Hollywood & Vine

by Olivia Evans

  “My friend Owen offered to let us use his place,” Anders said in a rush. “It’s just we’d be hounded in public, and paps are always around my house.”

  Josie’s feelings were a mix of relief and anger, followed by resignation. He was hiding her, but that was better than being photographed and labeled as Anders’ latest conquest. “So day after tomorrow? You’ll get me the directions?”

  “Yeah, um, what food do you like?”

  Josie sighed and stepped closer, unbuttoning the shirt in her hands. “Order whatever you want. Food won’t be what we’re focused on anyway.”

  Anders hummed and tugged on the shirt, pulling her closer. “You’re probably right.”

  “I usually am.”

  “I don’t have to film again until next week so I’ll text you the time and address, okay?”

  “Okay.” Josie wasn’t surprised by his dismissal. Normally she stayed until he dressed and even then he somehow managed to detain her a little longer. Now that he’d secured a date, her presence was no longer necessary. The realization brought a sense of relief she wasn’t sure how to feel about.

  Anders leaned down and pressed his lips against the swell of her cheek. “See you Friday.”

  As promised, Anders texted Josie with the time and address of when and where to meet. His texts didn’t stop there, however. He sent her random messages filled with questions. He seemed determined to know more about her personal life. She didn’t want him to know her in that way―it blurred lines she had no interest in crossing.

  The night of their date, Josie stepped into her skirt. The soft material fluttered against her skin. Pulling on her top, she looked at her reflection and sighed. The outfit was more casual than the one she’d worn the first time she’d slept with Anders. But unlike the first time, the effort to get his attention wasn’t necessary. Tonight, Anders was a sure thing.

  While Josie made her way across town, Anders turned Owen’s oven on low and pushed several trays of food inside. He chuckled at the ridiculous amount of food spread on the kitchen counter. Josie had been a complete pain in the ass by refusing to answer his questions. She wouldn’t even tell him what kind of food she preferred. Granted he wasn’t all that concerned with the food, but her unwillingness bugged him. He knew how much of a hypocrite that made him, but he was more of a “do as I say, not as I do” type of guy.

  When the doorbell rang a half hour later, he’d just finished setting up everything. His stomach tightened in anticipation. This would be the first time he didn’t have to worry about prying eyes. Rolling his neck and relaxing his shoulders, he opened the door.

  “Hey.” Anders smirked, his eyes lingering on her skirt.

  “Are you going to stand there and stare, or are you going to invite me in?” Josie was both amused and annoyed at how he seemed to have trouble tearing his eyes away from her legs.

  “You can come in, but I don’t intend to stop staring.” He stepped to the side to let her pass, never breaking his intense perusal. She always looked nice at work, always put together. Except for the day she tried to kill him via leather pants, she kept her clothing pretty conservative. The way her oversized sweater exposed her shoulder and her mid-thigh skirt moved around her legs, though, she might as well have been naked for the effect it had on him.

  “Wow, this is a nice place. I’m surprised your friend was okay with letting you use his house to fuck some girl.”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “So you didn’t tell him you were bringing a girl here to fuck?”

  “I told him…” Anders tugged his hair, already feeling cornered and uneasy. “I told him this was a date. Owen knows about you.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” Josie couldn’t hide the absolute surprise she felt, or her confusion.

  “Um, he knows. About you. About everything.”

  “You told him about me? Why would you do that?” Josie’s heart rate accelerated at the thought of someone knowing who she was and why she was here. It was one thing to confide in Madison—they were best friends and Josie trusted her—but she didn’t know Owen. Josie glanced at the door and wondered if she should forget the whole thing and bolt.

  “Hey, what are you doing? Stop. Calm down.” Anders stepped closer and grabbed her arm when she shifted toward the door. “You were driving me crazy. I didn’t know what to do, so I talked to him. He was with me when you agreed to the date and offered his place. Nothing more.”

  “So he doesn’t think I’m some cheap whore he can have a shot at when you’re done?”

