Risk Taker by Sonia Stanizzo

Chapter 16

Holly stood in the catering tent set away from the filming equipment. Day two on the job and Holly was still pinching herself. If she had any doubt about what she wanted to do as a career, it’d flown out the window. Transforming people into characters just by applying makeup gave her so much satisfaction.

What if she told her parents this is what she wanted to do with her life? Tell them that working for the family hotel chain wasn’t a career she wanted to continue with. Would they remove the conditions from her inheritance and let her follow her dreams? They made it clear she needed to return in six months. Threatened she’d lose the money if she didn’t. Surely, they were bluffing? What if they weren’t? Could she let go of everything she’d left behind, permanently? For the last few months, she’d scraped by. Having no money wasn’t fun.

Her gaze flicked to Ethan where he stood talking to Trudy. Even dressed in a dirty suit with black smudges on his face, he was still the best-looking man she’d ever seen. Leaving Sydney meant leaving him. No, he’d be leaving her. Without hesitation, he told her his career came first. Even though she knew nothing could grow between them, a surge of disappointment at what might have been pressed heavy against her heart.

It didn’t stop the flutters in her stomach when she looked at him.

“You going to keep staring at Ethan or pick a muffin? The banana ones are my favourite.” Simone, nudged Holly’s shoulder and gave her a playful grin. “I don’t blame you for looking. He’s hot and actually really nice. A rare combination in this business.”

Holly didn’t argue. She pulled her attention away from Ethan, to watch Simone pile her plate with muffins, scones and apple pie.

Her brows lifted. Simone shrugged and said, “I haven’t eaten in five hours.”

“No judgement,” Holly laughed and loaded her plate up to match the hairstylist.

“Those calories are going straight to your hips.” A deep, rude snicker sounded behind them.

Both women swung around. Shaun stood in front of them with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Men like me don’t like women who let themselves go.” He sneered at Holly.

“It’s a good thing I like women then. And Holly has better taste in men,” Simone said as she took a huge bite from her banana muffin.

Shaun’s face grew red, his glare centring on Holly. “You made a mistake at the club. I could’ve been your ticket to better things. You screwed up your chance. Don’t come crawling back to me when you need a career boost because no one will hire an unqualified makeup artist.” He inspected Holly from head to toe with a curled lip before marching away.

“I told you looks and being nice were rare in this business. What’d you do to be on the receiving end of his death stare?”

Holly’s palms grew sweaty and she scrubbed them on her jeans. “Threw my wine at him when he wouldn’t keep his hands to himself.”

Laughter bubbled from Simone, “Yep, that’d do it.”

Holly swallowed hard. Maybe she could’ve handled the situation a little differently. Oh well, too late now. Even so, her interaction with Shaun bothered her.

“Thanks for sticking up for me,” she said.

“Any time. Don’t worry about the things he said. He’s all talk and only thinks of himself. He’s probably standing in front of a mirror as we speak admiring how beautiful he is and already forgotten what happened here.”

She hoped so and planned to avoid Shaun as much as possible.

* * *

Twice Ethan came close to seriously injuring himself. He liked to perform his own stunts and todays were relatively simple. All he needed to do was dive from, what the set department made look like the side of a building, into an open window of another one a couple of metres away. In the first attempt, he missed the window and slammed into the side of the wall. Thankfully it wasn’t really made from solid bricks and he was attached to a cable or he would have dropped five metres to the ground. In the next try, he thought he’d cleared the opening, but his knees hit the windowsill. They’d be black and blue the next day. It was more his pride that was bruised. He never messed up such simple stunts. He knew the reason for his clumsiness. He’d lost his focus. A sexy brunette makeup artist had stolen his attention, and she didn’t even know how much she affected him.

Earlier today, if Holly hadn’t stopped things in the car, he didn’t know if would’ve had the good sense to. Having sex on the side of the road was not his ideal place. He would’ve driven her to the nearest hotel. She needed to be sure if she wanted to take things further and he’d respect her wishes and would do what he promised. Not touch her unless she asked. God it would be hard to keep his hands to himself.

Thinking about Holly caused him to lose focus and every time he was about to do his stunt, she came into his line of sight. Although she stood in the shadows, he still spotted her in the dark and then he’d fumble around like an amateur.

“Take a break while we check the rigging. It’s probably a bit off,” Stan said.

It had nothing to do with the rigging. The only thing off was Ethan.

“And you’ve sweated off your makeup. Fix it and be back on set in twenty minutes.”

Ethan sauntered over to Holly and Simone. Holly laughed at something the hairstylist said and the sexy sound arrowed straight into his chest.

“I need you to fix me up.”

Holly’s eyebrows rose.

“Would you like me to clear the set?” Simone snickered.

Holly threw her a dirty look but laughter danced in the Simone’s eyes. “I’m assuming you mean your makeup?”

“I kinda like Simone’s idea better.” He smirked.

Simone fanned her face with her hand. “Boy, it’s getting hot in here. I need to get myself a cold drink. Catch you later.”

“She’ll think something is going on between us.” Holly frowned as Simone left.

“There is.”

“No there’s not!”

He cocked his head to the side and watched uncertainty cross her face. “Whatever you say.”

She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her chin. “Are we fixing up your makeup or standing around chatting?” She pulled a brush from the pouch around her waist.

He’d stand around continuing this playful exchange all day if only his knees didn’t hurt like a bitch. He needed to sit down for a couple of minutes. “Can we do this in the makeup room?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned toward the room. Slightly limping.

“You’re hurt.” Holly put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

“My knees are throbbing like hell.”

