Her Secret Life

Even in his moment of release, he was thinking of her—not driving himself home.

So Kacey did it for him.

Again and again. She couldn’t be like him. Couldn’t take it slow. Or bring them almost there and make it stop.

She just moved, over and over, as hard as it took, and clasped onto his sweaty chest as both of them exploded.

* * *

“NEVER,” MIKE SAID against Kacey’s hair. He was never going to forget the sight of those blond curly strands dangling over him as she moved her body on top of his. And would gladly lie just as they were for the rest of his remembering.

Her naked body half on top of his, her head on his chest, was as good as it was ever going to get.

“Never what?” she asked, lifting up her head to look at him.

“I’ve never done that before,” he told her. “You asked how many, I’m telling you never.”

Disappointment flooded her face and she pushed up until she was sitting next to him. She didn’t cover herself.

And he didn’t hide his appreciation of what she was showing him.

“You said honesty, Michael, and if you expect me to believe that you were a virgin then...”

He pulled her back down to him, on top of him, so that her face was only an inch from his. “I’ve made love before,” he told her. “I’ve never been made love to.”

Her smile was radiant, infusing him with energy. With strength. And a will to do whatever it took to bring happiness into her world for the rest of his days.

* * *

KACEY’S EUPHORIA LASTED until Monday morning, when, five minutes after she got to the set, she heard that there’d been another photo of her and this one looked like it was going viral. It had originally been posted to the site the first bogus photo had appeared on but had been picked up by several less reputable—but highly popular—media sources.

Kacey recognized the dress. The photo had been taken the night she and Michael had been at the awards dinner. Outside the venue. She looked like she’d been staggering, her body at a slight angle.

The caption read, “Actor Bo Williams breaks up with daytime addict, signs two movie deals with Polygraph Pictures.” The tagline read, “Actor says it was a close call to making the biggest mistake of his life, but he’s firmly on track now.”

Everyone at The Rich and Loyal was talking about it. It was clear now that someone was out to smear her.

As soon as she heard, she made a beeline to her dressing room. She had half an hour before she was due to film. And she had a phone call to make.

Waiting for Michael to pick up, she thought about the twelve hours they’d spent together in her condo that weekend. They’d been better than any scene she’d ever shot. Any part she’d ever played.

He’d had to leave early Sunday morning, but those hours...

And the good thing about the photo was that Michael hadn’t been in it. Until they found out who was sabotaging her and put a stop to it, she couldn’t be seen anywhere with him.

When he didn’t pick up, she realized that he must be on his way to take Willie to school. She had to be on set before he’d be free.

Rushing to her phone on her first break, she saw a missed call. And a voice mail. Just the sound of his voice made her insides puddle. He was following up with the original posting and with the other sites that had picked it up. He’d be working with the police and they would get to the bottom of the situation.

He promised her.

She hoped he wasn’t going to start making promises he might not be able to keep.

And kind of hoped he would, too, especially if it meant that he’d promise to be her everything forever. Because one thing was very clear to Kacey.

She’d fallen head over heels in love with her best friend.

She wanted to sleep with him every night. To wake with him every morning. To have his children. And be his everything.