An Unexpected Affair by Elizabeth Lennox

Chapter 6

“Action!” Brock called out.  He watched silently through the camera as Evie smiled for “Senator Jordan”.  The actor playing this particular senator smiled charmingly for the camera, angled so it looked as if he were smiling at “Lucy”.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Lucy.  Why are you out here on your own?  I think there could be an excellent place on my staff for a woman of your…talents.”  The line was simple enough, but the way it was delivered, the way Josh, the actor playing the senator, let his eyes move over Evie’s figure in the sequined, figure-hugging dress, made the words seem downright lascivious. 

“Why in the world would I come work for you, Senator?” Evie replied in a sultry, seductive voice.  She pressed her shoulders back against the wall.  It was an inviting pose, designed to get a man to look at her breasts. 

Even as Brock wondered about Evie’s innate knowledge of body language, he didn’t like the way Josh’s eyes lingered on her figure.  It didn’t come across as acting.  To Brock, it felt a bit…personal.  But that was one of the many reasons Josh was such a good actor.  Josh Henson was one of the best actors in the business and had lobbied hard to get a role in this film.  Brock hadn’t wanted him, but there was no doubt that Josh had talent and name recognition.  In the end, Brock had allowed the guy to be the second victim. 

As he watched, Brock acknowledged that Josh was truly brilliant.  He played not just the character, but the room as well.  He moved about the set, shifting his body’s position so that Lucy had to move as well.  He could see the confusion in Evie’s eyes as she carefully maintained Lucy’s persona.  And Brock could tell every time Evie slipped in and out of the role.  He could see it in her eyes, in the way she moved…was she nervous?  Or was she acting? 

Brock couldn’t tell.

Josh and Evie moved around the set, with Evie stepping back every time Josh came forward. The blocking seemed…off somehow.  But at the same time, it really worked for the scene.  It wasn’t symmetrical, which usually created a more balanced scene.  The way these two were moving now, it wasn’t right.  Josh seemed almost to chase Evie around the room. But the off-center movements added just the right amount of tension and dissonance.  The way they were moving made him think of a musician adding minor notes to a symphony, adding tension through the sounds versus the volume.  It was subtle, but intensely effective. 

Finally, Josh moved in for the kiss.  This was the moment when Lucy made the decision that the senator deserved to be “killed”.  It was a transformative moment in the film.  If Evie didn’t get this right, the film would fall apart.

Brock watched, his hand on the camera man’s arm, silently directing the ins and outs of the scene.  There was another camera, filming from a separate angle and Brock glanced over, making sure that the guy was getting all of it.  That camera was higher up, looking down at the scene.  It was a new way to film and Brock wasn’t sure if it would add enough value, but he wanted to try it.  It was an expensive trial, but if it paid off, it could set the film apart in ways that other directors hadn’t considered. 

Evie continued and Brock watched her closely.  Waiting.  Wanting her to give him the signal that she was uncomfortable.  Because if he was in her position, he’d hate being on that set while Josh stalked her in that way.  He’d feel trapped. Confined.  Cornered by the way Josh was stalking her. 

In fact, Brock willed Evie to give him the signal.  Looking around, he could see he wasn’t alone in his discomfort. Almost the entire crew was glaring at Josh.  Hell!  He just opened his mouth to yell “cut” when he saw Josh slip his hand under Evie’s jacket.  Brock saw Evie’s eyes harden.  Damn, she was good!  He froze, holding his breath.  He could feel the tension on the set, everyone stared as Evie shoved Josh backwards.  Again, this wasn’t part of the scene.  This was ad-libbing the script in ways that he wasn’t sure would work.  But Evie didn’t indicate that he should stop, and he suddenly realized exactly what Evie…or Lucy…was about to do, he squeezed the camera man’s shoulder, indicating that he should go in for a close up.  Evie must have understood what was happening and froze, allowing the camera to get a glimpse of her eyes, of the hatred burning there. 

Brock knew that the anger, the fury, wasn’t acting.  It wasn’t fake.  This was Evie at her most angry.  But she kept going.  Just like so many women before her, she endured the indignity of the sexual insult and kept working. 

That’s when he saw her glance over at him and he clenched his teeth, wondering what she was going to do.  Josh had recovered from the first push, and was leaning into Evie, leering.

