Black Kiss_A Dark Romantic Thriller Read online

  Dax comes to my side and whispers something into my ear. It’s hard to make out the words through the sound of my heart pounding, but I try. “Don’t be nervous. You’ve got this.”

  That’s all the assurance I need to relax. Dax is here. He will help me. He wants me to have this role as much as I do.

  It makes it easier that we have already kissed and it would hopefully come naturally, that part at least. The problem is that I’ve never done a sex scene before and I have no idea how it’s going to play out. I practiced the scenes several times inside my head and watched lots of movies to prepare myself, but I’m still a complete beginner at this.

  “Ready?” Damien gets up from his chair and plants himself in front of the table. He folds his arms, tucking his hands under his armpits. His gaze moves to Dax. “This is the first night with your wife after you’ve come back from war. You have been separated for a whole year. Tell us, no, show us what you would do to celebrate your reunion. We want to feel the chemistry all the way over here.”

  As I had been told to do earlier, I lie back on the bed and close my eyes briefly, drawing in a breath, putting myself in the moment.

  Dax leaves the room briefly and returns as Gordon Berkeley, a soldier who returns home in the middle of the night to find his wife sleeping. The moment I hear him, I turn to face the other side. I fling back the covers and jump out of bed to throw myself into his arms. Since we’re both too happy for words, we don’t speak. We communicate with our bodies.

  He lowers his mouth to mine and parts my lips with his tongue. I’m surprised at how natural the kiss feels and the kinds of emotions it awakens in my body. For a moment I forget about everything else in the room as I push myself onto my toes to dive deeper into his kiss. I pretend to be the soldier’s wife, a woman who had been terrified that her husband might not return home. I slip into her skin, into her mind, into her body.

  I’m completely in the moment as Dax sweeps me off my feet and lowers me onto the bed. Still not speaking, he takes his time to remove my clothes until I’m only wearing my underwear. He strips to his briefs and lies down next to me, pulling the covers over us. With our bodies out of sight, his hands slip into my bra.

  I tense up and start to panic, but before I lose my nerve, I bring myself back to the scene. Dax draws me closer to him until our bodies touch. I can feel his body heat. I can smell his sweat and cologne. His stubble presses into my skin. My body bristles with desire. Maybe I’m not supposed to feel this way. This is just acting, but why does it feel so real? As he kisses me deeper, I forget there’s anyone else in the room.

  “So far so good,” I hear Damien saying from a distance, but his words do not break the moment. “Now make love and make it real.”

  Laughter breaks out in the room, but we ignore it.

  Dax slides a hand behind my back and unclips my bra like a professional. I make all the right sounds as I arch my back, my eyes squeezed tight. I throw back my head and allow him access to all parts of me—my neck, my lips, my breasts.

  And then, he moves his lips to my ear. “Are you all right?” he whispers. I’m pretty sure his words are not part of the script.

  Reluctant to return to the real world, I whisper, “yeah.” But I don’t open my eyes. I don’t want to see that this is not real.

  As though my answer is permission, he slides his hand down my body, across my belly until he reaches into my panties. Then I freeze.

  “It’s okay,” he whispers again, so low that only we can hear the words. I bite hard into my lip, so I don’t scream out with pleasure as he starts massaging sensitive parts of me.

  “You guys are great,” someone says from a distance. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

  I’m pretty sure this is not supposed to happen. It’s only supposed to look as if it is. Although it’s a steamy movie, it’s not porn. I don’t think he’s allowed to have his hand inside my panties, to be dipping his finger in and out of my vagina. But I can’t stop him. I don’t want to. I’m too weak to pull back from his touch.

  “Pretend you’re putting on the condom, Dax,” Damien calls out. “In the drawer. It’s been a year. Your wife stopped taking the pill.”

  The heat of the moment is not broken as Dax opens a nightstand drawer and removes the condom, which he pretends to put on under the covers. Except that he’s not pretending.

