#1 Crush

by T Gephart

  “You have issues.” Secretly thrilled my weirdo was his personal brand of seduction. I was bucket loads of crazy so he was in for a treat.

  “People in glass houses,” he warned, kissing my neck as my back hit the aluminum wall of the shed.

  You know what? Meeting people was highly overrated. I was sure they were all very nice people, but I didn’t need to see who he was working with. And as for lunch, I would rather spend the limited time that we had exploring each other than the offerings at the craft table. Besides, we had such little time together these days, so I wasn’t about to throw away an opportunity when he wasn’t exhausted from working long hours and we were both awake. It was intoxicating being around him.

  My fingers yanked against his shirt, my nails making contact with his skin as I moved my mouth on his. He seemed surprised but had excellent improv skills, following my lead as my tongue sought his.

  There were people walking around in the distance but I didn’t care, I wanted my mouth on him and there wasn’t a thing in the world that could convince me it was a bad idea. So I kissed him like my life depended on it because at that moment that’s exactly how I felt.

  His fingers knotted into my hair as his body pressed against me. I could feel the length of his cock hard in his jeans as he rubbed up against me, my nipples pebbling under my shirt.

  “You want to do this here?” His mouth moved against my throat licking the length of it. “I’m about to bust out of my jeans and if it’s between you and getting fired, I’m going to choose you.”

  “Really?” The thrill ran through my body like a jolt of electricity.

  Inside I was burning. Consumed, needing more contact. Part of it was sexual—sure, a HUGE part—but there were other things too. My heart swelled to at least three times the size at the suggestion he’d choose me over his work. That I had made him feel as crazy as he made me—made me feel like a Goddess, powerful and worshipped.

  “There will be other jobs, I’m sure.” His hands moved to my ass as his mouth took control.

  A wolf-whistle from the distance snapped Eric’s head up, his hands staying where they were.

  “You’re not going to be jerk off material for a bunch of assholes.” His fingers moved to my hips and he hauled me off the ground. “Even though it’s killing me right now not having you.”

  “Is there anyone inside?” My eyes went to the shed we’d been dry humping against.

  “Everyone comes back in thirty minutes, and that’s not nearly long enough for me.” He brushed the hair away from my face before his mouth curled up at the edge. “It won’t be my best work.”

  “I don’t care.” My hands fisted at his t-shirt. “Take me inside, Eric.”

  I didn’t care. Not about who saw or what they thought or what it said about me.

  I could tell he wanted to, the way he was breathing out of control, the way his hands were gripping me tight. But something was holding him back.

  “Fuck.” He whispered against the top of my head, lowering my body slowly until my feet hit the floor. “I need you, Tia. But not half way.”

  “What do you mean?” I didn’t understand. We could be quick, and even the worst sex with Eric was still earthshatteringly awesome.

  “You’re not here for a quickie in a dirty trailer.” He seemed annoyed, and I wasn’t sure if it was at me or at himself. “I wanted you to come see what I do, meet the people I do it with because it’s important to me. I wanted you to see this isn’t a game to me.”

  “I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure why I was apologizing but it felt like I should. Maybe for being a rampant nymphomaniac, that would probably be my first guess.

  “No, don’t say sorry for that.” He tilted my chin to look at me. “What am I going to do with you?” His lips fought a grin.

  “Well you didn’t want to go with my initial suggestion so I really can’t help you with that.” I shrugged hoping to lighten the mood.

  “You are killing me.” He kissed me softly against the lips. “Let’s go meet everyone before my break is over.”

  He wrapped his hand around my waist and guided me to another building. Ryan was already inside talking to a redhead while others sat around tables and chairs talking loudly.

  “Hey Sadie, this is Tia Monroe.” He introduced me to a woman who happened to be walking past. “Tia, this is the screenwriter, Sadie Douglas.”

  Okay so first thing that I thought of—other than I always pictured screenwriters as old or nerdy looking and this one was young and pretty—is Sadie had a title, screenwriter. Me, I got nothing. Not girlfriend. Not friend. Not girl living at my house. Zip.