With a push, she startled Josh and he tripped backwards. She fell on top of him and the camera captured Josh’s surprise.  This definitely wasn’t in the script, but it was working.  Yeah, it was better than he could have hoped for.  It was raw and painful, shockingly erotic.  That’s when she leaned forward slightly, straddling Josh.  Her skirt had ridden up, revealing the lacy tops of her thigh high stockings.  Thigh highs?  When had he authorized thigh highs? 

Brock didn’t know, nor did he give a damn.  It was hot.  It was electrifying. Already, his mind was working on the edits, considering ways he could splice together the two angles to maximize the drama. 

He heard someone behind him and turned to glare.  One of the stagehands had fumbled something.  Yes, the scene was that incredible! 

With intense, silver eyes, Lucy leaned forward.  Brock knew that he wouldn’t be able to get the kiss at their current angle, so he yelled, “Cut!”

Immediately, Evie stood up and walked away, shoving her skirt down as she went. 

She was already out of sight by the time Josh stood up.  “What the hell?” he snapped, shaking his head. 

Brock ignored him.  He watched as Evie hurried out of the studio.  The bright sunshine exploded into the dark studio for a brief moment, then disappeared as the steel door closed behind her. 

“Set up for the next scene,” he told Monty. 

“Hey!” Josh called out, irritated that no one was paying attention to the celebrated actor.  “What the hell, Brock?”

Brock continued to ignore the man as he hurried after Evie.  He had no idea why, but he knew that she needed his help.  Although, what help he could offer, Brock wasn’t sure. 

He shoved the sound stage door open and looked around.  No Evie.  But there were several other people walking down the wide space between this sound stage and the next. But where the hell had Evie gone? 

The corner.  Evie wouldn’t want the others to see her, to recognize her.  If the actors meandering along the walkways between sound stages had seen Evie looking so upset, they would whisper about her and come up with some crazy story to tell the press.  She would have hidden from view and…hurrying around the corner of the building, he found her tucked between two crates piled high with props.  She’d wedged herself between them so no one would noticed her.  But as soon as he saw the closed eyes, the pale cheeks, and the compressed lips, he muttered a silent curse and pulled her out of her hiding spot and into his arms.  That’s when he realized that she was shaking. 

“Evie!”  He pressed her head to his chest.  For a moment she stiffened and he worried that she wouldn’t let him comfort her.  But the moment passed and he felt her melt into his arms.  Her soft, warm breath whispered against his throat. 

“I need a shower,” she whispered.  “He touched me!”  It was almost a sob, but Evie was a professional and she wouldn’t dare cry. That would ruin her makeup and, worse, would reveal to everyone that she’d been so affected by Josh’s assault. 

“I know, honey.  I know.”  He pulled her in closer.  Damn, he’d wanted to hold her like this for so long. He hadn’t been able to admit it to himself.  Now he felt like a complete ass because he was holding her and she felt even better than he could have imagined…and it was wrong to like it so much.  Wrong because of what she’d just gone through. 

“I want to do that back at him and see how he likes it,” she snarled quietly, her voice strained with helpless rage.

“Do you want me to call the police?” he asked, pulling back and peering down at her.

“What?” she gasped.  “No!  Absolutely not!”

He sighed.  “Evie, he assaulted you.  On camera.”

Evie shook her head. “No!” she gasped, pulling back.  Then she closed her eyes.  “No one would believe me anyway.”

“I would. I do! And I’ll tell the police that too.”

Evie chuckled, shaking her head. “Brock, bless your heart if you think that the police are going to believe me over Josh.  He’s a big name in this industry.” She pulled away, chewing her thumbnail as she paced the small space.  She was more out in the open now, but still relatively hidden from anyone passing by on the main street. 

“Okay, so what do you want to do about this?  Because we’re definitely going to do something, Evie.  I will not let this go.”

She glanced up at him, surprised by his obvious sincerity.  “You’d do that?  For me?”

“Hell yes!  Not just for you.  But for any woman who is assaulted.  If I can help support her, I absolutely want to.”

She went up on her toes and kissed him.  It was just a brief kiss, a barely there peck that was over before he could reciprocate.  But he reminded himself that reciprocation wasn’t what she needed just now. 

