How could he leave me like that? How could he throw away something that was just starting to blossom?
Blossom? Did I say blossom? Yes, damn it. Blossom.
The closer he gets, my stomach churns and transforms into a boiling vat of acid. My heart quickens and my pulse spikes to a dizzying speed. At first, he and Tabby stride with intent, snapping papers back and forth as they walk, but when he spots us standing inches apart, his gaze shifts and his blue eyes smolder.
“Georgie, are you listening?” Michael gently lifts my chin to bring my attention back to him.
“Not a word.” I mumble, confused.
“Mr. Easton, watch out!” We jerk our heads to the sound of a scream, a thud and the sight of clothes flying in every direction. Tabitha rushes to lift Ajax off the floor while Michael and I help a frantic stagehand gather discarded clothes and return them to his overturned costume rack.
While Ajax straightens his suit and gathers his pride, I feel the need to extend a small olive branch. “Are you all right?”
He looks mortified and although my intention is not to build on that humiliation, I fear I have.
“I’m fine.” His lip curls into a sneer just before he storms off.
Tabby’s eyes meet mine. For a brief second, before Georgia the actress cuts off distasteful emotions, Georgia the girl reveals her despair. It’s brief. I’m quick to rein it in, but I know Tabitha sees it.
After Ajax has fled, she hands us a few pages of script. “These are edits for Act Two. They’re ridiculous and I promise I’m working on changing his mind. He’s testy right now, but I know he’ll come around.” Before she leaves, she leans closer and whispers.
“I’m sorry if he was rude. He likes you a lot. But you know that, right?” She gives me a sympathetic smile and rushes off.
My fractured heart soars. With dewy eyes, I look down and thumb through the new pages. My shoulders slump. My jaw drops. Michael, still glued to my hip, groans with displeasure. This is unbelievable. Unfathomable. That sniveling little weasel has just destroyed our one love scene. It was the only thing that made this tragic roller coaster even remotely romantic. What’s he thinking?
“Georgie? What does this mean? Can they really replace a love scene with what’s this...a firm handshake?” Michael’s voice trails off.
I crumple the pages in my hand. “Over my dead body.”
Thirteen
Ajax
My worst fears have come to pass. I was nothing to her. A distraction. A body, an opening act to use for her amusement until the main attraction, Michael Sheridan, arrived in town. How the shit am I going to live through six weeks of watching her with another man? I’ll go out of my fucking mind. This can’t be happening. I can’t let him take her away. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if my play brought them together.
“Tabitha! Help me!” I toss a bottle of Xanax in her lap. “Please, I can’t get it open. I’m falling apart and this is almost certainly your fault.”
She opens it with ease and hands it back. “Just one. We have a long day and where the hell do you get off blaming me? You’re the idiot who left Georgia Madrid naked on a Friday night, ready for action. That ending’s a downer. I’ve begged you to change it a dozen times.” She rolls her eyes and takes some notes.
“It was your idea to cast Michael Sheridan, which I suspect was purely based on your desire to meet him. That’s a detail I’ve yet to share with your psychotically jealous husband. I don’t have to tell you what that morsel of information will do to his fragile state of mind.” I wag my finger and her mouth falls open.
“Don’t you dare drag my Byron into this. You know how he gets. He’s liable to crash a motorcycle into the stage. Michael Sheridan is just a fantasy. I can have fantasies. They’re harmless. And besides, she’s not interested in him. I could tell by her body language. She was tense. She looks stressed and distracted. I think she was worried about seeing you and what you’d say or do. Then you almost gave yourself a concussion and snapped at her for asking if you were okay. Real fucking smooth, lover boy.” When she sees people approach, she pivots and stares at the row of seats in front of us, trying to determine which chair is hers.
“And expect everyone to be pissed about these changes. They’re nuts and you know it.” She shakes a handful of pages as she walks away.
I follow her and lower my voice.
“I’m not changing the damn ending. She used me. If she had genuine feelings, she should have waited until after sex. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t wasting her time. And if she felt anything for me, she wouldn’t let that dipshit put his hands all over her.”
