Keep This Promise

by Willow Winters

  “No, they love you because you’re smart and funny and amazing.”

  He picks up my hand and kisses it, and my heart starts to beat double time.

  “My gran especially loved the ‘define sleeping’ comment.” He laughs. “What the hell was that?”

  “I’m funny. What can I say?” I give a careless flick of my hair. But I don’t feel careless.

  I try not to think about what my life might have been like if my dad hadn’t been a murdering sick bastard and my mom were still alive. But seeing Vaughn with his family, it was hard not to let my mind wander there.

  I’d like to think I would’ve had a family like Vaughn’s. Loving and happy with people who genuinely liked each other. Not because they felt like they had to because they were family, but because they actually liked each other.

  His family has made me feel so welcome. I was nervous to come, and it was a little overwhelming at first, but I really enjoyed being in their company.

  I can see where Vaughn gets his dry sense of humor—from his gran. She is awesome. And his mom is beautiful, and Vaughn looks just like his dad. Sasha is lovely. I can’t wait to meet Meg at dinner later.

  When I showed Sasha her dress, her eyes filled with tears. At first I thought she was sad, but then I realized they were tears of happiness. Then, she hugged me tight.

  I’ve come to quickly realize that the West family is a hugging family. It’s taking some getting used to, but I’m getting there.

  Sasha was just overjoyed with her dress. She told me that I was a magician with a needle and thread. I’m not so sure that Vaughn’s once-punctured ball sack would agree, but it was nice to hear.

  Watching how happy I made her just from my ability to fix her dress had my heart full and my chest glowing with pride.

  Glancing up, I see a huge gorgeous-looking ranch in our approach. “Is this it?” I ask.

  “Yeah, this is home.” He smiles.

  If I thought Vaughn’s mom and dad’s farmhouse was big, this place is ginormous.

  It’s an L-shaped two-story ranch with a front porch. There’s a two-door garage, a grassy front area with shrubbery, and a purpose-built driveway, off the track of his family’s land, which we’re currently driving up.

  “It’s amazing,” I breathe, staring at it.

  He parks the car in front of the house and turns off the engine, and we both climb out of the car.

  I follow him around to the back of the car. He pops the trunk and then pauses.

  “So, I have this rule about my house…” He scratches his forehead, staring at me.

  “It’s not a no-clothes rule, is it? Because your house has a hell of a lot of windows, West, and I wouldn’t want to have the girls out on display when a member of your family comes a-knocking.”

  “No.” He chuckles. “Although that is a really good idea, Pins.” He rubs his chin with his hand. “The no-clothes rule…yeah, I think—”

  “No way, West.” I fold my arms over my chest. “So, what’s the original rule?”

  “I don’t have any electronics in my house.”

  “You don’t have any electronics in your house?” I slowly repeat back to him.

  “Yeah. No cell phones. No laptops, tablets. Anything. My home is an electronic-free zone.”

  “Um…why?”

  “Because I spend most of my life in Hollywood, surrounded by the fucking press and news stories about myself and where I went to take a piss the night before. When I come home, I don’t want to see any of it. I don’t want to see stories about myself. My home is my sanctuary. I come here for peace. Here, I get to be a normal person.”

  “Normal people have cell phones.”

  “Funny,” he says. Then, he puts his hand out. “You wanna come into my home, you’ve got to hand over your cell phone.”

  “Really?” I grimace.

  “Really.”

  Jesus, he’s serious. How the hell am I going to live without my cell? It’s an extension of me.

  “What if Nick calls? If he can’t get ahold of me, he’ll be worried.”

  “He knows where you are, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then, I’m guessing he won’t think I’ve killed you. But, if you need to call him or Ava or anyone, then, by all means, come out here and make your call. But not in my house. So, phone, please.” He wiggles his fingers at me.

  Sighing, I get my cell from my bag. I stare down at it. “I’ll see you soon,” I say to my cell.

  “It’s a phone, not a baby.”

  I stick my tongue out at him. “She’s my baby. And my best friend.”

