Command Performance (32 page)

“Is it one of yours?” she asked, closing the clippings folder.

“It’s one of mine, but I think you’d be better for it. The female role, I mean.”

Miri crossed to him intending to look over his shoulder, only to be embraced and drawn into his lap. He started to tell her the story of the film, pointing out the salient parts of the script, the scenes he liked, but then the lights flickered. Another sharp clap of thunder, and they went out completely, the torch songs going silent as well. In the sudden darkness Miri felt a frisson of fear, but Mason was holding her, a strong, warm force at her back.

“It’s amazing Ava can sleep through the noise of that thunder,” she said.

“If she wakes, Greta will soothe her.” The sultry edge in Mason’s voice made her shiver. She felt his lips at her ear, nibbling, teasing. “Miri, my love. Do you know what?”

“What?” she whispered.

“Something about thunderstorms really turns me on.”

She giggled as he traced the contours of her breasts beneath her strappy nightgown. “Everything turns you on.”

“You turn me on, all the time,” he said. “I blame you for everything.”

Miri gasped and sighed, then pressed back against him. He made a sound, a sharp groan, and pushed her down to her knees in front of his chair. She heard the script swept aside, a ruffle of pages, and then a thump as it hit the floor. Miri fumbled with his boxers in the dark. He accidentally bumped her with his knee as he shimmied them down and kicked them off. He leaned down and put his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She laughed softly. He’d worry about a little bump like that and then turn around and whip her bottom until she begged for mercy. Oh well, it all made sense to them.

Miri took Mason’s cock in her hands, stroked it, enveloped it with her mouth as thunder rumbled in the distance. He bucked his hips, trapping Miri’s face between his hands. Sometimes lightning flashed and she’d see Mason’s cock, Mason’s balls, Mason’s abs bunching as he thrust into her just enough to excite her and make her feel powerless, but not so much that she gagged.

“Ohhh...” she moaned against his shaft.

He made a feral noise and pulled away from her. With a quick movement, he lifted her and dumped her on the table on her back. In another flash of lightning she saw him arch over her, his face etched with desire and craving. She spread her legs and welcomed the pressure, the pleasure of his length and girth. He drew her legs up over his shoulders, leaning forward to fuck her harder and cinch her nipples in a biting grip. The sagging table creaked in complaint and started inching across the tile floor.

“Fuck,” Mason said. “Hold on to me.”

She slid her legs down and braced them around his waist as he stumbled with her over to the couch. For a while he bore her down into the scratchy chintz cushions, kissing her, driving into her with an intensity that matched the storm outside. Then he withdrew and grabbed her hips. “Turn over.” He arranged her on her knees, had her brace her hands against the high, upholstered arm. “Hold on, baby, because I’m about to fuck you to oblivion.”

Ha. She was already almost there. She loved this about him, his passion, his intensity. She loved the way he grasped her and manipulated her, the way he possessed her and focused all his attention on her like no other woman existed. He was
hers
. She didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky. She didn’t know how she’d resisted him for so long, or how she’d ever believed there was no hope for them. Now, she couldn’t imagine life without him.

“Oh, yes, yes, yes,” he chanted behind her. He reached around to cup her mons and play with her clit, and she arched back against him, thrilling to the feel of his broad chest at her back.

“Oh God,” she cried. “Harder!” Mason complied and fucked her harder, although he never hurt her—he always tempered the force of his passion, which is why she always felt brave enough to egg him on. She put a hand over his on her clit, holding it so she could grind against his palm. Then, ahhh...her climax was there, hot and pulsing, so strong it nearly rendered her insensible. Amid the buzz of satisfied release, her spasms of ecstasy, she slipped on the arm of the couch and fell over it with a yelp. Mason laughed and landed a whack on her ass as she braced her arms against the floor to keep from totally falling over. He ground her hips down against the padded arm as he tensed inside her and came in a burst of quick thrusts.

Then, rather than help her up, he tumbled down to the floor with her.

“This is not dignified,” Miri complained as they landed in a tangle.

“If you wanted dignity, you attached yourself to the wrong person.”

Miri shook her head at him and laughed. He grinned at her like a satyr, her sexy, virile man.