  “No,” Anders snapped. The memory of his conversation with Owen suggesting the same thing still angered him. “There’s no fucking way I’d ever allow that.”

  The possessive tone in his voice caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end. “We’ve had this conversation. You have no say in what I do.” While Josie had no intentions of sleeping with Owen, she’d be damned if Anders would make decisions about her life.

  Anders saw the fire light in her eyes as she spoke, her rising anger unmistakable. As much as he wanted to challenge her, she was right. He had no right to tell her what she could and could not do. He shook his head, a humorless chuckle slipping past his lips as he pulled her closer. This date was already going to hell and it hadn’t even started. He needed to get things back on track so he could get her out of his system once and for all.

  “Can we start over? Please?”

  Josie nodded. “What are we eating?”

  “Oh, now you want to talk about food,” Anders joked. He slid his hand down her arm and linked their fingers before tugging her toward the kitchen. “So we’re clear, you’re responsible for what happened here.”

  “What happened where?” Josie slowed to a stop, her eyes growing wide. “Holy shit! What did you do?”

  Anders laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he stared at Josie. “You refused to help by telling me what you like to eat, so I ordered from all my favorite restaurants.”

  “Anders, there’s enough food here to feed an army. We can’t eat all this.” Her protest died on her lips and her mouth began to water as she eyed the plates of pasta, pork roast, steak, potatoes, and other dishes she couldn’t even name. “You’re going to need a forklift to get me out of here.”

  Anders stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground before easing her back down. Bending his knees, he dipped his head until his cheek rested against her hair and his lips brushed her ear. “Nah, I’ve lifted you before, remember? I can take care of you.”

  Josie’s stomach tightened as her fingers dug into his forearms. The feel of his chest pressed against her back, the smell of his cologne, and the tickle of his breath against her skin almost made her forget about the food altogether. “Yeah, I remember.” Her words were no more than a strained whisper. Anders shuffled them awkwardly toward the food, unwilling to unwrap himself from around her.

  “Do you want some wine?” His voice had taken on the same low, soft tone as Josie’s. It was as if both were afraid to talk any louder for fear of bursting the fragile bubble surrounding them.

  “Red?”

  He nodded against her shoulder and squeezed her again before stepping away. “It looks like I’m going to learn about you whether you want me to or not.” Anders smirked and twisted the cork out of the wine bottle.

  “You’re impossible,” she sighed. Reaching out, she grabbed a shrimp and popped it in her mouth.

  “You’re joking, right?” Anders filled her glass before filling his own. “It’s like you work for the CIA. Everything is top secret.”

  “Whatever. I’d try to explain, but we’ve managed to go five minutes without wanting to kill each other. Let’s enjoy it.”

  “I’ll drink to that.”

  One hour and a second bottle of wine later, they’d put a surprising dent in the vast amount of food. The alcohol had loosened them up and put them more at ease. While most of their conversation remained superficial, little t
hings began to slip through, and they found themselves enjoying each other’s company.

  “I don’t think I can eat another bite,” Josie moaned, shifting in her chair.

  “Is there anything left? I’ve never seen anyone eat like you.”

  “Oh, shut up. You’re just pissed because I ate the last egg roll.”

  “You promised to share.”

  “Well I lied. Sue me.” Josie shrugged. Her glassy eyes, red cheeks, and playful smile were anything but apologetic.

  Anders tsked. “Looks like I’ll have to eat all the desserts myself.”

  “What?” Josie sat up in her chair, her eyes comically wide. “You didn’t tell me there was dessert. What do you have? Are you holding out on me, Anders?”

  “How can you even think about eating again?”

  “Easy. Side pocket and alcohol.”

  “What?” Anders laughed, pushing up from his chair and grabbing Josie’s hand. He didn’t understand how she could eat another bite, but if it kept her smiling, he’d feed her until she did need a forklift.

  “Side pocket. It’s like an extra stomach reserved for desserts.”

  “Like a cow?”

