Beyond his sex appeal, though, he had a very mature disposition that she appreciated. She’d enjoyed their conversation, and was slightly annoyed Jimmy had interrupted them. Though no more agitated by that than the fact he was canning her scene after she’d stressed over it for so damn long.
“Who’s going to tell Vaughn we’re not shooting together?” she asked. “You know how he gets about things like this. He’ll text me to the ends of the earth, thinking I can make you reconsider. Once he’s denied something, he becomes obsessed with it. And what do you want me to do instead of this film?”
“I never said I wanted to bag the scene entirely,” Jimmy commented. “I still want you in my movie. As for Vaughn…you leave that to me. I know exactly how to deal with him. He’s two hours late, after all. You were supposed to rehearse. But he’s clearly taken the prima donna approach to shooting this past year or so. Rumor around town is that he’s keeping everybody waiting these days. But, no worries. I’ve got it covered.”
Jimmy gave her a soft, friendly pat on the knee to silently reassure her all would be well. He understood her need for gentle, caring physical contact, her lifelong lack thereof often serving as a negative catalyst that caused her to do erratic and irrational things. Like hook up with volatile men.
Jimmy knew her better than anyone. Sometimes it seemed he knew her better than she knew herself. And he’d kept every one of her secrets since childhood, never once betraying her confidence or their friendship. He was tried and true—and basically Silver’s lifeblood.
“I have a new vision for the vignette.” He handed over the iPad he’d set on the coffee table next to him and simply said, “Push play.”
She did. Her brows knitted as the video surged to life. There she was with Kolby, talking, the two of them huddled on the couch together, looking perfectly comfortable with the other, as though they’d known one another intimately…forever.
Silver found this curious. For one thing, she wasn’t prone to letting people get too close to her, yet she hadn’t given much thought to sharing a bit of herself with this man.
“You filmed us?” she asked, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the screen to look at Jimmy. He’d shot the footage in black and white, and it mesmerized her. Though he’d only had one angle, it worked fantastically, what with Kolby’s easy grins and her forlorn expressions, interspersed with an occasional smile that made her eyes sparkle. Silver couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen that glimmer in her gaze—in a movie or in a mirror.
She passed the tablet to the surfer as she asked Jimmy, “Why’d you record this?”
“I’d just wrapped Nick’s scene in the other studio and I walked in on you in this incredibly personal display of emotions and intensity, and I couldn’t help myself,” he admitted.
She studied him carefully, knowing something brewed in his mind that involved her and Kolby.
Jimmy said, “You used to sizzle with Vaughn, no doubt about it. But this is…different. The way you and Kolby interact and gaze at each other is mysterious and evocative. Like you’re on your own planet; in your own world. I instantly felt jealous and had the insane desire to be a part of that world. A compelling enough notion and sensation to not let it slide. Your chemistry is palpable. You two have met before, right?”
“Yes.” Kolby joined the conversation as he returned the iPad. “Only briefly, though.” His gaze flitted to Silver. “Regardless, I feel like I know you fairly well, given all the media attention you get.”
“Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you’ve heard or read about Silver Monroe,” Jimmy scoffed. “That’s all surface crap.”
“Jimmy,” she said, her tone bordering on a warning. Although she knew he’d never divulge anything confidential about her, she didn’t want him alluding to anything, either. She’d already shared more of herself with Kolby than she typically did with anyone, male or female.
She couldn’t say for sure why she’d been so forthcoming with him—perhaps it was because she’d been attracted to him when they’d met in Australia, and was drawn to him now.
It was more than just his hunky body and devastatingly handsome face that intrigued and excited her. She’d also been lured by his casual smile and his down-to-earth disposition. For a man who was a bit larger than life, he seemed wholly grounded. He was easy to talk to, and there was a sensual honesty in his beautiful blue irises that spoke volumes. And made her want to stay curled up on the couch with him for hours, talking about everything under the sun—or nothing at all.
Jimmy seemed to sense her feelings, because he said, “There’s a dynamic here. It’s not manufactured or forced. It’s natural and captivating.”
She narrowed her eyes on her friend. “What, exactly, are you getting at?”
He flashed a cocky grin, suggesting he’d cracked a golden nugget. “I want you to do a scene with Kolby.”
Shock and alarm reverberated within her. Silver shot to her feet. “Are you insane?” she quietly demanded, instantly unhinged. “I haven’t done this in four years and you want me to jump right in and do a sex scene with someone I barely know?”
“That’s the problem, Sil,” Jimmy said.
“The problem is that no one’s seen me naked onscreen in four years? Do I need to lose more weight? Jesus Christ.” Her arms flapped in the air. “Of course, I do!”
“Silver.” He shook his head at her melodramatic side. “Your body is not an issue. You look wonderful. And you know I would never compromise your integrity. But the problem I inadvertently created is that the vignette actually is a sex scene. I wrote it with Vaughn in mind. That’s how you two were together onscreen, all hot and heavy. And the script I wrote is…incredibly gratuitous.”
She couldn’t dispute that, having read it a million times herself.
Jimmy said, “I’m not off the mark often, but I didn’t come even remotely close to the bull’s eye on this one. I’m scrapping my initial idea.” He reached for the script she’d set aside and tore it in half. “That’s passé. Total shit. This new idea…it’s brilliant.”
“Do I have a say in the matter?” Kolby deadpanned.
With another affable laugh, Jimmy said, “Of course. Just hear me out. That old scene was about pleasure, plain and simple. Not romance, just hard-core titillation. Instant gratification.”
“Well, that’s really all Vaughn cared about, anyway,” she said with a grimace.