“Enough bullshit. You were wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Accept it and fix it before you ruin this forever.” She pulls me down by my jacket sleeve and talks through her teeth.
“Ask yourself this. Can you live in a world where you could’ve had Georgia Madrid all to yourself, every night for the rest of your life, but you chose to be a stubborn asshole?”
I grit my teeth and thoughts of naked Georgia flood my miserable mind. My heart clenches with fear. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I don’t even mind her bratty side. I can live with it. It keeps things interesting. She’s smart, beautiful and she makes me laugh. But it’s more than that. I’ve had a taste and Georgia lingers on the palate. I want more. I want to consume her daily. Nightly. Forever. She can’t marry anyone else. She can’t have babies with anyone else. The thought alone makes me want to burn this building to the ground.
Maybe I was too hasty.
It’s just an ending. I jumped to conclusions based on my own insecurities, not necessarily her words. Tabitha hates the ending too and she doesn’t have to perform it on stage. I should have listened to her.
“Ajax Easton! You’ve gone too far! Did you just rewrite my one love scene into some bizarre handshake?” The sound of Georgia’s voice breaks through my inner musings and my head snaps to attention.
She’s pissed. Fuming. Her lips are tightly pursed and although I know it’s shitty to reduce her to an adorable caricature when she’s a mature woman with grievances, she looks as cute as a button.
I straighten my tie and make it my mission to annoy her further. “You’re the actress, I’m sure you can make it work.”
“You’re ruining my scene and it won’t make a bit of difference. I’ll kiss him offstage.” She threatens, but when our eyes lock, she double blinks and gives her lie away. I move a step closer to her, invading her space and a blush blooms on her cheeks.
“What are you implying?” I drop my voice an octave but keep it steady. Her perfume makes it hard to focus.
She steps closer and makes me flinch. I want to step back, her tits are too close not to touch, but if I yield my ground, she wins.
She raises an eyebrow. “What are you inferring?”
“I asked first.” I stutter.
“I don’t care.”
I swallow hard. “May we speak alone?”
She sinks her teeth into her plump bottom lip and sucks in a tiny breath. “Maybe we should.”
Fourteen
Georgia
“Oh, Jesus! Right there... harder.” I land against the wall just as his massive hands brutally cup my breasts. But he’s too gentle. There’s three days of lust brewing in these panties and there’s no way I’ll get any satisfaction if he tries to romance me now.
“I’m sorry I left the way I did. I overreacted. I meant to go back, but I felt too dumb and I couldn’t see in the dark. I wasn’t sure which brownstone was yours. They all looked the same.” His tongue silences my giggle as he closes his mouth over mine in a wet, hot kiss that makes my legs instinctively climb him like a mighty oak. I feel desperate to rip off his clothes and drown in his skin. I’ll go crazy if I don’t.
“Ajax, I need you. Do we have time?” I reach for his shirt buttons, unraveling them like a madwoman as I pull off his tie.
“Fuck, baby. Not here. People are waiting for us. We should do this righ
t. Let me take care of you.” He digs his big boner, the one I’ve been dreaming about since he abandoned me Friday night, into my damp panties, beneath my hiked-up skirt and I tremble with lust. This is intolerable. Unbearable. No more waiting.
“Ajax Easton! I can’t wait! You make those people wait! I have needs and you have responsibilities.” Tears well as I tug out his dress shirt and smooth my hands over his chiseled chest. I’ve lost control and I don’t care. I need cock. I needed cock yesterday. I needed it Saturday. More specifically, I need his cock. Big time.
He grabs my wrists and clamps them tight in one giant hand. His eyes grow cold as they lock on mine. “As much as I want to take this pussy here and now, you’ll need to wait until I can take it right. You want me right, don’t you? You want me to take it nice and good?” His deep voice burns a hole into my heart and sets my body on fire. Flames devour me instantly.
I nod. “But...” It’s hard to cede control so easily.
