Twisted Arrangement 4 (7 page)

Ben’s shoulders drew back and his chin lifted. “Whatever she is or isn’t, she deserves at least a little respect.”

“She’s a thief and a liar, Ben. I owe her very little. The only reason she’s here is because I’m blackmailing her into it.” Not his best argument, but he was feeling defensive. A feeling which, based on Ben’s expression, was entirely earned.

“Yeah, well that ‘very little’ bit you owe includes not being a dick.” Ben socked his shoulder, slightly harder than a playful tap. “You knew her circumstances when you proposed this arrangement. Seems to me like you’re using the situation to do more than just get your movie made. Like maybe you’re trying to get a little revenge on her, too.”

Josh clenched his jaw. “You’re on her side?”

“Thought we were all on the same side, man.” Ben shrugged, his eyes sliding over to where Emma and Emilie still chatted animatedly. “But yeah, I like her.”

“You
like
her?” The only explanation Josh was willing to countenance for the way the bottom of his stomach dropped out at Ben’s words, was that he was worried for his friend. “She’s a con artist.”

Ben’s hazel eyes hardened. He looped an arm around Josh’s shoulders and tugged him out of the tent, away from the gathering cast and crew. “And you’re an idiot.”

Josh tensed. “What the hell, Ben? You’re the one who compiled the file on her.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Exactly. And apparently I know its contents better than you do. Maybe Emma too.” Ben released Josh and drew a roll of butterscotch candies out of his pocket. He popped one in his mouth and tucked the roll back away without offering Josh one.

Josh snorted a laugh. “You think you know Emma? Based on what? You’ve hardly spoken to her at all.”

“I’ve spent the last several hours in her delightful company, in fact, while you were tied up in the office having completely forgotten to leave me a pass at the front gate.” Josh opened his mouth to protest this, but Ben held up a hand. “Don’t worry, Emma took care of it. Which is sort of a thing she does. You used to know that, before you let your bruised ego walk you around like an arrogant sock puppet. In fact, you took advantage of that trait when you forced her to play your trophy wife.”

Josh gaped at his best friend. “Arrogant sock puppet?”

Ben smirked. “Pretty much, yeah.” Josh scrubbed both hands through his hair and blew out a long breath.

“Fuck.”

“You want to talk about it?” The harshness had faded from his friend’s hazel gaze, replaced with the jovial twinkle Josh was used to.

“I haven’t set out to punish her, Ben. That’s the truth. None of this was ever about getting back at her.” He kicked at a crumpled call sheet. “But I can’t deny that any time she opens her mouth, my first inclination is to disbelieve her.”

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. But he wasn’t about to tell Ben what his real first inclination was. Josh wasn’t one of those guys who liked to brag to his buddies about the details of his sex life. He’d talk about sex in general, sure. But specifics? No way.

Ben sucked noisily at his candy for a second and then pushed it over and tucked it into his cheek. “Why?”

Josh blinked at him. “
Why?
Did you really just ask me that?”

“Yeah.” Ben shrugged. “Look, I get that the whole Madame Butterfly thing really threw you for a loop. It’s taking you awhile to adjust to that. Understandable. But that was one time. You’ve seen the file. Apart from some pranks when they were kids, Emma’s been on the straight and narrow. Why disregard
everything
she says?”

“It wasn’t just when they were kids. There was something when she was in college too. Her professor had to get her out of trouble. My father mentioned it.”

Ben’s brows rose. “Couldn’t have been too serious, man. I didn’t turn up anything.”

“Serious enough that Emma was in trouble with the dean.”

“And you think whatever she did is bad enough to be proof of ongoing criminal behavior?” Ben’s mouth twisted into a crooked smirk.

Josh narrowed his eyes. “Maybe. I figured if my dad won’t give me the details, you could poke around at UC Berkeley for me.”

Behind him, Emma sighed. “I took over the campus radio station and broadcasted an orgasm live. There was a bit of a riot.”

Ben’s barked out laughter. Josh spun around, his mouth falling open, to stare at Emma’s pursed lips and flaming cheeks.

Josh cut another quick glance at Emma as he pulled up to the house. She sat rigid in the passenger seat, eyes trained out the window, staring into the darkness. It was after midnight. Filming had wrapped a little over an hour ago. He’d stayed briefly to chat with Morse and the Director of Photography, Dennis McClure, about tomorrow’s shooting schedule but now they were finally home. The drive had seemed incredibly long, as silent as it was. Emma hadn’t spoken to him since this afternoon, when she’d overheard him and Ben talking.

He’d been speechless for so long after hearing her confession of what she’d done that she’d stomped away without another word. He knew he should apologize. Despite the fact that he could read indignation in every line of her body, she’d somehow managed to keep up the charade of loving new wife for the cast and crew.

Josh had been a little surprised no one else picked up on her aggravation. She practically vibrated with it. But she smiled and made small talk with everyone from the PAs to the gaffers, all the while peppering her conversations with glances at him and brief touches to convey affection. No one seemed to notice that she didn’t direct a single word at him from lunchtime on. Josh, on the other hand, had been acutely aware of the fact. He still was.

“Emma,” he began, trying yet again to begin a conversation. But, like the several other times he’d tried during their drive home, she only cut him a brief glare and then stared out the side window without acknowledging him any further.

