Hollywood Redemption: A Hollywood Romance (Fairlane Series Book 1)

by Harlow Layne

  “I’m fully aware of what I promised.” We looked around the living room, dining room and kitchen area. I was in total awe and hoped that this was where we would be staying for the short time I was in LA. Luke was taking it in with an appraising eye. “Do you really like it?” Luke stepped further into the room until we were underneath a set of stairs.

  Looking up to meet his eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and started to pull him down. I wanted his lips on mine. “I absolutely love it.”

  Pushing me back until I was flush against the wall, Luke smiled at me mischievously. His hands traced up my thighs and under my shirt where he proceeded to take it off hastily. His lips crashed against mine in a desperate and fiery kiss.

  “It’s been too long. Fuck I can’t wait to get you naked and take you against this wall. Tell me you want the same thing.” Luke growled into my ear, biting down on the shell.

  “I do,” I moaned into his neck. “But what if someone walks in?”

  “No one’s going to walk in. I promise you.” Flicking open the button to my jeans, Luke made quick work of getting them down my legs. My fingers fumbled at first trying to work his pants off, I was so eager to get him naked and inside of me.

  Wrapping my legs around his waist, I rubbed my center up and down his hard shaft coating him with my already wet pussy.

  “I need you inside of me.” Arching my back, I positioned myself until I could feel his tip at my opening and let myself drop down until I felt him kiss my cervix.

  Gripping my ass cheeks, Luke’s fingers dug in deep. There would probably be bruises tomorrow, but I didn’t care. My body missed him too much. “Fuck, Alex you’re going to kill me. You feel so fucking good.”

  Luke took over, angling his hips to thrust up in long, swift movements as his tongue plunged into my waiting mouth, their thrusts matching move for move.

  One hand held onto his shoulder while my other hand found purchase tangled in his disheveled hair as Luke continued to hit me in just the right spot over and over again.

  My head fell back when hot tingles trailed down my spine as my orgasm drew closer. I dug the heels of my feet into Luke’s ass causing him to drive deeper and harder. Hot breath fanned my face and neck with rough kisses. Taking my nipple into his mouth, Luke sucked hard sending me over the edge. Toes curled, back arched, I held on for dear life as I quaked against the wall and in Luke’s arms.

  “Alex,” Luke groaned against my collarbone as his hips jerked uncontrollably.

  Luke stood with his forehead against my shoulder as his breath somewhat evened out before he wrapped his arms around me and started up the stairs.

  My head lazed against his with my eyes closed until I felt him go down on one knee and start to lean down. Eyes open, I looked around to see we were in a bedroom on a huge white bed. Once again, the greenery filled almost every inch of the windows of the room except for the gorgeous overlook of LA from one wall.

  “Luke,” I murmured as he placed me on the bed before his long, lean body laid out beside mine, and pulled me flush against him. “We can’t be on someone else’s bed. Especially when I’ve got your cum dripping out of me.”

  Humming, Luke shoved his leg between mine. “I like the sound of that. It’s fucking hot.”

  “Me leaking on someone’s bed?”

  “Just the thought of you leaking my cum makes me want to fuck you again and again, filling you with more.”

  “The fucking was hot. I don’t think I’ve ever done it against a wall before and I have to say it’s definitely a favorite.”

  Pulling back to look down at me, his eyes full of concern, Luke asked. “I wasn’t too rough?”

  “Rough in all the right ways, but not too rough. Don’t think just because you’ve dazzled me and I’m in a sexual haze, I haven’t realized you’ve been avoiding my question. What’s going on? Whose house are we at?”

  Blowing out a breath that ruffled the hair on the top of my head, Luke pulled me tighter into his body. My eyes closed, being with him again made it feel as if I could melt into him and I never wanted to move.

  “You know how I’ve been busier than normal these last few weeks since I got back after Thanksgiving?” I nodded my head that was against his chest and kept listening to his rumbling voice. “I was looking at houses to buy so that I could finally have a house to call my own and so that when you were here, we weren’t staying at my friends or a hotel. A place to call home.”

