“Earth to Courtney. Action,” Stella yells, and I start. Shit. Get your head in the game, Court, I chastise myself. I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off. “Don’t apologize; just get your booty in gear,” she says.
I nod and move to stand in line with the extras for the ski lift. There are kids all around, but they are being professional. It’s cold as hell. I am sure they want the hot chocolate that Stella promised if we could get this shot in one take.
“Single rider?” the actor playing the ski lift operator yells, and that’s my cue. I step out of line and wave at him just like I’m supposed to.
“I’m single,” I call and make my way to the waiting lift chair. My character loses her footing and lands face-first into the crotch of the man already seated. Neither of us moves, and I am supposed to stay here until he moves to help me. Fuck, is his dick getting hard? That’s just a natural reaction to someone being so close to him, right? That’s a thing that happens? Rush/Porter helps me to my feet.
“Are you alright, Miss?” he asks, his voice still a normally husky timbre; however, his British accent has been swapped for an American one. I don’t hate it either.
‘Uh-huh, uh-huh. Not mortified at all.”
“It’s fine as long you are not hurt,” he says, helping me sit down.
“Just my pride,” I answer meekly.
“Pride goes before a fall, they say, And yet we often find, the folks who throw all pride away most often fall behind,” he says, and I laugh.
“Are you… Are you quoting William Hazlitt to me?”
“The fact that you even know who William Hazlitt is makes me want to get to know you more. Porter Gibson,” he says as the lift begins to move.
“Jessica Hewitt,” I reply, holding out my hand but bracing myself for the kiss. Technically it’ll be my first kiss, but surely it doesn’t count, does it?”
“I’ve got a better idea, Jessica Hewitt,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me closer to him. Then his lips are on mine. I open my mouth, and his tongue sweeps inside.
“Cut! Got it. Next scene,” Stella yells, but we don’t stop kissing. “Ryan, are you still rolling?” I hear her ask the B-Roll camera operator.
“Of course,” he says. Then Rush pulls the ends of my hair, getting my full attention again, and deepens the kiss. I moan, and he groans. Shit. This feels real. I put my hands on his chest, well, his huge puffy jacket. I’m trying to get closer to him, so I change my body’s angle and sink into him fully. Eventually, the kiss ends naturally, and I still feel like I can’t breathe.
“And we were worried about chemistry,” Stella shouts to no one in particular.
As soon as Stella calls the shoot for the day, I run to my dressing room. It’s been ten hours or something close to that, but my lips still tingle from his kiss. What the hell will tomorrow’s scenes be like? We are shooting the couple’s first time together. I’m suddenly nervous.
I need to know was it as real for him as it was for me?
Chapter 3
Rush
God damn, I think as I intermittently kiss her and remove her clothes. I could kiss her forever. I am trying my fucking hardest to think of this scene professionally, but I just can't. Courtney looks so wide-eyed and innocent; you’d think she's never actually done this before. Then it dawns on me that she probably hasn't. Child stars are typically contractually obligated to have good morals and the like. I hate that other men are going to see her like this: bare, spread, and glowing, but at the end of the day, she's not mine… yet, and only a pussy would begrudge his woman a career because he was jealous. The script calls for me to just interact with her as I normally would but never having done this, I'm winging it. I'm only twenty-four years old.
When I got into acting, my dad, a professional hockey player, took me aside and told me that acting would have its equivalent of puck bunnies who will try to trap me. Despite my dad being married for twenty-five years to the same woman, they still tried. He never gave them the time of day, but it was always there. My mom was one of the first female sportscasters. They met in a locker room. Now that my dad is retired, they do a nightly sports recap show together. Their ratings are excellent, and they get to be together. The advice he gave me stuck with me. If you won't marry her, don't fuck with her. Words I've lived by for years now. This is the first time I've ever thought about getting married, but Courtney makes me want things I never have before. I'm thinking about any and everything but her to get through this scene. My dick is already rock hard, and her skin is soft. She has goosebumps on her skin. She's not unaffected by this. Once I have her pants off, I lift her up and toss her on the bed. She giggles but stops when I peel my shirt off and toss it. I flip my jeans open and pull them down with my boxers. I barely notice the cameras, but now it's time for dialogue.