I’m going to practice kissing on my hand.
Yeah, that should work. Right? I mean, why else would it be in all those coming-of-age movies?
I press my lips against my own hand and immediately recoil. Uck, this is so stupid! I’m such a weirdo. I shake my head at myself.
“Just pretend it’s Gavin.” I do as my reflection says, imagining Gavin’s short, dirty blonde hair and those intense green eyes that could melt me on the spot. Before I know it, I’ve lost myself in a beautiful daydream where I’m making out with the guy I’ve been crushing on since our first class together freshman year.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
I jump, smearing my lipstick all over my face and hand. Crap!
“Occupado!” I shout, scrubbing my hand under the faucet of hot water. The lipstick isn’t coming off.
“Grace?” Gavin’s worried voice seeps through under the locked door. Uh oh. I do not want him to see me like this. I wipe as much of the running mascara from my face as I can and head for the door. I unlock it and pull it open just slightly, so he can’t see me, but I can see him.
In a forcefully cheery voice, I say, “What’s up?” Cringe.
“I was looking for you for ten minutes before the director told me you were rehearsing.” His deep voice reverberates through my bones, shaking my guard down. I let out a sigh, unable to resist his magnetic pull on me, and open the door the rest of the way. Gavin takes in my puffy eyes and red nose and says, “What scene are you rehearsing? We don’t do the crying fight scene until Thursday.”
I let out an overwhelmed huff, not wanting to explain my ridiculous situation to him. Instead, I trudge over to the pink loveseat against the tiled wall, as if ignoring him will make all my problems go away. But that’s not what happens.
Gavin steps into the women’s locker room, observing the stacks of Tupperware containers filled with costumes, props, and hair appliances that line the walls and litter the floors. It’s funny to think I have all these wardrobe changes on hand when the outfit he wears for most of the film is the simplest of all. I glance at him, appreciating his perfectly fitted jeans and white cotton V-neck that reveals just a hint of chest hair. His blond waves are gelled up in an “I woke up like this” fashion that makes my stomach flip and my breath catch in my throat. Just like when he’s on screen, Gavin makes everything seem simple and easy.
He closes the door behind him and makes his way through the maze of clothing racks and sits down next to me. It’s quiet for a moment until he clears his throat and gives me an expectant look. I roll my eyes at myself and turn to face him.
“I wasn’t rehearsing the fight scene,” I say, my voice dangerously close to breaking. “I was just, um…” I stifle another burst of tears with a sniffle.
Gavin furrows his brows. He takes my hands in his and asks, “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I try my hardest to make it sound determined, but my damn shaky voice betrays me. And I call myself an actress. That thought alone breaks the remaining strength within me, and a waterfall of salty tears flows from my eyes.
Gavin gingerly pets my back with his warm, manly hands. “It’s okay, you can tell me. Please tell me what’s wrong.”
God, he’s sweet. I feel terrible acting so foolish in front of him! This co-star role was supposed to be my golden opportunity to impress him. I purse my lips and raise a hand to wipe the tears from my eyes.
“What’s that?” Gavin points to the lipstick stain on the back of my hand.
I quickly cover the mark with my thumb. “Oh, that. Um… I really don’t want to say.”
He looks between my lips and my hand. Then he narrows his eyes. “Were you kissing your hand?”
So much for impressing him. I let out a frustrated groan and throw my hands in the air. “Yes! I was kissing my hand.” There. I said it.
“Why?” he asks, humor sparkling in his eyes.
Great. Gavin is totally laughing at me. “I’m so pathetic!” I cry out, and another round of tears flows from my eyes.
“Hey, hey. Grace, we’re partners. I’m here for you.” He rubs my back, his deep voice low and soothing. Even though he’s only acting like my boyfriend on this set, every interaction we have feels sincere. Gavin makes it feel like we’ve been together forever. It’s like he really cares for me. “You can tell me anything,” he adds, and I believe him.
“Alright, you asked… I’ve never been kissed.” It comes out almost as a whisper.
Gavin stares back at me. “That’s it?”
