Script Doctor (Off Screen Book 8) Read online

  Tamara’s protest was abruptly halted by a demanding kiss. She let her eyelids fall shut as Christie’s hands began to work the buttons of her sleeveless blouse. Tamara was rendered breathless in an instant. It wasn’t as if Christie never seduced her; she had—often. They had fallen into a routine just as Tamara imagined all couples did. Work, maintaining a house, family, friends, the everyday pieces of life had overridden the spontaneity they had enjoyed early on in their relationship. It had been some time since Christie had rushed in the door eager to take possession of Tamara’s lips, and Tamara welcomed it.

  Christie quickly became lost in the feel of Tamara beneath her. She divested Tamara of her shirt in seconds, eager to feel the woman she loved. Simple moments reminded Christie what had caused her to fall head first in love with her fiancé. Tamara was the funniest, most genuine person that Christie had ever met. And, while Tamara was loaded with bravado, the outward swagger that Tamara wore with pride did little to conceal the gentle soul behind it. Christie admired that quality. At thirty-five, Tamara still looked at the world with a sense of childlike wonder.

  Christie pulled back and looked at Tamara. Sensing Christie’s gaze, Tamara opened her eyes.

  “I love you, Tam,” Christie said.

  “Yeah? Why’d you stop then?” Tamara teased.

  “Who says I’m stopping anything?”

  “You just stopped,” Tamara pointed out the obvious.

  Christie smiled, leaned back in, and kissed Tamara passionately. Her lips strayed to Tamara’s neck, and she nibbled on an enticing earlobe. “You might beg me to stop before I am finished,” she whispered heavily in Tamar’s ear.

  Tamara was putty in Christie’s hands and she knew it. There was no point in trying to deny it. The first-time Christie had kissed Tamara; Tamara’s knees had nearly buckled. Many things in their lives and the life they shared together had changed; the effect of Christie’s kiss o Tamara was thankfully not one of them. Tamara was confident that Christie’s kiss would always have the capacity to make her quiver. She wrapped arms around Christie’s neck, urging her to continue.

  Christie’s palm cupped Tamara’s breast as her lips blazed a trail over Tamara's throat. She methodically kissed her way down Tamara’s shoulder, across her chest, and finally over a taut nipple. She smiled inwardly when Tamara’s legs wrapped around her waist, pulling Christie closer.

  Tamara whimpered when the warmth of Christie’s mouth covered her breast. She rocked her hips against Christie, desperate for their bodies to connect. Christie sucked harder and moved her hands to release the button of the shorts Tamara was wearing.

  Tamara’s thoughts momentarily drifted, trying to recall the last time that Christie had unexpectedly seduced her. Any hope of recollection proved futile when Christie’s hand found its way into Tamara’s shorts. Tamara gasped when she felt two fingers request entrance, and she arched her hips to signal her approval.

  Christie had intended to slowly drive Tamara to the brink of sanity. The sensation of Tamara against her, the smell of Tamara’s spicy shampoo mixed with the lingering scent of coconut oil was enough on its own to send Christie’s hormones into overdrive. Tamara was rocking with urgency, moaning inaudible words, and gripping Christie’s shoulder in a silent, desperate message that told Christie she could have anything she desired at the moment. Tamara would happily oblige. Christie’s pulse raced when she felt the warmth of Tamara’s arousal. It made her slightly dizzy. She rested her head against Tamara’s chest and continued to thrust gently in out of Tamara, teasing her every so often.

  “Chris,” Tamara groaned. “I need you—right now,” she said.

  Christie yanked the jeans off Tamara’s legs and swiftly moved to kneel before Tamara again. She was caught off guard when Tamara hoisted her up.

  “All of you,” Tamara said.

  “What?” Christie’s confusion was evident.

  Tamara pulled the shirt that Christie was wearing up and directed it over Christie’s head until she was free from its confines. “I need to feel all of you,” Tamara told her lover.

  Christie’s heart jumped. Tamara’s eyes had taken on a feral look; a dark, lustful haze that Christie had deemed the color of need. She steadied her breathing as Tamara undressed her. In an instant, Tamara had pulled Christie down. Skin to skin their bodies began an intimate dance.