“I think that couch is a hundred years old,” he said, nodding at it in the dark. “We’re lucky it held up.”

“A hundred years old?”

He winked at her. “It’s probably been fucked on a time or two.”

“At least one time,” Miri answered. “The antique dealers would be horrified.”

He reached out to stroke her shoulder, then slid his fingers down to take her hand. “They’re just things. The antiques, the houses. They’re nothing compared to you. Compared to Ava. I feel like I had nothing until you came to me, even though I had tons of things. I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t have to. I understand.”

Another flash of lightning lit up the room, but the storm seemed to be moving on. The thunder sounded far off, just a rumble. Mason squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her palm.

“There’s something I want to ask you, Miri. But you can’t say no.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you really asking, then? Or are you telling? We’ve talked about the distinction before. Because if you’re asking, that implies an actual choice—”

He put a hand over her lips until she fell silent, then brushed his fingers down her cheek. “I want to marry you, baby. It’s past time. Let’s get married when we get to Ireland. Let’s get you that big-ass, heavy-duty slave collar. I want to grow old with you.”

Miri felt a flutter in her chest, her heart expanding in happiness. She tapped her cheek and pretended to consider his words. “Grow old with me? You’re already pretty old, aren’t you?”

He made a warning sound as he rolled her onto her back. “You are so, so lucky, you little minx, that noise would be an issue right now. Otherwise I would tie you to that table and do everything in my power to make sure you couldn’t sit for a week, using a barrage of your most hated implements—and my cock for good measure.”

Miri shivered and snuggled into his arms, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed he couldn’t follow through on his threats. Well, there would be other opportunities where noise didn’t matter, opportunities she hoped he would capitalize on, even if it hampered her sitting. They were going to get married. They’d have a lifetime of opportunities. She gazed up at him, letting him see all the love in her heart.

“You’re not old, you beautiful man. You’re perfect. I thought so from the start, way before I ever met you in person. But back then, I had stars in my eyes. Now I see clearly, and I realize you’re even more perfect than I gave you credit for.”

“Even if I’m a clumsy, insensitive jerk?”

“Even then,” she said, nodding her head. “Anyway, you’re only clumsy and insensitive half the time.”

The threatening glare deepened before his face transformed into his trademark smile. “Answer me before you get yourself into more trouble. Are you ready to marry me or not?”

Miri didn’t even have to think about it. She squeezed him in a Mason-like hug, the kind of smothering, affectionate hug she’d never experienced until he’d brought it to her life. “Yes, let’s get married in Ireland. Let’s grow old together. Or in your case, older.”

“That’s it. You’re fucked.” He tickled her until she screeched and begged for mercy—so much for keeping down the noise. Then the lights clicked on again and the torch songs resumed from the radio on the kitchen counter.

Miri gazed at the man lying beside her on the floor, his lips forming hopelessly garbled attempts at the French words. He sang to her even though he wasn’t quite in tune. In fact, he was way off-key.

Non, je ne regrette rien.

Car ma vie, car mes joies, aujourd’hui, ça commence avec toi...

The caliber of his singing didn’t matter in the least to her. His voice was still the most beautiful sound on earth.

Miri took one last look at her makeup in the mirror. As for the rest of her, well...she’d done the best she could with the help of her long-suffering stylist. She opened the door to find her husband sprawled across the bed with a massive bouquet of flowers lying beside him.

“Oh, baby,” he sighed. “You look beautiful.” He held up the bouquet. “Wanna go to the prom?”

Miri laughed. “Do I have a choice?”

He stood and crossed to her with the flowers, taking her in his arms. He pressed a careful kiss to one meticulously made-up cheek. “No, you don’t have a choice. Attending the Golden Globes as a Best Actress nominee is one of those things you can’t blow off.” His hands slid lower, to caress her hugely distended belly. “And since you probably won’t make the Oscars...”

“Argh. Your fault! If you hadn’t gotten me pregnant with twins, I wouldn’t look so ridiculous in this circus tent of a gown.”

“It doesn’t look like a circus tent.” Mason traced the ornate braiding of the amethyst-colored, fitted bodice that cinched just beneath her breasts, then flared out over her bump. “It looks beautiful on you.” He shot a look down her cleavage. “And I have to say you fill the top out nicely.” He couldn’t resist a pat and a grope.

