Dear April (Sunshine & Shadow Book 2) Read online

  Charlotte stepped back and observed the pair. “Well, I’ve officially been shocked out of my trance. Hi,” She stepped forward. “I’m Charlotte. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Lex shook her hand and squeezed April’s.

  “Hi, I’m Lex.”

  Charlotte made a sound in her throat. “Duh! I’m a huge fan.”

  April looked at her with raised eyebrows, begging her not to get crazy.

  “Sorry, sorry. Today, I’m just April’s friend.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, April’s friend.”

  April took a deep breath and turned to Lex. “Other than introductions and a kiss, why did you bring me here? How did you even know I was here?”

  “I asked the bartender, Micky, to text me when you got here. We’ve been friends for years.” He led April inside the RV and Charlotte followed. “And I brought you here because I need to speak with you about something important.”

  “Top secret?”

  Lex shook his head. “I have a proposal for you.”

  “What?” April froze.

  “A business proposal.”

  “Oh…what sort of business proposal?”

  Lex gestured and the girls slid onto the couch. He sat at the dining table. Charlotte looked between the two of them, listening intently.

  “You told me you were listening last night when I was talking to Violet. So you heard her tell me that we could continue the ruse as long as I didn’t make her look like a fool?”

  April nodded.

  “This was actually her idea. And it’s basically a way for you and me to spend time together until I finish the movie. It’s also an excuse if the two of us ever get caught alone.”

  April’s curiosity was peaking. “What is it?”

  “I want you to work on the movie. I’ve spoken to the producers and they are all for it. I have a contract here and everything.”

  “A contract?” April shook her head. “What kind of contract?”

  “No, nothing like the contract I have. A business contract. For the job.”

  “You still haven’t told me what the job is.”

  “You’d be assisting our stunt trainer.”

  April frowned. She knew nothing about movie stunts, and if the producers knew what they were doing they would find that out in the first ten minutes.

  “Stunt horse trainer,” Lex said.

  April’s mind spun. “Stunt horses?”

  Lex nodded. “Your main job would be teaching the actors and stunt doubles the tricks and how to execute them. And fixing any behavioral problems that come up with the horses.”

  “Why me? How did you get them to agree to this?”

  “I told them what you can do with horses and they ate it up. You don’t see much natural horsemanship in L.A.”

  “I’ve never been to California,” April said.

  Lex reached across and gripped April’s hand. He brought it up to his mouth and traced her knuckles with his lips. “Take the job. And I’ll show you everything. I’ll make sure you don’t miss anything. It’s beautiful.”

  April shook her head slowly, bewildered. It was a lot to take in.

  “I know it’s a big move. Take some time to figure things out.”

  “Some time, yeah. Yeah, I need some time. I’ll have to give up my internship. My dad won’t be happy.”

  “He’ll get over it. You’ve only just started.”

  “I need some time.”

  Lex kissed the back of her hand again and turned to Charlotte. “You girls wanna go backstage today?”

  Charlotte jumped off the couch. “You can get us backstage passes?”

  Lex just looked at her.

  “Duh,” she said, “Of course you can. Hell yes, I wanna go backstage. I love The Band Perry.”

  He looked at April. “Think it would be okay if I spent the day with you today?”

  April’s first answer was ‘Hell yes you can spend the day with me!’, then she was reminded of Meagan.

  “What about Meagan? I don’t know if she could keep this secret. She’d be too excited.”

  Lex looked dejected. He’d obviously forgotten about Meagan.

  “I could just tell her you met up with your friend from last night. And that you want some alone time,” Charlotte said.

  “You think that’ll work?” April said.

  “I’ll just text you with what we are doing every now and then, and you can make sure to avoid us. Besides, Meagan is so hung-over she’s covering her eyes most of the time anyway.”

  April smiled. “Thank you, Char.”

  Lex rummaged in a drawer in the kitchenette and pulled out two VIP/Backstage passes on lanyards. He handed them to Charlotte. “These will get you anywhere in the festival, including the VIP saloon behind the trailers.” He pointed in the general direction of the stage.

  Charlotte gripped the lanyards and beamed. “Thanks!” She looked at April. “I’ll go find Meagan. Text me.” She blew a kiss at her and disappeared.

  Lex watched her go and murmured, “She seems to be a good friend.”

  April nodded. “She is. I work with her.”

  He looked sheepish. “I know.”

  “What? How do you know?”

  He grimaced. “I ran background checks on all your friends from yesterday.”

  “How…how did you know their names?”

  Lex shrugged. “Micky.”

  “Do you have any idea how creepy that is? You can’t do that! That’s an invasion of their privacy!”

  He looked even more embarrassed.

  April gasped. “You ran a check on me too, didn’t you!?” She slapped him gently on the chest and laughed, falling into his lap.

  He cradled her against his body and kissed her forehead. “I needed your new address.”

  “Why?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  April tried to sit up but he held her tight.

  “Seriously,” Lex said, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Don’t worry about it.”

