Unmasked (Revealed #1)

by Alice Raine

  A large black box filled my screen, but disappointingly there was no video feed yet. I could hear shuffling noises, though so I leant closer and cocked my head, ‘Sean?’

  ‘Allie, there you are, my gorgeous girl.’ He sounded relieved, and I smiled, still amused at how protective he was. When he’d left for LA on Sunday we’d agreed to call or text daily, and Skype once a week on a Saturday as it was convenient for both of us. Seeing as it was Tuesday, he was breaking his own rules already. Not that I was complaining. Although actually, he had probably only just arrived, because in total his travel time had been nearly twenty three hours, including a brief stopover in London.

  ‘I couldn’t see you for a second, but it’s working now,’ he murmured, the low rasp of his voice making my stomach churn with excitement and longing. He really did have the sexiest voice; masculine and gravelly and a huge turn on. Absorbing his fond diminutive, I smiled at how much it warmed me to hear such an intimate name roll from his tongue. Hearing his low tones still made my skin prickle with excitement and I rubbed at my arms with a smile. I hoped he would always have this effect on me. ‘Video isn’t working on my end yet,’ I grumbled. ‘Have you just arrived?’

  ‘Yep, just got in from the airport. I’m shattered, but I needed to see your face before I went to bed.’ Needed. I grinned, my chest suddenly feeling warm as his words sank in – it was such a small thing, but I loved the fact that he had said needed instead of wanted.

  Hearing Sean’s voice brought home just how much I already missed him. Depressingly, I knew that his job meant I was going to have to get used to us being apart like this, but seeing as the alternative of not being with him at all was too horrific to even consider, it was an issue I would simply have to get used to. It was crazy, but being apart from him almost seemed to physically pain me if I let myself dwell on it. Which, unfortunately, I had done frequently in the past twenty-four or so hours.

  Sighing heavily, I stared at the blank screen, willing it to flicker to life and show me his face. I really shouldn’t be missing him this much already – it was less than two days ago that I’d seen him, but I suppose being in the throes of new love could do that to you. But now he was going to be living it up in the sunshine as he prepared for the start of another season filming LA Blue whereas I was sitting in a typically cold UK February morning. Ugh. I was craving him in my bed again already too, like he really was some kind of drug to me.

  ‘I can hear you, but I still can’t see you,’ I murmured huffily, staring intently at the endlessly black screen.

  A chuckle resonated through the computer. ‘I love that little frown you get when you’re impatient,’ Sean commented, a smile obvious in his tone, but infuriatingly not visible for me to see. Just as I was about to suggest restarting the call to see if it helped the connection, the black box on my screen sputtered to life and Sean’s glorious features filled my screen.

  A happy sigh slipped from my lips as I greedily soaked up his handsomeness: tousled dark hair, twinkling blue eyes, and what looked like a day’s worth of stubble gracing his angular chin.

  ‘I can see you!’ I yelped excitedly, immediately realising that I sounded like a hormonal teenager and not a woman in her mid-twenties.

  ‘Hey, baby,’ Sean murmured quietly, his eyes softening as he looked at me.

  ‘Hey, you,’ I replied huskily. Last night before bed I’d got the calendar up on my phone and worked out that in total Sean and I had only known each other for just over nine weeks. Such a short space of time, especially when I considered just how crazily in love with him I was.

  It seemed so unfair that we were apart so soon. This should be the honeymoon period of our relationship, where we were both driven by restless excitement and overactive sex drives. Well, we were driven by those things, but for the next few months we’d have no outlet for them apart from the phone or Skype screen.

  ‘You look muzzy and cute,’ he commented, making my eyebrows rise.

  ‘Muzzy?’

  ‘Yeah. All ruffled and cuddly. I wish I could snuggle up with you now,’ he murmured, his eyes narrowing and words making my pulse spike as desire settled in my belly. Thank goodness for Skype. I wasn’t sure I could have coped with two months of not seeing his heavy-lidded, desire-filled eyes. The pull between us was just as strong now as it had been when we’d met at Christmas. If anything, the searing chemistry between us was growing stronger by the day – we were still explosive in the sheets, our bond stretching way beyond the bedroom and drawing us to each other whenever we were near. In the past weeks that we’d spent together we’d been almost inseparable, a need that was probably fuelled by our knowledge that we would be frequently separated due to his busy work schedule.

