by Lucy Gage
“Oh, really? Things that no one else can do?” Emily said, disbelieving.
“Things that no one else has done.” It dawned on her what he meant. He grinned when he realized she got it. “Now, that, that I'd love to get for Christmas. In fact, I'd love it even more if it was mutual.”
Emily hadn't done the mutual oral thing more than once or twice with Josh – it had been awkward and not really enjoyable for her on the giving or receiving end, for whatever reason. But with Rob, she had enjoyed both giving and receiving, and she thought maybe he could change her perception of the whole thing.
“Then let's go upstairs and shower and I'll give you your Christmas present.”
He grabbed her other gifts. “You're still going to model for me first, right?”
“Are you going to try to take me to bed if I do? Because I was hoping we could have a repeat performance of the first time. Or something like that, anyway.”
“Oh. Well, then maybe we should save modeling until tonight.” He poked her ribs, tickling as she walked in front of him.
“Hey! Stop that. I'm ticklish.” They walked into the bedroom and put the gifts on the long dresser that was hers while she was here.
“You are?” he teased and tickled her.
She swatted his hands and tried to dodge him, laughing. Eventually, he scooped her into his arms and held her tightly, tickled her ribs until she begged him to stop.
He finally relented with a kiss.
“I like hearing you laugh. I hate to see you cry. It makes me sad.”
“I wasn't crying because I was sad earlier. I was crying because I don't feel worthy. I don't deserve you. You could have anyone you want. Why do you want me?” She walked over to the bed and flopped down.
He lay next to her, head on his arm again, though this time he was clothed. It was still sexy as hell. “I have never met anyone who makes me feel the way you do. Who made me feel a spark from the moment I met you. I don't want anyone else. I want you.”
She lounged with her head propped on her hand. “You really think I'm that special? Of all the girls you've dated?”
“Emily, you make it sound like I've dated hundreds of girls. I told you, I haven't dated much.”
“You're gorgeous and sexy, you make movies and have what lots of people think is a glamorous life, plus you're sweet and kind and sensitive and smart. Not to mention ridiculously generous. And you're telling me you've dated what, maybe a couple dozen girls?”
“Try maybe a half dozen girls, including you.”
“You can't be serious.”
“Dead serious. I didn't always look like this, Em.”
“What, have you had plastic surgery?” she asked, slightly horrified at the thought. He was what, thirty-two? Way too young for surgery. Unless it was bariatric surgery. No. That she couldn't believe.
He laughed heartily, surely at the question as well as the odd faces she must have made. “No, nothing that drastic. But I was scrawny in high school and I was a huge geek.” She gave him a look that said was? “Okay, I still am a huge geek. Now I just don't look like one. But I did then.”
“You're telling me that the girls weren't all trying to jump into bed with you when they knew you were...well-endowed?”
Rob laughed harder. “They had to get close enough to know what was in my pants first. And I didn't have a lot of girls who were interested in knowing what was in my pants in high school, Em.”
“It only takes one. That sort of thing gets around.”
“Yeah, well, okay, there were none then. I was that much of a geek loser. I didn't get past first base before college. The summer after senior year, I grew 4 inches and put on 30 lbs. Rick was home from college and he got me into weight lifting and running. And, thus, the man you see today was born. But I was so used to being the dork, half the time I didn't even notice that girls liked me. And I was still a big geek.”
“I don't think I ever asked you what you studied in college. Or if you even graduated.”
“I have a B.S. in computer science. I've never used it professionally, but I'm the one who programmed the house.”
“You? You did all the programming for this house? All the fancy-schmancy stuff that makes lights come on and turn off or chooses which doors and paths to operate?”
“Yep. I did the trial here and then I did the rest of the family houses and my house in L.A. later, once I worked out the bugs.”
“Wow. So, let me get this straight, you've got a Wolverine collection, you attend ComiCon every year, you make superhero costumes – and I assume you have worn one or two in more recent years – and you program your smart house in your spare time. What other geeky habits are you hiding, sexy man?”
