him behind closed doors, stripping like a hooker, taking it all off slowly, making him sit there and watch with his hands behind his back while every inch of him had wanted her with an ache so bad it had physically hurt. She’d played with his head, messed with his mind, and then given him the ride of his life wearing nothing but killer heels and a smile.
Jesus, what was this woman doing to him? He groaned louder as the memories of her naked body wrapped around his filled his head, bringing him to a solo finale that would have to do – for now.
Lying back against the pillows he opened his eyes, waiting for his breathing to slow down, his chest rising and falling with the exertion he’d just put himself through. And still it hadn’t been enough to push thoughts of her from his mind.
He sat up, pushing his hands through his hair, sighing heavily. Things had just got a whole lot more complicated now, and he was sure he could stop this if he really wanted to. The problem was that he didn’t. But he still had a job left to do here, no matter what was happening between him and India. The game was still playing out, but maybe now it was time to end it. Maybe now it was time to confront the one man he’d come here to play against. His father.
***
Michael watched India sign autographs at the barriers set up around the perimeters of the set where crowds were gathering to catch a glimpse of a real-life movie being made – and the stars who were taking centre stage.
He watched as she chatted to people as though she’d known them all her life, having photographs taken, kissing men who probably dreamt about her every night on the cheek, sending them back to their hotel rooms with a hard-on and a memory they’d keep for years.
She looked incredible, and she hadn’t even been into make-up yet. Dressed in white denim shorts, a tight black AC/DC T-shirt and biker boots, her hair pulled into a loose ponytail, she looked a good decade younger than her forty-two years. And Michael loved her just as much now as he had done when he’d first laid eyes on her almost twenty years ago. It was never going to go away, and he couldn’t accept that she’d never be his again, he just couldn’t do it. Because, deep down inside, he knew she’d never forget what they’d had together either – the most intense, the closest of relationships. They belonged together. Michael and India Walsh – one of Hollywood’s most powerful couples. And he hadn’t come this far just to let a kid he hadn’t even known he had take the one most important thing in his life away from him. That wasn’t going to happen.
His eyes met India’s as she turned around, walking over to him, smiling that smile that still made his heart skip that proverbial beat, even though it meant nothing to her. She was smiling at him because she smiled at everybody. And that realisation still cut through him like the sharpest of knives.
‘Was Ethan okay last night?’ she asked, slightly distracted by the arrival of Dominic on set, a large group of female fans making their presence felt in the most obvious of ways.
‘He was fine. We watched a couple of DVD’s, had some take-out, cracked open a bottle of bourbon…’ She quickly swung back round to look at him and he raised an eyebrow. ‘Just checking you were actually listening to me.’
‘Of course I was listening to you. Why wouldn’t I be?’
He looked over her shoulder and she followed his gaze, watching Dominic as he laughed along with his “fan club”, draping himself over them for photographs as they screamed and clung onto him.
‘What happened yesterday, India?’
She turned away from Dominic and started walking towards the make-up trailer. Michael fell into step beside her, pulling his cap down further over his eyes. ‘You threw in a scene that didn’t need to be there, Michael.’
‘Was it real?’
She stopped for a second and looked at him. ‘Haven’t you watched it back?’
‘Oh, countless times, honey. And you still look incredible, but then, you always did look beautiful when we made love.’
She said nothing, just started walking away again.
‘There are things you don’t know about Dominic MacDonald, India. Things that, maybe, you should know.’
She stopped walking again and swung round to face him. ‘Like what?’