Read the book: «Star of His Heart»
Excerpt
Nothing could have prepared Ethan for the need that took over his body.
In that moment he captured her mouth with a desperate possession that fueled his fire as it had never been fueled before. He wanted to devour her alive.
A part of him couldn’t believe that she was in his arms and that he was enveloping her mouth as if it were the only one left on earth, which for now, for him, it was.
He couldn’t control the rush of physical hunger consuming his entire being. His tongue tangled with hers with a voracity that sent pleasure spiking throughout both of their bodies. He was kissing her with hunger, as if he were seeking out some forbidden treat that he was determined to find.
Moments later, only because they needed to breathe, he released her mouth and stared into her stunned gaze. Refusing to allow her time to think again, he lowered his mouth once more and at the same time swept her off her feet and into his arms. Before the night was over, his touch would be imprinted on every inch of her skin.
Star at His Heart
Brenda Jackson
MILLS & BOON
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Acknowledgments
To Gerald Jackson, Sr. You’re still the one after all these years!
To all my readers who will be joining me in April on the Madaris/Westmoreland Cruise 2011. Be ready to have a lot of fun!
To my Heavenly Father. How Great Thou Art.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.
—Proverbs 22:1
Dear Reader,
I enjoy doing continuity books where I get to work with other authors. This particular continuity, Love In the Limelight, is special in that I get to work with three authors whose work I admire and enjoy reading—A.C. Arthur, Ann Christopher and Adrianne Byrd. I’ve even nicknamed Adrianne the “Plot Queen” because you never know where her sizzling and titillating love stories will take you.
A.C., Ann, Adrianne and I want to introduce you to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood through four beautiful women—Rachel, Charlene, Livia and Sofia. You will read about their trials, tribulations and, of course, their men. Especially their men. Being a romantic at heart I love to read a sensual romance story with a sexy hero, and I believe these four stories will more than whet everyone’s romantic appetite.
So take a break, chill a moment and indulge yourself in a little romance. Star of His Heart tells the story of a woman who is afraid to love and the man who is determined to cure her of that fear. Every woman should have an Ethan Chambers in her life at least once.
I hope all of you enjoy reading Ethan and Rachel’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Happy reading!
Brenda Jackson
Chapter One
“Quiet on the set!
“Take one!
“Action!”
The director’s voice blared from the bullhorn and the words sent a pleasurable thrill up Rachel Wellesley’s spine. She had known before she’d uttered her first words as a child that she had an overabundance of artsy bones in her body.
The only problem was that as she got older, her choice of an artistic career would change from week to week. First she had wanted to become a painter, then a writer. Later on she had considered becoming a fashion stylist. But at the fine arts college she’d attended, after she took theory and practicum classes on beauty, she had finallydecided on a career as a makeup artist and wardrobe designer. This was the life she lived for and what she enjoyed—being on the set of a movie. Or in this case, the TV set that was taping the popular prime-time medical drama Paging the Doctor.
It was day one of shooting for the second season. All the cast members from last season had returned except for Eric Woods, who’d played Dr. Myles Bridgestone. No one had been surprised to hear his contract was not renewed, especially with all his personal drama last season. The well-known Hollywood movie star had evidently felt it beneath him to do TV and to play a role other than a leading one. But the ratings of his last few movies had plummeted. Everyone who worked with him last season had been aware of his constant complaints. Eric was an egomaniac and a director’s worst nightmare.
Rachel had managed to get along with Eric, but she couldn’t say the same for others who considered him a pain in the rear end. But then, her older sister Sofia claimed Rachel could get along with just about anybody, and she would have to agree. It took a lot to rock her boat. She was easygoing by nature and was an all-around nice person. She figured some things just weren’t worth the hassle of getting high blood pressure and stress.
A slight movement out of the corner of her eye made her shift her focus to the actor she’d heard would be added to the show this season in the role of Dr. Tyrell Perry. His name was Ethan Chambers.
He had been in Hollywood only a couple of years and already, at twenty-eight, he had taken the town by storm. And most noticeably, over the past few months, he and his playboy behavior had become quite the talk in the tabloids and gossip columns.
She gave him an appreciative glance. The only thing she had to say was that if the producer added Ethan to the show to boost the ratings, then he had hit the mark. Ethan was definitely eye candy of the most delicious kind. There was no doubt in her mind he would stir the interest of their female viewers, young and old, single or married.
And she couldn’t help noticing he had already stirred the interest of several of the females on the set. He seemed oblivious to the open stares as he talked to a man she assumed was his agent. Although she found Ethan extremely attractive, she was too much of a professional to mix her private life with her professional one. And the one thing she detested above all else was being in the spotlight, which was something he evidently enjoyed since he’d managed to garner a lot of publicity lately.