“I fill the bottom out nicely too,” she grumbled. “But if you think I look okay, I’ll take your word for it. At least I don’t have to wear any of those space age mega-cinchers around my waist.”

“I doubt they make them big enough.”

She beat him with the flowers until blooms carpeted the floor.

“I was joking, honey,” Mason yelled, ducking away from her final swat. “Anyway, you’re having twins in a month. This is how you’re supposed to look. And it’s absolutely beautiful.” He pulled her close, soothing her, stroking her coiffed hair and the jeweled necklace standing in tonight for her collar. “You’re the most beautiful, most talented woman in the world. I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud to be your husband and stand by your side.”

Miri rested her head against him and relaxed into his embrace, at least as much as her belly would allow. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too, baby.”

The door flung open and Ava barreled in, Greta at her heels. Their daughter snuck in between them, hugging their legs, before she noticed the flowers littering the rug.

“Oh, Mommy, Daddy, it rained flowers!”

“No, honey,” said Mason. “Mommy beat Daddy with a bouquet.”

Miri shushed him but Ava had already tuned them out, collecting colorful blooms by the fistful. “Be good for Greta tonight,” Miri said. “Mommy and Daddy will be home very late, so you’ll have to let Greta brush your teeth and read your bedtime story.”

“Mommy! I like it better when you read to me,” Ava whined.

“That’s because Mommy is an award-winning actress,” said Mason.

Miri glared at him. “I haven’t won yet. You just jinxed me.”

“What does ‘jinx’ mean?” Ava asked. Before anyone could answer she galloped around them with her flowers chanting “Jinx, jinx, jinx, jinx.”

Greta swept her up in her arms and smiled at Miri and Mason. “Good luck tonight. We’ll be watching the broadcast.”

Miri kissed Ava’s forehead, brushing back her messy dark locks. “If Daddy’s jinx didn’t work on Mommy, I might be able to wave at you from TV, okay? But then it’s going to be bedtime.”

“Okay. Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy.” Ava tucked one of the flowers into Mason’s lapel as he gave his daughter a kiss. Out in the limo he looked down at it and smiled.

“It doesn’t look half bad. That girl’s got style, I’m telling you. And she didn’t get it from me.”

“You look very handsome,” Miri argued, turning her clutch over and over in her lap.

He took one of her restless hands. “Don’t be nervous. Whether you win or lose, you did an amazing job on that movie. You did what you wanted to do. You proved to everyone that you’re talented and absolutely fearless”—he kissed her palm—“which I always knew.”

She blew out her breath in an attempt to settle her racing pulse. “Maybe that’s why I’m so nervous. Such a big success right out of the gate. How am I going to top it?”

He grinned and leaned back. “I don’t know, but you will. And I, for one, am looking forward to watching you try.”

*** *** ***

Mason was on edge whenever he took her anywhere these days. She seemed so vulnerable with that big belly. He was at her shoulder the whole way down the red carpet, holding her arm in case she fell off balance or tripped on her voluminous gown. He felt better once they were seated at their table. Nell and Jeremy were at the same one—enough time had passed since the sex scandal that even Shane Greenberg agreed they could be seen together. Anyway, Mason was a family man now.

Twin boys on the way. It would be a fun ride. Nell fussed over Miri’s baby bump and then the women were off talking about babies and childbirth—Nell and Jeremy had just welcomed a baby boy the year before. Rhiannon was a doting sister and Nell assured Miri that Ava would love her baby brothers too. During a lull in the conversation, Jeremy congratulated Miri on her nomination. He was nominated too this year for a competing film. There had been lots of playful trash talking in the weeks leading up to the awards season, but Mason’s money would always be on Miri. He was so proud about the success she’d found since they returned from their trip around the world a couple years ago.

She hadn’t ridden his coattails. He hadn’t taken her to parties or begged his friends for roles for her. No, she’d gone out on her own and found scripts she was passionate about. She’d ingratiated herself with directors and producers she liked and networked with other actors until she got in on the projects she was interested in. Within the first year, she’d landed a leading role and knocked it out of the park. Now scripts were delivered every day, even some they could work on together. Acting with his wife...hmm.