Debt Collector

by Weston Parker

  "Are you being serious, Ethan?" I blinked a few times and tried to push away the suffocating rightness of having him pressed to the front of me. As much as I hated myself for doing it, I sank into him and pulled him as close as I could.

  Of course I wanted love. Lust was best used as a byproduct of love, not the other way around. But... we were acting. Right?

  He gave me a soft smile. "My name is Mark for this Improv. Of course I'm acting. It's what we do best, right?"

  "Cut. Very good, guys. You have some serious magic together. Want to do another one?" Clayton clapped loudly and moved up beside us.

  I couldn't get a word out. The moment had been too real for me. Was Ethan fucking with me? Surely not. Not after everything else we'd been through. Love instead of lust? Yes. I wanted it so badly it hurt, but it scared the hell out of me too. Everyone I loved left.

  "No more improv." Frank moved up beside me and touched the small of my back. "You all right? You look stunned." He glanced up toward the guys. "Did something happen?"

  "Ethan swept her off her feet." Clayton lifted his brow at me. A warning. We'd been working on me having the upper hand with all of my co-stars, but that was easier said than done when my teenage fantasy was breathing high doses of lust all over me.

  "It's the way I roll." He lifted his hands toward the sky and started to stretch. "All the ladies need a fan when I'm around."

  "Oh dear God." I glanced over at Frank. "Let's do the scene. He didn't sweep me off my feet. I got lost in my own head. It's something Clayton has been working on with me."

  "Lost in your own head?" Ethan called after us as Frank and I turned to walk back toward the set.

  "You all right? I know you've been through a lot lately. Don't let us push you too hard, okay? I'm serious." He released me and gave me a warm fatherly look.

  "I'm okay. Just struggling with a few things, but everyone is. I'm no different there."

  "You lost your mother, Riley. That's a really big deal."

  "I know, but I can't dwell on it."

  "You'll have to eventually. Loss bubbles up inside us and forces us to give it homage when we've suffered something big. Just make sure you do that and take the time to grieve, otherwise it will show up at the exact time you don't want it to."

  "Sounds like Ethan." I smiled and forced myself into a facade. Either my sexy co-star was playing around with my emotions, or he was trying to figure out where we were in our relationship under the guise of acting.

  Had he set up the improv with Clayton? Were they ganging up on me?

  You're being a sensitive tit.

  ***

  "Much better!" Frank clapped his hands as he walked around the set. "That was beautiful. Seems like all we needed to do was to get Clayton to loosen the two of you up a little."

  "Or let me play the part." Clayton winked as I glanced over to analyze if he was being cheeky or serious.

  "It's for a warm-blooded human. That kicks you out right there, old friend." Ethan patted Clay on the back as he walked toward me. "Dinner plans?"

  "I thought we were having a movie fest?" I wasn't so sure that was a good idea anymore after his stunt during the improv work. I couldn't seem to shake the idea that I was playing the fool and he was the one jerking my strings.

  "We can do that too." He stopped in front of me, but didn't reach out like I expected him to.

  Too many people around? Or did he really not feel what I felt? Maybe lust was safer, more pure. At least it didn't lie. I couldn't tell if he was falling in love with me, or maybe I refused to interpret the signs in a way that left me with a result I didn't want. With lust it was easy. My body betrayed me with the truth, as his did him.

  "Yeah. We should see if anyone else is interested." I started to move around him, but he reached out and grabbed my hands, stilling me.

  "No. I want time together."

  "You do? I thought you were acting."

  "You're headed toward a spanking." He lifted his brow.

  "I like spankings, remember?"

  "Marry me." He smirked before releasing one of my hands and tugging me down the beach with him. "Let's take a quick walk on the beach before we grab a hot dog and go pile up naked in your bed for a long night of chick flicks."

  "You like chick flicks?"

  He chuckled. "No comment on us getting naked?"

