by Morgan Rae
I repeat, fucking hell.
“Now that we have everyone in one place, let’s go around and introduce ourselves,” Tonya says patiently.
Tomlin and I settle down on flat slabs of rock by the bonfire. I knock my knuckles against the rock, it’s plastic. Like everything else in this place, it’s a pretty little illusion.
“I’ll start,” pipes up the peppiest woman in the circle. She’s the color of milk chocolate, with an hourglass figure that her dress very clearly flaunts. “I’m Shayla Lorraine. Y’all might know me from Love ‘n Lorraine, the reality show where I met my boo, Darius. And we’ve been inseparable ever since, ain’t that right, baby?”
To introduce him, she cups the side of his face and claims his lips in a kiss. No secret who wears the pants in this relationship. Still, they have their own reality TV show already. If anyone of these couples is going to be serious competition, it will be Shayla and Darius.
“Yo,” the jock beside the pair lifts his hand to get everyone’s attention. “Bryce Riggs from Sharkbros III.” He slaps the tiny blonde beside him on the back. “This is my girl, Margo Trixie. We had an on-screen ménage that went off screen, am I right, baby?”
Besides the fact that I’m positive Bryce doesn’t know what the word ménage means, it’s clear to me that he’s not going to be much competition. He’s full of himself and he practically has his fiancée on a collar and leash.
“Guess we’ll go next,” says the guy in the Stetson hat. “Name’s Chase Michaels.” I recognize him, he’s Chase Michaels, the country singer. So, I’m not the only musician in the group.
“And I’m Auden King,” the girl next to him introduces himself. Auden King, now my fling has a name.
I can’t stay silent. “Call me old fashioned,” I say, “but I don’t see any engagement rings.”
“We’ve got matching tattoos,” Chase grins. “Hey, show him, baby.”
Auden lifts her hair to bare the back of her neck and twists around to display two wedding rings tattooed on the back of her neck.
“Cute,” I say. “That would be nice, you know, on a ring finger. Where others can see it.”
I have a rule that I don’t shag people involved in a relationship. I don’t break up couples. Auden drops her hair now and settles back next to her partner, but she still can’t meet my gaze.
“I suppose it’s our turn,” I start. I’ve got the elevator pitch down. “Hi. I’m Damien Blaze, lead singer in the band ResurrXtion. I’m about to release my solo album, coming out in October. And this,” I slip my hand to Tomlin’s leg and squeeze, “is my beautiful fiancée…”
“Tomlin Murray,” Tomlin interrupts. “I take pictures for a living, but my full-time job is supporting and loving this man.”
She’s gritting her teeth. I add, “She’s my backbone. I wouldn’t be able to do it without her.”
“Because the worth of every independent woman is judged by how much she can support the successful man beside her.” To her credit to managed to say that without rolling her eyes.
“That’s my girl,” I let out a breath of a laugh and try on a smile. “Regular Rosie the Riveter.”
“I’m thirty-seven, hun. I haven’t been a girl in decades.” She says through clenched teeth.
“That’s why I love her. Keeps me on my toes.”
You couldn’t cut this tension between us with a steak knife. Everyone stares at us like we’re their new favorite train wreck.
“Where’d you two meet?” Shayla asks. She’s clearly enjoying fanning the flames of this disaster. She’s the veteran and she knows reality TV gold when she sees it.
“Concert,” I say.
“Bookstore,” she says simultaneously.
“There was a…bookstore outside of the concert,” Tomlin continues in attempt to cover it up.
“Lot of downtime between sets,” I flash a grin. “Lost my copy of the Da Vinci Code.”
“Okay, this is boring,” Shayla says. “I’m not going to go around and say our names like a fucking sleepover. Let’s make this interesting.” She lifts a finger as though she’s about to make a spectacular announcement. “Never Have I Ever.”
Valley Girl Margo scoffs. “That’s your idea of not a sleepover?”
“Here are the rules,” Shayla continues unperturbed. “We each take turns saying something we’ve ‘never’ done. Whoever did it puts their finger down. I’ll start.” She straightens her back and juts her chest out in the process. It’s obvious that she loves the attention and it’s oddly charming. “Never have I ever cheated.”
