Limelight (Hollywood Stardust)

by Kim Carmichael

  “You know, he and I have had some amazing talks.” She propped up the pillows. “I swear he understands English, or maybe he just understands Erin.”

  Drew shook his head.

  While Beaker happily chomped away, she slipped in between the sheets. “What do you want to watch?”

  “I don’t care.” He put his book aside. “Pick anything.”

  “Do you ever watch it?” She lifted the remote.

  “Not for a long time. I suppose with the sequel now’s a good a time as any.” He motioned toward the large screen.

  She glanced down at the buttons and wondered if he handed her a computer to make her look dumb.

  “Get the snacks, this thing is annoying.”

  He took the multi-buttoned monstrosity back while she gathered up her goods, taking care to make his as she remembered he preferred, two pieces of chocolate with a thick layer of peanut butter in between.

  The second the distinctive music from the film started and the lights dimmed, she paused to take in the magic. With the establishing shot of the four of them in high school, their names appeared, first hers, then Ryder and Logan, and finally Drew. She turned, gave him his food and sat back.

  “How often do you watch it?”

  “It’s good background noise.” She put the lid on the peanut butter and hugged the jar to her chest. Never would she admit how often she screened the film, she was a downright fan girl of her own work, one of those crazy people who watched the movie over and over again. Ivy might think she was an expert in the movie, but no one, absolutely no one topped her, she lived it.

  “So, often.” He could always call her bluff. Maybe he was clairvoyant, or magic. She preferred magic.

  “When I’m alone I can turn it on and I don’t even have to watch it, I just like to hear the voices.” It was almost like they were together then. “You sound different, now.”

  “They put all that stuff in my mouth, I could barely breathe.”

  “It was a really long time since I heard you speak, so I had to take what I could get.” She leaned back among the pillows and turned to him.

  “Aren’t you going to eat anything?” He took a bite of the confection she concocted.

  “I shouldn’t.” Echoes of Brian’s words about letting herself go filled her head, along with her talk with the casting agent, and she pulled up the blanket. Though she tried to be sexy, Drew barely noticed it at all, maybe out of sight was better.

  “When are you going to realize that you are one of the most beautiful women out there?” He held out the other half of his treat.

  She shook her head. “I’m out of shape.”

  “I like the curves.”

  Without thinking, she opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her the candy. His fingers brushed against her lips. One of the best combinations in the world filled her mouth, sweet and salty, creamy and decadent. There was only one thing on the planet bound to be better, and she longed to taste him. “Remember the night we watched that tearjerker in Phoenix?”

  “For someone who claims they barely remember their name, you certainly remember a lot.”

  She stared into his face. “It was our last night and you went to kiss me.” They might as well address it through express post rather than messenger pigeon.

  He moved his face closer to her. “If my memory serves me correctly, you stopped me.”

  “I was so stupid. I told you I wanted to be with you, and then I didn’t follow through.” With her admission, she swallowed. “I wouldn’t stop you now, never again.”

  “Then it’s good to know that I can stop myself.” He moved back, let his head fall against his pillows and scratched his hand through his hair.

  “Drew, please.” What did she have to do to make things better? “If I could go back, I would change things.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather talk about work?” He huffed. “Before you walked into my office today I had a successful boutique lab. Now I’m a failure with no marketing department.”

  “You’ve always been one of the most incredible men I’ve known.” She reached toward him, but stopped.

  “Did you come in here to make sure I didn’t forget to finish your contract?” He squeezed the bridge of his nose.

  “I know you never forget anything.”

  He glanced over at her.

  “You’re not mad at me over marketing and contracts. Just say it. You showed up out of thin air to talk to me, just let it out already.” She ground her teeth together to prevent herself from taking her words too far.

  “When you said you wanted me and we would be together after we finished the movie shoot, did you mean it or not?”

  “I know I was meant to be with you. I only realized it too late.” One tear crept out of the corner of her eye.

  “Are you going to realize it too late that you are laying in my bed and you came after me tonight?” He sat up and faced her. “I would ask the same thing about Hollywood Glow, but hell, we’re going to have a contract. Don’t think for one second I won’t protect myself.”

  “I suppose, since the man I want to be in business with skipped out on me twenty years ago, I wanted to protect myself as well.” She hugged a pillow to her chest. “Remember who you let in your bed even though you’re furious. If you want me to leave, just tell me.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Drew, tell me what you want.” She wouldn’t allow him to be docile.

  “Let’s watch the movie.” He shook his head.

  Not wanting to get him to a point where he did ask her to leave, she curled up on her side and watched herself, or the self she wished she was again.

  * * * *

  WHEN DREW FIRST MORPHED into Isaac, he used to dream about Erin a lot. At times, his dreams were quite graphic, and he woke in an extremely uncomfortable state. Through the years his subconscious sightings of Erin lessened, happening only once in a while. Sometimes the visions were so vivid he felt strange the whole next day as if she really entered his thoughts to taunt him. Of course, with all the publicity of the 20th anniversary of the film, his movies of the mind involving one Erin Holland increased.