  “Pins, that’s really fucking sad.” He grins.

  “Whatever.” I slap my cell in his hand.

  He laughs. Then, he puts my cell in the trunk of his car. Pulling his own cell from his pocket, he sets it next to mine. Then, he gets our bags out of the trunk, and I follow him over to the front door.

  “Do you have a TV?” I ask hopefully.

  God, please have a TV.

  “Yeah.”

  Wahoo!

  “But I don’t have it connected for any stations. I just use it to watch movies.”

  “What? No TV?” I whine. “Seriously?”

  “You’ll survive.” He laughs. Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocks the front door, letting us in.

  “What do you do if you get bored?” I follow behind him and step into a huge hallway, which opens into a massive living room, and in front of me is one of those big staircases that branches off to both sides.

  Wowzers.

  “I read a book. Watch a film. Go for a run. Play pool; I have a game room.”

  “I always thought you were weird, West. Now, I know you’re certifiable. No electronics? I mean, what the hell?” I sigh dramatically.

  He laughs and puts our bags down at the bottom of the stairs, and then he comes over to me, putting his arms around my waist, smiling down into my face.

  God, he’s pretty. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how pretty he is.

  “You’ll be fine, Pins. The peace and quiet. The ability to sit and be with your own thoughts. You’re gonna love it.”

  “I don’t have any thoughts. That’s why I use my phone—to create thoughts for me.”

  He laughs again, louder this time. “You might surprise yourself. Just give it a try. It’s only for three days. And, if you really need a phone fix, it’s just right out there, in the trunk of my car.”

  “Okay.” I snuggle into him, pressing my face to his chest. “You’re weird. But I still like you.”

  “I like you, too. And, if you get really bored, we can just have sex all the time. Also, I have a hot tub out back.”

  That perks me up. “Oh, hot tub! And sex. Okay, I can live with that.”

  “Good,” he hums, brushing his lips over me. “So, that’s the living room.” He nods his head in the direction of it.

  I turn in his arms and take the living room in. There’s a big leather L-shaped couch filled with cushions. And the TV he mentioned is mounted up on the wall. And framed pictures of old movie posters, like The Godfather, are up on the walls. None of his movies are up there though.

  And scattered around are tons of pictures of his family.

  “Kitchen’s through there.” He turns me around to face an open door, and I can see the kitchen through it. “Game room is there.” He points to a closed door. “Downstairs bathroom.” He points to another door. “The door next to it is where the gym is. The bedrooms are upstairs—master and two guest suites. Of course, you’re in the master with me.”

  I tip my head back to look up at him. “Of course.”

  His lips brush my forehead. “Right. I’ll get these bags upstairs. Make yourself at home.”

  I watch him pick up our bags and walk up the stairs, admiring his tight ass as he goes. He veers off to the left, and I turn around on the spot.

  I walk over to the kitchen and poke my head through the door.

  Wow. Nice.
>
  It’s a very manly kitchen. Dark gray cupboards, a huge black fridge. I spy a built-in coffee machine.

  I wander back out. Can’t say I really have an interest in the gym, so I go to the door I think is the game room. I open the door and walk inside.

  Double wow!

  It’s awesome in here. He has not only a pool table, but also an air hockey game, a basketball-throwing game, arcade machines, one of those motorbike racing games, a super Mario Kart game, and a dartboard up on the wall. It’s like a kid’s heaven. Or a big kid’s heaven.

  “You like?” His voice comes from behind me.

  “I love! It’s so cool.” I beam, turning around to him. “I definitely won’t get bored in here.”

  “No, there’s plenty that can be done in here.” The words sound innocent, but I know that look in his eyes. It’s predatory.

  A shiver runs through me.

  “Oh, yeah? And what would you like to do in here?” Biting my lower lip, I step back, and my ass bumps into the air hockey table. I curl my fingers around the edge.

  He steps close to me and picks me up, sitting me on the hockey table. “You,” he says. “I’d like to do you in here.”

  “I can live with that.”

