by Ali Parker
"Yep. She's not willing to give it up... yet." I shrugged and leaned back, closing my eyes. The conversation was over. I didn't owe him or Liam or Deza shit, and I wasn't paying it. My thoughts were my own, as were my feelings.
I wasn't sure I would be able to make it through the full production without melting into a puddle on the ground, but I was going to try. I couldn't remember another time in my life of having someone pull so many of my strings, but Riley was doing it... with no effort. I loved it.
***
I sat in the dark beside Deza, holding my breath as the curtain lifted thirty minutes later and the music filled the auditorium. I'd always been a sucker for Phantom of the Opera, not that I would have told anyone. The love story was dark and concerning as hell, but I sure loved the passion between the two. Somehow the guy playing across from Riley didn't instill anything but pity from me. His face was covered in zits, but he still put forth a great performance.
A smile lifted my lips as I thought back on my conversation with Riley on having to kiss the guy and not really being too into him at all. I could see why now. It wasn't just the acne. She was a ten and he was a two at best. Hell, I was a seven or an eight on a good day.
She turned to face the crowd and chill-bumps raced down my spine. Intriguing. Beautiful. So fucking hot. Like an innocent princess in need of deflowering.
Deza handed me a rose as the lights came on at the end and the curtain went up. I dropped it on the floor and rose to my feet clapping like a lunatic. It had to have been the best play I'd ever seen, or maybe it was just her.
"Hey. I got that for you to give to Riley. Don't step on it, you big ass goof." Deza bent over and handed me the flower again.
"Oh. I thought you were hitting on me again." I smirked as she gave me a look. "I'll sneak backstage and give it to her."
"Yeah, that would be good. Giving it to her in front of everyone would have you stealing the show." She turned toward me and fixed my collar like I was headed to the prom.
"I don't want that." I pushed her hands away and walked toward the stage to slip in the back as the curtain went down. The cute little brunette running the curtain looked up at me, her eyes growing wide.
"You're. You're. You're him."
"Yep. I'm him. Can I sneak back there and give this to Riley?" I lifted the rose to my nose and gave her a sweet look.
Her eyes rolled back in her head a little as she let out a girlie sigh. "Yes. Please... do it."
"Thanks, girl." I moved past her as she squealed. My life was odd at best, but it was mine. I found Riley standing in a large crowd of college kids, all of them gushing over her. "Hey... you."
She glanced over her shoulder as the collective crowd turned. The smile on her lips left me wanting to drop to my knees and offer her anything. It was the stupid romantic in me, but boy was he itching for a full on showing tonight.
"Beautiful job. You are, by far, the most beautiful Christine that I've ever seen." I extended the rose toward her. "For the Belle of the Ball."
She laughed and reached for the rose with one hand while wrapping the other around my neck.
I pulled her into a tight hug and smiled down at her. "You know these people are going to think that-"
"Let them think it." She moved back and laughed softly.
My heart was racing so much it hurt. "No, that's not nearly enough for the imagination."
I pulled her back to me and leaned down, kissing her long and hard as she sunk against me.
The cheers around us were sweet, comical, fun. I pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose.
"You are something else, Miss Phillips." I winked and released her. "Meet me out back when you're done. Stretch limo. Just for you."
"I'll be there shortly." She turned and walked back into the crowd as everyone bounced all around her. It was cool to witness and yet I didn't feel the need to be in the middle of it. I was good with watching her be adored.
How odd.
Chapter 19
Riley
Charlotte met me at the back door of the theater when I'd finally pushed through the crowd. The smile on her face mixed with the way Ethan watched me moments earlier left butterflies dancing in my chest. They like me. All of them. It was weird to think that I wanted their approval, their accolades, but I did.
"You need to change?" She reached out and pulled me into a tight hug. Her navy dress looked good on her, and momentary worry rushed through me. Would Ethan think she was more beautiful than me? Stupid. I was being stupid. It didn't matter if he did.
