With Brave Wings Read online

  With Brave Wings

  Cara Dee

  Copyright © 2015 by Cara Dee

  All rights reserved

  Smashwords Edition

  Disclaimer: This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with others, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. All references to ancient or historical events, persons living or dead, locations, and places are used in a fictional manner. Any other names, characters, incidents, and places are derived from the author’s own imagination. Similarities to persons living or dead, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of any wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction.

  Warning: This story contains scenes of an explicit, erotic nature and is intended for adults, 18+. Characters portrayed in sexual situations are 18 or older.

  Edited by Silently Correcting Your Grammar, LLC.

  Formatted by Rachel Lawrence.

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Chicago

  "Welcome back! We're here with Sophie Pierce and Kelly Cline. You girls play sisters in Unrecovered, which opens on November thirteenth. Tell me, Sophie: how was it to work with Claire Nolan and Chris Dudley?"

  *

  London

  "Thank you for coming, Sophie."

  "Of course!" Sophie sat down and placed a napkin in her lap while the waiter poured her and the journalist mimosas. She would've rather had a Red Bull, because it was eleven AM and she hadn't crashed until six this morning, but it was time to smile for another interview.

  *

  Los Angeles

  "Want a break, darling?" Daniel walked over with a bottle of water.

  Sophie shook her head. "No, it's fine. Who's next?"

  Daniel checked his schedule. "Shane Orwell from Screened Monthly has ten minutes. He'll ask mostly about Barcelona Quarter."

  "Okay. Send him in, please."

  *

  November had arrived too fast in Sophie's opinion. Tonight was the LA premiere of Unrecovered, and she'd be seeing Tennyson for the first time since July.

  Tennyson, Tennyson, Tennyson. She could think about him now without hurting, for which she was thankful, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous.

  "Ugh." Standing in front of the mirror in her bathroom, she adjusted her breasts in the strapless bra. She needed fucking tape because of her weight gain.

  It embarrassed her. Not that she had gained weight; according to her new dietician here in LA, she was now deemed healthy, but it had happened very quickly.

  The past few months had been weird. Her body had undergone a change, and she could only guess it was her new diet. Taking care of her body had caused a surge of hormones to send her on a roller coaster ride. Some days, she was so freaking tired. Other times, she was energetic and constantly hungry. She'd also experienced moments of soreness, aches, and sensitivity.

  Last week had been the last straw. She'd had the worst cramps, and she was still waiting for her usual, irregular period. But all she got was some slight spotting. So she'd gone to a doctor for a full check-up, and she was expecting the results on Monday.

  "Are you almost done, Sophie?" Daniel hollered from outside the bathroom. "The car will be here in an hour."

  Sophie grunted and shimmied into the tight dress. Purple silk, no damn give, shiny, layered, knee-length, strapless… It was so beautiful, but she felt like a sausage in it, and she hadn't even zipped it up yet.

  "Is Noah ready?" she called back.

  He was going, she was going, they were neighbors, so she'd asked if they could go together. Noah had agreed right away.

  "Brooklyn's checking on him right now," Daniel replied.

  Okay, then. Sophie blew out a breath and checked her hair. Since filming in Vancouver last summer, she hadn't dyed it back to her normal dirty blond. She preferred it brown these days, and Brooklyn had done an amazing job with the style tonight. A few tendrils lingered down the sides of her face, and the rest was twisted, braided, and pinned artfully at the back of her head.

  Leaving the bathroom, she put on the new amethyst earrings she'd bought and joined Daniel and his boyfriend in her living room.

  The large loft had been decorated to perfection since she'd moved in this August. Black and white photographs of her new friends hung on the two brick walls, a reminder that Sophie wasn’t alone, which she needed sometimes when she felt lonely.

  The large, L-shaped couch in the middle of the room was where Daniel, Zane, and she ended up during movie nights. Noah, the odd guy he was, preferred the fluffy rug that covered a good portion of the hardwood floor, and Brooklyn and her daughter Maliah usually lounged together in the loveseat, the only piece of furniture Sophie had dared to buy in white.

  She'd learned that having friends over for pizza and movies sometimes came with stains. Especially from the guys who blindly reached for snacks and their beers while keeping their eyes glued to the flat screen.

  Last weekend when Maliah turned eleven, the dining area behind the couch had looked like the battle zone from a food war. They'd celebrated with her favorite foods, balloons, pop star-themed banners, and cake. Sophie was the proud owner of photos of all the guys wearing wigs and holding fake microphones as they sang karaoke.

  Sophie loved every minute of creating memories with her friends. Real friends.

  "I knew that dress was gonna be perfect, babe," Zane told her, walking over like a Greek god in a navy blue suit. Daniel's man was hot. No wonder he was a model.

  "Why were you born gay?" She sighed.

  Daniel snickered and emerged from the adjacent kitchen carrying a bottle of water for her. "Because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to have my way with him every night."

  "No need to brag." She accepted the water and shot him a playful glare.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Sophie saw Max jumping up on the couch with a bone, so she snapped her fingers and pointed to the floor. "No way, buddy. No bones on the couch. You know better."

