Captivated

by Scarlett Avery

  “No way,” she exclaims. “No one just takes a photo these days. It’s all about the selfie. Either you’re taking one of yourself or you’re taking one with a bunch of friends.”

  God, I love her playfulness. “All right, you’re on. Do you want me to be the one snapping the shots or do you want to do the honors?”

  “Normally, I’d be all over this photo because I consider myself to be a selfie aficionado, but considering I’m at a disadvantage compared to you when it comes to length of limbs, I’ll let you go for it.”

  I curl up my lips, amused. “Is there such a thing as being an expert at selfies?”

  She picks up immediately on my joke. “Don’t knock it. A lot of people are making gobs of money in Hollywood as reality TV superstars with absolutely zero talent, all because of stupid selfies that went viral. I don’t think I have to name names.”

  “No, you don’t. And you do bring up a good point. So if you’re such a pro at this how come it’s the first time I hear of it? We’ve been out a few times together and this will be our first selfie. I saw you snapping away when we were at Santa Catalina Island, but you never once suggested we take a photo together even when I dropped hints. What’s up with that?”

  She shrugs. “I wasn’t comfortable asking.”

  “How come?”

  “You know. What we have is casual. I didn’t want to overstep our boundaries.” A blush creeps across her cheeks and she drops her eyes.

  I extend my arm and brush her hair behind her back before lifting her chin up so our eyes meet. “What’s different now?”

  “You stepped into my world. That makes you my friend now.” She reaches out and pulls at my shirt, forcing me to lean forward.

  She’s right. I did come here willingly. It’s not something I normally do. Not with women I have a casual thing with.

  I smile down at her. “So I went from being your coach to being a friend? Is that a promotion or a demotion?”

  She burst out laughing. “I know between the two of us you’re the big-shot Silicon Valley dotcom success story and you have far more corporate experience than I do, but I’d say you just got a pretty damn good promotion, buddy. Something tells me you’ll love the perks that come with it.” She finishes that sentence by biting her lip. Holy sex bomb. Her voice is so velvety, seductive and laced with sexual overtones.

  I clear my throat, feeling suddenly a little hot under the collar. “Seems like being your friend is going to be a whole lot more fun than just being your coach.”

  “I’d say you’re right on the money.” Oh, this is getting better and better. Miranda gets on her tiptoes and pulls me even closer to her. The contact of her tits against my chest stiffens my already impossibly hard cock.

  I’m totally ready to swing her over my shoulder, march right past that door I came through a few minutes ago, run down the stairs two by two straight to my SUV, strap her in the passenger seat and drive like a madman all the way back to Santa Monica, burning through every traffic light along the way. Yup. That’s exactly what I want to do, but that’s not what I say. “Let’s do this selfie thing and let’s go get a drink.” I drop a quick kiss on her forehead before taking a step back, causing her to let go of my shirt. “Come on, girl. Strike a sexy pose,” I cheer, pulling out my iPhone from my back pocket.

  During the next ten hilarious minutes Miranda and I have a field day taking selfies. We’re both as silly as two teenagers and what I love the most about this moment is that she doesn’t seem to be self-conscious in the least. We’re totally revved up. I must’ve snapped at least thirty shots. By the time I’m done, we’re both practically in tears.

  Miranda is still in the midst of a laughing fit, but after a few minutes she composes herself and manages to speak. “You are going to send these to me, right? You’re not going to hog them all to yourself?”

  “Shit.” I frown. “You caught me red-handed. Here I thought I was going to be able to get away with it. If you knew the things I intended on doing to myself while looking at these photos, you’d never stop blushing,” I tease.

  Well, that’s all it takes to send Miranda into another side-splitting state. She’s folded in half, slapping her thigh. Her voice rises so high, I’m surprised no one comes running over to find out what’s going on. This time, it takes a little longer for her to stop laughing, but she finally wipes a few tears from under her eyes, swings her long heavy hair behind her shoulders, places her left hand on her hip and shakes a finger at me. “That dirty mind of yours is so overactive.”