"Yeah. I have a white dress hanging up in my dressing room back here. Come with me." I grabbed her hand and pulled her down through the back of the auditorium as we giggled and talked about how great the play was.
"Maybe you should be on Broadway and not in the movies." She closed the door behind us and pressed her back to it.
"Maybe." I shrugged and put my back to her. "Can you help me get out of this?"
"Yeah." She walked toward me and unzipped the dress. "Tell me again who all is coming with us tonight? I'm seriously nervous."
"Don't be. It's Liam and Ethan. Just don't fall for Liam. Ethan says he's a womanizer. Let's just have drinks and hang out. I'm not staying the night, and neither are you."
"Then why the hell are we going?" She pouted and put her hands on her hips as I turned and let my dress fall to the ground.
I sighed with relief and stepped out of it before pulling my simple white dress I'd worn in Rio over my shoulders. I tugged it down my waist and over my hips.
"This look okay? It's not too plain, right?"
"It looks incredible. Take off the wig." She pointed to my head and laughed.
"Oh shit. I totally forgot." I reached up and started to pull bobby-pins from my hair. "Help me. There are tons of these things. We'll be here all night and miss out on the great wine, good food and hot boys."
"Hell no we're not." She reached up to help me.
A few minutes later, and I was standing in front of a mirror, brushing my fingers through my hair.
"Ethan has a limo we can take over there." I put on a little bit of pink lipstick and grabbed my purse. "You've always wanted to ride in a limo. Tonight is the night!"
"No, you go with him in the limo. I want to make sure we have a car if something goes wrong. Since I brought you over here, we have my car. I'll follow you guys."
"No. Come on, Char. It's not going to be fun not to go together."
"Yes it is. You guys can gush over each other and I'll follow you." She reached out and tugged at my hair. "No offense, but things don't usually go good between you two. If we don't have a car and the shit hits the fan, what are we going to do, call Jace? I don't think so."
"Jace." I let out a sad sigh. He hadn't called since the weekend. "He wasn't here tonight, was he?"
"No, but you know this isn't really his thing." She turned and opened the door. "Come on. Let's not keep Prince Charming waiting."
I snorted and followed behind her. "As if."
"He certainly looks like a Prince Charming."
"Yes, but he doesn't act like one." I walked out behind her into the parking lot. Ethan was standing in front of a long stretch limo, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his handsome face.
"It's just us, girls. Liam had to run by the hotel down the street to grab an old friend of his." He moved back and opened the door for us. "After you two."
"I'm going to follow you guys out there. I figure we might need a car." Charlotte smiled and waved back at me as she walked toward the parking lot.
"Something I said?" Ethan turned his attention back toward me.
"No. She's just worried about us being stranded. You never know about you billionaire types. Sex slaves and kidnappings and shit." I got in the car and chuckled as he yelped like a girl.
"You don't really mean that, right?" He sunk down in the seat next to me as his eyes moved over my body. "Mmmm... I remember this dress. It's my favorite."
"Don't break your good boy r
ole tonight."
"Am I playing the good boy? How dreadful is that?" He shook his head and kept his eyes on me. "You were brilliant up there."
"Thank you. I haven't had much time to work on it, but wanted to put everything I had into the part."
"And you did. I wasn't kidding. I've never seen a more beautiful, more stunning Christine." He reached out and brushed his fingers over my hand. "Every man in that auditorium was sporting wood thanks to you."
"Including you?" I bent over and fixed the buckle on my shoe, playing a dangerous game, but not being quite able to help myself.
"Especially me." He reached out and took my hand, pulling it toward him as my breath caught in my chest.
"Ethan. Please don't."
He winked and pressed my fingers to his chest. The strong beat of his heart was comforting, but it seemed to be racing. "Just wanted you to know that I'm not all hormones."
"No? Could have fooled me." I pulled my hand from him and let out a long, content sigh. "Who is Liam picking up? Should we be concerned?"
