by Adair Rymer
Phillip completely ignored them. He just stared at us with that fake Hollywood smile plastered across his face. When his gaze shifted from Val's ass to my narrowing eyes, he spread his first two fingers into a 'peace' sign.
I didn't like any of these people, their true intentions were sharpened like knives and hidden behind their backs. Then Phillip licked his tongue up and down in between the 'peace' sign, giving me the pussy eating gesture.
'Day's not over yet...'
Chapter 19
Valentine
Past
Arsen opened the door on my side of the truck. It startled me because he was gone for so long. We'd been driving for what seemed like forever, then when we arrived, he told me to wait in the truck for a while.
“Are we at a beach?” I stepped out and one of my heels sunk into the dirt and broken gravel of the aged parking lot.
“You might want to take those off,” he motioned to my suddenly impractical heels. He was lit by only moonlight. The sound of the tide receding in the distance gave him and this place a hint magic.
“You want me to go barefoot? I'm in a prom dress.”
“You can take that off too, if you like.” His dark eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief. That look always melted me, especially because I knew he wasn't kidding.
I shivered in the crisp air. Summer was supposedly right around the corner, but New England didn't seem to care. Arsen covered me with the heavy work coat that his dad left in the trunk. It looked absurd over my dress, but it was too warm to complain. We both kicked off our shoes and he led me down the deserted beach.
“What's in the bag?” I asked about the satchel Arsen had swung over his shoulder. The ground wasn't cold enough to make my feet go numb so I was able to feel the sand between my toes.
The sky was clear, which made the white sand almost shine. The black ocean was alive with crashing waves and a brilliant wavering reflection of the moon and stars. I could see all the way to the horizon and felt like Arsen and I were the only two people in the world.
“You'll see.” Arsen wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me close.
If my life were a fairytale, I would want this to be my 'lived happily ever after' moment.
I shifted to put my arm around him as well when something crinkled in the breast pocket of the coat I was wearing. I pulled it out. It was a picture of his mother, Pamela, holding Arsen as a baby.
We stopped at a wooden staircase leading to a boardwalk that would bring us back to the parking lot. Arsen snatched the picture away from me, crumpled it in one hand, then dropped it. He might have come home, but he'd never truly been the same after those Marines showed up to give him the news about his father.
Arsen never came out and said it, but I could tell that he was upset with himself for not having a better relationship with his father while he was still alive. Arsen loved his dad, but was always pissed at him for bouncing his family around. He could never make any real friends because he would never be in one spot long enough.
“I'd seen pictures of my mother growing up. My father had them all in a drawer somewhere.” I wanted to help Arsen through this, but I didn't really know what to say. So I just said the first thing that came to mind. “She was a fashion designer, I guess. And she was so pretty. Prettier than the models that wore her clothes.”
“That explains where you got your good looks from.” Arsen offered a half smile, trying to ignore his own pain. “You sure as hell didn't take after Hugh.”
He wasn't the first one to tell me that my father and I looked almost nothing alike. I think it was because my father wore a perpetual displeased scowl on his face whenever he wasn't acting.
“How did she—” Arsen stopped himself, he was searching for a way to ask that wasn't too abrasive.
“Me.” I took a breath. “Complications during my birth. They couldn't save her.”
It was in the news at the time, but I'd never told anyone directly before. I didn't know why I told him, but it felt strangely good to get that off my chest.
“That wasn't your fault.” Arsen was kind, he just rarely showed it. I could tell he wanted to take my pain away.
“I know.” I said, quickly. “I just wanted you to know that I understand what it's like to carry grief around with me too. I don't know if it'll ever go away, but I do know that being around people you care about...” I looked up at him earnestly. “It helps.”
Arsen's normal mask of carelessness fell away. His upturned eyes looked at me in a way I’d never seen in him before. Real hope glimmered in those hard, dark orbs of his. Maybe someday things would be ok for him, maybe even for both of us.
Arsen leaned in and kissed me so quickly that when it was over I barely knew what just happened. Looking back at him, my eyes became huge saucers. I'd fantasized about that moment for as long as I had known him and when it finally happened it caught me completely by surprise. It wasn't earth shattering or time-stopping, but it was wholly ours, and it was still wonderful.
That was our first kiss!
“C'mon, Val.” Arsen's mouth parted in a genuine smile, amused by my paralyzed shock. He swung an arm under me and picked me up. “There's one more thing I want to show you.”
Arsen carried me up the wooden walkway, and as we crested the final sets of stairs I began to see the light. Glow sticks lined the entire boardwalk on both the right and left sides, giving the wood a fluorescent green glow. Arsen set me down on a blanket that was about midway down the walkway.
He pulled out and lit a few candles that were stuffed in his satchel, then he grabbed a bottle of champagne. Arsen looked at me and shrugged. “It's not prom, but it's something.”
“It's perfect.” I crushed him in a great hug. It was simple, thoughtful and beautiful. I could never have imagined someone doing something like this for me. “Even if the champagne is just sparkling apple juice.”
“What?” Arsen took a closer look at the bottle, then sighed. “I should've just gone with a case of beer.”
