If he'd thought he wasn't ready for a single relationship, he most certainly wasn't ready for an entire family. Panic swelled inside him as his brain thought of every worst possible outcome, including both of their careers.
Aria laughed, light and sultry. "Relax. I got a birth control shot this morning—lasts three months."
Relief washed through him. "Oh. Okay, good. Not that I was worried."
"You were terrified," she teased, heading for the small private bathroom attached to his office to clean up.
"You have a shower in here?" Aria gasped a few minutes later, peeking her head out of the bathroom as he buttoned himself up.
"I'm big-time, baby," he teased, winking at her.
She raised one brow, sauntering back out of the bathroom and into his office. "Oh, I always knew you were big."
Ben laughed. "We should do lunch in my office more often."
Aria was already sitting and finishing the rest of her sandwich. "As long as it includes food, too—yes. A girl needs to eat."
He joined her on the couch, loving that she never shied away from food. She was thin, but not stick straight. She had natural curves and a soft, slightly rounded belly that he absolutely loved. Her confidence was so attractive, and another reason he loved her.
Love. That word again. It was getting harder not to say now.
Aria finished her sandwich and tossed the wrapper into the trashcan. "I've got to head back to set. I'm probably already late."
"Text me when you're done," he said, taking the last bite of his sandwich as well.
Aria pushed onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you telling me, Ben Lawson? Or asking?"
"Not just telling...demanding." He swatted her ass. "Text me when you're done, because I've got plans for you tonight."
She giggled and covered his mouth with small, quick kisses. "Fine, but only because I want to. I rarely do what I'm told, Mr. Lawson."
"I am well aware."
She kissed him one more time. "You know, you're beginning to sound more and more like a boyfriend."
"I'd hope so," he replied, his tone more serious now. "You're mine, Aria."
She stared in his eyes for a minute longer, a smile on her lips. "Are you mine, Ben?" It was almost a whisper, and his heart warmed and burst with affection.
Ben slid his hands up her waist, holding her against him. "I've been yours since the first moment you smiled at me, baby."
When she smiled at that, he covered her lips with his. Soft, slow, sensual. He told her he loved her in that kiss, even if he wasn't quite ready to say it out loud.
She moaned against his mouth, then pushed on his chest. "I swear, if I don't leave now, we're going to end up locked in this office all afternoon."
"Can't have that," he teased.
Aria giggled, straightening her dress as she stood and then checking her reflection in the mirror. "It's not too obvious, is it?"
"Is what obvious?" Standing and walking back over to his desk.
"That I've just been fucked senseless, of course."
Ben burst out laughing, and shook his head. "You look practically virginal."
She scoffed. "Now I know you're lying."
Sitting behind his desk, Ben watched her leave. He tried to stifle his laughter when he heard her politely saying hello to Jackson as she passed his desk. Ben made a mental note to give his assistant a raise after what he'd most certainly heard.
The rest of the afternoon breezed by quickly. He was still riding high from "lunch" with Aria, and the satisfaction of having been able to tell off his ex-wife after she'd tried to manipulate Aria. She hadn't left quietly, but she'd gotten the message that he was involved with someone else now and wanted nothing to do with her.
"Hey, boss." A knock on his open door made him look up from the paperwork he was doing.
"Hey, Russ," Ben greeted the director. "What can I do for you?"
Russell Rains walked over to his desk and handed him a camera with the back screen lit up to a photo of Aria and Travis. "We had the photographer take a few fake candid photos of our lovebirds. Thinking it'd be a good idea to release them right after ticket pre-sales go live on Monday."
"Fake candid...so, you know they're not really dating?" Ben took the camera from him, surveying the image. Travis had his arms wrapped around Aria's waist and was kissing her right on the lips, both in their normal street clothes. Ben knew Travis wasn't a threat to him, but a small surge of jealousy still spread through him at the idea of anyone's mouth on Aria's.
"Well, yeah. They told me," Russell admitted, looking pretty sheepish for his usual cocky demeanor. He sat in the chair across from Ben. "But my lips are sealed. Scan through the photos and let me know if we have your approval to leak them."
