by Piper Rayne
When we reach my condo, I place Payne on the kitchen counter.
“Let me grab the first-aid kit.” I go head toward my bathroom.
“Have you had other scripts sell?” Layla asks loud enough for me to hear her. Her question is immediately followed by a laugh from Leo.
I tense as I’m rifling through the cabinet. How is it that I keep forgetting about the secret I’m keeping from her?
“I figured you lived in more of a studio,” she says when I return to the kitchen.
I shrug. “It’s only a two-bedroom condo.”
“On the beach.” She looks thoroughly confused, but turns to Leo. “What do you do?”
“He dresses up dogs in tutus and dresses,” I say, as I wipe down Payne’s shin.
“If children weren’t present, I’d have some choice words for you,” Leo chimes in. “I own Canine Couture.”
Layla’s entire face lights up. “No way. Really?” She beelines it to the couch where Via is hugging Cooper so close to her I wonder if the dog can breathe. “My one make-up artist for the movie I’m filming has two toy poodles and she was raving about your stuff just last week. Says she’s been following you for years.”
I place the Band-Aid on Payne. “Better?”
Payne nods and I help him down from the counter. “Mom, can I go back outside? Can I, Mom? Please?”
Layla raises her finger.
“Mom!” Payne screams.
“Payne, wait for her to finish, buddy,” I say and place my hand on his shoulder.
He stays quiet, but his feet start tapping and his arms start flailing as if he can barely contain the energy inside him wanting to burst out.
“That’s nice to hear,” Leo says. “How about I take Payne back downstairs while you clean this up, Vance?”
Leo moves toward the door, causing Cooper to follow, and Via whines as soon as he’s out of her grasp.
“I can take the little one, too,” Leo offers.
Layla glances back at me. “I have to go to the bathroom really quick. How about I clean up and then you can go with to watch the kids?”
“I like to think kids are like dogs. I can watch more than one at once. I’ll take them to the beach and keep a close eye.”
Layla bites her lip and her cheeks tinge pink. “Um…”
“Leo’s a good one,” I say. “Plus, we’ll be five minutes tops.”
Layla nods, though a little unsure.
Leo takes the dog and two kids out of the condo, while I move to the sink to clean up and explain where the bathroom is to Layla.
Minutes later, the bathroom door opens. I’m leaning against my counter with my arms folded over my chest.
“Thanks for taking care of Payne,” she says. “You ready?”
She passes me, but I grab her wrist and pull her back. “Why were you acting like that out there?”
Her eyes dim and I regret saying anything. “Like what?”
“Like I didn’t get you off the other night.”
She laughs. “Aren’t we just having fun?” she asks, her tone suggesting she’s feeling me out. “Not to mention Kali. I mean, how dense do you think I am? I thought you had more class than to invite me to a party with a girl you fucked around with in attendance.”
“Whoa, what the hell?”
Talk about a one-eighty. First, she doesn’t care and now she’s jealous?
She raises her hand. “I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. Fooling around with each other is a mistake. Let’s just quit while we’re ahead.”
She tries to walk away but I pull her toward me again. “We’re not ahead until you’ve been underneath me.” I crash my lips down to hers.
Chapter 14
Layla
I let him kiss me.
What am I saying? I kiss him back. Just as fiercely and powerfully as he’s doing to me.
Once we’re both panting and moaning into each other’s mouths, he tears his lips from mine. “Kali’s no one. Yes, we were together once, but it was a mistake I regretted immediately.” Then his lips are on mine again.
I try to turn my face away, but he holds my head in his hands, licking up my throat. “Who’s to say you won’t regret this?” I ask in a breathy voice.
He ceases all movement and rears back to look into my eyes. “I’m not going to regret this, Layla. I’ve wanted you since I first saw you outside that trailer.”
He cups my breasts and I arch to give him better access. “God, Vance, I want you so bad, but we can’t do this. Jagger is right. We’re committing career suicide.”
“Jagger’s an ass. We’re adults. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll figure it out, right?” He tries to kiss me, but I keep dodging his mouth.
“I don’t know.”
Finally, he stops all movement, pulling away enough to lock gazes with me. “Do you not want me?” he asks, seeming almost offended.
“Yes, I want you.”
“Then let’s just see how it goes. I promise I won’t fire you if you break my heart. And you won’t quit the film if I break yours. Deal?”
My head wars with my heart. I know this isn’t a good idea, but on the flipside, how is working alongside Vance while trying to deny my attraction for him going to play out? Not only will it be distracting, it’ll be pure hell.
The way I figure it, I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.
I look straight into his eyes. “Deal. Now do that thing with your tongue again.”
His cocky smile appears and he takes ownership of my mouth once again.
“Fucking shit. You guys are idiots.” Jagger’s voice permeates our fog and he slams the door shut behind him and heads down the hall to the bathroom.
I can’t help but start laughing, which draws our kiss to a close.
“Told you he’s an asshole,” Vance grumbles.
“He’s going to give you hell.” I poke him in the chest.
“Let him. Think the kids are tired?”
