by Locklyn Marx
“Hey.” He sat up on the couch and swallowed hard. She’d changed into a pair of loose gray pants and a soft gray hoodie. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she’d scrubbed off the make up she’d been wearing earlier, leaving her skin looking smooth and radiant. Jesus. He’s have figured there was no way she could have looked even better than she had when they’d left for dinner, but she did. He wanted to reach out, to grab her, to keep her close and kiss her all over. The urge to do so was so strong that he was relieved when she chose to sit on the chair across from him instead of next to him on the couch.
“Sorry,” she said. “I feel really stupid.”
“No,” he said. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“Yes, I do.” She twisted her hands in her lap, and the gesture was so adorable Chad could hardly take it. “You’re paying me a lot of money to be out and about with you, and I couldn’t even do that.”
“It was fine,” Chad said. “They got their pictures.” It didn’t even matter if they did. Right now she could do anything, and it wouldn’t matter as long as she was here with him. He looked away and tried to clear his head. Jesus, this girl was turning him into some kind of character in a cheesy romantic comedy.
“I know,” she said. “It’s just so stupid I mean, Jeremy, he…I’m not even… I don’t even like him. So to get so upset about him is ridiculous. ”
“Ehh,” Chad said. “It doesn’t matter if you like someone or not. Sometimes certain people just get under your skin.”
She looked at him. “What do you know about that?”
“About people getting under my skin?” He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair and then leaned back on the couch. “Honestly, not much.”
“Exactly,” she said. She turned sideways on the chair and dangled her legs over the side. Her feet were bare. She had adorable feet. Feet had never been Chad’s thing, but he could appreciate cute feet when he saw them. God, he wanted to reach over and massage her foot. The thought surprised him, and he quickly tore his gaze away from her toes. “You’re the type of person who wouldn’t let themselves get all caught up in something that’s so obviously not working,” Kenley said. “You have more self-respect than that.”
“Well, yeah,” Chad said. “I mean, I don’t get caught up in those things. But it’s not exactly the best way to live. And it’s not really because of self-respect.”
“Then why is it?”
She was looking at him, and he could tell from her tone and the look in her eyes that she really wanted to know. He hesitated. “Mostly it’s because I’m afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Rejection.”
“You?”
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “My family wasn’t exactly stable growing up.
My mom left when I was young, and it destroyed my dad.” He shrugged. “I guess I just became determined that would never happen to me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, and sat up in the chair. “I didn’t mean to start bringing up-”
“No, it’s okay.” He smiled . “It’s really not that big of a deal.” It was a lie, of course. It was a big deal, mostly because it was the reason his relationships with women never lasted that long. And it was also a big deal because he’d never spoken that thought out loud to another person. Ever.
Kenley got up and crossed the room, then sat down next to him on the couch.
Chad felt a burning need inside of him when he looked at her, the magnitude of which he’d never even come close to experiencing. It was physical, but it went much deeper than that. It terrified him and excited him at the same time.
“I know it’s not a big deal,” Kenley said. She pushed her hair back from her face.
The shoulder of her sweatshirt slid down a bit, and her skin was so lovely that Chad wanted to reach out and run his thumb over her collarbone. “But it’s still hard to talk about this stuff. I know that when I —”
But he couldn’t concentrate on what she was saying. All he could think about was how bad he wanted her, how smooth her skin looked, how full her lips were. He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn’t take it anymore. The desire for her was building up inside him, stronger and stronger, until finally, he snapped. Before he even knew what he was doing, he reached across the couch, pulled Kenley toward him and kissed her.
***
Kenley was surprised by the kiss, but not in the same way she’d been surprised when he’d kissed her in Siesta Key. This time, she was surprised by how soft the kiss was, how gentle Chad was being. And yet she could feel the need behind it, the intent that was pulsing under the surface.
They fell back on the couch, Chad on top of her, their limbs entwined, his fingers in her hair. They kissed for a long time, their tongues swirling against each other in ecstasy. She felt his hands stroking the skin underneath the back of her shirt, exploring, and she moaned softly.
“Kenley,” he whispered, and then kissed her again. He pulled away and she tilted her head back as he peppered kisses onto her collarbone, down to the top of her sweatshirt. He unzipped it slowly, his tongue trailing down her skin as he went, over her cleavage, his other hand still behind her back, holding her in place.
Heat exploded through her body, and she prayed to God that he would just pull her shirt off. But he took his time, moving slowly, unzipping slower and slower until the zipper was completely undone. They he kissed her stomach as he ran his fingers up her body, moving his hands over her bra, cupping her breasts through the fabric.
Her body was on fire. She had never felt like this, never wanted someone so bad in her life. And when Chad slid the fabric of her bra down over her nipple and brushed his finger over the tip, she thought she was going to combust.
He moved back up to her mouth, this time kissing her hungrily. She could feel his cock against her, hard in his pants, and she rubbed against him.
“Not yet,” he said huskily in her ear. She could feel his breath on her skin, the slight stubble on his face rubbing against her neck.
