HOT SET: Playing with Fidelity (A romantic suspense novel) (28 page)

At the full-pressure of his mouth,
Kate felt her head spin and felt her eyes fill with tears behind her closed lids. She felt raw endorphins hit her feet and back to her skull. Her hands lifted to grip the front of his shirt, drawing him closer. Her world was this kiss. She opened her mouth fully and their tongues slid together, flitting like hummingbirds, tasting each other, dancing an ancient dance that was very, very new. She was pressed up against him so firmly, that breathing was becoming hard.

Unbelievable
! What is this
?

‘This’ was the most conn
ected she’d ever felt to anyone; the universe so perfectly aligned it was like Rhys and Kate had been lovers again and again in previous lives.

Her mind unconsciously pleaded with
him,
oh don’t stop, please don’t
! And as if reading her mind, Rhys pulled her closer, spread her lips wider and slid his tongue in again to play with hers.

Their world was black; their closed eyes and ears shutting out everything but this heady touch. The amazing kiss continued for an eternity of a moment as the two covetously took from each other.

Then, they slowed, lips still moving together but with less urgency, until they were back at the beginning, just holding lips; just feeling. They parted.

T
hey pressed foreheads together; neither could open their eyes. They were stunned and trying to get the world to stand still, his hands still in her hair, her arms wrapped around him, breathing hard.

The room was silent in self-conscious voyeurism, embarrassed to be watching the
ir intimate moment but not able to turn away. All eyes were on the entwined couple leaning heavily against each other, their foreheads still touching, both looking down with their eyes closed.

Kate
was the first to open her eyes and at the first hint of lucidity, noted the box she was standing on.

Her eyes opened wide
.
Oh no
!

She snapped her head up and looked into
Rhys’s face, seeing the unfocused gaze, the slightly puffy lips still hovering so close.
My God, what have I done?
She took a step back off the block but he followed, hands still tangled in her hair. She shook her head, the awakening for Rhys and he relaxed his hands and watched the black strands slowly slipping across his palm and through his fingers. Something sinister in him wanted him to hold onto those strands, knowing that he was losing her, wanting her to stop. But she didn’t. Her eyes never left his face, the self-recrimination already starting to build in her mind and her stance. With the power of her expression, she threw up an invisible wall between them so impregnable he roared in his head. She put even more space between them until she was several metres away.

“
Kate?”

Mac’s voice sounded alien in their confusion and
Rhys turned towards the sound, making the final break in their tenuous moment. Mac was looking at Kate’s pale face as she stared fixedly at Rhys, watching her clench and unclench her fists at her sides. Then, with a whimper, she spun on her heel and staggered towards the big door to the studio, hauling the heavy obstruction with strength born from desperation and the last Rhys saw of her was her stumbling up the green-walled corridor outside.

“
Wait! We’re not finished,” yelled Barry.

Rhys
turned and looked at the stunned witnesses to the most passionate encounter he’d had in his life. Between his rapid heartbeats, he felt embarrassed and turned and went the other way to Kate, leaving quickly through a fire exit, not even the alarm bells stopping him from jumping from the top step to the bottom in one leap, running full-pelt towards the car park and his car and a moment later, driving off in a cloud of smoky tyres.

Kate huddled on the floor of the shower, her arms wrapped around her legs, rocking back and forwards. The water washed down her shoulder and back. She’d been in here for a long time, trying to wash away that kiss.

It wasn’t working.

She felt so ashamed for her infidelity, even if that what it was. She’d kissed Rhys with every amount of desire in her being. She wanted it. Wanted him to throw her down on the camp bed in the tent and take her then and there.

Unfaithful
. Adulterer!

She’d cheated on Mark
.

She wanted to cheat again.

You stupid, stupid, stupid bitch!

But nothing
really happened, spoke her mind’s reason.
This is your career, Mark accepts this. He won’t know if you tell him. Besides, it was only the first take and they’ll do more tomorrow…

Oh
, she’d have to do it again.
Please God, get me through this!