Her silver eyes sparkled with emotion.  “Thank you for that.  Not many producers or directors have that attitude.”

Brock’s hands rested lightly on her hips, not moving, but trying to support her, comfort her.  “I’m going to fire him.  We’ll re-shoot with a different actor.  We don’t need his name on the headlines.”

She laughed, shaking her head.  “Nope.  He might have gone off-script, but even I could feel that the scene was golden!”  She paced a bit more, then stopped, a stunned look washing over her face, followed by a mischievous smile.  “I have an idea. But I need you to let me sort of…well, wing the next scene.”  She looked up at him. “Do you trust me?”

He laughed, shaking his head.  “Not even a little.”

She laughed as well.  “Yeah, you do.”  She moved closer, tapping her fingernail on her chin thoughtfully.  “Give me a little leeway and I’ll nail the next scene and Josh.”

Evie slipped into the trench coat and tugged at her stockings, pulling them up ever so slightly.  “How do I look?” she asked Tina, striking a sultry pose.  She wore a satin bra and panty set underneath the trench coat.  It wasn’t any more revealing than a bikini, but she still felt a bit more…exposed than she would in a bathing suit. 

Tina smiled, her hand covering her mouth.  “Like a killer brunette on a mission,” she replied, laughing.  “Whatever you’re going to do, it isn’t in the script.”  Her grin widened.  “This is going to be good, isn’t it?”

Evie smiled that secret smile and nodded.  “Yeah.  It’s going to be great!”

“Places!” Brock called out.  There was a sudden shuffling of bodies and papers as everyone on the set found a place to watch while Evie and Josh moved into position.  Josh’s eyes widen at Evie’s new outfit, but he only smirked and leered at her.  “Bedroom scene!  Excellent!”

Evie rolled her eyes and moved to the other side of the door.  “Just follow my lead,” she told him, ignoring his leer.

On the other side of the “hotel” door, Evie closed her eyes and did her usual centering mantra.  She concentrated only on this moment, on the scene in her head.  She only had one shot at this.  If she couldn’t nail it in one take, then Josh would anticipate her jibe and his reaction wouldn’t be authentic. 

“Action!” Brock called out. 

Leaning against the door, she pushed away, letting her lips curl into a seductive smile.  The camera was focused on her at the moment.  Letting her hand slide down the door, as if she were petting a cat, she breathed in, then slowly released the breath.  She knocked.

Josh immediately moved across the set to answer it.  Tina had dressed him in a similar outfit, so Josh was wearing a black satin robe with matching boxers underneath.  Of course, he also wore the usual protections that actors wore when doing a love scene. 

“Hello there!” Josh greeted, opening the door slowly and taking in her trench coat.  Then he stepped back.  “So, are you joining my team after all?’ he asked, allowing her just enough space to step into the hotel room. 

Evie walked in, turned and let the trench coat slide to the floor.  It was such a trite move, but Josh’s eyes bulged.

“Damn, Lucy!” he chuckled earthily, moving closer.  “I love the way you join the team!”

Evie stepped back, placing a hand on Josh’s chest.  “Not so fast, Senator,” she purred. “I need to see if the merchandise is…valuable enough for me to join.  How’s the package?”

Josh laughed heartily, but as expected, he slipped his robe off and tossed it onto the bed.  “I guess that’s only fair.  You showed me yours.  I have to play the game, right?”

Evie’s eyes moved up and down, then lingered at his groin.  She tried to hide her snicker with her hand.  “Um…well, I just…” she stopped and turned away. 

“Hey!” Josh called out.  He started to turn toward the camera as if he was about to stop the filming.  But Evie had anticipated that and grabbed his hand. “I thought about it.  And I think I’m going to have to turn down your offer.”

“Huh?” he replied.  Josh might be good at smoldering at the camera, but his improv skills needed work.

There was malicious intent sparkling in her eyes as Evie stepped up into his space.  “I really wish that I felt bad about this,” she murmured, her lips a mere centimeter away from his own. 

“About what?” Josh demanded, slipping out of character.  But that was okay.  As a senator, he probably would be a bit confused right now.  And yes, the politician’s charm would definitely slip away at this moment.

