Departure from the Script Read online

  They climbed the front steps of the apartment building and stopped at the door. Amanda fumbled for her keys in her purse and unlocked the front door but then paused in the doorway. “Do you want to come up for that shot of something strong?”

  Michelle studied her as if trying to find out whether she was being invited in for a drink or something more.

  Amanda wasn’t so sure of the answer herself. The pull between them was strong—so strong that it almost scared her a little. Most of her past relationships had been pleasant, but they had never made her wish the strike would go on indefinitely so that she could hole up in bed with her lover.

  Michelle glanced at the door and then at Amanda. She swallowed audibly. “I very much want to come up, but not for a shot of something strong.” Her heated gaze felt like a caress. “That’s why I should go.”

  But instead of turning and walking away, they both stood on the top step, staring at each other.

  Finally, Michelle cleared her throat. “Goodnight.” She bent and kissed Amanda on the lips. It was tender and careful, as if she was keeping her passion leashed.

  Oh, no. Something inside of Amanda instantly wanted to break through that chivalrous self-control—so she did. Before Michelle could step back, Amanda slid her fingers into her short hair, pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss. “Maybe I don’t want you to go,” she whispered against Michelle’s lips.

  “Maybe?” Michelle whispered back.

  Instead of an answer, Amanda reached for her hand and pulled her into the building and over to the elevator. It seemed to take forever for the doors to open, but finally they slid apart. Amanda and Michelle stumbled inside.

  Amanda’s fingers were shaking slightly as she pressed the button for the top floor.

  Their gazes met in the mirrored wall.

  The instant the doors closed behind them, Michelle pinned her against the wall with her whole body and captured her mouth in a demanding kiss.

  Amanda had just a second to be grateful that her elevator didn’t have a camera system before she lost all ability to think. Her arms went around Michelle’s neck, and she strained against her. God, this woman knew how to kiss.

  Michelle braced her hands on either side of Amanda’s head as if she needed the support to stay upright. Her tongue traced fiery trails over Amanda’s.

  Amanda dug her fingers into her shoulders. The railing behind her pressed into her back, and she arched her hips toward Michelle. The answering moan made her quiver.

  With a loud ding, the elevator reached the top floor.

  Someone cleared his throat only a few feet away.

  Michelle’s heat disappeared from Amanda’s body. Weak-limbed, she leaned against the elevator wall before straightening to face her neighbor, who stood in front of the elevator, staring at them.

  With a mumbled greeting, she slipped past him, dragging Michelle with her by the hand.

  The neighbor gave them a curious glance as they passed.

  The elevator doors whooshed closed, leaving them alone in the hallway.

  On legs that still felt unsteady, Amanda stumbled to her apartment door. It took her almost a minute to get the key in the lock. When the door finally opened, she turned and regarded Michelle, who waited behind her, no longer touching her.

  Passion made Michelle’s brown eyes seem to glow from within, but there were also other emotions written on that expressive face. Desire. Tenderness. Affection. Maybe even love. If she took Michelle into her bedroom now, it would mean more than just a release of the sexual tension between them. Was she ready for that?

  “Second thoughts?” Michelle asked, her voice low and hoarse.

  Amanda licked her lips. They were tender from their kisses. “What if I said yes?”

  Michelle stepped closer, but not close enough for their bodies to touch. She took Amanda’s face into her hands and trailed her thumbs over her cheeks. “Then I’d give you a chaste kiss on the cheek and leave.”

  Amanda smiled. She had no doubt that Michelle would do just that, but a chaste kiss and Michelle leaving weren’t what she wanted. She slowly shook her head. “No second thoughts.” She pulled Michelle over the doorstep.

  The loud ringing of a cell phone made both of them groan.

  Cursing, Amanda let go of Michelle’s hand to search her purse for the phone. “I’m so sorry. I keep forgetting to turn the damn thing off.”

