Page 20 of Broken Rules

Why bother fighting it?Desire left me pressing my fingers into her flesh, demanding I mark her.Claim her.And every short, needful breath she took told me she wanted the same thing.

My cock surged as she melted against me, her body molding itself to mine while her arms wound around my neck.Tipping my head to the side, I deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with every stroke of my tongue against hers.My scalp tingled at the touch of her nails, leaving me groaning the way she did while I backed her against the nearest wall and pinned her in place with my body.

Now I could touch her, fondle, caress.Everything I’d held back roared to the surface with almost frightening intensity.Her body was soft but firm, enough to make me want to drop to my knees and worship.I rolled my hips, pressing my painful erection against her hip, savoring her needy moans before doing it again.She would scream for me tonight.She would beg for more.

“Lex…” she breathed out when my mouth left hers to continue its exploration.Her pulse fluttered under my tongue when I swept it over her throat, matching the furious rhythm of my heartbeat.“Oh God, Lex.”

I could learn to love the sound of my name tumbling from her swollen lips.“I’m right here,” I rasped, grazing her delicate skin with my teeth until she shuddered.Lifting my head, I stared down at her flushed face—eyes closed, lips parted, the very image of abandon.

It was one of those moments that brought a man to a fork in the road.This or that.Take her now, spend the night pleasuring her, and face the consequences tomorrow.Or make the right decision and get the hell out of here before I opened a Pandora’s box of fuckery neither of us needed.

Her eyes flew open wide, and a gasp sounded when I backed away, shaking my head.“I shouldn’t have,” I grunted, dazed and disappointed.No matter how right it felt.How necessary.Even now, watching her smooth her tousled hair, I couldn’t regret it.Not when I so desperately wanted more.

There was something much bigger at stake for both of us.The thought softened what was so hard and demanding, pressed against my zipper.I had a job to think about, a studio, and the livelihoods of everyone working there.

Her chest heaving, she nodded, examining the floor as she whispered, “You’d better go.”

She was right, no matter how little I wanted to comply.Leaving was the safe option.It was the only option, which I took before I could make another unforgivable mistake.

8

SUMMER

“This feels wrong.”

Claudia laughed and gave me a playful shove as we walked down Rodeo Drive, window shopping since there was no way on Earth we could afford to buy anything.“Only you can take a day like today and turn it into something negative.”

“There’s so much work to do.And here I am, strolling around like I’m somebody I’m not.”

“What does that even mean?”she asked, lowering her sunglasses so I could see the puzzled look she was wearing.“Somebody you’re not.Who do you think you are, anyway?Last I checked, you’re making a movie at a major studio, and it’s going to be fucking amazing when it’s finished.Maybe this is the sort of life you need to get used to living.”

The problem was, I couldn’t imagine that time ever coming.“You know how it was when I grew up,” I pointed out.“All the pressure.All the ideas they shoved into our heads.”

“I do know how it was.”She wound an arm around mine as we walked.There was something comforting about that.“Your parents were never fair to any of you girls.Their art and whatever.They were too hard on you, and they gave you all these ideas.”

“I didn’t know you saw it that way.”

“How can I not?You’re my best friend.I’ve known you all my life.And they were the ones who gave you all these ideas about your vision and never compromising on it.”

“Look at me now,” I reminded her.“It must’ve worked, right?”

“Sure, you’ll never be able to enjoy it because you’re always going to feel like you should be living in a yurt or something.”She shuddered dramatically.“Washing your clothes in a nearby stream or some shit, all because you’re a pure artist who doesn’t need money.Guess what?The whole world needs it!”She waved an arm overhead, laughing.“I mean, don’t pretend this isn’t cool… being part of this place.Yeah, a lot of it is fake as hell,” she admitted.“But as long as you remember that and you’re smart about who you trust, there is no reason you can’t enjoy a beautiful life here.Rubbing shoulders with big shots.Getting spa treatments next to last year’s Oscar winners and talking about projects you could do together.”

Damn, that sounded good, especially the part about networking over spa treatments.It would mean I turned into the snobby elite, the sell-outs.“I’m not supposed to want to do that,” I groaned.

“You and I both know you do.”We stopped at a red light, and she turned to face me.No more joking, no more smiling.She lifted her sunglasses on top of her head and nestled them in her dark curls.“It’s all right to want that.There’s nothing wrong with it.You want to make a lot of money.You want to be able to fund your own projects one day.You want to live a comfortable life.That’s totally natural.”

“I know you’re right,” I admitted with a sigh.

“And here’s the thing, babe.If this movie does well… we both know it will, you’re going to be a hot commodity around here.You’re gonna be pulled deeper into the machine or whatever you want to call it.And then what?”she asked.“You’ll never be able to enjoy it unless you work through this shit now.It’ll never be enough.You’ll never feel fulfilled because you’ll always have guilt over enjoying your success.Put a stop to that shit now before you ruin your life.”

“Damn.”I was standing on the corner of Rodeo and Santa Monica, fully dressed but completely exposed.She knew me too damn well.“You’ve been giving this some thought.”

“Yeah, you give me a few minutes every day to actually have thoughts.”Her laughter rang out over the traffic noise as we crossed the street.“Which is why we both needed a day away from the studio, away from your office, away from everything.If the cast deserves a break, so do you.”

“I don’t want a break,” I grumbled as we walked past a flashy Armani store.“I want to work.”

“I swear, you are impossible.”She said it with love and maybe a little exasperation.

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