by Cara Dee
“You belong here in LA, darling,” he told me.
I grinned. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not nearly enough! I need champagne.”
The following hour was an overwhelming experience for me. While Martin moved from seat to seat to socialize with everyone, Henry spent two whiskey drinks talking to Tennyson, both them kind of resembling one another in the tall, dark, and handsome category. They shared the same mild manners too and were closer in age.
I chatted a bit with Noah and Julian, and I smiled widely when I got Julian hooked on Violet Haze.
By the time Henry wanted my attention, I’d made tentative plans to meet up with Julian for coffee, but I wasn’t sure if this was one of those things people said and didn’t mean. I liked Julian; we were the same-ish age and not originally from this town. He seemed a bit more cautious than I was, though he was outgoing enough to suggest the coffee. I hoped he meant it. He’d mentioned growing up in Germany, and I wanted to hear more about him and how he ended up in LA, married to a director.
“Are you having a nice time?” Henry murmured, kissing my temple.
“Very. You?” I tilted my head and got his mouth. “You somehow forgot to tell me you’re the owner of Second Family.”
He chuckled quietly. “I’m not. Just one of the co-founders. I’m not actively involved in the daily operations, although Tennyson’s proposal is a great one. I’ll have to bring it up to the board.”
“And Brooklyn is involved in this?” I asked.
“It’s her idea.” He nodded and took a sip of his drink. “She and Sophie seem to be in charge of the storyboarding for their husbands’ charity’s projects.”
Well, all right, then. I guess networking had worked for Henry too. The envy in me burned hotter, and I was getting sick of not going places. I’d put myself on hold for too fucking long.
“Sophie!” Brooklyn poked her head into the room. “Time for you to show your face too. The photographer is here for the shoot.”
There was going to be a shoot?
“On my way.” Sophie drained her champagne glass, kissed her husband, and stood up. “I take it you’re staying here?”
“Well, yes, there are people out there.” Tennyson flashed her a wry smirk. “I can check in on the kids.”
She giggled and was off with an, “I’ll be back soon, my hermit.”
Henry and I weren’t far behind her. I thought it was best to go to the bathroom before my next drink, and then I wanted to dance some more. I hoped it would lift my spirits, and if dancing didn’t work, having Henry’s hands on me would.
The rush hit me when I got up from my seat, and it threw me. “Shit.” I grinned and grabbed on to Henry’s arm. Having three cocktails while sitting down was catching up with me now.
“Steady, boy.” Henry’s eyes lit up with amusement.
“Before you go, Zach…” Julian walked over to me, his smile gentle. He was a cutie. “Here’s my number.”
“Oh. Thank you.” I smiled back, hopeful. This meant he was serious about the coffee, right? I was suddenly itching to make friends, and he seemed like a nice guy. A nice guy with his own business card. It just said his name on it. His number and email were listed on the back. The buzz and his business card brightened my mood.
Thirteen
I, uh…lipstick
Henry had to lead the way back to the club, ’cause I would’ve taken a wrong turn or two. There were more than a few private rooms, not to mention doors leading to storage and supply closets. Then we were smack-dab in the middle of madness once more, the music pumping and the crowd drunker.
“We’re going that way.” Henry pointed straight ahead.
So we crossed the dance floor, and the atmosphere got to me. I crept up behind Henry and snaked a hand up his chest. He covered my hand with his, only to reposition us so I walked in front of him. Then I had his perfect mouth pressing sensual kisses along my neck, making me wanna stay right here and do a little bump and grind with him.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Toward the bathrooms.”
Oh, right, that’s where I was planning on going too. Earlier, before I forgot because, fuck me, he was cupping my junk again.
I loved that he’d let go of all the careful crap. No more tentative moves; he took me whenever he saw fit.