He shakes his head and releases my limp hands. “No buts. You want me to give you a happy ending? A real happy ending?” He cups my right breast and pinches my nipple. I don’t even flinch. I’m too mesmerized to feel pain. I wiggle my ass to dig deeper into his cock and stifle a smile when he groans.
I nod again and reach out to kiss his lips. After one quick kiss, he pulls away to speak.
“If you’re a good girl for me, I’ll give you the best happy ending. The ending you want. A big wedding. Babies and strollers. Sunday picnics in the park, chasing children who chase dogs. Is that what you want, sweetheart?” He simultaneously squeezes my ass and kneads my breast, which makes me nod uncontrollably as my legs wind higher around his hips.
“I’ll be a good girl for you, Daddy.” I pout and throw my arms around his neck to pull him closer.
“Oh fuck, Georgia. You’re not playing fair.” His lips crush to mine while his hands cup my ass and grind me roughly into his stiff erection.
“Ajax, I don’t think I can wait.” I whine, begging for mercy as I teeter on the brink of exploding.
“You’re Georgia Madrid. You can do anything.” He rasps through clenched teeth. I know I’m making it harder for both of us, but I’m so aroused, I fear nothing will bring me down from this high.
“Ajax...please...” My words are cut off by a downpour of fluorescent light, a gust of wind and a familiar voice.
“Georgia! Mija! You found a boyfriend!” It’s my mother. Goddammit, it’s my mother.
Who the hell let my mother into the building?
Fifteen
Ajax
This is refreshing. I expect a scene. Our clothes are disheveled. Georgia’s skirt is gathered around her waist, her ass is half-exposed with my grubby hands digging into her skin and we are obviously in the midst of lascivious behavior when her mother barges into the dressing room. Yet, her response is nothing but warm.
She’s a pretty lady, diminutive and dressed to the nines. She’s an older, shorter version of Georgia with enormous hazel eyes, an infectious smile and absolutely no boundaries.
“Georgia, is this the man you were telling me about?” She waits for me to straighten my tie before she takes my arm. “He’s gorgeous. So much better than the last one.” She leans in and whispers. “I never liked the last one. He didn’t understand my girl. Georgie needs to be the center of attention, but you can’t let her walk all over you. Because she will.” She laughs and lets me lead her out of the room.
“I’m right here, woman. I can hear every word you say.” Georgia stomps her feet, combs her hair out with her fingers and takes my other arm. “How did you get into the building? There’s a list and I sure as hell didn’t put you on it.”
Without missing a beat, her mother shoots back. “I called Alva and she told them to put me on that silly list. Then a young woman, pretty and pregnant, pointed me in the right direction. She said you were having a meeting. Some meeting.” She looks up and gives me a smirk identical to Georgia’s.
Between Georgia’s groans and her mother’s sighs. I attempt to make peace before we begin the read. “Mrs. Madrid, stay for the reading. We’ll find a script for you to follow along.”
Her eyes shoot open with glee then narrow at the sound of her daughter squawk. Georgia’s livid. “Absolutely not!”
“Sweetheart, you’ll be spectacular. Don’t you want your mother to hear you read a role I wrote just for you.” I gaze deep into her eyes and give her an almost indiscernible nod.
“Georgie, that’s so romantic! You don’t deserve such a nice boy!” Her mother clasps her hands and deliberately tries to annoy her. This is a rare gift they share.
“Mother, if you don’t get your behind into that room and sit somewhere inconspicuous, I will haul your behind into a taxi and send you back to Gina.” Georgia points and I’m shocked when her mother rushes away without a peep. When she’s gone, she turns back to me.
“Do you mean that? Did you really? But you didn’t even know me?” I’m thankful when she wraps her arms around my waist and slams her body against my chest. This could have gone horribly wrong.
“You’re right. But there was something about you. Something I wanted to know. Something that drew me to you. I couldn’t explain it. I’ve never stalked or fawned over celebrities. I always thought that was silly. Then I saw your photo in a magazine and the look in your eyes. Goddamn your eyes, Georgia. They slay me.” I run a finger across her cheek and stare helplessly into the face of the woman I love.
