by Ally Decker
She knew Jeremy was already there, having arrived in the morning with most of the others, and she wondered what their reunion would look like.
In the past, whenever he'd come to New York, they would meet at her place, away from anyone. Any time he'd suggested going out, they always ended up tossing the idea, not wanting to be caught by the press or even overeager fans. The last thing Tara needed was to be the face of the new Jeremy rumors. He had enough of them already, and she didn't want to be put out there with his co-stars or, even worse, famous exes.
But that meant they'd always greeted each other in the safety and quiet of her apartment. What was it going to be like now? Would he be there in the parking lot or would he be waiting in the cabin? Or maybe he would be busy doing something with his friends and she would meet him later?
Tara discarded the last idea. Jeremy was what her grandmother would call a true gentleman—if, of course, one didn't take into account his texts or hear what he liked to whisper to Tara's ear whenever they were having sex, in person or on the phone. But dirty talk aside, he was attentive and giving in and out of the bedroom, sometimes to a fault. They'd had a few spats about him wanting to pay for every take out they ordered when he was visiting, and in the end she'd given in but started cooking more so it would level out. International movie star or no, she didn't want a sugar daddy. She could pay her own way.
Now, she decided he was most likely going to be waiting at the parking lot and she had to admit that she liked that. The idea that he was as excited to see her as she was to see him went a long way to calm down her nerves. She felt anxious not only about a week with Jeremy, but also about spending it with a bunch of movie stars and their spouses, since she only knew Greg and Sylvia well.
Tara and Greg had been in a Broadway show together a few years ago, when he'd been doing a short run as one of Illuminations' leads, and she'd met his current wife a few times back then. She and Sylvia had hit it off right away as Sylvia's enthusiasm was contagious. But out of the other four couples that were going to be at the camp, she'd met them only once, last year at the wedding, and she'd barely spoken with any of them.
She'd had her own friends at the wedding party and that helped when "Hollywoods", as they'd nicknamed Greg's famous guests, arrived. Of course, she'd been set on dazzling them with her best look, but she hadn't admitted to anyone she'd been nervous. She wasn't what anyone would call shy, but something about a bunch of people from front covers of every magazine made a regular girl like her self-conscious. Thankfully, she hit it off with Jeremy right from the start and after that, her attention was focused on him and him alone.
Now, it was going to be just her and them, for a week.
Maybe she should try and convince Jeremy to spend a week holed up in the cabin?
She snorted at herself at that for being silly, but before she could work herself up again, the driver turned into a parking lot with the Camp Firefly Falls logo by the entrance.
Tara straightened in her seat, took a deep breath, and…saw Jeremy lounging against the wooden fence next to the guard station. Forgetting about trying to be cool, she grinned as their gazes met and he grinned back.
He looked so good. After over three months, their longest—way too long—break between seeing each other, she'd almost managed to forget how freaking gorgeous the man was. Of course, she could see his face on billboards all over New York almost every day, but there was something about him in real life that couldn't be conveyed by a photo alone, no matter how good. Even in a movie, although captivating, his presence didn't do to her what seeing him in the flesh, in simple jeans and a t-shirt, did.
He was at her door the second the car stopped, and offered her a hand as she got out. They grinned at each other again, and he put his hands on her hips.
"Hi," he said, pulling her closer, and she rested her hands on his chest. God, it was so good to be touching again.
"Hi."
Their kiss was short but it still sent a shiver down her back as her heart sped up. She reluctantly pulled back to get her things from the backseat while he went to retrieve her suitcase.
"Traveling light this time, I see," he teased.
"There's no wedding this time, as far as I know," she said, putting her sunglasses on. "Besides, last year there was no baggage limit and I like to have choices." Two suitcases might have been a lot for most of the other guests, but there had been a few women who had admitted to wishing they'd thought of doing that as well.
Jeremy took her hand as they headed towards the main camp.
"Do those choices include wearing nothing at all?" he asked and there was heat in his gaze now that wasn't there moments ago. "Because I'm voting for that."
"Noted." She could feel herself blush but hoped to pass it off as a reaction to the sun. "But unless we're staying in the cabin all week, that's not going to happen."
"Well, now I want to stay in all week." He gave her a quirked smile. "Maybe with some short breaks."
She chuckled. Despite her nerves earlier, she didn't want to stay inside the whole time. "I crave some time in the sun, but I look forward to you convincing me."
His gaze dropped to her lips. "I will try my best."
Tara's body responded to the promise right away and she was already picturing them on the bed, naked, when there came a shout somewhere to their left.