“I used to go to Magic tournaments, but I haven't had time for that in years.”
“Magic? As in you were a competitive magician?”
Rob laughed. “Um, no. It's, uh, a role-playing card game. They hold tournaments all over the place.”
“Like Dungeons and Dragons?”
“Not exactly. I used to play that, too, but not since junior year in college. Once I was old enough to drink in a bar, I found that liquid courage gave me a lot more play with the ladies. Before that, I just drank with my friends and did geeky stuff.”
“Like playing card games and D&D?” He nodded and laughed.
“Remember how you said it only takes one girl to notice and spread the word? Yeah, well, one drunken night, I hooked up with this girl I had thought was hot for almost two years. She wanted in my pants and I was drunk enough to let her. I had almost no experience, because I'd only had sex with this friend who made a pact with me to lose our virginity together if we didn't on our own by the end of high school. Anyway, I guess this girl was drunk enough not to care if I was any good at it. She didn't call me ever again, but after that, I had girls coming up to me all the time. It didn't take long to figure out what it was they actually wanted.”
“Let me guess, it wasn't help with their computer science classes.”
“No, it wasn't. And I wanted a girlfriend. I didn't want to be a manwhore. That's when I started only really talking to girls who I thought had significant potential outside the bedroom. I dated a few girls after that. A couple of them were serious, lasting for a semester or so. And then, senior year, I met Rachel while I was doing a play and it changed the course of my life.”
“Because you were engaged to her?”
“No, because I decided to be an actor instead of a computer programmer.”
“Was it because you wanted to follow Rachel?”
“Maybe that was part of it. But it was really because I loved it. And I knew if I failed, I could always go back to being a programmer. Rachel believed I could do it, so I did, too.”
“I thought you said you met and fell in love on that movie set?”
“We did. The guys who made that movie – it's called Hall of Terror, by the way – they went to college with us. I was doing a play with some of their friends, who recommended me for the lead in the movie.”
“Okay, so, you had a few girlfriends in college, then Rachel. What about after you ended the engagement? You didn't date then?”
“Not at first. I wasn't really ready.”
Then, he met this young actress on set. She had a small, really crucial part in Indiana Road and then they played opposite each other in an ensemble drama that got panned except for their two performances. Rob wasn't really interested in her, but she kept pursuing him. So he gave in and dated her for a little while. She was barely twenty-one. It was a bad match for a lot of reasons. But, after a few months, he fell for her.
By then, he had a couple of critically successful movies and a couple of blockbusters under his belt. He was on all these 'somebody to watch' type lists and it wasn't hard to get work because of Indiana Road. He had a lot more freedom to choose what he really wanted to do and soon enough, he moved to A list status.
“She said she didn't care about any of that, she cared about me
, she loved me. And then as soon as she premiered her first blockbuster, she tossed me like yesterday's lunch.”
“Oh, Rob. That's awful. Who was it? Or am I supposed to already know that?”
“Lola. Lola Benedict. And, no. I wouldn't have bothered to tell you the story if I thought you knew. It was all over the tabloids for months. I could hardly walk outside without being accosted. And that was when I decided to go back to what I did before Rachel. If someone didn't instantly make me think about something other than hopping in the sack, then I didn't bother even engage in more than polite conversation. Hence, why I hadn't had a date in over three years before this week. Lola was supposed to be casual, and I can't do casual. I let myself get duped by her because I let it go too far. I let her manipulate me into thinking it was real.”
Emily spoke softly, not really sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say to her next question. “So, why me? Why did you talk to me?”
“After I crashed into you, I turned to help, and I was floored by how beautiful you were. Which was disconcerting because you were aggravated. Most women aren't very attractive when they're that mad. But you were so upset and passionate that it caught my attention. When you first saw me, you didn't even blink. You didn't have a clue who I was. You just yelled at me like I was some random guy who had rudely knocked you down and had broken that toy. And Deac left the building because Rob kicked him out the door and locked it for that whole time I was with you at the toy store.”
