by Vi Keeland
“Oh, that sounds awesome.” She bit into the cantaloupe and made an Mmmmm sound. “This is really good melon.”
“I have a call at four this afternoon that I couldn’t postpone, but if we wrap things up here early enough, I can always do that from the road.”
“If you’re too busy to go out later…” She smirked. “I can always ask Phoenix to show me around.”
My eyes narrowed. Stella lifted the piece of cantaloupe toward her lips for another bite, but I caught her wrist and redirected the fruit to my own mouth, nipping at her fingers as I took it.
“Oww…”
“You’re lucky we have a crowd and I can’t put you over my knee and smack your ass for that comment.”
She giggled. “We could go in the other room…”
“Don’t tempt me, sweetheart.” My eyes dropped to her lips. “I’ll absolutely clear this suite if you want to play that game.”
Stella’s eyes sparkled, daring me to make good on my threat. But a knock at the door interrupted our little chat.
It was an effort not to scowl, finding Phoenix on the other side. Yet I welcomed him with a curt nod. “Morning.”
The fucker walked right to Stella without even acknowledging me.
Shutting the door behind him, I grumbled, “Good to see you, too.”
Deciding it probably wasn’t good to act like a jealous boyfriend before the first date, I thought I’d go see what was going on outside. The furniture and prop people had been working on the patio since they arrived.
The small outdoor area had been transformed into a scene from Bill Nye: The Science Guy, with the addition of some estrogen. There was a lab table set up with beakers and equipment, but also jars of bright red rose petals, sand, and various colorful flowers. The front of the table had been outfitted with the Signature Scent logo, and a mirrored tray displayed all the different bottles the perfume came in.
Dig walked over and wiped sweat from his forehead. “What do you think?”
“It looks great.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what the hell it was going to look like from the list of stuff we were instructed to pull together. Seemed like a strange combination. But I get it now, especially once the model is in the shot.”
I knew my sister would be awake and appreciate seeing everything set up, so I snapped a few shots and texted them to her.
Olivia: It looks awesome! I’m a genius.
I chuckled and texted back.
Hudson: A modest one.
Olivia: Where’s Stella? I want to see how she looks.
I glanced back inside and saw the hair person taking out the rollers while a woman painted more shit on her face.
Hudson: They’re still working on her.
Olivia: Send me some pics once they start! I bet she slays it.
Of course she will. I looked back into the suite again, and my eyes met Stella’s. The corners of her lips curled with the sweetest smile, one she was trying to hold back but couldn’t. I knew, because my face had felt the exact same way most days since I’d met her.
The rest of the morning was chaotic and flew by. Stella looked amazing in the shoot. Just ask good ol’ Phoenix—he’d told her enough times. I understood that photographers needed to encourage their subjects with compliments, coax them out of their shell for the shoot, but there’s a difference between telling someone they’re doing great and look beautiful, and cooing at the model how sexy she looks—while calling her love and baby. Every time he repositioned Stella’s hair or fixed her collar, I watched the fucker like a hawk.
When we broke for lunch, the stylist suggested Stella change so she didn’t get anything on her outfit. She went into the bathroom and came out wearing shorts and a tank top.
“How did I do? It’s not easy to smile for that long. I started to feel like I might look like Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker.”
“Nah. You did great. Maybe Heath Ledger, but not as bad as Joaquin.”
Stella play-smacked my abs. Her back was facing me, so she didn’t notice that Phoenix had taken a seat at a folding table outside on the patio, right on the other side of the sliding glass doors. But I definitely did. Catching her hand, I pulled Stella to me and stroked a piece of hair from her face.
“You’re doing amazing. You look beautiful, and the ads are going to be perfect.”
“You’re just saying that because you want in my pants.”
I slipped two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. “I’m saying it because it’s the truth. Though I do want in your pants. Kiss me.”
She smiled and pushed up on her tippy toes, pressing her soft lips to mine. I would have preferred to kiss the shit out of her, but I’d do that without a full crew in the next room and out on the patio. When I looked up, my eyes found Phoenix, who had just watched the entire thing. That takes care of that…
The afternoon session went as smoothly as the morning, except the photographer was a hell of a lot more professional. I snapped a few pics of Stella set up with all the props and sent them to my sister. Though the one I took of her leaning over to smell a cluster of purple flowers hanging over the fence when she thought no one was looking? That one was for me.
At three o’clock, the photographer finally called it a day. Everyone started to clean up, and Stella went into the bathroom to get changed again.
Phoenix was disassembling his camera and putting the pieces into a case when he lifted his chin to me. “I got a lot of good stuff. I’ll go through everything and do a touch-up on the ones I think are the best. But I’ll also send you the unedited proofs to go through in case a shot I didn’t pick catches your eye. I know you need it ASAP, so I’ll have everything to you by Monday.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He snapped his camera case closed. “And…I owe you an apology. I didn’t realize you and Stella…”
I could’ve said it was new or that last night at dinner she hadn’t even agreed to go out with me yet—I could’ve let him off the hook. But instead, I simply said, “Not a problem.”