  I watched his gorgeous face as he recalled the details of his long flight to me. I was just so attracted to him it was almost incomprehensible. Maybe Sean possessed the bad boy gene that women seemed to find so alluring. That might explain it, because he hadn’t exactly made the best first impression, had he? Stuck in his snow-bound house he’d been glowering, moody, and hideously bad tempered. Not that that had stopped us being hopelessly attracted to each other.

  It was odd to think that we might never have met if it hadn’t been for that particularly bad snow storm. I guessed fate worked in mysterious ways, and seeing as we’d been stuck in his house it was almost inevitable that we would eventually end up in bed together. After we’d had sex on his desk, of course. Oh, and not forgetting the kitchen counter … My cheeks flushed at the thought.

  ‘How’s LA?’ I asked, a small pang of concern settling in my stomach as it frequently did when I thought about how far apart we were set to be for the coming months. Even with Sean’s reassurance that I was the one he wanted, I still couldn’t understand why he would choose me, not when he had so many more famous and beautiful options available to him on a daily basis. With him set to be flying back and forth between the UK and the US so regularly for work, it made me wonder just how long it would be until someone more exotic caught his eye.

  ‘Well, I only just arrived, so I haven’t seen much apart from the inside of my cab, but it’s certainly a fair bit warmer than the UK,’ he joked, the corners of his eyes creasing as he broke into one of his gorgeous grins that I couldn’t help but reflect. ‘I need to get my head around these time differences, it’s just gone half eleven at night here, what time is it with you?’ he asked, studying his watch as he tried to work it out. I realised that I could see the Los Angeles skyline behind him, buildings illuminated by the twinkling lights from the multitude of windows all nestled before an inky black sky. He must be high up in a hotel, and from the glimpse I was getting now, I bet his view in the daytime was stunning.

  Glancing at the corner of my laptop, I checked the clock, ‘Half seven in the morning. It’s bright, but it was bitterly cold out when I grabbed the post earlier.’

  ‘Make sure you wrap up warm if you go out,’ he instructed briskly, completely serious. Bossy boots. I merely rolled my eyes and agreed to his command with a nod and smile. ‘I spent most of my flight looking up apartments. I think I found one, I’ve got an appointment to view it tomorrow.’ Sean informed me. LA Blue was in its third season, and had become a success almost overnight. Sean had mentioned that instead of living out of a suitcase in a hotel every time he travelled over, he’d decided to invest in an apartment, which made sense especially as I was hoping to be working for myself soon, so I’d be flexible in where I was based and would be able to go and stay with him. God, I hope my writing did take off so I could work for myself. I wasn’t sure I could bear the thought of going back to teaching.

  ‘If it turns out to be as perfect as it looks then I’ll sign for it immediately. It’s got plenty of space, but isn’t too big, and it’s near enough to work but in a great neighbourhood. The pictures showed some beautiful views, too. If I go for it I’ll send you the link so you can have a look. I think you’ll love it, Allie. Hopefully I’ll have it all sorted by the time you come ov
er.’

  He sounded excited, which made me happy, because he’d been really down and stressed when he’d had to leave on Sunday, as had I. He’d been trying to hide it because I’d been such a wreck, but I’d seen the tense, sad expression in his eyes as he’d waved to me from his car. Seeing Sean so insecure was always a surprise. Once he had explained his history with Elena I understood that her sudden death had left him reeling with misplaced guilt, but to see a man who was usually so confident and domineering reduced to a panicky, twitchy shell, as he often was around me, was quite unnerving.

  ‘It sounds perfect, Sean, text me and let me know how the viewing goes.’ As I watched his handsome face I couldn’t help but splurge out my feelings. ‘I miss you,’ I said in a slightly rushed, pathetic tone. Damn it, I’d been doing so well playing it cool until that point. In reply, Sean frowned and nodded as his lips suddenly took a battering between his teeth. Leaning closer, he raised a hand and I watched as he placed a fingertip on the screen. ‘Me too. I wish I could touch you. You have no idea what I’d give to hold you right now, Allie,’ he mumbled glumly, his tone matching mine and making me feel much better about the insane feelings I had for him.