  Stuck in that place between being awake and asleep, he swore another dream was upon him. They always started where they had a fight then somehow she materialized in his arms. Her back pressed up against him, she molded to his form perfectly. Her light breathing brushed against the hand she held. His erection swelled with unfulfilled need.

  As always, he willed himself to stay asleep. Remain in this blissful place, finally get to the point where he actually made love to her rather than wake up in a compromising state.

  Her soft coo echoed around him. A little indication she too wanted him. She moved, inched closer, hitting him in all the right places.

  “Erin.” He ground against her. His body throbbed, aching for the satisfaction always denied him.

  “I’m here.” She tightened her hold on his hand and intertwined their fingers. “I’m right here.”

  At her voice, he opened his eyes. For the first time ever, his dream wasn’t a dream, it was reality. “Erin.” The scene from earlier rewound in his head. What a nightmare.

  “Damn it.” He untangled his hand from hers and though his body protested, he went to pull away.

  She caught his wrist and keeping hold of him and managed to turn over. “Drew, please.”

  By the position he woke up in, his sleeping self clearly sought her out and no doubt she clearly felt what was going on with his lower half. “I’m sorry, let me get up.”

  “Why are you sorry?” Her voice came out breathless.

  “I just need to stand up.” His situation wasn’t getting any better.

  “I think that’s the last thing you need to do.” She leaned in and kissed his neck.

  He shut his eyes at the first time her lips touched him in anything other than a quick friendly peck. If it was possible, his erection worsened. “We all need to get to our respective beds.”

>   “Do you really want me to go?” Once more she kissed him, this time opening her mouth, tasting him.

  “Erin.” He swallowed.

  “Tell me what you want. I want you so bad, I’m likely to do anything.” She grazed her lips over him, working up his jaw line then stopping. “Tell me, Drew.”

  He opened his eyes. The movie must have ended hours ago, but the television set off a glow, illuminating her features. There would never be a more beautiful woman and the lighting suited her to a tee. “You know what I want.” Hell, if she didn’t feel it, something was wrong with both of them.

  She turned to her back. “Then why don’t you take it?”

  He stared down at her. How many times did he wish to be in this exact position?

  “Please kiss me.” She lifted her face to his.

  “Damn it all.” What was he supposed to do? What happened to making her beg? Would it always be her?

  “God, I want you so bad, please.” She pressed her palm to the side of his face. “No matter how much you hate me, I know you want me.”

  Just one kiss. He owed it to himself. Then when it wasn’t any good he could return to normal. It had to be the not knowing that made him insane. “Always have.” Unable to resist any more, he lowered his mouth to hers.

  The second their lips touched he knew he was in trouble, deep, deep trouble, the kind of which no light would ever escape and he would vanish.

  In a world where the most anticipated things disappointed, Erin’s kiss not only lived up to his fantasy, it surpassed it because she was here.

  As if they had been kissing forever, their mouths melded together, their tongues met, their movements practically synchronized. At last, he knew what she tasted like, how she felt, how she reacted. More importantly, she didn’t stop him. In fact, she welcomed him, opening her mouth first, kissing him back.

  Maybe she did want him as she claimed.

  Maybe she did change.

  Maybe the twenty years apart heightened every emotion.

  With a jolt, he broke the kiss and pulled back.

  She put her finger over his lips and kept her eyes on his as she peeled her nightgown off and tossed it over the edge of the bed.

  The light bounced off her breasts showing off two perfect mounds with tight nipples ready and waiting for tasting.

  She lay back on the bed and snaked her leg between his and over his more than obvious arousal.

  Maybe the best thing for both of them was to capture the moment when they both wanted each other.

  "God, you're beautiful." He tore his own shirt off, took her into his arms and crushed his lips to hers.

  Their skin met. He cupped her breast taking note how it overflowed his hand, the way she gasped the moment his fingertip made contact with the sensitive tip. Giving in to his desires, his mouth followed the same path his hand made and he made sure to pay equal attention to each breast. Her sweet taste combined with whatever rose scented body wash she used, making him light headed.

  She squirmed and ran her hands through his hair. Little moans escaped her throat.

  His fingers traveled down her stomach. He took in the curve of her hip and tried to remember to slow down, imprint the moment in his mind. Still, he couldn’t help but slip his hand inside her barely-there panties.

  “Oh, God.”

  If her cry out wasn’t enough to convince him she wanted him, the evidence of her arousal blatantly told him the truth as he slipped a finger inside her.

  “Drew.” Her breath hitched. She spread her legs wider and reached out to him.

  He lifted his head and she kissed him, instantly opening her mouth and searching out his tongue with her own.

  In an unexpected move, she broke their kiss, pushed him to his back, her hands and mouth setting off on their own set of explorations. Deep down he always pictured her to be the type of woman who wanted to be serviced. However, the way she slowly kissed him down his chest, rubbed her hands over him and at last reached into his pajama bottoms and grasped his erection proved him completely wrong.

  No, she didn’t demand to be taken care of, or simply lay there as if he were supposed to worship her. Instead, she took just as much time, if not more, tending to him with kisses and nips down his body and slow strokes up and down his already sensitized erection.