  His eyes on mine, he skims his hands up my bare legs and under my short pleated skirt.

  Thank God I wore a skirt today.

  He slides my panties down my legs.

  Pushing my thighs apart, he drops to his knees. Vaughn is never selfish when it comes to sex. He always makes sure to take care of me first.

  His hand taps the heeled ankle boots on my feet. “The boots stay on the whole time.”

  “What is it with you and boots?” I tease.

  “It’s you in the boots. Turns me on like crazy.”

  He presses a kiss to the inside of my thigh and starts to kiss a slow path upward until I’m trembling with need.

  When he reaches the top, my needy hands slide into his hair.

  He stares up at me. “What do you want?” he asks, his voice husky with sex.

  “You, making me come.”

  He puts his mouth on me, and I sigh with relief.

  He works me over, licking my clit, pushing a finger inside me and then two.

  “I’m so close, Vaughn…so close. Keep doing that…yes…”

  Then, without warning, his mouth and fingers are gone.

  “What? I was so close to coming.”

  “I want us to come together.” His nimble fingers are unfastening his jeans, and then he’s kicking off his shoes, pulling his T-shirt off, and getting a condom out of his wallet. His jeans and boxers drop to the floor, and he’s naked.

  “I could have come then and then come again.” I pout.

  He rips the condom packet open with his teeth and rolls it on his cock. Then, he tugs on my bottom lip with his finger and thumb before replacing it with his lips. “I’ll make the wait worth your while,” he murmurs. Then, he steps back. “Strip for me,” he commands.

  “You want the sexy dance or the clothes just gone?”

  “You do a sexy dance?” His brow goes up.

  “Oh, yeah, totally.” I grin.

  “That, I definitely want to see…but later. Right now, I just need to be inside you. So, clothes off, Pins.”

  “Yes, sir.” I salute.

  I pull my top off over my head before quickly removing my bra. I unfasten my skirt at the back and lift my ass. Sliding it down over my hips and down my legs, I flick it aside with my foot.

  Vaughn’s eyes rake over me. I’m naked, except for my cute little boots. He looks like he wants to devour me whole, and I want to be devoured. I want him to swallow me up. I want every single part of him.

  He doesn’t seem to be moving. Just frozen to the spot. His cock is hard and ready, his breathing labored.

  So, I slide my hand over my chest, letting my fingers play over my breast, my nipple. Then, I slide my hand lower, down over my stomach, coming to rest on my pussy. I already know how wet I am. I’m always wet with Vaughn. All he has to do is look at me.

  I dip my finger inside and moan, my eyes briefly closing.

  When they open back up, I find Vaughn’s eyes on fire.

  “Taste yourself,” he says roughly.

  I lift my finger to my mouth and put it inside, sucking myself from it.

  “Mmm,” I murmur.

  His hand goes to his cock, gripping it. He starts to move it up and down, jacking himself off. “You like the taste of yourself, dirty girl?”

  “Yes. But I like the taste of you better.”

  He covers the distance between us in two strides. He’s between my legs, thrusting his cock inside me. His hand fists my hair, tipping my head back, as he takes my mouth in a hard kiss.

  It’s rough. It’s passionate. It’s everything.

  He’s everything.

  “Yes,” I moan as he pulls my hair, his hips slamming against mine.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he growls into my ear. “I’ve never needed anyone like I need you.”

  “God, yes!” I cry out.

  He sticks his tongue in my ear, sending dizzying sensations spiraling through me.

  No one has ever made me feel like he does.

  Needing more, needing to be closer to him, I grip ahold of his ass. Digging my nails in his skin, I push my hips harder against his. His tongue trails a path down my neck. His hand comes up to grab my breast, and his mouth finds it, sucking on my nipple hard.

  I come like a rocket. “Vaughn!” I scream.

  My orgasm seems to trigger his, and he’s moaning my name amid curses, his hips pumping in short, fast strokes against mine.

  Then, he finally comes to a stop. His hands slide up my back, pulling me to him, and he hugs me. I lift my hands from his ass and wrap them around him.