The door to the bathroom opened.

“Honey? You okay?” Thankfully, it was the nice Mark.

“
Yeah Mark, I’m just not feeling well.”

“
Okay. Well, let me know if I can get anything for you.”

“
Thanks sweetheart. I’m getting out in a moment.”

“
No worries.” Mark started to back out of the door.

“
Mark?”

“
Yeah?”

“
I love you.”

“
I love you, too.”

And the door closed
. Kate dropped her head to her knees and started to cry.

Kate dragged her feet slowly through the same door she’d flown out of the day before. Upon entry, she peered through her long curls to access the furore, or hopefully the lack thereof, and to her relief, everyone was behaving normally. As she walked towards make-up, people greeted her as they usually did and all seemed to be well. She breathed out, dropped her shoulders, then walked more confidently towards the tables.

Rhys
came around the corner of a set. They saw each other and stopped. Kate dropped her head and went to see Brian to get her hair done. Rhys sat down next to her.

“
Morning!” He sounded cheerful but the tightness around his eyes told her differently. Surely she’d be going to hell for being able to read him like that.

“
Hey. How was your night?”

“
I’ve had better. Yours?”

“
Me, too.”

Brian joined them and chatted rapidly between drying and scrunching. Barry scuttled up to hand them their production schedules for the day and
Kate noticed with trepidation that she was right; they were reshooting the kissing scene. She glanced quickly at Rhys who’d also noticed and he held her eyes briefly. She couldn’t read him that time.

An hour later, they were back in the tent and this time when they kissed, both had shut down their feelings so well, Mac called a cut a few seconds in.

“Again!”

And so they did with the same results.

“Come on, you two. Put some life into it. I’ve seen better kissing from a Barbie and Ken doll.”

B
y the sixth take, Mac gave up and much to Kate’s relief, they moved onto other scenes.

Later that night, Gary, Barry and Mac were reviewing the dailies. They watched the footage of the kiss scenes and with the first one, all three shifted slightly, unable to remain unaffected by the chemistry discharging from the screen.

Mac
spoke, “we don’t have the best angle and we’ll have to edit the end… but that’s by far the best.”

“
Absolutely,” said Gary. “The graphics guys can touch it up but it’s workable.”

Mac said,
“that’s going to make the movie.” The others nodded.

“
It’s a WRAP!” Mac yelled and everyone cheered while Mac slumped theatrically into his chair and rubbed his face, Barry collapsed next to him.

Now
, the editing and sound team took over while the distribution team would start pushing the film at cinemas in as many states as they could. Publicity would begin soon with a launch party yet to be scheduled.

Until then, it was time to celebrate the end of filming.

The wrap party was scheduled for that night. It was held at Ripples, a famous seafood restaurant located in newly converted wharves next to Sydney Harbour Bridge. The restaurant was situated over the water with wide berths on either side.

Kate
and Mark walked in holding hands. She was wearing a short, loose, gold dress with a square décolletage and multiple shoestring straps. High, strappy heels adorned her freshly pedicured feet. Her dark hair had been straightened, scooping across her left eye and reaching to her lower back, accompanied by large pendant diamond earrings. Mark was wearing his best black suit with black tie and looked handsome next to her. She was greeted by very enthusiastic partiers and was swept in with Mark barely able to hold onto her. Drinks were ingested liberally and enormous seafood platters being held by practiced wait staff were being demolished as soon as they entered the room. A DJ had been hired and the dance floor was literally jumping.

“
This is crazy!” Mark yelled into Kate’s ear.

“
I know!” she yelled back, laughing. The atmosphere was awesome.

She met Jane and her fiancé and the women greeted each other with a
hug and outfit perusal.

Then a cheer erupted as
Rhys walked in with a stunning blond woman. He was wearing a black suit with an open jacket, a black, silk dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and the collar folded over the jacket lapel. His hair had been tied back, his stubble once again tamed and the sideburns gone. He wasn’t the gentle man from the desert anymore; he was the quintessential, untouchable movie star.