“Please,” she said, hearing the want in her voice.
He kissed her again, this time to silence her, and then she felt his hands unclasp her bra. Her breasts spilled out, and he cupped them, his fingers flicking over the nipples, slow then fast, ebbing and flowing in rhythm with his kisses. She slid her hand down his stomach and felt the bulge in his pants.
The spot between her legs was dripping wet.
“I want to feel you inside me,” she whispered. “Please.”
He grinned, then sat up and pulled his shirt off. She ran her hands down over his arms, over the muscles of his chest, over the smoothness of his stomach. He pulled her toward him, and she sat up a little as he slid her shirt off her shoulders. She let her bra fall down, and he tossed it on the floor.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said. He ran his fingers over her shoulders, then pushed her hair back, looking at her, taking her in.
She blushed at the way he was looking at her. She felt suddenly self-conscious.
He’d dated freakin’ Jessica Alba for Christ’s sake. There was no way her body was going to measure up.
But she didn’t have long to think about it, because before she knew it, he was on top of her again, kissing her long and deep.
He reached down, slowly inching her pants down, until she was left in just her panties, which were soaking wet. Her breasts were crushed against his chest, and his mouth was still on hers. He didn’t break the kiss as he dipped his fingers inside her panties, running them over her slit.
Kenley moaned, and pushed herself into his hand, feeling his fingers enter her slowly. She rocked her hips, feeling the orgasm building inside her. But just when it was about to take over, he pulled back, rubbing her clit softly, teasing her. He kept going for what felt like forever, rubbing gently, taking her to the edge again and again before pulling back.
She could still feel him, hard against her, and she reached down and pulled his zipper down, and he stood up, letting
his pants and boxers fall to the floor. Her hand reached out, grabbed his hardness and started stroking him up and down.
“Please,” she said. “Please, I want you to fuck me.”
And then he was back on top of her again, his lips back on her mouth. The only thing between them was the sheer silkiness of her panties, and Chad put his hands on her hips, pulling down the sides of the fabric just a tiny bit.
She moaned again and he traced kisses down her breasts, down her stomach, pushing her legs open gently. He grinned up at her. “I’ll bet you taste amazing,” he said.
He slid the fabric of her panties softly to the side, and then his mouth was on her wetness.
His tongue moved over her slit, the pressure getting harder and deeper until she felt like she was going to explode.
Finally, he stopped, and she raised her legs as he pulled her panties off. He got on top of her and moved until his cock was resting against her, ready to give her what she’d been begging for.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his body on hers. He looked into her eyes as he moved her hair back from her face and kissed her softly.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I really want to be inside of you,” he murmured.
“Please,” she said. She pushed her hips up, and this time, mercifully, he entered her.
It was instant ecstasy. She tried to move faster, but he held her still, moving inside her slowly, the whole time staring into her eyes.
“Does it feel good?” he asked her softly.
“It feels amazing.”
“Kenley,” he whispered. He was still looking into her eyes, moving faster and faster now, kissing her hard, then breaking away to look at her. Her whole body, every nerve, every fiber of her being was on fire.
When her orgasm came, it exploded through her, and Chad came at the same time. She cried out as he filled her up while wave after wave of pleasure reverberated through her body.
Finally, they were still. He kissed her again, playing with her hair as he rolled off her and laid next to her on the couch. He pulled her close. “Holy shit,” he said. “That was unbelievable.”
“It was,” she breathed. She snuggled into his arms and after a few minutes, they both fell asleep.
Chapter Nine
Kenley woke up the next morning at eight o’clock, surprised to find that she was still on the couch. She’d slept soundly, not waking once during the night, something that was rare for her. Chad was next to her, breathing softly, his arms wrapped around her body. Panic swelled up inside her as she realized what had just happened. She’d slept with him. The one thing that she had promised herself she would not do, no matter what.
She couldn’t believe it. Yes, Chad he was hot. And yes, he’d been nice to her last night, taking care of her after she’d run into Jeremy. But one night of niceness shouldn’t have allowed her to let her hormones take over.
She’d practically begged him to have sex with her! Her face heated at the thought of the things she’d said last night. They hadn’t even gotten around to eating their food.
She thought of the delivery man who’d probably ended up waiting outside, finally going away when he realized no one was going to answer his knock. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, willing herself to be in some kind of nightmare. But when she opened them, she was still there, in Chad’s living room.
What a horrible mess. Okay, she thought, and took a deep breath. It was time to regroup. She was going home tomorrow. All she had to do was make sure she stayed detached today, make sure the press got some pictures, and then she could collect her money and go home.
She slid out from under Chad’s arm, careful not to wake him, and then headed for the shower.
***
When Chad woke up, sun was streaming through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. He squinted, then stretched out on the couch lazily, reaching his arms behind his head. From the other side of the apartment, he could here the sound of Kenley showering.