“About this,” Evie pulled out the gun from her trench coat pocket, pressed it to his chest and pulled the trigger. Because this was a prop gun, nothing happened. The sound crew would add in a gunshot later. 

Thankfully, Josh’s eyes showed his stunned surprise.  And he was a good enough actor that he rolled with it. 

“Cut!” Brock called out.  “Can I get some blood please?  Not a lot.  Just enough to look gruesome.”

The makeup artist in charge of the gore moved forward quickly, prepared for this scene.  Normally, Josh would be wearing a fake blood pack that would explode.  But those had to be hidden underneath clothing.  Since he was sans clothing, they had to take this scene in stages. 

Josh leapt to his feet.  “Are you serious?” he demanded furiously.  “You’re not going to let her get away with that, are you?”

Brock glared right back.  “Says the man who copped a cheap feel in the last scene.”

At least Josh had the grace to look guilty, for a fraction of a second.  But he rallied quickly.  “Yeah, but that was only for a second!  If you keep her laughter about my package in the movie, then you–”

Brock stormed over and got in Josh’s face.  “Do you honestly think that grabbing people against their will is acceptable in any way?  You seriously don’t understand the psychological repercussions of having someone force their touch on you, making you feel defenseless and trapped?” 

Josh looked like a fish out of water, his mouth gaping as he tried to come up with a response.  “But I…!”

“Just shut up, you moron!” Brock hissed, slicing his hand through the air.  “You’re lucky that I didn’t call the police and get your ass arrested!”  He backed up a step.  “And you can thank Evie for that.  So, instead of facing criminal charges, which would haunt you forever, just go with the scene as it was played out.  And you damn well know that Evie nailed that scene. It connects the interaction of feeling powerless when her parents yelled at her when Lucy was a child to her sense of injustice and powerlessness now, as an adult.”

Josh blinked and nodded slowly.  “Yeah…I can see that.”

“Good!  So just shut up and do your job!”  He leaned forward slightly.  “And I highly recommend that you get help for your need to humiliate and assault women, Josh.  Look at where Weinstein ended up.”

Leaving those words of warning hanging in the air, Brock looked around for Evie.  He wanted to make sure that she was okay, but he spotted her with Heather, getting the fake blood off her hands. 

So instead, he grabbed Monty, pretending to consult with him on the next scene.  Chapter 7

Evie knew that he’d come.  She’d felt it all afternoon.  It wasn’t just that he’d come to her house pretty much every night over the past week to talk and run lines with her, or brainstorm about how a scene should play out. 

No, tonight was different.  And she beamed as she opened the front door before he parked his car. 

She watched as he stepped out of the car, his long legs strong and powerful.  He really was an incredibly handsome man.  That had never been in doubt.  His looks and innate charm had made him one of the highest paid actors in the business.  When he’d starred in a role, the box office ticket sales soared!  And his ability to play different types of roles was legendary.  Brock could easily pull off a character who jumped out of airplanes, fought his way through jungles, and beat up the bad guys.  Or he could just as easily play the role of a hard-core prosecutor, sternly cross-examining a witness. 

But after working with him for several weeks, she had gotten to know the man behind the legend. Not the characters that he played or the charming, playful man he portrayed to the world during television interviews. 

She had learned who he was in real life.  She knew that he loved ethnic foods and didn’t eat hamburgers.  He loved wine, but because in the limitations in his contract, he’d stopped drinking as well. 

Evie respected him and liked him.  A lot! 

“What’s wrong?” Brock asked when he paused in front of her. 

Evie’s slow smile sparkled in the dim light.  “Nothing,” she replied.

He didn’t believe her.  “Then why are you looking at me like that?”

She laughed and turned, leading him into the kitchen where he set down the bag of food he’d brought.  They’d fallen into a pattern of alternating who provided dinner each night.  Tonight, it was his turn and she peered into the bag, eager to see what he’d chosen.  “Italian?” She gasped excitedly, then pulled resolutely back, shaking her head.  “I can’t eat Italian, Brock.”

He pulled out the containers of still-hot pasta as well as a loaf of warm, garlicy bread.  “Why not?”

“Because I’ve been gaining weight with all these heavy meals.  I can’t gain any more weight or I won’t fit into the costumes Tina selected for me.”