I gawk at him. “What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’ I’m twenty-two years old, and I’m supposed to kiss you like some kind of sexy pro, yet my lips have never been touched. And you say, ‘that’s it’?”
He shakes his head. “No, I mean, I just. The way you were acting, I thought—”
“That’s the thing!” I squeal, unable to contain my explosion of worrisome thoughts any longer. “I’m not acting. I’m such a terrible actress, I can’t even pretend to know how to kiss. I’m so embarrassed!” Gavin reaches forward and wipes my tears away with his thumb, cupping my face in his hands. It feels so genuine and thoughtful until I look in his eyes to find him smirking.
“Stop laughing at me,” I say, wiggling out of his hand.
“I’m not.” But the glimmer in his eye says differently.
“What are you thinking?” I ask. “I don’t like how quiet you’re being.”
Gavin takes a moment to look at me, probably wishing he hadn’t signed on to this project, as now he has to deal with my emotional antics. “I’m thinking that you’re a great actress, and you can’t stay here all day, avoiding the scene.”
A moment of silence passes between us as I take in what he just said. Gavin thinks I’m a great actress.
“Did you hear me, Gracie?” he asks, pulling me out of my thoughts, and my heart does a little dance when he says, Gracie.
I clear my throat and sit up straight. “Yeah, you’re right. Of course, I can’t just avoid the scene.” But then a thought occurs to me. I turn to Gavin with a newfound hope as I say, “Unless they rewrite it.”
“They’re not going to rewrite the scene,” he chuckles. “The script works much better with the kiss, and you know it.”
I press my lips together. He’s right. These are master’s students in Tempt University’s legendary film program, I can’t throw away an opportunity like this. But I can’t botch it either. “So, what do you suppose I do?”
Just then, Gavin leans into my personal bubble and plants a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. A simple, slow, tender peck. Lips on lips.
Oh my god, my lips are on Gavin’s lips!
A thousand thoughts race through my brain at a million miles per second until Gavin pulls away. I press a hand to my mouth, eyes wide.
Gavin flashes me a beautiful white smile, worthy of the big screen, and I can’t even form words at the sexy sight.
“Not bad, Grace. This time try to loosen up a little.”
He goes in for another kiss before I can even register the situation. He places his warm hands on my mostly bare shoulders, gently moving them down from their nervous perch by my ears. He smells like sandalwood and lavender, and it sends the room spinning. His hot, heavy hands on my skin and his soft lips on mine puts my heart into overdrive. Everything around us melts away, and all I know for sure is that my skin is on fire where he’s touching me.
Gavin pulls away from me just slightly and whispers against my lips, “Close your eyes.”
Oh, I hadn’t realized they’d been open. I do as he says, and instantly it feels as if I’m floating in thin air. A moment later, Gavin slips his tongue between my lips. The sensation is entirely foreign and turns me to stone. I sit there, frozen in curiosity as he explores my mouth with his. Then he laughs and pulls away.
“You okay?” There’s humor in Gavin’s voice, probably because of the wild look in my eyes.
“Yeah, I’m great,” I say. I’m more than great. I’m in a dreamlike state of
wonder, and briefly considering the possibility that this is all in my head.
“Care to join me?” That glint of humor tugs the corner of his mouth into a grin, and then I realize what he means. You can’t really call it a kiss if only one person is doing all the work.
“What do I do?” I shift in my seat, aware of how awkward I’m being about the whole thing. Gavin is so smooth, so suave, so cool. He’s just like his character, Eric. He probably doesn’t even have to act.
“Just like with any part, let yourself fall into it,” Gavin says. “Surrender to the moment. Lose yourself in it.”
“You’re right.” I close my eyes and mentally reprimand myself for not thinking of that sooner. “It’s not me kissing you. It’s Veronica.” Genius.