We stumbled to the bathrooms, and I groaned, both at Henry’s kiss to my neck and the sight of the line. The alcove was full of people, but then I noticed not all of them were waiting to go to the bathroom. On the women’s side of the line, I saw a studio-like setup with a long makeup counter. Makeup from ShadowLight littered the shiny surface, and a huge hashtag stretched across the mirror on the wall. #GiveYourShadowLight was being tagged from left to right by the women losing their shit over all the makeup.
The cacophony rang louder when Brooklyn and Sophie joined the others, and they had a photographer with them.
“You should try it,” Henry murmured in my ear.
“What?” I chuckled.
“For me.” He gripped my hips, pulling me back on his erection.
“You want me to wear makeup?” I glanced up at him in disbelief, turning in his arms. To each their own, but I had zero interest in painting my face. “Have you lost your mind?”
He shook his head slowly, gaze predatory. “Submission. I’d rather show you. Come here.” He grabbed my hand and ushered me between the ladies and to the makeup counter. “Pick a lipstick.”
Now I knew he’d lost his mind—or had too much to drink. Thankfully, nobody paid us any attention. Tucked away by the edge of the counter, not even the spotlights surrounding the mirror cared about two men eyeing the ShadowLight brand.
The tingling sensation in my stomach triggered me to obey so I could find out. So far, everything he’d introduced me to, I’d loved.
I knew fuck all about colors and whatnot, so I picked one randomly, and Henry took it from me. He discarded the plastic seal from around the black stick and removed the cap, revealing a dark purple.
“Put it on for me.” He extended the lipstick.
Put it on for me. For me.
I swallowed, the fluttering getting worse. Then I faced the mirror nervously and inspected the object. Would it feel soft on my lips? Sticky? I remembered hating the lip gloss Meghan wore. It was like kissing glue. My eyes flashed to the mirror, and I leaned forward before I could overanalyze and ruin it for Henry.
He stepped closer, one hand stroking my back, the other on my hip. He was still hard.
I shivered and brushed the dark, plum-colored lipstick across my bottom lip. I didn’t know if the fact that there were people everywhere turned me on or terrified me. Maybe a combination of both. Another couple swipes, and my bottom lip looked okay. I think. Then my upper lip, where I had to be more careful. The slight bow in the middle was more difficult to fill in.
How the fuck did women do this every day?
Henry pushed me farther. The counter dug into my thighs, and my left hand landed on the surface for support. When I was done, I lowered the lipstick. Both hands planted on the counter, Henry pressing against me. I looked at my reflection and was awash with humiliation and arousal. The latter won while the former somehow clung to my mind-set. Dragging me down.
He loves it. Leaning over me to kiss my shoulder, he showed me just how much he enjoyed the moment.
I couldn’t make sense of my expression. My eyes were hooded, flashing with desire, intoxication, and…something else. Apprehension. How could I look both scared and dangerous? My lips looked like they belonged to someone else. They were dark, almost pouty but not quite, and felt soft. Pliable. I resisted licking my bottom lip, instead sinking my teeth into the flesh.
Henry groaned under his breath and yanked me up. He turned me around and cupped my jaw.
The shudder that tore through me traveled from the base of my neck and down to my knees. Knees that got weaker.
Take me.
At that mom
ent, I wanted him to take me like a fucking savage.
The shock was next, shock as he drew his thumb over my lips, completely smearing the color.
“That’ll do.” His voice was a low rumble, a mix between a whisper and a growl.
It took everything in me not to whimper.
He didn’t say anything else. Keeping me close, he guided me out of the alcove and through the club. The lights flashed, the dance crowd jumped. It was dizzying, and without Henry holding me up, I would’ve been lost.
He led me down a familiar maze of dark halls before he deemed the sounds from clubgoers were distant enough.
“If we’re going back to the private room, I gotta take a leak first,” I said.
Henry pushed me up against a wall and caged me, his mouth a millimeter from mine. I swore my heart fucking stopped. The excitement flooded me completely.
“Get down on your knees for me.”
For me, for me.
I sank to the floor, instinctively going for his zipper. He undid his belt. My fingers shook. With his hard cock in my hand, I finally licked my lips. And I sucked him into my mouth until I gagged.