True to form, she bats her lashes and smiles. “What? These beauties?”
I laugh and kiss that sassy mouth. “Yes. Those. They’re amazing. You’re amazing. I love you, Georgia. I’m not sure I believed in love until the minute you walked into my life. I know we bicker. I can’t promise that will ever stop. But I promise I will always let you win when you look at me like that.”
She covers her heart and bites into her trembling bottom lip. “Ajax, that’s beautiful. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I’ve been looking for someone that felt right. Someone that fit. And no one has ever felt like you. I feel terrible about what I said the other night. I didn’t mean it. I got scared and wanted to sabotage things.” She leans in and kisses me sweetly. “I love you Ajax Easton. I’ve never said that before. Not to a man. Never even come close.”
At the sound of those words, I’m certain my heart explodes. I’ve pictured her saying them so many times, never believing it would ever come true. But she loves me. Georgia Madrid loves me. I take her face in my hands and crash my mouth to hers in a kiss to end all kisses. I don’t care that people are calling our names. I ignore Ryan’s whistle. I swat away Tabitha’s hand on my arm. I’m in love and I don’t care who the hell sees me kissing my woman.
“For fuck’s sake! Can we get started?” Michael Sheridan, irate that I’ve stolen his intended conquest, interrupts our love fest and we break apart.
“Goddammit! We’ll be right in. Stop killing my fucking action.” Georgia’s Brooklyn side emerges. With a wave of her hand and a few profane gestures, she sends everyone back into the room.
“We should go in.” I kiss her forehead and take her hand.
“I know. But after this, you’re taking me home, right?” She licks her lips and runs her fingers up my chest.
“I was thinking we should take your Mom out for dinner.” The idea sounds right until I say it out loud. I want to make a good impression, but I need to be alone with Georgia.
Her face twists with disgust. “No, sir. We can take her out tomorrow. Tonight, you promised to reward Daddy’s little girl. Isn’t that what you said.”
My heart skips a beat. My hard cock twitches in my trousers. “That’s right. How fast can you read?”
Sixteen
Georgia
Unbuttoning my shirt, I race up the stairs and throw it over my head. It lands on Ajax’s face. He laughs and tosses it to the side. When my bra lands on his shoulder, he lifts it with a devious smile, sniffs it and carries it the rest of the way.<
br />
“There’s nowhere to run, my love. I’ll break down that door to get what’s mine.” He chuckles and takes each step, one at a time, like a deranged serial killer in a slasher movie.
“No, you better be gentle! I was so good. You promised rewards, not punishment.” I yelp as I throw off my heels, unfasten my skirt and let it slide to the floor. Before I hop into my bedroom, dressed in nothing but panties, I spot him on the last step, shirtless and unzipping his pants.
Good God, I’m in love.
“You better keep those panties on and assume the position, little girl.” He barks from the hallway.
This is too exciting. I can’t breathe. I hope I don’t hyperventilate before we begin.
Oh, my word, what’s the position? Jesus, I’m so green. I jump on the bed, get on all fours and try like hell to look sexy with my ass angled high into the air. It’s a gamble. Pornography was never high on my list and now I regret it.
“Now, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.” Ajax enters the room, completely naked, sporting an erection that juts out obscenely in front of him. He’s enormous. Bigger than I imagined. Larger than I could have envisioned. I’m struck blind but quickly regain my vision. His entire body is a work of art and for the first time in my life, my mouth waters at the sight of an erect penis. It’s glorious.
While I watch him in rapt fascination, he draws closer and pounces on the bed. Strangely aware that my panties are soaked through, I wiggle my ass like a cat in heat and drop my arms to the bed. I want him to see me. He’s awakened emotions I’ve never felt. I feel shameless and brazen and I don’t want to hide anything from him. I’m ready for anything.
Play Right: Older Man Younger Woman Romance (Manhattan Bachelors Book 2) Page 5