“Exactly,” he says, his voice sounding a little downcast. “You’re just rehearsing, that’s all. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Okay.” I nod in agreement, but deep down, I know this will always mean something more to me. It’s my first kiss. And it’s with Gavin, the only guy to make me feel like a middle schooler with a crush. The familiar sensation of anxiety creeps up my spine, but I bite my inner cheek and tell it to screw off. This is my job, damn it. I’m going to get into Veronica’s character and let her take control. Has Veronica kissed a guy before? Hell yeah. She’s kissed tons of guys, and slept with them, too. This is nothing new to Veronica. And damn it, she’s going to enjoy herself.
I open my eyes with newfound confidence, determined to give Gavin a kiss he’ll never forget.
Chapter Two
Gavin
Grace closes her eyes and adjusts her posture. As she silently takes a deep breath, I don’t even try to hide my amused smirk at how adorably sexy she is. Her breasts look fucking delectable in that tight-ass dress she’s wearing, and all that crying did wonders to accentuate the redness of her supple lips and the glassiness of her beautiful blue eyes. She purses her lips and takes a deep breath, silently getting into character. Grace has always been so serious about her craft.
I think she’s an amazing actress. Though we’ve never been scene partners in all the classes we’ve shared, I adore her dedication and creativity. On stage, she’s powerful and commanding, and on screen, she’s delicate and nuanced, every single facial movement calculated, yet seemingly unscripted. I’ve been wanting to work with her for quite some time now, and not just because she’s talented.
Her bouncy blonde curls and those glasses she always wears when she’s not on set frequently occupy my daydreams. She’s different than most girls. I’ve never known or worked with someone as intense as her before. I mean yeah, this is a famous film program, but it’s not like we’re changing the world. Film is supposed to be fun. We’re telling stories and playing pretend. How much more fun can a job be?
But as I sit across from sweet Grace preparing herself to kiss me, I realize this is more fun than I’ve had on set in a long while. Not only do I get to kiss this beautiful girl, but I also get to be her first kiss. And I don’t take that lightly. I’m going to show her what a passionate kiss can do, especially in bringing her sexy character to life. Plus, it’s not like I haven’t imagined making out with Grace many times before.
She opens her eyes, and I can already sense a shift in her attitude. A hint of a smirk twists the corner of her mouth just slightly before she leans in for another kiss. She places a petite hand on my chin and runs her thumb over my slight stubble. I slip my tongue into her sweet mouth again, savoring her taste. She responds a bit hesitantly at first, but she quickly follows my lead, letting her tongue explore my mouth in a languorous, sensual fashion that has my ears tingling.
I run my hand down her neck, letting it rest on her collarbone. Her shoulders have fallen, and she’s leaning into our kiss with a bit more intensity now. She sucks my bottom lip into her mouth and runs her tongue over it. The sensation sends a shiver down my neck. Feeling her loosen up right here in my arms makes me feel like a goddamn king, like it’s me that unlocked something within her, allowed her to become this sexy, confident woman.
“I think you’ve got the hang of it,” I whisper.
She pulls away from me and purses her lips. “I’m not so sure. What do you think of this?” Grace plants another kiss on my lips, but this time it’s slow, confident, sensual. I lose myself in her soft lips playing with mine, her body moving with the rhythm of our mouths.
She leans forward until she has me pinned against the couch with her beautiful breasts pressed against my chest. She runs her hands through my hair and moves her body, so she’s straddling my hips. A tingling sensation spreads through me, turning my heart into a jackhammer. Shit, I hope she can’t feel it against her chest. Jesus, it’s like I’m the one who’s never been kissed before.
Grace pulls back to take a breath, and when I open my eyes, it takes a second for what I see to come into focus. The light shining down from the ceiling frames her in a silhouette. Her short curls form a halo around her head and her shoulder strap has fallen, revealing the soft skin of her bare shoulder and the sumptuous curves of her breast as they fall toward me, caught by her lacy black bra.
The wet dream worthy sight in front of me brings a raging hard-on to attention in my jeans.
Uh oh.
“Was that okay?” she asks. But the smile she flashes tells me Grace knows it was good. She felt it, too. Or maybe she felt my erection press against her stomach. Shit.
“Y-yeah, that’s good,” I stammer.
“Just good?” Her perfectly plucked eyebrows furrow together.
