by Alice Raine
Chapter Twenty-five
Sean
So far, two nearly two weeks had passed since Allie and I had agreed to a trial relationship, but due to my crazy schedule and the need for secrecy, we’d only managed to see each other three times. All three meetings had been quick, snatched moments in the privacy of her hotel suite when I had managed to grab an hour or two free, and so far I had managed to remain a gentleman and keep sex out the dates. I wanted Allie to know that it was her that was important to me, but bloody hell, had it taken some serious restraint to hold back.
On our first ‘date’, I’d arrived for lunch bearing a bag of smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, and Allie had been just as excited as me, her eyes twinkling as she giggled the entire time.
Unfortunately, on my last two visits I’d started to detect her reticence at our enforced secrecy. She’d insisted she was fine, but had clearly underestimated how well I knew her. In our short time together, I paid attention to my girl in all things. Had done since we’d met. Allie had breached my heart in ways I’d not thought possible, and by doing so had unwittingly made herself my fixation. I wouldn’t quite go as far to say that she was my obsession, because that sounded a little too stalker-like, but she was certainly on my mind more than I cared to admit. In all honesty, I probably knew her traits and body language better than she did.
Instead of being the carefree, radiantly beautiful, slightly scatty girl I had grown to love in England, Allie had been increasingly withdrawn from me. Her smiles didn’t quite reach her eyes any more and, despite the sunshine in LA, her cheeks hadn’t held their usual healthy flush. She’d looked sad, and the knowledge that it was all my fault just about made my heart wither up and die in my chest. I’d also caught her watching me intently on several occasions, as if she was trying to deduce what was going on in my mind. Perhaps she was trying to work out if I was worth all this hassle. I hoped she would decide I was. I would just have to prove that I was.
So it was this determination that had led me to tonight. I felt like a complete idiot, and probably looked like one too, but if helped prove to Allie how dedicated I was, then so be it.
Christ, my head was itchy. And my eyes were still stinging. I really hoped she appreciated all the effort I had gone to. Blinking several times to ease the unfamiliar sensation in my eyeballs, I cleared my throat and knocked on the door to her garden bungalow as my pulse began to hammer in my chest.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter Twenty-six
Allie
I was sitting on my bed reading when a soft knock at my door pulled me from the storyline. It was another vampire novel by one of my favourite authors, so as well as proving to be an enjoyable pastime, I could technically class it as research for my own writing too. An effective and satisfying double whammy.
Looking up, I saw Cait’s head bob around the doorframe with a smile. ‘Hey, Allie, there’s someone here to see you.’
Frowning, I placed the book on my bedside table as I slid from the bed and walked towards her. ‘Who? Sean?’ We didn’t have plans, but then again, we never officially had plans any more; he would just turn up whenever he had an hour free. So much for his promise that he was going to ‘date me properly’.
‘Not quite,’ Cait replied cryptically with a wink, before spinning on the spot and practically skipping into her bedroom without another word.
Completely confused and not really in the mood for visitors, I made my way through the bungalow. There was no one around, but the front door was ajar so I made my way towards it and pulled it open before squinting in confusion at the blond, flower-laden stranger before me.
‘Hey, my gorgeous girl.’
Whoa. Time. Out.
What the heck? That was definitely Sean’s low, raspy voice, but it was coming from a man that looked nothing like Sean. Instead of his deep brown hair this guy had long, blond hair and where I would have expected Sean’s bright blue eyes, I was instead being assessed by green pools.
‘Sean?’ I whispered, completely baffled.
‘Yep, it’s me, baby,’ he confirmed, and as I focused in on his oh-so familiar lips I began to see through the unfamiliar traits to Sean below: the crinkle at the corners of his eyes that I loved, his jawline – that for once was immaculately clean-shaven – not to mention that roguish smirk which was pulling at his lips. This was some seriously good disguise work.
‘What do you think?’ He gave a spin so I could get a full look at his silly, stubby ponytail and then faced me again, smiling broadly.
