Illusions of Love

chapter 16



Bobby looked at India out of the corner of his eye, then over at Dominic who was standing at the back of Reece’s private jet as it made its way back to Vegas, flicking through a script he quite obviously wasn’t reading.

‘Something wrong?’ India asked, curling her legs up underneath her.

‘You’re wearing a dress.’

‘And your point is?’ She looked over at Dominic, who smiled a smile that made her stomach flip over a dozen times, something which didn’t go unnoticed by Bobby. ‘What? What the hell’s wrong with you, Bobby?’

‘You wearing any underwear?’

‘Jesus, what kind of a question is that?’ She looked up again, just as Dominic disappeared into the bathroom at the back of the plane.

Bobby just pursed his lips in a disapproving manner, pushed his reading glasses back down over his eyes and continued reading emails on his phone. ‘I’m saying nothing, Princess. I just don’t want to have to say “I told you so”, that’s all.’

‘I thought you were saying nothing,’ India said, getting up out of her seat and shaking her hair out, leaning over to kiss Bobby on the cheek. He just snorted in an even more disapproving manner and carried on with his reading.

She walked calmly up the aisle of the plane, smiling at the discreet way in which the rest of her small entourage was ignoring something so obvious, but it only made it more of a turn on. And as she pushed open the bathroom door she’d never been more ready to go.

‘What took you so long?’ Dominic smiled, leaning back against one of the marble sinks, his arms folded.

India smiled back, quickly slipping out of her underwear, kicking them aside before walking towards him, sliding a hand round the back of his neck, pulling him down for a long, slow kiss.

‘I take it you haven’t joined the Mile High Club yet then?’ he asked, still smiling that incredible smile. She shook her head. ‘Then I think it’s about time we got you enrolled, don’t you?’

He slid his hand between her legs and she moaned quietly, moving them further apart to let him in, his lips on her neck as he touched her down there, feeling just how ready she was for him.

‘Oh, Jesus, Dominic…’

He was as hard and ready for her as she was wet and waiting for him, so the sex was going to be quick and hard but it was sex, and that was all he wanted. Just to have her again, that’s all he needed.

He pushed his hand up against her and she pushed down, running her fingers through his hair as his mouth met hers again, the kisses getting harder and faster as he swung her round, lifting her up onto the counter top, pulling her legs apart, finally entering that warm and welcoming heaven once more. It was like coming home, a new home, but one he was quite happy to move into.

But this had been a quick visit. Just a handful of pushes, a barrage of kisses and it was over, but he stayed inside her as they caught their breath, her forehead resting against his, her fingers lightly stroking the back of his neck.

‘That was good,’ she breathed, pulling away slightly so she could look at him, this handsome, younger man that she’d never really given a second thought to before. She’d known of his existence, of course she had. He was a Hollywood movie star; he was right up there on the A-list now. She’d just never thought for one second that she’d ever be having sex with him in the bathroom of her father’s private plane. Incredible, mind-blowing sex. ‘That was really, really good.’

He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her again; a slower, more gentle kiss that she found herself falling into, each move of his mouth on hers sending shivers right through her.

‘But we’re back to reality now,’ she said, playing with the hair at the back of his neck. ‘Back to making movies, back to being in the spotlight. Back to all eyes on us.’

He lifted her down off the counter and she turned to face the mirror, running her fingers through her hair.

He stood behind her, watching her. ‘Do you have any idea how beautiful you really are?’

She looked at his reflection behind her, smiling slightly. ‘Coming from one dangerously handsome man, I’ll take that as a compliment.’

He came closer, pushing her hair away from her neck, kissing it gently, one hand on her hip and she fell back against him, closing her eyes as his lips moved round to her shoulder, his fingers snaking up under her dress.

‘You know, if you’re gonna join the Mile High Club, sometimes it’s best to get two visits under your belt in one go.’

‘Oh, really?’

‘Yeah, really.’

His fingers were touching her again, making her gasp out loud, giving her no other option but to go with it, to follow his lead, and let this crazy ride go on for as long as it could. Because she could quite easily fall for Dominic MacDonald, movie star. Whether she liked it or not.



***



Charley didn’t know whether to feel relieved that everything seemed to be relatively normal, or whether to feel uneasy about a situation that could very well rear its ugly head at any time.

She was loving being with Vince in Vegas, even if he was almost totally consumed with keeping an eye on filming. It was just nice to feel somewhere safe. If it was somewhere safe. Because Charley had no idea where Jimmy was or what he had planned, if anything. No, he had to have something planned or what would have been the point in him turning up at the salon? If she had some idea of what he wanted then maybe this would have been easier to deal with, but as it was she was completely in the dark, living every day wondering when something was going to happen. If something was going to happen.

