Setting his champagne flute on the coffee table, he pulled the t-shirt hanging across his shoulder over his head. Disappointment washed over her as she watched him cover his glorious body.
“I’ve set out some clothing for you on the bed.” He took the flute out of her grasp and set it next to his before bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks.
She held her breath, paralyzed by his touch and stared up at him with wide eyes.
“You have no idea how happy I am to have you all to myself.” He kissed her forehead lightly. “Now be a good girl and get comfortable.”
Lauren numbly nodded like a star struck teen and levitated her way into the bedroom. As the door clicked shut, she scanned the massive room and noticed the clothing laying neatly on a down comforter on the king-sized bed. The lounge pants were similar to David’s but in shades of green and blue. There was also a plain, gray t-shirt. She grabbed the pile and went into the huge, marble bathroom. A deep soaking tub and white marble shower were the focal point of the impressive en suite, and two pristine, white St. Regis robes hung on the wall draped over expensive wooden hangers.
“His and hers,” Lauren whispered, her voice tinged with wistfulness. The bedroom and bathroom were immaculate, David’s toiletries neatly lined up with nothing out of place. Picking up a dark bottle of designer cologne, she pulled the chrome cap off, and deeply inhaled the citrusy aroma that held a hint of musk. Closing her eyes, she smiled. The fragrance smelled like him.
Finding a vacant hanger in the large walk-in closet, she hung up her vintage dress, pausing to snoop through his impressive wardrobe. His suits, shirts and workout clothes were all hung up in color coordination and his shoes were lined up tidily underneath. Pulling on the oversized lounge wear, she took in another deep breath. His scent lingered on the clothes, surrounding her in a virtual hug. She was glad the pants had a draw string and quickly pulled them tightly around her waist. His shirt looked more like a nightgown on her small frame and was made from the softest material. She couldn’t help but run her hands up and down the fabric, snuggling into it.
“There you are! Feeling relaxed?” David patted the couch cushion next to him. He could have been in the middle of a fashion shoot the way he was positioned comfortably with his hand resting against the back of the furniture with his right ankle propped on his left knee. He offered Lauren her refilled champagne flute.
“Yes. Thank you for the clothes. They feel incredible.” She sat down next to him, tucking her legs up under her.
Smooth jazz played on a music channel on the big screen. They let the moment breathe, taking sips of the bubbly and smiling at each other.
“How does it feel to have a married sister?” she asked, breaking the silence.
He shifted, resting his elbows on his knees, cupping the crystal flute with his big hands. “I’m thrilled for her. And for Brian. I think they make a superb couple.”
She nodded. “I really enjoyed meeting them. Your sister is a real knockout. The genes in your family should be cloned.”
David chuckled. “You’re too kind. Catherine is beautiful, thank you. I can’t wait to see the offspring she and Brian create.” He plucked a grape from the fruit tray and popped it into his mouth. “Do you ever see yourself getting married and having children?”
Lauren raised her eyebrows in thought. “Well… I thought I was going to marry my college boyfriend after we graduated. We dated exclusively for four years. I assumed the next logical step was to get married.”
“What happened?”
“He broke up with me two weeks after graduation. Told me he needed to ‘find himself,’ or something like that.” She wasn’t about to disclose that her college boyfriend was the only man she’d ever been intimate with.
“God, how bloody awful.”
“What about you? Do you ever see yourself marrying and having babies?” She reached across the table for a piece of Gouda cheese and a cracker in an effort to change the subject.
“Honestly, I hope so. If someone might have me.”
She laughed. What woman wouldn’t want David Randle?
They drank champagne and ate expensive cheese and fruit, their conversation effortless. Lauren learned many things about David in those comfortable hours alone in his hotel room. He offered he could cook quite well, preferring Asian dishes. Rose oil was his secret weapon for keeping his skin hydrated while he traveled and the smell of cut grass made him happy. Driving a car relaxed him and if he could be anyone else in the world, living or dead, he would choose to be the famous American actor Paul Newman.
“If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?” Lauren asked, placing her empty flute on the table. The bottle of champagne was empty, floating upside down in a bucket of melted ice.
“Hmmm….” David mulled over his answer. “I’m very impatient. It would be a good thing for me to learn patience. Ask my manager,” he laughed. “What about you? Is there anything in particular you would want to change about yourself?”
She thought for a moment. “I don’t venture out of my own comfort zone much. Me being here, well that’s a huge step in the right direction.”
He chuckled as he gazed at her.
“Favorite indulgence?” she probed.
“Oh, I have more than one indulgence. Classic cars, watches, and an old-fashioned are my top three. To be actually driving a car while wearing a watch and drinking an old-fashioned would be heaven, for sure!”
They laughed out loud, relaxed from the champagne.
“And what about you, Lauren? What’s your favorite indulgence?”
She pondered for a moment. “New York City.”
The smile he offered her in that instant took her breath away.
“So… is the inquisition almost over?” he asked rubbing his hand across her thigh.
“One more.” She leaned her head back on the sofa staring blissfully at him. “Your happy song.”
“Well, you know the answer to that. We’ve danced to it twice in the last twenty-four hours.” He reached his arm across the back of the sofa and ran his index finger through her long hair.