‘It’s amazing.’ I gave the new him a close inspection and decided that he was just as breath-taking as ever. My reactions to his handsomeness were just the same; my heart was pounding a furious rhythm, and my body was super-heated and sensitised as if it knew exactly what pleasures this man could bestow upon it if he so chose.
I couldn’t help but reach up and gently touch at the hair, which I suppose was some sort of wig. It was a bloody good one because I couldn’t see where it joined his head. ‘Is it for filming?’
‘Nope. It’s for you,’ he replied, tilting his head. ‘As are these,’ he added, holding out the huge bunch of beautiful flowers that I’d almost forgotten about in my shock.
‘Wow. Th … they’re beautiful. Uh … thank you.’ I was stuttering like an idiot, but this was all really, really weird.
‘I know I promised to court you properly, Allie, and I’m so sorry that I haven’t been able to do it as I’d like. But if you’re free tonight I was hoping to start making it up to you. Would you like to come out to dinner with me?’
The bizarreness of this just soared several notches higher, but I couldn’t help the warmth that rose in my chest at his words or the huge grin that plastered itself all over my face.
‘I would love to.’
A breath left Sean’s lips, I think one of relief. Did he seriously think I would turn him down? Perhaps he had picked up on my concerns about our relationship in our last few meetings and was worried. ‘Shall we go, or do you want to change?’ he asked, returning my grin and looking mightily pleased with himself.
‘I’ll change. Just give me five minutes. Come in. Could you put the flowers in some water for me, please?’ As Sean took the bouquet from me I jogged back to my room on cloud nine, thankful that I hadn’t removed my make up yet. All I needed was a quick change of clothes and I’d be ready for my date with Sean. Jeez. A date with Sean. I was way more excited than I should be, and quite nervous too, which was silly given how well we knew each other, but this was a big deal – he was taking my concerns seriously and had made a huge effort with his crazy disguise to help get our relationship back on track.
Pulling open my wardrobe, I smoothed my hair as I considered my options. Sean had been quite smartly dressed in a crisp grey shirt and black suit trousers, so I should make an effort too. Selecting a pretty, pale blue summer dress and high heels, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror and saw happiness pouring from my features. I was practically glowing. I had a date. With Sean. Here in Los Angeles. It was amazing the difference just a few days could make.
As I returned to the lounge I found blond Sean waiting for me with a huge grin on his face. ‘You look gorgeous,’ he murmured, sliding an arm around my waist to pull me up against him for a heated kiss. Within seconds his tongue was rolling across mine, exploring my mouth with a thoroughness that left me breathless. I could feel his hardness developing against my stomach and couldn’t help but press myself closer.
‘The thing you do to me,’ he muttered, planting a hot kiss on my temple as he recovered his breathing. Leaning back and panting, I stared up into his face and still couldn’t quite get over his new look. The hair I could just about deal with, but those green eyes were going to take some getting used to. Apart from the familiarity of his smell and the way he had so capably held me and kissed me, it was almost like being in the arms of a different man.
‘Ready to go?’
‘Let me just grab a quick gla
ss of water.’ I needed some liquid to try and douse the heat he had so skilfully ignited within me.
My closed laptop was sitting on the bar and Sean gave it a tap as I filled my glass. ‘I’ve seen this out surrounded by notes quite a few times. Have you got much writing done since you’ve been here?’
I took my drink of water and turned to him. ‘A little. Probably not as much as I should have,’ I admitted with a shrug. There seemed to be an odd, almost panicked look on his face for a brief second, before he blinked and relaxed again. The look completely vanished. What had that been about?
‘Shall we go?’ he asked, extending a hand to me with a smile. He seemed completely normal again now, so it must just have been the new blond hair and green eyes that made me think he was panicked. Brushing my concern away, I took his hand and let him lead me out of the bungalow and into the warm early evening.
As we strolled through the beautiful tropical gardens, I noticed him wincing and scratching beside his ear.
‘Is it uncomfortable?’ I watched him run a finger around his forehead just below the hairline and decided that it must be horribly warm wearing a wig in this humid weather.
