Lip Action (Kiss Talent Agency Book 1) Read online

  “Not yet, but obviously you have no intention of doing so. Why is that? Because you don’t want to tell your mom about all the actresses he’s screwed? How his ex did a tell-all interview, describing how he screwed her over in their relationship and then dumped her without batting an eyelash?” Charles’s words seem to spill over, like he can’t help himself from giving me every bit of dirt he’s dug up. “He’s not a good guy, Rissa.”

  “And you are?” I grit my teeth. “You don’t know him.”

  “I know enough from what I read in the tabloids. And so should you. I know how you love your tabloids.” He comes toward me and takes my hands. “He’s just using you. You know that, right?”

  “Oh?” I snort. “And what is he using me for?”

  It’s obviously not the sex, since according to Charles, I was never that good.

  Charles looks at me like I’m crazy. “Your family’s money, Marissa.” He’s wrong about that, but it still doesn’t mean that it hurts any less. “Men like him with women like you…the combination doesn’t make sense. Do you think he’s really fallen in love with you?”

  The words hurt, but I try not to show it. We don’t make any sense at all, and I know it. I know Simon’s not going to fall in love with me. A guy who dates gorgeous actresses would never fall in love with someone like me. I know this. But hearing Charles say it makes my heart crack regardless. I pull away from him, saying in as steady a voice as I can muster, “Simon and I have been honest with each other. And my mother does not dictate who I date. If she did, I’d still be with you.”

  Charles narrows his eyes at me.

  “So unless you’ve got some other information to give me, I’d recommend you leave. Now. Because you and I? We’re over. Whomever I’m dating now is none of your concern. And I warn you, Charles, if you have any ideas about going to my family and bad-mouthing Simon, know this…I’ve kept quiet about your cheating. If you force my hand, I will go to the press. I will make it my mission to smear your name. You of all people know the power my family name holds. I’ve never used it before, but I will use it for that. So do not test me.”

  Charles’s expression is so dumbfounded I want to laugh, but I can tell he’s taking my threat seriously. I turn away, but not before he yells after me, “Simon will kick you to the curb as soon as he can, but don’t come crawling back to me when he does!”

  His voice is drowned out as I shut the door to the entrance, but I realize I’m shaking with rage. I go to the bathroom to try to calm down. Luckily, no one else is inside. I lean over the sink and chant to myself, “Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry.” I refuse to let that miserable cretin make me cry. I won’t let his words get under my skin.

  But that doesn’t mean that some of them don’t burrow under my heart anyway. I know I’ve been hoping things might become real between Simon and me. I’ve been trying to deny it, but it’s right there, glaring at me. I can’t let myself fall for him because in this, Charles was right: Simon is too good, too perfect for me, and he isn’t going to stick around any more than Brian Hall had.

  * * *

  “So, change of plans.”

  I’m walking inside my house when Simon nearly jumps out from the bushes.

  I jump back, startled. “Holy shit, you scared me.” I gulp in a breath. “Do you normally hang out in people’s shrubbery?”

  “Only when a van of journalists is following me. Sorry,” he says, genuinely apologetic. “They must have gotten wind I’m being considered for Perfect Union because they normally don’t bother with me.”

  I quickly pull him inside. That’s all we need, for the press to run a story about him dating me, and for my mother to catch wind of it. I was honestly surprised that Charles came to me about Simon before my mother, and I can only hope my threats to expose his cheating will keep him quiet. “What’s happened?”

  “Nothing. Or rather, I know we were going to go to dinner with Spires and Noble tomorrow. But Noble called to invite us to his lake house instead. Apparently the weather’s supposed to be beautiful and his wife decided to throw a bit of a party before the ball.”

  “Oh, okay.” Ripples of worry travel up and down my spine. I know this is a good thing for him, but a lake house means……sunbathing. And……bathing suits. Two things that are as exciting to me as the plague.

  I stop freaking out in order to remember it’s not all about me. “But…this is good, right? It sounds like they’re really interested in you.”

