by Ally Decker
But as soon as the last button of his shirt was free, that was it. He pushed Sylvia to lie down and didn't take his eyes off of her as he quickly undressed the rest of the way. She lay there on top of the dark red cover, watching him with a heated look. When he took off his pants and underwear, she arched up to unhook her bra before tossing it off the bed. A moment later, the only piece of clothing between them was her panties.
Greg leaned over Sylvia, only letting their skin brush as he rested his elbows on both sides of her head. Their lips met again in a kiss that soon left them both fighting for breath. He couldn't wait to be inside her. She scooted further up on the bed to rest her head on the pillow and he followed her, but he forgone her mouth this time. He nuzzled at her throat and moved lower, slowly covering her in light kisses as he brushed one of his hands over her stomach, fingertips dipping under her panties from time to time, making her arch into his touch.
Yes. He loved how responsive she was.
She moaned loudly when he flicked his tongue over her nipple a few times before sucking at the tip. She tugged at his hair, and it sent shots of heat down his body, making his cock even harder.
"Fuck, Greg," she breathed out above him.
"I've got you." He resumed his trip down her body, kissing down her stomach and licking into her navel. Then he ran his tongue right over the line of her panties, feeling her shiver in response. He grinned up at her. She was watching him, her eyes dark with dilated pupils, and her skin flushed under his touch.
Finally, he hooked his fingers into her panties and slowly pushed them down her legs before throwing them away.
She was completely naked now.
Greg looked up and down her body—all the places his lips had been and the ones he hadn't made it to yet—and he swallowed down a groan of pleasure. He nudged her shin so that he could rest his knee between her legs, but she rolled over onto her side and reached to the drawer of her nightstand. She turned onto her back again a few seconds later, handing him a condom between her fingers.
The second he took it from her, she opened her legs wider, and he could kneel between them easily. Her eyes were fixed on his cock and Greg had to bite down on his lips to stall a sudden rush of heat inside him. He rolled the condom on and then reached out to run his thumb over her folds, slipping between them to find her clit. She arched up, inhaling sharply, and he grinned, rubbing harder. She was wet under his fingers, and when he moved them lower to her entrance, he had no problems slipping one inside her.
"Come on," she urged him breathlessly, before letting out a moan as he curled his finger up.
He breathed in sharply, her words making him impossibly harder, but he slipped in another finger, moving in and out as he watched her bright eyes going darker as she moaned, tightening her muscles around his fingers.
Greg swore as the sensation seemed to travel all the way to his cock.
"Want you." Sylvia's hands clasped his shoulders hard as she spoke, and he couldn't wait any longer. He pulled his fingers out and looked up again to watch her as he pushed his cock into her slowly.
Her body was hot and slick and as he moved further inside, the pleasure rolled over him in waves. He leaned over her to catch her lips in a kiss as he went as deep as he was going to get. Sylvia hooked her legs up over his hips, pulling him closer against her, and they quickly fell into a rhythm, moving in counterpoint as they sped up, chasing their orgasms together.
As he shifted to the side, she gasped at the change of angle, and Greg kissed her, swallowing every sound she made. He wanted to drive her crazy, wanted her to come apart under him. He reached down between their bodies to find her clit again. He rubbed it in small circles, fast and hard, and she shouted into his mouth, clutching his shoulders almost painfully. She came with her thighs trembling, her legs falling to the side, and he let go of her to balance himself as he pushed into her again and again until he came inside her before her tremors subsided for good.
Greg rested his head next to hers, and he let himself catch his breath as her fingertips ran back and forth behind his ear, sending the smallest of shivers down his spine, dragging out his afterglow.
He didn't feel like moving ever again.
CHAPTER NINE
SYLVIA DIDN'T feel like moving ever again. Greg was a warm weight on top of her, and her entire body was loose, relaxed. She blinked up at the ceiling with a grin on her face as she ran her fingers gently behind his ear.
They separated only long enough for Greg to dispose of the condom, and then he was back, leaning against her side to pull her into a kiss. Soon, their earlier position was reversed, with him lying against the pillow and her resting half over him. They traded lazy, amazing kisses that were far from perfect in technique, since both of them smiled too hard to make it work properly.
"You're incredible," Greg told her as she lay with her chin on her hand resting on his chest. He brushed his thumb over her cheek and jaw like he had earlier, but then he ran it over her lower lip, too, and she caught it between her teeth. She meant it like a joke, and she released him right after, but she didn't miss the way his eyes widened for a split second. She filled it away for the next time, refusing to consider that they might not get another chance to do this. There was no reason for them not to.
"You're not too bad yourself," she said, smiling.
He chuckled and she could feel it against her body. "Such high praise."
"You don't need to fish for compliments," she teased, relieved they were still comfortable with each other, not awkward and distant now that the afterglow was fading away.
He smirked and lowered his voice as he said, "I'm an actor, honey, I'm made to be complimented on my performance."
Sylvia laughed so hard she had to hide her face between his shoulder and the pillow. It took her a while to calm down, and when she did, Greg was looking down at her with a pleased smile on his face as he lay on his side, head propped on his elbow.
