robe, which felt ready to fall open at any moment. “Don’t do this
to me.”
“I still want you, Lena. You’re still the most beautiful
woman I’ve ever seen. Can’t we put the past behind us? We could start over. Try
again.”
Goose bumps rose along her arms and legs. He got to his
feet, and she inhaled sharply, her nipples pebbling under his steady gaze. He
tangled both hands in her long hair, gently rubbing her temples with his
thumbs. Her eyelids drooped.
“Lena,” he breathed, his mouth a bare inch from her ear.
“Don’t you remember how good we are together? Don’t you remember how I made you
scream?”
She whimpered, unable to do more to free herself from the
spell he had laid. His lips followed a moment later, starting with the
vulnerable flesh behind her ear and cascading down her neck to the hollow at
the base. His mouth was warm and gentle, his lips achingly familiar. Large,
strong hands traced a path of fire along her back until they reached around to
circle her waist. Then she felt his thumbs brush lightly against the undersides
of her breasts.
“Ahh,” she exhaled, jerking at the shock of pleasure at
his touch.
“We could do it again. We could be that way again.” The
words were halfway buried in her flesh, his mouth swooping lower to touch her
collarbones and then glide back up her neck to the edge of her jaw.
He was approaching her mouth. If he touched her mouth,
she’d be lost.
“Jake, stop.” She put her hands against his chest, but
that was a mistake because then she was flooded with all new sensations: his
muscles, the heat and strength of them exploding under her fingers; the smooth
cotton of his shirt teasing her, begging her to lift it, to put flesh to flesh.
“Why can’t you leave me alone?” she said, her voice half sob, half moan.
“Leave you alone? I go to sleep, and I think about you. I
wake up, and I think about you. I need to kiss you, Lena. You’re driving me
crazy. You’re so cold, but I know that’s not you. It’s killing me.”
Without warning, his mouth covered hers, and time stopped.
It was a familiar dance, yet totally new. She was hesitant, stiff. He spent
minutes just softening her lips with his coaxing and teasing, until they parted
and his tongue darted inside. Then they were dancing and spinning, heat like
fireworks popping and fading, only to explode even higher and brighter a second
later.
“Why can’t we do this for the cameras, Lena? Isn’t it all
still here?” He paused for only a moment between kisses.
Like a rush of cold water, the magic was gone.
She pushed against his shoulders, hard now, all business.
“This is about the movie, isn’t it? You’re trying to get a better performance
out of your leading lady and thought perhaps if you seduced her, you might get
that performance.”
“No, no!” He looked appalled, and Lena had to remind
herself that he was an actor—his profession hinged on being able to
deliver performances like this. “I just don’t see why… Shit, Lena. I’m serious
about this. I want to give it another try. Not because of the movie, just
because of us.”
“Right.” Her mouth twisted in a cynical smile. “So we get
together while we’re filming the movie. Our love scenes get hotter. The public
gets a great story about reunited lovers, and the movie gets a better buzz.
Very smart. I only wish I’d thought of it myself.”
“That isn’t it. Not at all,” he ground out.
“I’m just wondering how long it lasts,” she continued. He
clenched his jaw, an expression she knew from years of experience meant he was
genuinely upset, but she was unable to stop the words flowing from her in an
angry torrent. “How long until you replace me with someone younger and cuter?
How long till you find some new twenty-year-old you can’t resist? Will you dump
me straight off this time, or shall we try a three-way first?”
“You’re sick,” he said, thrusting his hands deep in his
pockets as he turned away.
to me.”
“I still want you, Lena. You’re still the most beautiful
woman I’ve ever seen. Can’t we put the past behind us? We could start over. Try
again.”
Goose bumps rose along her arms and legs. He got to his
feet, and she inhaled sharply, her nipples pebbling under his steady gaze. He
tangled both hands in her long hair, gently rubbing her temples with his
thumbs. Her eyelids drooped.
“Lena,” he breathed, his mouth a bare inch from her ear.
“Don’t you remember how good we are together? Don’t you remember how I made you
scream?”
She whimpered, unable to do more to free herself from the
spell he had laid. His lips followed a moment later, starting with the
vulnerable flesh behind her ear and cascading down her neck to the hollow at
the base. His mouth was warm and gentle, his lips achingly familiar. Large,
strong hands traced a path of fire along her back until they reached around to
circle her waist. Then she felt his thumbs brush lightly against the undersides
of her breasts.
“Ahh,” she exhaled, jerking at the shock of pleasure at
his touch.
“We could do it again. We could be that way again.” The
words were halfway buried in her flesh, his mouth swooping lower to touch her
collarbones and then glide back up her neck to the edge of her jaw.
He was approaching her mouth. If he touched her mouth,
she’d be lost.
“Jake, stop.” She put her hands against his chest, but
that was a mistake because then she was flooded with all new sensations: his
muscles, the heat and strength of them exploding under her fingers; the smooth
cotton of his shirt teasing her, begging her to lift it, to put flesh to flesh.
“Why can’t you leave me alone?” she said, her voice half sob, half moan.
“Leave you alone? I go to sleep, and I think about you. I
wake up, and I think about you. I need to kiss you, Lena. You’re driving me
crazy. You’re so cold, but I know that’s not you. It’s killing me.”
Without warning, his mouth covered hers, and time stopped.
It was a familiar dance, yet totally new. She was hesitant, stiff. He spent
minutes just softening her lips with his coaxing and teasing, until they parted
and his tongue darted inside. Then they were dancing and spinning, heat like
fireworks popping and fading, only to explode even higher and brighter a second
later.
“Why can’t we do this for the cameras, Lena? Isn’t it all
still here?” He paused for only a moment between kisses.
Like a rush of cold water, the magic was gone.
She pushed against his shoulders, hard now, all business.
“This is about the movie, isn’t it? You’re trying to get a better performance
out of your leading lady and thought perhaps if you seduced her, you might get
that performance.”
“No, no!” He looked appalled, and Lena had to remind
herself that he was an actor—his profession hinged on being able to
deliver performances like this. “I just don’t see why… Shit, Lena. I’m serious
about this. I want to give it another try. Not because of the movie, just
because of us.”
“Right.” Her mouth twisted in a cynical smile. “So we get
together while we’re filming the movie. Our love scenes get hotter. The public
gets a great story about reunited lovers, and the movie gets a better buzz.
Very smart. I only wish I’d thought of it myself.”
“That isn’t it. Not at all,” he ground out.
“I’m just wondering how long it lasts,” she continued. He
clenched his jaw, an expression she knew from years of experience meant he was
genuinely upset, but she was unable to stop the words flowing from her in an
angry torrent. “How long until you replace me with someone younger and cuter?
How long till you find some new twenty-year-old you can’t resist? Will you dump
me straight off this time, or shall we try a three-way first?”
“You’re sick,” he said, thrusting his hands deep in his
pockets as he turned away.
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