sandals, when were they supposed to talk? Weren’t they supposed to talk?

  She wasn’t acting as if she wanted to forget what had happened, but she didn’t look as if she wanted to sit down and dissect it, either.

  He tried to remember how other nights with other women had ended, and he honestly couldn’t remember. Not that he considered those nights forgettable, just, apparently, the aftermaths of sex.

  So when he returned to the living room and handed over her shoes, he did the only thing he could think of: ask her what to do.

  “Tanya?”

  She picked up her purse. “I’m sorry if I’m a mess,” she said.

  “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life,” he said. Except for when she’d been naked. “Tanya?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you . . . want to talk?”

  “No.”

  “Okay.” He ran a hand through his hair. For some reason it felt short. “Do you . . . want to hit me or anything?”

  She laughed. “Hit you? Why in the world would I want to do that?”

  “I don’t know.” He held up his hands. “I don’t know what you want.”

  “Well, a ride back to JBC for starters.”

  “Okay.”

  “And then a long, hot bubble bath. I have the feeling I’m going to be sore.”

  Leaving him with that image constituted cruel and unusual punishment. “Just for future reference, I have a hot tub on the back terrace.”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful.”

  “It’s yours anytime.” Like right now.

  She smiled. “Ready?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  He hadn’t meant to say that. But, dammit, he wasn’t ready. He needed some kind of sign, any kind, that being with him had been important to her. If it wasn’t as profound, okay. He’d live with that, although it would probably hurt a little. Or a lot. But it was the not knowing he couldn’t live with. And he didn’t want to bring it up in a car where he couldn’t watch her face.

  He swallowed. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is wonderful.”

  “Yeah?” Okay, now this was the right direction. “I’m glad.”

  “Me, too. Ready?”

  Jeez! “No. I need you to say something.”

  “What?” When he stood mulishly mute, she tilted her head. “AJ, I am not going to cheapen the greatest experience of my life by sitting here gushing about it.”

  The first part of that sentence was good, but it kind of headed south from there. “Why not?”

  “Because it was too good for words. I didn’t want words getting in the way of making love with you for the first time, and I don’t want them in the way now.”

  “I can live with that.”

  “Good. Now, I don’t mean to rush you, but Gran will not fall asleep until she hears me come home. It’s stupid, I know, but I just don’t want to be responsible for her being crabby in the morning. So, please, are you ready?”

  “Yes. I’m ready.”

  There were a zillion things he wanted to say on the drive back to her car, but he knew better than to push it. Her head was thrown back and her eyes closed, and the contented smile on her face would have to be enough.

  And the memory. If nothing else he could go home and pour a glass of wine and relive every moment of it. Not as good as having her all night, but it would have to tide him over.

  He pulled up to her car and stopped. When he moved to open his door and come around for her, she put a hand on his arm. “Don’t bother, I’m fine.”

  He leaned over and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her to him. She couldn’t possibly deny him a goodnight kiss.

  She didn’t. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. It wasn’t nearly long enough, but it was good while it lasted.

  “Am I going to see you tomorrow?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m taking Sharyn shopping. She’s only in town until Monday morning and I promised.”

  “Oh.” He debated inviting the two of them to dinner, or better yet, inviting Denny along too, but decided not to. He had a ton of work to do. It should keep him occupied enough that he wouldn’t be able to miss the hell out of her every second. “Well, have fun. I’ll see you Monday morning.”

  “Right. I have to take Sharyn to LAX, so I’m going to be about fifteen minutes late. Denny already knows.”

  He was a big boy; he could survive an extra fifteen minutes. He wouldn’t like it, but he’d be okay. “Okay. I . . . I’m going to miss you.”

  She laughed and stroked his cheek. “Silly boy. We’ve never spent a Sunday together since I’ve been here.”

  “Yeah, well count on that changing.”

  As soon as the words were out he wished he could take them back. He might have come off like an overbearing clod.

  She laughed, low and soft. “You Tarzan, me Jane.”

  Yep, a little overbearing.

  “So sue me,” he said. “I’ve recently discovered the joys of spending time with you away from this place.”

  She traced his lips and then dropped her hand. “Thank you for tonight. For everything. I’ll never forget it.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “AJ?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  And with that she turned and got out of his car.

  Long after she pulled out of the lot he sat there, letting the words drum in his chest.

  As he waved at the guard and pulled out through the gates he checked the clock on his dash. Three forty-five. Then he counted the hours until he’d see her again. He’d survive.