She thought that his flashing white smile was as sexy as they came and figured he would be perfect for any toothpaste commercial. He was tall, probably six foot two, and powerfully built with broad shoulders, muscled arms and a masculine chest. He did a whole lot for those scrubs he was wearing. The company that manufactured the medical attire should be grateful, since he practically turned them into a fashion statement.
And last but not least was his cocoa-colored face with those striking blue-gray eyes—a potentially distracting pair for any woman fool enough to gaze into them too long—and his ultrasexy dimpled jaw. She had to hand it to him, he was as handsome as any male could get in her book, hands down.
A soft smile lifted the corners of her lips as she thought that this was bound to be an interesting season. Already a number of the women on the set were vying for his attention. The show’s director, Frasier Glenn, would just love that.
“Cut! Good scene, everyone. Let’s move on!”
Frasier’s words had Rachel moving quickly toward the producer, John Gleason, and Livia Blake, a model and budding actress who would be guest-starring on the show for a few episodes as Dr. Sonja Duncan. The scene they had just filmed was an emotional one in which Dr. Duncan had broken the news to a devoted husband that his wife had died of cardiac arrest.
Livia would be in the next scene as well and it was Rachel’s job to refresh her hair and makeup. And since Rachel was also the wardrobe designer for the show, she needed to verify John’s request for a change in the outfit Livia would be wearing in the scene they would be shooting later today.
Rachel flashed a look back to Ethan Chambers, and her gaze raked over him once again. The man by his side was doing all the talking, and for a quick moment she detected a jumpy tension surrounding Ethan. She had been around enough actors on their first day on the set to tell he was nervous. That surprised her. If anything, she would think a man with his looks would be brimming over with self-confidence, even arrogance. If he wasn’t, than he was different from Eric Woods in more ways than one.
Ethan Chambers took another sip from the water bottle, wishing it was a cold beer instead. He couldn’t believe he had finally gotten his lucky break and was here, on the set of Paging the Doctor, playing the role of a neurosurgeon. He wasn’t a hospital maintenance man or a victim who needed medical care but a doctor. He had landed the role of a lifetime on what was one of the most top-rated shows.
He would even go so far as to pinch himself if there weren’t so many people around, and if his agent, Curtis Fairgate, wasn’t standing right next to him, smiling, gloating and taking it all in. And of course, Curtis was ready to take credit for the whole thing, as if Ethan hadn’t worked his tail off to get where he was now.
He thought about the three years he had studied acting abroad while doing some well-received but small theater gigs. He could finally say he was now building an acting career. Even his older brother, Hunter, who had tried pressuring him to stay in the family business, was happy for him now. And that meant a lot.
“You do know your lines, don’t you?”
Ethan lifted a brow, not believing Curtis would ask such a thing. “Of course. I might be nervous but I’m not stupid. I’m not about to screw up my big break.”
“Good.”
Ethan pulled in a slow breath, wondering how he and Curtis had managed to survive each other for the past two years. Hollywood agents were known to be pushy, cynical and, in some cases, downright rude. Curtis was all three and then some. Ethan only kept him around because they had a fairly decent working relationship, and Curtis had managed to land him a spot on this show by talking to the right people. But Curtis probably would not have managed that if the sister of one of Ethan’s former girlfriends hadn’t been the current lover of one of the show’s writers.
Curtis began talking, rambling on about something Ethan had no desire to listen to, so he glanced around, fascinated at how things were going and what people were doing. He had been on the set of a television show several times, but this was his first time on one that Frasier Glenn directed, and he couldn’t help but admire how smoothly things were running. The word around Hollywood was that Frasier was a hard man to work for, a stickler for structure, but he was highly respected in the industry.
Ethan was about to pull his concentration back to the conversation he was supposed to be having with Curtis when his gaze settled on a gorgeous petite woman wearing a cute baby-doll top and a pair of wide-leg jeans. She was gorgeous in a restrained sort of way. He figured she was an actress on the show and wondered what role she played.
She couldn’t be any taller than five foot two, but he thought she was a sexy little thing with her short dark hair and exotic looks. And she was smiling, which was a change of pace since everyone else seemed to look so doggone serious.
“Ethan!”
Curtis snapped his fingers in Ethan’s face, cutting into his thoughts. “Don’t even think it, Ethan,” the man warned.
Ethan blinked, and an annoyed expression showed on his face as he met Curtis’s gaze. “Think what?”