“Oh, God, I'm glad you didn't!” I laughed at him. “That stuff was terrible.”
Arsen didn't pack any cups so we just drank the sparkling cider out of the bottle. I put the jacket I was wearing over our feet to thaw them a bit and protect them from the sea breezes. Arsen held me close, keeping me warm and we gazed at the stars together for a while.
“I think it's past midnight.” I nuzzled my head into his.
Arsen shrugged. He didn't care what time it was.
“You know what that means?”
“Please don't.” He sighed, suddenly realizing why I'd brought it up.
I didn't have a musical bone in my body, but that didn't stop me from singing him the worst rendition of 'happy birthday' that had ever been sung. He groaned, rolling his eyes, but smiled all the same.
“I also got you something.” I peeled his hand away from his face and put my present in it.
“What is—” Arsen turned it over in his hand. It was a small pendant of an anatomically-correct heart, ventricles and all. There was a little 'V' carved into the middle of it.
He had my heart.
“This is super lame.” His small smile broke into a full grin.
Arsen slid a hand past the side of my face and kissed me. This time I was ready for him, and this time the kiss was more than a quick peck. It lasted long enough for all the fireworks to go off in my heart. This was the kiss I always hoped for, and in so many amazing ways, it was even better than I could have imagined.
“But I also kinda love it,” Arsen said, between kisses.
Present
“Studio, please.” I told the limo driver as he lowered the little window between us and him.
“Yes, ma'am.” The man nodded and started the car.
“This is so goddamn unnecessary,” Arsen grumbled, reluctantly getting in. He did not like to be pampered in any way. “Look at all this shit. It's a ten minute ride, why the fuck do we need a fully stocked bar at ten in the morning?”
“Have you received any word about that thug who attacked you?” Arsen rotated the labels on the champagne bottles.
“The police said they're still looking into it. They did link the attacker to a major NYC loan shark, but I didn't get many more details.” All of it still made me really anxious. I didn't want to think about it anymore. I switched gears to something else that had been on my mind for the last few weeks, ever since we met Phillip. “Hey, I have a favor to ask.”
Arsen cocked his head toward me to continue.
“I don't think you should come to set when I do the topless scene.” Production wanted it to be a full on sex scene, but Michelle had it knocked down considerably. Unfortunately, I'd still have to be half naked in at least a few shots.
“Why the hell not?” Arsen's tone went flat, he was not pleased.
“Arsen,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “You were my estranged boyfriend, turned legal sibling... who I'm also still having sex with. Let's be honest, You're a PR nightmare.”
“So what? We've kept it a secret so far. I'm going to be there, Val. Remember what they almost made you do last time? These guys are fucking assholes.”
“That's exactly my point. Are you going to be able to not tear Phillip's head off if you see him touch me.”
Arsen went dark for a moment, and I knew right away what the answer was. Arsen was incredibly possessive, and I loved that quality about him. But parts of my life were water to his oil, they just couldn't mix. I braced for a massive argument, how could I not?
Then, surprisingly, he nodded. “You're right, I'd rip his fucking arms off and shove them up his ass.” He eyed me dangerously. “You'd better not enjoy any of it,” Arsen demanded, but it was a more playful than domineering.
At this point, he had to know that he was the only man for me. Didn't he?
“You can't drive me anymore, and no one's attacked me since we've been in the west coast.” He seemed crazy reasonable about my request, so of course I had to push my limits and rib him a bit just to make sure it actually was alright with him. “You're not the least bit worried that I won't need you anymore?”
'Challenge accepted', flashed in his eyes. His hand grabbed my knee. “You could never stop needing me.”
“Yeah?” I teased. “And what can you do that my vibrator can't?”
“With a vibrator, you'll only get touched. With my cock,” Arsen dragged his nails up my nylon-covered thighs, creating little bunches and tears. If there was one thing Arsen didn't care at all about, it was my clothes. For every ruined outfit I had, I also had an amazing, heart-stopping memory of how he ruined it. “You'll get fucked.”
My gaze darted toward the open driver's window. I was jerked forward, when he grabbed my thighs and pulled them toward him. We were in plain sight of the driver's rear view mirror.
“Arsen!” I quietly scolded him, while frantically slapping at the console. Finally the tinted window between the driver's seat and us went up. Jesus, that was close. “You can't be doing that in public!”
“Public?” Arsen looked around, mockingly. “Now, can your vibrator do this?” He reached up under my skirt and dragged down my nylons. Arsen slipped his fingers into my panties and pushed them up against my sensitive lips, hard. “Does your vibrator know exactly how to touch your pussy?”
“It is pretty good,” I moaned. I was already wet down there. “It's got a bunch of settings. What else you got?”
He curled his fingers into my pussy, up between my lips and across my clit, one by one. Each finger caused a mini spasm to shoot into my stomach. Then he pulled his hand out and licked his fingers, one by one. I moaned again at the sight of him sucking me off his fingers.
Now I was soaked.
“Mmmm, I think I need a little more of that.” Arsen abruptly grabbed my ass, pulling my crotch into the air before him. I was thrown onto my back. My shoulders were the only thing that touched the leather seats, everything else hovered in front of his chest.
