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  “It’s DiFaba,” I said, licking my lips. “Gianna DiFaba.”

  Barnes gave me a crooked smile that made me want to throw myself into his arms and kiss him.

  “Pleased,” Barnes said. “To see you again, that is.” When Eric wasn’t looking, Barnes leaned in and winked at me. “You look great,” he whispered. “Can I see you again?”

  I smiled coyly. “Maybe,” I said. “I might like that.”

  When Barnes was looking at me, I felt like we were the only two people left in the world. It was crazy – just standing with him in the bright writer’s room was almost as intimate as making love in my bed had been.

  “Well, Gianna, it’s time to get you into hair and makeup,” Eric said. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I nodded.

  “Yes,” I said. “Nice meeting you again, Barnes.”

  As Eric led me down a long hallway, he gave me a curious look. “How did you meet Barnes? I thought you said you were new here. Barnes hasn’t been in town long, either – my buddy tells me he recently moved here from Boston.”

  “Oh, we just had a few drinks together,” I lied. “He’s a nice guy. I’m glad he’s a good writer.”

  Eric nodded, but he still looked troubled. I wondered if he was jealous – he seemed like the type who wanted the sole attention of an actress. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything. Eric stayed professional as he introduced me to the hair and makeup crew, and then he left.

  As soon as I was sitting down in the chair with my hair being pulled in what felt like six different directions, my mind immediately went to Barnes. I couldn’t believe he was here – how on earth did he and I manage to land jobs on the same show? It was insane! LA was huge…and somehow, suddenly, it felt just like Small Town America.

  Makeup took over an hour, and then an assistant helped me into my first costume – a vintage-style dress with bows on each shoulder. As the assistant led me to the set, I began to sweat. What if I was terrible? What if I got fired on the first day?

  That was when I saw him. Barnes, sitting behind a camera with aviator sunglasses perched on top of his head and a smug look on his face. He was looking over a script and nodding as someone chattered in his ear, but I could tell he was focused on what he was doing. He looked so well-suited to the pose that I could hardly believe it was real – it almost looked like a diorama from a museum specializing in American television.

  And that was when I knew – even if I totally screwed up my first day on the set of Heaven Cove, everything would be all right in the end.

  “Gianna, they’re waiting for you,” Eric called. He grinned at me. “Today, we’re going to try something new.”

  “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “It’s my first day on set,” I said. “Everything is new to me.”

  Eric laughed in a way that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. “I had an idea, while I saw you chatting with Barnes,” he said. “I’m going to have Barnes direct an episode – what do you think of that?”

  I blinked. “Um—“

  “Just kidding,” Eric said. “Your opinion doesn’t matter.” He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly for attention. “Everyone, listen up! Barnes is going to be directing today’s episode of Heaven Cove!”

  The set fills silent, and I watched as a lazy, slow grin appeared on Barnes’s face. He got up from his chair and sauntered over. Somehow, he was even more gorgeous now than he had been the night we’d met.

  “Sounds great,” Barnes said. He winked at me, and I felt my cheeks grow hot.

  “Good,” Eric said. He clapped his hands together. “Let’s get moving, people!”

  Barnes directed me to stand in the living room portion of the set. He brushed my lower back with his arm, and I shivered, wondering whether we’d sleep together again.

  When the scene began, I was nervous, but I went through my lines with ease. My character, Marybeth, was flirting with another character named Paul. The actor playing Paul had completely ignored me when the cameras weren’t rolling, but now that we were being filmed together, he turned on the charm, and I found myself awed by the charismatic look in his eyes. I could feel that I was really becoming my character – turning into someone I’d never even imagined.

  And while I didn’t have a lot of experience – or any, really – on set, I had a feeling Barnes was doing a great job as director. His voice was strong and commanding, and I could tell he was having a great time. He even had us go off-script for a couple of short scenes, and while I was incredibly nervous, I somehow sensed that everything was going well.

  When the day was over, I was exhausted. It was crazy to think that acting was almost as tiring as doing something more physical, but I took it as a sign that I’d done a good job throwing myself into my role.

  Just before I went back into costumes, Barnes came up and put his hand on my shoulder.

  “So, Gianna,” he said. “You were great today.”

  I flushed. “Thanks. So were you. I mean, it seemed like everyone was really impressed.”

  Barnes chuckled. It was a pleasant sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Yeah, well, I had fun. It’s a nice break. How was your day?”

  “What did you think?” I glanced up at him and batted my eyes. “Were you impressed?”

  “Oh, hell yes,” Barnes said. “So impressed that I’d like you to have dinner with me.”

  I bit my lip.

  “It’s not a work dinner,” Barnes said. He winked at me again. “It’s definitely a date dinner.”

  “Oh, well, in that case,” I said, flushing hotly. “Sounds perfect.”

  “We’re both new in town,” Barnes said. “Anywhere you’ve been dying to check out?”

  “I miss Japanese food,” I said. “Boston always had great sushi.”