  “You have no idea.” I grin from ear to ear, fully aware of how much I’m enjoying this.

  “Let’s go back and join the party.” Miranda grabs my hand and pulls me forward. “Come on, let me introduce you to a few people before this gets a little too hot to handle.”

  It already is, sweetie.

  “It would be less painful if you were to plunge a knife into my heart instead of saying such blasphemy.” I smile. She rolls her eyes, ignoring my reply as she continues to pull me towards the living room.

  Miranda introduces me to a group of people, mostly former co-workers. There’s Cynthia and her soon-to-be husband, Richard. I shake hands with a James, a Tom, an Ashley, and a bunch of other people whose names I don’t remember. After the polite introductions, we both agree drinks are mandatory. We turn on our heel at the same time to make our way to the kitchen when this tall lanky guy comes out of nowhere, grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her close to him.

  I don’t like the way he accosts her. The familiarity immediately makes me want to pound his head against the floor. I clench my fists and take a step forward ready to finish him, but Miranda flashes me an apologetic smile as she wiggles away from the idiot’s grip. I have to mentally calm myself down to avert a fight. When she’s free again, she introduces him.

  “Hunter, this is Julian Wilkas. We used to work together at the restaurant.”

  Grudgingly, I extend my hand to shake his. “Please to meet you,” I lie.

  “Same here, man.”

  Since I was so focused on Julian, I didn’t notice the guy standing next to him until Miranda points at him. “And this is Scott Pearcy, Julian’s longtime best friend.”

  “Hey, dude.” Scott greets me as if we’re buddies.

  What the fuck? “It’s good to meet you too, Scott,” I say, forcing myself to sound as cordial as possible.

  “So, Hunter, how do you know Miranda?” I love that Julian has to tilt his head back to look me in the eyes. He can’t be more than five-ten and my height dwarfs him.

  I smile inwardly. “We have a mutual friend in common.”

  “I get it.” Julian nods his head as if I’ve just shared the solution to end world hunger.

  “Are you two dating?” The question comes from Scott. He looks like a total pothead and a drunk.

  “We’re friends, Scott.”

  “Men and women can’t just be friends, dude,” he retorts.

  “You’ve obviously been hanging out with the wrong type of women.” Of course it’s possible when there’s absolutely no physical attraction between the two of you. Riley and I have been platonic friends for a decade and a half. Things are completely different with Miranda because every time I see her, I want to drop to my knees and worship the ground she walks on, but this moron doesn’t need to know that.

  Any other questions, asshole?

  “Yeah, I guess,” he concedes. “I’ve never seen you at one of our parties or get-togethers. I assume you’re one of the new posh friends she’s acquired since she started her new upscale job. She’s too busy now to hang out with the rest of us given that we’re not as well connected with the rich and famous Hollywood types. This is the first time we’ve seen her in weeks.”

  Fucker. I place a firm hand on Scott’s shoulder and squeeze just enough to make him understand I mean business. “You know what they say?”

  “No, dude. Fill me in.” Scott’s eyes widen in anticipation.

  I glance
at Miranda and she’s clearly amused by this interaction. I give her a wink and turn my attention back to Scott. “Life is like an elevator. On your way up, sometimes, you have to stop and let some people off.”

  “Wow.” He nods his head. “I don’t get it, but it sounds deep. Hey, Julian, do you get any of this?”

  “It must be from some stupid self-help book that no one our age reads, Scott. Hunter looks much older than us. Maybe he’s into this esoteric shit like my old folks are.” Julian throws this over my shoulder and my jaw locks. I could knock your teeth out for saying that, but I’ll refrain. I don’t know the guy and already I don’t like him. There’s an insolent arrogance about him that rubs me the wrong way. “Come on, Scott, let’s go join the fun. Let’s leave Miranda and her new friend alone. We’ll see you guys around.” Julian grabs Scott’s arm and they totter off to the backyard. Good riddance.