The second he put the car in park she was out the door and gliding up the stairs like she was on rails. Josh stuffed the keys in his pocket and hurried after her, trying to think of something to say. Even with his long stride, she was moving so quickly he couldn’t keep up.

Sighing, he paused at the top of the stairs, watching her disappear down the hallway to the master bedroom. He heard the door close – not slam, surprisingly – behind her. She’d be grabbing her bags and heading up to her bedroom immediately, he imagined. Maybe he should go to his office for a while, give her the night to cool off, apologize over breakfast.

But the door didn’t open again. Curious, Josh strode to his bedroom door and pushed it open. Emma sat on the end of the bed, peeled off her shoes and began massaging her feet. She’d worn a khaki skirt and a loose cotton blouse in a pale shade of blue today, leaving her legs smooth and bare.

Emma straightened her legs, flexed her toes, and then reached for her bag. Josh watched her rummage through it, frowning.

“Emma? What are you doing?”

She raised opaque green eyes to his face. “Getting ready for bed. I’ll be sleeping in here, for tonight at least. Donna saw me coming out of the guest room and looked suspicious. I’m taking the bed. You can have the couch.” She nodded toward the narrow loveseat against the far wall.

Calling it a ‘couch’ was a bit grandiose. It was maybe four feet long. There was no way he could sleep on that. Where would he put the other two feet of his body?

“Emma –”

She ignored him, pulling a wad of cloth out of her bag, along with a small toiletry case, and heading into the bathroom. That door closed a little harder than the bedroom door had. Still not quite a slam, but loud enough to convey that she meant business.

Josh ground his teeth. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t make her go sleep somewhere else. This was
his
plan, and if any of the staff figured out they weren’t really married, it was only a matter of time before someone else heard about it, and then someone else... and eventually Ransler would hear and his movie would be cast back into development hell.

So they both had to sleep in here tonight. Maybe she could sleep on the loveseat? She was much more petite than him. But the minute the thought occurred to him, he shoved it away. He wasn’t that callous.

The bathroom door opened and Emma stalked back out, her dark hair tumbling loosely around her shoulders. It was slightly wavy from having been tied up all day. She wore a pair of bluish-white shorts and a matching tank top and didn’t even glance his way as she climbed into bed, snuggling beneath the covers.

His covers.

“I’m not sleeping on that loveseat. It’s too short.” This was his room and that was his bed. If she was going to sleep in it, she was damn well going to sleep in it with him. Desire began to bubble in his blood, but Josh tamped it viciously down. He was not some randy high schooler whose cock was in charge.

Emma glared at him over the blankets. When she finally spoke to him, her voice was low with anger. “Fine. The bed is big enough. You stay over there. But I swear to Christ, Josh, you lay even a fingertip on me and you’ll find out just how much of a criminal I can be.”

“What kind of man do you take me for?” Well, that was a stupid question. Josh could have cut out his own tongue. She snorted.

“The kind who blackmails women and then treats them they’re morally inferior.”

Josh grimaced as he sat down to pull off his shoes. “I suppose I had that coming.” She crossed her arms over the covers, color high in her cheeks.

“Among other things.”

He didn’t respond. Maybe she was right. Ben seemed to think so. Somehow, and Josh wasn’t quite sure when, he’d become the villain. That really hadn’t been his intent when he set out; he wasn’t lying about that. He’d thought he could just use the fortuitous situation to see that everyone got what they wanted. And yes, maybe he still had some lingering resentment about being tricked, but he didn’t want to
hurt
Emma. He just didn’t trust her. How could anyone, herself included, blame him for that?

Normally, he slept in the nude. But he knew Emma wouldn’t appreciate that, and he was already walking a thin line here. He tugged a pair of soft, grey cotton sleep pants on, switched off the overheard light, and climbed into bed.

The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated a small area around them with a pool of warm yellow light. Emma scooted further away as he slid beneath the covers. Josh flopped onto his back, the day’s exertions piling onto his head and chest. He tugged the blanket up to his armpits, turned off the lamp, and situated himself on his pillow.

“Goodnight, Emma.”

She didn’t reply.

Josh lay in the absolute silence, staring up into the darkness as his eyes began to adjust. He swore he could hear the clock in his office next door ticking, it was so quiet. He was acutely aware of Emma lying beside him. She was still fuming, he thought.

Her breath rasped softly in and out, too even and not deep enough for her to be asleep. Even though she was at least a foot away from him, Josh swore he could feel the heat from her skin all along his left arm.

Ridiculous, of course. He was just hyperaware because of their fight. Not that they were actually fighting. Josh sighed.

“Are you awake?”

Her heard the rustle of her legs shifting. “Yes.”

He rolled to his side facing her, propping his head on his hand. His eyes had adjusted enough to make out the vague shape of her in the darkness. Her hair was black against the white of the pillow, the pale fabric of her pajama top like a beacon for his gaze. Her breasts rose and fell with each soft breath.

“I’m sorry.” He rubbed at his chest, looking in the general vicinity of her face, even though he couldn’t see her eyes. “I was an ass. You’ve been holding up your end of the bargain and all I’ve been doing is making it difficult.”