It was Greg, waving from the patio of one of the cabins, with Sylvia at his side, shaking her head and whispering something to her husband before turning to them.
"Hey, I'm sorry for him, he's overly excited today," she told Tara.
"Hi, it's good to see you again," Tara said with a smile. "It's been too long." With Greg's career, the three of them rarely got to see each other now.
And doesn't that sound familiar, an unhelpful voice at the back of her head supplied, but she ignored it.
"It's good to see you, too," Sylvia said, walking up to her. "We need to do some gossiping later in the week, I'm dreadfully out of the loop."
"Deal."
Tara let go of Jeremy's hand to hug her friend and pretended she didn't feel the loss of his touch. It was silly, after all. They went months without physical contact after all, she could stand a few minutes.
Or seconds, seeing as Jeremy took her hand again as soon as she and Sylvia pulled back from each other.
"See you guys later," he told their friends and tugged her further down the row of cabins.
It looked like Tara wasn't the only one who was impatient.
She heard Sylvia laughing behind them, but pretended not to. Neither Jeremy nor Tara were subtle, and it made her feel like a teenager again, sneaking around to kiss and grope each other every five minutes.
At least the sex was much, much better now.
Still, she'd been on the road for quite a few hours, so as soon as they got to the cabin—nicer than the one last year, she noticed—she announced she needed a shower.
Jeremy pulled her closer instead and kissed her jaw. She tilted her head back without thinking.
"Do you want company, perhaps?" he asked before nipping on her neck.
Yes, she wanted to say. Yes.
"Maybe next time," she said, pulling back, but eased the rejection by kissing him again. What was supposed to be a short kiss, turned into a deep, long reintroduction and she almost changed her mind.
Finally, when they broke the kiss to catch their breaths, she moved away.
"I'll make it quick, I promise," she said, stepping to her luggage to retrieve all she needed.
He leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "And when you're out, I promise to make it last," he murmured before pulling back and stretching on the bed. The sight of him, spread on the covers, was like a dream.
Damn it. He could tempt the dead.
She almost ran to the bathroom.
Then she looked at herself in the mirror above the sink and decided she'd definitely made the right choice. Her hair was a mess, her shirt was wrinkled, and her shorts were stickin
g to her thighs. That was not a way to seduce a guy who could have half the women in this country. Sure, she was here on vacation, but there were standards.
Tara undressed quickly and, once under the spray, let herself relax again. As she washed, she smiled to herself, thinking about the man out in the room. Jeremy was definitely excited to see her and while she could have figured that out from the mere fact that he invited her here, it still made her feel good. No matter what happened afterward, this week was looking to be great.
After she got out, she thoroughly brushed and then braided her hair before going through her standard routine. Then she put on a new underwear set that she'd picked up a few weeks ago. She skipped any other clothes, since they would soon end up on the floor.
She grinned at her reflection.
It was time for a proper hello.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jeremy lay on the bed listening to the sounds coming from the bathroom and tried not to think about Tara being there, naked and wet, and…
He sat up and looked around the room to distract himself, noticing Tara's big suitcase and his small one, tucked under the table. Even if he did prefer her naked, he wasn't blind to the effort she put into the way she dressed and presented herself.
He glanced towards the nightstand on his side of the bed. They'd foregone condoms last time since Tara had an IUD and they both got tested regularly, so he hoped they would skip them this time around as well, but he came prepared just in case. He'd brought lube and tossed in two pieces of silk they'd used once, in case they wanted to be adventurous again.
Thinking of Tara bound to the bed wasn't helping with his half-hard cock, though, so he needed to stop thinking about that.
He checked the time. Ten to four. They had a lot of time until dinner, which suited his plans to go slow. Greg had mentioned something about drinks on the beach after dinner, but Jeremy hoped he and Tara would skip them tonight and hang out back here, just the two of them. While he wasn't planning on hiding here for a week, he hadn't seen Tara for over three months. He didn't want to share her so soon.
Then, he remembered about the wine he'd stored in the cabinet earlier, along with two glasses and Tara's favorite chocolates. He opened the bottle and poured them both a drink, placing the glasses on his nightstand. Right when he put the box of chocolates next to them, the bathroom door opened.
He turned around and inhaled sharply at the sight.
Tara was standing there, leaning against the frame, dressed only in a green set of lingerie, so dark it was almost black. She looked…
"Gorgeous," he told her, stepping closer until he was right in front of her and watched her blush spread down her body. He reached out and brushed his fingers over her skin right next to the strap of her bra. "You are absolutely beautiful."
