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Chapter 17: In Which The Devil Performs A Rescue
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The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 18: I Didn't Imagine It
My ankle isn't broken, thank God. But it's a bad sprain. And my wrist is sprained, too - though only mildly. The rest of me is just bruised, but those two injuries are going to put me out of commission for a couple of days, maybe longer.Dante stays with me the whole time at the ER, even though I know he probably has plenty of better things to be doing. He gets a couple of phone calls while we're there, but they go the same way as the phone call he took during our cake consultation - both end with him tersely insisting he'll send pages as soon as they're ready. In spite of everything, I find myself curious about these conversations, about the business he's always kept so private from me. His big movie just launched. Shouldn't he be on top of the world right now?I manage to bite my tongue until we're on the car ride home, and then my curiosity gets the better of me."It looks like Cataclysm: Earth had a great opening weekend," I say. "The newspaper in the waiting room said it broke
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 19: A Match
When Dante returns, my heart leaps into my throat. For the first time since he showed up this morning - hell, since he walked back into my life - I allow myself to really look at him, to face the demon who broke my heart.His dark hair is slightly ruffled, and I wonder if it fell that way on its own or if he's been running his hand through it. He used to do that - run his hand through his hair - while he was working, thinking his way through a problem in his script.And I used to run my fingers through his hair when we were making love.My belly warms as I let my eyes drop to his face, to that strong mouth with those eager, demanding lips, and then up to those rich, mesmerizing eyes. He's looking back at me, watching me take him in, and in those eyes I see things I don't want to see. That I'm not ready to see.Why is he doing this to me?I turn and grab a book from my nightstand, but that doesn't stop Dante from returning slowly and deliberately to the side of my bed."The food h
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 20: All The Things That Aren't The Same
I force myself instead to think of the pain - of that night when everything fell apart. The years have done little to dull the hurt, to make me forget."Ash," Dante says, the rumble of his voice drawing me back into the present. He's still touching me - in fact, his hand has curled around the side of my face, and his eyes have softened just enough to make my insides go weak.I turn my face away from him."I don't know what you want," I say, "but I have nothing to give you.""Because of Jack.""Among other reasons."I don't have to be any more specific than that - I can tell by the look in his eyes that he knows I'm referring to how things ended between us the last time around. But he doesn't rise, doesn't look away."Ash.""Don't," I say, holding up a hand. "It doesn't matter now."He presses his lips together. That's another thing he always did when he was working through a plot issue in one of his scripts.And then he leans toward me. And though he doesn't touch me this tim
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 21: Our First Time
Dante's fingers freeze on my neck. His eyes are as deep and as vibrant as the ocean. "You were always a puzzle to me, Ash. As passionate as they come, quick to laugh and quick to anger, and at the same time so determined to bury your deepest, truest emotions way down inside." His thumb slides in a soft, slow arc against the front of my throat."I don't have to share everything with the world." I already seem to share way more than I'd like."No." There's a hint of a smile on his lips. "But you can't hide your emotions, Ash. Never completely. It's not in your nature. They shine out of you. Gleam through the cracks. Dance in your eyes and affect every move of your body. You fight them, but they find their way out."My eyes are stinging again, and even though there aren't any tears, if he's telling the truth, then I guess it doesn't matter whether my eyes are dry or wet or anywhere in between - either way, he can guess exactly how I'm feeling. I don't like it. It makes me feel too bare
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 22: It Will Never Be Over
It will never be over.The words haunt me. Torment me. Two days later, when I'm bent over a birthday cake in my bakery, they still bounce around in my head, still make my stomach twist and my breath quicken and my heart stutter.Because he's right, isn't he?It's been three years. Three years should be more than enough time to get over someone, even the guy who took your virginity. Even the first - and only - guy you've ever loved. Three years should be more than enough time to get on with your life - assuming you're a normal, well-adjusted person.I chew on my lip as I apply a scalloped band of frosting along the top edge of the cake. I'm perched on a stool today - a necessary adjustment, considering my ankle - and it feels unnatural. Normally I can lose myself in my work - hands-on vocations are wonderful for such things - but today I can't seem to find my zone. I suppose I should be grateful that it was my left wrist, not my right, that was hurt - that would have restricted me e
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 23: A Blind Date
A week after my conversation with Mama Pat, I'm preparing for my first date in... well, way too long.I survey myself in the mirror. After much debate over what to wear, I settled on a flowy, emerald-green dress that matches my eyes. It has a sweetheart neckline that shows just the right amount of cleavage - and the scattering of freckles on my chest - and the skirt floats out away from my thighs. It's a great dancing dress, the kind that twirls up around you when you spin, but I won't be doing much dancing tonight. My ankle is still in a brace, but at least my doctor has told me I don't need to use my crutches anymore. I'm wearing the only pair of ballet flats I own that fit over the brace. They aren't especially cute, but they'll do. And with some luck, Dean won't be staring much at my feet.I run my fingers through my hair one more time - my wrist, at least, is nearly back to normal - and smile at my reflection. My lips sport a delicate coat of pink lipstick, and my eyes a less de
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 24: From Bad Date To Worst Date
The date doesn't get better. But it doesn't get worse, either. It's just... fine. A pleasant meal with a pleasant man. But as we prattle on about general, innocuous things, Dante's words about what I need keep coming back to me. My conversations with Dante have never been just pleasant. They aren't always good - some of our recent interactions spring to mind - but they were never just conversations. They were always something more - a startling connection, a sharing of energy, a meeting of two sparks of life. I never really thought about them in that way when Dante and I were together, but it's hard not to recognize it now, when all of it is missing with Dean.But I'm not with Dante, and I don't want to be with him - in any way - ever again. I was lonely when I met him - so unbearably lonely that I'd hidden it even from myself - and he'd been there. He'd started to fill in the empty spaces inside of me. I became dependent on him. If it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else.
The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Sweet Taste of Sin Chapter 25: Date, Interrupted
Dante is here.Dante, who I'm supposed to be forgetting. Dante, who's supposed to be on a press tour right now. And not just Dante, no - he has someone else with him, too, and as I examine the second figure more closely, I realize it's his brother Luca. They're both covered up - sunglasses, layers, and in Luca's case, a baseball cap, and though both disguises would probably fool any casual observers, they don't get past me. My body is immediately on alert, fully aware of him even across the room.For a split second my heart stops, half expecting Emilia Torres to walk in behind them, but - thank God for small mercies - it's just the two brothers.That's still two more Fontaines than I wanted to see tonight.They stop just inside the door, glancing around. Most people in the bar don't seem to be aware that two of Hollywood's hottest celebrities have just walked through the door, but I can't tear my eyes away. Dante always captures my full attention. And this is the first time I've ev
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