He didn't even bother taking my underwear off, he just pulled them aside and dove in with his tongue. Arsen was rarely ever gentle with the things he wanted, but he was a gymnast with his tongue. He touched places inside of me that I didn't even know how to reach.
I shifted over to one side to get away from him, I didn't want to come just yet. Arsen readjusted to get a better grip on me and sucked my clit, my eyes rolled back and I bit my lip.
“Fuckfuckfuck... Don't stop, I'm so fucking close!” He had me. He knew he had me. There was no stopping it now. The intense pleasure of his tongue coupled with the image of Arsen sucking his fingers, wrecked me to the core.
I came. And I came loudly.
“Uh, ma'am?” The limo driver's voice came out of the small speaker next to the intercom button... that my elbow was digging into! “Are you alright?”
Oh shit!
I jerked my arm away. My elbow had been propping me up, with it gone, I slapped down awkwardly onto my shoulder. He knows it's just me and Arsen back here. My chest seized up, this could be what does it! Arsen and I had gotten more relaxed lately and if we kept doing things this way, it was only a matter of time till we got caught. When that happened, I could say goodbye to my dream movie...
No production survives a scandal like incest, regardless if it's only step siblings.
“Just practicing my lines!” I blurt out, unconvincingly. When I didn't hear a response, I pressed the button and repeated myself, but this time with a little more conviction.
“Uh, yes, ma'am.” The driver replied, equally unconvincingly. “Also, we'll be arriving at the studio momentarily.”
“Circle the block please.” I paused, searching for an excuse as to why I didn't want to get out of this car as a wet, sticky mess, on the cusp of another orgasm. “I need more practice. For that scene.”
I cursed myself for not being nearly as good at improv as I should've been. To be fair, I wasn't thinking straight. That was by far the most intense orgasm I'd ever had.
“He's gonna have to go a hell of a lot farther than that.” Arsen casually remarked, burying his mouth back into my clit.
“Make that ten blocks!” My voice pitched an octave higher at the end, when Arsen bit one on my lower lips. The pain pushed me back over the edge of bliss. I had no idea how I managed to turn off the intercom system before I came.
Arsen's tongue and fingers destroyed me over the course of those ten blocks. I was actually physically dazed from all the orgasms he put me through. Even still, I needed more. I wanted his cock inside me. It wasn't a want anymore, it was a need.
I reached for it, but he slapped my hand away. Did he really want me to beg? This was Arsen, of course he did.
“Please...” I whined as the car came to a stop.
No! We couldn't have arrived back to the studio already? In that moment, I didn't give a damn about being caught or that I was already past the call time to show up. What I needed was more time with Arsen. I wasn't done with him yet.
He reached into his pants and stroked himself. “When you get in there, you just remember that it was my cock you were begging for.”
“Oh, you are such a fucking monster!” My mouth dropped, he was going to make me suffer. Arsen could play me like a musical instrument. He would never have to worry about Phillip, or anyone else. I'd always been his.
Arsen's had my heart since prom night, all those years ago.
Chapter 20
Arsen
Past
I kissed Val one last time before letting her go.
“I'll see you tomorrow for your birthday?” It was nearly three in the morning. Val meant later today, but I didn't correct her.
“Definitely.” I couldn't think of another person I wanted to spend the day with, or every day with. She opened the door to leave. Ri
ght before she slid out, I grabbed her hand. “Val, I...” The words I wanted to say were lodged uncomfortably in my throat for too long. “Thanks,” I wussed out and held up the pendant she gave me instead.
She kissed me on the cheek and hopped out of my truck. Her ruined dress train dragged behind her as she walked to the door. I could watch that girl forever. She looked back and smiled, then disappeared.
“I love you, Val.” The words finally came out, but she wasn't around to hear them.
Why couldn't I tell her? Was I too afraid? I sighed, then drove out of her long driveway, thinking that tomorrow was way too far away. I wasn't afraid of anything, my resolve hardened. I will tell her tomorrow.
When I arrived at my house I found a black Lexus idling in my spot. I knew immediately who it was, and part of me was glad for it. Now that I had a taste for it, I loved the idea of fighting for Valentine. She was mine, I wouldn't let anyone change that.
Hugh Dawson got out of his car, he'd been waiting for me.
I turned my truck off and walked over to him. It was kind of a surreal moment, it was like finding an angry George Clooney at your door in the middle of the night.
“What do you want, Hugh?” I cut right to it. Whatever this was, it ended tonight.
“You had your fun, Mr. Constantine. Now you're going to stay away from my daughter.” He stood in front of his headlights to look more menacing. He probably learned that on the set of one of his films.
“And why the hell would I do that?” I stood unfazed, refusing to be intimidated. He was just an a rich, spoiled actor. Our plumber had probably gotten into more real fights than Hugh ever had.
Hugh pulled a fat money clip from the breast pocket of his blazer. There must have been several thousand dollars in it.
“You think you can buy me?” I laughed. This asshole didn't know me at all. Despite how hard I fought against it growing up, my father instilled in me a sense of pride that couldn't be bought. “My father was a Marine. I'd never let him down by accepting your bribe.”