  Tamara’s fingertips pressed firmly into the flesh of Christie’s hips, encouraging her movements. She watched the woman swaying above her in rapt fascination. Christie was a gorgeous woman. Tamara often wondered how she had hit the jackpot and won the actress’s heart. The sensation of Christie moving sensually against her beckoned Tamara to close her eyes and revel in the erotic sensations that coursed through her. She fought that impulse and kept her eyes riveted to the woman she loved.

  Christie held Tamara’s fiery gaze, determined to keep Tamara under the spell that she had cast. She let her hands fall to Tamara’s breasts and cupped them softly, giving her the opportunity to steady her movements and tease Tamara in the same instant. She watched as Tamara’s eyelids began to flutter. “Tam,” she called. “Look at me.”

  Tamara willed her eyes to remain open, finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything at all. Rational thought had abandoned her. She met Christie’s eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. The heat pouring off her body was so intense that Tamara thought Christie might burn a hole right through her. No one that Tamara knew thought of her as timid; Tamara was sure of that. Tamara didn’t question her love for Christie, and she had no doubt that Christie loved her. There were times when the intensity of feelings Christie conjured within Tamara made Tamara timid—just for a moment. She desperately wanted to allow her hands the pleasure of exploring the woman above her, but Tamara feared if she let go of Christie for even a second, she might somehow lose her tether.

  Christie recognized the inner battle that blazed in Tamara’s eyes. Making love with Tamara was a dance. Christie was sure that most people would have imagined Tamara taking the lead. That had seldom been the case. It was a reality that both delighted Christie and simultaneously reminded her that Tamara was the most vulnerable and sensitive person she had ever known. Tamara loved to talk. When the door closed at night, Tamara softened in ways that Christie still found remarkable nearly seven years after the first time they had made love. She reached for Tamara’s right hand and lifted it to her lips, kissing Tamara’s palm before placing it over her breast.

  Tamara released a ragged breath and bit her lip. Christie understood her needs and her desires without Tamara needing to voice them. Sometimes that was as mundane as noticing that Tamara’s glass had run dry. Christie would cross throngs of people simply to replace the glass in Tamara’s hand. Here—in this place—Christie needed no words to understand Tamara’s requests. She never had. She had always been able to sense Tamara’s desires, insecurities, and even her fantasies.

  Christie smiled down at Tamara when Tamara’s fingertips began to tease and tempt Christie’s nipple. Christie traced Tamara’s lips with a fingertip. She sighed when Tamara’s mouth took possession of her finger and sucked gently. It was such a simple gesture full of so much eroticism that it sent a pulse of pleasure through Christie’s core. She felt the slight quivering beneath her and made the decision that she needed more—Tamara needed more. Her breath caught when Tamara sucked on her finger again, swirling her tongue around it, eyes locked on Christie’s dazed expression. Christie knew that Tamara could feel the warmth pooling between them. Her body trembled in anticipation. She made a move to descend over Tamara’s body and was surprised when Tamara found her voice.

  “No,” Tamara grasped Christie’s hand firmly. “Stay with me like this,” Tamara requested.

  Christie cocked her head with curiosity. She wanted to take Tamara, to taste her and bring them both over the precipice they were teetering on.

  Tamara’s hand cupped Christie’s cheek. Her mouth curled into the hint of a smile. “I…”
/>   Christie felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes. Her lustful exploit had turned in an instant to sensual lovemaking. She took a deep breath and let the shift settle between them. She smiled at Tamara. “I love you,” she professed.

  Tamara’s hands found Christie’s breasts at the same time Christie’s found hers. The dance had taken a turn in pace and direction. No one would lead this night. Together they would spin, holding onto one another through the crescendo until the refrain softly faded into the distance.

  Christie continued her subtle swaying, meeting the gentle roll of Tamara’s hips. It reminded her of a gathering storm. She listened as the air around them became thick with anticipation. An audible gasp signaled the silence that preceded the arrival of a tornado that would toss them about violently.