  I’d fallen fast for this man, and I’d fallen hard, but it seemed that so had Sean. I still couldn’t believe he had declared that he loved me after just three weeks. This was certainly a whirlwind romance if ever there was one.

  Lifting my own hand, I leaned forward and mirrored his move until our fingertips were lined up on the screen. He smiled fondly, before his eyes darkened and he licked on his lower lip. ‘You little tease. You’re not wearing a bra.’

  Glancing down, I flushed, realising that in my baggy T-shirt I had pretty much just flashed my boobs at him when I’d leant forwards. ‘Oops. It’s early here, I only just got up.’

  ‘I see that,’ he commented, his tone suddenly sounding thick and lusty. ‘I also recognise that T-shirt as one of mine,’ he commented, making me blush at being caught wearing his clothes. ‘Lean forwards again,’ he demanded, his face taking on the commanding and intent expression that I loved. He was deadly serious too, I knew that, but there was still a slight twitch at the corners of his lips which gave away his amusement. He loved how I always melted when he used his raspy voice to its full effect.

  Giggling at the sudden change in the conversation, I obediently played along and tried to put on my best flirtatious face as I leant forwards, giving my cleavage a helping hand by briefly squeezing my boobs together with my hands. His eyes darted between my face and my chest for several seconds as I watched a blush form on his cheeks. All in all, the effect was rather pleasing. Sean growled, narrowed his eyes, licked his lips, and shifted himself in his seat, apparently getting a little excitable as we shared a heated stare. ‘The things I would do if I were there with you …’ But his promise faded as his face became frustrated and he threw both hands up to grab at the back of his neck in agitation.

  Licking his lips, Sean sighed heavily, an anxious frown landing on his brows and drawing them together. ‘I hate being apart like this, Allie. And I don’t just mean that I miss the sex. I miss you.’ My stomach twisted painfully as I looked at his thoroughly dejected face, his blue eyes never leaving mine as they pinned me with an intense stare. ‘I wish you were here already.’ Running a hand through his hair, he left it spiky and messy, now looking thoroughly dishevelled and even more gorgeous.

  ‘You won’t forget to text me every night before you go to bed, will you?’ As well as promising frequent texts and phone calls we had also agreed that I would message Sean every night before bed – this was one of his demands to help alleviate his stress over my well-being. ‘No, I’ll message every night, I promise.’ No matter how many times we messaged or spoke though, I knew nothing would be the same as actually being with him.

  I suddenly felt stupidly emotional, my eyes filling with tears and my throat tightening. All I wanted was his arms around me.

  ‘Are you OK?’ he asked, suddenly looking panicky and shifting in his seat. Nodding, I smiled, trying to reassure him, but I could see from the worry in his face that he’d picked up on my upset.

  ‘Hey, it’s all right, gorgeous girl, I’m here.’ But that was just the problem wasn’t it? He wasn’t here. Not next to me where I wanted him to be. Looking uncomfortable, Sean cleared his throat. ‘Did you go to the doctor’s? Is that why you’re upset?’

  Pulling in a long, steady breath I composed myself, not wanting to make him feel any more stressed by our separation than he already was. ‘I’m OK, really. Just tired. And yes, I did go. I’m all sorted now.’

  ‘OK. I’m … I’m so sorry about Sunday, Allie. I lose my mind around you sometimes. I should have stopped but I couldn’t help myself …’ he mumbled, looking nervous, but I just gave a small chuckle as my mind flashed back to just how desperate we had both been.

  ‘It’s fine, Sean, the feeling was mutual, believe me. Besides, contraception is as much my responsibility as it is yours. When I was at the doctor’s I arranged to have my implant replaced, so when we meet up we can …’ I paused, suddenly embarrassed that I was about to suggest having sex without condoms. I’d never done that with any of my previous partners. Was it too soon? ‘Well, we can, you know, skip the condoms. If you want to, of course. But I mean either is fine by me … whatever.’ I was babbling, a sure fire indication that I was nervous. Which I was. Incredibly so.