  “Did you just call me a cow?” Josie gasped, smacking his shoulder with her free hand. Anders caught it and brought it to his mouth, biting gently on her fingers.

  “No, stop it.” His smile widened as he pulled her until they were chest to chest. He dropped her hand and wrapped his arms around her as he walked her backward into the kitchen. “What about alcohol?”

  “Munchies,” she mumbled. The warmth from the wine and his body pressed against her made her head swim. She lifted her hands, brushing them up his hips and to his waist. She slipped her fingertips under the hem of his shirt and dragged them around his back until she clasped them around him.

  Anders’ eyes fell shut. The feel of her nails scraping over his skin caused his muscles to clench. He’d wanted to have her like this since he ran into her at the studio almost two months ago. Now that the moment was here, he didn’t want to rush it. He couldn’t explain why, and trying to figure it out would most likely piss him off.

  He guided her to the counter and stopped once her back pressed against the stone. “What’s your favorite cake?”

  “Huh?” Josie blinked. The wine combined with Anders made it hard to think.

  “Cake. What’s your favorite?”

  “Anders. We’re going to do this now? You still want to ask me questions?” Josie pressed her hands into his skin and ran them the length of his back and down again. He clenched his jaw, unsure if it was to control his reaction to her hands or because she fought him at every turn.

  “I bought cake. A lot of different kinds. They’re small. I wanted to give you one that you’d like.” His voice was low and controlled and Josie knew they were on the verge of another argument if she didn’t answer the damn question.

  “Um, white?”

  Anders narrowed his eyes before walking to the refrigerator. He pulled out a tray with a couple dozen petit fours and set them on the counter. “I have no idea what flavors these are. I asked for two of everything.”

  “Anders, I can’t eat all of these.”

  “Well fuck, I hope not! Or I’m going to have to go back to my cow theory.”

  Josie reached forward and pinched his side, causing him to jerk in surprise. “Ivy, didn’t your mother tell you it’s not nice to pinch.”

  “Didn’t your mother tell you it’s not nice to compare a girl to a cow?”

  Anders cocked his head to the side and studied her for a moment. A slow smile spread across his face as an idea began to form. “Here.” He grabbed one of the cakes and lifted it to her mouth. She raised her brow, but when he grazed the icing-covered sweet over her bottom lip she relented. Her eyes rolled back when she bit down.

  “Oh my God.”

  “I want to play a game.”

  Josie licked the icing off her bottom lip and opened her eyes, meeting Anders’ part-mischievous, part-serious gaze. “What kind of game?”

  “One that ends with both of us naked.”

  “Well, I like this game already. What are the rules?”

  “I tell you something. You guess if it’s true or not. If you’re right, I lose a piece of clothing. If you’re wrong, you do.”

  “Anders,” Josie sighed, dropping her gaze.

  He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her head. “Humor me? Please?”

  “Fine. But you go first. And I’m eating cake.” It was the most ridiculous, juvenile idea Josie had ever heard. They didn’t need to play a game to get naked. They knew how the night was going to end.

  Anders leaned on the counter across from her. He didn’t want to tell her anything too personal. After all, this was a way for him to find out things about her, not give away his deepest, darkest secrets.

  “Before I got into acting, I wanted to be a geologist.”

  Josie laughed and shook her head. “No way. False.”

  A sly smirk pulled at the corner of Anders’ mouth. “What piece of clothing are you going to shed, Ivy?”

  “What? Are you serious? You wanted to play with rocks all day?” At Anders’ smug nod, she made a sound of disgust and kicked off her shoes. “That wasn’t fair.”

  “Your turn.”

  Josie looked at the cakes beside her before turning to Anders, her face blank. “I love to cook.”

  “Not even a little,” he answered right away.

  “What? Why?”

  “Because of the way you ate tonight. I’m going to hazard a guess you don’t eat like that all the time. If so, you wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as you did.”

  “My brother’s a chef. I can eat like this anytime I want.”