  “Uh, no. It’s actually mine.” Her cheeks tinged red, Michelle fumbled the ringing cell phone from the back pocket of her pants. “What is it, Marty? Now is really not a good ti—”

  An urgent male voice started speaking on the other end of the line, but Amanda couldn’t understand what he was saying.

  “Slow down,” Michelle said. “What happened?” When the man answered, her face went pale. “Jesus. Is it bad?”

  Frowning, Amanda stepped closer and touched her arm in a gesture of silent support.

  Michelle looked up and put her free hand on Amanda’s while she listened.

  “Yes, sure. I can be there in twenty minutes. No, you don’t need to do that. It’s not a problem, really. See you.” Michelle put the phone back into her pocket and leaned into Amanda for a moment.

  Amanda rubbed her back. “What happened?”

  “One of my nephews and my youngest niece were fighting over some toy. Jackson crashed into the coffee table. My brother is pretty sure his arm is broken. They need to take him to the ER, and they want me to come over to keep an eye on the rest of the brood.”

  Gently touching the scar at the corner of Michelle’s eye, Amanda said, “Sounds like they’re a little too much like you and your brother when you were kids.”

  A smile darted across Michelle’s face, but the worried expression didn’t leave her eyes. “Guess so. I’m sorry to have to cut this,” she pointed between the two of them, “short. That’s not how I wanted this night to end.”

  “It’s okay. Maybe this wasn’t meant to happen yet. Waiting a little longer might be a good idea.” The attraction was definitely there, but there was still so much she didn’t know about Michelle.

  Michelle nodded with just a hint of regret on her face. “Yeah. This is worth doing it right.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  Michelle shook her head. “Knowing my nieces and nephews, they’ll keep me up most of the night, arguing over who gets to be the first to sign their brother’s shiny new cast, and you actresses need your beauty sleep.” She lifted one hand and caressed Amanda’s cheek. “But I’d love to rehearse with you again if the strike is still going on tomorrow.”

  “You’ve got a date.”

  “A date?”

  “Um, a rehearsal, of course.”

  They walked the few steps back to the elevator hand in hand.

  Instead of kissing her goodnight, Michelle pulled her into her arms for an embrace.

  Amanda pressed her face against the side of Michelle’s neck and held her close for a few moments before letting go.

  The elevator doors dinged open.

  “Let me know how your nephew is doing,” Amanda said.

  “I will. Sleep well.” One last touch of their fingertips, then the elevator doors closed between them and Michelle was gone.

  CHAPTER 7

  “How’s Vegas?” Michelle asked.

  Amanda leaned against the headboard of the hotel bed and pressed the phone to her ear as if that would bring them closer. “Big. Flashy.” Mentally, she added, Lonely.

  She’d been as excited as the rest of the cast when Walt had announced that they were going to Las Vegas to film on location, but after five days, she was really starting to miss Michelle. Talking to her on the phone every night wasn’t the same as actually seeing her, even if it had brought them closer, forcing them to talk and get to know each other without the distraction of the physical attraction between them.

  “When are you coming home?” Michelle asked as if she was thinking along the same lines.

  “Probab
ly on Sunday,” Amanda said. “We’re filming in one of the big casinos tomorrow. Nick and I are investigating the death of a gambler who was trying to cheat the casino.”

  Michelle laughed. “Do you realize that you sound like you’re really a detective?”

  A blush crept up Amanda’s neck. Since joining the cast of Central Precinct four weeks ago, she’d done little else but eat, sleep, and be in front of the camera, so the lines between her role and reality were beginning to blur. Sometimes, she felt that Michelle was the only thing tethering her to her normal life. “Sorry. What I wanted to say is that my character—”

  “It’s all right. I won’t complain if you come home with a pair of handcuffs in your suitcase.”

  The seductive tone of her voice made Amanda’s heartbeat spike. She rubbed her chest and then stopped when she realized that the touch made her nipples harden. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the sound of Michelle’s breathing, but that didn’t help as images of Michelle gasping for breath, writhing and bucking beneath Amanda’s hands, flashed through her mind.