  Pulling away, I sat up on an elbow. “You bought this house?”

  “Yeah,” he answered looking sheepish.

  “Are you embarrassed? Because I can’t understand why! This house is stunning. From what I’ve seen I love everything about it. You should be proud to be the owner of this house.”

  “You don’t think it was impulsive?”

  “No,” I drew out the word as I sat up and faced him slinging one leg over his hip. “You’ve lived here for four years and I understand why you stayed with friends when you were gone most of the time, but it has to be nice to have a place that’s all your own.”

  Looking pensive, Luke bit his bottom lip making him look adorable. I was sure that there was nothing he could do that would make him look bad, but it troubled me that he was unsure whether he should tell me something. I wanted him to be able to tell me anything.

  “Luke,” I said softly, but unable to hide the hurt in my voice.

  Something flashed in his eyes, they changed from a beautiful Caribbean blue into a stormy sea, but before I could identify what it was, it was gone.

  Pulling my hand up to his mouth, Luke kissed my knuckles and kept his eyes on our linked fingers. “I’m afraid you’re going to think I’m moving too fast and freak out on me.”

  “Why would I freak out? I love the house and…”

  “And what?” he asked, eyes bright.

  There was no way I was going to answer him with what was about to come out of my mouth. My feelings for Luke had been steadily getting closer and closer to the ‘L’ word, but I didn’t want to say it after sex. I would hate for him to think it was only because of the sex that I told him I loved him. It wasn’t as if Luke had said he loved me yet either. I did know that he cared for me a great deal, but love and caring are not the same thing.

  I lied only a little bit. “I’m happy you bought it.”

  “What if I told you I bought it for you?”

  “I’d say you’re crazy. You did not buy this house for me, did you?” My mind spun, and I couldn’t think one coherent thought. There was just no way.

  “Well, it’s not in your name or anything like that, but I bought it for you and me. I was hoping that you’d be able to come and stay here some this summer and when you come back for Spring Break with Mason. Living in hotel rooms gets old fast and it’ll be more comfortable for you and Mason to have a place that’s permanent.”

  My heart melted at the thought that Luke had done all of this for Mason and me, but I was afraid he’d done it for the wrong reasons. “That’s amazingly sweet, Luke, but I feel like I made you spend a lot of money,” I said as I looked around the room and out the windows. “For something that you wouldn’t have done otherwise.”

  “I want this, and I want you and Mason in my life. I needed to step up and be an adult, not a mooch on my friends. Are you telling me you would rather stay at a hotel or someplace else while you’re here?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying, but it’s a lot. You spent god knows how much for a place that you’ll barely be at, just so Mason and I can stay here when we visit.”

  “Maybe I’m doing and saying this all wrong.” He shook his head and then stared back at me with so much emotion in his eyes that I wanted to reach out and shut them. It was beautiful and sad all at the same time. I wanted to kiss him all over and yet cry at what I saw in his eyes. It was true what they said about being able to see a person’s soul through their eyes.

  “I’ve already told you that I’m all in, and maybe you’re not ready to accep
t that yet. I understand why after all that you’ve been through, but this is me showing you that I want a life with you. That I’m planning a life with you and that I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled me back down on the bed and then rolled on top of me, resting his weight on his elbows while he nestled the rest of his body between my legs. “Right now, me and you, it’s easy. If you thought it was hard not to see me in person for one month, wait until I start shooting in January. I’m not going to lie to you and say you’re not going to feel deprived of me because you will, but this is the life that I live, and I desperately want you in it. I want you to have a place to come to whenever you want. A place to make your own and for you to be comfortable in.”

  I couldn't stop the tears that welled in my eyes at what Luke had said. It was everything that I wanted to hear but didn't know it until that moment. The only thing that would’ve made it better was if he told me he loved me. I was all in. I had been since I went to visit him for his birthday and gave myself to him.