“About getting involved with anyone on this set, especially that hot little number over there. I know that look.”
Ethan frowned. He liked women. He enjoyed sex. He did short-term affairs better than anyone he knew. The women he was involved with weren’t looking for long-term any more than he was. “Why?” he finally asked.
“Frasier usually frowns on that sort of thing on his set, that’s why.”
Ethan took another sip of his water before asking, “Are you saying that he has a fraternization policy?”
“No, but a workplace romance isn’t anything he gets thrilled about, trust me. It can cause unnecessary drama, and Frasier doesn’t like drama since it can take away from a good day’s work.”
Ethan didn’t say anything as his gaze found the object of his interest once again. For some reason, he had a feeling she would be worth any damn drama that got stirred. He shook his head, thinking he needed to put his player’s mentality in check for a while, at least until the end of the season. Making his mark on this show was his goal, and now that he was in the driver’s seat and pursuing his dream, the most important thing was for him to stay focused.
Although the urge to hit on the sexy pixie was strong, he would keep those longings in check. Besides, she probably wasn’t even his type.
“I have a feeling you’re going to be a big hit this season, Ethan.”
Ethan glanced over at the woman who had introduced herself earlier as Paige Stiles, one of the production assistants. “Thanks.”
“And like I said, if you ever need help with your lines after hours, just let me know. I will make myself available.”
“I appreciate that, Paige.” The offer seemed friendly enough, but he recognized it for what it was. The woman had been coming on to him ever since they had met earlier that day. She wasn’t bad looking, in fact he thought her rather attractive; but she hadn’t stirred his fire the same way the sexy pixie had.
Once the show had begun taping one scene after another, the petite brunette had all but disappeared. If she was an actress on the show then her segment was evidently being shot later. He was tempted to ask Paige who she was but thought better of it. The one thing a man didn’t do was ask a woman who was interested in him about another woman.
“So where are we headed?” he asked as they moved away from the set toward an exit door.
“To the makeup trailer. That’s also where wardrobe is located since the same person handles both.”
He lifted a brow. “Is there a reason for that?” he asked, since that wasn’t the norm, especially for a show of this magnitude. It was a lot of responsibility for one person.
“None other than that she wanted to do both, and Frasier obliged her. But he would since her last name happens to be Wellesley.”
Ethan immediately recognized the last name. The Wellesleys were the brilliant minds behind Limelight Entertainment Management, one of the top talent agencies in the world. Their clientele consisted of some of the best in Hollywood, although in recent years they had expanded to represent more than actors. The firm now represented an assortment of talent that included big-name singers, set designers, costume designers, writers and makeup artists.
“Wellesley?” he asked.
“Yes, the high-and-mighty.”
Ethan had the ability to read people, women in particular, and had easily detected the scorn in her voice. And because he knew about women in particular, he decided to change the subject. “How long have you worked for Paging the Doctor?”
She began talking and just as he’d done to Curtis earlier, he nodded while he tuned her out. His thoughts drifted back to the woman he’d seen earlier and he wondered if and when their paths would cross again and they would finally meet.
Finally a break, Rachel thought, sliding into a chair that was now empty. She had been in the trailer for the past five hours or so. She had sent one of her assistants out on the set to do those second-by-second touch-ups as needed while she hung out in the makeup/wardrobe trailer, making sure those actors shooting their scenes for the first time that day went through their initial makeup routine.
A couple of the scenes being shot today showed the doctors out of the hospital and in a more relaxed atmosphere either at home or out on dates, which called for a change from medical garments to casual wear.
John had approved her choice of outfits, and she felt good about that, especially since the outfit she’d selected for Livia hadn’t been on John’s preapproved list. And some of the artwork being used as props were her own creations. Other than Frasier and John, few people knew that when she left here at night she became Raquel, the anonymous canvas artist whose work was showcased in a number of galleries.
Her sister was worried that with being a makeup artist and wardrobe designer by day and a painter at night, Rachel had no time for a love life. But that was the least of Rachel’s concerns. She was only twenty-six and wasn’t ready for a serious involvement with any man.
In her early twenties she’d dated a lot, but to this day she couldn’t admit to ever falling in love. She would like to believe such a thing could happen for her. Her aunt and uncle had a loving relationship, and she’d been told her parents had had one, too. Regrettably, they had been killed in a plane accident before her second birthday.
Rachel eased out of her chair when she heard conversation outside her door and glanced at the schedule posted on the wall. She wasn’t supposed to work on anyone for another hour or so. Who could be infringing on her free time?
