One More Chance (A Bedford Falls Novel Book 3)

by Sydney Bristow

  Then with one quick tug, he shoved her panties down past her knees.

  Scott’s urgent and demanding hands made her swoon. As he rose, Ashley met his gaze with narrowed eyes, unable to open them wide if she tried. So much pleasure burst from every pore of her body that she didn’t want to move an inch, fearing that Scott might stop this wicked seduction.

  He unzipped his pants.

  Ashley lost her breath at the mere sound of what might come next.

  Scott slid his pants and briefs down his legs, pressing his cock against the heat raging between her legs. He massaged himself against her, occasionally stroking her clitoris, which evoked a strangled cry of exhilaration, making every instant he missed almost as enticing as when he slid against her, making her even wetter, feeling him glide against her, all around her, except inside her.

  He took her palms in his own and lifted them over her head. Then he locked his hands tight around her wrists, pinning her to the door. He waited for her to once more express that they should break off this game of passion. When she didn’t, one corner of his mouth curled upward, lust mingled with gratification.

  She couldn’t believe the weight of his desire, couldn’t believe the way he wanted her, needed her as though nothing in life existed but her body and soul. And he wanted complete control over every inch of her. He locked her into place for one reason alone: he wanted complete control over her, because this time, he wouldn’t let her get away from him.

  Feeling that, knowing that, Ashley trembled, crying out with exquisite pleasure.

  He looked into her eyes and pressed ever closer, barely moving a centimeter with each passing second, until the head of his cock slowly slipped inside her. He bit his lower lip as though fighting every impulse to thrust deep and hard. The self-control he needed to hold back made him clench tighter around her wrists. It even resulted in his uttering an almost inaudible moan, mixing anguish with ecstasy.

  Ashley watched in silent awe. She’d never experienced such soul-shaking exhilaration before, and it made her close her eyes so tightly that she barely saw Scott, only felt his peppermint-scented breath brushing against her lips.

  “Oh, God,” she said, unable to take the way he teased her any longer. “Take me,” she said in a strangled cry of euphoria. “Take me hard.”

  With one swift thrust, Scott buried himself into the deepest part of her body, letting out an uncontrollable masculine groan that echoed throughout the room.

  Just the sound of it sent a ripple of pleasure coursing through her body. Once again, she’d shut her eyes tight. Unwilling to open them, amazed that anything could feel so good, she placed her head inside the crook of his neck, wrapping her right leg around his left, trying to get even closer, urging him to reach her core.

  But after that one heavy motion that took him into her core, Scott held tight and deliberately took his sweet time slipping away from her.

  The exquisite sensation made her want to hold her breath, hoping that doing so would stop time so she could get lost in this moment for eternity. But just as he barely slipped out of her, Scott started the wicked seduction over again. And again. As if time didn’t matter. As if he could press those coiled abs against her soft hips forever.

  With every gentle rocking motion, he allowed the tip of his cock to glide the length of her, keeping up a slow, steady, controlled rhythm. And each time she reached the height of pleasure, Scott would press himself deeper than she thought possible, eliciting gasps of heavenly delight from her mouth.

  Her head lightly tapped the door, giving those in the corridor an idea what went on behind closed doors. Ashley couldn’t help but think the idea incredibly erotic; that Scott had removed her panties, lifted her skirt, and took her against the door.

  Another wave rose between her legs, and within moments, it reached a swell before coming over her. But his thick, hardness slid against her clit, unwilling to let her relax in the joy that he’d already brought her to such earth-shattering orgasms with ease.

  He slowed his motions, this time meeting her gaze, looking deep inside her eyes. Although he continued pressing himself inside her, she felt a connection she hadn’t expected; one based on mutual respect.

  And in that moment, Scott almost lost his breath as his cock grew so hard so quickly that he stretched her, filling every inch inside of her. A second later, no longer content to take things slow, he took her just as she willed him to earlier, driving her to the most immense pleasure imaginable.

  Soon enough, still holding her in place but no longer clutching her as firmly as before, he searched her eyes as though looking for the same soul connection they shared only moments before.

  Ashley didn’t move. She loved his scent washing over her and wanted to feel every inch of Scott inside her for as long as possible.

  Scott spread her lips with his, tasting her, exploring her. Then he lowered their hands until he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing her into his chiseled chest.

  She looked into his eyes and saw so many emotions there, but she couldn’t quite identify what went through his mind. “What?” she asked. “What are you thinking?”

  “This is the most perfect moment… ever.”

  Ashley had never felt as close to another human being in her life. Yet, even while basking in the glory of such beautiful lovemaking, she couldn’t help but feel remorse for having misinterpreted reality all those years ago. If she hadn’t been so cynical and judgmental, her life may have branched off in a completely different direction. She’d still have pursued an acting career, but unlike the last fifteen years, she would have had a confidant, someone to share her life with, someone who would have picked her up when she fell down and vice versa.

  “What’s the matter?” Scott asked.

  “These past fifteen years… without you…”

  “Those years apart brought us back together. As much as I wish splitting up never happened, we’ll never take each other for granted now.”