  Barnes smirked and nodded. “Yeah, it did,” he said. “Want me to pick you up?”

  “Yes, please,” I said primly. “That would be lovely.”

  When I got back to the Crown Jewel, I took a long, hot shower and washed the day off before getting dressed in a new strapless cocktail dress that I’d bought. Normally, I wouldn’t have accepted a date on the same day…but I couldn’t deny that my attraction to Barnes made it difficult to stay away from him. At eight-thirty on the dot, Barnes showed up in a limo outside of the Crown Jewel.

  I smirked. “This yours?”

  “Not yet,” Barnes said. “Maybe after a few more seasons of Heaven Cove.” He opened the backseat for me, and I crawled inside, crossing my legs at the ankle and leaning against the rich leather seat.

  I laughed. “It’s nice,” I said, running my hand over the paneled interior.

  Barnes pressed a discreet button on the side panel and a little door popped open, revealing two champagne flutes and a chilled bottle.

  “I thought you might care for an aperitif,” Barnes said. He winked at me and my heart leapt into my throat as he took the bottle of champagne and poured two perfect flutes. Handing one to me, we clinked glasses and drank.

  “This is delicious,” I said. “I haven’t had good champagne since my cousin got married, last summer. My father hates it – he never kept it in the house.”

  Barnes snorted. “I have to be honest with you,” he said, raising an eyebrow and staring at me in a way that made me feel vulnerable. “I hate it, too. But I like everything with you.”

  I smiled. “Thanks,” I said softly.

  When the limo pulled up in front of a gorgeous, lavish-looking Japanese steakhouse, Barnes helped me out of the car and offered me his elbow. I stared at him for a second before accepting.

  “This is like something from an old movie,” I commented as we walked into the restaurant.

  “Well, we are in Hollywood,” Barnes said.

  The hostess took us to a private booth in the back, with high walls that made it feel even more secluded. The walls of the restaurant were aquariums, and fish swam calmly back and forth.

  I snickered. “They don’t know they’re on the menu,” I said, watchi
ng as a large koi swam by.

  “Poor little guys.”

  Barnes snorted. He looked up at me and cocked his head to the side. “You’re funny, you know that?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. I’m not funny – my sister, Diane, she’s the funny one.”

  “Maybe no one ever paid the right amount of attention to you before now,” Barnes said. He leaned closer, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. In the sensual, low lighting of the restaurant, he looked more gorgeous than ever. Just as I was about to close my eyes and lean in for a kiss, the waitress appeared at the side of our table.

  “We’ll take a bottle of sake – it doesn’t matter, just the most expensive – and all the nigiri on the menu, plus an assortment of rolls,” Barnes said. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to me. “I’m here to impress this woman,” he added.

  The waitress rolled her eyes, but she nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said. “Right away.”

  As soon as she was gone, I burst out laughing. “You’re terrible!” I said, giggling and covering my mouth with both hands. “She’s going to think we’re snobs!”

  Barnes shrugged. There was a devilish, roguish look in his eye that made me wet between the legs.

  “I don’t care what anyone thinks,” Barnes said. “I’m tired of that – I left it in Boston, all behind me.”

  I grinned. “I know exactly what you mean,” I said softly. “I feel like a whole new person out here.”

  The meal was absolutely delicious. True to Barnes’s order, our table was covered with the most beautiful display of sushi, sashimi, and nigiri that I’d ever seen. I ate and drank until I felt absolutely stuffed.

  “This was one of the best meals I ever had,” I admitted as we were walking out of the restaurant. The hot, sunny day had turned into a brisk, cool evening and I closed my eyes as a slight breeze ruffled my hair.

  Barnes smirked. “The company wasn’t bad, either,” he said. He grinned at me and leaned down for a kiss, but I pouted and playfully pushed him away.

  “You’re going to have to try harder than that,” I teased.

  “Oh yeah?” Barnes growled. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me close, kissing me passionately. When I felt the muscular bulk of his body pressing against mine, I swooned in his arms. Barnes slipped his tongue into my mouth and nibbled my lower lip, sending waves of pleasure and arousal rushing through my body. I moaned softly as Barnes slid his hands down to my ass and squeezed, hard enough to make me whimper. Inside my panties, my pussy was swollen and throbbing and I desperately wanted Barnes to take me, right then and there.

  When Barnes broke the kiss and pulled away, I was shaking with desire. He took my hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing my palm.

  “So, how was that?” Barnes asked. He smirked.

  I was glad for the dark night – I didn’t want him to see me blushing.

  “It was perfect,” I said softly. “Absolutely perfect.”

  The limo pulled up to the curb and Barnes helped me inside. As soon as we were enclosed in the private, dark space of the car, I slipped onto Barnes’s lap and straddled his legs with my own. Barnes groaned in response, and I could feel that his cock was hard inside his trousers. Feeling his own arousal set me off even further, and I pressed my lips to his in a desperate, passionate kiss.