  I turn to Miranda and exhale. “God, that was painful. Now I really need a drink.”

  “That was funny.”

  “You think?”

  “I gather the three of you won’t be hanging out together anytime soon.” She giggles.

  “I’d rather scrub my face with steel wool.” I grab her by the shoulders and bring her closer to me. “Come on, let’s go.” We push our way through the animated crowd and finally reach the kitchen. I see a large red cooler with a white lid sitting close to the patio door and nearly run to it. I kneel down, flip it open and rejoice when I see it filled with ice-cold beer. I grab one and already start counting the seconds until the bottle touches my lips. “I don’t think you want one of these?” I ask, turning to Miranda.

  “Nah, I’ll have another glass of wine.” She points to the bottles lined up in an oval ice bucket on the counter in front of her.

  I close the cooler and get back up to my feet and when I turn around I bump into a stranger who seems to have appeared out of nowhere. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you. Are you okay?”

  “I am now.” She’s grinning and eyeing me as if I’m dessert. “I’ve been trying to get your attention since you arrived.” Do I know her? “I guess I was being too subtle, so I decided to step up my game. I figured being more obvious is the only way to go.” She runs her hands up and down the sides of her body and I widen my eyes, taken aback by her forwardness.

  “I’m sorry, have we met before?” I already know the answer to that. There’s no way I’d forget a girl like this. Not because she’s beautiful, but because she gives off an air of desperation. I glance over at Miranda and she looks as surprised as I do.

  “I’m Sara.” Instead of extending her hand she sticks her inflated tits at me.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sara.” I wave.

  “Are you a friend of Cynthia’s or Richard’s?”

  “I—”

  “I’m single, by the way.” And obviously very available. “Maybe we can go to another room and get to know each other better? There are way too many people here. Don’t you think?”

  She doesn’t even allow me to answer her first question before she’s already shamelessly throwing herself at me. Miranda is staring at us with her jaw dropped. I’ve met some pretty brazen women in my life, but this one takes the cake. It’s time to put an end to this. “Sara?”

  “Yes, that’s it.” She places her hands behind her back and wiggles her shoulders like a Vegas showgirl, her tits bouncing all over the place. Unbelievable.

  “This is my first time meeting the soon-to-be bride and the soon-to-be groom. I’m here with my good friend Miranda,” I answer, pointing over her shoulder.

  She doesn’t even bother turning her head around. “Oh. You’re with her?” Her expression is so incredulous, it’s as if I told her I’m Prince William’s second cousin and I have DNA proof to back up my claims.

  “I know exactly how you feel. That’s what all the girls say. If I share something very personal with you, can you keep it just between the two of us?”

  She takes a step forward. “Your secret is my secret.”

  “Promise?”

  “Of course. One hundred percent.” She lifts her right hand, her palm toward me, places her left one over her chest and closes her eyes for a beat as if she’s taking an oath before standing trial.

  “That ravishing beauty over there has me wrapped around her little pinky finger like a puppy. I’m sorry, Sara. The timing might not work for you and me.” I pull the corner of my lips downwards to add to the dramatics.

  “Crap.” She stomps her right foot. “All the good ones are always taken.”

  “Ain’t that the truth?” I retort. Sara storms out of the kitchen. Even with the overwhelming smell of booze and pot, the trail of cheap perfume she leaves behind is quite telling of the type of woman she is. I approach Miranda to make sure she’s not too offended by this unexpected episode, but to my relief she just starts laughing. Relieved, I ask, “You liked that?”

  “You’re hilarious. I can’t believe you shut her down so masterfully.”

  “She’s something else. Did you used to work with Sara?”

  “No. I used to work with Nadine, who’s already too much to handle. Sara’s her little sister.” Miranda points to a girl wearing a pair of low-riding jeans and a tank top cut right under her tits. Nope, she’s not wearing a bra. When I recognize her, I’m not surprised. She’s the waitress Collin banged a couple weeks ago. “The Allen sisters are both known for their friendliness, if you know what I mean. They’re willing to sleep with pretty much any guy. I’m sure Sara saw us walking together, but she usually doesn’t care. I’m surprised she didn’t push harder.”

