by Layla Hagen
Summer: Third door from the top of the staircase.
Alex: I’ll wait for you inside. Get rid of the guys as fast as you can.
I hold my breath as I listen to what’s happening upstairs. When the unmistakable sound of a door opening and closing reaches me, I become slick between my legs. What is this man doing to me?
The next fifteen minutes are excruciating. The second the guys leave, I lock the back door and skid right upstairs, barging into my office.
“Alex?” I whisper after closing the door. It’s dark, except for a patch of moonlight on my desk. Alex steps up from the darkest corner, smiling. I run right into his arms.
“What are you doing here? You were supposed to arrive next week.”
“I missed you. I moved a few things around so I can spend the weekend with you.”
He kisses me long and deep, making my toes curl.
“This is so romantic,” I whisper. “And reckless. You shouldn’t be here. I received an entire list with instructions from Preston, and he wouldn’t approve. This is risky.”
He covers my mouth again, whispering between kisses, “You’re worth every risk. I needed to see you.”
His lips trail down my neck, his fingers working furiously on the buttons of my shirt, until he yanks it away, leaving me in my bra. He will have me here. In my office. Lord help me, but I want this so badly, I’m barely holding back from jumping him. Taking my hand, he leads me to my desk.
“How did you get in here?”
“Sneaked in when you were with the delivery guys out at the truck.”
“You could’ve just told me, you know.”
“I wanted to surprise you, tease you a bit.” He reaches under my skirt, bunching it up until his fingers touch the bare skin between my legs. I’m slick and his finger slides inside me with so much ease, I’m almost embarrassed.
“Get rid of your clothes, Summer. I want you completely naked.”
A nervous laughter bubbles up my throat, but it turns into a moan as he slides in another finger, pressing the heel of his palm against my clit.
“I’ve never done anything like this in my office,” I confess, yanking my shirt over my head, unclasping my bra. When it falls to the floor, Alex pulls his hand out, motioning to the chair behind my desk.
“Sit there.”
I’m so turned on, I don’t hesitate even for a split second. Specks of moonlight fall on my chair, and on me as I sit down, the black leather chilling me.
“Spread your legs for me, Summer.”
As soon as I do, he kneels between them, licking up my left inner thigh, then my right one.
“Whenever you sit in this chair, I want you to remember this.” He licks further up on my inner thigh until he’s at the apex, teasing my clit with the tip of his tongue. My hips slide further down of their own accord. I spread myself wider, shamelessly, crying out when he sucks my bundle of nerves between his lips.
“Oh, Alex.”
“That’s my girl. I have a condom in my back pocket,” Alex whispers, kissing up my belly and my breasts until he reaches my mouth. I kiss him back with all I’ve got, my inner muscles clenching when he places an unopened condom on my thigh.
I work on his pants and underwear until his erection springs free. With trembling fingers, I rip the foil, sheathing him.
I feel his hands slip under my ass, lifting me up. Instinctively, I wrap my legs around his middle, my arms around his neck. His erection presses against the length of my seam. Alex walks with me until my back reaches a wall.
“You feel so good,” he whispers as he lowers me onto him, stretching me until I think I might come just from the sensation of being so full. Pinning my ass against the wall, he slides in and out. This angle is killing me. His tip rubs a soft spot inside me, coaxing pleasure from deep within. There’s just enough light in this corner to make out his features, but the semidarkness makes this all so much more intense. All my senses are wrapped up in him, and I love taking it all in: his hot breath sets my skin ablaze, his grunts and the sound of our bodies slapping against each other fill the room. Waves of pleasure string my nerve endings together, until I’m pulsing on his every thrust, squeezing him tightly when he cries out his release. Still holding me to the wall, one hand under my ass, he pinches one nipple with his other hand, then lowers it between us, dragging his thumb over my clit.
Pinching my eyes shut, I lean my forehead against his jaw. I brace my palms on his shoulders and press my heels against his ass. As if sensing my insecurity, he whispers, “Let go, baby. I’m holding you safe. Let go.”
A shock of pleasure ripples from the base of my spine, making my entire back arch, and one of my legs go rigid.
Alex holds me close while I ride my climax, and even after, kissing me softly, as if feeling how much I need this sweetness and tenderness.
“Baby, I want to hold you longer, but I have to take care of the condom.”
“Oh right! I completely forgot.”
We clean ourselves up quickly with some wet wipes I keep in a drawer and then dress quickly.
“I can’t believe this evening,” I murmur after we’re both dressed, watching his boyish grin.
“It’s not over yet. I’m taking you on a date.”
“Oh? But Preston—”
“We can play by the rules, and I can still take you on a date. Trust me.”
“Let’s go then.”
“Wait, I need to take my jacket. I forgot where I put it. Do you see it anywhere? It’s black leather.”
“Nah, too dark. Wait a second.” I switch on the light and immediately spot the jacket on the floor right next to the door. As I pick it up, a crumpled piece of paper falls from one pocket, tumbling on the carpet.
Without thinking, I reach for it, freezing as I realize a phone number is scribbled on it, and a text. Call me, handsome. I’ll warm up your bed - R.