  He nods as I drop my stuff and head into the kitchen. “Possibly. That act you did last week, at Declan’s office, really seemed to do the trick. But I mean, Dakota’ll be there for sure because she’s their only choice to play Charlotte. I’ve yet to find out if Liam Hyatt is also invited.”

  I stop and walk back into the living room where I can see his face so I can tell if he’s kidding. He’s not.

  I am going to a party where I have to wear a bathing suit. And Liam Hyatt might be there, as well as a bunch of other Hollywood actors.

  Kill me now.

  I go back and gaze into my fridge, eventually deciding I’m too tired and depressed to eat anything besides some ramen noodles.

  “Are you sure they’d want me to come?” I ask, feeling woefully inadequate all over again.

  “Of course. You’re my girlfriend, aren’t you?”

  At that word, my heart flutters. Stupid, stupid heart! I put on a pot to boil some water.

  “Well, if it’s okay with them, it sounds…” Horrifying. “Fun. I’ll take the day off from work.”

  “Good, and be sure to bring a swimsuit.” I can almost hear him waggling his eyebrows. “Preferably a string bikini.”

  Ugh. The one swimsuit I have is a black one piece that I haven’t worn in two years.

  “You are hopeful, aren’t you? What if I show up wearing a swim dress and white sunscreen on my nose?”

  “Then I’ll just have to get underneath that skirt of yours, won’t I? I always did like a challenge.”

  I dump the noodles into the barely boiling water. “You’re ridiculous. You know that, right?”

  “So I’ve been told. But it’ll be fun, I promise. Plus you can use all that Woodcrest charm on Spires and Noble as much as you want. Wearing a string bikini or not.”

  I hum a little, thinking. I haven’t worn a two-piece swimsuit since high school, but why not try something more daring? I was already going shopping anyway. At the thought of Simon seeing me in a bikini, I shiver and realize I don’t give a crap about what Liam would think. All I care about is what Simon thinks. Will his blue eyes darken with desire? I’ll be honest, I’ll wear a thong and nothing else just to see him look at me like that again.

  “Marissa, are you there?”

  I stop stirring and look up at him. I realize that this is kind of odd, us, here, acting like boyfriend and girlfriend, without anyone to act for. And it almost feels natural. Right. “Yes, sorry. What was the question?”

  Simon laughs softly. “I asked how your day was.”

  Before I realize what I’m saying, I blurt out, “Charles came by my office.”

  Simon doesn’t say anything. Then I hear an irritated noise. “Why the hell was The Prat there today?”

  “He told me he knows who you are,” I say quietly. He closes his eyes and curses, but I quickly say, “He hasn’t told anyone. And I threatened to expose him for being a cheating bastard if he gives us away. He believed me. I don’t think he’ll say anything.”

  When Simon just looks at me, a frown on his face, I force myself to continue. “But if you want to call things off now, I understand.”

  He hesitates but then shakes his head, and I have to be honest, relief courses through me. “No. We’re in too deep. I’m willing to take my chances. But are you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you, Marissa. But if he shows up again, call me. I’ll take care of him.”

  With that, my heart softens. Façade or not, Simon sounds concerned for me.

 
I raise an eyebrow. “Take care of him? Why do you sound like the mafia right now?”

  I turn off the burner, dumping the noodles and hot water into a bowl. The steam rises upward as I pour in the oh-so-healthy flavor packet. Mmm, ramen noodles.

  “Just tell me if he’s bothering you,” he grinds out. “You will, won’t you?”

  I stir my bowl of salty goodness. “Of course. I appreciate that you care. I might even buy a bikini to reward you.”

  He laughs, and it warms my insides. “You little brat. But I’m going to hold you to that. A string bikini or bust, darling. I want to see all of your best assets.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Marissa

  Friday, standing in front of the mirror in my room in the lake house, with every goose bump I possess poking out from my skin, I’m telling myself I can do this.

  The salesgirl assured me that I look great in this bright red bikini. I’d been on such a high that I believed her. But now, looking at myself in the glaring light of day, I’m not even sure I have the courage to go out with my cover-up on. I suck in my stomach, turn to the side, and see another stretch mark that surely hadn’t been there a day before.