He let his gaze drift over her figure, shaking his head.  “Actually, you’ve finally gained the weight back that you lost during the first week of filming.  You look great.”

Evie felt her cheeks warm and prayed he didn’t notice.  She was too old for blushing!  Too old and too weathered by experience.  The movie industry was a brutal life instructor.

“Well…um…” she felt silly and awkward.  “Thank you,” she finally finished.  “But I can’t–”

“I’m in charge.  And I’ll tell you when you’ve gained too much weight.”

She laughed.  “No, you won’t.  You’re too much of a gentleman.”  She accepted the container that he handed her, too hungry to keep debating.  “But Tina would!  Tina is a harsh taskmaster when it comes to her clothes and she won’t hesitate to tell me if I’ve gained too much weight to fit into her precious clothes.” 

Evie led the way out to their usual place on the patio and she felt Brock follow. 

“You really don’t miss having a glass of wine or a drink with dinner?” he asked, sitting down in one of the chairs.

She shrugged as she twirled the pasta on her fork.  “Actually, I don’t drink alcohol.”

“At all?” he asked, surprised. 

“Well, I’ll take a sip of alcohol once in a while, when I have to be polite. I’m not opposed to alcohol. I just never developed a taste for it.”  She took a bite of the pasta, then closed her eyes with happiness.  “Oh, this is good!”

“I agree,” he commented.  But when Evie looked up, he wasn’t eating anything.  Suddenly, the pasta turned dry as she realized that he was talking about…her? 

Yeah, she’d had a few fantasies…okay, a lot of fantasies…starring Brock.  But could he…did he…was he thinking that way about her as well? 

Impossible!  Brock was…well, he was Brock Severson!  He was the darling of the movie industry!  Women constantly threw themselves at him…literally!  He needed body guards when he was in public because the women were so aggressive. 

Evie swallowed the pasta, but it was difficult.  She put her fork down, not sure she could eat anymore. 

“Do you want to help me with my lines?” she asked, feeling silly. 

He took another bite of his pasta, then nodded.  “Sure.  If that’s what you want to do.”

Okay, so what did that mean?  No, she didn’t want to run lines.  She wanted to slip over onto his chair, onto his lap, and find out what it was like to be kissed by a man with lips that looked like…well, like heaven!  She wanted to know what it was like to be kissed by Brock, the man.  Not Brock the actor or director or star.  Just Brock, the real person. 

Rehearse, Evie reminded herself.  “Right.  I’m just going to…find my script,” she said, then stood up and looked around, disoriented for a moment.  Then she remembered that she was looking for her script and…ran into the small table. 

“Ow!” she gasped, bending to clutch at her throbbing shin.  “Darn it, that hurt!”

Instantly, Brock was on his feet, coming over to her.  He touched her back and, in that moment, the pain in her shin vanished as a burning sensation scorched her spine.  She stood up, looking into his eyes.

“That’s going to bruise,” he said, his voice deeper. 

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered.  She told herself to step back.  Evie knew that being this close to Brock was dangerous.  She could feel him, feel his heat.  Not just on her back, even though that spot was still tingling despite the absence of his hand now.  She felt his heat everywhere, warming her up, making her insides melt. 

“Evie, I should…!” he started to say, then stepped closer. 

Evie felt the tension build to almost unbearable levels. “Yeah, we should…!”

And then he was kissing her.  His hands dove into her hair as his lips covered hers.  This wasn’t a tentative, exploratory kiss.  This was a deep, hard, powerful kiss that Evie felt all the way to her toes!  She lifted up and, at the same time, he wrapped an arm around her waist. They were pressed together from knees to lips, but Evie needed more.  She tilted her head back, wanting to deepen the kiss, but he was too tall.

“Evie,” he groaned, then angled his head in a different direction, lifting her higher against his body.  It was perfect!  It was exactly what she wanted, but when he did that, Evie realized that it wouldn’t be enough!  Not nearly enough.

Brock suddenly realized what he was doing.  With a jerk, he pulled back, holding her upper arms in his hands. 

“I’m sorry!” he blurted, shaking his head, fighting the urge to kiss her again.  Those soft lips were warm and swollen from his kisses.  She looked so inviting, it was agony to set her back on her feet.  “That was completely inappropriate of me,” he said.  “I’m sorry Evie.  I didn’t mean to do that.  Not after what you endured earlier today.”