  Although Scott had immediately jumped into the possibility of a relationship, Ashley couldn’t move that fast. She had quite a bit to re-examine. She couldn’t leap into the future wholeheartedly without examining what had just happened.

  Were they a couple now? If so, would they remain together? Would he move to LA? Would she move to Madison, Wisconsin? There were too many unanswered questions. And as in the past, when it came to Scott, she looked to the future. But rushing forward, at least in her mind, played a large part in how devastated she felt upon seeing Gayle kiss him.

  So this time around, Ashley planned to ignore those uncertainties and just follow her heart. Whereas Scott had seemingly never given up on them as a couple, Ashley did everything she could to think otherwise...until now, where she couldn’t help but wonder what could be in store for them.

  “What’s wrong?” Scott asked.

  She slowly pushed him away, eliciting a slight moan of enchantment as he exited her. “Let’s not rush things, okay?”

  “But we work,” he said, turning around to retrieve his clothing.

  “You were my first love, Scott.” She paused to let the intensity of that statement sink in. “A girl never forgets her first love… even after she becomes a woman.”

  “We have something special,” he said. “No matter how much time or distance might separate us. We’ll always click.”

  He obviously referred to their amazing session of lovemaking, at least based on his wide grin. And she had to admit that it left her wanting more. Besides, she could tell that a part of him had held back, that he had more to offer. Much more. And she wanted to find out what it felt like for him to bring her to the edge…and then take her over it.

  Because she had no doubt that it would blow her mind. But she had no intention of letting him know how much she looked forward to seeing him again. After all, Scott was a rock star. Sure, he might want her now, but what about later? Would he have enough interest to stick around?

  At this moment, Ashley didn’t know what
to do or say. In any normal potential relationship, she’d see the guy again and take things slow. But in this instance, she’d already given Scott everything she had. He finally got what he’d wanted for so long. Would he still be interested tomorrow? Or next year? It seemed unlikely, but nothing made sense now. She had to wrap her head around the truth, something that took more than a few minutes of reflection.

  “You think this was a mistake?” he asked, staring at her in disbelief. “I gave you my heart. I gave you my everything. Even after all these years, I’d never betray you.”

  Ashley didn’t know what to say. As much as she wanted to overlook the dismal feelings that had haunted her since the day she’d found Gayle kissing him, she needed time to separate her anger from recent events by reflecting on the past and the present. And it wouldn’t come by following her libido. So as much as she wanted to do otherwise, she needed Scott to understand that.

  “I don’t know what to think,” he said. “I’ve never stopped loving you.” That admission shocked him, as though until this moment, he’d thought otherwise.

  “See?” she said. “Even you can’t believe what you say. So how can I believe you?”

  While Ashley started getting dressed, she noticed that Scott had already done likewise.

  A somber expression took hold of him. “No matter how great we are together, I guess it doesn’t change anything for you.”

  “Let’s not jump ahead, okay? Let’s just live in the moment and take things as they come.”

  “Well, I sure as hell don’t want to live in the past.”

  “Who said anything about that? I’m talking about just taking it all in and not thinking about what happens tomorrow.”

  “I’m not like that. I care about what happens tomorrow. I need to know where I’m going. I need a destination.”

  “And you want one with us? A minute after…” She shook her head, unable to complete the thought aloud. “This is too much. Don’t you understand that until a couple days ago, you weren’t in love with me and I hated you?” She marched across the room toward her suitcase.

  “What are you going to do? Leave?” He chuckled with more than a hint of sarcasm. “Makes sense, I guess. That’s what you’re best at: running away.”

  She stopped just as she reached her suitcase, having not even given thought to what she’d do once she reached her luggage. “Who said anything about running away?” She spun around and faced him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Don’t give me that, Ashley. You’re afraid. You always have been.” He stormed up to her. “You forget: I know you. That’s exactly what you planned on doing: leaving. You’re a coward.”

  “A coward?” She laughed in his face. “You’re one to talk.”

  “Oh, I’m a coward, huh?”

  “You’re scared. Admit it. Your brother became an alcoholic and you blame yourself. Well, it’s not your fault. He’s an adult. Everyone’s responsible for their own actions.”

  “The time we spent together? Our days in high school? Moments ago, in this room? It meant something to me. And since you look confused now, I have to wonder if you ever believed in us.”

  He made his way to the door, opened it, and stepped through the threshold. The door shut quietly behind him.

  Ashley stared at the door, hoping that Scott would reappear so they could return to the topic at hand without letting the past affect the present and future. But that didn’t happen.

  He’d simply walked out with no intention of returning. Perhaps he’d finally given up on her, just as she’d given up on him so long ago.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “But it’s not my fault,” Ashley said on the phone the next morning, shocked that the creator and executive producer, Magnus Kiske, of her television show had read Gayle’s article. How else could he have known she revealed the spoiler? Either that or someone else must have spilled the details, which ended up on Access Hollywood and TMZ, not to mention inside the pages of Entertainment Weekly and People. If that were the case, everyone with any professional connection to the show would know what Ashley had disclosed to Gayle.