  Chapter Fifteen

  AS IT TURNED out, AJ didn’t get to see Tanya at all Monday morning. He was called into an emergency meeting with the new director of the sitcom he’d turned over when he’d agreed to taking on Pretty Women.

  By the time he got to the set, everyone had broken for lunch. And, unfortunately, it was the one day Gran hadn’t shown up to feed the masses, so the place was all but deserted.

  Finally he nabbed Lori as she walked in the door. “I’m sorry I missed taping this morning,” he said.

  She gave him an odd look. “Apology accepted. And you’re apologizing why?”

  “I just promised I’d be here.”

  “Oh, well, can’t be helped. Don’t worry, we only shot a couple of promos.”

  Tanya hated them most of all. “Did it go okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine? Tanya got through it?”

  Lori smiled. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, our shy little girl is growing up. She was nervous
, but not nearly as bad as usual, and by the third or fourth take it was good enough to keep. We did a bunch more than that, but by then she looked bored by it all.”

  Bored? At being taped? “Oh, well, good.”

  “I think you forcing her to watch a final show really helped. She’s really beginning to relax. We’ll see how she does this afternoon. You going to be here in case she needs to be zoned?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “Well, okay, then.”

  Lori started to walk by him, then turned. “Thanks so much for the party Saturday night. It was a lot of fun.”

  “You’re welcome. And, yes, it was.”

  She turned back one more time. “Your hair looks spectacular.”

  “Thanks.”

  She hadn’t been the first person to comment on it, either.

  Tanya didn’t return until nearly one, and AJ hadn’t realized how nervous he was about it until he saw her again. She strolled in with Denny, lost in some debate, when she nearly ran right into him. Mostly because he’d planted himself directly in her path.

  “Oh!” When she saw it was him, she broke out in a smile that could melt Scrooge’s heart at fifty paces. “Hi!”

  “Hi.”

  “Hey, AJ,” Denny said.

  “Howdy. Go away,” he said without taking his eyes off Tanya.

  “Good to see you too.”

  “That was pretty rude,” Tanya said, frowning at him.

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Well, don’t apologize to me.”

  “I’ll apologize to him later. Take a walk with me?”

  She checked her watch. “Sure, a short one.”

  Turning, she headed back to the exit and out into the sunshine. AJ took her arm and steered her down the alley that led to Studio C, which was used mainly for big special effects stunts and wasn’t much in use.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  She smiled up at him. “Gloriously sore.”

  Well, that answered that question. She wasn’t going to skirt or ignore what happened Saturday. “Will you have supper with me tonight?” he asked.

  “I’d love to.”

  He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Great.” Then he took her arm again and steered her into a U-turn.

  “That’s it?” she asked, stopping dead.

  “I’m good to go,” he said. “I just wanted to see you smile and beg for time alone with you. Done and done, so get to work, woman.”

  “Well, I’m not good to go,” she said, unbudgeable.

  Uh-oh. “What?”

  “I haven’t seen you since we made love and you’ve got nothing to say?”

  “Now you want to talk?” he said, fists hitting his hips. “I couldn’t get a peep out of you Saturday night, and now you want to talk? What do you want me to say?”

  “Well, for starters, how about ‘I missed you’?”

  “I definitely missed you.”

  “And, ‘I can’t stop thinking about us.”’

  “You haven’t left my mind since I dropped you off. I even dream about you.”

  “It doesn’t count when I have to prompt you.”

  “I’ll tell you what,” he said, frustrated at all those things keeping him from dragging her home with him right now. “How about if you hold up a sign? ‘Talk’ or ‘Don’t talk’. That way I’ll be sure to know.”

  “You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?”

  His mouth dropped open. “I do, too!” He didn’t know if that was true or not, but it wasn’t as if he’d been given much of a chance to look for one.

  “Do you see one single person around us?”

  She was setting a trap, and unfortunately he had no defense against walking right into it. “No. I brought you down this way so we could be alone. That’s kind of romantic.”

  She blew a raspberry. “Oh, please.”

  “What the hell do you want from me?”

  “A kiss would be nice,” she said, and grinned.

  “Damn female,” he growled, then grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. “You’re beautiful when you’re irrational, you know that?”

  Before she could protest his words, he kissed her, and all of his frustration and temper melted on her soft lips.

  And she kissed him back. If the feeling behind her kiss was any gauge of how much she’d missed him too, he hadn’t been the only miserable person since they’d last been together.