Ben nodded, looking back down at the camera. Clicking through, he saw frame after frame of Travis and Aria laughing, cuddling, kissing, hugging. Swallowing, he turned off the screen. "These are fine."
"All of them? You looked at them all?" Russell asked.
He'd seen enough to know he couldn't see another man—even a gay man—all over his woman. "Yeah, they're great. And you've got their permission?"
Russell nodded, smiling wide. "Yep. They're all for it." He pulled a few papers out of a folder he’d been holding and laid them in front of Ben. “Sign these, boss, and we’re good to go.”
Ben scrawled his signature across the photo release forms, all pretty standard and mundane. "Okay. Done." Ben straightened the stack of papers and handed them back to Russell. "Let me know when they come out."
"Sure will." Russell stood and began heading for the office door, but then turned back to look at him. "Hey, Benji?"
Ben glanced back up. "Yeah?"
"You're doing a really great job here." A slow smile spread over Russell's face, excitement in his eyes that made Ben feel a little weird. Was he hitting on him? Was it sarcasm?
"Uh, thanks, Russell." Ben gave him a small wave. "Have a great evening."
"Night!" Russell left, practically skipping.
Ben frowned, but then pushed away the feeling of discomfort. Working with creative types often meant dealing with strange behavior—whether producers, directors, sound men, actors. They all shared an eclectic personality that served to make his life difficult. Luckily, he loved his job and he loved handling the talent.
That thought made him smile, because it was almost time for him to head home for the night and…handle the talent.
Chapter Twenty-One
"Leave it," Steele told her. "I worked hard on that makeup."
"But the shoot is over," Aria reminded her friend while she finished changing into normal clothes in the small trailer.
"Right, but don't you have a hot date tonight?" Steele wiggled her brows at Aria, leaning against the makeup counter. "Ben will love it."
Aria's mouth fell open. She knows? "Ben? Uh...Ben...who's Ben?"
Steele rolled her eyes. "Girl, please. I love Travis—that man is one of the sweetest creatures I've ever known, but he's gay. Like...really, really gay."
Aria groaned. "Oh, God. Is it that obvious?"
"No. I'm just that good."
Aria chuckled and shook her head. "Please don't tell anyone. This just stays between us. Okay?"
"I would never out someone before they're ready," Steele assured her. "That's horrendous."
"I know you wouldn't. I just promised to keep his secret." Aria pulled a sweater on and fluffed out her hair. "My makeup does kind of look nice for a date night. Wait...how did you know I was dating Ben?"
"The way you stare at him like he's lunch, dinner, and dessert."
Aria laughed at the familiar metaphor. "I'm not as good an actress as I thought then."
"On stage, you're the best." Steele clasped her hands together dramatically. "Off stage? You're a girl in love."
"I am not in love," Aria quickly replied, rejecting the sentiment. A rush of nausea ran through her at the idea—wasn't it too soon? She was already
worried she was going to ruin this whole thing.
Ben was barely a year out of a divorce, and his ex-wife was still showing up on the scene—literally. Not to mention they'd only spent a handful of days together, even if those days had been long and full of some of the most real conversations she'd ever had. Plus, the best sex of her entire freaking life.
Steele shook her head. "Well, like I said, I would never out someone. You're definitely in love, but if you're not ready to say it, then fine."
"I'm not ready to say it, because I am not in love. I'd be an absolute nut job if I was already in love so quickly. We've been dating like a month and a half, and most of that was spent apart."
"But the time you were together?" Steele asked.
Aria's lips twitched as her heart fluttered in her chest at the mere memory of it. "Magical."
"In love," Steele said in a singsong voice. "Aria's in love!"
"What!" Betty Reynolds walked into the trailer, her eyes wide. "Aria, what's the one with the tattoos saying?"
Steele rolled her eyes, snorting a little. Aria’s mother and her best friend loved to jab at one another, but there was only love underneath their banter. "The one with the tattoos ain't saying a damn thing. Snitches get stitches."