“Thanks.” He held out his hand. “She seems like a great girl.”
I shook his hand, giving it a squeeze that was firmer than socially acceptable. “Woman. She’s a great woman.”
He held up both hands. “Got it.”
By the time everyone left, it was almost four, and I had a call to make. I needed my laptop for it, which was back in my room.
I took one of Stella’s hands. “You still feel up to going out tonight?”
“Definitely. But I’d like to take a quick shower, if you don’t mind. I feel like I have a mud mask on with all this makeup, and my hair has ten pounds of hairspray.”
“I have that four o’clock call to take. So why don’t you come down to my room whenever you’re ready.”
“Okay.”
Stella walked me to the door. “Where are we going tonight, so I know what to wear?”
“Wear something sexy.”
“Oh, okay. So it’s fancy then?”
“Not really. I just want you to wear something sexy.”
She laughed. “I’ll try my best.”
I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You don’t even have to try.”
***
“Wow. This is gorgeous.” Stella settled into her seat, staring off at the ocean. I’d taken her to Geoffrey’s in Malibu because it was a beautiful night, and dining on their back deck meant an unbeatable panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Scratch that—what she was looking at didn’t hold a candle to what I was currently looking at.
“You look gorgeous.”
Stella blushed. “Thank you.”
I loved that she was so humble. The woman truly had no clue that she’d made every head turn when we’d walked through the restaurant.
“Have you eaten here before?”
“I have. A client took me here a few years ago. With most places, you get the view or the food. This is one of the rare places you get both.”
She li
fted the cloth napkin from the table and draped it across her lap. “I’m actually starving.”
My eyes dropped to her lips, which were painted with the same bold red lipstick she’d worn at the shoot today. I guess I should be grateful she normally wore something more understated, because otherwise I wouldn’t get any work done around the office.
I lifted my water glass, never taking my eyes from her. “I’m starving too.”
Stella caught the suggestive tone of my voice, and her eyes met mine with a sparkle. “Is that so? Tell me, Mr. Rothschild, what’s your idea of a satisfying meal?”
I could feel myself starting to harden under the table. Being around her made me feel like a horny, fifteen-year-old virgin. And her calling me Mr. Rothschild? I’d never been into role-playing before, but I saw a boss-employee scene in our near future.
I cleared my throat. “We better change the subject.”
She looked at me with a truly innocent face. “Why?”
I glanced around us. The tables were close, so I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “Because I’m hard thinking about what I really want to eat.”
She blushed. “Oh.”
The waitress came to take our drink order. Stella perused the wine menu while I was relieved to get a minute to get myself under control. I seemed to have a one-track mind tonight, and I didn’t want her to get the impression that sex was the only thing that interested me—though it had certainly felt like that lately. It was only our first date, so I probably should refrain from telling her that every time she blushed, I couldn’t stop wondering what color her creamy skin turned when she came.
When the waitress disappeared to get our wine, I steered the conversation to safer territory.
“So, what are you going to conquer next now that Signature Scent is almost ready to go?”
Stella sat back in her chair. “You know, Robyn asked me the same thing during one of the breaks on set a couple of weeks ago. She wondered if I had plans to come out with complementing products, such as men’s signature cologne or anything else beauty-related.”
“Is that what you’d like to do?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m not in any rush. I’d like to make sure everything goes smoothly with Signature Scent for a while. I worked on it while working full-time for so long, and then after I left my job, I threw myself into it even deeper.” Stella paused and looked out to the ocean. Smiling, she said, “I think I’d like to conquer happiness next.”
The waitress brought over our wine. Stella dipped her nose into the glass for a sniff and smiled, so I knew it would be good. After, the waitress filled both our glasses and said she’d be back in a few minutes to take our order.
“Are you saying your happiness system isn’t working?” I teased.
“No, not at all. I just…working fourteen hours a day might bring financial satisfaction, but that’s not the only thing that matters.”
My eyes roamed her face. “Yeah, I’m starting to realize that myself.”
She smiled and tilted her head. “Are you happy?”
“At the moment, very much so.”
She laughed. “I’m glad. But I meant in general, in your life.”
I sipped my wine and gave it some thought. “That’s a pretty big question. I guess there are things in my life I’m very happy with—my work, having financial stability, my friends, my family, my current dating situation.” I winked. “But then there are things I’m not happy with, like not seeing my daughter every night when I get home, coming home to an empty house...”
Stella nodded. “I think a lot of the reason I’ve struggled to be happy over the last year or two has been that my life turned out a lot different than I’d envisioned it. I needed to let go of what I thought my life was supposed to look like in order to write a new story.”
And to think when I first met this woman, I’d thought she was flaky. A few months later, I’m realizing she’s the one with the firm grip on life, and it’s me who has a lot to learn. Even crazier than that, I’m hoping that when she writes that new story, I get to be part of it.