  Unfortunately, she pulled away far too soon. “Wow.”

  “Uh-huh,” he said intelligently.

  “We have to get back.”

  “Yeah.”

  They turned and headed back, walking much more slowly than when they’d been trying to get away. “Where are you taking me to dinner?” she asked.

  “What are you hungry for?”

  “Sushi.”

  “Sushi.”

  She looked up at him and squinted, shading her eyes against the sun. “You don’t like sushi?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never tried it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Isn’t it . . . raw fish?”

  “You don’t like raw fish?”

  “I don’t know, I’ve—”

  “Never tried it. Well, do you like cooked fish?”

  “Very much.”

  “Good. It’s almost just like that.”

  “Except it’s raw.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  They turned the corner and Tanya said, “Okay, if you don’t want to try it, pick something else.”

  “Honey, I’d go to a sumo-wrestling match if it meant being with you.”

  She stopped at the door. “That’s just great. You wait until now to say something really sweet. Man, men are dumb.”

  “But—”

  She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Don’t worry. It’s the sweet part that matters. I need to talk to Denny about something so I’ll see you inside, okay?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He stood there for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had just happened.

  The only thing he figured out was that Tanya Pierce was likely going to be the death of him.

  He couldn’t wait.

  “ADMIT IT. YOU liked the sushi.”

  AJ reached over to the glass and brass coffee table beside his couch and grabbed his wineglass. Lifting his head from the couch pillow, he sipped, then offered it to her. She took a small sip, then licked her lips.

  Note to self: Quench Tanya’s thirst often.

  Depositing the glass back on the table, he worked his fingers through her hair, threading its silky strands gently. “I liked the sushi. A lot, actually. That green stuff was good.”

  “Wasabi.”

  “Right. Spicy. Really good. So, how did you learn about sushi in a small town like that?”

  “You try being friends with Sharyn and not try everything once.”

  Since they’d returned to his house half an hour ago, he had been basking in the feel of her stretched out overtop him, her arms crossed over his chest and her chin resting on her arms.

  So close. So touchable.

  “I promised myself I wouldn’t bring up work tonight,” he said, “but I have one question.”

  “What’s that?” She bent her knees and wiggled her bare toes.

  Even her toes fascinated him. He was in such trouble. “You don’t need me anymore at the tapings, do you?”

  She frowned. “Of course I do. Why would you say that?”

  “Well, you did the promos without me, and you sure didn’t need any prompting from me this afternoon to tape the show.”

  “Promp
ting? Is that what you call irritating the daylights out of me? Prompting?”

  And then it hit him that she hadn’t even been aware that he’d been intentionally making her angry all these weeks. That was kind of endearing. But he also didn’t like her believing he was just a jerk on the set. But looking at her now, he’d rather she thought he was a jerk than think that he’d had to provoke her to get any kind of productivity out of her.

  So he just shrugged. “Well, you know, giving you pointers.”

  “Oh! Oh, no, I like your pointers. I like watching you work. It’s really quite sexy.”

  The hand that had been playing with her hair slowed. “It is?”

  “Incredibly. You’re really good at what you do. I love that.”

  He chuckled and shook his head.

  “What?”

  “That’s how I feel watching you styling hair. You’re so good it’s sexy. I just thought I was a pervert.”

  “If you were a bona fide pervert you’d have had me naked by now.”

  “I fully intend to try to get you naked. But I like just talking like this, too.”

  Her smile was soft. The kind he’d dream about for the rest of his life. “Now see, a sweet thing to say, and your timing is perfect.”

  “Keep that in mind. I’m trainable.”

  “Don’t stop doing dumb male things altogether. I’ll lose my sense of superiority.”

  “Gotcha.”

  She turned her head so her cheek was resting on her hands. “This is wonderful.”

  While she wasn’t looking directly into his eyes, seeing far too much, he screwed up his courage. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure. I might not want to answer, but I’ll never be mad that you ask.”

  “Why haven’t you asked me if I love you?”

  She instantly turned back to face him. He should have known she’d have to look right at him when the question was intense. “That’s easy. Because, one, I’d rather not hear you tell me you don’t love me and, two, I figured if you do, or if you grow to someday, you’ll let me know.”

  “I do, you know. I just have a tough time with those words.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “I can imagine. Didn’t hear that much as a kid, did you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Exactly how many women have you said that to? If you can count that high.”