I keep all ten fingers up. So, I notice, does Tomlin.
Shayla lifts her eyebrows at me as though she’s surprised. “Isn’t that part of the rock star life?”
“Even bad boys have limits,” I tell her.
Chase and Auden both put their fingers down. Neither of them seem particularly surprised. “We’ve got things we’re working out,” Chase says defensively.
Next up is Tomlin. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as she thinks. A flicker of desire rushes through my veins as I think about kissing those lips. I settle with slipping my hand to her leg and giving her an encouraging squeeze.
“Uh…god, it’s been a while since I played this,” Tomlin says. “Okay. Here’s a good one. Never have I ever had sushi.”
Everyone around the circle groans as they put a finger down, including me. “Hold up,” I say. “You’ve never had sushi?”
Tomlin shrugs. “I’m not good at breaking out of my comfort zone.”
I remember that now that we’re supposed to be engaged, so I squint and say, “How did I not know this about you?”
She simply perches her chin in her palm. “It’s my deep, dark secret. Your turn, baby.”
“Right.” I take a breath. “Never have I ever…” I stall and draw it out.
Auden’s eyes meet mine. She looks terrified, like a small bunny rabbit cornered by hunting dogs. She’s holding her breath, waiting for me to spill the beans about our foray on the plane.
I can’t do that to her. I’m not going to be the one to break up a couple.
“Give us something juicy, Damien,” Shayla grins. “You know, if there’s anything you haven’t done.”
“Never have I ever made a sex tape,” I say.
“Well, shit,” Bryce says as he drops a finger. “Now y’all are just trying to get me out.”
Everyone laughs. “My turn!” Margo squeaks. “Okay, never have I ever joined the mile-high club.
I wince visibly, and to think we almost dodged that bullet.
“That some kinda gang thing?” Chase asks.
“Y’know, like had a sex on an airplane?” Margo clarifies.
I look across the circle at Auden. She’s gone white as a sheet and she’s staring down at her hands as though in serious debate with herself.
Then she does it. She puts her finger down.
Chase notices. “What…you kidding me?” he says. “You’ve had sex on a plane?”
“Uh huh,” she says as her eyes stare at the ground.
“With who?”
“Um…” her voice shakes. She looks straight at me.
Then everyone looks straight at me.
“Ho. Lee. Shit.” Shayla gasps.
“Dammit, Damien,” I hear Tomlin sigh under her breath beside me.
“Alright now,” I lift my palms in defense, “let’s all settle down, yeah? How about a rousing game of Go Fish?”
“You son of a bitch!” Chase is on his feet in a second. He’s ready for war, And he’s not a tiny man, either.
I stand slowly and put my hands up. “Chase,” I warn. “Calm down.”
This isn’t a fight he wants to start. Yes, Chase is a big guy, but so am I. One hit to the head and he’ll be on his back. I don’t want to embarrass him anymore tonight. I didn’t want any of this.
He doesn’t heed my advice. Instead, he comes charging a
t me like a bull. The girls screech like gulls and everyone makes way for us. Chase is moving too fast and there’s no dodging his first hit. I duck as quickly as I can, but his knuckles still catch my right eye and send a dull pain blossoming there. And, maybe, there’s part of me that lets him have it.
“I’ll rip you apart, you posh ass piano man!” Chase is practically frothing at the mouth.
I grip his arms and shoulders and lock him up. He’s got bulk, but I’ve got strength, and now he’s snarling and thrashing against me as shove him back to the ground.
“Stop it!” A voice of reason breaks through the fight. While everyone else has backed off to gleefully watch the fight, Tomlin doesn’t hesitant to throw herself right into the fray.
“Get off each other!” she snaps and puts one hand on me, one hand on Chase. I release him immediately and she effectively pulls us apart. “You’re grown men,” she chastises, “acting like little boys in a sandbox!”