  “Had she insisted, I would’ve had to become very rude. Let’s get out of the kitchen and find a quieter spot for us to hang out.”

  “Yes,” she says.

  When we make our way back to the living room, it’s clear a lot more people have joined the party. Holy crap. My first instinct is to convince Miranda to get the hell out of here, but I don’t want to ruin things for her. Maybe she really wants to be here, so I have to come up with plan B. I turn to the left and notice that contrary to when I arrived, the entrance is empty.

  “Do you want to go over there? It seems everyone’s in here.” I point over heads bopping to the sound of the music and her gaze follows my finger.

  “That’s a great idea.”

  I take her hand in mine and look down at her. “Ready?”

  “Let’s do this.”

  In unison, we dart through the crowd, laughing our heads off the whole way until we reach the vestibule. “Whew. This is so much better.”

  “I know, right?” she agrees.

  I take a sip of my beer and she finishes the last gulp of her wine.

  “Hunter, don’t let me have another drink, even if I beg. This is my third one for the evening. I have to cut myself off or else I’ll be way too tipsy.”

  “I promise I won’t.” If she thinks I’m going to let her out of my sight after that introduction to Julian and Scott, she’s wrong. I close the gap between us. “So what’s the history between you and Julian?” I’ve been dying to ask since meeting the asshole. I just needed to wait for the right time.

  “Nothing. It’s what I said earlier. He’s a former coworker. We worked together for two years, but that’s pretty much it.”

  “He seems a little too friendly just to be someone you used to work with.” I know I have no claim on her, but I can’t help it when it comes to Miranda.

  She shrugs. “He’s the lead singer of an indie band,” she says simply as if it explains everything.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “He thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”

  “Is that how you view him?”

  “At one point in time, yes.”

  “And what about now?”

  She lowers her eyes before meeting my gaze again. “When Julian has a shift at the restaurant, women line up around the block waiting to sit at one of the tables he’s serving. He has an infinite choice of women mo
re than willing to bend over backward for him. I’ve worked with him for two years and I don’t think he’s ever noticed I existed until tonight.”

  “You make it nearly impossible to remain incognito in this jaw-dropping outfit.”

  “You think?”

  “Every guy at this party has been checking you out. You might not have noticed, but I have.”

  Without warning, she grabs my beer from me, steps back and places the bottle and her glass down on a little table before turning around to face me. She takes me in from head to toe before gliding back near me. She places her hands on my forearms and brings her body inches away from mine. “I didn’t wear this for Julian or any other guy here.”

  I know exactly where this is heading. “You didn’t?”

  “No, and you know it.”

  “It would be presumptuous of me to assume…” I mock.

  “I love when you pretend to be coy.”

  “So say it, Miranda,” I dare.

  “What do you want from me?” Her voice is all golden honey.

  “I want to hear the words. Tell me about this.” I wave my finger up and down her body. “Is all this for me?” I press.

  She blinks up at me and pulls her lower lip into her mouth. We stand there staring at each other. You’d never think fifty people were in the next room. “I wore all this for you, Hunter, and no one else.”

  Hearing her confess like this does things to me. It’s not only about my cock. It stirs things deep inside me I’ve never felt before with a woman. I lean down and take her mouth into mine, devouring her lips. It’s heated, steamy and passionate like it always is between us, but there seems to be something more tonight.

  She slightly pushes away from me, panting, and gazes into my eyes. “I liked what you told Sara.”

  “I said a lot of things to her. Why don’t you refresh my memory?”

  “Are you really wrapped around my little pinky finger like a puppy?”

  “When you look at me like you are right now… I am.” Miranda throws her head back, laughing in the most sultry and seductive way. “You’re so fucking gorgeous,” I murmur.

  She jerks her head back upright and smiles at me with her eyes half closed. “Can I tell you something?”