  “God,” Barnes grunted, pulling away. He nuzzled my neck, pushing my head to the side and nipping at the tender skin. When I felt his tongue licking a long, wet stripe down the side of my neck, I shuddered. The silk cocktail dress was low-cut, and Barnes pressed his face into my cleavage. He gently bit and sucked at my breasts, lifting them one by one. Barnes took one of my stiff nipples into his mouth, rolling his tongue over the swollen, sensitive area until I was moaning and shaking. I tangled my hands in his dark hair and yanked at his scalp until he bit me again, so hard that it almost hurt. The pain mingled with the pleasure rushing through my body and soon I was grinding my pelvis against Barnes’s lap, desperate for contact with his cock.

  “You’re so hot,” Barnes whispered. He pulled his head away from my breasts and looked up at me. Without breaking eye contact, he stuck out his tongue and swirled it sensuously around my other nipple. Barnes used his free hand to pinch and roll my other nipple in his fingers while he bit and sucked. The sensation was heavenly. I shuddered and arched my back, pressing my body against Barnes.

  That wasn’t enough – I wanted to touch him, I wanted to feel him with my own hands and mouth. As carefully as I could in the moving limo, I crawled off of Barnes’s lap and onto the floor, pushing his thighs apart and kneeling between them. Barnes groaned as I rubbed my hand over his cock through the thin material of his pants. He shuddered and gasped, bucking his pelvis against my hand.

  “I want to touch you,” I said softly. I fumbled Barnes’s belt and trousers, pulling them down his hips. His cock sprang free, and I licked my lips, leaning forward and taking the first couple inches inside my mouth.

  Barnes groaned with pleasure. He put his hands in my hair and pushed his hips forward until my mouth was almost all the way down his fat, hard shaft. I’d never thought that giving head could be sexy – after all, this was my first time – but suddenly, I understood why women enjoyed it. It was more than just sex.

  It was power. I held Barnes in my mouth and hands, and he was trusting me to pleasure him, trusting me not to hurt him. As I sucked and swirled my tongue around the head of his cock, I wrapped my hand around the shaft and began pumping up and down. Barnes’s ecstatic reaction was immediate. He grunted and rasped with pleasure, groaning my name with every thrust of his cock into my mouth. Before I knew it, something hot and salty gushed over my tongue, and I swallowed, pulling away and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

  “God,” Barnes said, flopping against the seat. “That was incredible.” He looked at me and smirked. “Thank you.”

  I leaned in for a kiss. Barnes pulled me close, and I crawled back up on the seat and rested my head on his shoulder.

  “You know what?” I asked, gazing up at Barnes and smirking.

  “No, what?”

  “Now you totally have to buy the car,” I said teasingly. “Because no one else is going to want it after that.”

  Dipping his face to mine, Barnes kissed me softly. “Well, then, I guess that’s what I’ll do,” he murmured in a husky whisper. “Anything to make you happy.”

  Chapter 8

  Barnes

  I couldn’t believe it – just a couple of weeks in LA, and I was feeling like a new man. I had a new job, a new woman in my life, and an unbelievable sense of energy and reinvigoration that was like nothing I’d ever felt. I hadn’t even felt this good in college, and that had been almost two decades ago.

  That night, I took Gianna out dancing at a fancy club, then for a late-night meal at a posh steakhouse. Seated across from me with her long red hair in a high bun and her cheeks glowing pink from the dancing, I realized that I was falling in love.

  “Tell me about your family,” I said, taking my glass of wine in one hand. “What are they like?”

  Gianna made a face. “Nothing to talk about, really,” she said. She sighed.

  “Oh, I’m interested.”

  Gianna wrinkled her nose. “You shouldn’t be,” she said. “They’re just the typical overprotective American parents.”

  I snorted. “I have a hard time believing that when they raised such a wonderful daughter,” I said.

  Gianna rolled her eyes. “I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, when I was growing up, I was close to my mom. But all she cares about is appearances, and charity balls. They basically treated me like a prisoner in my own house, like I was made of glass or something. It was seriously awful. I couldn’t even spend the night with my best friend without fending off an argument.”

  “Really?” I frowned. “That’s surprising.”

  Gianna laughed, but she didn’t sound amused. “Why?”

  I shrugged and took another l
ong sip of wine. “Because, you’re a smart, strong, independent woman.” I glanced at her – the poised way she was sitting and looking at me like I was actually a man deserving of such beauty. “And I have a hard time believing your parents would’ve tried to suppress that.”

  “They did,” Gianna said. “My younger sister, Diane, is dealing with the same shit now. She’s only twenty-one, and she’s got a lot more ahead of her…at least, unless she gets married.” A sour look came over Gianna’s face, and she reached for the bottle of wine, filling her glass nearly to the brim.

  “That’s a little young to get married,” I said.

  “Yeah, but if she doesn’t get married, she can’t move out. And ever since…” Gianna trailed off and flushed.