She’s not wrong. I catch my breath and look over at Chase. The heat has gone out of his eyes, but he’s still glaring daggers at me. Chase spits in the sand and then turns away from us. He snaps at Auden instead, motioning her up like a dog, and says, “Come on. We’re going.”
The people around the bonfire have gone dead silent. Even the fire itself seems to crackle quietly as Auden gets to her feet and patters down the beach side by side with Chase.
“Well,” Shayla says, puncturing the awkward silence, “Who’s up for Truth or Dare?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN: NANCY
Damien is quiet when we get back to the bungalow. After grabbing a beer from the fridge he makes a beeline to the screen doors and stands on the deck outside.
I go after him. Night has fallen over the island and there’s a nice, cool breeze sifting through the trees. Crickets chirp in the bushes and tiny lighting bugs sparkle in the shadows. I follow Damien’s gaze down the dock. The motorboat that brought us is running and I can hear the distant hum of the engine. Red and green lights at the back blink as the water bobs. In the dock’s tepid light, I can see the two figures of Chase and Auden. They’re packing their bags back on the boat.
Damien breaks the quiet. “One couple down,” he says, “two more to go.”
I expect him to be victoriously smirking. Instead, he seems quiet. There’s a darkness hovering over him like a raincloud.
If he’s looking for sympathy, he’s not going to find it here. “Are you out of your mind?” I snap at him.
Damien sighs. “Chase started it.” He polishes off his beer and turns to go back inside back inside.
He’s obviously trying to avoid me. Fat chance in this cramped space. I follow him inside and close the doors behind me. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” My voice is low, fuming. He’s just like every other celebrity I’ve ever followed and captured scandalous shots of. He’s a dog in dire need of a short leash. Truthfully, I’m not surprised or hurt, I’m just pissed. I’m pissed because he’s this close to blowing our cover and I need to stay in this show if I want to get my story.
Damien’s temper starts to spike and he extends his arms out. “What do you want me to say?”
“Oh, now you ask,” I scoff. “No wonder Randall Ray is quitting the band. You’re impossible to work with. You wouldn’t know what teamwork was if it hit you in the face.”
He was on his way out of the room when my words stop him. He deserves to hear what I think of him after what he put that poor girl through. His eyes flash and he steps close to me. “You don’t know anything about that,” he says. “Randall is leaving to take care of his family.”
“Are you sure about that?” I say. “Or is he just tired of cleaning up after your messes?”
I smile at my hit. His lips press in a thin line. “You and me? This isn’t even real.”
He’s getting worked up; I can see it in his eyes. I take a deep breath to calm myself, I need this to work to get my story. This was supposed to be so easy, go in, get my story, and get out. Instead, Damien Blaze has managed to turn it into a circle. One night in and I’ve already completely lost control of the situation.
I do the only thing I can think of to do. I grab him, yank his face down, and kiss him hard on the lips.
He makes a small, muffled sound of surprise against my mouth. He’s stiff and caught off guard, but then he warms to me. His tongue presses passed my lips and tastes me deeply. He’s good at this and every swipe of his tongue sends shivers through me. I grip the back of his head and break the kiss to move my lips to his ear.
“They got kicked off the island,” I whisper so the hidden mics don’t hear us. “Do you want us to be next? They’re watching, so shut up and have make-up sex with me.”
His eyes light with amusement. Damien is a lot of things, but he isn’t stupid. He knows we’re on thin ice with the producers right now. “I think I like this side of you,” he teases.
Before I realize what I just said, he grabs my thighs and, in one swift motion, yanks me off my feet. My legs are around his hips and I hold on tightly to his shoulders. He crushes his mouth against mine as he carries me to the bed. Admittedly, of all the things I had to fake, there are worse punishments than being forced to make out with Damien Blaze. For all his rough edges, he’s a sensitive kisser, lavishing affection on me.
He lowers me onto the edge of the bed. I watch in anticipation as he strips off his shirt.