  My lips part to release a gasp as I watch him slide the condom over himself. From the way the bed is positioned, and the shelter of the covers, I’m the only one who can see what he’s up to.

  I’m still wondering what he plans to do next, whether I should tell everyone what’s going on, but before I can do anything, Dax lowers his body onto mine again and pushes my legs apart with his knees. Before I can remove myself from the situation, he moves my panties aside and slides into me.

  Instead of screaming out with shock, I find myself moaning as my body responds to his, allowing him to fill me completely. I find myself exploding with heat.

  Dax Pierce, a man I’d had a major crush on, is fucking me during an audition and I’m helpless to stop him. My mind is telling me to put an end to it. My body refuses. He feels so good inside of me, as if he belongs there. I’ve had sex before, but never like this. No man has ever made me feel this way before.

  The moment is supposed to be fake, but the sounds echoing on the walls are real. The orgasm that builds up in the pit of my belly and shatters me, is much too real to be fake.

  The grunts of pleasure Dax releases into my mouth as he kisses me don’t sound fake either.

  Once it’s all over, we fall into each other’s arms. As I lay in the embrace of my fake husband, panting and vibrating all over, I pray I’ll get the part. I need to feel Dax inside of me again, even if it’s during a game of pretend.

  As soon as Damien says, “cut,” applause rings out in the room, and Damien tells us we did an amazing job. Everyone agrees that the chemistry was off the walls.

  I bite back a secret smile as I get dressed again, trying to hide my nakedness with the covers.

  Damien throws his hands into the air. “Dax, you were right, we’ve got a winner here. She was fantastic.”

  “I told you she would be, Damien. I should get out of here.”Dax puts on his clothes and strides out of the room without giving me another glance, which makes me feel a bit lost.

  As I walk out of the studio, I should feel proud of myself for getting the part on the spot, but I don’t know if I have a right to. I feel like I cheated. And I feel guilty for not feeling guilty. In fact, I feel happier than I’ve been in a long time. I got more than a job today. I got Dax to make love to me. I had the best sex of my life. I have a feeling that underneath those covers, he had felt something too. There was something there, something deep, something that went beyond acting out a role.

  This can’t be it. I want more of him in real life.

  I get behind the wheel of my car determined to make him mine. I don’t care what anyone says. I’m not only going to date Dax Pierce, I’ll be the woman that sticks around.

  Chapter Six

  “You didn’t eat much.” Dax points at my half-eaten pomegranate chocolate dessert. “Don’t you like it? Would you like something else?”

  I glance down at my food and then back up at him again. “No. It’s delicious. It’s just that I’m really full.” I purse my lips. “I kind of had something to eat before I came over.”

  We’re sitting at the table in the outdoor kitchen of Dax’s penthouse. Xavier, his personal chef, had just served us a four-course meal and I don’t think I can fit anything more into my stomach. But I think my appetite also has to do with the fact that I have so much on my mind. When he asked me to come to dinner, I was both excited and nervous at the same time, as I always am whenever I’m about to meet him.

  “You shouldn’t have.” He leans back. “I did say I was going to feed you.”

  “Yes, you did. I just didn’t expect so much food.”

  He puts down his spo
on and reaches into my soul with his gaze. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something else going on? I thought you would be excited that the filming is over.”

  The months that we spent filming Velvet Flame together were both thrilling and nerve-racking at the same time. I was both disappointed and relieved that we never made love again in front of the camera. With so many people around, it would’ve been too easy for someone to figure out what was happening. Since that time at the audition, Dax had been completely professional around me. Too professional for my liking.

  Even though outside of work, we met a couple of times for drinks, there was always someone else with us, other cast members, producers, sometimes the director. In the brief moments where we were alone, I tried to bring up the incident, but he always found a way to kill the conversation and talk about something else. I soon came to the conclusion that perhaps that day was just a moment of weakness on his part and I shouldn’t have read too much into it.

