Page 29 of Playboy Billionaire

“You’re already doing it Griffin, don’t you see? We’re having a logical discussion about it. We’re both fully aware of what’s happening between us on set and not expecting it to spill over into our personal lives.”

“You sound so sure, but I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m not leaving it on the set. I think about you all the time. I want to know you. I want to spend time with you off the set.”

“That’s a terrible idea Griffin. Trust me. Lots of actors fall into that trap. They start relationships when filming…it’s only natural, you spend long hours together, you’re on the same team working on a common goal, you develop relationships because it’s so damn intimate.”

“Why not us?”

“What about your girlfriend?”

He looked at her, puzzled. “What girlfriend?”

“Isabella, I think that was her name. You brought her to the party.”

“She’s just a friend. She’s engaged to my best friend. He was out of town, so she agreed to be my plus one.”

Penelope chewed on her bottom lip, “I see. Well, anyway, as I was saying, when filming stops, all the reasons why it seemed like a good idea disappear. Then what? Do we really have anything in common? Throw in the utter craziness of fame, paparazzi invading your lives, crazed fans, no privacy at all…We can’t let our thinking get clouded by the circumstances.”

“Is that your final answer?” Penelope looked away from the disappointment she saw in his eyes.

“Yes, but we can be friends.”

“Tell that to my heart,” he said. “I’m not feeling the friend vibe Penelope. I want to take you out on a date. Just you and me. No crew, no set, no camera. I’m a pilot…I’ve got my own plane. I can whisk us the hell out of here. No one will find us. Please think about it. Would you at least do that for me?”

She sighed, “I’ll think about it. Full disclosure, I don’t have a very high opinion of men at the moment. You might want to take that into consideration.”

He laughed heartily. “Shocking.”

She punched his arm playfully. “We’d better get back to the set. This next scene should be easier since we’ve had a go at it.”

“Yeah, you naked is so boring now.”

It was all Penelope could do not to throw herself into his arms and kiss those sexy lips. Unfortunately, that was exactly what she’d be doing in a few minutes. She could hardly wait for this day to be over and yet contrarily…part of her never wanted it to end.

15

The set was cleared of extras again for the last shoot of the day, and Penelope and Griffin crawled back into bed together, naked again. This time there was something different about him…Penelope could tell he felt surer of where he stood. He seemed bolder and more confident.

When he smiled into her eyes there was an intimacy and warmth that hadn’t been there before their talk. Her pulse quickened and she felt dampness between her legs.

“Action.”

“Ilove you Syd. You’ve got to leave your husband. This is no life for you…for us.”

“That’s never been on the table. I told you that up front, Bryan. This is all it can ever be.”

“That’s bullshit!” he said angrily. “Are you denying that you don’t feel the same?”

“It doesn’t matter what I feel. There’s too much at stake. When you’re serving in the Senate, your life is no longer your own. It’s a service bigger than our pathetic little lives.”

“Boy has he ever got you brainwashed.”

“I knew what I was getting into when I married him.”

“Did you? You were just a kid; how could you have known? Listen to me, we’ll move away, out of the limelight. I’ll take care of you.”

“Bryan!” she said sharply. “Stop…just stop.”

He held her face between his palms and covered her lips with his, roughly pushing his tongue inside her mouth while she struggled to get out from under him. She tried turning her head away only to have him grip her face harder.

---