  April pursed her lips but decided to let it go. She relaxed into his arms and allowed herself to revel in the feeling of his strong, solid body pressed against her back. She could feel every inch of him and was reminded once again of the sight of him naked. Something low in her stomach tightened delectably. She squirmed in Lex’s lap and felt him return her affection. He moved her so that his lips could reach her neck.

  He kissed his way from her earlobe to her collarbone and back up. She wriggled and he held her tighter as his lips tortured her body. He stood in one gracious movement, April still cradled in his arms. Strolling to the bedroom at the back of the RV, he dropped her onto the bed and removed his shirt in one fluid motion; his eyes alight with a fire April had missed so badly. The desire in his face was almost frighteningly intense but matched hers so perfectly that as their bodies touched, the fire danced together, intermingling as one flame.

  It was almost as if they were listening to the same song in their heads, their rhythms slow and exact. In time, they rolled together, so that April straddled him. She pinned his arms over his head and kissed down his cheek, grazing her teeth over his skin as she travelled down. She teased him, sucking and nibbling along his hip bones and the line of flesh just above his belt, and earning herself several writhes and moans. His hips flexed delightfully. April pulled her shirt over her head.

  Lex flipped her onto her back and returned the favor.

  April closed her eyes, the sensations more powerful with the loss of sight, and opened her mouth as a sigh slipped between her lips. She relaxed into the comfortable mattress and let the man she loved do unspeakable things to her.

  April’s phone woke them both. Lex was wrapped around her, and she was hot in the cocoon of his body heat. He untangled himself and passed her the phone from where it lay buzzing on the carpeted floor.

  As she swiped the screen, she noticed four unread messages from Charlotte.

  “Hello?”

  “April, w
hy aren’t you answering me?”

  April sat up and put her hand to her forehead. “Sorry, my phone was in my purse…” She shrugged at Lex’s humored expression.

  “You really are the worst liar. You were having sex, weren’t you?”

  April closed her eyes. Her fingers rubbed her temples. “Yes, okay, I was. What’s up? Wait, how come you are calling me? Where’s Meagan?”

  “Meagan went to throw up for the fifth time. I’m calling to tell you we’re going back to the hotel.”

  “Did you go backstage?”

  “There’s no way I’d leave without doing that. Yeah, we went as soon as I found Meagan. I met The Band Perry, April! It was awesome! The one guy is so cute!”

  “Charlotte, focus.”

  “Right. Then we had some lunch, and watched Billy Currington perform, which was amazing! When he was done, we came to get a drink and Meagan got sick again, so when she comes back I’ll take her back to the hotel and maybe have a swim or something. Definitely no more booze for that one.”

  “You’re a good friend, Charlotte. Wait, what time is it?” April looked at her phone and gasped. “Holy!” She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “It’s three in the afternoon!” she said to Lex.

  “It’s three, why?” Charlotte said.

  “We just…lost track of time.”

  “Ooh, give Alex a high five for me. You lucky girl, you.”

  “That reminds me, Charlotte,” April said, “You do realize how serious this is, right? Like, you can’t tell anyone. Not one person.”

  “My lips are sealed.”

  April let out the breath she had been holding.

  “But…I do want one thing in return.”

  “What?”

  “Best friends share sex stories. And I want every detail. He may be all yours, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been my fantasy since I was thirteen.”

  April laughed. “Hey now, I don’t kiss and tell. I’ll call you later.”

  “How will you get back to the hotel?”

  Lex pointed at himself. “I can take you,” he half-mouthed and half-whispered.

  “Lex said he can take me.”

  That’s embarrassing, April thought. She hoped he hadn’t heard the sex story comment. His grin told her that he had.

  April said goodbye and pulled on her clothes. She loved watching Lex get dressed, almost as much as she enjoyed watching him undress. His movements were so soft and graceful, like a panther. Every motion was calculated, planned.

  When they were no longer in the safety of the RV, Lex was careful only to touch her innocently, like her arm or shoulder. Fans often approached him as they walked, handing him photos to sign or begging him to take a picture with them. Lex obliged each one politely, but April could tell his heart wasn’t in it. His smile was forced, his eyes bored. Finally they approached a small, but impressive building near the back of the trailers.

  As he reached for the door, it shot open. A giant camera was immediately shoved in their faces and a flash went off, temporarily blinding April. She blinked. A security guard began shoving the paparazzi away from the building.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” Lex reached for the camera strap around the photographer’s neck and tugged it off, holding the camera out of the smaller man’s reach. The security guard held him away from Lex as he struggled to get the camera back.

  April could see the photos of her and Lex on the screen over Lex’s shoulder. He quickly found his way to the menu and wiped the card clean.

  “No! My boss is going to kill me!” The man whined.

  “Sorry, man. Next time, ask permission. You almost blinded my friend.”

  The photographer dipped his head. “He's gonna kill me.”

  Lex handed the giant camera to the security guard and put his hand on the small of April’s back, leading her inside the building.

  “Does that happen a lot?”

  Lex nodded. “All the time. They never learn. Most of the people they sneak pictures of would be more than happy to pose for them if they just asked them first. But they don’t bother. It’s pretty frustrating feeling like you always have to be on your guard.”