“What’s that?” Alex asks, shrugging into his jacket. His happy expression morphs into one of concern as he scans me. “Summer?”
“You’d tell me if you change your mind about us being a couple, right?” My voice shakes.
“What? Of course I haven’t changed my mind.”
I hold out the paper, trying to control the tremble in my hand. “Who... who is R?”
Alex casts his glance to the note, then takes it out of my hands.
“Summer, I have no idea why this was in my jacket. I don’t know who...” He sighs. “Yeah, I do know. At least I think so. Rebecca, the photographer I had a session with on Thursday. She must have snuck it in when she brought me the jacket at the end of the shoot. I didn’t call her. I didn’t even know the number was there, but even if I did, I wouldn’t have used it. You know that, right?”
Rooted to the spot, I fumble with my thumbs. “Why... why would she give you her number?”
He hesitates for a few seconds before answering. “She tried to flirt, but I didn’t encourage it at all.”
For some reason, my chest clenches, constricting my breath.
“If you want, we can call that number right now together, and you can ask her yourself.”
“We don’t have to do that. I believe you.”
But my chest continues to clench, my throat closing up. What is wrong with me? I feel a freak-out coming on, and I’d like to at least know why I’m freaking out.
“Don’t do that,” Alex says, voice harsher than before. “Don’t shut me out. I want to know. I don’t want us to play games. If something bothers you, tell me. We’ll talk it out.”
I swipe my suddenly sweaty palms on my skirt. “I’m not shutting you out. I’m just... I’m freaking out, and I don’t like being watched when I’m at it.”
He frowns, his eyes searching my face. “Why are you freaking out?”
Cupping both my cheeks in his big, strong hands, he rubs little circles with his thumbs on my cheeks, and some of the tension melts away from my body.
“I think this is the first time I actually realize how many wome
n want you.” Wow. Wow. I’m slipping into full meltdown mode, and I don’t know how to stop it. How can I not have realized this before? He’s an international star and has more Sexiest Man titles under his belt than I can count. “This happens a lot, doesn’t it?”
“I’m not gonna lie, it does. But I usually throw out the notes right away. I just didn’t see this one. For the record, I only called back a few times when I first started out. I haven’t done that in years, and I don’t plan to.”
He draws me closer to him, tipping my head up, lowering one hand over my left boob. A split second later, I realize his intention isn’t to fondle my boob but to feel the rhythm of my heart.
“I don’t want your heart racing unless it’s with happiness. Talk to me. What are you afraid of?”
I bite at the inside of my lower lip, feeling small and foolish as I admit, “That you’ll feel lonely or bored at some point when you’re away and give in to temptation.”
“The same thing applies to you. When I’m away filming, you could get bored, want someone to warm your bed.”
“No, no, I won’t. My libido is on high alert only around you,” I joke, but raw vulnerability shines in his eyes.
“Summer, whatever happens between us, promise you’ll be upfront and honest about it.”
“I promise.”
“Then can you believe that I promise you the same?” Kissing my forehead, he pulls me into his arms, and I lose myself in his warmth and all that hard muscle. Believing someone’s promise is more complicated than gifting them with yours, because when you chose to believe someone, you give them power over you. But cocooned like this, wrapped in Alex, I know we’re kindred spirits—we don’t make empty promises.
“Yes, I do, Alex. I do.”
Tipping my head up, he kisses me, and I melt against him. God, I’m so happy he’s back. My chest fills with little bubbles of joy as realization seeps in that he flew in just to spend time with me.
“Let’s go, beautiful,” he murmurs against my lips. “Our night is just starting.”
“Umm... I’m quaking in my boots. Well, my peep-toes.”
“Very well. You should.”
“Was that a threat or a promise?” I should perhaps wait with the teasing until we’re out of here, but I can’t help myself. He has the most delicious replies, and each and every one of them either makes my toes curl or my lady parts tingle—sometimes both.
How he does it, no clue, but instead of studying the phenomenon, I intend to enjoy it. It’s a much better use of my time.
He smiles. “I’ll leave you guessing for now. One hint: you’ll enjoy it either way.”
Yup, everything is tingling: toes and lady parts.
When he takes my hand, leading me out of the room, a current of awareness sizzles through me. I don’t think he means to, but he strips more and more of my defenses every time we’re together. And the scary part? I want to let him. More than that, I want to do the same to this delicious man.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alex
“Wait a second. I want to see your paintings before we leave,” I tell her once we’re on the ground floor. “They’re still here, right?”
Her eyes widen. “Yes. You really want to see them? You don’t have to humor me.”
“I do want to see them. That’s why I came directly to the gallery.”
Taking my hand, she leads me to a separate room on the ground floor, smaller than the one in the front. She doesn’t switch on the main lighting system, just the installations projecting above every individual painting.
“These are mine. I sold two to the group today.”
I follow her gaze to the right wall. She paints nature, and she’s amazing at it. They look real. I can almost feel myself standing on top of the mountain, on a field in Tuscany, out on the sea, in a rainforest. Her paintings have a lot of heart. Just like her. I wrap my arms around her from the back, kissing her neck, keeping my eyes on the wall.