  Pulling Luke down until we were chest to chest, I buried my face into his shoulder.

  “Hey,” Luke said softly with surprise in his voice. “What's going on? I didn't mean to upset you. If anything, I thought you'd be happy.”

  Instead of talking I pushed Luke off me and forced him onto his back. If I wasn't so close to crying, I would’ve laughed at the look of shock on his face. Luke probably thought I was crazy for the way I acted, but he’d already seen me cry too many times.

  Laying my body over his, I wrapped my arms and legs around him as best as I could, and once again snuggled into the crook of his neck and shoulder. With a sniff, I murmured against his skin. “Hold me.”

  Luke didn't question my request. Instead he wrapped me tightly in his arms as if he was afraid I would fly away at any moment, and waited until I was ready to explain.

  After a few minutes I had calmed down enough, I thought I could talk without crying. I wiggled enough for Luke to loosen his hold. Once I could move, I rested my head on his shoulder at an angle so that we could see each other.

  Luke seemed unhappy with our position as he slid me onto my side, rolled over, and wrapped me back into his body’s cocoon. He looked down at me with concern but said nothing. Giving me the time I needed, and I loved him more for it.

  “I don't want you to misinterpret my reaction. I am happy. So happy with everything you said. It's what every girl wants to hear especially me, but I didn't want you to see me cry. It’s stupid, but I hate for people to see me cry. I never know what’s going to set me off. Sometimes it's a hug or if a person talks to me. I know my reaction had to come off opposite of how I'm feeling so I'm trying to explain, but as I'm explaining it sounds so bad and crazy. The more I care about someone the more I don't want them to see me cry.”

  Luke frowned down at me while a look of sympathy crossed his face. “Some time,” he started softly. “When you think you can talk about it without crying, I'd like for you to tell me about it. I won't pressure you, but I want to understand. Here I am spilling my heart out to you and…”

  “And I ruined the moment because I was so happy I wanted to cry. You probably thought I wanted to break up with you or something as equally insane.”

  “Something like that. One moment you're smiling and the next… I thought you were going to break my heart.” Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind my ear, Luke leaned down, his lips glided over my cheek and left little kisses on each eye.

  “I'm sorry.” My voice caught, and I had to take a deep breath. I couldn't hurt Luke because I had some weird aversion to crying in front of people. “I never want to break your heart or hurt you in any way.”

  God it would be so much easier if I told Luke I loved him. He had to love me back, right? Why else would he buy this house and tell me he wanted a life with me? I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it in much longer.

  16

  With fingers tapping against the steering wheel, Luke was quiet as we sat in the LA traffic. If I thought it was bad normally after Christmas was brutal.

  I couldn’t help but comment on his actions. “Are you nervous?”

  Luke shrugged his shoulders but stayed quiet.

  “You have nothing to be nervous about. Jenner already likes you.”

  He looked at me from the corner of his eye. “How do you know?”

  “Because I know. You’ve made me happy, and he told me that he’s seen a huge change in me since we met. Do you think he might not like you and I’d dump you or something?”

  If Luke thought that, he was being ridiculous. Even if Taylor told me she hated Luke, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to break up with him. The only thing I could think that would change my mind about him was if he started to act like Decker or cheated on me.

  When there was nothing but silence from him, I started to get a little worried. I hoped that my little freak out earlier hadn’t put any doubts in Luke’s mind. I thought I’d put his worries to rest, but maybe I hadn’t been as successful as I thought. Nothing had been amiss since Luke had left Fairlane and went back to LA. We still talked every day and normally ended the night with FaceTime. It wasn’t perfect, but it was important to the both of us to talk for at least five minutes every day, and to know what was going on in each other's lives. He’d been extra busy, but that was explained earlier with Luke surprising me with the house that he’d bought.