Em shook her head. “The owner, he called you Robbie. I didn't even pick up on that until just now. You know him well. Only people close to you call you Robbie.”
Rob smiled at her understanding. “He's an old friend of my dad's.”
“That's why I didn't see Rick. He knew you'd be fine so he waited in the car.” Rob nodded. “So, later, at the bar, did you think I had recognized you then?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I wasn't sure. I thought it might be a game. By then, it didn't matter. I thought you were fantastic. That's why I asked you to go with me to the club – I wanted to hang out with you some more. When I finally realized that you had no idea who I was, it knocked me for a loop. Because I was already smitten with you and to know that you liked me enough to want to spend time with me, with Rob and not Deac, there was no question I was in trouble. And then I kissed you, and it was all over. I couldn't get enough of you. I still can't.” He touched her cheek and moved closer to her.
Emily shimmied toward him until their hips were touching. She gave him a half-smile. “I can't get enough of you, either,” she breathed. She pulled his mouth toward hers and kissed him passionately. He rolled her underneath him, pushing her knees apart and grinding himself into her. Em broke the kiss and said, “Much as I'd like to do that again, I thought we were headed to the shower?”
Rob hopped up and grabbed her hand, bringing Em to her feet. “Right you are.” He stripped off his shirt, something that always made Emily feel like she had a private exotic dance show, and just as he was about to remove his sweatpants, Tommy Tutone began to sing about Jenny. Rob squeezed his eyes shut. “Damn. I have to get that. She wouldn't be calling on Christmas if it wasn't important. I'm sorry.” He grabbed his phone off his dresser and collapsed back on the bed.
“Merry Christmas, Jen. I take it you're not just calling to say hello. What's wrong? Really. Hold on.” He looked at Emily, then, his expression solemn. “They figured out who you are, Em. I told Jenna she didn't have to work today, but after we posted the pictures last night, she was curious to see the reactions. Turns out, someone posted your name on Facebook. The tabloid sites ran with it after that.”
“It's Christmas and it's barely 10:30 Eastern time. How the hell did it take off that fast?”
He sat up and took her hand with the one not holding the phone. “Unfortunately, that's how it goes. That's why Jenna has a job.” He spoke into the phone, “No offense, Jen. You know I think you're invaluable.”
“So, what do we do now?”
“Let's talk about this, okay?” He held up a finger. “Jen? Yeah, don't worry about anything yet. We'll talk to Amy and go from there. I'll let you know. No, don't worry about it right now, it can always wait until tomorrow. Just enjoy your holiday. And thanks. You, too.” He ended the call and pulled Emily to his lap. “I'm sorry. Your life has turned into a circus in the past week and it's all my fault.”
Emily leaned her head on his shoulder. “Don't say that. I told you you're worth it. I just can't believe how insane people are! As if who you're dating is more important than spending Christmas with family!”
“I don't know what motivates people. Jenna earns her salary and then some, and the last couple years, she hasn't had nearly this much to monitor.”
“How do we handle this?”
“We need to talk to Amy. Much as I hate to take a rain-check on our plans, we should head over to my parents' house sooner rather than later. Amy will be there before Rick because she has fewer kids and hers wake up earlier.” Em stood and Rob followed. He kissed her neck. “You still want to shower together?”
“Yes, please.” Rob smiled at her enthusiasm. Before they left the room, Rob grabbed a condom from the drawer. She giggled and inwardly sighed in relief that he had the forethought to think about condoms, because she could see herself caught in the heat of the moment and throwing caution to the wind.
Which could be a disaster.