  We’re both silent, trying to catch our breaths.

  “That was intense,” I whisper.

  “Yeah,” he says into my neck, “it was.”

  I don’t know what triggered the intense sex, but I’m not complaining even if I do feel a little knocked by it.

  It feels like every time we have sex, I fall a little more for him. It’s scary as hell.

  “We need to clean up.” I pat his back.

  “Yeah,” he says, sounding reluctant to move. Then, he sighs and releases me, pulling out of me. He kisses me one last time. “I’ll get you a cloth,” he says, heading toward the door.

  “No, it’s fine. I want to freshen up a bit anyway,” I tell him.

  He stops and looks at me. “Okay, well, you use the master bathroom. Your things are up there in the bedroom. I’ll clean up down here.”

  I gather up my clothes and make a naked dash for the stairs. I head left, the way I saw Vaughn go, and I soon find the master bedroom. It’s freaking huge with a massive bed facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. My case is sitting on the bed. The view is amazing. And I’m naked in front of it. I grab my toiletry bag from my overnight case and go into the bathroom.

  A quick freshen-up and brush of my teeth, I head back into the bedroom. I put on fresh underwear and pull on my jeans and gray cashmere V-neck sweater.

  I head back downstairs to find Vaughn and see him through the window, sitting out on the porch. I let myself outside and pad over to him.

  He’s sitting on one of the comfy-looking wicker sofas out here, a bottle of beer in his hand.

  “Hey, handsome.”

  He turns his head, smiling at me. “I got you one.” He picks up a beer bottle off the table next to him and holds it out for me.

  I take it from him and sit next to him. I bring my feet up to rest on the sofa and rest my head on his shoulder. He lifts his arm and puts it around me, so I rest my head on his chest.

  “It’s so pretty here. I can understand why you like being here.”

  Honestly, looking out at the view, just acres of greenery and trees beyond, the peace and tranquility of it, I could stay here forever.

  Okay, well
, not forever because I’d miss New York and Nick and the clothes and everything New York. But I could definitely stay here for an extended period of time.

  “Yeah, it is beautiful.” He presses a gentle kiss to my hair.

  I tip my head back, looking into his face. “How did you get into the movie business?” I ask.

  It’s something I’ve wanted to ask him for a while now. And seeing him here, where he’s from, has piqued my curiosity. I know Vaughn modeled prior to acting, but that’s all I know about his step into the world of movies.

  “Meg was studying at UCLA, doing her nursing degree.”

  “She’s a nurse?” I ask.

  “Yeah, she works over at Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls. Anyway, I was eighteen years old, on school break, and I went out to visit her. She took me to this club in LA. I was underage, but she got me a fake ID. Mom and Dad would have had a seizure if they had known.” He grins. “So, we were in this club with her university friends, having fun, and this woman came up to me. She was a model agency scout. Said that I had a great look. That I should consider modeling. She gave me her card. Told me to call her the next day.

  “I knew I was a good-looking guy—I’d never had a problem with getting girls in school—but modeling wasn’t something I’d ever considered. Honestly, in my mind, I was going to go to graduate college, do a horticultural and business degree, and then work for my dad on the farm until I took it over one day.

  “So, I took her card, put it in my pocket, and didn’t think about it until I pulled the card back out when I was getting my wallet the next day. I was looking at the card, thinking, What if? You know?”

  He looks at me, and I nod.

  “So, I called her. Thought it couldn’t hurt anything. Her assistant answered and asked me if I could come into the agency the next day. Turns out, she was a scout for LA Models. I went in, and they took some test shots. Then, I left. They called me the next day, asking me to come back in for a chat. A few days later, I was signed to their books.

  “There was nothing at first. No calls. And I came back home. Then, the phone rang, and I had my first booking. And that was it after that. The jobs started rolling in, and staying in Keno wasn’t doable, so I ended up moving to LA and staying with Meg. I was getting busier and busier by the day, traveling all over the world.