  The world, their cat and mouse game, movies and laboratories all disappeared, while he simply relished in her touch and attention. At last it was his.

  He twisted the sheets in his hand as she kissed down his chest, raked her nails lightly down his side, and used her tongue to trace a little pattern down his stomach. “Erin.” With a fantasy coming true, he needed to be inside her soon, like now.

  Her only acknowledgement of him speaking was a little chuckle as she continued.

  She made her way to his hip and continued her downward path, her grip tightening, and he had no choice but to move with her. It would be so easy to let her take him over the edge.

  “Erin!” He grabbed her arm and pulled her up flush against him before she had the chance to put her mouth on him. No doubt he wouldn’t last more than a second.

  “Are you okay?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked one leg over his hip.

  “Better than okay.” Once more, he kissed her and took a breath. He needed a second to calm down. “Let me get a condom.” If he didn’t have one he was going to lose his mind. With his luck they were probably expired.

  “I’m on the pill. Make love to me, with nothing in the way.” She returned to her back and reached between them. “I’ve waited for this for too long.”

  “I want you. I can’t remember not wanting you.” He kissed her as she guided him inside her.

  Again, he was faced with something much grander than what he could have ever envisioned. Not only the way her body accepted him with a tight, warm welcome, and not only the fact they were finally joined in the most primal basic nature, but how she sucked in her breath and held him as if she were experiencing the same extreme reaction.

  “Oh.” She coiled her legs around his waist.

  “Erin.” Her action only served to draw him further inside her with nothing separating them. They were truly joined. He was gone and he had no choice but to drive into her, hard long strokes to both alleviate and accentuate the building pressure.

  “Yes.” She moaned and slid her legs further up his back. “Don’t hold back.”

  Even if she didn’t give him permission, he couldn’t restrain himself. In fact, he let go, doing as they both wanted and plunging into her. Everything seemed to happen at lightning speed, yet on another plane. He had waited a lifetime to be here.

  She panted, held on tight and hid her face in the crook of his neck. “Oh, God, you feel good.”

  His body propelled forward in its quest for pleasure, pleasure only the woman beneath him could provide. His heart sped and his muscles tensed in preparation for his orgasm. “Erin.” He could only manage to call out her name as he fought a losing battle with his own desire, but he desperately needed her to be there with him.

  “Drew.” She dug her nails into his back. “Drew!”

  Never had his arousal taken over to this degree, control of any sort eluded him. He shook his head, but couldn’t stop himself.

  “I’m going to come.” Erin yelled out and clenched her thighs. “Oh!”

  Her cry was his undoing. The pressure finally demanded release and he slammed into her as he let go, his body wracked with all-consuming bursts of pure ecstasy. Immobilized by the intense pleasure overtaking him, he could only hold her as his orgasm crested. “Yes.”

  “Drew.” Beneath him, Erin trembled. “Don’t move.” Her legs shook and the quivers of her climax washed over him.

  Wanting to make sure she gleaned every last bit of satisfaction, he pushed his hips down and remained embedded inside her.

  Somehow he managed to find the strength to turn his head and kiss her.

  She pressed her hand to his cheek. “Stay insid
e me for a minute. Just hold me.”

  They simply lay together still connected, kissing and caressing the other.

  Rather than simmering down, their kisses deepened. Under his fingertips, her nipples remained tight and sensitive as evident in the way she gasped or shivered with his touch. He found himself grinding his hips to hers.

  “Drew?” She moved with him.

  “Yeah.” Instead of basking in an afterglow, he was being overcome with a fresh wave of desire.

  “If you don’t stop I’m going to come again.”

  “I want you to come again.” His grinds morphed into gentle thrusts.

  “I can feel you getting hard inside me.” She moaned. “That turns me on.”

  “You turn me on.” As unbelievable as it seemed, he was as hard as before.

  “I’m so glad.” She pulled him in for a kiss.

  Without the urgent need for release, he got to do as he always dreamed and actually made love to her. Now he took his opportunity to fondle and kiss her breasts and feel the backs of her legs as her muscles contracted with her increasing desire. He gradually built her need.

  The two of them found their rhythm, hit that particular point in time where they rode the peak of their passion, the only sounds in the room those of their bodies meeting and the moans they were unable to restrain.

  “Drew.” She called out to him.

  “Come. Let me feel it.” He pushed himself up and gazed down at her.

  “Kiss me.” She tried to pull him down.

  “I want to watch you.” He kept his motions steady wanting to draw out her end.

  “Drew.” She twisted and squirmed. “Oh, God.”

  “That’s right.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her and with his own finish nearing, fought the need to simply propel himself into her.

  “Oh, oh.” She squeezed her eyes shut, bit her lip, held her breath and at last gasped as her body went rigid, her orgasm rippling through both of them.

  “You are so god-damned gorgeous when you’re coming on me.” With the words out he took his turn, lowering his head as he sped up and his climax crashing down on him. He burrowed deep inside her and let the exquisite waves of euphoria overtake him as he filled her a second time.