  "No. My momma taught me not to feed the bears at the zoo. They only grow bigger." I squeezed his hand and forced my wayward concerns back into the box in my heart where they belonged. I would analyze everything later when I had time to myself, but I needed excitement and lust to reign supreme for an evening.

  Frank called after us. "You guys aren't coming to dinner?"

  Ethan paused and glanced back. "No. We're going to grab a hot dog and go over the sex scenes a few times. It's all good. I brought rubbers." He gave Frank the thumbs up with his free hand as I groaned in embarrassment.

  "You have absolutely no filter, Ethan Lewis."

  "I just wanted to see you blush for me, Riley Phillips." We turned and walked down the beach a few feet before he stopped, released my hand and knelt down to pick up a shell. He glanced up at me as his expression softened. "Talk to me about how you've been doing. You know, since losing your mom."

  "Oh." That. Why did everyone want to talk about my darkest moment? I'd rather tuck it away and forget about it, but that obviously wasn't going to happen.

  "We don't have to talk about it, Ri." He stood up and brushed the shell off.

  "When did you decide to call me by something other than my name?" I took the shell he offered and put it in my pocket.

  "The first time I met you. I'm not trying to abbreviate your name. I lose my breath after the first part because of the way you make me feel." He wagged his eyebrows and reached for me.

  Damn if I didn't sink into his strong arms. "I can't ever tell if you're playing a part or if you're being real."

  "Will the real Ethan Lewis, please stand up?" He glanced around as I chuckled and pressed my cheek to his chest, wishing more than anything that the real Ethan Lewis was the one holding me.

  Only time would tell if that were true.

  Chapter 8

  Ethan

  She was so far beyond perfect, it hurt. The way she molded herself to the front of my body was both sexual and loving. I wanted to tell her that she belonged there - with me, but it would have been silly. Like a dicked up, cheesy-ass line from an old movie. The movies I loved so much.

  "You want to get something to eat?" I kissed the top of her head and glanced back down the beach to find the film crew packing up and not paying us a bit of attention. Did I care if they knew we had something budding between us? Not really. Other than pissing off Deza, which was a bonus depending on the day, I was proud of who Riley was. She'd be a better performer than I ever would, and a part of me wanted to daydream about the day when she was center stage and I was standing behind the curtain, simply supporting her dreams.

  "Yeah. In a minute." She glanced up at me, tearing at my heart with the sadness that sat at the edge of her expression. Whether she was willing to recognize it or not... she was suffering from losing her mom. I couldn't stand my own mother, and I would have crawled in a dark room for a month and let myself wilt over her dying on me.

  "Take all the time you need. I don't have anywhere to be until tomorrow morning." I reached up and brushed her hair back as I worked to memorize the way she seemed to take in the beauty all around us. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She stole the show from nature, and left my heart racing.

  "My mom and I weren't particularly close, you know?" She glanced back toward me, and my heart constricted in my chest. Fuck. She was going to open up. I wasn't sure what to say, so I nodded in compliance and tightened my grip on her. "She got into drugs when I was young. My brother Derick followed in her footsteps."

  "He's gone too?" Did I really just ask that? Epic fail.

  "Yeah." Her voice lost volume. "I don't know what to think ab
out it. I'm broken by all of it, but I just have it tucked away in this part of my heart that I keep under lock and key, you know?"

  "Yeah, I totally get that. Every disappointment. Every fuck up and failure. Every loss I've ever had is behind the same type of door." I ran my fingers down the side of her face and took a shaky breath. This is what love felt like. Exhilarating and scary as hell. Clayton throwing me to the sharks almost sounded like a joy ride compared to the thought of loving and losing the woman in front of me. "It's the only way I know to keep moving forward and not giving the fuck up."

  "Exactly." She cupped her hand over mine and turned, pressing her lips against my palm. "Don't play with my emotions, okay? I can't handle that shit right now."

  "Never." I leaned down and moved in for a kiss.