"With Liam? Fuck yes, but with Cole, no. He's a great guy. Going through a divorce right now, and he's my brother's age, but he's a good guy. Just tell Charlotte to stay away from my brother. He's a fucker."
"Unless she's looking for a one-night stand."
His eyebrow lifted sharply. "Is she?"
I laughed. "Why, are you interested now?"
"Hell no, but I'm surprised to hear that. She doesn't seem the type."
"How would you know what type she is?"
"Well, I don't, but the first day you brought her in, she didn't even use her real name. I figured she was shy, you know, the good girl type."
"Are the good girls the only ones that are shy?"
"I'm digging a hole. I know where this is going." He pulled out his phone as it buzzed. "Steaks or seafood? My brother is asking."
"Both?" I let my eyes move across his face down to the swell of his strong arms and perfect shoulders. His hands caught my attention and fantasies ran wild inside my head.
"You're panting." He put the phone in the seat beside him and reached out, brushing the back of his fingers by my cheek. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm just overly sensitive because of the high from the performance." I licked my lips and tried to slow my racing heart. Why did it feel so intimate being in the back of a car with him? Maybe it was the kiss behind the curtain in front of everyone. No, that was staged... just two co-actors having fun with the crowd.
"Feels good, right? Like the mixture of lust and love twisted in a tight chord and pulsing through the center of your body. From the top of your throat," he reached out and gripped the side of my neck as his thumb ran down the front of my throat toward my breasts, "down to the tip of your toes."
I half-expected him to stop, but he released my neck and ran his fingers down my chest, between my breasts, over my stomach and shifted a little to trace down my thigh, my knee, my shin to the top of my foot.
"Fuck,” I whispered roughly as he stayed bent over but glanced back up at me.
"What are you thinking about, Ri?"
"You." I shook my head. "But I don't want to."
"I know you don't." He sat up, and the minute his lips rose in a cocky smile, I knew I was toast. "So let’s not think any more about it. Thinking gets old fast."
I nodded and glanced to my left, almost as if some part of me wanted to find the closest exit.
"Come here." He reached for me and pulled at my arms, moving me into his lap. He cupped my face and pulled me down for a long kiss as I moved farther into his lap. The thick press of his erection was almost too much stimulation. I hadn't been with anyone in weeks, and where I thought I was good with it, I was dead wrong.
The groan that left him raced around me and pulled me in tighter, forcing me to press myself to his chest as my hips undulated forward.
"God, I need you," he whispered against my mouth and ran his hands over my back before cupping my ass tightly. "Take anything you want from me. Take all of me, Riley."
"Stop." I kissed him again and ran my fingers through his hair, drowning in the taste of him on my tongue and trying to slow the frenzy inside of me. He was the one thing I wanted above everything else, and yet I kept denying myself his affection.
"I'm not gonna have you for the first time in the back of a car, but that doesn't mean we can’t take it to the edge. Enjoy me. Stop fighting yourself and fucking break free for a few minutes." He pulled my skirt over the curve of my rear and ran his hands over my ass, playing with my panties and leaving me embarrassingly wet.
"I'm not sure I can stop." I rocked against his erection and brushed my fingers down the side of his face. "You're so insanely hot."
"So are you, baby." He slid his hands up my back and held on to me tightly as he made love to my mouth, sucking and kissing and nipping at my mouth and around my neck as I groaned and rolled my hips. I was so close to orgasm by the time the car slowed down that I was shaking.
"God," I whispered and pressed my face to his chest as he sucked my ear into his mouth.
"Just a minute." He moved me off of him and pressed the button beside the door. "Give us fifteen minutes and we'll get out."
"Yes, Sir. Of course," the driver responded.
"What are you doing?" I gripped the seat and tried to stop panting like a frightened child as he moved onto his knees and gripped my thighs.
"What I should have done the night you came out to the house, and every fucking day after that." He pulled at my legs, forcing me to slide down in the seat a little more. The look on his face left every part of me on full alert for what might be headed my way.