I chuckle, knowing exactly what’s on his mind. “Yeah, but maybe I should feed them first.”
“Food coma? I love the sound of that.”
A giddiness envelops me when he takes my hand, leading me toward the door.
I take in where he lives, where he sleeps, watches television, where he relaxes. It’s all glass, chrome and hardwood with a wide span of windows overlooking the ocean. The building itself isn’t too flashy, but the inside of this place screams money.
“Seriously, Vance, this is a really nice condo. Do you sell a lot of scripts?”
He stops and turns around, placing each of his hands on my cheeks. “You know what? We need to talk.” The smile disappears from his face and instead of leading me toward the door, he guides me to the couch.
He’s a trust-fund baby? No problem.
He sells his body at night? It could be worse, right?
Maybe he’s a thief? Robbed a few banks.
I’m totally overthinking this.
I sit there, my leg bouncing anxiously as I wait for him to start speaking.
“I wanted to tell you this before, but I didn’t think it was a major deal. If we’re going to be togeth—”
The door swings open and a long-annoyed breath leaves Vance’s lips.
“Um… she fell asleep.” Leo is holding Via in his arms with Cooper and Payne at his side.
I give Vance a look, but he’s already moving toward the door. I step up and take my sleeping princess from Leo.
“Call Miles. I don’t have a car seat for Via. I’ll meet you at your place,” Vance says.
“What? The party is just beginning.” Leo holds out his hands at his sides. “You can’t leave.”
“Next time I’ll get a babysitter, promise.” I hold Via to my chest and Leo nods, his dark blonde hair falling over his forehead with the movement.
“I’ll plan another one soon.” He walks out with Cooper following right behind him. Seriously, I need someone as loyal and committed to me as that.
Even though
I try not to get my hopes up, I secretly can’t help but hope that Vance is the man for the job.
Via stays asleep during transport, but I had to stop and grab Payne a hamburger.
Don’t judge. I haven’t gotten laid in a year and even then, it was a typical Carver flash fuck. Something tells me that Vance knows his way around a woman’s body and I plan for him to take his time.
Payne is out of the bath and changing into his pajamas when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll be right back, sweetie, finish up.” I jog down the stairs, wishing I had time to freshen up. My hair probably smells like campfire and I’m pretty sure I have a thin layer of beach sand all over me. Although as luck—or maybe premeditation—would have it, I shaved this morning.
I open the door to find Vance’s hands stuffed into his pockets, his smile reaching all the way up to his caramel eyes. I could become addicted to that look.
“Hey.” His voice is suave and smooth and all my insides turn into goo.
“Hi. I’m just finishing up with Payne. Give me five.” I hold my fingers up and run back up the stairs. Right before I disappear I look back and find him staring at my ass.
“What can I say, I like the view.” He winks and then heads into the family room.
God, I might actually die of heart failure from the way it’s pitter-pattering so much.
“Okay, buddy, let’s get you into bed.” I throw the covers open.
Payne stands by his books, his finger running along the spines. “Why can’t we read the shark book?”
I inwardly cringe. We’ve been reading that same book for the past month. I’m not sure I can handle another reading, especially when I’m strung tighter than a piano wire.
“I’m bored with that book,” I say. “Maybe we can go to the store tomorrow.” I try to inject some excitement into my voice, hoping to sell him on the idea. “Just grab another book, sweetie.” I pat his bed and widen my eyes.
“No.” His fingers run along the spines of his books again and my head falls back in frustration.
“Come on, baby, let’s read something else tonight and we’ll go to the book store and see if we can find a different shark book tomorrow.” I pat the bed again and he turns around, his lips turned down.
Mommy guilt rears its ugly head, but it’s competing pretty hard with my needs right now. Thankfully, Payne cuts me a break.
“Promise?” he asks, sliding under the covers.
Thank you, I say internally to the heavens above.
“Yes, I promise. Now, get all comfy.” My foot is tapping with impatience and I’m clenching my fists. I just want to get back downstairs.
I lean against the headboard with him and start reading. When we reach the second page, he places his hand down on the open book. “Mommy, too fast.”
I smile down at him and nod. “Okay, I’ll slow down.”
I keep a good pace for a while, but it still feels like it’s taking forever.
Come on, Moon, just say good night, for fuck’s sake.
A century later, I finish and close the book.
“Mommy, why does the bunny say good night to everything?” Payne asks.
“Because that’s what the book is about.” I stand from the bed and tuck the covers under his chin.
“Maybe I should say good night to everything, too.”
I kiss the top of his head and slide down the bed. “We can discuss that tomorrow.”
“At Leo’s store, they have puppies. Can we buy one?”
My hand pauses on the light switch. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow morning, okay? Love you, Payne. Sweet dreams.”
I turn off the light.
“Mommy?”
I release a breath and pause before I shut the door. “Yeah?”
“I really like Vance. Can he sleep over one night?”
I want to giggle but I stop myself. “We’ll see. Good night.”
I shut the door, thankful he doesn’t stop me again.
Before I head back downstairs I make a quick stop in my bathroom to fluff my hair, apply a quick layer of face powder and brush my teeth. I blink my eyes to open them wider.
