by Piper Snow
“Hi,” I said, trying not to sound nervous.
“Wow,” Eli said as his eyes moved down by body and back up to meet my eyes. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
That was an understatement. Dressed in a grey silk suit and white shirt with the top few buttons undone, he looked very smart and damn sexy. Add to that his vivid blue eyes, dark hair and those perfectly round lips I used to imagine myself kissing, and I was melting underneath my clothes. This guy was a dream.
“Shall we?” he asked as he held out his hand for me to take. As our fingers touched I felt a zing of something shoot through my entire body. Something I hadn’t felt in so long that, at first, I wasn’t sure what it was.
Excitement.
I immediately started regretting my decision to abstain from sex, and I knew I would have to use all my strength to resist the temptation of him. I was almost glad I’d spent the last two years hating him – there’d be no way I could control myself around him if I still fantasized about him every night. But then I remembered the dream I’d had the night before, and a naughty smile pulled at the edge of my mouth.
“So, what are you in the mood for?” Eli asked as we waited for the elevator.
“Huh?”
“For dinner. Any preference?”
“Oh,” I sighed in relief. For a moment I thought he had read my thoughts. I knew exactly what I was in the mood for, but it wasn’t food.
“I booked a table at The Vine, but if you’d rather we can go somewhere else.”
“The Vine is great,” I smiled. “But be prepared to be swarmed by paparazzi.”
“Oh, right. I haven’t been there in a while, I forgot.”
“I can handle it, as long as you don’t mind being seen with me. It probably won’t help your image as a serial dater,” I laughed as we stepped into the elevator and headed down to the hotel car park.
“I don’t care too much about my image.”
“That’s something we definitely have in common.”
He smiled, and I couldn’t stop staring at his lips. I did a superb job of pretending I didn’t notice his good looks last night, but we hadn’t even made it to the restaurant yet and I was already failing miserably.
It was going to be a challenging night.
Chapter Six
ELI
“That wasn’t too bad,” I said as we followed the maître d' to our table at the back of the restaurant, where we could get to know each other in privacy but still have a view of the rest of the room. We had managed to pass by the paparazzi with relatively no drama, apart from the usual flashing of lightbulbs, of course.
I held the chair out for Jaz and surprise flashed in her eyes before she sat down. “Thank you, what a gentleman.”
“My pleasure.”
It really was. Sitting across from Jaz, looking absolutely stunning in a red dress and matching heels, with those blazing eyes and killer smile, I felt like the luckiest guy in the entire restaurant.
I felt her gaze on me while I ordered us a bottle of non-alcoholic red wine – something the restaurant started stocking just for me after I started becoming a regular – and I loved knowing that out of all the guys in the room, she was looking at me.
“Have you ever tried the steak here? It’s the best.” I gestured to the menu, but noticed caution in her expression.
“I’m a vegetarian.”
“Oh,” I paused. “Well I’m sure they have plenty of great tofu items, too. This is L.A, after all.”
She smiled, almost looking relieved. “For a second I thought you were one of those people who hates vegetarians. I was getting ready for a lecture about protein.”
“Not at all, I’ve got nothin’ against it. But even if I did have a problem with vegetarians, I would forget it straight away if it meant making you happy.”
I instantly rolled my eyes at myself for spitting out such a corny line, and she burst into laughter.
“Sorry,” I said, chuckling along with her. “As you can probably tell, I haven’t been on a date in a while.” But even in all my dating history, I didn’t remember ever being so nervous. I took a sip of water to try to calm my nerves.
“It’s alright, I get it. I haven’t dated in a while either. So at least we can make fools of ourselves together.”
Our laughter rattled the table, and with that all my nerves just faded away.
By the time we’d finished our dinner, it had become one of the best dates I’d ever been on. Not only was she easy-going and hilarious, she was completely sure of herself – which is hard to find in a twenty-something celebrity in this town. Jaz Malone knew what she wanted and went after it, and I intended to be the next addition to her ‘must-have’ list.