  The sweet taste of peppermint filled my mouth as I slipped my tongue deep into hers and ran my hand down her back. I took my time, exploring her, tasting her, loving her. We were meant for each other, and yet both of us were still pushing back. I'd have to have one final conversation with Deza and move forward in my relationship with Riley. Where there were so many reasons for being cautious, the ones for being reckless and going for it far outweighed them.

  She broke the kiss, her big blue eyes glossy, her lip swollen. "Wow."

  "I want more." I went in for another kiss as she pressed her hand against my chest.

  "Let's grab something to eat and we can pick up where we left off behind the closed doors of my hotel room."

  "Movie night in high style, hm?"

  "Movie night is no fun without a little bit of heat, right?"

  "We talking chili powder on the popcorn, or you on my lap?" I kissed the tip of her nose before moving back and wrapping an arm around her shoulders again. We'd probably end up on the front page of every major magazine as a "couple”, but it wouldn't bother me much. The hope was that we were headed that way sooner rather than later.

  "Both?" She gave me a cute smile and snuggled in closer against my side.

  "Nice. Hey, before I forget..." I bit on my bottom lip and thought through whether or not inviting Riley to my parents’ house that weekend was a good idea. It would suck balls to be there and have nothing to do for most of the afternoon and evening on Saturday. Liam would be there, but he usually tried to play the good son in front of our parents.

  "Um, did you forget?" She laughed, causing me to smile.

  "No. I was just trying to decide how much I liked you. My parents are having their anniversary party on Saturday, and Liam and I have to be there. My mom's ready for grandchildren, so she's going to give me extreme amounts of shit if I don't bring someone with me as my future wife."

  She laughed again, and I delighted in the sound. The woman had me by the balls and the heart. It was comical to watch her question her pull over me, but I'd seen her do it multiple times. Clayton needed to forgo his teaching her how to be a better actress and instead remind her of the confidence she had locked down inside of her. If she had a clue of her ability to cast a spell across the audience... she'd be dangerous to more than just me.

  "Are you asking me to pretend to be your girlfriend this weekend?"

  "Yeah. It's not too farfetched is it?" I smiled and moved up to hold the door open for her. "I'll let you pet the monster if you agree to help me out."

  An older couple walked out of the hotel through the door I held open. The look on their faces was priceless.

  "Shit, Ethan. Really?" Her cheeks turned red as she laughed.

  "Absolutely." I took her hand, finding myself not wanting a moment where we weren't touching in some capacity. It felt wrong to miss out on anything with her.

  "I guess I could come. I don't have plans. Are we staying the night?"

  "Not there, no." I held the door at the elevator and let my eyes move down her back to the sweet curve of her ass. How nice it was going to feel to get her naked and run my hands over every inch of her. Would she finally let me fuck her that night? And if so... how many times? How many ways? My body woke up - fast.

  "You okay?" She moved up to face me as the elevator closed.

  "Yeah. I just keep thinking about how good it would feel to sink down deep inside of you." I reached out and pulled her flush against me.

  "And what if you're too big?" She licked her pretty pink lips and ran her hands down my sides.

  "Then we'll work you up to being able to handle me." I leaned in and gave her a quick, hard kiss. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Me stretching you a little more every time we tried? An inch here and there? Pleasure enough to make you shake beneath me."

  "How did this turn from me playing your girlfriend at your mom's this weekend to you fucking me senseless?"

  I laughed and cupped her face. "Everything comes back to me fucking you senseless. I've wanted to since we met."

  "That's rather flattering, coming from you." She brushed her lips by mine, teasing me.

  "What if I wasn't a movie star, Riley? What if I was just me? Would my words still matter? Would my lust for you still cause your body to ache? To get wet for me?"

  "Oh yeah. It's so much more than that." She leaned in closer, kissing me a few times and smiling. "We're not going to make it through a movie, are we?"

  "Yeah. Of course we are. I have restraint. Do you?" I kissed her again as the door opened.