"That was terrible," she said but leaned closer for another kiss.
"You wound me," he whispered against her lips, pulling her in so that their bodies were pressed together again, skin to skin.
Her nipples hardened, and her gaze fell to Greg's lips. His cock was soft, but she could feel it against her thigh, so close to where she wanted him. When Greg kissed her now, she couldn't help thinking it was exactly like how he'd moved inside her earlier—insistent and deep. She opened up to him the same way she had earlier, too, giving him her all and letting herself be swept off of her feet. She ran her hands over his back, using nails from time to time to make him shiver when she brushed them over the dip of his spine.
After she did it yet again, she found herself flipped on her back, with his face hovering right over hers.
Greg smirked.
"You want to play, we'll play," he told her, pecking her lips before sliding down until he was lying between her spread legs. She didn't even manage to say anything before his fingers were slipping where she was still wet, with his tongue following suit.
The first lick over her clit made her buck her hips as a jolt of pleasure rushed through her. Greg licked and sucked as she rocked into him, chasing the sensation. She moaned when he pushed two fingers into her, scissoring them inside her and moving them like a counterpoint to his tongue. Since she was still sensitive from before, she came ridiculously fast. She shouted at the intensity of it, gripping the bed cover as she squirmed under him, but Greg kept her down with a tight hold on her hips and worked her through it with teasing licks.
She finally pushed his head away while she was still trembling with aftershocks. He pulled back and made a trip back up her body, slowly this time, as he kissed her stomach, breasts, and neck. When he finally got to her lips, she hummed with pleasure, knowing she was tasting both of them on his tongue as she licked into his mouth. She clamped her hands on his shoulders hard, making him grunt into the kiss. He ran his hand over her side, up and down, and that was when she realized she was still feeling the afterglow t
remors right under her skin.
Their kisses slowed down after a while, but they kept touching each other as if they wanted to reassure each other they were there and this was real.
Or maybe it was just her.
Sylvia push that thought away, not wanting to spoil the moment.
"You're staying the night?" she asked when she felt herself getting sleepy. She was comfortable and warm, and Greg's closeness made something inside of her settle.
Greg pulled back a strand of hair that fell onto her face and smiled gently. "I'd like to. If you're okay with that."
She smiled back and snuggled closer to him before resting her head on his arm. She closed her eyes. "More than okay."
***
Waking up on Saturday morning to the smell of pancakes was the best way to start the weekend, Sylvia decided. Especially when, after a quick visit to the bathroom and getting some clothes on, she entered the kitchenette to see Greg, dressed in his boxers and undershirt, tossing another pancake onto a heap of them on a large plate.
"Hey you." He looked up at her with a smile before his gaze traveled up and down her body as obviously as only a lover's gaze could. The wave of warmth rushed through her. She'd pulled on a pair of sleeping shorts and a top—nothing sexy, but from the look Greg gave her, he definitely liked it.
"Hi." Sylvia walked up to him, feeling bold thanks to that unspoken compliment. She pushed up onto her toes to kiss him on his prickly cheek, but he turned and she caught his lips instead. She smiled into the kiss. "I'm impressed you even found everything for pancakes," she admitted when she pulled away. "I haven't had time to go shopping lately."
"I wasn't motivated enough to go to the store. If you didn't have everything I needed, I'd have made something else." He used the spatula to point her to the chair at the kitchen island where two plates were set up. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." Sylvia felt a bit weird to have him serve her in her own kitchen, but she didn't complain. It was nice.
Eating breakfast with Greg was even nicer. They sat facing each other at the kitchen island, and their legs kept bumping against each other—at first it was from the lack of space, but then they kept doing it on purpose, brushing shin against shin as if they were teenagers playing footsie under the table. They talked about last night's performances and dinner with Charlie, about family recipes for pancakes, and whatever else came to mind. When Greg got up to put their plates into the sink and to give them a coffee refill, Sylvia realized she had been smiling nonstop since she'd gotten up from bed.
Instead of handing Sylvia the mug across the island, Greg circled the table, came up to her, and put her coffee down without taking his eyes off of her the entire time. She turned on her stool to face him and put her hands on his hips, drawing him closer as he cupped her jaw and kissed her. Their kiss was sweet from the syrup and pancakes, and they both smiled into it.
"Good morning to me," Greg said when he pulled away, brushing his fingers underneath her jaw.
Sylvia chuckled. "Good morning to me, too."
"I didn't take a shower, because I didn't want to wake you," he continued, a ghost of a smirk in the corners of his lips, "but what do you say we take one together now?"
Her body reacted immediately, ready to say yes, but her mind was more practical.
"I wish, but I'm not sure my shower could fit two people."
Greg moved half a step closer, plastering himself to Sylvia's front and making her spread her legs. She could feel the heat curling in her stomach from that move alone, and other protests seemed stupid now, especially when he whispered, "Let's find out."
