by CJ Roberts
With the twinkle of her laughter in his ears, he stood up and shucked his own pants and boxers. When he straightened, he was surprised to see she’d joined him. With a tentative touch, she reached out and circled him. His breath caught in his throat. As she stroked, he caressed her smooth shoulders and nuzzled her neck. “Chérie, that feels so incredibly good.”
Before he knew what she intended, she slipped out of his embrace and knelt on the floor at his feet. One hand cupped his balls while the other gripped his cock. As her warm wet mouth closed around him and her tongue swirled around his swollen head, he wondered if she’d somehow read his mind. He ran his fingers through her curls, holding her in place. The silky slide of her hair on his thighs thrilled him more than he’d imagined. He reveled in the pleasure, reveled in the ecstasy. Reveled in the joy of what she was doing for him. The tightness of her mouth, coupled with her throaty moans, soon had him thrusting against her lips. He was losing control. Afraid to hurt her, he gripped her shoulders and lifted her up.
“Was I doing something wrong?”
“God, no. I loved it, too much.”
With that, he picked her up by the waist and deposited her on the edge of the bed. Now it was his turn. After spreading her legs, he knelt in front of her and inhaled sharply at the view. Droplets of moisture glistened on her neatly trimmed curls and glowing pink flesh. The tantalizing scent of her arousal drew him closer, as he spread the delicate folds with his fingers. His eyes on hers, he swiped his tongue along her center in one long, slow lick. A shiver rippled through her as he closed his lips around her nub. His teeth scraped lightly, making her moan.
With a nudge on her stomach, he encouraged her to lie back on the bed. He flicked his tongue along the sensitive flesh of her feminine lips. Her hips shot off the bed when his tongue penetrated her, moving in and out, mimicking what he’d soon be doing with his cock. The musky taste of her hardened him almost to the point of pain. Taking his time, he inserted a finger into her tight opening, and after sliding in a second finger, he stroked her deep inside. Her body tightened and quivered. He returned his mouth to her, alternately nipping, licking, and sucking.
Within minutes, she was moaning and thrashing. Her fingers gripped the bedspread. As she lay before him, her body flushed and glowing with a sheen of sweat, her moans of pleasure ringing in his ears, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Even if they stopped now, the experience would have still been worth it.
Extending one finger along the crease between her cheeks, he probed. She gave a startled groan and then her body bucked. Her inner muscles contracted against his fingers. He continued flicking his tongue on her nub to increase and prolong her pleasure. Ripple after ripple shook her body until she lay unmoving on the bed. Sated. After one last wet kiss on her thigh, he pulled himself up beside her. She opened her arms and he fell into her embrace.
As they lay in each other’s arms, Lauren struggled to catch her breath. “That was amazing.” Although she’d had some wild fantasies starring Nic The Lover, none had ever come close to bringing her this much pleasure.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He grinned. “I know I did.”
But they weren’t finished. Despite his words, Nic hadn’t had all the enjoyment he could stand, and she wanted to make sure that by the time they were finished, he would have his own fantasies about her.
As though sharing her thoughts, he leaned over her and whispered, “But we aren’t done yet.” Opening the nightstand drawer, he pulled out a shiny square package. Thank God he’d remembered. She certainly wouldn’t have. The last time she’d needed a condom was about nine years ago.
As Nic ripped open the package and slid the condom on, she wagged her eyebrows playfully. “Extra large, huh?” As bright flags of color appeared high on his cheeks, she had to laugh. “Come here, big boy.”
No, they weren’t even close to being done. Hands at his waist, she encouraged him to lie on her, to cover her fully. Then she wrapped her legs around him, loosely crossing her ankles at the small of his back. The weight of him pressing her into the mattress was pure heaven.
Placing his elbows on either side of her head, Nic rocked his hips, sliding his cock back and forth along her folds. A tingle began again where he was rubbing her, and she marveled at his expertise. In the past, she’d always had trouble achieving climax, but he’d brought her to that point easily.