  “Pleased to meet you, Sadie.” I shook her hand while my brain slowly tried to process the evidence. I was overthinking; it probably wasn’t even intentional.

  “Nice to meet you too, Tia.” She politely smiled, her hand leaving mine. “Just here to look around?”

  “Yeah, something like that.” Admitting I was there to spend time with my boyfriend seemed ridiculously territorial especially when he hadn’t introduced me as such. Besides, he had his hand on my hip that should have been enough of an advertisement. There was nothing to worry about.

  “Good, great.” She gave me another smile before turning to Eric. “You get a chance to go over the script I gave you last week?”

  “Yeah, I did.” Eric dropped his hand from my hip as he engaged her. “I really like the direction. You think we can pull it off?”

  “Absolutely, I already have the major players.” She touched him lightly on the arm, glancing at me before pushing out her tits. I irrationally want to scratch her eyes out. “Just need you as a green light for the lead.” Another smile, her eyes twinkling.

  Yep, definitely wanted to scratch her eyes out.

  “Green light from me.” Eric nodded, giving her a smile back.

  “Great. I’ll get the final revision to you by tomorrow morning.” Another touch on the arm. Didn’t they have laws about touching people in the work place? I was sure this kind of behavior was frowned upon. She was waaaaaay too touchy-feely for my liking. Mental note. Google the hell out of Sadie Douglas.

  “I’m anxious to roll with it as soon as possible.”

  To his credit Eric didn’t seem to react to twinkle-eyes, touchy Sadie other than professionally. He didn’t give her any extra attention other than answering her questions. Although I had begun to wonder if I was invisible, the two of them conversing as if they were in a bubble—one that didn’t include me.

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you later.” Sadie turned back to me as if remembering I’d been there the whole time. “Bye Tia, it was good to meet you.”

  “Sorry, Tia.” Eric kissed my forehead, genuinely looking apologetic. “That was rude of me, it won’t happen again.”

  “No, of course. It’s fine. You need to work, right?” I brushed it off, the jealous girlfriend not a role I was anxious to play. Yeah, yeah. The freaking irony.

  With his hand on my lower back, Eric moved me through the room. Each time I met a new person, an introduction was made. Barry, the director, Sam, co-star, Travis, the boom operator—all of them with job descriptions. Me, I was Tia Monroe. It gnawed at me more than I wanted it to and after a while I tuned out, flipping into autopilot as I politician’d my way through the crowd.

  “You meet everyone?” Eric asked as he walked me back to the SUV.

  “Think so.” There were a lot of people though, so pretty sure I couldn’t pick anyone out of line up if I had to. “Everyone seems nice.”

  “Nice, not a word I hear a lot from you.” Eric turned his hands either side of me resting on the hood of the car.

  “It just means nice.”

  I was so full of shit.

  What I really wanted to say was they seemed lovely and why hadn’t he told them I was his girlfriend? Other questions included, did I have any reason to be jealous and did Sadie make goo-goo eyes at him every time she saw him? And out of all of that, I said nothing. Because on t
op of being full of shit, I was also a coward.

  “Tia, you know you can tell me anything, right?” He moved closer, searing me with those beautiful blue eyes. When he looked at me that way it was hard to remember why I was mad. Damn it. No wonder I couldn’t think straight.

  “I know.” The only answer I was capable of giving.

  He waited a beat, like he wasn’t convinced and then lifted his hands off the hood.

  “I’ll be home in a few hours.” He blasted me with another shot of those eyes as a shiver ran down my spine.

  “Great.”

  “Tia.” He paused then shook his head like he changed his mind. “I’ll see you when I get back.” He kissed me sweetly on the lips and then pulled away.

  “Eric,” I called out just as he turned to walk away.

  “Yeah?” He spun around, my heart pounding as he waited.

  I love you.

  “Have a good day.”

  Coward.

  “Thanks, New York.” He smiled and then walked away.

