Page 4 of Ruthless Passion

LUCA

Soft brown eyes pierce the depths of my core, igniting something foreign inside of me.

Desire.

The lust raging through me is a fantasy I haven't felt since I was a teenager. Movies rule my life, and the money I use to make them demands the bulk of my attention. There's no room for love, lust, or anything of the sort. Yet, here I am with a vision of beauty, a woman I shouldn't let my fantasies run wild for. The kiss we share is something beyond what's written on a page.

My fingers yearn to get lost in her curly hair. Holding her close is a breach of professionalism and my restraint wanes with every passing moment we spend together. Reality settles around me as I get back to what I do best, producing films.

Aside from my attraction to Josephine, she's not a bad fit for this role. I'd love nothing more than to play the leading man for her in this movie, to rehearse this scene repeatedly, every kiss more passionate than the last.

The way her words linger will curse my mind to replay them over and over.

…Anything you want, Mr. Devlin.

"Let's do the next take and start from right after the kiss," I tell Daphne and Austin. The subtle breath of disappointment from Josephine is only noticeable to me. Josephine allowing me to touch her, kiss her; once is enough to sate my desire for now.

Daphne gives us direction from her seat. "That's a great place to pick it up, Mr. Devlin. Jo, in this scene, Bryan and Amber have shared the climactic kiss, very good performance from the both of you, by the way. I really felt the angst of love unrealized. The silent tension between these two characters is ripe. Even though neither of them believes Amber's going to die, the kiss is the last physical piece of intimacy they share before Bryan goes out to search for her and discovers her body torn to shreds."

As one of the best directors of my Stream Scream Horror films, I trust Daphne's vision implicitly. She's already out of her seat to position us for the scene. These horror flicks aren't blockbuster productions which sell out theaters, but they get views in the millions from digital screens across the globe. It's enough to give the appearance my studio is successful from these movies alone.

In her role as director, Daphne doesn't have any discomfort moving us around. "Mr. Devlin, I want you to grab Jo by the wrist as she tries to leave and yank her back into your body. Hold her close, gaze into her eyes, and Amber says…"

It's slightly jarring how tiny Josephine's wrist feels in my hand. I imagine both of her wrists in one of my palms while my other hand dips below to uncover what makes that tight little body of hers squirm in delight. Dark denim jeans hide where I picture my hand traveling, and the loose cotton shirt she wears gives me a mere glimpse of her breasts.

Minutes.

All it takes are a few minutes for me to become infatuated with Josephine Hansen.

"Action!" Daphne shouts.

Josephine tries to walk away from me. I grab her wrist to pull her back against me, staring down into her eyes where something real sparks between us. The room morphs into a bubble once more. Something like the kiss, it's only about us. There's no audition, no director or casting agent, only us. However, she breaks the hold when she reads her lines.

"Bryan, don't kiss me again. It'll feel too much like goodbye. Let me go, Bryan. Let me go so I can come back." There's a hint of pain in her eyes as the words play off her lips.

"Brilliant. Cut." Daphne's eyes beam with excitement. "Jo, you're perfect. At least, with Mr. Devlin, you two are perfect together."

I wonder how right Daphne truly is.

"You said two more takes, right?" Josephine asks, once again breaking me out of the trance her gaze holds me in. The way her scent of lavender and cherries teases my senses makes me wonder if her skin tastes as sweet.

"Yes," I tell her.

Josephine moves a step away from me. She turns away from us, touching her lower lip lightly before tossing a glance in my direction. Soft hues of red creep into her cheeks, along with curiosity.

Yet, I'm the one curious to know more. I'm desperate to figure out if there's more to my surging lust or if my interest in her stops short with her talents and tits. My thoughts and plans to get to know her after this audition are interrupted when a commotion erupts right outside the door.

"Special Agent Shaw, please, you can't barge into that room. There are auditions taking place," a Production Assistant shouts as the door bursts open.

A tallish woman with an attitude that uglies her beautiful face, storms into the room in a navy-blue suit, carrying a folder in her hand. Special Agent Quincy Shaw's been a nuisance to me and this studio for the past few weeks. I know what she's looking for, but she's not going to find it.

"Where is Starlight of the Sea?" she demands, without acknowledging anyone else in the room. Josephine steps further away from me. A reminder her world is nothing like mine. She doesn't belong in a place where the monsters are real, and I'm associated with some of the most gruesome to ever walk this city.

My hands aren't clean either. There are plenty who'd lump me in with the kind of men Agent Shaw is trying to put away. Hell, I am a man she's trying to put away.

"In the can," I tell her. "The film has been delayed in its release."

"Release?" She glances at me from her folder. "According to the documents I've seen, not only was it not released, but there’s also no evidence of it ever existing. No actors or actresses, sets or designs. All I have are invoices and not a single line item of this film can be validated."

---