There was a knock on the trailer door, followed by a turn of the knob. Rachel fought to keep the frown off her face when Paige stuck her head in. The twenty-four-year-old woman had gotten hired during the middle of the first season. For some reason they had rubbed each other the wrong way that first day and things hadn’t improved since. Rachel still didn’t know the reason Paige disliked her, but figured it had to do with Rachel’s amicable relationship with Frasier and John.
“So you’re here,” Paige said in a voice that for some reason gave Rachel the feeling Paige wished she wasn’t.
Determined to present a friendly facade despite Paige’s funky attitude, she smiled and said, “Yes, I’m here. Was there something you wanted?”
“Frasier wants to go ahead and shoot the next scene as soon as lunch is over, which means you need to get started on this guy right away.”
Paige came inside the trailer, followed by the hunky and sexy Ethan Chambers. The moment Rachel’s gaze clashed with those blue-gray eyes of his, she knew for the first time in her life how it felt to be totally mesmerized. And nothing could have prepared her for her hormones suddenly igniting into something akin to mind-blowing lust.
Chapter Two
So this was where his sexy pixie had gone to, Ethan thought, entering the trailer and glancing around. He pretended interest in everything inside the trailer except for the woman who’d been in the back of his mind since he’d first seen her that morning. And now here she was.
“Rachel, this is Ethan Chambers and starting this season he’ll be a regular on the show as Dr. Tyrell Perry. Ethan, this is Rachel Wellesley, the makeup artist for the show. She’s the wardrobe designer as well.”
Again Ethan picked up a bit of scorn in Paige’s voice, although she had a smile plastered on her face. But then it was evident her smile was only for him.
He crossed the room and extended his hand. “Nice meeting you, Rachel.”
“Ditto, Ethan. Welcome to Paging the Doctor.”
The moment she placed her hand in his he was tempted to bring it to his lips, something he had gotten used to doing while living abroad in France. And when she smiled up at him the temptation increased. She had such a pretty smile.
“John wants him ready for his scene in thirty minutes. I’ll be back to get him, so make sure he’s on time.”
Both Ethan and Rachel glanced over at Paige and watched as she exited the trailer, leaving them alone. Ethan returned his gaze to Rachel once again and couldn’t help asking, “What’s got her panties in a wad?”
Rachel couldn’t help the laughter that flowed from her mouth, and when he joined in, she knew immediately she was going to like this guy. But then, what wasn’t there to like?
Up close, Ethan Chambers was even more handsome than he had been across the room earlier. With him on the show, this would be a pretty good season. She couldn’t wait to see them shoot his scene.
She finally answered him. “I have no idea,” she said. “But we won’t worry ourselves about it. My job is to get you ready for your scene.”
“But what about your lunch? Shouldn’t you be eating something?”
“I should be asking you the same thing, but to answer your question, usually I bring lunch from home and eat while taking care of business matters,” she said, thinking about the order she had downloaded off her iPhone. Libby’s, an art gallery in Atlanta, had just requested several of her paintings to display.
He nodded. “I’m too nervous to eat so I asked if I could go ahead and get the makeup part taken care of. I apologize if I’m infringing on your time.”
She waved off his words. “You’re not, so just go ahead and take the chair while I pull your file.”
“My file?”
“Yes. Sorry, I can be anal when it comes to being organized, but there’s no other way to work with Frasier and John. I have a file of all the scenes you’ll be doing today, what you’ll need to wear and the extent of lighting needed for that particular shot, although the latter is definitely changeable on the set. That gives me an idea of what kind of makeup I need to apply.”
She tried not to notice how he slid into the chair; specifically, how his muscular thighs straddled it before his perfectly shaped backside came in contact with the cushioned seat. She grabbed the folder off the rack and tried to ignore the dark hair that dusted his muscular arms. However, something caught her attention. A tattoo of a cluster of purple grapes draped above his wrist.
“Grapes?” she asked, meeting his gaze and finding it difficult to breathe while looking into his eyes.
“Yes. It’s there to remind me of home.”
“Home?” she echoed, breaking eye contact to reach over and hand him a smock to put on.
“Yes. Napa Valley.”
She recalled the time she’d visited the area years ago as part of a high school field trip. “I’ve been to Napa Valley once. It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it is. I hated leaving it,” he said after putting on the smock.
She glanced over and met those killer eyes again. “Then why did you?”
He would be justified to tell her it wasn’t her business, she quickly thought, but for some reason she knew he wouldn’t do that. They had met just moments ago, but she felt she knew him, or knew men like him. No, she corrected herself. She didn’t know any man like him, and how she could say that with such certainty, she wasn’t sure.