“Fly Me to the Moon?”
He nodded, bringing his finger down to stroke her cheek. She started to sing softly as she leaned into his touch.
David reached for her hand and gripped it, smiling at her with adulation as he listened to her serenade. He pulled the hand he was holding up to his lips and kissed it lightly. She giggled when he raised his eyebrows humorously as she continued to sing the song in such close proximity to him, his blue eyes twinkling like stars.
Before the last lyric left her lips, she suddenly stopped abruptly, aware of her pounding heart. The last three words of the song caught in her throat.
Pulling her closer, he leaned his forehead against hers, rubbing her thigh with his hand. “You’re not going to finish the song?” he whispered with a hint of disappointment.
She blushed, looking down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. How could she dare to sing the last three words of the song without coming completely undone?
He brushed her hair away from the side of her face and leaned in closer, singing the familiar warbled notes softly across the shell of her ear. “I love you.”
Chapter Ten
“Stay the night with me,” David whispered.
Lauren shut her eyes tightly, relief washing over her but at the same time, feeling anxiety at the very strong possibility that the two of them would graduate to more than kissing.
“Please?” He pulled back from her with a pleading look on his striking face. As he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, she leaned into his touch. “I want to be near you as long as possible. I leave for New York in the morning.”
She stared at him, aware of the tears starting to pool dangerously close to the rims of her eyes. “I’m not… experienced, like you,” she whispered.
A puzzled look crossed his face and he sat back on the couch. “Experienced? You mean, sex?”<
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Lauren blushed looking down at her hands then back at him.
A hint of amusement shone in his smile. “And what makes you think I am ‘experienced’?” he asked, gathering her hands into his own.
She looked at him through her lashes with wide eyes. “Well… I, uh… I don’t know. I just assumed?” Another dumb judgmental thought on her part. She wished she could fade into the expensive woodwork of the hotel room. “I’ve only been with one man….”
He seemed surprised but able to sense her embarrassment. “Your college sweetheart?”
She nodded.
“Lauren, we don’t have to do anything more than talk and kiss and sleep in each other’s arms. I just want to be near you,” he reassured. “The thought of leaving is dreadful.” He stood and offered his hand, making up her mind for her. “Come. Let’s adjourn to the boudoir.”
They lay on their sides on top of the comforter, staring at each other. David held her free hand in his own and sighed. “Is there any possible way you could join me in New York later this week? You did say it was one of your favorite indulgences. I’m receiving an award and would be delighted to bring you as my date. After all, you are the best date I’ve ever had,” he reiterated gently.
Lauren sat up and leaned on her elbow, every cell in her body at attention. David Randle wanted to continue to see her and actually invited her to New York. She felt like singing at the top of her lungs.
“I could probably make some arrangements.” She tried to sound cool keeping her tone even keel, even though she was secretly screaming on the inside.
David sat up as if energized by her response. “I shall take care of everything. Your plane ticket, transportation from the airport, hotel. Just look into it and let me know what day you could come. If you came midweek you could join me at a fashion shoot already scheduled. I’m doing the final marketing piece for the release of my fragrance that’s coming out in April.”
She grinned watching him, his animated face full of pleasure. “Wait a minute. You’re launching your own fragrance in April? That’s incredible!”
They laid back on the oversized pillows, David filling her in on all the exciting details. He’d been working on his own cologne for two years, his dream finally coming into fruition. This was a game changer for his career. He also had his own line of underwear and socks in the works.
“What’s the name of your cologne?” she asked breathlessly. This man was more than just a pretty face. He was a force to be reckoned with in the lucrative fashion industry.
“It’s called ‘Drive.’ I wear it daily. There’s a bottle of it on the vanity in the bathroom. We’ll be doing a soft launch in April at one of the big department stores. I’m hoping it does well and we can get it into every major retail by year’s end.”
“Drive. That seems appropriate.”
Thrilled for him, she listened intently as he explained how he was inspired to create his own fragrance, the process in coming up with the formula, and the incredible amount of work that went into launching a men’s cologne. He wanted to create a fragrance for men that smelled good, was exceptionally easy to wear, and highly versatile—appropriate for any season, day or night, for work or play, for going out to dinner or for just hanging around the house. His description of the cologne came down to two equally high-pitched and nasal facets—a sharp, musky cedar and tart lemon/apple. The result, a kind of olfactory moiré effect—shimmery, pleasant and fresh. He referred to driving in the country on a summer day with the top down or sitting in front of a roaring fire with a warm cocktail.
“The hardest part was getting the musk just right. It was rather high-pitched at first. A little too sharp for the average man. When we finally perfected it, I also wanted to make sure the cologne was long-lasting.”
“Mmm. I thought you smelled wonderful the first night I met you. I think you have a real hit on your hands.”
“Thank you.”
They shimmied under the covers before David turned the side lamp off. A full moon illuminated the space with a blue hue through a sliver between the drapes. She lay in his warm arms, giddy from his invitation to New York. He was the perfect gentleman, not attempting anything sexual. Their whispered banter slowed like a train coming into the station, both of them running out of steam and succumbing to sleep in the wee hours of the morning.
