Stage Left (Bright Lights Billionaire #1) (6 page)

"Nope." Deza let out a soft sigh as her face filled with sadness. "That's my Darren."

Chapter 7

Riley

I was grateful to see Darren on the stage waiting on me. Getting the text from him that I was in without submitting my audition material was the sign I needed. I hated to lie to Charlotte, but there was no way I was sending in a voice clip with me reading some sexy line. No way.

"Hey. There's my girl." Darren turned and reached for me, pulling me into a quick hug. "You nervous?"

My heart was beating a million miles a minute from seeing Ethan standing out in the parking lot. I'd done my best to ignore him, which might not have been the smartest move on my part, but I didn't care. I was there for the audition as a favor to Darren and to right the wrong of lying to Charlotte.

Where Ethan Lewis was the hottest thing I'd ever laid eyes on, I wasn't going to hang on his every word, or treat him like the god he most likely thought himself to be. If nothing else, he would meet the one girl in LA that wouldn't hit her knees for him, no matter the size of his crotch cup.

"Not at all." I stepped back and glanced around. "Any idea why they would let us in as one of the ten to make it through the door? We've been trying for this for the last four years and coming up short."

"I'm honestly not sure. Ethan's agent is my ex-wife, so I'm pretty sure she had no part in it. She's still pissed about us breaking it off." He glanced over my shoulder and let out a long sigh. "I miss her like a mother fucker, but she's a different woman now. Important and high on the horse. Watch yourself around her. She's not interested in anything but money. Got it?"

"She sounds like you." I smirked and turned as a pretty Hispanic woman stepped up on the stage and extended her hand to me.

"You must be Riley. I'm Deza, Ethan's agent." She glanced over at Darren. "Hi, Darren. Nice to see you again. Thanks for coming on such short notice."

"Yep." He moved past her and hopped off the stage.

"I appreciate the opportunity." I shook her hand and kept my eyes on her as Ethan jogged up the stage to stand beside her.

"You look so familiar to me." He extended his hand as I turned my attention toward him. "Your picture didn't at all do you justice by the way."

"No?" I shook his hand. "I'm Riley Phillips. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lewis."

He smirked. "It's Ethan. Please."

"Sure." I turned back to Deza. "I'm supposed to be at work in a couple of hours. How long is the audition, and what does the timetable look like?"

"A woman who can respect time, I like it." Ethan moved toward me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

The smell of his cologne wrapped around me and dragged me farther in the need to whisper naughty things in his ear as we put on a show in front of everyone. I'd giggled half the night before, playing the scene over and over in my head.

I wasn't getting the part, but it would be fun to fuck with the great Ethan Lewis. Even if to tell Charlotte all about it and nothing else.

I pulled out from under his arm slowly, not being dramatic with my movements. "So?"

"We're going to do the audition right now. It shouldn't take five minutes, and then you can go." Deza smiled, turned and walked off the stage.

"I think she likes you." Ethan winked at me. His playfulness was cute, but I'd been around actors all my life. He was as fake as a mannequin in a department store.

"Really? What gives you that impression?" I reached down and tugged my shirt off, leaving my white bra on display. Charlotte had dragged me to Victoria's Secret to find the sexiest bra we could for the audition. I was rather mortified that my first real audition was going to happen with me in a bra and a pencil skirt, like some naughty secretary, but whatever. It was something I could mark off my bucket list.

His eyes widened as they dragged across me. "Wow. You don't have to go after we're done, by the way. You could hang out. I could sign something for your friends? Your mom?"

"Right. Thanks,” I mumbled and glanced over toward the director as he clapped his hands.

"I'm Frank. Nice to meet you Riley. Beautiful attire for the part. Exactly what we asked for. Your make-up even looks nice." He smiled. "Do you know your lines?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded at him and turned back to Ethan. "Take your shirt off. It's not in the scene that I'm taking it off for you. Let's stick to the script."

"Yeah, of course." He nodded and pulled it off, glancing down as he tossed it off the set.

My eyes moved over the thick swell of his shoulders, the delicious sculpture of his chest and abs. They had him in the gym more than he needed to be, but I couldn't complain. Every cell in my body lit on fire standing that close to him, but nothing compared to the way I felt when he glanced up and smiled.

"Like what you see?" He licked at the side of his mouth, playing with me.

There's the real man beneath the mask.

"You're flesh and blood just like the rest of us." I cleared my throat and turned to the director, waiting on his cue.

"Remember," he called out to us. "High intensity. You've decided that even though Ethan is a married man, all bets are off. You're going to have an affair, and come hell or Jesus himself... it's happening."

"Is Jesus in the movie?" I asked, unable to help myself.

The older man chuckled, as did Ethan. "Careful, pretty girl. Everyone might fall in love with you, and then what?"

I turned back to Ethan, feeling far too bold for my own good. "And then I'll take your place and
you
can stand in line to see me woo America on the big screen."

He tilted his head a little, studying me. "Did you go see my latest movie?"

"I'm alive and breathing, right?" I reached out and touched the side of his face as the director snapped his clapper.

"Action!" Frank yelled.

"Flesh and blood," Ethan whispered without moving his lips and gripped my hips, making sure to rub his thumbs over the skin just above my skirt. His voice was deep, compelling, fucking sexy as sin.

"Tell me one reason why we can’t make this work?" He took a step closer, his eyes filled with so much passion that it burned me.

I slipped into my role. Ethan Lewis was my only desire and there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for him. It almost scared me how much I wanted to dive into my mask just to keep myself from feeling anything for the icon.

"Because you're a good man. I don't want to be the reason that changes." I let out a soft sigh and slid my hands down his chest, leaning in and brushing my nose by his. "Tell me no and I'll go. Please."