On his arm was Amelia.
She’d flown in the day before; a horrifying flight that she’d only just survived thanks to Business Class. Rhys had arranged for a driver to pick her up and after arriving at his apartment, she was so ridiculously glad to see him, she dragged him immediately to bed for a lustful reunion.

Tonight, she was wearing a short, dark blue mini dress that swept over one shoulder. It was bunched in at the waist with a built-in belt and the top half was
ruched in folded netting, giving it depth. Her hair had been teased heavily and rolled back in a high roll off her face. She was wearing open-toed gold heels, gold hoop earrings, gold bracelet and gold clutch purse completing her outfit.

They were the perfect Hollywood couple.

Sweeping into the crowded room, Rhys high fived, shook hands and banged knuckles while Amelia held onto his left hand possessively, glancing around her with half lowered eyes. They met Mac sitting at a table and he introduced Amelia and they sat down; the elite had gathered.

An hour later
, Kate came out of the trendy frosted glass toilet cubicle to meet Amelia coming in. Kate greeted her with a big smile and held out her hand.

“
Hi, you must be Amelia. I’m Kate.”

Amelia touched her hand briefly but didn’t shake
. “Oh yes. I’ve heard of you.”

Her smile was forced and far from amicable. Amelia looked
so classy, her willowy figure towering over Kate. Looking up at her, Kate felt like she did at the architect’s party last year; dumpy and underdressed. If only there was a plant to hide behind this time.

“
Oh, okay. All good, I hope?” She laughed uncomfortably.

“
Hmmm,” Amelia responded and took a step towards one of the cubicles.

“
Did you just fly in?” Kate was babbling. What she really wanted was to leave but she couldn’t bare the idea someone disliked her and tried to make amends.

“
Yesterday. Then I went straight to Rhys’s. We made up for lost time, if you know what I mean.” The over information was on purpose and Kate again laughed uncomfortably to cover the unaccountable jealousy that had flared.

“
Sure. Okay, I’d best get out to my husband.”

“
Yes,” and Amelia closed the door.

“
Bitch,” Kate muttered as the toilet door closed behind her.

Just outside the door was
Rhys. Kate immediately slowed as she moved closer. His face relaxed and he dropped the celebrity persona.

“
Can’t believe it’s over, huh?” he said softly.

“
Yeah. What a ride. Are all movies like this?”

“
Oh no. This one was definitely exceptional. Life changing, in fact.”

“
I just met Amelia. She’s beautiful.”

“
Yes. Oh, I brought this back for you.”

He dug in his pocket and brought out the medallion. He’d tied some thin leather through the hole
.

“
You can wear it around your neck now.”

“
Oh, thank you! I thought I’d lost it. I like the leather. But, why are you giving it to me now?”

“
I just kept on forgetting to bring it to work.”

He pressed it into her hand and held it for just a fraction
longer than necessary and they stared at each other and smiled softly, a shared secret passing between them. Mark walked around the corner and Amelia opened the bathroom door at that very moment and both saw them.

Kate
dropped Rhys’s hand and holding out the medallion to her husband to cover getting caught, said, “look, I got this in Central Australia. I thought I’d lost it but Rhys brought it back.”

“
Oh,” was all Mark said, his jealousy and rage barely controlled. The pounding started in his head.

Amelia stood at the door with her arms crossed, not saying anything, her practiced restraint successfully hiding the anger at seeing
Rhys with Kate.

Mark pulled
Kate away. “I want to go now.”

“
But we’ve only been here an hour.”

He gripped her upper arm and smiled. Through clenched teeth he snarled in her ear,
“now.”

“
Okay, if that’s what you want.” Kate smiled at placed her hand on his arm so onlookers couldn’t tell they were fighting. “I’ll just say goodbye to Mac and Jane.”

“
Fine, but I’m going to be outside.”

Kate
said goodbye and mumbled excuses about not feeling well and she strode straight-backed through the exit and followed a furious Mark to the car.

She didn’t know how she was going to get out of this one and just opted for passive silence.
Again.