Even If I Break In Two

Combustion

Once he left her trailer, Bradley cleared the set of all but a small, senior crew. The space where they'd be filming was small anyway, and after this morning, he had no idea how things were going to go. While normally, there were a lot of folks on hand regardless, he had the sense that today, Stefani would want everything as low-key as possible.

After that, he went to find Mike, the head of security. "Christian Carino is no longer welcome without my authorization. Is that understood?" Mike nodded his head slowly, "Makes all of our lives easier. That was like a box of tinder waiting to go."

You have no idea, Bradley thought to himself. His emotions were all over the place. And, he was pretty sure that the next time he saw Carino, Gloria would be getting a call from the local jail. Arriving back at his trailer, Bradley realized that if they hoped to get anything useful today, he was going to need to calm down. But, easier said than done. Along with being angrier than he'd been in a long time, it was like a dam had broken. He couldn't help himself. In the moment, all he had wanted was to get as close to her as possible. But, now that he had tasted her....not as Ally, but HER....he didn't know how he was going to be able to put up that boundary of professionalism again. The fact was, he didn't want to. And that was not good considering what they were about to do.

If anything, filming love scenes was often awkward for all involved. Between folks shouting directions and adjusting the set, the discomfort of holding positions and that weird-smelling oil that mimicked sweat, it was amazing that anything resembling authenticity ever came out of the whole business. But he had heard stories. Every now and then there'd be a production manager or lighting designer that talked about those "easy" shoots, where the chemistry between the actors was so intense that almost nothing else was needed. Even being in the room in those moments felt like an intrusion, they'd said. Intrinsically, Bradley knew that this was the kind of shoot it would be. There was just too much there, and although they'd never crossed the line until today, he knew that once they came together, even if it on a set and acting as two other people, it would be electric.

Be that as it may, for her sake, he had to stay in control. While everything swirling around involved so much more than the film, for today, he had to be there as the director. Stefani had to be able to trust that he would get them an amazing scene, but also, that nothing about her reputation as a professional would be questioned during. There couldn't be any speculation about what was going on between the two of them. She was trusting him with herself during this, and the deep sense of obligation to protect her was much more important than his personal feelings in the moment.

But, keeping it under control meant that he had to get HIMSELF under control. And right now, his body was anything but under control. Bradley closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall as the hot water rushed over him. As soon as he did, images of her jumped into his mind—the look of surprise on her face when he kissed her. The haze in her eyes when they gasped for air in between. The feel of her body—he'd had dreams about what it might feel like—but nothing could have prepared him for how well her ass had fit into his hands. He couldn't help the arousal that surged as he thought about it, about holding her and wrapping her up. He wanted to take her away--- get her out of here where Carino couldn't get anywhere near her. He wanted to show her how she should be treated, and cherished. He wanted the chance to be with her, make her his....in every sense. That last thought triggered his climax, and Bradley slid down the wall as his legs gave out. Along with the physical release came profound, terrifying clarity. He loved her—wholly and completely. He wanted her. What the hell was he going to do?

Back in her own trailer, Stefani reeled. Rage and hurt over the fight with Christian. Shock over Bradley initiating the kiss. Guilt over kissing him back. And finally, lust. No—lust wasn't the right word. That made it seem cheap. And what she had with Bradley was anything but cheap. Desire was the better word. Engulfing, overwhelming Desire. She had done her best, tried to keep distance. Tried to guard her heart and his. But it didn't matter. Never in her life had she felt this kind of connection, this overwhelming need to be with someone else. And after this morning, the most overwhelming thought was the suspicion that he was right there with her.