  “I guess that must have been a nice change at the ranch.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Inside, the room was spacious. It was filled with high tables and comfortable-looking bar stools. The bartender stood behind a long mahogany bar at one end and served the customers with a soft smile. Upon closer inspection, many of the people in the room were stars. April could see Brett Kissel standing by the far wall, speaking to a woman she didn’t recognize. She was trying her hardest not to be star struck, but when she saw Tim and Faye McIntyre at the bar she made a quiet noise.

  Lex noticed and turned to her. “You wanna meet ‘em?”

  Her mouth opened slightly. “Are you serious? No ... I couldn’t. I wouldn’t know what to say. Plus, they don’t want to be bothered by fans. That’s why they’re in here, right?”

  “You’re not a fan today. You’re my potential co-worker. Tim’s in the movie industry, too. Come on.”

  He led her to the bar and held out her chair. As she slid into it, she couldn’t help but notice the way his hands grazed her shoulders in a seemingly innocent way. It still sent shivers down her spine.

  “Hey guys,” Lex said.

  Tim and Faye turned around.

  “Hey, man, how’re you doing?” Tim asked, smiling.

  “Great! I wanted to introduce you to my friend.” Lex backed up and gestured to April. “This is April Cooper. I’m trying to convince her to take a job on the new movie.”

  “Oh, you’re the horse trainer,” Tim said. “Lex told me some great things about you.”

  “He did?”

  Lex looked sheepish.

  “Are you kidding?” Tim said, “He can’t stop talking about what you can do with a horse. I’d be really interested to see it for myself.”

  “Well, you’ll get a chance if she takes the job,” Lex said.

  “Where are you working now?” Tim took a sip of his beer.

  “Highland Books, in the city.”

  “You’re an editor?”

  “No, I’m an assistant to Ted ... I mean, Mr. Bradley. He’s an editor there.”

  “Do you like it?”

  April nodded. “I do, but my heart is with the horses.”

  “Well, you’ve got a big decision to make then. But between us, following your heart is always your best bet.”

  Her head spun with his words. He was right. The only thing missing from her job was the fact that it was in an office, far away from any animals. But something was still holding her back from taking the job with the movie. What would it be like, to see Lex and Violet, day after day, pretending to be in love? Could she handle that? Could she be a convincing friend to Lex, and ignore the jealousy that would be eating away at her every second she saw them together? Or maybe the voice in her mind was telling her it was too far from home. It would take nearly twenty-four hours to get back to the ranch from California. Maybe it was telling her that she hadn’t known Lex long enough to make such a big move for him. Maybe it was just fear of the unknown. She didn’t know. That was what scared her the most.

  Lex excused them and led April to a table by the window.

  “Won’t people see us?” April wondered.

  He shook his head. “Didn’t you notice? They’re tinted. You can see out but not in.”

  April looked out. From the building they could see the stage, and through the open window above their heads, they could hear the music. She let her head sway to the soft sounds of the artist on stage and closed her eyes.

  “What are you thinking?” Lex asked.

  “Different things.”

  “Can you elaborate?” Lex ordered them two Bud Lite Limes.

  “Well, I wonder what it’ll be like, if I take the job. How long will I have to lie?”

  Lex sighed. “The movie will take about six months, and then we’ll need
to continue the ruse for a couple more months until mine and Vi’s break-up can’t be pinned on the movie ending. We will say it was a difference in life plans and go our separate ways.”

  “That’s it?”

  He shrugged and nodded.

  “Don’t celebrity couples usually get back together a few dozen times before really calling it quits?”

  “That’s real couples, who actually want their relationship to work. I don’t. Violet doesn’t. There’s no need for that. Besides, I think you’ve been reading too many magazines.”

  There was something nagging at April since she had overheard Lex and Violet’s conversation by the trailer. For some reason, she didn’t think Violet was telling the truth when she said she would back down graciously. To April, she sounded like a woman scorned.

  She had heard the jealousy in Violet’s voice when Lex told her how much he loved April. He obviously hadn’t, and believed her. But he said it had been Violet’s idea, too, to get April a job on the movie. What was she playing at? Why would it matter to her, if April and Lex got alone time and had an excuse for it? Why was she trying to help them?

  Lex saw Violet’s suggestion for April as a polite idea to help out a friend and seemed oblivious to the fact that Violet carried a flame for him. She obviously made good use of her acting skills even outside of the movie.

  April dropped her voice. “I’m serious, Lex. Even after you and Violet break up, then what? You and I start dating the next day?”

  “Not the next day, but the fans will know that my relationship with Violet was short. It’s not like we’d been together for years.”

  “That doesn’t matter. They want it to work. That’s the only reason the producers had you sign that stupid contract; for the fans. Everyone wants to see their favorite on-screen couple get together in real life, you said it yourself.”

  “They’ll get over it.”

  “And what about a sequel in the future, Lex? What if the producers say you can only have the part again if you sign another contract?”

  Lex took April’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Then I’ll turn it down.” He dropped his voice even lower. “Listen, April, you are my future. That’s the one thing I’m certain of and I won’t do anything to screw that up again.”

  April’s eyes still filled with worry.