As the tension mounted, she closed her eyes. He lowered his mouth to hers and after another deep kiss, slid his lips over to her ear and nibbled. Wave after wave of sensation flashed over her, through her. She’d die if he didn’t bury himself inside her soon. Gathering her courage, she reached down between their bodies to palm him. He was hard steel encased in smooth silk. Chills ran up her spine in anticipation of being stretched to the limit, of having him fill her completely. Her toes curled and she purred with delight.
As if electrified by her reaction, he wrapped his hand around hers and guided his cock to her opening. She released him and wound her arms tightly around his neck, tilting her hips to ease his entry. He covered her mouth and slid his tongue between her lips even as he pushed himself home. She arched her back, moaning as the slow glide triggered every nerve ending in its path. Moisture blurred her vision. The moment she’d fantasized about for so long was finally happening.
Balancing on his elbows, he cradled her head in his hands while keeping his hips still. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
Lauren shivered as the husky tones of his voice washed over her. “Yes.”
“You’re so tight. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Smiling at his concern, she ran her hands down the ropes of muscle on his back until she could curl her fingers around the tight globes of his butt. The expression on his face as she pushed down with her hands and pushed up with her hips almost made her laugh. Nic The Lover was nothing like she’d imagined.
He was better.
She hadn’t expected him to cherish her. Hadn’t expected the tenderness in his touch. Hadn’t expected the reverence in his eyes. On screen, his love scenes tended toward the hard and fast variety, and while they could try that another time, this time she rejoiced in the arms of this quieter, more loving Nic.
A tightening feeling began to build up in her core as he withdrew one inch at a time until only the head of his cock remained inside her. When she could stand it no more, he plunged. He repeated this over and over until she cried out. “Nic, please!”
With a knowing look, he grinned at her. “Tell me what you want, chérie.”
“More!”
Lowering himself completely on her, he gripped her bottom, tilting her hips up, and began pounding into her with short hard strokes. With his face in the crook of her neck, he kissed and nipped at her shoulder. Suddenly she was desperate to feel his teeth on her breasts. She gripped his head and tried to push him lower. When he didn’t understand, she made a mewling sound of displeasure. He lifted his head and she knew by the sexy look on his face that he was teasing. With a seemingly innate understanding of her needs, he raised himself to his knees, pulling her tightly against him so her bottom rested on his thighs.
Bending over her, he tugged one of her nipples between his teeth. The feeling, between a tweak and a pinch, along with the relentless pounding of his cock, sent her over the edge. As her world exploded into a kaleidoscope of color and sensation, she clutched his head against her and called out his name.
He released her nipple and pressed her down onto the bed. Pushing up on his hands, he thrust high and deep a few more times before achieving his own release and collapsing on top of her.
With the sound of his rapid breathing in her ear and the feel of his heart thumping against her chest, she lay in his arms and marveled at how happy she was to be here, with him. She’d missed this closeness to another person, to a man. Holding him in her arms, being held in his, sharing this basic, primal pleasure.
He lifted his head and pressed a tender kiss against her lips before rolling over and pullin
g her so she lay on his chest. With her finger, she traced the curves of his lips, his eyebrows, and the skin around his eyes.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have done this.”
Cracking open an eye, he shot her a penetrating stare. “Why not?”
“You just got out of the hospital. If I hurt Nic The Lover, women the world over will hate me.” Something flashed across his face. Anger? Pain? Hurt? Whatever it was, she’d hit a nerve.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Chérie, I’m perfectly fine.”
She rubbed the crease between his brows. “You’re upset.” When Nic averted his gaze, anxiety fluttered in her chest.
“Kaden will be back soon. I’d better hit the shower.” He rolled her to his side and slid off the bed. “Are you hungry?”
“I’ll get supper started, and then I’ll have a shower. I saw some steaks in your freezer. Does that sound good?”