Giving a shrug he glanced at me again, still looking content and relaxed and I decided that if he were dressed more casually in a shorts and a T-shirt, he’d look quite a lot like a surfer. ‘My eyes have adjusted to the contact lenses now, but my head is hot and itchy as hell. I have no idea why people would ever choose to wear these things.’ Seeing my guilty glance, he flashed me a wink. ‘Don’t worry, you’re totally worth it, Allie.’ My heart just about melted at the purposeful look he gave me. Oh, this man and the things he did to me! Just a few simple words and I felt like a pile of mushy, loved-up female hormones. ‘The guy in the make-up department must have thought I’d completely lost it when I asked him to do me up like this, but it works pretty well, I think. At least this way we can go out together tonight.’
We came to the car park and Sean approached a black, open-top muscle car – a Dodge, I think – and held the passenger door open for me. ‘Wow. Nice ride,’ I commented, realising that this was the first time I’d actually seen the car he drove while in LA.
Just as I lifted my leg to step into the car, Sean caught my eye, a wicked smirk lingering on his lips. ‘I could say the same about you,’ he murmured softly, his tone low and rough and full of sexy intent. My eyes popped open and I wobbled on my one leg until Sean had to reach out and steady me while I lowered myself into the car. Bloody cheeky bugger. But there was no hiding my blushing cheeks at his compliment.
Blinking down at me smugly, Sean wiggled his eyebrows and closed the car door before walking around to the driver’s side. ‘Actually, this isn’t mine. Some of the really persistent journalists know my car, so I figured a hire car would help us blend it.’ Blend in in an open-top, muscle car? Hardly! Although I suppose they were commonplace over here. But the fact that he’d hired a car stuck with me – he’d really put a lot of effort into this date. The thought made me warm inside as a huge smile pulled at my lips.
I had just opened my mouth to ask what car he usually drove, when he distracted me by sliding into the driver’s seat and asking one of his own. ‘How do you feel about sushi?’ he asked, watching my reaction carefully. ‘I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea so, I have a back-up plan if you don’t like it.’
His remark made me realise just how much we still had to learn about each other, but I smiled at his thoughtfulness before nodding. ‘I love sushi, and it’s been ages since I ate it so that sounds perfect.’
‘Great, I was hoping you’d say that because this place is amazing.’
We drove for about ten minutes before Sean pulled the car into an underground car park below a huge, towering skyscraper on Wilshire Boulevard. Frowning, I looked around what appeared to be a business park area. It seemed more like the commercial district than a location for a restaurant. Seeing my confusion, he smiled. ‘The restaurant is on the top floor. Trust me, it’s good.’
Top floor? Blimey. Once parked, Sean jumped out and dashed around the car to open my door for me. I couldn’t help the smile that broke on my lips. Bless him, he really was going all out to ‘court’ me. His strange green eyes flashed me a wink as he linked his fingers with mine and led me to the lift.
‘This feels really weird. Being out in public together, I mean,’ I mumbled, fighting the odd sensation of guilt about being out with him, which was ridiculous. I knew the engagement to Savannah was fake, so taking a deep breath I forcibly shoved my silly concerns aside and gave his hand a squeeze, determined to enjoy the evening.
‘It doesn’t to me. It feels right. Perfect,’ he replied softly, his face free of his grin and looking decidedly solemn. Wow. Swallowing loudly, I added that to the list of lovely remarks he had made tonight. In less than an hour, Sean had managed to push away almost all the doubts I had about our relationship. We could do this. It could work.
Once we were safely enclosed within the confines of the reflective elevator, he pressed a button labelled ‘Takami Sushi & Robata’ then turned to me with a purposeful look that made my stomach clench.
‘Twenty-first floor. I think that probably gives me just enough time for this …’ I didn’t get a chance to ask what ‘this’ was, because Sean promptly showed me by sliding a hand to the nape of my neck and lunging forward, pressing his lips firmly against mine. Staggering backwards into the wall, the small, silent space was filled with an ‘ompf’ as the breath was squashed from my lungs in a rush. Using my gasp to his advantage, Sean twirled his tongue with mine, his hands clutching me to him fiercely as he groaned deep into my mouth and thrust his hips urgently against me several times.