I cried out as he moved down and pressed his mouth against the center of my body, tugging at my wet panties and flicking his tongue across my flesh.
Pleasure. So much pleasure. It had to be more about who he was to me and less about being eaten out. I loved oral sex, but this time was different. Overwhelming.
"Ethan," I panted. "I'm not going to last long. I'm so turned on."
"You taste so fucking good. Come for me, Riley. Come hard and long for me." He licked his perfect lips and leaned down to consume me.
I cried out and draped my legs over his shoulders, lifting my hips and working myself against him as pleasure exploded in my stomach and pulled me under a tidal wave of blistering hot desire.
He moaned against my skin and lapped at me until I collapsed beneath him.
"So beautiful, baby. Stay the night with me tonight. Just tonight and if you don't want more of me when it's all over, you can go. I'll let you." He kissed the inside of my thigh as I nodded in agreement. I had no fight left in me.
Chapter 20
Ethan
My body was on fire for the beautiful woman stumbling up the stairs next to me. I'd have to get us both to the bathroom and clean us up or my brother would know immediately what happened. Like the bastard had pussy-dar or something. I smiled at the thought and knocked at the door.
"Hey. Wait up. What happened to you guys?" Charlotte walked up behind us, and I turned toward Riley, giving her a look.
She nodded and let out a soft whimper before standing up straight and lifting her chin. "When?"
"When we got here. I had to sit in my damn car for ten minutes." Charlotte laughed awkwardly.
"We were discussing something about one of the movies that Ethan has been in." Riley shrugged and turned toward the door. "Where is Liam?"
"We were arguing, actually." I smiled back at Charlotte and lifted up on my toes to get the keys. "He's at the store or picking up Cole. Why this crazy bastard leaves a key above his doorframe is beyond me. He's got enough shit in this place to make ten men rich if they just broke in and sold it."
I unlocked the door as I tried to keep my hands from shaking. I couldn't remember the last time I'd put my mouth on a girl. It was in my teenage years when I was willing to try anything once. Where I wasn't so sure I was the oral sex giving type, I sure as hell loved r
eceiving it. I glanced over at Riley, knowing without a doubt that I'd lick her pretty body anywhere and everywhere she'd let me. Every damn day of the week.
"Hey. The door’s open." Charlotte moved around us. "What is it with you two?"
"Nothing." Riley shrugged and walked into the house.
I let my eyes follow her and realized her skirt was tucked into her panties. I rushed toward her and pulled at it as she yelped.
"Sorry." I lifted my hands and smiled. "Your skirt was tucked into your panties. Where I didn't mind, my brother would have been horribly offended."
"Yeah, right?" Charlotte looped her arm into Riley's and walked with her toward the kitchen. "Can we check the place out?"
"Yep," I called after them. "And break as much shit as you want. He doesn't even know what he has in this place."
I walked to the bathroom on shaky legs with the mother of all boners leading the way. It was going to be a long night, and I honestly thought about just asking my brother to let me and Riley take a room upstairs. Having to get her all the way back to my place meant giving her time to really think things through. That was dangerous. Every time she started to think about what it would mean for the two of us to sleep together, she'd backpedal. I didn't want that tonight. I wanted her - taking all nine inches of my cock and begging for more.
"Stop it. Fuck." I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. It took me a few minutes to get myself under control, but I finally managed to. I washed my face and fixed my hair before washing my hands and patting myself dry with a hand towel.
"Hey! Stop jerking off in my bathroom." Liam knocked on the door to the bathroom.
"Then give me a bedroom I can use." I opened the door and pushed at his chest. "You got the food?"
"Yes, master, I did." He shook his head as we walked back to the kitchen. "Thank you very kindly for bringing over that sexy little body too. She's going to look great against my dark sheets."
"No fucking Riley's friend unless she wants it."
"Unless Riley wants it or the girl, cause, I'm good with both of them in there together."