Shooting her a quick look over his shoulder, Nic acknowledged her words with a single nod. The bathroom door closed with a resounding thud. Lauren pressed a hand to her suddenly queasy stomach.
Their relationship had barely begun. Was this already the final curtain?
After the shower, Nic barricaded himself in his office. Kaden had returned, and he could hear him chatting with Lauren in the kitchen as she prepared supper. Sex with her had been everything he’d expected it to be, and more. The exquisite taste of her lingered on his tongue and her blissful moans echoed in his ears.
But her comment about sleeping with Nic The Lover pissed him off.
Had he been expecting—even hoping—she would see through the act? He scrubbed his face, hard. He was seriously messed up. So what if she thought of him as Nic The Lover? Maybe it was better that way.
And now that he thought about it… that she’d worn her dead husband’s dog tags even while they’d had sex, that fucking pissed him off too. She’d seemed eager to get in bed with him, even leading the way at times, and for sure she’d enjoyed herself. It was his name that had echoed off the walls when she’d come. She certainly hadn’t been thinking about Todd then.
Of course her husband had been important to her. But Todd had died five years ago. Her home was filled with photos of him and his clothes still hung in her closet. Wasn’t that enough? Why did she need to keep a reminder of him around her neck, even when she was having sex with another man? It didn’t take a degree in psychology to know something was off about that.
But hey, who was he to judge? They all had their crosses to bear. His was Rachel. And maybe Lauren’s was Todd. If this relationship with her continued, they might find themselves in a position where they had to either share their secrets or….
Fuck. Enough of that. He turned on his computer to see how the press conference was being received. He checked a few mainstream entertainment sites. They’d kept their reporting close to the facts. Good. There were some mentions of a possible stalker, but thanks to Becker, he’d expected that. As he typed in the address of a high-profile blog site, trepidation stiffened his fingers. Bloggers were not held to the same standards as mainstream sites. Their news often held more fiction than fact.
Seconds later, he sat frozen, staring at the slander on the screen. The author of the celebrity gossip blog claimed Nic was a Rohypnol addict who regularly indulged in the drug for its disinhibiting effects, which apparently enabled him to act sexually with women. It went on to say he had drugged Summer so she would sleep with him and that he had paid Lauren to take the nude photos of him and Summer together all in an effort to cover up his homosexuality.
What kind of person would say shit like this about him? About Lauren?
Hollywood was fickle when it came to most aspects of filmmaking, but it was consistently conservative when it came to an actor’s reputation. An actor could be on the A-list one day and on the blacklist the next.
If he didn’t find Summer and clear up this mess soon, he’d be lucky to get a role as an extra in one of her porn flicks. And he wouldn’t have enough money to continue funding the ranch for Rachel. He couldn’t let that happen.
He picked up his desk phone and dialed Vivian. Seconds later, she answered.
“Hello darling. Is everything all right?”
“No. When I got home, Kaden found a message on my bathroom mirror, written in blood. We called the police. They’ll probably want to question you.”
“My God. You’re sure it was blood?”
“The police tested it.”
“Are you okay?”
“I managed not to pass out. So, I guess that’s good.”
She chuckled. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone has their foibles.”
“Speaking of foibles, have you seen what’s being posted about me on the internet?”
“No. What are they saying?”
“Only that I’m a homosexual Rohypnol addict who uses the drug so I can have sex with women. If this ruins my career….” He paused and took a calming breath. “You know why I need this.”
Silence.
“Vivian?”
“Yes, I’m here. Don’t overreact. The police believe your version of the events. But maybe we need to step things up a bit to make sure the public believes it too. You need to show everyone that nothing has changed. You’re still Nic The Lover, and you won’t be intimidated by anyone.”
“Any ideas on how to do that?”
“Do you trust me, darling?”
That was easy. “You know I do.”
“Then take my advice. If we handle this right, it’ll actually boost your career. Before this, you were a household name in America. After this, you’ll be a household name around the world.”