Aria laughed at their exchange. "It's nothing, Mom. We were just joking around."
"I'm headed out, ladies. I'll be at your house by six on Monday morning, Aria. I'm doing your makeup for that audition, and I'm not taking no for an answer." Steele gave them both hugs before she left the trailer, closing the door behind her.
"Bye, Steele!" Aria called after her friend. "Hey, Mom, did you catch some of the shots? Any good?"
"Fantastic," her mother raved, both hands in the air. "I make beautiful children, you know. Are you coming over for dinner tonight? Friday night, I’m making the usual.” She sang the words like a lure trying to reel her in.
Aria paused. Friday night was always pot roast night. Her favorite, but of course, her mother knew that. Her mouth watered in anticipation.
Memories surfaced of her date with Ben... and a different sort of hunger filled her. Electrical impulses flickered in her stomach then raced outward until her entire body was tingling at the thought of him. "I wish, but I've already made plans."
"Oh, really? With who? Because I know it's not Travis since I just caught him kissing the sound tech guy in his trailer."
"What?" A hint of annoyance prickled her, but it was tempered by a sense of pride. She loved that he was finding someone, but seriously, the more people who knew about their charade, the better their chances were of being discovered. "Well, good for him. At this rate, we'll be able to fake break up soon."
"And then you can tell me who it is you're really dating?"
"Mom..."
"Baby girl, you might be a big star soon, but you're never going to be too famous to have to listen to your mother." Betty opened the trailer door for them to head out, but a man was standing at the bottom of the steps, blocking them. "Oh. Hello, Mr. Lawson."
"Good evening, Mrs. Reynolds," Ben greeted her mother cordially, extending a hand and helping her down the rickety metal stairs that led to the trailer door. "How are you doing?"
"Just fine. I made a big dinner tonight and am trying to convince my daughter to come, but she's got other plans."
Aria mouthed sorry from behind her mother's back to Ben. She hadn't meant her mother to catch him here, or for him to get stuck in a long chat about pot roast.
Betty suddenly clapped her hands, gasping with excitement. "Oh, now here's an idea. Mr. Lawson, you should come to dinner with my family! Minus Aria, of course. Trim man like you, doesn't look like you've had a home cooked meal in a while."
Ben's mouth fell open and he stared awkwardly between her and her mother. "Um, I would love to, but I have made other plans, too. Thank you so much for the offer, though."
Suddenly, Betty swirled around and stared at Aria, then turned back to look at Ben. "Wait..."
"Mom..." Aria began to say, realizing her mother was putting the pieces together.
A grin spread over her mother's face, one brow lifted like she hadn't been fooled for a second. "Oh. I get it. Lovebirds want a Friday night to themselves." Betty hugged Ben tightly, catching him off guard. "I don't know why you're hiding him from me, Aria."
"I wasn't hiding." Aria sighed, shaking her head. Poor Ben looked like a deer in headlights with no clue what to say. "We're just keeping things private for now. Because of Travis."
"Well, I won't tell a soul. Mostly." Betty crossed her fingers over her heart. "But I am one happy mom. I hated the last guy you dated—Russ? God, he was the absolute worst. I still feel homicidal every time I see him here."
Ben's mouth fell open.
Shit! Aria couldn’t breathe. She hadn't told him Ben about dating Russell. Not that it really mattered, because they hadn't talked to each other much about exes until the earlier drama with Marion. Hearing about Russell from her mom, though? Not her best move.
"I'll see you Monday before the audition." Betty nonchalantly kissed Aria on the cheek, oblivious to the havoc she'd left behind. "See you soon for that dinner, I hope, Mr. Lawson."
"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Have a great weekend."
The moment her mother was gone, Aria started walking toward the parking lot. "We should probably head out before we hit too much traffic."
"It's Los Angeles. There's always traffic." He kept pace with her, his body movements tense. They reached his car ten minutes later after a golf-cart ride and a short walk, glancing around to make sure no one saw them leaving together. He turned to her the moment the doors shut. "Okay. Explain."