  “We’ve already filmed your last episode,” said Kiske. “We’re a week away from airing that mid-season finale. We can’t spin this.”

  “But people don’t know if it’s true or not,” Ashley said. “Besides, how many of them read the tabloids? One-tenth of our viewers? If that?”

  “But it’ll get out to everyone soon enough. Tomorrow, everyone will know that your character dies. Now there’s no excitement. No anticipation… you’ve fucked us, Ashley!”

  She held the phone to her ear, unwilling to believe what her boss said. He’d created the show, but he’d also killed off her character. If everything went well, they might have been willing to bring back her character in future episodes for a backstory scene or a dream sequence. But now she knew she wouldn’t be appearing on the show again.

  “Are you serious?” she asked. “When people hear that my character might die, we’re bound to get more viewers. It’ll mean the network can demand more from advertisers.”

  “That’s not how I run my show. I hate spoilers. And I swear to God, if this spoiler goes mainstream before our show hits the air, I’m going to bury you”

  “But it was a mistake. I didn’t know she was a reporter. I’m in my hometown. I haven’t been here in fifteen years. How could I have known she was a reporter? Or that she’d print a story about what I said?”

  “You’ll never get another job in this town again,” he said, ignoring her statement. “You’ll be dead to everyone but your friends and family.”

  And at that moment, Ashley thought about how much she’d loved working in Hollywood, about all she’d sacrificed, namely, a personal life. “You know me. I’ve always believed in you, and I’ve always believed in the show. So why would I stab you in the back?”

  “When the writers kill off a character on the show, plenty of actors get upset and want retribution. You’re not the first person to try to get payback. Just remember, I’m your boss, not the other way around. And if I say you die… you die. Got it?”

  “But I’d never do anything to jeopardize the show.”

  “Fuck you!” He hung up.

  Ashley stared at her phone. The dial tone persisted. With a fidgety finger, she hung up. It turned out that, not only was she unemployed, but her former boss seemed intent on destroying her career. No matter that she’d done everything he’d asked without question, that she’d followed his every instruction and trusted the narrative direction of his vision.

  None of that mattered. All because Ashley hadn’t said, “This is off the record.”

  To get her mind off the topic of her failing career, Ashley redirected her thoughts to Scott’s performance the other night. She decided to see if anyone had posted a clip or two on YouTube. Among the dozen or so videos fans had uploaded on the social media site, Ashley also found a thousand comments with the vast majority raving about Scott’s performance.

  Some, however, disagreed with his choice of performing cover songs in place of those he’d written. She also wanted to see what Scott had worked on privately over the past seven or eight years. While Ashley applauded his success, she felt a little let down. Scott had a singular voice when it came to songwriting. She wanted to hear him sing the songs he’d written.

  But she had no right to judge him. After all, she’d been writing a television series of her own, and she had no intention of giving anyone else the rights to re-imagine her vision. She needed to be the show-runner: the one who made all the decisions, the one who everyone looked to for answers, the one everyone trusted. And if she found herself in that enviable position, she would run the show with a singular voice, while still leaving some creative latitude for those who worked for her. Above all, she wouldn’t resort to the unforgiving, tyrannical methods that Kiske employed.

  There was a knock on the door, and she answered it.

  “Hey,” said Kelsey. “Are things g
oing okay?”

  “Why did you tell Scott where to find me?”

  “I didn’t know it was a secret.” She checked out the little room. “Cozy. Very comfortable. Who wouldn’t want to stay here?”

  Ashley hadn’t expected to see disappointment in Kelsey’s eyes. She gestured toward the tiny wooden desk in the corner with one hand while motioning to a plaid chair opposite it that needed upholstery. “It’s just that – I’m used to this. Sometimes for film-shoots, I’m living out of a hotel room for weeks at a time. And I live out of a hotel for my series. I spend more time in places like this than in my own house.”

  “But I gave you a place to stay.”

  “I didn’t want to be a burden.”

  Kelsey just stared at her, emitting pain and frustration.

  “I was being considerate.”

  “You stole my sister,” she said, having a difficult time swallowing back a flood of emotion. “I’ve wanted her back for fifteen years.”

  “You’re talking like I’m not even here.”

  “Because you’re not,” Kelsey said, anger breaking through her irritation. “My sister back then? I looked up to her. When she got a new pair of shoes, I needed the same kind. When she liked a rock song, it became the best song ever. We melted Hershey’s chocolate on our popcorn when we watched our favorite shows. She had the best boyfriend ever. And I hoped that when I got older, I’d be just like her and have an amazing boyfriend like Scott.”

  Ashley stood motionless as her little sister glared at her. She hadn’t expected such depth of feeling, although she should have. Kelsey, never one to flee from her feelings no matter how heartfelt or glum, always spoke her mind, regardless of what anyone thought of her opinions or feelings. And Ashley always wished she had that same strength and courage. She could have used that bravery in her conversation with Kiske a few minutes ago, rather than backing down when he cussed her out. But she didn’t want to stoop to his level.

  “I really didn’t—” said Ashley.