As we waited for the dessert to arrive, I noticed a drastic change in her body language. Her shoulders tensed and she went silent, her eyes locked on something behind me.
I turned to see what was causing my date to be having such an adverse reaction, already feeling protective of her, but all I saw was Trent Wentworth. A movie star, teen heartthrob and latest ‘it’ guy, girls usually went into a screaming frenzy when they saw him, but Jaz was frozen in panic. He was with another movie star, a young blonde girl whose name I couldn’t remember.
“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning forward to touch her hand. Her skin was warm and soft, completely opposite to her current cold, hard demeanor.
“Yeah,” she said, her quiet voice indicating she was the opposite. “Can we... Sorry, do you mind if we leave?”
“Are you sure? We haven’t had dessert yet.”
“I know, I just... I need to go.” She stood up, grabbing her clutch before starting towards the entrance.
I sprang to my feet, hoping to hell that I hadn’t offended her in some way.
I paid the bill and turned to run out the door after her, but stopped when I saw her standing in the foyer, twisting her fingers around each other anxiously. I walked up to her, feeling pained at seeing her so uneasy.
“Are you okay?” I asked again.
She looked around, making sure no-one was listening. “I’m so sorry, it’s just... Trent Wentworth is here. We used to date. It didn’t end well.”
Suddenly it all made perfect sense. I hadn’t done anything wrong, she just didn’t want to be in the same room as her ex. I felt relieved that I hadn’t ruined our date, and sympathized with her, understanding exactly how she felt.
“Do you mind if we go somewhere else for dessert?”
“No problem at all, Jaz,” I said as I held the door open for her to exit. Once we were in the car and out of view of the paparazzi, I continued. “I get it, I hate seeing my ex. I’d probably do the same thing if I saw her right now.”
“It’s just so frustrating, you know?” she said, her hands clenching into fists. “I see him enough as it is, his face is plastered all over billboards and commercials, I can’t even go to the movies without seeing that smug face on the screen. Seeing him in person, with her, is just the end of the line for me.”
I nodded, never having considered how hard it would be to get over someone if you saw their picture every day.
“And everyone thinks he’s such a great guy!” she continued, throwing her arms in the air. “Mr All-American-Nice-Guy. If anyone ever says a bad word about him, his twitter followers send them death threats. If only they knew...” She trailed off, and I wasn’t sure what to say. But I suddenly hated Trent Wentworth.
“Sorry,” she sighed. “I totally just broke the first rule of dating: Never Talk About Your Ex On The First Date. Rant over. I’m fine.”
“Don’t worry about it. Whatever he did, I’m sorry he was such a jerk to you. You deserve much better,” I tried to pretend I wasn’t turned on by her outburst. Seeing her get all fired up like that was extremely sexy.
“Thanks, I know that now. Sorry I made you skip out on dessert.”
“Actually, I know a really great cafe just ne
ar here that does an amazing apple pie. You up for it?”
“That sounds perfect, let’s do it.”
Chapter Seven
JAZ
“That was the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted!” I dropped the fork onto the empty plate and leaned back into the seat of our booth.
“Told you!” Eli smiled, the warm lighting of the cafe seemed to make him glow.
“Sorry Eli, but we’re closin’ up,” the owner called from behind the counter.
“Already? It’s only...” His eyes widened in surprise. “Midnight? Oh, ok. We’re leaving, Joe!”
I couldn’t believe we’d been sitting there for over three hours. It certainly didn’t feel that long, and I wasn’t nearly done enjoying his company yet.
Just as I realized I wanted to spend more time with him, a tired yawn forced its way through my lips.
“You’re tired, I’ll take you home,” he offered as he stood up from the booth and held his hand out for me to take.
“I wish I wasn’t, I’m having fun.” I took his hand, trying to pretend I didn’t notice how good it felt to touch his skin.