  I was prepared for it to be weird when Eric got home that night. But it wasn’t. He was his usual charming self, and we made love before falling asleep. There was something unspoken between us and I was sure he could feel it, but he didn’t bring it up and we’d already established I was a coward. So whatever it was stayed buried.

  Surprisingly, when I woke up the next morning I was more upbeat than I’d anticipated. And another thing, Eric was taking me out.

  Not like the regular dates we’d been on in New York, it was a private party at some Hollywood big deal’s house. Still, going out was going out and I was good with people. Besides, a lot of the people I’d met the day before on the set were going to be there and it gave me the opportunity to do more recon. I still hadn’t had a chance to fully investigate Sadie and being able to see these people in their natural habitat would also prove interesting. I tried to not get too excited about what it meant that Eric was taking me. It’s not like he’d just take any random person to a private function. Or at least I didn’t think he would.

  As the party/function/whatever wasn’t until later in the day, it gave us both the opportunity to spend the morning together. That was something we hadn’t done since I’d arrived with Eric’s work schedule being pretty grueling.

  Our days in New York had been a vacation while L.A. was our new reality. He worked so hard, and yet he always found time for me. A stolen minute here, an hour there—and I was just so happy to take what I could get. I couldn’t even be angry, awed at how much he managed to pack into a day. And even though it wasn’t what I was used to, or what I would have chosen for myself, there wasn’t a chance I wanted to give it up.

  Eric was already up and in his massive kitchen cooking breakfast when I wandered down the stairs. I’d given up trying to look alluring when I woke up in the mornings, preferring to spend my time in bed rather than in the bathroom. But not willing to let go of the fantasy completely, I decided to head down to the kitchen in one of his T-shirts—even freshly laundered it still smelled sexy—with no panties. And yes, I was aware it was cliché, and I didn’t care, the sight of him at the stove in a pair of boxer briefs almost more than I could stand.

  “Hungry?” He winked, shooting me a smile as he turned his attention to the eggs he was scrambling. Made sense to do that to the eggs considering he’d already done it to my brain. That body of his should definitely be illegal.

  “Yes, very.” I tried to not make it sound as illicit as it sounded in my head. Oh, who was I kidding? If it was going out of my mouth and I was looking at him, then I couldn’t be blamed if it sounded obscene.

  “I was talking about breakfast, but I think you had other things in mind.” He smirked, his tongue darting wildly across his beautiful lips. “Did I leave you unsatisfied, New York?”

  “No.” The word more a groan than an answer.

  He switched off the gas, taking the frying pan off the stove before he strode over to where I was standing. “There is nothing I’d love to do more right now than make sure.” He kissed my mouth, owning it with his own. “But my mom called and is stopping by for breakfast. And her seeing me eating you is probably not what she had in mind.”

  “What!” My head snapped back so quickly I was surprised I didn’t have whiplash. “Your mom is coming here? Now?”

  “Yes,” he answered, with absolutely no concern.

  “But I can’t meet your mom, the curse.” I whispered it like even saying it out loud would be enough to condemn us.

  “There is no curse.” He threw his head back in a big throaty laugh. “And I’ve already met your sister, remember?”

  “No, that was different.” I wasn’t sure how exactly but I was positive that had fallen into loophole territory. “I’m not even wearing underwear.”

  “Oh, really?” His hand slid seductively up my thigh stalling when it reached my bare ass. “Hmmm, so you aren’t.” His finger moved lower, teasing me as his mouth moved back to mine.

  “I can’t believe you are touching my ass when your mother is on her way,” I mumbled against his lips, conflicted. On one hand I did not want him to move either his hand or his mouth. But on the other hand I didn’t want the first time his mom saw me was to be naked, screwing her son in a kitchen. No, first impressions mattered and they should almost always be clothed.

  “You trying to kill my hard-on?” He laughed, slapping my ass with no sense of urgency. “We should both probably go get dressed.”

  He slowly released me, walking back to the stove and placing the scrambled egg-filled frying pan into the oven before turning back.