  "I'm not sure." She walked out ahead of me and glanced down the hallway. "My room or yours."

  "This is your floor. I'm up a few more."

  "Well, of course you are." She chuckled and walked toward the room.

  I couldn't help but move up behind her and cup her breasts as she worked on the lock. I pressed myself against her and leaned down to lick and suck at the back of her neck.

  "How about we fuck and then watch a movie and then fuck again. Like a round robin? We'll just give each activity a turn, both the same in length."

  "Fuck for two hours and watch a movie for two hours?"

  "Yes, then wash, rinse and repeat." I squeezed her breasts and rocked my hips forward to make sure she felt the effects of what she did to me without effort.

  "You're such a tease." She pulled from me as the door opened, but by the airy sound of her voice, I knew I had her where I wanted her.

  We could talk about love another day. Lust would help anchor that conversation better anyway.

  "This coming from the best tease I know." I walked to her bed and dropped down on it. "So you're up for helping me this weekend?"

  "How much does the job pay?" She reached up and took her earrings out.

  "It's worth eight hours of hard core fucking by yours truly."

  She rolled her eyes. "What if I don't like the way-"

  "Don't even try, woman. You know you're going to love it." I laid back and put my hands under my head. "You should bring your cute little blonde friend. She could be Liam's girl for the night."

  "Firstly, you're not allowed to call her cute in front of me, and secondly, I thought we were keeping her away from your brother. I thought he was a user."

  "She is cute, and he is a user." I smirked, enjoying the look she gave me far too much. "Come sit on my lap and rub yourself on this big fucker." I reached down and stroked myself as she took a shaky breath.

  "We forgot to get food."

  "Let's eat each other?"

  "Hot dogs from the room service menu?"

  "Cock and balls on page five."

  "You're ridiculous." She laughed and walked around me to get to the phone.

  I reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward me and rolling over to trap her to the bed once I had her down with me.

  "You think so?" I leaned down and kissed the side of her neck, breathing her in and finding heaven against her. "Maybe I'm just straightforward and honest."

  "Is that what you like to call it?" She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.

  "Call it whatever you like, just don't make me get up." I ground against her, enjoying the sound of her moans as she f
inally relaxed and realized that we weren’t eating hot dogs and we weren't watching a movie. We were fucking.

  Finally.

  Chapter 9

  Riley

  "You're already up." I pressed my heel against the bed and rolled us over. "I want to taste you."

  "What? No. I wanna feel you come." He reached up and gripped the sides of my face, pulling me back down for a long, probing kiss. Every cell in my body came alive, percolating at the idea of having a night trapped beneath him.

  "You will, but you're not denying me again." I nipped aggressively at his mouth and moved down the length of his body until I reached the top of his jeans.

  "Riley. You don't have to-"

  "I want to. Shut up already." I undid his jeans as he played with my hair and brushed his fingers by my breasts, teasing my already rock hard nipples.

  "Don't overdo it. Just take what you can."

  I chuckled and glanced up to pin him with a hard stare. "Do you always coach the women who are about to suck your cock? It's not very sexy."

  "Fine, but I better hear you choke, or you're not doing it right." He dropped back and groaned as I tugged his pants down his thighs and forced his silky black briefs to follow suit.

  "Fuck you," I whispered roughly as I let my eyes move across the 'monster'. He was by far the biggest man I'd seen in real life or on a late night porn. My body clenched at the very idea of fitting him inside of me. It was as if every naughty fantasy I had came to life and taunted me with desire.

  He lifted his head and smiled. "Take a picture. It lasts longer."

  "Hush." I smiled and reached up, taking him in my hands and stroking him a few times. He was right... there was no way in hell I was fitting him in my mouth. But... there was nothing like a good challenge to get my blood pumping.

  The groan that left him as I leaned over and pressed my mouth to the top of his meaty head was enough to force me to the edge of orgasm. I was over stimulated, and by the way he gripped the sheets, he was too.