The corner of his mouth turned up into a half-smile. “Me too.”
He held my hand as we drove through the streets of L.A, and I smiled at the irony of finding someone I desperately wanted to invite into my bed just as I’d promised myself I wouldn’t. A week ago, I would have taken him up to my hotel room purely out of habit. But before I could take it to the next level with Eli, I needed to learn how to go to bed alone, and be comfortable with it.
He pulled the car into the undercover parking garage of the hotel, and I simultaneously hoped he would kiss me goodnight and worried that, if he did, I wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation of him.
“Thanks so much, Eli. I had a really great night.”
“It was my pleasure, Jaz,” he paused, running a hand through his dark hair. “Can I see you again?”
My heart jumped with joy. “Sure, I’d love that. You know where to find me.” I motioned to the hotel above us.
“Awesome, I’ll call you.”
He leaned closer, and my heart was beating like a drum in my chest. As his soft lips brushed against my own, I felt my entire body flush with heat. I had fantasized about this moment for so long, the feel of his lips, the taste of his tongue, the warmth of his breath. And now it was happening, Eli Hudson was kissing me.
He lifted my chin to get better access to my mouth while he ran his other hand through my hair, sending glorious shivers down my spine.
I placed my hands on either side of his beautiful face, his slight stubble tickling my skin.
I’d never been so turned on by a simple kiss before. I felt my panties getting wetter with every twirl of our tongues and a whimper escaped from my lips as he slid his fingers down my neck in a tantalizingly slow fashion.
He pulled his lips away from mine and for a moment my heart sank, but when he moved his attention to my neck all was forgiven. He tugged on my hair, pulling my head back to arch my neck further into his mouth as he licked my creamy skin.
I let out a long, low moan as his kisses moved down to the fullness of my breasts, my nipples so taut I thought they would burst through my dress. I felt his hand move down my back and start to gently pull on the zipper of my dress, and I bit my lip hard.
I desperately wanted him to continue, I wanted to know what it felt like to have his lips on my bare nipples, to feel his hands gliding across my naked body, to have his hard cock slide into...
I snapped my eyes open, knowing I was entering dangerous territory. I couldn’t let this go any further, I had to resist him tonight.
“Eli, wait,” I whispered, knowing if I didn’t get out of his car and up to my room fast, I’d never trust myself again. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
He sat up in the driver’s seat, his immaculately blue eyes sparkling with desire.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t have any more one night stands, remember?”
“What makes you think it would be a one night stand?” he asked, a worried expression on his face.
“Well, I don’t think... At least I hope, it wouldn’t be,” I tried to explain. “But right now, I can’t be sure. I’m just not ready yet, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on but your kisses are just...” I trailed off with a giddy smile, the delicious taste of him still lingering on my lips and in my mind.
A proud grin formed on his face. “It’s okay, I understand. You need to do this for yourself, I get it. I’m glad you’re not the kind of person who goes back on their word. Although I did kind of hope I’d be too irresistible for you to say no to. Maybe I’ve lost my touch over the years.”
Even though I knew he was joking, my eyes widened in protest. “Not at all! Your touch is still very much irresistible, which is why I need to get the hell outta here.”
I wanted to lean in and give him a final kiss goodnight, but the risk of losing myself in that same irresistible touch was too great. I composed myself, said goodnight and stepped out of the car, the coolness of the air refreshing after such a heated encounter.
I walked into the hotel lobby and made a B-line for the elevator, making sure I didn’t look back or slow my pace in case I changed my mind in a moment of weakness.
As I exited the elevator and walked down the hall to my room, I noticed how clear and light I felt. I wasn’t sure if it was my newfound sobriety or the amazing night I’d just had, or both. Either way, I was feeling good.
I closed my door and leaned my head against it, unable to wipe the smile from my face. I had just thrown my clutch on the entry table and slipped my heels off when there was a knock at the door.