  “Tam,” Christie finally gave into the sensual sea swirling them about and called out to her lover. Tamara’s hands dropped to Christie’s hips to steady them both. “Tamara…”

  Christie spoke her partner’s name with so much reverence that Tamara lost her breath. Tamara closed her eyes and gave over to the storm. Her body quaked in time with the rumbling above her. She gripped Christie tightly as the shaking in her legs began to subside. Before she could speak, Christie’s lips were on hers possessively.

  “I need to taste you—now,” Christie said.

  Tamara trembled. Now? Tamara’s first cognitive thought since Christie had climbed on top of her was disbelief. She wasn’t sure she would survive Christie’s plan. Before she could mount a verbal protest, she felt the warm softness of Christie’s tongue circle her center faintly.

  “Jesus, Chris!” Tamara tried to pull back. Her body was still on fire from their first round of love making. The slightest touch instantly produced another series of tiny quakes.

  Christie’s arms pulled Tamara closer and she let herself fall into Tamara. Tamara’s hips were lifting off the sofa in desperation. It was almost too much for Tamara to take. Her heart wanted to meld into Christie. Her body felt overloaded. Christie’s strength held her in place.

  “Chris…”

  Christie licked the length of her lover’s need slowly.

  “Jesus!”

  Christie was lost in her exploration. Every movement of Tamara’s body set her on fire. She wanted nothing more than to feel Tamara submit to her again. She teased and tasted and touched Tamara without conscious thought, immersed only in the sensations making love to Tamara ignited within her.

  Tamara’s hands gripped Christie’s shoulders. She was sure her body was being sent into orbit. Christie’s tongue swirled around her clit and she moaned. “Please… Chris… Please… I can’t….”

  Christie sucked tenderly, sending Tamara soaring. She held onto Tamara firmly. Tamara’s powerful release continued through a second wave of shudders and moans. When she felt Tamara’s body begin to relax, Christie gentled her exploration and began to kiss her way up Tamara’s body until their lips met again.

  “Where did that come from?” Tamara wondered aloud.

  Christie took a deep breath. “Marry me, Tam.”

  Tamara was confused. “I thought we were already doing that?”

  “Yes,” Christie agreed. “I mean no more waiting,” she clarified. Tamara nodded. “Tam, nothing is going to change this,” Christie said. “Look at me.”

  Tamara looked in Christie’s misty eyes and smiled.

  “No ring, no ceremony, no babies will stop me from needing to feel you; from wanting to make love to you.”

  “I know,” Tamara confessed.

  “What are you so afraid of?” Christie asked.

  “Having it all.”

  “Why?” Christie asked.

  “What if all of it isn’t enough?” Tamara asked.

  “What if our marriage isn’t enough for you?”

  “No—for you.”

  Christie kissed Tamara tenderly. “Tam, you aren’t only enough for me, you are everything to me. Don’t you know that by now?”

  Tamara sighed. She did know. Sometimes she wondered why. “I want everything with you.”

  Christie nodded. “Then stop worrying and let yourself have it. And, stop comparing us to Mr. and Mrs. Brady or Mrs. And Mrs. Blake for that matter. It’s creepy.”

  Tamara laughed. “When do you want to do this wedding thing?”

  Christie let her head fall onto Tamara’s chest. “When the kids get back.”

  Tamara smiled. Vicki and Hannah were part of their family. Neither she or Tamara would want to tie the knot without Vicki to bark orders at them and Hannah to toddle about their feet. “How about two weeks?”

  Christie looked up at Tamara in disbelief.

  “Too soon?” Tamara asked.

  “No.”

  “Second thoughts?” Tamara teased.

  “Never. I just didn’t expect you to jump.”

  Tamara sighed. “It’s been four years, babe. Time to jump without the net.”

  Christie stroked Tamara’s cheek. “I’ll catch you,” she promised.

  “I know,” Tamara replied. She pulled Christie closer. “But, no more than two kids,” she said. “Unless you get Alice to do our laundry,” she said. Christie chuckled. “And, we sleep on the first floor.”

  “We only have a first floor,” Christie reminded Tamara.