With that, he turned and resolutely walked away from the most sensuously beautiful woman he’d ever held. 

All the way home, he berated himself for kissing her.  He wasn’t just the director, he was also the movie’s producer.  Normally, different people held those positions, but both were supervisory roles to the members of the acting team. 

The fact that he was both, a rare thing in the industry, although not unheard of, made his actions even worse.  Not as bad as what Josh had done to her. That had been assault.  But Brock’s actions whispered of an off-balance power dynamic. He was the director and she was an actor in his film. 

Not that he would hold a sexual relationship over Evie.  No way!  The very idea made his skin crawl. 

Which was even more reason to keep his distance from Evie.  He had to maintain a professional relationship with her.  He respected her.  He liked her as an actress and…and she deserved to be treated as a professional. 

“Damn it!” he snapped, pulling into his own driveway.  “Why the hell did you do that?” he demanded of himself in the rearview mirror. Parking his SUV in the garage, he stormed into his house.  While Evie’s home was cozy and warm, welcoming with large chairs lined with soft cushions where one could curl up in the corner and read a book, his house was more modern.  Evie’s patio looked out at the same view of Los Angeles, which is probably why they gravitated to that space every time they were together. 

Brock’s house had large, plate-glass windows that allowed the view from just about every room.  His bedroom was on this level while the guest bedrooms were below.  The view could be seen from the kitchen and great room, plus the pool and patio area. 

As he looked around, Brock realized that he preferred Evie’s house to his own.  That fact really irritated him since he’d spent months working with an architect to finalize the layout.  Before meeting Evie and spending time in her smaller house, he’d loved this place.  It had been his oasis away from the insanity that was the Los Angeles movie industry.  He avoided the pointless social gatherings like the plague, relying on his accomplishments over networking.  He created his own projects and found financing outside of the industry, rather than moving amid the fake personalities that tended to swarm the “must-be-seen-at” events. 

This was where he worked. It was where he’d created his last four blockbuster movies. He’d written, directed, and produced them.  Which was why he had the ability to come and go as he pleased. 

So, why had he left Evie’s house?  She had pleased him…damn, that sounded utterly vile.  Correcting his thinking, he said to himself, “We please each other!”

But that wasn’t good either.  It caused images of Evie, naked and writhing in his arms as he explored her incredible body, to flash through his mind.

Muttering a series of curses, he stomped down the stairs to the gym.  Without changing clothes, he started lifting, pushing everything but the burn of his muscles out of his mind.  After an hour of grueling weight lifting, Brock finally felt steady enough to…what?  It was only eight o’clock!  What the hell was he going to do for the rest of the evening?

Again, Evie’s smiling face popped into his mind.  But no, he’d spent too many evenings over at her house only to come back here with a painful erection and nothing to alleviate that pain. 

“Damn it!” he growled and headed up the stairs to his bedroom. He stripped off his now-sweaty clothes and stepped under the warm water.  But after several minutes of that, accompanied by thoughts of Evie showering with him, he switched the water to cold.  Finally, he was able to get his body under control.  But as he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist, he looked out at the view and wondered what Evie was doing.

Evie paced across the expanse of her family room, irritated by the kiss.  Irritated that Brock had pulled back and run away.  He’d acted as if she were on fire.  Or some sort of venomous snake! 

“Ass!” she hissed into the dark room. 

She contemplated going downstairs, to work through her anger and embarrassment on her punching bag.  But Evie didn’t think that the punching bag would help this time.

She glanced over at the cabinet where her secret stash was.  Crossing her arms, she shook her head.  “No!  I can’t do that!  I can’t go there!”

She turned away from the cabinet, refusing to even touch the wooden box that held the forbidden items.  “I can’t!” she whispered again.  “It’s too painful to come back from that kind of fix.”

So instead, she went downstairs, pulled on her boxing gloves and attacked the heavy bag.  It took a while, but eventually, she was able to find her balance again.  She was hot and sweaty, but felt one hundred percent better.

Walking back up the stairs, Evie childishly stuck her tongue out at the cabinet.  “I won!” she hissed, then turned and headed into her bedroom to shower.