“I left to pursue my dream. Unfortunately, it wasn’t connected to my family business,” he said.
Now that she understood. Her sister and uncle always thought she would join them in the family business, but she hadn’t. Limelight Entertainment Management had been founded by her father, John Wellesley, and his brother Jacob. It had been the dream they shared and made into reality, with the purpose of representing and building the careers of African American actors during a time when there were many prejudices in Hollywood. Today the company was still very highly respected and had helped many well-known stars jumpstart their careers.
“It’s a nice tattoo, but I’ll need to use some cream to completely cover it for the shoot. Dr. Perry doesn’t have a tattoo,” she explained, pressing a button that eased the chair into a reclining position
“That’s no problem. Do whatever you have to do, Rachel.”
It wasn’t what he’d said but how he’d said it that sent sensuous chills coursing through her. For a timeless moment, they stared at each other as heat flooded her in a way it never had before. As the flames of awareness licked at her body, somehow a part of her—the sensible part—remained unscathed. In a nagging voice it reminded her that she needed to get back on track and prep Ethan for his scene.
She swallowed and broke eye contact with him again as she turned to reach for her makeup kit. “Comfortable?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you so nervous?” she decided to ask him while checking different tubes of makeup cream for one that would work with his complexion and skin type. It was August, and although the air conditioner on the set would be on full blast, all the lighting being used would generate heat. She needed to prevent any facial shiny spots from showing up on camera.
He shifted in his seat and she glanced over at him. “This is the first day on the job of what I see as my big break,” he said, straightening in the chair. “This is what I’ve worked my ass off for since the day I decided acting was what I wanted to do. I’ve done small parts in theater and guest spots on a couple of shows and was even an extra on Avatar, but being here, getting this opportunity, is a dream come true.”
She nodded, knowing just how he felt. She had wanted to step out on her own without any help from her family’s name. She had submitted her résumé to Glenn Productions and had gotten called in for an interview with both Frasier and John. Although Frasier had been a friend of her father’s, and both men were well acquainted with Sofia since she was Uncle Jacob’s partner in the family business, Rachel was convinced she had been given the job on her own merits and hadn’t been given any preferential treatment.
This was her second season on the show and she worked doubly hard to make sure Frasier and John never regretted their decision to give her a chance. So, yes, she knew all about dreams coming true.
The first thing she thought as she applied a light brush to Ethan’s face was that he had flawless skin with a healthy glow. He had perfect bone structure and his lips were shapely and full. She bent toward him to gently brush his brows and was glad he had closed his eyes since crazy things were going on in the pit of her stomach. A tightness was there that had never been there before. She drew in a deep breath to relieve the pressure. His aftershave smelled good. Almost too good for her peace of mind.
“So tell me, Rachel, what’s your dream?”
She smiled. “What makes you think I have one?”
“All women do.”
She chuckled. “Sounds like you think you know us pretty well.”
“I wouldn’t say that, but I would think everyone has at least one dream they would love to see come true.”
“I agree, and this is mine—being a makeup artist and wardrobe designer.”
“You’re good at it. Very professional.”
He opened his eyes to meet hers and she was aroused in a way that just wasn’t acceptable, especially for a woman who made it her motto never to mix business with pleasure.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a step back and reaching over to grab a hand mirror to give to him. “You didn’t need much. I don’t believe in being heavy-handed with makeup.”
“I can appreciate that.”
She had made up enough men in her day to know if they had a choice they would gladly skip this part in preparing for their scene. “Now for that tattoo. I have just the thing to blend in with your skin tone that won’t rub off. And later you can wash it off.”
“Okay.”
He held out his arm and she began applying the cream. Against her fingertips, his skin felt warm, slowly sending her body into meltdown. She could feel his eyes on her but refused to glance up and look at him for fear that he would know what touching him was doing to her. Instead she tried concentrating on what she was doing. This time, though, she was too distracted by other things, such as the feel of his strong veins beneath her fingers and the rapid beat of his pulse. Her body responded with a raging flood of desire that seeped into her bones.
Not being able to resist temptation any longer, she looked over at him. For a long, achingly seductive moment, they stared at each other. She wanted to look away but it was as if he controlled the movement of her neck and it refused to budge. She swallowed the panic she felt lodged in her throat as she slowly released his hand. So much for being a firm believer in the separation of business and pleasure. For a moment, no matter how brief, thoughts had filled her mind about how it would be to take her hand and rub it down his chest and then move her hand even lower to—
There was a quick knock at the door before it opened and Paige walked in. And for the first time ever, Rachel was glad to see the woman.
The free excerpt has ended.