  Freaking Dakota probably doesn’t even know what a stretch mark is.

  I brush at it, and then roll my eyes, because that’s only going to make my skin red enough to match the bikini. I then make the very huge mistake of looking at my ass in the mirror. I yelp. Since when was my ass so gigantic? And not the good, Kardashian kind of gigantic. Gigantic in that it seems to spread outward far more than is socially acceptable.

  I’m about to hide under the bed when there’s a knock on my door. “Marissa?” It’s Simon. “You ready to head downstairs?”

  No! I’ll never be ready! But in a fit of what was either extreme bravery or extreme stupidity, I didn’t pack any other swimsuit, and I highly doubt I want to borrow a suit from Tilly, who wears swim dresses but is also the size of a toothpick. I groan quietly, pulling on my cover-up and hoping I can just keep it on for the entirety of the weekend.

  I open the door to see Simon dressed in swim trunks, a towel over his shoulder, and with those gorgeous, rock-hard abs on full display. God, he has a face for the ages, completely memorable, like Harrison Ford or Sean Connery. Unlike me, he looks like he belongs in this world of A-list celebrities. And the truth is, though Alien Love is cheesy stuff, he and he alone elevates that show from complete drivel. He’d make an awesome leading man. Noble and Spires would be out of their minds to cast anyone else, I think, as he gives me that cocky half-smile.

  “You ready, darling?”

  I bite the inside of my cheek. “Of course. I have my gallon of sunscreen, too,” I joke, holding up my beach bag. Although I’m not really joking, as I need about a gallon to protect my fair skin from the sun.

  “I’ll be happy to rub it all over you,” he says, guiding me out. I shiver as he touches my shoulder, imagining him putting his hands all over me. I can tell he’s trying to see what I’m wearing underneath my cover-up. Too bad I’m going to disappoint him by keeping it on all afternoon.

  “Good news,” he whispers as we make our way down the stairs. “Liam isn’t here. Not sure if he had a conflict, or what, but…” He waggles his eyebrows at me.

  “Oh. That’s good. Now you can schmooze your way into their hearts without him getting in the way.”

  “That’s the plan, darling,” he says, giving me a squeeze, just as we run into Spires and Tilly and a handful of their friends. Noble is there, although he’s solo and sitting on a towel, gazing out onto the lake, sipping a craft beer. It’s rather strange to see the guy who looked like such an intimidating person wearing swim trunks and sunglasses like any other lake goer.

  “I’m kind of surprised Noble isn’t wearing a Speedo,” Simon says in my ear.

  I almost drop my bag. “Thanks for the image, asshole,” I say with a laugh.

  He shrugs, a grin on his handsome face. “You’re very welcome. Hey, maybe I should’ve worn a Speedo? Shown off the goods?”

  I look down, and then blush as he sees me looking right at his crotch. “Your goods don’t need any help,” I mutter. “Besides, I’d very much like to keep them all to myself.”

  As he whispers in my ear, “They are all yours tonight,” a shiver runs through me.

  “Marissa, Simon!” Spires comes walking up, his arm slung around his very skinny wife. “Are you going to swim? Or just sit out in the sun? Tilly and I don’t usually get in the water, but we like watching other people do it.”

  Tilly sniffs a little. “I’m not much for algae getting wrapped around my ankles.”

  “Tilly here prefers pools full of chlorine.”

  “Oh, I’m not much for lakes either.” When everyone looks at me, I add, “Once when I was a kid, a fish bit my big toe when I went swimming in a lake. I pretty much refused to ever do it again.”

  Everyone laughs. “I’ll protect you from any toe-biting fish,” Simon says.

  My heart warms despite myself.

  We go down to the shore, which is sandier than I’d expected. Oh, look, there’s Dakota, drinking a margarita on the pier. And... “Didn’t that guy win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor a few years back?” I ask, nudging Simon and fangirling all over the place. “Oh, my God, is that—”

  He nods. “Calm.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I whisper, slapping his side. This is all so terrifying. “My heart’s beating out of my chest. I’m going to faint. How can you be so relaxed?”