I am not tired. I am not tired. I do not want to go to bed.
Well, not alone anyway.
I force myself to walk at a normal pace down the stairs, even though anticipation has my legs wanting to sprint back to rejoin Vance.
“Trouble?” he asks, one arm across the back of the couch and a beer in his other hand. The television is tuned to the sports channel.
I can’t help the way that my chest warms at seeing Vance so comfortable in my home—as if he belongs here.
“I opened you a bottle of white. That okay?” he asks as I round the coffee table to take a seat on the couch.
“Perfect. Thank you.”
I sit there with my feet resting on my coffee table, watching the rundown of the day’s sporting events that I care nothing about.
After a few minutes Vance leans forward, taking the wine glass from my hands and placing it on the table. “You into Oregon Ducks football?” he asks as he leans his weight on my body until my back is on the couch.
I glance at the TV screen which is showing some clips of a college football game. “Not at all.” I shake my head.
“Good, because you’re going to be my entertainment tonight.” His lips descend and my body loses all the pent-up tension, relaxing into the soft cushions of my couch and melting into his body. His knee spreads my legs apart, and he fits himself between them.
“Vance?” I almost whisper.
“Yeah?” he murmurs as his tongue flicks at my earlobe.
“Can we go upstairs?” For some reason I can’t stand the thought about having sex on the couch for our first time. I am not in high school.
He stands, holds out his hand. “I was hoping you’d say that, but I didn’t want to assume.”
I accept his offering and he pulls me up off the couch, then holds me steady at my hips.
“We don’t have to sleep together,” he says. “I’d be happy just to make out.”
I fist his t-shirt in my hands. “I wouldn’t.” I pull him forward and he chuckles, letting me wield the power for a moment.
Once we reach the stairs, he lifts me up, throwing me over his shoulder and quietly walking up the stairs.
My bedroom is dark and I’m glad I took a few minutes this morning to tidy up my room and make my bed this morning. Not that I think that would deter either of us at this point. He shuts the door and flicks the lock.
“Just in case.” We share a smile as I slide down his front until my feet reach to the floor.
“Remember when I was trying to tell you something earlier?” he asks, his two hands interlocked with mine.
I unhook one hand and place a finger over his lips. “Not now. I don’t want to think about anything else tonight… just this.”
“But…”
“No.” I rise up on my tiptoes and place my lips to his, hoping he’ll listen to me and kiss me back. I’m not usually a seize-the-moment person and I don’t want this moment to pass me by because I began to retreat into my head with what if’s.
He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth and my hands wrap around his neck, running through his soft, chestnut hair.
He pulls me flush against him and our lips touch, my eyes falling closed as we explore each other’s mouth. Step by step, he guides us to the bed, his lips never leaving mine, where he lies on top of me. Half of his weight is pressed against me and it feels like heaven. His hands run down my sides, sneaking under the hem of my blouse and exploring my curves.
My nipples peak, ready to be played with. Just like the other night, his fingers pull down the cup of my bra to expose my breast, which fits perfectly in his palm. He massages my flesh, tweaking my nipple, and my head falls back to the mattress with a moan.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, undoing the buttons on my shirt, slowly, like he’s savouring every moment.
My blouse fa
lls to the sides of my body and he runs his knuckles up and down the center of my stomach, spurring goose bumps to skitter along his path. His hand stops and I inhale a breath, waiting for him to undo my bra.
“Relax, Layla.” He unclips the clasp between my breasts and bends down, kissing my skin while he brushes the fabric away so that my bra now lies with my blouse. “I knew you were perfect.” He moves to my right breast, sucking it into his mouth, his tongue swirling the puckered tip around in his mouth like a cherry from a sundae.
“Far from perfect.” My two hands run through his hair as he moves to my left breast, mimicking the same motion.
To say I’m self-conscious of my body would be a huge understatement. No one except Carver has seen me completely naked since I had children. Unlike Carver, I didn’t sleep with anyone else after we got married, or since our separation.
I turned down a decent role last year that required a sex scene because I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Then it dawns on me… what if Vance sees my body and decides I’m not a good fit for the movie?
I push him off me, sliding to the headboard, and crisscross each side of my blouse to cover myself.
“What’s the matter?” Vance’s alarmed face makes me cringe.
I’m all over the road here, giving him mixed signals. Who’s to say he won’t want to get off at the next available exit?
Chapter 15
Vance
She’s covering herself like I just groped her without her permission and with all the blood in my body heading south away from my brain it takes me a minute to try to catch up. “Layla?”
Her forehead falls to her knees and she mumbles something I can’t understand.
“Do you want to look at me when you say that so I can understand what’s happening here?”
She peeks one eye up and then rests her chin on her knees. “I’m not what you’re used to… what you’re expecting.”
“What are you talking about?” Then it occurs to me. “Oh.” I wave my hand up in the air. “Hey, we don’t have to do anything. Am I pushing you too fast?”
Her shoulders lose all stiffness and she shakes her head. “No. That’s not what I meant.”