“They’re beautiful. Is the one with the mountain still for sale?”
“Yeah, but—”
“I want to buy it.”
“Alex, don’t be silly. I’ll gift it to you.”
“But I want to buy it.”
“You really want that hanging in your house?”
“I do. It’s perfect.”
“Okay. I’ll pack it for you.”
“Are we leaving with my car?” she asks after we step out in the cool evening air a few minutes later. “Or did you bring yours?”
“We’ll take yours. One of my security guys dropped me off here.”
She stares at me. “You have bodyguards?”
“Not always. But I thought it would be smart to have him secure the area before I showed my face around here after that reporter showed up.”
She scrunches her face, nodding. “Smart thinking. My car’s just around the corner.”
I’m so proud of her for the way she dealt with that situation. I wish she didn’t have to. The list of things I wish she didn’t have to deal with keeps growing.
I also can’t believe Rebecca. But I’ll be damned if I ever let something like this happen again. That look on Summer’s face, that crushing fear? I don’t want to ever see it again. She doesn’t deserve that. I’d realized something bad had happened the second she lunged for the note, because her whole body had gone rigid, and all my instincts were to crush whatever had caused that reaction. Turns out that was me. If need be, I’ll double check my own pockets.
“Where are we going?” she asks once we’re inside the car.
“First, we’re going to make a pit stop by your house.”
“Why?”
“You’re going to need a change of clothes.”
“For our date?”
“Nope, for tomorrow morning.”
She folds her arms over her chest, cocking a brow. “Mr. Westbrook, don’t you think you’re assuming a bit much? What makes you think I’ll spend the night with you?”
Closing the distance between us, I bring my lips a whisper away from hers. “I can still smell you on me, Summer.”
“It’s not polite to mention that.”
“That’s a sensitive topic?”
“You’re awfully infuriating right now.”
“And you’re awfully cute when you find me infuriating, so you’ll forgive me if I do it on purpose.”
But then it occurs to me that I might be assuming too much. We spent every free minute together in Lake Tahoe, but we were in vacation mode back there. I made plans without consulting her, just assuming she’d be over the moon with the idea of spending the weekend with me. What if we’re not on the same page here? Am I rushing things?
After the engagement fiasco, I thought it would be a long while before I’d allow myself to get attached to a woman. But I hadn’t met Summer when I thought that.
“Summer, you don’t have to spend the weekend with me. It was a suggestion.”
Every muscle in my limbs strings tight as I wait for her answer.
“You make all suggestions without a question mark?” she teases, and I feel the muscles in one leg loosening, then the other. “I’d love to spend the weekend with you.”
The muscles in my arms relax too. I take one of her hands from the wheel and kiss it.
She pulls in front of her house a short while later.
“Wait here, I’ll be quick. Are you sure I shouldn’t change for our date?”
“Positive.”
She nods, swiping her tongue over the bow of her upper lip. “Okay. Five minutes.”
While I wait, it occurs to me I’ve never been in her house. I wonder what the inside is like, if I could tell it belongs to Summer just by being there. I bet I’d find signs of her everywhere. Post-its glued in random spots, with reminders and smileys scribbled on them. Paintings. Books.
Summer comes hurtling out of the house a few minutes later, a small backpack on her shoulder, which she throws in the back as soon as she climbs in. “Done! Now
, what’s this fancy place you’re taking me to?”
Unease claws at my insides as she guns the engine, setting the car in motion.
“You’ll see.”
Twenty minutes later, I glance at her out of the corner of my eye as the double gate to my house opens, and we drive inside. I watch as realization dawns on her face and keep my fingers crossed for her not to be disappointed.
When she grins, I let out a breath of relief.
“You’re a genius,” she says wickedly. We step out of the car, and when she moves to take her backpack, I stop her, instead slinging it over my own shoulder. Then I open the front door for her and lead her straight to the patio in the back.
“Wow,” she exclaims, stepping outside. “When did you do all this?”
She takes in the table for two, complete with tablecloth and candles, which I still have to light.
“Landed a couple of hours ago. I called a catering company for the food. I just set the table.”
Summer smiles warmly. “This is so beautiful. Thank you.”
I hold out the chair for her. “Take a seat. You’re keeping your jacket, right?”
“Yeah.” She sighs. “When I lived in Rome, I loved that you could eat outside almost always. Maybe not in winter, but here we don’t even get real heat in mid-July.”
As she sits, I plant a quick kiss on her neck. “Any time you want to escape someplace hot, just say the word.”
“Mmm, that’s tempting.”
“You are tempting. I’ll take you anywhere you want, Summer.”
After one last kiss, I move on to loading the food on plates.
“You really planned this,” she says in wonder as we dig in.
“I told you there are advantages to dating a movie star. It’s not all drama, I promise.”
She touches my leg under the table, and I reach for her hand.
“It’s all good, Alex. I’m sorry I freaked out.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. If I found another’s man number in your pocket, I wouldn’t have reacted well.”
She waves her other hand. “I don’t believe that.”
“I almost choked on jealousy when your brother answered your phone... before you told me he was your brother, obviously.”