Vince still knew nothing about Jimmy’s reappearance, and she still hadn’t found the courage to tell him, because she was scared of what her husband might do. He was extremely protective of her and Lily and the one thing she didn’t want was him going up against Jimmy Cash – not after what had happened with Terry. She didn’t want to lose another man she loved at the hands of someone so evil. She couldn’t let that happen.

So she’d stayed quiet, saying nothing, pretending everything was alright when, in reality, it was far from that. She spent every day looking over her shoulder, never moving far away from crowds for fear of Jimmy turning up again, because he would. Of that she had no doubt. And what she’d do when that finally happened, she still had no idea.



***



Dominic threw himself down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to take in the events of the past couple of days. He had everything he wanted now, he was almost there. He was so close to taking the one thing Michael Walsh wanted away from him – for good? He didn’t know yet. He didn’t know how he really felt about India, all he knew was that she was this incredible woman, this walking wet dream that he could f*ck all day and never get bored doing it. She was sexy-as-hell, a full-blown fantasy, and being with her had been the most exciting thing he’d ever experienced in a long time. All those other actresses, all those other women he’d bedded, none of them even came close to India Walsh. This beautiful English angel sent from heaven to f*ck him up.

He closed his eyes and remembered how she felt, how she tasted, what it felt like to be there inside her; that body of hers that belied belief. Jesus, she wasn’t even here and she was making him hard again.

Jumping up off the bed he walked into the bathroom and switched on the shower, turning the temperature to cold, pulling off his clothes and stepping underneath the icy jets of water. He didn’t have time to feel this way right now. He had to think, get his head straight; decide what his next move was going to be. Because he had to do something. Michael Walsh still needed to know the truth. Dominic just had no idea that Michael already knew.



***



‘Everything go okay in L.A.?’ Reece asked, handing India a coffee as she stood by the kitchen window, looking out onto the private terrace of her Las Vegas villa where Ethan was playing with Lily in the pool while Bobby looked on.

‘Everything went fine. The video shoot was great, Kenny’s doing good, Ellie is beautiful, Joe tried one last time to get me to call off the divorce…’ She turned round to face him, leaning back against the window, ‘… and I slept with Dominic MacDonald.’

Reece just looked at her, and India didn’t break that stare.

‘Well, that’s what you really wanted to hear, wasn’t it? I mean, you knew he’d followed me to L.A.’

‘I hate it when you get this defensive, India. No, of course it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. So, we’re jumping head-first into yet another relationship, are we? Before divorce number three has even had a chance to be finalised? Why, India? ’

She looked over her shoulder, back outside, shielding her eyes from the blazing sun, smiling at her seven-year-old little boy as he jumped into the pool, splashing Bobby. ‘Because I fancy him like crazy.’

‘That simple, huh?’

She looked back at her father, a man who’d given her so much – he’d given her this life, for Christ’s sake, and the only thing he’d ever wanted in return was for her to be happy. He didn’t deserve what she put him through, he deserved better. She loved him so much but she couldn’t help but be defensive whenever he got involved with the men in her life. But then, he had a right to be nervous, didn’t he? After everything she’d been through. And most of it her own fault. ‘I didn’t set out for it to happen, Dad…’

‘No, you never do, India.’ Reece had known Michael hadn’t really been the one he should be worrying about, because ever since Dominic MacDonald had arrived here in Vegas he’d sensed something had been going to happen. And now it seemed like it finally had.

‘I didn’t even want a relationship, y’know?’ She pushed a hand through her loose blond hair, pushing it back off her face. ‘With anyone. Because there’s a part of me that knows what I really need is some time on my own, time to think about what’s best for me.’

‘So do that. Take some time out, what’s stopping you?’

She walked over to the kitchen table, putting down her coffee mug, picking up her phone and scrolling down some photographs she’d taken of Dominic in L.A., stopping at one where he was smiling that smile, looking away from the camera, those blue eyes of his so striking. He really was the most incredibly handsome man, typical Hollywood movie star – sexy-as-hell, and she could vouch for that.

‘Nothing’s stopping me, Dad.’

‘Really?’

She looked up at him again, putting her phone down. ‘I thought you’d just be pleased I’m not going back to Michael.’

‘I can’t say I’m not relieved at that, my darling, but, if you are going to get involved with Dominic – and I can’t stop you, if that’s what you really want – then, please, just keep your eyes open, and know what you’re doing. Okay?’

She nodded, piling her hair up on top of her head before pulling off her robe to reveal a black bikini, all ready to join her little boy and her Goddaughter in the pool.

‘I know what I’m doing, Dad.’ She smiled that incredible smile of hers – a smile so much like his – and he returned it. She was almost forty-three-years-old; he couldn’t look after her forever, even if that’s all he wanted to do. ‘I’m gonna join Ethan and Lily in the pool, are you coming?’

He shook his head. ‘No, sweetheart. You go ahead. I’ve got a couple of things to take care of here.’

And having a word with Dominic MacDonald was one of them.