He sighed. She’d been saying stuff like this since the whole mess started, but instead of getting better, things were getting worse. “What’s your advice?”
“First, send Lauren back to the hotel.”
Not going to happen. “What else?”
“Stay in and rest for the next couple of days. I’ll arrange for someone to accompany you to the Make-A-Wish fundraiser. You’ll go as Nic The Lover, in full force. By the end of the evening, women will be falling at your feet, and anyone who ever doubted your virility will be proven wrong.”
“I’m a good actor, Viv, but I don’t think even Nic The Lover can make that happen.”
Her chuckling came over the line, loud and clear. “Don’t be silly, darling. All you need to do is be your usual sexy, charming self. Nature and pheromones will do the rest.”
Nature and pheromones, huh? But there was one problem with her plan. “I’m taking Lauren, not some silly starlet. And, of course, Kaden will need to come too.”
“The bodyguard, yes. The department store photographer, no.”
Letting out another sigh, he rested his head on the back of his chair. Hadn’t they resolved this already? “Vivian. If I go, she goes.”
“Have you considered how she’ll feel when you start acting like Nic The Lover? If I recall correctly, it didn’t end too well that time in D.C.”
No, it hadn’t. But, as long as he didn’t pull a Paparazzi Kiss on her, she’d be more than happy to spend the evening with Nic The Lover.
After all, that’s who she thought she was fucking.
12
Nic was still upstairs brooding. How could they patch things up if he didn’t come down, if they didn’t talk about it? Lauren sighed as she tossed a Greek salad. She didn’t even know what she’d done to upset him.
“Need help?”
Lauren jumped at the sound of Kaden’s voice and pressed a hand to her pounding chest. He crossed the kitchen to stand beside her, peering at her face. “What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing. I didn’t hear you come in.” She handed him the salad bowl. When he turned to take it to the table, she made her voice sound casual. “Have you been Nic’s bodyguard long?”
His shoulders stiffened. “Why do you ask?”
“Just making conversation.”
Shrugging, he set
the bowl on the table. “On and off for the last year.”
“Does he enjoy the fame and glamour?”
Kaden rubbed his chin. “He likes the fans but not the press so much.” He sat on a barstool at the breakfast counter. “A few months ago we went to see a Kings game with some hockey friends of Nic’s. The paparazzi caught up with us as we left and trailed us to the car. All the way, he kept up the banter, trying to charm them into leaving, but it didn’t work, and some of his friends got pissed.”
“Good thing they didn’t have their hockey sticks.”
“Yeah, I had to step in before all hell broke loose.”
“What did you do?”
“I threatened to shoot them if they didn’t back off.”
She stared at Kaden, frozen for a full five seconds. “You pulled a gun?”
He laughed. “You should have seen the look on their faces. A lot like the one on your face right now.” Then, his smile faded. “Nic kept it together, but when we got home, he punched a hole in the wall.”
“So the keeping his cool part was an act?”
“Yeah, he hates having his privacy invaded. And this has to be really hard on him. He’s had more people in his house today than in the whole time I’ve known him.”
“You’re a good friend.” She patted his hand.
“Trying to steal my girl, Kaden? Isn’t your lovely nurse enough?” Her back stiffened at the edge in Nic’s voice. His mouth was stretched into a straight line, muscles working in his jaw. Not sure whether he was angry or jealous, she kept her mouth shut.
Kaden jumped off the stool. “No sir. Just sharing a few bodyguard stories with Ms. James here.”
“Ah yes. I’m sure Ms. James loved hearing about the adventures of Nic The Lover.”
Okay. They needed to talk. “Kaden, would you mind turning on the grill?”
“Right away, ma’am.” He scurried out like a rat abandoning a sinking ship.
Linking her hand in Nic’s, she led him to the living room and pulled him down beside her on the couch. The wary look he gave her spoke volumes. She ached to shield him from the rest of the world. But the feeling wasn’t in the least bit maternal.