  Even though I didn’t want that to be the last time we were intimate, my mind told me it was for the best. The last thing I need is to taint my reputation just as my career is getting started. But it’s still confusing, because sometimes he looks at me in a way that makes me feel as though he wants to be more than friends. And I was even more confused when he asked me out to dinner tonight, telling me he couldn’t wait to see me.

  “Of course I am.” I pause. “Do you think we did a good job?”

  He gives me a bright smile. “You nailed every scene.”

  I return his smile. Maybe he’s right. For a person who was very new to acting, I did receive a lot of compliments on set. The more compliments sent my way, the more confident I became in my role. Even though our sex scenes were only an act this time, being close to Dax was exhilarating, and the kisses felt real. It was easy to act as his lover given that I’m so attracted to him. Now that the film is over, I can’t help wondering whether the final product is what the producers had envisioned. One just never knows.

  “Thank you again for making it possible for me to get the part, for recommending me.”

  “You’re very welcome. Now it’s time you stop thanking me, Emma. I like to think we’re friends. Friends help each other.”

  I wrap my arms around my body, suddenly feeling cold. “Is that what we are?” I can’t help myself. After eight months of wondering if I have a chance with him, it’s time for me to know where we stand, so I can decide whether to move on with my life or not. I do have other men interested in me, but although I had gone out on several dates, no one has stuck in my mind because Dax occupied it.

  “What do you mean?” He peers at me intently, his gaze piercing through me.

  I snatch a breath from the balmy evening air. It’s now or never. “Dax, I think we should discuss what happened at the audition.”

  A faint smile touches his lips, but he doesn’t say a word as he continues to watch me in the candlelight.

  “I know you are uncomfortable talking about it,” I continue. “Every time I bring it up, you find a way to change the subject.”

  “Is that what I’ve been doing?” He blinks. “In that case, I apologize. The thing is, Emma, I like to be professional when it comes to my work. That day was not part of my plans. It shouldn’t have happened.”

  I avert my gaze to hide my hurt. “So, it meant absolutely nothing to you? That’s what you’re telling me, right?”

  Dax rises from his chair and comes to stand behind me, placing both hands on my shoulders. “I wouldn’t put it that way.” His fingers brush against the sides of my neck and the tips of my shoulders. “You see, Emma, it’s very hard for me to focus when you’re around. It was damn hard fighting the urge to fuck you again on camera.” He pauses and removes his hands from my body. When he speaks again, his voice is low, raw, and sexy. “Now that the filming is over things are, of course, different.”

  I try not to smile as I look up. “What do you mean?” He doesn’t have to answer for me to know he means exactly what I want him to mean. But I need to hear the words. I’m in no mood to play games.

  He places his lips on the top of my head for a brief moment, then steps away. “We’re done here,” he says, leaning against the railing. “I planned on feeding you more dessert, but since you’re no longer hungry, I can think of better things for us to do with our time.”

  “Is that so?” I stifle a giggle.

  “Yeah.” He pushes away from the railing. “There’s something I need to show you.” He reaches for my hand. I don’t think twice as I get to my feet and follow him inside.

  On the way to the stairs, we walk past an antique claw foot table holding a stack of tabloid magazines. A silent shudder ripples through me when I think of the rumors being spread around about him. Some say he’s dating a supermodel, that it’s his first serious relationship. But if he’s really dating someone else, why am I here? Why would he invite me for dinner at his place? Why is he holding my hand right now? But what if the rumors are true and I’m just about to set myself up for major heartbreak?

  “Is everything all right?” he asks when we reach the foot of the sweeping staircase.

  “I don’t know.” I let go of his hand. “It’s just that I heard that you’re seeing someone . . . Apparently it’s serious.”

  He pushes his hands into his pockets. “And you believe everything you hear? Well, I hope you will believe me when I say, everything you heard about me is not true.”