I swallow hard. He’s sculpted like a Greek god and all I want to do is trace the lines of his abs with the tip of my tongue. I want to make those muscles shudder until he grabs my hair and impatiently pushes me down. I want…
My thought stops when the realization hits me, this doesn’t have to be a fantasy. I don’t have to imagine doing those things, I can actually do them. But somehow, knowing that I can touch him right now makes me even more anxious and my arms remain locked at my sides. For so long, I’ve sat on the sidelines, watching celebrities from afar. Now that I’m here, with one, I can barely bring myself to budge.
Damien has no such reservations. Instead, he smirks. “You want to touch me, don’t you?”
My mouth runs dry.
“Don’t be shy,” he says. He catches my hand and presses my palm to his abdomen. “Beautiful women like you should take what they want.”
His skin is warm and his muscles are hard as stone. I slide my hand down his front and trace his happy trail, as he stands there, letting me explore him. My hands don’t want to leave his perfectly sculpted body, but it’s my turn.
Feeling a little more confident now, I take the hem of my dress and pull it over my head, dropping it on the floor. I’m in nothing but my bra and panties now, feeling completely exposed. I’m by no means up to par with Hollywood standards of beauty. I take care of myself as much as I can, but I have a little extra to love. That’s what a sedentary life and fast food will do to you. Before I can feel self-conscious, however, I see Damien’s eyes on me, admiring me.
Does Damien Blaze want me?
“On the bed,” he says.
I crawl backwards onto the bed and dip my legs under the blankets. Damien drops his pants. Even in his black briefs, I can see the outline of his barely contained…
My eyes hit the ceiling. I feel the mattress bend under Damien’s weight as he slips under the covers and shifts on top of me. His lips are on mine again, hungrily. I feel his bare skin brush against mine now and my heart beats rapidly inside of my chest. My anxiety starts to climb.
“Wait,” I say after a breathless moment. How to tell him I’m not ready to have sex with a stranger in a way that won’t tip off the producers. My eyes meet his and I hope he reads the panic in mine when I shake my head. “I’m not…um…” I grab him, yank him close, and whisper in his ear, “It’s been ten years, I don’t think I’m really ready—”
Damien dip down and nibbles my earlobe. “I’m not going to shag you,” he whispers in my ear. “Relax and moan for me.”
Relief si
mmers into my bones and my tense muscles soften underneath him. He wants me to moan my way to a fake orgasm. That, I can do. Especially when Damien attaches himself to my neck and sucks hard on the skin. I gasp loudly as his body rolls over mine as though he’s plunging inside of me, miming the motions of fucking under the blankets.
I grip him tightly and pant heavily in his ear. Briefly, I make eye contact with the camera on the bookshelf. I hope you’re enjoying this. Fake or not, my body doesn’t know the difference and I feel myself start to respond to his ministrations. His skin is hot against mine, burning like a furnace, and I drink in his heat. His chest hair tickles and I feel my nipples harden into tight peaks under my thin bra. Damien kisses my neck and the exposed bits of my chest and he rises and falls over me. He groans loudly, a deep, lust-fueled noise and the sound sends shivers through me. His knee is between my thighs and I pray that he can’t feel how sopping wet my panties are when they brush against his leg. My sexual frustration is mounting and I bite the inside of my lip to keep myself from rutting against his thigh.
“You want to put on a show, don’t you?” he whispers, his hot breath beating against the crook of my neck. “Moan louder.”
“Maybe you’re not impressing me,” I hiss back.
A flicker of danger flashes through his blue eyes. “Aren’t I?”
His knee shifts upward then, settling right between my legs. The friction shoots a bolt of pleasure through my center and I moan loudly despite myself. I can’t help it, my hips rotate in tiny swivels against his thigh. Damien’s growl makes my body tingle and I swear he digs his leg a little harder against my buzzing clitoris.
As he flattens against me, I feel it. He shifts and his huge erection grazes my hip. I gasp and my eyes snap to his. His expression is more of a shrug than an apology. Reality sinks in. I am not going to let Damien Blaze make me yet another one of his desperate, drooling sluts.
My reaction is spontaneous. I slap him hard, right where Chase’s punch landed.
“Fuck.” Damien grunts in pain and then grabs my hair. He yanks it and my head jerks back. I cry out. The strange pleasure-pain sensation sends my body buzzing.