  ‘Allie, calm down. I love that idea.’ Glancing down, presumably at his groin, although my view through the screen didn’t allow me to see that far down, he then looked at me again, his eyes now heavy-lidded with desire. ‘I really love that idea. In fact, you’ve given me an instant stiffy,’ he commented with a laugh, as his hand disappeared from the bottom of the screen as he seemed to adjust himself.

  ‘How long until you finish school and fly out?’ he asked suddenly, the smile melting from his face and twisting into an impatient look that made me feel warm inside. These constant signs that he seemed to need me as much as I did him both thrilled and reassured me.

  The distance and time apart were no doubt going to be both frustrating and exciting. It was horrible knowing we’d be separated, especially when things were still so new, but on the other hand it did keep things quite exhilarating, and I had no doubt that when we did finally get back together we would really appreciate it.

  And gosh, did being apart ramp up the sexual cravings. Absence certainly did make the heart grow fonder, and the body needier. Sex with Sean had been fiery from the start, but I seemed to be in a constant state of sexual frustration at the moment, desperate for him almost as soon as he’d left me on Sunday. I suspected that the next time we got together we’d barely make it through the front door before we were clawing at each other’s clothes frantically. The thought made me warm just thinking about it.

  It might only be one more term, but I was dreading every single day of it. ‘Eight weeks,’ I murmured, thinking miserably that right now, that sounded like an absolute eternity.

  EPILOGUE

  Sean

  Shifting on the plush leather seat of the limo, I did up the buttons on my tux and sighed as we pulled up into the line of cars waiting outside the dazzling lights of the theatre. Looking out through the darkened windows, I scowled at the enormous crowd that had gathered on this warm evening to watch and cheer us on our arrival. For fuck’s sake, it was like we were animals at the zoo or something. Didn’t these people have better things to do with their lives than stand on street pavements gawking at us?

  Running a hand over my face I tried to lighten up, but it was no good – I was in an absolutely foul mood.

  Shaking my head, I knew I should be more appreciative of the fans and press gathered outside. After all, they were the reason that LA Blue had been nominated for three awards tonight: best drama, best director, and one final nomination for me as best actor. The screaming, clamouring mass of bodies waiting for us to emerge from the car was also responsible for me having the su
ccessful career that I did. If they didn’t watch and support me, I’d be a nobody, out-of-work actor, this was a fact that I was very well aware of. Nodding decisively, I made a mental effort to smile on the red carpet tonight and sign plenty of autographs.

  Even with my decision to be appreciative and receptive tonight there was no getting away from the fact that I disliked events like this immensely. Firstly, watching myself on the big screen seemed way too egotistical for my tastes, and secondly, the fact that I always had to accompany my co-stars to these bloody things really grated on me, especially now that I had Allie back in the UK to think of. No wonder she had been sceptical about my claims that I had been relatively well behaved during my recent career, because the press always had a field day about me and my supposed list of co-star conquests, making sure to snap plenty of pictures of me at these events with any female that I so much as dared to speak to.

  I was sure tonight would be no different. Closing my eyes, I lay my head back on the seat and drew in a long breath as I prepared for the circus to begin. Our car shifted one slot closer and stopped again, giving me at least two more minutes of quiet time to prepare myself for the chaos of clamouring journalists and fans. What I wouldn’t give to be back in England and snuggled up to my girl. A heavy sigh escaped my chest, and then the next second I felt a soft finger smooth down the line between my brows.

  ‘That’s a heavy frown, darrrling.’

  Savannah Hilton’s soft, purring voice broke me from my thoughts and had my eyes snapping open instantly. Blinking, I found her sitting close beside me, leaning in and smiling at me flirtatiously as her strong, fragrant perfume filled the air.

  Scowling harder, I knocked her hand away from where it was stroking my forehead and tried to shift myself away, which, in the close confines of the car was near impossible.

  ‘Oh, don’t be like that, darling. You know the press will want to see us looking loved up, so we may as well make a start now, hmm? We were so good together, weren’t we? We could be like that again, Sean, you know we could,’ she murmured invitingly.