I put on my best performance, forcing my features to soften just a little and yet still holding in my gaze that he had no choice but to take me to his bed for a long afternoon of fucking.

He panted softly and turned to Frank. "Cut. Give me a second."

"What?" I pulled back and turned to look out at Darren, lifting my eyebrow.

Ethan walked to the edge of the set and jumped off, jogging toward the bathroom. "Gotta piss. Sorry."

"Wow." I walked toward Darren and knelt down in front of him.

He reached up and popped my bra strap. "I don't think he's gotta pee. You look stunning. Why the fuck were we doing gum commercials? Victoria’s Secret would pay top dollar for a girl like you prancing around their stages."

"That's the reason right there." I pushed at his chest. "I don't prance."

"All right. Where were we?" Ethan walked up the stairs and turned to me. "Let's go."

"I was waiting on you." I moved toward him and got back in position.

Frank let out a sigh. "Ethan, you good or need us to wait a few minutes?"

"I said I was good. Stop acting like I don't have the right to take a piss. Deza forced a bottle of wine on me this morning." He gripped my hips and turned to face me with fire in his eyes. "Let's go."

"Right. Action," Frank called out.

"Tell me one reason why we can't make this work?" He brushed his thumbs over my sides and licked his lips as his eyes moved down my face.

The fucker was trying to outdo me. No... seduce me. Me! Really? Give me a fucking break. Game on.

I stepped closer and reached up, touching his face and rubbing my thumb over his perfect lips as I opened my mouth a little and took a quick inhale as if I were having trouble breathing due to his nearness.

"Because you're a good man. I don't want to be the reason that changes." I let out a soft sigh and slid my hands down his chest, leaning in and brushing my nose by his. "Tell me no and I'll go. Please."

He ran his hands over my hips and down the curve of my ass, squeezing softly as a growl left him. "Maybe I'm not good at all. Maybe for the first time in your life, you've judged wrong."

"I doubt it." I let my eyes move up his face before clasping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. A moan left me that wasn't part of the script, but was very much part of the game.

He tightened his grip on me and tilted his head, forcing my mouth open with the sweet press of his strong, wet tongue.

I jerked back. "Your tongue wasn't in the script."

"Cut!" Frank called and laughed loudly as I moved back and wiped at my lips.

"Jeez." I gave him a look and turned to face the crowd. I was overdoing it, but in all honesty... I didn't want the part. It was too real to hang on through scene after scene of pretending that I wasn’t interested.

"Wow!" Frank walked up to the set and tapped the floor of the stage. "Do you two know each other? Have past history?"

"No," we said in tandem and glanced at one another. The light dusting of pink on Ethan's handsome face let me know one thing. I wasn't the only one affected by our teasing.

"Well, I have a boner. That was delicious and was two seconds long." He turned to the crew. "Anyone else get a hard-on?"

I furrowed my brow, not understanding if that was a term they used for liking something or if they really had-

"Hey." Ethan tugged at my arm. "Sorry about the tongue. I got too into it."

"It's all good." I glanced back at him, wondering if I'd misjudged him.

"Great job." Deza hopped up on the set and walked toward us. "We'll be in touch, Riley. Thank you so much for coming on such short notice."

"Absolutely." I moved to pick up my shirt and pulled it over my head. My eyes locked onto Ethan’s as he watched me unabashed. I couldn't help but glance down at the bulge at the front of his slacks.

The smirk that lifted his lips left my nipples tightened.

"I see you." He chuckled. "Not subtle at all, are you?"

"I'm wondering if you have a cup on." I walked over to him. "I figure this might be the last time I get to see you face to face, so... inquiring minds want to know."

"Dear Lord," Deza murmured and turned, leaving us standing together on the stage.

"Reach out and find out what you want to know, Riley." He tilted his head before pulling his slacks open. "Or reach in... check out the goods. Tell all your friends."

"I don't have friends." I winked and turned, walking to the edge of the platform and hopping off.

Darren moved up beside me as I tucked in my shirt and worked to not turn around and blow the sexy bastard behind me a kiss.

We made it into the parking lot before I started to hyperventilate. We walked to my car with his arm around me and concern on his face.

"Damn, kid. I had no clue you started acting the minute we walked in there." He opened the car door for me. "You okay?"

I took a deep breath and nodded before getting in my car. "I will be. Call me."

He moved back as I slammed the door and pulled out as my arms started to shake. Ethan fucking Lewis. I couldn't wrap my mind around it, and talking it out with Charlotte would help, but it wasn't happening. The last thing I wanted to do was give him the power to consume my thoughts.

I'd almost gotten out of the parking lot when I saw him running out of the set toward the car.

"Looks like something out of a love story." I rolled my window down and lifted my eyebrow at him as he leaned over, panting loudly.

"Fuck, I'm outta shape." He glanced around. "Don't go. Come back in here and watch these other girls flunk the audition. It will remind you just how talented you are."

"I gotta get to work, besides, I'm not cut out for movies. Too much of an investment I think. I'll stick to commercials." I smiled in the cheesy way I had to in the Trident commercial.

"Holy shit! That's it." He moved back, laughing. "You're the sexiest Trident girl I've ever seen."

I rolled my eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Lewis, but please... don't stop."

"Ethan. Call me Ethan, Riley." He stood up and tapped on the windowsill. "Nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"Unfortunately no. Get back in there and steal the hearts of the next seven women."

"Are you saying I stole yours?" He lifted his eyebrow, the cocky guy I'd shut down coming back in full force.

Which one was he? There were so many personalities that I'd seen just in the short time I was on the set.