“I’ll grab an ice pack from first aid and meet you in makeup.”

In the room, empty of hair and makeup crew as they were busy on set, Ethan fell into a chair and massaged the tops of his knees. He better get his shit together fast before he ended up in hospital.

A few minutes later, Holly came rushing in with two icepacks in her hands. She dropped to her knees in front of him and gently pulled up the legs of his pants. Oh fuck! The sight of her head so close to his lap was more than he could bare. All she had to do was flick her gaze a little higher and she’d see how turned on he was right now. Images of his fingers running through her silky hair and guiding her mouth to…” He groaned, stopping himself from finishing the thought. He needed to get himself under control and not think of Holly that way. Yeah right, like that would happen.

“Did I hurt you?” she asked as she placed the icepacks on his knees and held them in place.

Ethan spoke through gritted teeth, “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure? Because you look like you’re in pain. Maybe I should grab a medic?”

“They can’t help the kind of pain I’m in.”

Her forehead creased. “What do you mean—oh…” she said on a gust of breath as she blinked with surprise when her gaze fell to his lap.

He gripped the arms of the chair. He’d promised he wouldn’t touch her unless she asked and with her looking at his package like that, she was making it damn difficult to keep his promise.

“Maybe I’ve put the ice on the wrong the body part.”

He shifted his legs slightly and the icepacks dropped to the floor. “There’s only one thing that will help with the problem I have,” he said, “and it isn’t ice.”

* * *

Holly should pull away from Ethan but her hands remained glued on his legs. She shuffled on her knees pulling herself closer instead of backing away. Without much effort, he drew her to him. It didn’t help when he watched her with dark, hooded eyes. He didn’t say a word as her hands inched further up his firm thighs. His chest rose and fell in rapid breaths, matching her own. He promised not to touch her and by the way he clenched onto the chair with white knuckles, he was sticking to it. Now kneeling between his legs, she wanted so desperately for Ethan to break his promise and touch every sensitive, tingling part of her overheated body with his lips, his tongue and his hands.

Something became crystal clear—she wanted him. Why deny herself? They both knew where they stood. This wasn’t about commitment and happy ever after. This was about two people with needs, and she needed Ethan—now!

Holly’s hands glided along his legs and up onto his chest. A hiss escaped from his lips. She slowly flicked open one button at a time on his shirt and pushed it open exposing his tanned chest with a light sprinkling of dark hair. Leaning forward, she placed her lips on a nipple and swirled her tongue around the bud. Ethan moaned. Then her lips skimmed to the other one and he groaned low and deep when she gave that nipple the same treatment. She placed wet kisses over his chest and down to his stomach.

“Tell me, Holly,” Ethan growled.

Startled, Holly looked up at him. Impatience flashed across his face.

“Tell me,” he repeated.

Holly’s mind was too fogged with lust to understand his meaning.

“You need to tell me I can touch you.” Each word sounded as if he spoke with gravel in his throat.

Understanding hit her and she was quick to respond. “Touch me, Ethan.”

He visibly swallowed hard. “Where?”

Where did she want to start? “Everywhere.”

He half groaned half laughed, “Greedy.”

Yes, and she wasn’t sorry. She’d been kidding herself thinking she could resist him. It hadn’t lasted a day.

Finally letting go of the chair, he brushed his thumb along her jaw. “I have every intention of touching you everywhere, you’ll just have to wait.”

She blinked rapidly. “Wait?”

“At any moment, my mother, Trudy or any of the crew will walk through the door.”

Like a splash of icy water, Holly sucked in a sharp breath and scuttled to her feet. And as though he’d conjured them up, they both walked into the room.

“You’re not done yet?” Nancy said, inspecting Ethan’s face. Then noticed Ethan’s open shirt.

Flaming heat travelled from Holly’s neck to her cheeks. She fumbled with the brush and swiped quick strokes of powder across Ethan’s face nearly poking out an eye. “Just about,” she said brightly and gave another flick of the wrist. “There, done.”

“Great, you’re needed on set ASAP, Ethan,” Trudy said not taking her eyes off the clipboard in her hands and walked back out. It impressed Holly how she navigated her way around the studio without knocking into things.

Ethan rose from the chair and buttoned up his shirt. It was a shame he had to cover it up. If it were Holly’s decision, he’d be shirtless 24/7.

While Nancy stuffed her makeup pouch with cosmetics, Holly was trying to think of an explanation that wouldn’t make Nancy think she and Ethan weren’t making out before they’d walked in. Her mind drew a blank. And Ethan didn’t seem to want to fill in the silence either.

“That’s everything. I’ll see you both out there.” Nancy smiled and left the room.

“Oh, God.” Holly sank in the nearest chair. “Did they know what we were doing?”

“Mum, probably. Trudy’s clueless.” Laughter sparkled from his eyes.

Holly dropped her head in her hands. “How embarrassing.”

Ethan pulled her hands away and tugged her up to stand and with smouldering eyes said, “We need to finish what we started.”

Unable to tear her gaze away, she nodded her agreement.

Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips that nearly made her knees buckle.

“Two weeks,” Holly said on a whisper.

“What?” Ethan stared down at her.

“We have two weeks together,” she said louder. It wouldn’t be a one night stand, and it wasn’t a committed relationship either.

“I’m up for embracing that.”

He stared at her like she was the most desirable woman he’d ever seen. Her heart did aerobics behind her ribcage.

“I promise to give you the best two weeks of your life,” he said. His hot gaze flicking over her.

Her heart skidded to a stop. Oh boy!