CHAPTER 22
Hudson
I couldn’t help but kiss her.
After an entire day and evening looking at her with barely a touch, I’d begun to feel like a man who hadn’t eaten in days, and she was a big, juicy steak. So when the kid at the valet jogged off to get my rental car, I tugged Stella’s hand and pulled her to the side of the building.
“What are you doing?”
“Eating your face.”
She giggled. “Eating it? That doesn’t sound too romantic.”
“Trust me.” I wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her flush against me, while my other hand gripped her neck and tilted her head where I wanted it. “I’ll romance you—whispering in your ear, sending you notes to let you know I’m thinking about you. You just might want to shield your phone when you’re around others before you open my messages.”
She bit down on her bottom lip, and I groaned.
“Give me that.” My mouth descended on hers, and she surprised the shit out of me when she caught my lip and bit down.
Pulling her head back just slightly with my flesh between her teeth, she flashed an evil smile. “I might eat your face first.”
We were both still laughing as I sealed my mouth over hers for a long-ass kiss. The sound of a couple nearby was the only thing that kept me from feeling her up right outside the restaurant.
We returned to the valet station, and when our rental car pulled up, I waved the kid off as he went to open Stella’s door. I handed him a tip while she climbed inside.
I was glad it was a long drive to show her all of the touristy crap, because I needed some time to recover after that kiss.
Settling in behind the wheel, I buckled. “I was thinking we could hit the Hollywood sign and then go over to Hollywood Boulevard to take a walk. That’s where the Walk of Fame is. Maybe tomorrow we could check out Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, and a few other places.”
“Would you mind a change in plans?” she asked. “I was thinking we could just go back to the hotel.”
As much as I hated touristy crap, I’d been looking forward to showing her around. I definitely wasn’t ready to call an end to our first official date. But today had been a long day for her, so I hid my disappointment.
“Sure. Of course. You must be tired. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Actually…” She reached over and laid her hand on my thigh. “I’m not tired at all.”
And…the woman just kept on surprising me. I turned my head and caught her gaze. “You sure?”
She nodded with a shy smile. “How long is the drive back? I wasn’t paying attention on the way here.”
“It’s about a half hour.” I put the car into drive. “But I’ll get us there in twenty minutes.”
***
I replayed Stella telling me she wanted to go back to the hotel over and over in my mind as I broke a half-dozen traffic laws on the drive. She’d laid her cards on the table. She wanted to be alone with me, but I didn’t want to assume that meant she wanted to have sex. I’d have to remember that, because I tended to go from zero to a hundred whenever my lips so much as touched hers.
We’d gone to dinner early since we’d planned to go sightseeing after, so when we walked into the hotel lobby it was barely eight o’clock.
“Do you want to get a drink at the bar?” I asked.
“I haven’t touched the bar in my room, and it’s stocked pretty well.”
I smiled. “To your room then…”
Back in her suite, Stella slipped off her shoes while I walked behind the bar to see what she had. She hadn’t been exaggerating; the thing had more choices than any hotel room I’d ever stayed in.
I lifted a bottle of merlot and a full-size bottle of gin. “Are you in the mood for more wine or something else?”
Stella was rummaging through her purse. She sighed with exasperation as she tossed it on the couch.
“Do you have condoms?”
Okay, then. Something else it is.
I set the bottles down and stepped out from behind the bar, keeping a few feet of distance between us.
“I do.”
“With you now?”
I chuckled. “Yes, with me now.”
She swallowed. “I went back on the pill a few weeks ago, but you need to be on it a full month before you’re protected.”
I took a step closer to her. “We’re good.”
“How many do you have with you?”
My brows jumped. “Big plans for the night?”
She flashed the goofiest smile. “It’s been a while for me. A long while.”
I smiled and closed the distance between us. Brushing the hair from her shoulder, I leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on her creamy skin. “I have two with me. But I have more in my suitcase back in my room.”
“Okay…” She looked away for a few seconds, and I could see the wheels in her head turning as her eyes lost focus.
“Is there something else you want to talk ab—”
I didn’t get to finish the question because Stella launched herself at me. Caught off guard, I stumbled back a few steps but managed to keep her in my arms. I’d heard the saying climbed like a tree before, but never actually experienced it. In one swoop, she jumped up, wrapped her legs around my waist and arms around my neck, and her lips came crashing down on mine.
“I want you,” she mumbled between our joined lips.
So much for being unsure where things were heading. Her eagerness was a total surprise, yet I fucking loved it. I would’ve gone slow, taken my time not to rush things. But this? This was so much better. We had all night for going slow. Taking long strides, I carried her through the living room and into the bedroom. Stella pushed her tits up against me and ground her wide-open legs up and down my already hard cock.
I groaned. “And here I thought you wanted romance.”
“I think I’d rather have you eat my face off right now.”
I set her down on the bed and dropped to my knees. “Sweetheart, that’s not what I’m about to eat…”
