The Director's Cut by Js Taylor (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📕

“Isabella, I need to talk to you,” says James. His tone is deadly serious.

“Ok.”

“Now.”

And without waiting for an answer, he turns and walks out of the lobby bar.

I turn to Ben and Lorna, trying to play down the severity of James’s behaviour.

“I guess I’ll catch you later,” I say weakly. And then I turn and walk after James, pushing down the urge to run and catch him up.

Chapter 23

James is pacing the lobby when I find him. And my immediate anxiety turns to annoyance.

“Hey,” I say, approaching him. When he doesn’t look up straight away, I grab his arm. “Hey!”

James’s green eyes drill into mine, and a little of my courage falters.

“You embarrassed me in there,” I say. “You made me feel like an idiot, walking off and making me follow.”

His face softens, a little.

“Don’t do that again,” I add, keeping my voice low. “I mean it. We may have a…” I search for the word, “an agreement in the bedroom, but that doesn’t work in real life, ok? I am not your goddamned submissive.”

I’m keeping my voice quiet, so no one else in the lobby can hear us. But the rage in my tone burns through.

To my amazement, James’s stern expression vanishes, and he breaks into a loud warm laugh.

“Come with me,” he says, taking my arm and pulling me into a private part of the lobby.

“Don’t laugh at me,” I hiss, furious with him as he pulls me along.

He stops laughing and lets my arm drop. We’re in a secluded area now, an empty off-shoot of the lobby with a few sofas where no one can see us.

“I’m sorry,” he says, his green eyes lighting softly on mine. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I couldn’t help it. The idea of your being submissive to me. It’s too ridiculous for words.”

Is he mocking me? My thoughts flash back to various bedroom scenarios. There’s no doubt that part of me readily submits to him.

“What do you mean?” I ask suspiciously.

“I mean that I totally agree with you,” he says, his eyes still alight with amusement. “We might have a ‘bedroom agreement’, as you term it. But outside of that, you are the least submissive girl I know.”

Oh. My rage simmers down a bit.

James puts his hands on my shoulders.

“But aside from your dreadful temper,” he says, “and the fact you won’t do as you’re told and stay away from Ben Gracey, you are perfectly behaved.”

I can’t resist him now. I’m smiling too.

“I guess I don’t feel like your submissive,” I admit grudgingly.

“Good, because that is a role I never saw you in.”

James sighs. “I just wish you would take my advice and stay away from Ben. He’s bad news. And he seems to suck people into trouble when they hang out with him.”

My mouth twists.

“Ben showed me the headline,” I say gently. “I know what you did.”

James stays silent.

“I know you let that reporter bad mouth you,” I press, “so he’d drop the story on us.”

Pain washes into James’s face. I reach forward and stroke his cheek.

“I hate that you had to do that,” I say, staring into his eyes. “But I love that you did it for me.”

“I’d do anything for you,” he says.

A surge of joy floods through me. I smile. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry you had to see that headline,” adds James. “I was hoping, since we were in Spain, I would be able to hide it from you.”

“You don’t need to hide things from me James.” I sigh. “I know you want to protect me. But if this is going to work, you need to see me as a partner.”

James looks confused.

“It works both ways,” I say. “You can’t take on all my troubles and problems and not expect any help with your own.”

“Give me time, Issy,” says James. It sounds as though the words are coming with effort. “These feelings are all very new for me.”

For me too. Oh James.

“So the divorce was announced?” I ask warily.

“Yes.” James sighs. “Days ago. I explained it all, Issy. You knew it would be happening. I assumed you wouldn’t want an hourly account.”

Damn straight. I don’t want to hear a single thing about his divorce.

“No. You’re right. I didn’t,” I say.

I frown, remembering how I felt when I saw the newspaper.

“This is hard, James,” I admit. “It’s hard to deal with. I hate that you had to let a reporter bad mouth you.”

“I know,” says James softly. He pushes a lock of hair out of my face. “I don’t like it any more than you do. But I’m pleased that things are in motion now.”

He draws his thumb along my jaw. “We’re not out of danger yet,” he says. “But once the stories switch to Madison’s new romance, we should be ok.”

“But what about the leak?” I insist. “We don’t know who it is.”

“Is that why you were talking to Ben?” James asks.

“Yes,” I admit. “I thought I could get some information.”

“I know what you were doing.” James’s voice has turned to angry again. He sighs, and takes his hands off my shoulders, running them through his hair.

“I know what you were doing,” he repeats softly. “But there’s really no need, Issy. I told you, I’m handling this press leak business.”

He must notice the pain in my face as he says this. Because he takes me by the shoulders again, drawing me closer.

“You say you want us to be partners,” he says. “Which means I should confide in you more.”

I nod, and he sighs. “Then I’ll try, Issy. But it’s not easy. I’m an old-fashioned man, and I used to doing things my own way.”

He’s silent for a moment, and I say nothing, waiting for him to speak.

“I’ve had a report,” he says, “from my press people. It’s helped clarify things a little. Whoever is making the leaks had established a relationship with the press weeks back.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

“It means it was someone associated with the movie before