He smiled, remembering the way he’d felt last night, how amazing it was, how close he and Kenley had been. He wondered if she was going to stay longer, if she could just stay here, in his apartment, indefinitely. No, that was ridiculous. Of course he couldn’t ask her to just uproot her life and just move here. But after last night, there was no way he could let her go home tomorrow. First things first, he told himself. Shower.
Then breakfast.
He headed for the master bathroom and got into the shower, letting the hot water beat over his skin. He ignored the hardness between his legs, doing his best not to think about Kenley, how amazing it had felt to be inside her. They had all day, he realized, smiling to himself. They didn’t have to anywhere — they could just curl up inside and be with each other.
He whistled to himself as he dressed in a pair of jeans and a gray sweater. When he got to the kitchen, Kenley was still in the shower, so he started opening cabinets, thinking about what to make for breakfast. Omelettes, he decided, and began pulling out the ingredients. He was chopping tomatoes and peppers on the cutting board when Kenley finally appeared.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, moving toward her. She was fully dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, a long black cashmere sweater, and black boots. She smelled amazing, like fresh strawberries and lilacs. He moved in to kiss her, but she immediately pushed past him toward the refrigerator.
She pulled out a carton of juice. “So what are we going to do today?” Her tone was slightly removed. Not unfriendly, but just a little bit… guarded. Clipped. Like she was in a business meeting, instead of in the kitchen of a man she’d made love to the night before.
“Whatever you want,” Chad said. He gestured around the kitchen. “I’m making omelettes.”
“Do you mind if I just take my juice into my room? I want to make a few phone calls, let my mom and my sister know I’m okay.”
He nodded, disappointment welling up inside him. He’d just assumed that she would feel the same way he did after the night they’d spent together. But obviously she didn’t. Maybe for her it was just about sex. If that were true, it would serve him right—–
over the years there had been a lot of women he’d used just for sex.
“And then after I’m done with my phone calls,” Kenley continued, pouring her juice into a glass, “we should go into Manhattan, head for all the places where there might be actual paparazzi. You know, Fifth Avenue, maybe Nobu or Balthazar or whatever other swanky restaurants famous people hang out at. You’d know better than me.”
“You sure?” Chad said, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. “We could just hang out here today if you want.”
“I’m sure,” Kenley said. “I need to make it up to you for bailing last night.”
Chad nodded. “Okay,” he said finally. “Whatever you want.”
***
Kenley took her glass of juice into her room, her heart pounding in her chest. She set her drink down on her nightstand, then flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Chad’s face when she’d told him that she wanted to go into Manhattan today. He’d seemed disappointed. But why? Was it possible that maybe he felt the same way she’d been feeling after last night? That maybe he’d wanted them to spend the day together, just hanging out, getting to know each other? He had said they could hang out here. Of course, when she’d said no, he hadn’t fought her on it.
No, she told herself. He was just trying to be nice. There was no way last night meant anything to him other than sex. And there was no way she was going to let herself believe it was anything more than that.
She reached over and grabbed her cell, then dialed her sister. “Hi,” she said when Melissa answered. “How’s it going?”
“Mom is freaking out,” Melissa reported, not bothering with any pleasantries.
“She can’t believe you’re dating a famous baseball player, and she wants to pick you up from the airport tomorrow.”
“No,” Kenl
ey said. “Tell her no way.” Her mom showing up at the airport would be awful. She’d be barraging Kenley with questions, asking her where she met Chad, what he was like, if it was serious. The ride would get more and more uncomfortable, until Kenley would be forced to either lie to her mother, or tell her the truth. She wasn’t sure what would be worse.
“You tell her!” Melissa said. “I’m sick of doing your dirty work.”
“No.”
“No?”
“I can’t deal with it.”
“Well, I’m not going to tell her! So if you don’t tell her, I guess she’s just going to be there at the airport tomorrow, waiting for you.”
“Not if she doesn’t know my flight number,” Kenley said.
Melissa was silent on the other end of the line.
Kenley sat up in bed. “Melissa,” she said. “Please tell me that you did not tell Mom my flight number.”
“I had to!” Melissa whined. “And you should consider yourself lucky. She was about two seconds away from driving to New York and pulling you back to Connecticut by your hair.”
“Great,” Kenley said, and sighed.
“So how’s it going over there?” Melissa asked. “That picture of you two kissing is all over the place, it even got posted on the US Weekly website.”
Wonderful. Now Kenley would have a constant reminder of Chad. A picture of them kissing. “I have to go,” she told Melissa.
“Why?”
“Because we’re going out,” she said. “I’ll call you later.”
She hung up the phone. She could hear Chad clanging around in the kitchen as he made breakfast. She had no idea how she was going to go out there and face him, how she was going to be able to pretend that last night had meant nothing to her. She felt the prickly heat of tears starting in her eyes, but she blinked them away. It was going to be okay, she told herself. It was going to be okay because she was in complete control. She wasn’t going to let her guard down. All she had to do was get through the day, keep her cool, and make sure that the paparazzi got some pictures of her and Chad together. And then tomorrow she could leave and never look back.