  “Actually,” he whispers back, grinning, “I was telling myself to be calm.”

  Oh. I have to laugh. He’s doing a very good job at acting, I realize. It’s funny with him. I can’t tell where the act ends and the real Simon begins.

  Simon and I lay out our towels and I begin putting on sunscreen, hoping he doesn’t notice that I’ve yet to take off my cover-up. But as I’m trying to get sunscreen on the back of my neck, he sits down behind me.

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to take this off?” he asks, plucking at the navy blue cover-up.

  I freeze as a couple of movie-star thin blondes parade by. Simon doesn’t even give them another glance, but it doesn’t matter. “I don’t think—I think I’d rather not take it off.”

  He doesn’t say anything at first, and I wonder if he’s pissed at me. Then I feel pissed that he’s pissed, because shouldn’t I be allowed to wear whatever I want? I turn to give him a piece of my mind when I realize he’s just smiling at me, a rather secretive grin.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing. But I can see that you’re wearing a two-piece, which makes me think you bought it after we talked. So I’m surprised you’d waste time and money for something you aren’t even going to show off.” He grins a little wider. “Besides, these are Hollywood actors. The stuff about us having egos? Utterly false. We’re the most insecure bunch of people you’ll ever meet. Look at them all. They don’t care about how anyone looks except themselves. If you feel too uncomfortable, you can always put this little number back on.” He plucks at the cover-up once again.

  I hate to admit he’s right. And the salesgirl assured me it looked good. Okay, that was her job, but still. Plus, Spires and Tilly are down on the pier, and their group of friends is out on the lake. I look around, like someone’s going to pop out of the trees, and then throw off my cover-up in one fell swoop before I rethink what I’m doing.

  Simon doesn’t say anything. I’m not sure if his eyes are roaming this sea of massive white gooseflesh in front of him, because I can’t look directly at him. All I know is, he’s not saying anything. Why isn’t he saying anything? I look that bad? I’m sheepishly looking for my cover-up when I feel his hands on my shoulders.

  “Is your goal in life to continually torment me?” he growls near my ear. “Because if so, you’re doing a marvelous job.”

  I turn, and his blue eyes are so dark they seem black. I shiver, but this time, it’s not in fear. It’s in excitement. I give
him the bottle of sunscreen. “How about you be useful and put that on my back?”

  He squirts the white liquid into his palm. “Of course, my lady.”

  The sunscreen is cool while his palms are hot, and I know he’s rubbing and stroking beyond what anyone needs to do to put on sunscreen. His fingers dip below the ties of my bikini top, brushing my skin. I blush all over. When his long fingers dip into my bikini bottom, I’m not sure if I want to slap his hand away or tell him to keep going.

  “Do I really have to sit here all afternoon and look at you with your luscious breasts and ass almost bared for the world to see?” he asks as he kisses my shoulder.

  I smile. “You were the one who insisted on a string bikini.”

  “This is my fault? Cruelty, thy name is woman!”

  “If you’re good,” I find myself saying, leaning toward him, “then maybe you’ll get to see what’s underneath all of this.”

  He groans and fake-collapses onto the towel. I laugh and roll my eyes.

  We sit out in the sun for a while, but I must admit, it’s rather hot out. I start sweating, and despite the possibility of fish nibbling on my toes, the lake looks like a great idea. Standing up, I hold out my hand. “Let’s go swimming.”

  He pushes his sunglasses down, assessing me. “What about those naughty fish?”

  “I’m sure you can keep them away.”

  He takes my hand, nodding decisively. “Of course I can. I shall protect my lady from all fish nibbling attempts.” Then he swoops down and picks me up, and I squeal. He carries me into the water and then unceremoniously dumps me into the cool lake.

  I splutter and swim back up, splashing water into his face. “That wasn’t very gentlemanly!” I protest. I can hear everyone else laughing at our antics.

  “I never claimed to be a gentleman.”

  I splash him again and proceed to launch myself onto his shoulders, trying to push him into the water. He’s too strong for me, though, and he just traps me against his shoulder and carries me further out into the lake as I laugh like an idiot.