  “Well, if we have kids we need an upstairs before they hit puberty.”

  Christie started to chuckle. Tamara’s mind was a whirlwind of humorous notions. “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “I don’t want Sam the butcher sneaking in. That is creepy.”

  Christie laughed. “Whatever makes you happy,” she said.

  Tamara closed her eyes. You. You make me happy.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Addison walked into the bedroom to find Emma putting away laundry. “Never ends; does it?”

  Emma turned and smiled. “No, it doesn’t. At least, I think I managed to catch up,” Emma offered. Addison’s halfhearted smile made her sigh. “It’s only a week, Addy. Try to enjoy it.”

  “I know. Don’t you miss them?”

  “You know I do,” Emma replied. “But, they will love being with Mom and Dad. Vicki was bouncing she was so excited. It’s good for them, and it’s good for us. This week is going to get crazy and you and I both know it.”

  Addison nodded. “Yeah. It already is.”

  “Why did something happen today? I thought you were just ironing out the creases with Jeff?” Emma asked.

  “I was. We were. Some of the set pieces aren’t there. So, they say we will be a go to start on Tuesday.”

  “That should be fine,” Emma said. “Addy, you know this stuff just happens. Are we talking crucial here or are we talking replaceable?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  Emma put the remaining shirts in her hand on top of her dresser and flopped into a chair. “Okay, let’s have it.”

  “What?” Addison asked.

  “Something is bothering you and it is not getting the sets dressed. So? What is going on?”

  “Do you think I am off base with the storyline?”

  “What are you talking about?” Emma asked.

  “I’m just asking.”

  “Why would you ask that?” Emma wanted to know.

  “I read your comments on episode three.”

  “And?”

  “You don’t find it believable?” Addy asked.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “No, but you intimated it.”

  Emma sighed. Working with Addy as an actor had been a much different experience than working with Addy as a producer. Emma was intimately familiar with the characters that Addy created for Off Screen. She should be. In many ways, Jack and Genevieve were meant to mirror Addy and Emma in a different time. Of course, they had evolved over the years into unique people, just as Addy and Emma’s relationship continued to grow. Emma had always read and reviewed Addison’s scripts and made notes. She had taken considerable time reviewing this new show’s sto
ryline. The ending of Off Screen had left openings for the show to take many turns or spins. One thing that Emma did understand was that the heart of the show’s success had been the love affair between Jack and Genevieve. It was the devotion that they had to one another that had sucked audiences in far and wide. There was no way Jack would be cavalier about love. Living without Genevieve would prove a painful endeavor for the character even if she did attempt to let someone into her life again. Emma was not finding fault with Addy’s script. In episode three, a wandering Jack would decide to let someone new into her life. Emma thought it premature. She guessed that Addison and Jeff believed it was best for the timing of the season. If that was Jack’s fast-track trajectory, Emma felt that the character would need to be pushed out of her comfort zone in some way. A casual one-time lover would need to possess something powerful and unique to entice the brokenhearted photographer into more than a tryst.

  “No, I did not,” Emma disagreed. “How do I explain this to you?”

  “Em, Jack has to cross a bridge. You know? She’s standing on the threshold of change. She still loves Genevieve, but she feels something for Liz.”

  Emma nodded. “Yes.”

  “Yes? Okay? Your notes weren’t a yes,” Addy said.

  “My notes said exactly what I just told you. Jack is going to have to be pushed to break out of her comfort zone.”

  Addison felt frustrated. She valued Emma’s opinions and insights. She always had. Emma was a talented actress. Few people disputed that. Addy had recognized the reasons why Emma was so adept at breathing life into words on a page. Emma had a unique capacity to dig deeper, to feel the words on the page as emotions rather than sentiment. Many actors could immerse themselves in dialogue and create a believable façade. Emma went deeper than most. Both of Emma’s co-stars on Off Screen had commented numerous times that working with Emma was something they treasured. Dan had once said that Emma made him a better actor. Early on in their creative partnership, Addy sought Emma’s input. She valued it. This was the first time that Addison had found herself at odds with Emma’s point of view. She wasn’t grasping it—at all.