“That’s my boy,” he whispered raggedly.
I moaned, my lips stretching around his dick. In the dark, his features were almost intimidating. The shadows devoured every trace of kindness, leaving me this commanding, dominant god. All I could do was submit. Fuck, it was all I wanted to do too.
He caressed my cheek and smeared the lipstick further as I swirled my tongue around him, sucked him greedily, and fondled his tight sac. With my free hand, I unzipped my jeans and stuck a hand down my underwear to jack my cock.
Henry sucked in a breath. “You’re a dream come true.” Fisting my hair, he pushed his cock along my tongue. “You want more?”
I nodded quickly and suckled at the slit, my cheeks hollowing. “Please,” I managed to gasp. The lust spiked and sent me on a crazy trip. The urgency took me aback. I sucked him harder and jerked my cock faster.
He scratched my scalp lovingly and started fucking me in slow thrusts. “I want to empty myself down your throat.” He brought a hand to my neck and stroked me gently. “When I get deep enough, I’ll feel my cock right here.”
There was no stopping the whimper this time. Breathing deeply through my nose, I warred against my instincts and took him deeper. The desire overrode the itch to choke, except for a few times, but I was determined. And hornier than ever.
I sucked Henry off in a dark hallway with lipstick staining my mouth and jaw until his cock throbbed and released in hot spurts down my throat. The whole moment was so surreal that I had to repeat it in my head over and over. It wasn’t just LA that was the drug. It was Henry too.
Never in my twenty-seven years would I have thought of this. Was my brain capable of even conjuring a fantasy that was remotely close to Henry’s wickedness? I doubted it.
“Ready to go home, baby?”
I nodded sleepily, burrowing closer into Henry’s arms. If I didn’t get home soon, I’d turn this couch into a bed, and Henry would be my pillow.
We were back in the private room, and once Sophie and Brooklyn had left with their husbands, I’d relaxed a little. I didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong things anymore. Noah and Julian were lit, especially Noah, and they were more casual in a way. Less intimidating and Hollywoodsy.
“Where’s Martin?” I slurred.
I could only count six people in here. Henry, me, Noah, Julian, a bartender slash waiter slash actor, and fucking Joseph. Every now and then, he slid his smirk my way.
“His ex picked him up an hour ago.” Henry wasn’t happy about that.
“You guys ready to head out too?” Noah stretched his arms over his head, then scrubbed a hand down his face. He was trying to sober up, but Julian distracted him. Before anyone could answer, Noah was groping his husband.
I snickered. They were sweet together.
“Bloody hell, love.” There was a hint of a British accent in Julian’s voice that I hadn’t paid attention to before. “Let’s get an Uber.”
“Where do you live?” I asked, stifling a yawn.
“I think we’ll stay at the beach house tonight,” Julian sighed. “I’m not lugging him all the way up to Pacific Palisades.”
I didn’t know where it was, though I’d learned enough to assume Malibu was always farther away. “He’s lugging me to Malibu.”
“You can crash with me if you want,” Joseph offered.
I looked to him warily, afraid it was Henry he’d wear down. Definitely not me.
“That’s a firm no, but thank you for the kind offer,” Henry replied wryly.
Fist-pump.
“All right, I’m ready to crash.” Noah grunted and hauled himself off the couch. “Come on, hubby. I wanna molest you in the car so I don’t have to think about the fact that we have work tomorrow.”
Noah was a hugger, I learned. At least, when he was buzzed. He hugged both Henry and me, saying it was great to meet us, before bidding the others goodbye and dragging Julian out of the room. Julian and I just barely managed to promise each other to keep in touch and make plans to meet up.
The rest of us piled out after, and I leaned on Henry, having had a couple drinks too many.
“Are you sure you don’t want to have fun with Henry and me, sweetie?”
I jerked away from Joseph. “Sweetie, the only one who’s having fun with Henry is me.”