  “What are you thinking about?” Michelle asked softly.

  “Uh…” Amanda covered her hot face with her free hand. She couldn’t tell Michelle what had gone through her mind…could she?

  “You know I was only joking about the handcuffs, don’t you? I’m not into BDSM.”

  “Me neither.”

  Just when Amanda was gathering the courage to ask Michelle what she was into, a knock sounded at the door to her hotel room.

  “Jesus.” Amanda jumped off the bed, not sure if she should be glad or annoyed. “Give me a minute. Someone’s at my door. Probably just room service with my dinner.” She put down the cell phone and went to open the door.

  Instead of room service, her colleague Nick stood in front of her. “Hi. I thought since we wrapped early today, I’d take advantage and get in some sightseeing. Want to come?” He dazzled her with the smile that had won him two Emmys and the attention of countless women.

  “Uh…” Amanda pointed over her shoulder to the bed, where her cell phone lay. “I’m on the phone.”

  Nick made no move to back away. “No problem. I can wait, if you want.”

  Normally, Amanda would have jumped at the chance to see the sights of Las Vegas, but she didn’t want to waste what little time she had with Michelle. Plus she got the feeling that Nick was interested in more than a companion for sightseeing, and she didn’t want to send him the wrong message. “Not tonight. All I want is to put up my feet and not think of anything work-related until tomorrow morning.”

  “I hear you. Maybe another time, then.”

  Amanda gave a noncommittal half-nod. Once Nick left, she closed the door and walked back to the bed. She got comfortable again and raised the phone to her ear. “Sorry. Just one of my colleagues.”

  “I heard. Didn’t you want to go with him? You’re not obliged to talk to me every night, you know?”

  “I know. I want to,” Amanda said, because it was true. “Besides, sightseeing with Nick might not be the best idea.”

  “Why not? From what you told me about him, he seems like an okay guy.”

  “He is, but…” Amanda sighed. “I don’t want to sound like a full-of-herself Hollywood starlet, but I have a feeling he’s interested in me.”

  “Oh. Well, I can’t blame him.”

  Shaking her head, Amanda had to smile nonetheless. “Charmer.”

  “Just stating the facts, ma’am. A few million Americans happen to agree with me.”

  “What did you do, take out a poll?” Amanda asked with a laugh.

  “Not quite, but have you seen the ratings of Central Precinct? They’ve gone up since you joined the cast.”

  She was right. Amanda had followed the numbers religiously but hesitated to attribute the improved ratings to her presence on the show. “It’s the writing. We have some very talented writers on the show. When I first joined the cast, there was this storyline about Detective Halliday’s father that—”

  “I watched it. It was great writing—and great acting.”

  Amanda smiled. “Thanks. So you’re watching us regularly? Are you a fan of the show?”

  “I’m a fan of you,” Michelle said. “And I don’t mean just of your acting chops.”

  Once again, Michelle’s openness made Amanda speechless. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to be with her again, to talk face-to-face, and to exchange a kiss or two. Or a few hundred. “When can I see you?”

  “When does your plane land? I’ll come pick you up.”

  “No. We’ll take the red-eye and land at two in the morning. That’s too late for you to be driving all over LA.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Michelle said. “I’m not Cinderella, and my car doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight.”

  Amanda shook her head and then remembered that Michelle couldn’t see it. “No. I can take a cab, and we’ll see each other another time.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Remember you have that photo shoot at dawn on Monday morning, and I don’t want you to have to work on three hours of sleep. Your job is as important as mine.”

  Michelle became very quiet for a moment and then said, “Thank you.”

  “What for?”

  “A lot of my exes never saw it that way. They thought just pressing the shutter of a camera a few times wasn’t much of a job.”

  Amanda snorted. “Just like pretending to be someone else on TV isn’t much of a job.”