The shower cabin wasn't big, but it turned out to be enough for two people who really didn't mind being close. Greg squeezed a shower gel onto his palm and then proceeded to soap her body, paying close attention to her breasts and stomach. She leaned against the wall when he slipped his hand down between her legs, teasing her entrance with a barely-there thrusts of his fingers. Then his thumb found her clit, and she let out a moan, clasping her hands on his shoulders as he worked on driving her crazy.
The orgasm left her with shaky breath and trembling legs, but when she was sure she could stand, she set to return the favor, soaping his chest and arms and what she could reach of his back. Then she slipped her hand lower to grasp his hard cock and started a lazy rhythm until he pushed back into her grip. She sped up then, her thumb circling the head on every upstroke, and a few minutes later, his come splashed on her hand and belly as he let out a small gasp, barely heard over the spray of the shower.
As the water started getting colder, they rinsed off quickly and left the stall, laughing as Sylvia stumbled getting out and fell against Greg's chest. He caught her easily, circling his arms around her waist, and when she glanced to the side, she noticed their reflection in the mirror over the sink.
They were naked and pressed together, laughing and wet, and Sylvia wished she could capture this moment forever.
CHAPTER TEN
FOR THE NEXT week and a half, whenever Greg managed to forget about the ax hanging over his head, his life was pretty much perfect. His time was split between the rehearsals and Sylvia, and he enjoyed the developing routine.
He barely spent any time in his hotel room, usually only to change or pick up some things. He invited Sylvia over a few times, but he understood she much preferred her own home—he preferred it, too, even if the shower stall in the hotel was twice as big as the one at Sylvia's place. Her apartment was cozy—lived-in and a bit cluttered—and with her roommate away on a family trip, they were completely alone, which meant privacy and peace.
They took all the precautions they could to avoid media finding out where Sylvia lived and they had been lucky so far. Greg had to admit that the paparazzi here were nowhere near as bad as in L.A. Sure, there were a few more times when Sylvia and he were photographed and once or twice when they were unsubtly followed during their walks, but out in the city, they didn't try very hard to stay hidden. After all, the public ruse was still on.
The murky line between them in public and them in private was definitely something they should talk about at some point soon, but Greg never wanted to bring this up when they were alone and cocooned in their bubble, free to be like any other couple. And since discussing it in public was a dumb idea for obvious reasons, they still hadn't talked about it, making it up as they went instead.
"We're here," Jack said as he parked a block from the theater's backdoor, pulling Greg out of his thoughts.
"Thanks. I should be done by four."
He grabbed his backpack and left the car, looking around out of habit, but no one batted an eye at the guy in old jeans and a hoodie leaving a nice car. Nobody cared.
Greg wished his entire life could be like this.
***
"Let's take five as we bring in the furniture, guys."
Maria Gonzalez, the director of Illuminations, waved them all off of the stage, and Greg grabbed a bottle of water before sitting down in the front row and slouching until the back of his neck rested against the top of his seat. He watched the crew moving the table and chairs onto the stage, and he ran through everything that needed to happen in the next scene as he sipped his water. It was the big fight between Peter, the main character, and Curtis, his ex-best friend turned reluctant rival, and it was the most charged part of the whole play. And after two weeks of rehearsals, Greg could say in all certainty that it was his absolute favorite.
He was so focused on running through the scene that he didn't notice Charlie until his friend sat down next to him.
"We're having lunch in your dressing room, just you and me, or I'm denouncing you."
Greg snorted. "What?"
"Quality friend time, man, you've been so busy lately—"
"We've been busy, you mean."
Charlie shrugged like it didn't matter. "You've been bonding with the whole cast and that's—"
"You made me," Greg pointed out. At first, there had been tension, an invisible li
ne between him and the rest of the cast. They hadn't known each other, and the issue of him possibly getting pulled out at the last minute was hanging over everyone's head. He'd been okay with being an outsider for the time being, but Charlie had other ideas. He'd made sure to arrange that he and Greg were joined by at least half the cast on any given day during the lunch break, and although it made for some crowded dressing rooms, it also went a long way to integrate Greg into the team, which he appreciated a lot.
Still, Charlie didn't get to call him on that now.
"—good and well," Charlie continued, ignoring him completely, "but let's make it just the two of us today."
"Sure, okay." It wasn't like he was going to say no. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"If you're fishing about Nick—"
Before Charlie could tell him anything about his boyfriend, Greg's phone vibrated in his hand. His agent's caller ID flashed on the screen, and Charlie's grimace probably matched his own.
"Never mind. Go on, take it." Charlie got up and moved to sit by Tessa and Malik a few seats to his left.
Greg watched him go for a few seconds before hitting the green button.
***
After picking Sylvia up from the office at least a dozen times, Greg almost forgot how nervous he was the first time he'd gotten there. But now the tension was back, and he was coming as a client in crisis, not a doting boyfriend.
He'd called Nate from the car earlier, asking for a meeting. He'd known Sylvia wasn't going to be in the office, since she mentioned doing errands this afternoon, and he couldn't help being relieved. He didn't want to pull her into his mess even further if he didn't have to. And maybe he wouldn't have to.