  “You keep standing there like that.” His eyes raked up and down my body. “And it’s going to be difficult for me to be respectful.”

  “I’m going, I’m going.” I sprinted off into the direction of the stairs mentally trying to calculate what would make a good wardrobe choice for meeting his mom.

  I felt so unprepared and it had nothing to do with not knowing what to wear. I wanted to make a good impression, for her to like me and know I was good for her son. Hell, this is exactly why there needed to be an appropriate wait time, so I could physically and metaphorically get my shit together. This was going to doom us for sure.

  I finally decided on a dress, the long cotton fabric hugged my skin without being too revealing and I twisted my hair into a messy bun. No time for make up, I had to hope I didn’t look like a hot mess.

  Eric was able to look effortlessly flawless in half the time. He threw on a pair of jeans and the T-shirt I had been wearing when angling for my morning seduction. His smirk told me that it had been intentional, making me look at that shirt and remember what I intended to do with him before I heard his mom was coming. It was sort of sadistic but of course turned me on because I had issues.

  As the doorbell rang, I told myself at least five hundred times that it was no big deal. She was a normal person and probably lovely, and I had nothing to worry about. My pep talk did nothing to calm me down.

  “Mom.” Eric pulled open his front door and welcomed a beautiful, blonde lady who didn’t look old enough to be his mother with a hug. “Come in, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

  I tried to swallow—both literally and figuratively—as I stepped forward with a bright smile. “Hi, I’m Tia.” I held out my hand like an idiot.

  “Tia, it’s lovely to meet you.” She engulfed me with her arms, ignoring my offer of a handshake. “I’m Kate.”

  “Hi.” My arms circled her in a weird and awkward hug. “It’s nice to meet you too.” My hand gave her a weird shoulder tap. I swear I was better than this at meeting people. The whole being in love with her son throwing my game completely out the window.

  “Mom, don’t smother her.” Eric rolled his eyes freeing me from the grips of his mother. “I like this one.” His finger tapped me on the nose.

  Oh sweet baby Jesus, he said he liked me to his mother. That was the equivalent to having both Park Place and Boardwalk in Monopol
y. Loaded with houses and hotels. And some poor asshole landed there. I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “Well clearly you like her or I wouldn’t be meeting her, would I?” Kate waved her hand dismissively. “Now, let’s have breakfast before you decide it’s no longer cool to visit with your mother.”

  “Never.” Eric gave her a kiss on the cheek and gestured to the kitchen. “I’m almost done cooking.”

  Whatever insecurities I’d had from the day before about Eric not calling me his girlfriend were tossed out the window as I sat with his mother. Who the hell cared what he called me, it was his actions that mattered. And while most guys would have tried to keep it cool in front of their family, Eric didn’t care, kissing my hand and touching me all through the meal. And I totally saw where he got his charisma from, Kate was both beautiful and charming.

  “She’s fantastic,” I whispered to Eric when she excused herself to go to the bathroom. “She’s so funny and warm. I just love her.” My mouth gushed before I could stop it.

  It wasn’t just his mom, but that he’d let me into his life. Meeting his family, his friends—this was as real as it got. There wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t his, and I felt like maybe, maybe he was mine.

  “I knew you would. Aren’t you glad I didn’t listen to you?” He eased back into his chair, a smug grin on his face.

  “Oh no, one good experience does not negate the rules of engagement,” I warned. “Don’t be thinking you can just go flaunting the rules.”

  “Well, I hate to eat and run.” Kate stood, dapping the edges of her mouth with a napkin. “But I promised your grandmother I’d take her to the salon. Maybe we can get your brothers together for a dinner sometime soon.” She looked at Eric with expectation. “I’m positive they’d want to meet Tia too.”

  “We have to wait a little longer for that.” Eric tried to hide his grin. “Apparently I’m flaunting the rules.”

  “He means he’s busy.” I discreetly elbowed him in the ribs. “Eric’s schedule is pretty intense at the moment.”