  Her precious Rottweiler harrumphed and continued his chewing in his dog bed in the corner instead.

  "That works, too. Good boy." She beamed.

  He'd come a long way in a short time. The growls were almost nonexistent, and while he preferred females, he no longer felt threatened by the men in Sophie's life.

  Brooklyn returned with Noah, and they looked amazing, too. The men were in expensive suits, and it was an evening for the girls to know their designers.

  "Lookin' hot, Noah." Sophie grinned.

  Noah glanced up from the cuff links he was attaching and widened his eyes. "Fuck. So do you."

  "Yes, yes, we're all hella gorgeous." Brooklyn hurricaned through the living room and drew up the bamboo blinds, pushing aside the airy, white drapes that usually covered the large windows. "We need more light in here. Sophie, get in the chair. Daniel, can you do me a solid and check my phon
e for messages? It's on the counter. I wanna know if my ex is screwing up our daughter yet."

  Sophie had heard stories of how irresponsible Maliah's father was, so she refrained from teasing Brooklyn. Instead, she sat down in the chair next to Brooklyn's makeup case and wrapped a blanket around her to prevent shimmer and powder on her dress.

  *

  Sophie was a ball of nerves as they rolled up to the movie theater. People outside were screaming, mostly for Chris, who'd played Sophie's alcoholic father in Unrecovered. He must've just reached the red carpet.

  "We'll see you inside," Daniel said. "Go get 'em, darling."

  Sophie released a breath as Noah exited the car and held out a hand for her.

  Being in the spotlight wasn’t a priority anymore. In fact, she'd started treasuring her privacy. Interviews with preapproved questions and photo shoots were fine, being surrounded by industry people was fine, but out here in the real world, she was constantly on edge.

  She didn’t go online anymore—not for anything social, anyway—and she didn’t enjoy when she was approached by strangers who recognized her.

  Taking Noah's hand, she got out of the car and took in her surroundings. The red carpet wasn’t far away, and there were people everywhere.

  A woman tapping like crazy on a tablet walked up to them and told them when it was their turn to go.

  "Are Tennyson Wright or Peter Pierce here already?" Sophie asked over the loud noise.

  The woman scrolled down on her tablet. "Tennyson is arriving with Claire in ten minutes, and Peter is scheduled in four. Okay, you're up." She was gone before Sophie could even reply.

  She'd forgotten the insane pace that came with premieres. Actually, her previous premieres hadn't been this big. Unrecovered was a project the studio had pimped out like mad and pushed deadlines for. Everyone had award season in mind.

  "Come on, gorgeous." Noah quirked a grin and held out his arm.

  She smiled back, relieved to be here with a good friend, and linked her arm with his. "Remind me to breathe if I see my dad."

  She couldn’t help but wonder if her anticlimactic parting with her father was only the calm before the storm.

  Sophie had been filming in Barcelona when he'd found out that she'd gone behind his back. He'd learned about her new agent, new publicist, Daniel quitting at the PA agency to join Sophie's payroll, her stuff being taken from the mansion, and her debt being repaid. So he had called her.

  "What the hell is the meaning of this?" he'd demanded.

  Sophie had been blunt, said she was done and on her own now. And not a whole lot else had been said. He had laughed, despite being furious, and told her she'd be back sooner or later. Then he'd hung up the phone, and she hadn't heard from him since.

  Peter Pierce never went down without a fight.

  "Hey, you wanna have some fun?" Noah asked. "It might take your mind off things."

  Sophie looked up at him, curious. "What's your plan?"

  "Well, not many of these reporters know my face." He smirked as they reached the red carpet. They were officially in the perfect position for photographers. "Imagine the rumors we could start."

  "You ass!" Sophie laughed, although…yeah, she was in. "Can I tell someone you're, like, the emperor of another galaxy?"

  "I love you," he told her. "We're on."

  Sophie knew which networks and magazines she had been scheduled to talk to, but she and Noah stopped several times along the way just for fun.

  Vital Hollywood politics were covered: who are you wearing, what's your opinion of PETA, do you drive a Prius, and blah, blah, blah. But most importantly, Sophie got to introduce Noah—her intergalactic emperor. No, wait. Her friend who happened to be the Prince of Norway. Or Noah, the next tribute from District 7, who she was sponsoring, of course.

  "Who's your date tonight, Sophie?" Another eager reporter, another interview.

  Sophie smiled and placed a hand on Noah's chest. "This is my long-lost friend—Noah Collins. He was recently rescued after being stuck on an island for years."

  "I miss Wilson," Noah said wistfully.

  This reporter had a sense of humor, and she laughed. "You two are having fun tonight, I see." She grinned and refocused on Sophie. "I love your necklace. A gift from someone special?"

  Sophie automatically brushed her fingers over the milky crystal heart. For months, she'd only worn the silver feather Tennyson had given her, but it was time to move on. The feather stayed in a box in her nightstand drawer, and she was back to choosing jewelry to go with what clothes she wore.