Lauren woke with a start, unsure of where she was. The room was still dark, and she fumbled her way into the bathroom to relieve herself. After washing her hands, she smoothed her hair and wiped a faint residue of mascara from under her eyes. It wasn’t like her to go to bed with makeup on and forego washing her face. An exception was made in this case; the hours of effortless conversation in David Randle’s bed totally worth it.
Tiptoeing back to the king-sized bed, she quietly got under the covers with her back to him. She felt him shift on the mattress, moving his body closer and spooning her with his hand draped over her side.
“Are you all right?” he whispered into her hair.
“Mm hum,” she mumbled, completely aware of his hardness pressing into her upper thigh. His hand slid to the small of her back where he lifted her t-shirt slightly to rub her skin. The pleasure was immediate and she relaxed as he kneaded her tight muscles. His fingers were strong, digging into her flesh with purpose. Lifting her shirt higher, his hands caressed her soft tummy and slowly inched their way toward her breasts. Her nipples pebbled, and her insides awakened. His index finger grazed her breast slightly before he cupped it, full on, her breath quickening. The sensation of his hand on her chest was incredible. She lay there, basking in the drizzle of warmth penetrating her tightly coiled center.
She hesitated before sitting up and pulling her t-shirt up and over her head, pure primal passion taking over. He ran his hands up and down her sides, his lips crashing onto her breasts suckling her nipples, his tongue teasing in circles. Gripping the edges of his shirt, she pulled the fabric up and over his head and he threw it behind them, kissing her on the mouth full on. She ran her hands eagerly across the ripples of his hard chest, raking over his famous chiseled body, groping him with desire. He pulled her by the thighs against him lifting the elastic band of her lounge pants, and running his hands over her bare buttocks. His kisses trailed her chest, up her neck, and across her ear.
“I want to see your gorgeous body naked,” he whispered, gripping her hair by the roots at the nape of her neck.
She pulled back from him and slowly edged herself off the bed. He did the same. They stood looking at each other in the dim light of the moon across the large bed from one another, their chests rising and falling with anticipation. Slowly, she slid the lounge pants and her underwear off, letting them pool at her feet. He mimicked her, slipping his pants off revealing his manhood and they stared at one another from afar.
David was a glorious specimen of a male, every inch of him chiseled and perfect, much like the statues of the Greek gods. She couldn’t believe she was about to experience intimacy with someone so beautiful. He seemed to drink her in, his eyes raking over her naked body from top to bottom from across the mattress. “You are exquisite,” he announced quietly, licking his lips.
Lauren wavered before making up her mind and crawling all the way across the bed to him. Her heart was pounding as she tenderly wrapped her fingers around his hardness and stroked him. When she leaned down to lick his tip, he inhaled sharply. Looking up at him with wide eyes, all she could see was the outline of his muscular body against the blue, hazy light surrounding them. His hands palmed the sides of her face and he leaned lower to kiss her affectionately.
“We don’t have to do anything if you’re not ready,” he gently reiterated.
“I know,” she whispered. “I want you David. I’ve never wanted anyone so badly in my entire life.”
Kneeling to her level, he tucked her hair behind her ears. “You should know that I have protection. I would never compromise your future.”
She nodded, touched by his sincerity.
“I’ve been tested. And I’m on the pill.” She wasn’t sure why she added the part about being on the pill because she had officially been off the pill for several years since her college boyfriend broke things off. But she remembered she still had a few months’ supply of birth control she had filled from her doctor somewhere in her bathroom back home.
“I’ll be right back.” He quickly jogged to the master bath, closing the door behind him. She threw herself flat on the bed with her hand dramatically across her forehead, anticipating what lay ahead. A smile grazed her lips as she lay there naked on the massive bed, aware of a dull ache in the apex of her thighs. She could hear the water running and then the door opened.
David crawled across the bed and lay beside her, lifting her head up to rest it on his exposed arm. He ran his free hand tenderly across her chest and down to her soft curls, stroking the dark mound with his fingertips.
“Open your legs for me, Lauren.”
She shifted, opening her legs and exposing herself to him. His hand continued its downward descent, his curious fingers exploring her secret garden.
Her breath caught, and she tensed at the immense pleasure his fingers were initiating. She randomly thought about her college boyfriend and how he had never touched her like that.
“You’re so beautiful, Lauren. So sweet and wet with desire.” His breath tickled her ear. Her hips started to rise and fall with the rhythm of his hand. “Oh, yes. You like that, don’t you? Your body is amazing….”
She tried to maintain a steady breathing pattern, but the intense responsiveness of his hand on her most sensitive parts was a losing battle.
“Don’t hold back, love. Surrender to the pleasure. Welcome it.” His dreamy voice faded into the background as the explosion of her orgasm caught her off guard.
“David!” she screamed.
His lips crashed against hers as he quickly straddled her body. Not able to see him clearly in the darkness, she could hear the rip of a foil packet and fumbled to help him ease a condom over his enormous erection. Leaning his forearms on either side of her head, he rested his forehead against hers. “Are you ready for me?”
The Nearness of You: A British celebrity, standalone love-at-first-sight romance Page 7