  Anders nodded, happy to have gotten another piece of information without having to reveal anything in return. “So I’m wrong?” he asked, grabbing the hem of his shirt. “You do like to cook?”

  “Fuck,” she groaned, her frustration clear. “No. I hate cooking. If it wasn’t for Holden, I’d starve.”

  “Well then, it looks like you’ve lost another piece of clothing.”

  Josie narrowed her eyes at his smug expression. He might have thought he was winning by getting her to tell him things, but a few more wrong answers and the only question he’d be asking was please. She reached behind her and gripped the zipper to her skirt, sliding the teeth apart until the material fell to the floor. She bent down. Her eyes locked with Anders’ as she retrieved her skirt and tossed it on the counter.

  “Your turn.”

  Anders swallowed hard, his throat tight. He wasn’t expecting her to lose her skirt. She stood in front of him in just her panties and an oversized sweater that hung halfway off her shoulder. He wondered how good of an idea this was after all.

  “Um, I played baseball until I blew out my knee.”

  Josie laughed. “Lie. You wanted to play with rocks. An athlete that does not make.”

  “Fair enough.” Anders tugged his shirt overhead, not bothering to go slow or tease her. Every second he took was one second he couldn’t see her half-naked body. “Go.”

  “Someone’s in a hurry.” Josie bent her knee, propping her bare foot on the cabinet behind her. She grabbed another petit four as she thought about what her next confession would be.

  “Ivy…,” Anders warned, his patience wearing thin.

  She hummed and licked the icing off her finger. Her eyes slid from his chest to the button of his pants where the material was beginning to strain. She no longer wanted to tease him either.

  “I’ve never been in love.”

  “Lie,” he whispered.

  She shook her head. “Not a lie.”

  Anders’ lips parted in disbelief. He wasn’t sure why, but something in his chest tightened at her admission. He kicked off his shoes and licked his lips before speaking, his heart pounding so violently he thought it might come through his chest.

  “I’ve never wanted to kiss someone
as much as I do you.”

  “Right now?”

  “Ever.” His voice was strong and clear as he spoke, leaving no doubt that he meant what he said. But Josie needed to hear him say it.

  “Lie.”

  “Lose your shirt, Ivy.”

  “Fuck,” she exhaled, pulling her top off. She stood in front of him in nothing but her bra and panties and she had no intentions of answering enough questions to get them off. She was going in for the kill. “You were my first and only one-night stand.”

  “Lie.”

  Her chest heaved, and she gripped the counter by her sides until her knuckles whitened. “Not a lie. I wanted you that much. Lose your pants, Anders.”

  His pants fell to the floor, and he was on her before she could draw in a breath. He gripped her waist, his fingers digging into her skin as he lifted her to the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist and twisted her fingers into his hair as his mouth crashed against hers. They both moaned the moment he shifted his hips, pushing against the heat throbbing between her legs.

  He flexed his fingers, one hand moving to cup her breast while the other slid to her ass. He rocked against her as he pushed her chest back. Breaking their kiss, he trailed his mouth down her neck, licking and sucking every inch of exposed skin he could reach.

  He yanked the lacy material of her bra to the side and pulled her nipple into his mouth. Josie moaned, her head falling back as she clutched his hair, holding his face to her chest.

  “God.”

  “Fuck, Ivy.” He pulled back and grabbed her hands, placing them on the counter and dropping to his knees. Josie lifted her head, her eyes heavy, her harsh breaths pushing past parted lips. He lifted her foot to his shoulder and leaned forward.

  Turning his head, he kissed the inside of her thigh before biting down. Josie’s entire body jerked and her legs began to tremble as he repeated his kiss-bite torture higher and higher up her thigh. He wrapped his hands around either side of her panties. “These need to go.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He tugged on her panties the same time they heard a loud bang and the sound of laughter. “What the fuck?” Anders jumped to his feet as the voices got closer. He looked at Josie, who sat frozen, her eyes wide with panic. Snatching her shirt off the floor, he tossed it in her lap. “Put this on.”