Page 1 of Boundless Love
1
SPENCER
“Idon’t care what the studio says.You are going to approve this clause and sign the contract, or I’m pulling my client from the project.”
I bit back a smile at my wife’s ability to get to the heart of a negotiation.She walked up and down the aisle, speaking through the microphone in her AirPods and cracking her knuckles.The sound made me wince, but I knew better than to ask her to stop, especially when she was fired up.
There wasn’t much that fired her up worse than the feeling someone was trying to railroad her.Whoever they were, they were braver than me.Nobody pulled the wool over her eyes and got away with it.Generally, they regretted trying it in the first place.
“Oh?You’re worried about a schedule?That’s nice.I’m worried about my client’s safety and peace of mind while working on this movie.But it must be nice, having nothing more to worry about than a calendar.”She caught my eye after passing my seat and turning on her heel.The fire blazing away in those beautiful, green orbs was enough to make my dick twitch.“Once this project is wrapped, you’ll move on to the next one, while my client will have to live with the memories.If you cannot guarantee her safety and comfort during filming… especially when it comes to intimate scenes… then we have no deal.Find yourself another beautiful blonde for your promotional materials.”
I wasn’t sure what I enjoyed more.Listening to my wife obliterate the poor son of a bitch on the other end of the call or watching her hips sway with every step she took.She understood too well how treacherous Hollywood could be for the ingenues it drew to it like flies to honey.Girls with dreams that were too often crushed.Rowan’s linen jumpsuit might as well have been armor.I couldn’t have loved her more.
“Yes, you take that to the studio heads.Let them know they can contact me directly if they have anything else to say.”One of the flight attendants poked her head into the cabin, wearing a professional smile.Rowan nodded in understanding before wrapping the call.
“I have to get ready to land.We are scheduled to be in Las Vegas from now through Monday for a wedding.But I’ll get word from my assistant,” she concluded, then said goodbye, releasing a heavy sigh.
I watched the tension drain from her and witnessed her muscles loosening.“I swear, I don’t understand people,” she declared in a softer voice than the one that had filled the cabin moments ago.“What is so unthinkable about adding a clause ensuring an actress is entitled to call out harassment on-set without her job being in jeopardy?It’s like these assholes go into this line of work planning on being lecherous creeps.”
“That sounds about right.”Once she dropped into the seat beside mine, I covered her knee with my hand.“You gave him hell.I’m proud of you.”
“Somebody has to do it.”Her weary smile was slow to appear.She blew out a sigh, sinking back against the supple leather and closing her eyes.“I’m wiped out.”
Not the first time I’d heard that lately.“You need a break.This wedding couldn’t have come at a better time.”For both of us.It provided an excuse to unplug for a few days and catch up with friends while Hannah stayed with Rowan’s parents at our home in LA.A Vegas weekend hadn’t seemed appropriate for a thirteen-year-old, but then, she was interested in little more than hanging out with her friends nowadays anyway.
If she were lucky, those friends would be part of the tapestry of her life for years to come.They would grow together the way I’d grown alongside my friends.Fate had taken us down different paths—new relationships, families, all of the responsibilities involved.Between Hannah’s activities and my hectic schedule, there were days I could barely remember having the freedom of an impromptu night out with the guys.
All things considered, I wouldn’t trade a minute of what life had become.There were men in my position who were all too happy letting staff take care of their kids.From the beginning, Rowan and I had seen eye to eye on our level of involvement in Hannah’s life.It took a little juggling with some rather intense schedule coordination at times, but we made it work.
Rowan read my thoughts.No surprise there.“I hope Hannah is okay.”
“We left her three hours ago,” I reminded Rowan while buckling my belt for landing.“And this isn’t the first long weekend she’s spent with your mom and dad.They’ll have a great time.”
“She’s so independent now.”Rowan’s breathing hitched a little.“She won’t miss us.”
This was becoming a familiar refrain.“If she’s independent, she gets it from you,” I pointed out gently.“Along with that gorgeous blonde hair and those brains.Independence means she feels confident and secure.She knows she has a soft place to land if life gets too hard.You’re the reason for that.”
I couldn’t take credit.Hannah was ten years old when I entered her life after spending a decade being unaware of her existence.Looking back, I could hardly remember a time when she wasn’t the center of my world, along with her mother.
“Thank you.”Rowan leaned in for a soft, lingering kiss that left a growl stirring in my throat.“Down, boy,” she giggled, stroking my cheek, then letting her hand trail down my chest.The woman had no idea what she did to me, sending bolts of electricity sizzling through my torso before heading south.
“How can you expect me to contain myself after watching you kick so much ass?”Taking her hand in mine, I lowered it until she palmed my very obvious bulge.“You know what it does to me.”
“And you know we’re about ten minutes from landing,” she chided, though I wasn’t fooled.Her wicked grin told me our thoughts traveled in the same direction.
Until her soft, rather pitiful groan left me slamming my foot on the brakes.Not a sexy I-wish-you-would-take-me-here-and-now sort of groan either.The kind that normally preceded a puke fest, as Hannah so charmingly put it once.
“I’m fine,” she quickly assured me before I had the chance to ask what it was about.“A little queasy.I should’ve eaten more for breakfast.”
That was the thing about her.She worked tirelessly on behalf of her clients, protecting young actresses from industry pitfalls.There were nights I woke up to find her side of the bed empty.She’d be in her study, typing furiously, staring narrow-eyed at her screen.No general in full uniform had ever been more impressive.I couldn’t imagine respecting any of them more than I did her, either.At the same time, she tended to forget her own needs in favor of others.
“When is everyone else getting in?”she asked, resting her head on my shoulder with her eyes closed.The familiar scent of her lilac shampoo was equally comforting and arousing.I couldn’t smell lilacs without thinking of her.
“As far as I know, sometime tonight.”I scrolled through the group chat to catch the latest updates.“It seems like that’s still the case.”
“Good.I could use a little downtime before meeting up with them.My social meter isn’t super full at the moment.”She barely stifled a yawn as she glanced guiltily at me.“I might have gotten up last night and gone back to work for a few hours.”
“I’m completely shocked,” I deadpanned.“You always shuffle around like a zombie looking for brains to munch on.”