Once they had showered and dressed, they loaded the presents in the car and headed to Rob's parents' house. On the way, they discussed breaking the news to Amy that they had made the move with the photo before clearing it with her. Given the result, she was probably going to be annoyed. Emily was hoping for that, anyway – Amy could be a viper and she hated the idea of being on the receiving end of that. Rob assured her that he would make it clear the photo had been a mutual decision.
Amy and Raoul's black Cayenne was already in the driveway when Emily and Rob arrived. Em took a deep breath. Rob kissed her cheek. “Don't worry about it. I told you, she's really a marshmallow. She'll be more pissed at me than you. I should know better than to do something without running it by her first. I was trying to make you more comfortable with the fact that the pictures from Mass would end up online.”
“I just don't want her to think I'm taking advantage of you or using you. It's not like that.”
“I know. She tries to protect me more since Lola. She says it's about the publicity, but I know it's because she's my big sister. Come on. Let's go inside. The sooner we get that part done, the sooner we can enjoy the rest of the day.”
They got out of the car and took the bags from the back of the Subaru. Raoul came outside to help them, since there were a lot of presents. Emily secretly smiled to herself about Rob's generosity, recalling that Anja said he had always been that way, and apparently, having money hadn't made him less so.
Rob disappeared with Raoul into the living room with the gifts while Em made her way to the kitchen. Pat was busy making waffles and bacon, and there was a buffet of juice, fruit, toppings and coffee supplies off to one side of the kitchen, along with a couple chafing dishes. As soon as she got there, Pat kissed her cheek and exclaimed his surprise at their early appearance.
“We thought you two lovebirds would hide at Rob's until it was time for presents later.”
Emily laughed. “Well, we thought about that, but I heard you make a mean Christmas brunch, and I had to see if it was true.” She did as instructed on his Kiss the Cook apron and kissed his cheek.
Amy strolled into the kitchen just then. “I see you figured out the way to my father's heart is to flatter his cooking skills.” She gave Emily a hug. “Merry Christmas. I'm glad to see you guys came early. Freddy was hoping to ask you more about the ocean. He's four, what can you do? They have one-track minds at that age sometimes.”
Emily smiled and said she'd humor him. Suddenly, she remembered one of the reasons they had come even earlier than they had originally planned, and she grew ne
rvous. It must have shown on her face, because Amy said, “Did something happen?”
She inhaled, planning to launch into the whole thing, when Rob and Raoul entered the kitchen. “You're going to be mad at me,” Rob said, before Emily could open her mouth.
“What did you do?” Amy said, an accusing tone in her voice.
He told her about the rush to leave Mass, the decision to take the photo and have Jenna post it, the call from his assistant that morning. “Don't be upset with Em. I knew there was a chance that it might blow up in our faces.”
Amy sighed heavily, shaking her head. “Robbie, how many times do I have to tell you to let me handle this stuff?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. She looked at Emily. “Is it okay with you if we wait until tomorrow to officially deal with this?” Em nodded. “Good. Then I'll put something together tonight to send to the reputable people. I had a release that I planned to send out before the gala, but it'll have to happen sooner. You'll want to contact Marcus first thing tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be thrilled, since the magazine will get loads of free press, but it's better to tell him yourself. You said your family is aware?”
“They are. I talked to my sister this morning and she'd seen the picture. My mother isn't happy, but she's fighting it, anyway. She thinks I should still be with my ex, Josh.”
“And you broke up with him first?” Emily told her how things happened with Josh. “Do you think he's the type to start spreading rumors? Because that stuff comes from somewhere.”
“He isn't the type to care that much about celebrity. No offense,” she looked at Rob, who gestured that none was taken.
“Well, I guess we can't make any assumptions, yet. If we need to do it, we'll feed false info and see if it surfaces. In the meantime, we're running with the story that you met at lunch and hit it off. We'll worry about the press next week with the gala. For now, just ignore them otherwise, okay?” Em nodded.
“And you, Robbie, next time you call me before you do something stupid like that. I don't care if it was 1 a.m., you know we hadn't gone to bed yet.”