  “I can promise you that there’s nothing that Jenner could say that would make me end things with you. Is there someone in your life that could tell you to dump me and you’d listen?”

  Turning his head, Luke gave me a strange look. “I would listen to the concerns of my family, but they’ve never interfered in my love life before.”

  “Well, who’s saying that they won’t start now? I mean you’re dating a woman from the Midwest who’s a single mom. Someone who’s already been married before. They’re probably going to think I’m with you for your money and tell you to dump me the second you tell them about me.”

  “Are you finished?” Luke laughed. Interlacing our fingers, he placed our joined hands on his thigh.

  “Everything I said is what people are going to think when they find out we’re together and you know it’s true. What I don’t want is your family thinking those things about me. If the shoe was on the other foot, wouldn’t you hate it if my family thought badly about you?”

  “I’ve told everyone in my family about you and no one said a negative thing. In fact, they’re excited that I’ve finally met a woman I’m serious about. They can’t wait to meet you. My little brother, Leo was begging to talk to you while you’re here.”

  “Really?” I asked astonished. I couldn't believe that he’d told his family about me and I was beyond relieved that they weren't questioning his judgement on dating me.

  Luke nodded his head with a soft smile and I couldn't help but lean over and kiss his cheek.

  “I was worried about what they’d think.”

  “Anyone who knows you would never doubt why you’re with me, and you can't worry about the media. They’ll write whatever they want. You could be an actress and they could say that you’re with me to ride my coattails to the top. It doesn’t matter who or where you’re from they’re always going to have something negative to say about us. That’s why I wanted us to stay apart in New York. I didn’t need you getting skittish when the paparazzi started to follow us. Even the public will try to get photos, but at least they won’t be making up stories about us when they post on social media.”

  “You’ve thought a lot about this.”

  “So, have you,” he shot back with a wry smile.

  “Actually, not so much. Everything with you is so easy it almost feels like a dream. Half the time I think I’ve imagined you, and one day I’m going to wake up and you’ll be gone.”

  Pulling our joined hands to his mouth, Luke kissed the back of my hand. “Not going to happen. You’ll never be rid of me and I can assure you that this is not a dream.” He said the last on
a laugh as he switched lanes.

  “Are you closest to Leo? It seems like you talk to him the most out of your siblings.”

  He shrugged and kept his eyes on the road. “I guess you could say that. I moved out when he was so young, so I felt it was important to still try to keep contact. Liam and Stella are busy with their own lives. While Leo is in college, he still makes time to talk to me multiple times a week, where the others have schedules like I do. We’re really busy for a great deal of time and then are free for long stretches.”

  “I’m sorry you couldn’t be with them for Christmas. I feel guilty that I kept you from them asking you to go to Mexico with me.”

  “While I would have loved to have seen my family for the holidays, I’m used to not seeing them. They would have come here if they had the time. You shouldn’t feel guilty.” Luke squeezed my fingers. “If I was spending this time with my family, it wouldn’t be until March when we saw each other again and that would be far too long.”

  “I hope you get to see them soon.”

  “Me too. I think Leo is going to come here sometime next year. I’d love for you to meet him. All of them, but I think Leo is the most excited about you.”

  “I’d love to meet him. You’ll have to show me pictures of your family. When you tried to show me from your phone it was too hard to see through the computer to phone.”

  “You are one of a kind,” Luke laughed. “If you wanted to know what they look like you could Google them.”

  “Where’s the fun in that? Anyone could find those pictures. I want your pictures and the stories that go along with them.”

  The smile on his face was indication enough that Luke liked that I had waited for him to show me pictures of his family, but when he pulled up to a red light and crushed his lips to mine, I knew how much it meant to him. It was hot and wet and way too short like most of his kisses.

  Pulling Luke up to Jenner’s front door, I couldn’t help but laugh at his nerves. It was as if he was meeting my father. Which he would never do, but it was sweet and endearing all the same. “He’s going to love you.”