Henry squeezed my hand. “Not another word, Joseph.”
“Lord, you two.” Joseph rolled his eyes and walked a little faster. “All right, go be boring.”
I breathed out in relief as he disappeared from sight. “Sorry if I crossed a line—”
“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” Henry kissed my temple and put his hand around my waist. “He can be pushy.”
Lovely.
Fourteen
Sugar and spice and…that’s a dildo
On Friday afternoon, I braved the heat to pace a hole in the floor on the porch. Henry was on the phone with his parents, and he’d requested privacy for it. I didn’t mind. I was just nosy and ready for Ty to get help.
We hadn’t been able to get in contact with Henry’s parents sooner, though it didn’t matter anymore. They were back home in Camassia, and it was time to steal their grandson away from them.
“What’s going on?” Martin came out from his shop.
“Henry’s talking to his parents,” I replied. “You would’ve known that if you two exchanged words instead of bitch glares.”
Martin was unaffected. “This is how we function. It passes after a week or so.”
I shook my head.
“So what’s the plan?” he asked.
I told him about the contract Henry’d had his lawyer draw up, a contract stating that Henry’s parents would get full custody if Ty would come down here and visit for one week. Henry didn’t want to risk anything by asking for the remainder of the summer; he feared his parents would worry that Henry would get through to Ty. But a week was doable, and the elder Benningtons were arrogant.
“Henry’s the one who’s arrogant if he believes he needs only a week,” Martin said.
“He’s bluffing,” I answered. “They won’t actually sign anything beforehand, but he thinks seeing the contract will give his parents reassurance that it’s happening. Ty’s staying longer than that, and we need the bigoted ’rents to make sure he gets on the plane.”
Additionally, Henry had the upper hand legally. His parents couldn’t keep their son from seeing Ty, or even from moving him out of state.
“Well, I hope it works,” Martin offered.
“Yeah, me too.” I blew out a breath, feeling hot. “So, how’re things with your ex? We’ve barely seen you since Wednesday.”
“I’m very happy,” he said. He didn’t look it, though. Not that he looked unhappy either. His expression was just…plain. “We’re together again, and it’s different this time.”
&nbs
p; “Okay. Cool.” What else could I say? He probably wouldn’t like it if I said I hoped his boyfriend didn’t steal another car from him. “Henry found a house, by the way. Like five minutes away from here.”
It was up in the mountains, and I’d only seen pictures of it so far. I didn’t wanna know the rent. Three bedrooms on the second floor, each one with its own bathroom, then a guest room downstairs, a den, laundry or whatever, and a big kitchen that opened up to the terrace. Of course, there was a big-ass pool too.
“How will it be to play happy family for you, honey?” Martin didn’t say it with an ounce of malice. If anything, he looked concerned. “You and Henry seem…close.”
I hesitated, then went with the truth. “Would it be naïve to hope for more with him?” It was something I worried about—often. Especially the part about being naïve.
Martin shook his head no. “No. I can tell he’s in too deep already, as well. He just won’t believe you’re all in until you hit him over the head with it. Multiple times.”
That, I could understand. While Henry had stopped being careful with the physical stuff, I knew I’d be the one taking initiative if—fingers crossed for when—we took the next step.
“You need to consider the facts too, Zach,” Martin continued. “He’s twenty years older than you. Maybe he’s not too set in his ways, but he’ll have your young age at the forefront of his mind. He’ll assume you want anything but commitment. He might even believe he knows better and give you more than one out.”
I grimaced. I wanted the opposite; I wanted him to claim me and be borderline possessive in that hot way, but I understood where Martin—and Henry—was coming from.
“I appreciate your advice.” I nodded. “He’s different from my previous partners.” Not because he was a man either. “It’s intense and confusing and scary.”
Martin glowed warmly. “That makes me happy. He deserves a good guy. You just might be perfect for him, and I don’t throw around those words casually. Henry has a lot of living left to do, but he deflates when he can’t share it with someone. He becomes a homebody.”