  "Yes, myself." She winked at the reporter.

  Noah was better at keeping track of the interview timings than Sophie, so he wrapped it up, and they continued along the red carpet.

  As they stood in front of the step and repeat, a large backdrop with the movie's title printed all over, they posed for photos and smiled politely at those who tried to get their attention.

  "Tennyson's here," Noah murmured in her ear.

  Sophie's stomach clenched and her smile became slightly forced, but the pain had diminished. Thank God.

  "Does that mean my dad's passed us?" she asked, peering down the carpet.

  "Yep." Noah's grin was smug. "He walked past with Asher and the other producers when you were busy introducing me as America's Next Top Model."

  She giggled. "Oh, yeah. Good times."

  She found Tennyson in the crowd, being interviewed with Claire for E!, and he looked…sigh…way too handsome. It was the first time she'd seen him in a suit, a big contrast to jeans and T-shirts. His beard was trimmed, and his dark hair was more tamed than usual.

  "I swear he's the sexiest motherfucker on this planet." Memories were resurfacing. His dimpled grin, the intensity and kindness of his coffee brown eyes, how his facial hair felt between her thighs, his rich voice… She noticed he wasn’t wearing his beloved Wayfarers, which worried her a little. The flashes from the cameras couldn’t be easy for him.

  "I didn’t hear that." Noah chuckled. "Ready for more interviews?"

  As if sensing her presence, Tennyson looked up and scanned the red carpet. Sophie sucked in a breath as his gaze landed on her, and she was so conflicted. Even from several yards away, she saw his eyes lighting up, his smile so sexy. And Sophie felt herself smiling back widely, but she couldn’t help but get a little teary.

  It was bittersweet because she felt their connection deserved more than to fade into the past.

  Chapter 2

  With all the interviews and ridiculous posing for photos, it took Tennyson half an eternity to catch up to Sophie. When he finally did reach her, they were in the theater and it was almost time to go to their seats.

  Tennyson's head was killing him, too. He'd stupidly thought it'd be okay, but his light sensitivity had struck him like a blow to the head halfway down the red carpet.

  Surrounded by countless people, he gently grabbed Sophie's arm and hauled her in for a tight hug.

  She squeaked in surprise, only to laugh and hug him back when she saw it was him. "You scared me, you bastard."

  He chuckled warmly and kissed the top of her head. "I've missed you, Sophie." Which was the understatement of the year, but seeing her so gorgeous, so full of life, was worth it. "Let me look at you." He cupped her cheeks and smiled down at her, shaking his head in wonder. "Fucking stunning, sweetie."

  She blushed, something he knew would never get old.

  "It's so good to see you, Tennyson." She hugged him again. "I've missed you, too."

  Goddamn.

  Tennyson had made it a point to avoid gossip and news from Hollywood, but he'd heard enough through Asher.

  She wasn’t working with Ash anymore, so perhaps it would get quieter now, and Tennyson wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

  He knew she'd been very busy.

  "How are you?" He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

  She looked great. Healthy and curvier. Gorgeous. Radiant.

  "I'm…" She let out a b
reathy laugh and smiled crookedly. "I'm good, I think. Yeah. What about you?"

  He grinned softly. "I'm doing all right." It was mostly true. Burying himself in work had given him enough distractions, and his chest didn’t feel like it was going to cave in any longer. "What're you up to next?"

  "Press." She chuckled. "Premieres and press. Then I start the next production after Christmas."

  "Oh?" Tennyson was genuinely curious what she'd go with. Asher had praised her work all over the industry, and the footage spoke volumes. Tennyson had no doubt scripts were piling up for her.

  "It's an animated movie," Sophie revealed. "My first one, since…" She waved a hand. "Let's just say I'm not really counting the ones I did as a kid."

  "You should count them," he told her. "Everyone gets started one way or another."

  Hell, he wasn’t exactly overjoyed with the films he'd directed when he was up-and-coming, but they had helped shape him.

  "I'm happy for you, though." He smiled. "I assume that'll take place here in LA?"

  Animated films were almost exclusively made in the studios' own, well, studios. Very little traveling required.

  "You assume correctly." She grinned and smoothed down his tie. "What's next for you? Off to another location?"

  "Soon." Tennyson inclined his head. "I have two months off, and then I'm going to Texas."

  It would be his first film in the action-adventure genre, and he was looking forward to it. It meant a bigger cast, which he didn’t usually prefer, but Sophie wasn’t the only one going through changes. Tennyson was, too.

  In the last eight years, he'd become a man he barely recognized. He enjoyed peace and quiet, but it had gone too far. Now he was getting back to some of the things he missed, as well as taking on new challenges.

  "Cool. So I guess you'll be closing yourself in with scripts before you leave?" Sophie smirked knowingly.

  Tennyson chuckled and stuck his hands into his pockets. "Not far off. I do need some rest, and I miss my home. But I have some vacation to take, too. Ash and I are going rock climbing in New Mexico."