  “Guess so.”

  “I wish it were that way. Then I wouldn’t have to hang up now to study my lines for tomorrow.”

  “That’s all right,” Michelle said. “I have to get going in a few minutes too.”

  “Oh, hot date?” Amanda kept her tone light but couldn’t help feeling a bit insecure. They hadn’t talked about where their relationship was going and whether they wanted to be exclusive.

  “You could say that. I’m meeting a good-looking actress to watch an episode of The Golden Girls and possibly Ellen.”

  It took a few seconds for Amanda to understand. “You’re meeting my grandmother?”

  “Yes. I drove over to watch Central Precinct with her yesterday too. I hope that’s okay?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t want you to think that I’m trying to get into her good graces to earn brownie points with you.”

  Amanda hadn’t thought that for even a second. She knew that Michelle was not that kind of person. “You think you need brownie points?”

  “Can’t hurt. But I’m spending time with your grandmother because I like her and because she’s lonely without your grandfather, especially since you left for Vegas.”

  Tears stung Amanda’s eyes. “I know. I’m trying to spend as much time as possible with her, but with this new role and…”

  “And this new relationship,” Michelle said when Amanda trailed off. “Listen, I want you to know that I’m not making any demands on your time. I know you have to focus on other things right now. With your job and your grandmother, you have enough on your plate.”

  An echo of something her first agent had once told her ricocheted through Amanda’s mind. If you want to make it in Hollywood, say good-bye to your private life. If you want to date, date someone in the business. With the crazy hours you’ll work, plus press junkets, interviews, and after-parties, it’ll never work with someone else. More tears came, and she angrily dashed them away. Why was she so emotional today? Being away from home for a few days had never affected her this much before. “You’re not breaking up with me, are you?” She tried to make it sound like a joke, but some of her insecurity leaked through.

  “Hell, no.”

  The determination in Michelle’s voice chased away the remainders of Amanda’s tears. “With me on location or shooting all of the time, it’s not gonna be easy.”

  “Are you trying to break up with me?”

  “I’m trying
to give you an out,” Amanda said.

  “I don’t want one.”

  Silence filled the line for several seconds.

  Amanda pressed the phone closer to her ear and whispered, “I don’t want one either.”

  “Good.” Michelle’s voice, deep and husky, rumbled through the phone. “I have to get going, or I’ll be late for my date with my second-favorite actress. Do you want me to call you later to practice some lines?”

  “Why does that sound dirty?”

  Michelle chuckled. “Must be because you have a dirty mind. My intentions are pure. Well, most of them. So, do we have a date later?”

  “You mean a rehearsal.” Amanda smiled at the old joke between them. “Our official date won’t be before Valentine’s Day, remember?”

  “Right. So, rehearsal later?”

  “I’m counting on it,” Amanda said. She had come to love talking to Michelle right before she went to sleep. “Give my grandmother a hug from me.”

  “Will do. Until later.”

  For several minutes after they had hung up, Amanda lay on the bed, the phone pressed to her chest until a knock on the door and the call, “room service” startled her out of her thoughts and out of bed.

  “If you move even one inch, I’m gonna shoot your stupid head off!” Amanda said, putting a snarl into her voice.

  Paper rustled on the other end of the line. “Uh, stupid isn’t in the script. At least not in the version you faxed me.”

  Amanda glanced down at her own copy of the script. Damn. Michelle was right. Amanda cleared her throat and tried again. “If you move even one fucking inch, I’m gonna shoot your head off!”

  Instead of delivering her line, Michelle laughed. “I get the feeling you don’t like the guy playing your suspect.”

  “Huh? Why?”

  “Fucking isn’t in the script either.”

  Amanda checked the script—which, of course, had no profanity at all—and groaned. “I like him just fine, but the script isn’t as good as our other episodes.” She grabbed the stack of paper and threw it toward the bottom of the bed.

  “No? What we’ve read so far seems pretty interesting to me.”