I held my breath as I turned the handle, secretly hoping Eli was on the other side.
“Well?” It was Kelly and Ella, standing in the hallway in their pajamas and holding martini’s, eagerly awaiting a report on the night’s events.
“We brought you one, too. Virgin, of course, to support Mission: Sober.” Kelly smiled as she held a martini out to me, trying to sweeten their way through my door.
“Come on in,” I sighed, knowing they wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“It’s well past midnight, young lady,” Ella said in a mock posh British accent. “You’d better have a bloody good excuse... or a hella good story.” She winked as she and Kelly sat on the edge of my bed.
“Where’s Jesse?” I asked, purposely changing the subject to tease them.
“Out partying and gathering groupies,” Kelly said. “Enough chit-chat! How was it?”
“Was it everything you’d always dreamed of? Is he funny? Did he treat you well? Did he pay for dinner? Are you seeing him again?” Ella didn’t even pause for breath between her ambush of questions, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her excitement.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes and I hope so,” I said as I sat on a lounge chair next to the bed.
“Awwww!” they swooned in unison.
“What’s he like?” Kelly’s eyes lit up as she awaited my answer.
“He’s... brilliant.” My heart fluttered just thinking about him. “I mean, I always knew he was an awesome musician, but he’s also really down-to-earth, he makes me laugh, he’s sweet, he’s amazingly understanding and he’s just a lot of fun to hang out with. There’s a whole amazing side to him you never see on TV or hear on radio.”
“Oh!” Kelly said, reaching to get my laptop from the coffee table. “Speaking of media.”
She Googled ‘Jaz Malone and Eli Hudson’ and was instantly greeted with half a dozen news stories about our date, with photos to match. Kelly turned the laptop to face me so I could get a better look. I scanned the top news story from a celebrity gossip blogger, which read;
JAZ AND ELI’S NIGHT OUT RUINED BY EX!
Jaz Malone and Eli Hudson were snapped together at The Vine restaurant tonight, at what appeared to be a first date! Fans of these two mega-stars went into an excited frenzy upon hearing of their hookup, but it looks like t
heir romance was short-lived! The couple stormed out just moments after Jaz’s ex-boyfriend and Hollywood superstar Trent Wentworth went inside with his new fiancé, Sarah Auburn.
“Oh yeah,” Ella cringed. “Sorry Trent crashed your dream date, sweetie.”
“Ugh. Yeah, that was awkward, but we hardly ‘stormed out’. Actually, Eli was really cool about it all. He took me to a cute little place where they make the best apple pie, and we ended up just talking for hours.”
They smiled, and Ella finally asked the question I knew they’d been dying to hear the answer to. “Did you kiss him?”
I pursed my lips as my cheeks warmed into a blush, something that rarely ever happened to me.
“You did!” Ella squealed. “How was it?”
“Was it better than the posters of him you used to kiss?” Kelly laughed.
“Infinitely!” I chuckled. “He’s a sensational kisser.” I fanned my face with my hand, trying to cool myself down at the memory of his lips.
“Look at her!” Kelly nudged Ella with her elbow. “She’s falling in love!”
I rolled my eyes at her, but something deep inside of me fluttered at her words.
“Did you do anything else?” Ella asked coyly, winking again.
I shook my head. “Nope, no one night stands, remember? I’m not sleeping with him until I’m ready.”
“Go you!” Kelly said as she raised her glass to mine, and I felt lucky to have such supportive girlfriends.
* * *
The next morning, I awoke to the sound of someone knocking on my door. I stumbled out of bed, lifting the strap of my silk nightie back up to its rightful place before opening the door.
“Morning, sunshine!” It was Kelly and Ella again, with Jesse this time, although the tiredness on his face suggested he’d rather be in bed.
“We’re going to brunch, wanna come?” Kelly smiled.
“No thanks,” I said, stifling a yawn. “I was actually thinking about doing some songwriting. I feel inspired all of a sudden.”