His loss of control was such a turn on that I found myself forgetting about our public location and hitching one leg around his hips to join us more intimately at the groin. A strangled cry filled the air, from him or me, I wasn’t sure, and Sean pulled back on a curse. ‘Stop … for the love of God, make me stop …’ I couldn’t break the intense eye contact or form words to demand he cease, but I did at least manage to lower my leg back to the ground.
He stared down at me for a few seconds, his eyes awash with emotion before letting out a wry chuckle and soothing my bruised lower lip with a gentle lick. ‘You have no idea how close I was to fucking you right here, Allie.’ He then placed a peck on the end of my nose which was so chaste it was at complete odds to the heated action of a second ago.
I was an utter mess; my brain was fogged with desire, my legs trembling from the intensity of our kiss, and my heart was still hammering wildly against my ribs. ‘I want you so badly,’ he muttered, adjusting the bulge in the front of his trousers and raising his hands to help me smooth down my hair.
Jeez. I was aroused beyond my comprehension and I was panting. Hard. I sounded like I was having a flipping asthma attack. Suddenly there was a quiet ‘ping’, and before I could properly prepare myself, the doors opened to reveal an elderly couple waiting for the carriage.
We all stood still. The only sound filling the space between us was my ragged breathing and it drew the attention of both of them as their pale eyes turned towards me.
Rather abruptly, the pressure of the moment got to me – their peering, beady eyes staring at me, Sean’s silly disguise, my panting, not to mention the fact that if we’d pulled apart just a few seconds later they would have gotten a right eyeful of our lusty embrace – and I giggled. It was one of those half giggles, where you know you aren’t really supposed to laugh so you try and catch it in your throat like a cough. Unfortunately, that just made me snort like a pig.
Turning desperate eyes on Sean, I saw him squeezing his lips together too, clearly having a similar reaction to me. Or perhaps it was my giggles that had prompted his.
The cherry on the cake came when he casually moved his hands to cover his groin. My eyes darted down with the movement, and the knowledge that he was definitely sporting a hard-on sent me over the edge as more giggly-sn
orty noises escaped from my throat and wouldn’t stop.
‘Is she all right?’ one of the couple asked as Sean raised one hand to grip my shoulder in an attempt to guide me from the lift.
‘She’s fine, thank you, just very excited about trying the sushi.’ Of course his silly answer did nothing to ease my giggles and by the time we were alone in the small foyer, both of us were laughing.
As we composed ourselves, Sean placed his hands on my shoulders and gazed down at me as his thumbs massaged the bare skin. ‘I feel so carefree tonight,’ he blurted. ‘Being here with you, it’s so perfect. I feel like nothing else exists.’
Joining in his soft smile, I had to agree. That was no doubt the reason for my giggling – I felt on top of the world. Sean, who was still looking highly amused, raised a hand, and used his thumb to wipe away the sole tear that had escaped during my laughter. ‘Better now, my gorgeous girl?’
‘Yes, thank you.’ I was still grinning like an idiot, but at least I was a happy, head-over-heels-in-love idiot.
‘I’m glad I amuse you,’ he murmured with a roll of his eyes. ‘Although that wasn’t the exact reaction I had been aiming for when I kissed you.’
Oops. Perhaps my giggles had dented his ego, although seeing as this was Sean, sex god extraordinaire, I highly doubted it. Flashing me a wink, he linked our fingers together and led me to the counter in the entryway. Absorbing the lovely warmth from his palm I glanced up at him and shook my head – it was really weird to see him with the blond ponytail.
‘Good evening, I have a reservation under the name of Dean Waters.’ Oh God, he was using a fake name as well. That was almost enough to make me laugh again, but thankfully my moment of madness seemed to be behind me and I managed to maintain my composure.
I was brought further down to earth as we were guided to a private booth by the window and I saw the stunning views across downtown LA. We were surrounded by shimmering skyscrapers twinkling with lights as the evening darkened around them. Glancing around, I could see why Sean had dressed up too, because although this place wasn’t screamingly posh, it was certainly beautifully elegant.