  I tilt my head to one side. “So you’re single, then?”

  “Let’s just say, I’m not attached to one woman . . . yet.” He reaches for my hand again. “Now do you want me to show you that thing or not?”

  I banish my fears to the back of my mind and allow him to lead me up the stairs and through many hallways. We finally make it to a pair of French doors, which he pushes open with his body.

  On the other side of the door is a room bigger than my entire apartment, furnished with a bed that could fit a family of six, plush carpeting, and chandeliers. Expensive artwork, portraits of Dax, and awards hang on one wall. He closes the door behind us and my pulse starts to race. My body is aware that something major is about to happen.

  “Remove your clothes so I can answer your earlier question,” Dax orders.

  I push a hand through my hair, giggling. “Are you serious?”

  He moves to the bed and sits, his eyes fixed on me. “I never say anything I don’t mean. Do as I say. Remove those clothes before I cut them off your body.”

  My temperature rises as though a fire had been lit below the surface of my skin. He has answered my earlier question without doing anything yet. He has confirmed this thing between us is real.

  I don’t think twice. Since the audition of Velvet Flame, there’s only one other thing I wanted more than becoming a star—Dax Pierce. I bring my arms to my back and unzip my crimson, stretchy cocktail dress. I take my time doing it. I hold on to his gaze as my dress slides down my body and falls at my feet. I’m not wearing anything underneath. When I came over tonight, I had hoped he would want to continue what we started at the audition.

  With nothing else holding me back, I place one foot in front of the other and start walking toward him. He parts his legs to allow me to wedge between them.

  “You naughty girl,” he growls. As soon as the words leave his mouth, he gets to his feet fast. The next thing I know, my back is flat on his bed

  “I’m always the one in the driver’s seat.” He lowers his lips to mine and devours me. The only break he takes is the time he needs to roll a condom onto himself while I lay panting on the bed, my lips throbbing from his hungry kisses.

  He doesn’t waste time, doesn’t make me wait too long. With his clothes still on, he takes what he wants. I match his urgency with my own hunger for him. With each powerful thrust, everything melts into the distance—my fears, my future, my past.

  He places his hands on my wrists, squeezing to the point of pain. But I don’t stop him. It feels too good. He feels
so good. One hand releases my wrist and slides underneath my back, pulling me closer as he fucks me harder. His impatient hands knead my skin almost painfully, painfully beautiful.

  As we orgasm right behind each other, there’s no doubt in my mind that this thing between us is magic. We are pure magic together. Now that I know he wants me as much as I want him, I decide I’m never letting him go. Dax Pierce is mine to keep.

  He holds me for a long time afterwards. In the comfort of his arms, I fall asleep without planning to.

  When I open my eyes after what seems to be a couple of hours, I find Dax standing next to the bed. My stomach rolls when I focus on what he’s holding.

  “Whaaa . . .” I feel my eyes bulging from my head.

  “Hush,” he whispers. “Don’t make any sudden movements. You’ll scare her.”

  By “her”, he means the green snake inside the glass case in his arms. As I watch the animal squirm and coil itself up, my stomach turns. I’ve always been terrified of snakes.

  “This is Ruby, my pet snake.”

  “Why?” I shift away slowly, distancing myself from Dax and the snake. Every inch of my skin is prickling with fear. “I don’t like snakes. They scare me.”

  “They scare a lot of people. Don’t be afraid. I won’t let her hurt you. I just wanted you two to meet.” He gazes down at the case. “Since you’re both a part of my life.”

  “If you want me to remain a part of your life, keep your . . . keep that thing away from me.” My voice comes out in a harsh whisper. I can’t understand why he or anyone would keep a pet snake.

  He sits down on the bed and I move a few more inches away. “You don’t have to worry about bumping into each other. I keep Ruby in her own room.”

  “Why do you have a pet snake? And you have a name for it?”

  “Because snakes are the most beautiful animals in the world and not enough people love them.”