"Do I have to?" Aria scrunched up her nose. "It's not a proud moment."
"Aria, you gave me so much grief about my ex showing up here. Meanwhile, your ex has been here every day. We've been working with him? You didn't think I should know that?"
"Honestly, no." She pulled her seatbelt on and buckled it. "It would have made things really awkward for you when you were working with him, and I didn't think that would be fair to you. He and I are long over, and really we were just a temporary blip on a very bad judgment radar."
He exhaled loudly, but said nothing as he latched his seatbelt then started the car. "Jesus. Russ? He's..."
"SO GROSS. I KNOW." Aria made a fake gagging noise. "I don't know what I was thinking. He was this big hot shot, all rock-and-roll and edge. I thought he was really interested in me, and I liked him. But, he was actually just sleeping with anything that moved."
"When was this?" He pulled the car out onto the main road.
"The first few weeks of rehearsal and filming. It was over fast."
Ben shook his head. "I cannot picture it. I can't picture you with that asshole. Period."
Aria threaded her fingers through the hair on the back of Ben's head as he drove, leaning closer to him. She caressed him gently, reflecting on her previous romance. "When I first came onto this project, I was lost. I had done a few movies—small parts—and a handful of commercials. I started seeing my entire career vanishing. Everything I'd worked so hard for since I was an early teenager...pointless. Russell made fame sound attainable. He helped me practice, and really worked with me on my craft. I wouldn't be the actress I am without him.” She paused and frowned. “Which skeeves me out to say."
The car was silent for a moment. Finally, Ben rested his hand on her leg, squeezing gently. "Everyone has to have some redeeming qualities, I guess. If he helped you at the time, then great. But, babe?"
"Yeah?"
"I might punch him next time I see him."
Aria laughed, hoping he was joking, but also...kind of hoping he wasn't. "Hey, I could say the same thing about Marion, you know."
Ben tilted his head toward her. "You could, but I don't see you as the punching type."
"I wouldn't be so sure," she teased him and gave his hair a slight tug. "Travis and I were full-on plotting your murder earlier today when Marion implied yo
u were getting back together."
Ben laughed, but there was a huskiness in his voice, and his eyes darkened the moment she'd tugged his hair. "I'm glad you have a friend who'd kill for you. Don't really love being the target, though."
"Don’t worry. Your life was spared.” She shot him a wide grin. "Hey, can I ask you an awkward question?"
Ben turned the car onto a small, darkened road. "Sure."
"Why didn't it work out with Marion? And what makes you think it would work out with...someone else...now?" She hated that she needed to know the answer to that, but it had been a thorn in her side for most of the day. Sure, he’d explained it a bit…but it hadn’t been enough to ease her fears. "It's just...Marion and I seem similar. Like you have a type—actresses who are a little crazy. What if you and I—"
"You and Marion are nothing alike," Ben interrupted her, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together. "I may have a type—God help me—but only because movies are my world. It stands to reason that anyone I meet would be somehow involved in the film industry, whether an actress, or whatever."
"I know, but..."
"No buts. With Marion, everything was...methodic. If that makes sense. We were both playing a role we thought we needed, or that other people needed from us. There was no depth, no real bond." Ben's voice dipped slightly at the end—sadness?
Aria squeezed his hand tighter, wanting to comfort him.
"But with us, Aria," Ben continued, his voice stronger and more confident. "There's nothing easy about us. Nothing just for show. Everything is a jumble of emotions, and yet, it's wonderful because underneath it all is you...and me."
"We're bonded." Aria lifted his hand, still intertwined with hers, to her lips and kissed the back.
Ben put the car in park and leaned over to kiss her, soft and sweet. "We're completely fucking crazy, is what we are."
Aria laughed. He wasn't wrong.
Ben opened his car door. "Come on. I want to show you my house."
Realizing for the first time that they had arrived, Aria leaned forward to look out the windshield. What. The. Actual. Fuckity. Fuck. This wasn't a house. This was a fancy, giant prison. Unbuckling, she opened her car door and stepped out.