“Well, I just mean—”
“Are you saying I need more practice?” she smiles down at me. She’s beautiful. Sexy. It makes me dizzy with attraction.
“Yeah, you definitely need more practice.” I nod my head vehemently, and eagerly trace a line from her shoulder to her collar bone. She lets me feel down her lacy bra strap and over the edge of her push-up cup. As I brush the sensitive skin of her breast with my fingers, she breaks into goosebumps. It’s fun to physically see what I’m doing to her. Usually, it’s the guys who reveal so obviously our attraction. Like I am right now, pressed against that heated spot between her legs. I shift my hips slightly so that I’m pushing against her harder. Grace sucks in a sharp breath.
“Everything okay?” I ask. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m turning her on and getting to watch as Grace explores her sexuality for the first time. This is the most erotic scene I’ve ever been in. Except this time, I’m not acting.
Grace nods with closed eyes. “Mmhmm,” she says, moving her hips against me ever so slightly, a flush look spreading on her cheeks. Her heartbeat can be seen in the delicate skin on her neck. I lean forward to kiss it, savoring the heat beneath my lips as I leave a trail of kisses down her body. Her chest is rising and falling quickly, her breathing growing more and more shallow the closer I get to her breast. I flick my tongue out against her erect nipple, licking the sensitive nub from the other side of the thin lacey fabric of her bra. Grace releases a soft moan that goes straight to my dick. She moves her hips against my hard-on once more, flashing images of where this could lead to behind my eyes.
“You know, we have to do more than kiss in this script,” I remind her.
“Show me what comes next,” she breathes. The sound of her coming undone is so fucking sexy, it puts me over the edge.
I grope her breast with one hand, garnering a cute little gasp from Grace, and run my other hand through her short curly hair. I gently pull her head to the side, revealing more of her beautiful neck. I lick her salty skin from her collarbone to the bottom of her ear. I am entirely overcome with a possessive feeling, a need to take all of her here and now.
Grace moans as I nibble her earlobe. I run my hands down her warm, petite arms, letting my fingers catch on her bra strap. I pull the strap down all the way, revealing a perfect pale breast, and she smiles down at me, eyes swirling with pleasure. I run my thumb over her dusty pink nipple. She sucks in a sharp breath at my to
uch. I do the same to her other breast, still surprised at what this visit to the women’s locker room has turned into. Throbbing lust aches in my dick at the sight of Grace biting her luscious lips.
She rolls her head back and arches her back toward me, thrusting her breasts closer. I suck her nipple into my mouth, and she gasps, moving her hips against my erection, an automatic response. Fuck, I’m about to come in my pants. She’s so fucking hot. I need to make this last longer.
I lower a hand between Grace’s legs and rub that special spot, carefully eyeing her expression. Her mouth opens in shock. She sits like that, breathless, taking in this new sensation, before she lowers her forehead to mine, eyes closed, and surrenders to the moment. I slip my hands into her wet panties, toying with her sensitive flesh, slick for me. I’ve done this to other girls before, but it feels like the first time with Grace. I fucking love how she’s letting me explore her. It’s like I’ve never touched a woman. At least, no woman has ever responded to my touch this way. Grace is already breathing heavily. She makes me feel powerful. I eye her carefully as I slowly slip a finger inside her.
She’s tight, warm, and so goddamn smooth. I move my finger a bit faster, rubbing her clit with my thumb. I love the soft moans she makes in response to my touch.
“That feels so good, Gavin,” Grace breathes. My name on her lips takes me by surprise.
“I thought you were pretending I’m Eric.”
She moves her hips against me. “You are, and you’re Gavin.” I think about that for a moment and realize she’s right. You never completely lose yourself in any role. To bring any character to life, you inevitably breathe a bit of your own life experience into it.
“Who are you right now?” I ask, watching her pleasureful expression turn to a smile as she answers me. She keeps her eyes closed.
“I’m… I’m…” I slow down my pace, and she bucks toward me. “I’m Gracie, but—” Grace grabs my hand and silently begs me to move faster. “Veronica likes it fast.”
Tempt University: Year One: A College Romance Collection Page 35