She smiled and put her hands on his hips before slipping her fingers under his t-shirt, touching skin. "You look nice, too." She dragged her hands higher, pulling his shirt up. "I bet you'd look even better with this off."
He pulled it off and tossed it onto the chair. Her gaze went darker as she looked up and down his body, and, fuck, it was heady to see her wanting him.
As he leaned into the kiss, she moved her head to the side to kiss his collarbone, then his neck, before slowly making her way up to his lips. When she got there, he deepened the kiss right away, licking into her mouth to chase the taste he'd been craving for months now. He put a hand on her naked back and rubbed his little finger over the dip above her panties, earning himself a muffled sigh from her. He remembered all the spots that made her sigh or moan with pleasure, and he intended to exploit them all today. And tomorrow. And the day after that…
His other hand joined the first on the small of her back and he lowered them to grab her ass and pull her up. She broke the kiss to tangle her legs around his waist and grin at him before delving in for another taste. His erection was brushing against the heat of her body and the curl of want swept inside him. He didn't even notice he had tightened his grip on her ass until she moaned and pulled at his hair in response.
If he wanted to go slow, Jeremy needed to change tactics.
He carried her to the bed and lowered her onto the mattress, kneeling between her legs. He looked down at her, marveling at the sight—at her beautiful body, her flushed skin, her smile. He promised himself never to stay away from her for so long again. Three weeks was too long, three months was just stupid.
Hopefully, she would agree. He had a week to make his case.
Jeremy leaned over for a kiss, this one unhurried and exploratory so he could relearn her mouth again. He moved down to leave a line of kisses on her chin, her neck. He licked over the dip of her collarbone and left a mark right next to it, alongside a handful of freckles. As he went lower, he pulled the straps of her bra off her shoulders, and when he looked up at her, she arched her back so he could take her bra off completely. He sat back to run his hands over her breasts, brushing his thumbs over the undersides, back and forth, until she was breathing faster and louder.
"Come on."
Her whispered plea was what he was waiting on. He grinned and lowered his head without looking away from her eyes. He circled his tongue around the hard tip before sucking on it, gently at first, then harder.
"Fuck," she moaned, arching her back again, pushing into his touch, into his mouth.
He moved to the other nipple to do the same, and she swore again, tightening her grip on his hair. His erection was straining under his shorts, but he needed to wait. He wanted to make her come with his tongue first.
Continuing his path, he moved lower, tasting the skin of her stomach as he went. He left a line of kisses along the edge of her panties—light, barely-there brushes that were bound to leave her wanting more. Then, he finally pushed the panties off, and she let out a relieved sigh that made him smile. Maybe it was time to give her what she wanted.
The first taste of her after a long break was always intoxicating, and he delved into it, licking and sucking, making her moan, and swear, and stumble into an orgasm that was faster than expected.
He was reluctant to pull away, licking over her clit softly until she nudged him away. He dropped a kiss on the inner side of her thigh and pulled himself up again, over her body, to lick into her mouth again.
When they parted, he moved to the side and left light kisses along her neck and shoulder as she came down from her orgasm. She always needed a minute and he found it both adorable and rewarding to watch her slow, languid movements after he made her feel this good.
She rolled to the side to face him and reached down to grab his cock, but he caught her hand and lifted it to his lips.
"I'd like to fuck you instead," he said between kissing her knuckles, and watched her smile spread slowly on her face.
"I see." She brushed her thumb over his lower lip. "Can't say I don't like the idea."
He ran his tongue around her thumb and bit it gently. "No condom still okay?"
The green in her eyes looked incredibly deep in the sunlight from the window. "Still okay on my part."
"Good." He kissed her again, reaching out to tease her nipple lightly with his thumb. "More than okay on mine."
She inhaled sharply when his blunt nail scratched over the hard tip, and she tossed her leg over his hip, nudging him closer. A slight tug was all that was needed so that his erection was brushing against her entrance, slick and ready for him.
Jeremy reached down to flick over her clit again and she bit his shoulder to stifle her moan. He leaned his cock and pushed in, slowly, pausing when only the head was inside to give her time to relax. She was so tight around him, it was bordering on pain, but he loved it, he loved feeling her body stretch around his, letting him in, welcoming him. He could feel the moment her muscles relented, and he pressed deeper. He clasped his hand on one of her ass cheeks and tugged her closer, until he was as deep as he was going to be in that position.
He closed his eyes and inhaled, smelling her shampoo and soap as
he tried to catch his breath. She was tight and hot, and silky wet inside. Her face was hidden in his neck, her breasts pressed against his chest, and when he pulled out slowly most of the way, she used her leg over his hip to bring him back closer. He tilted his hips for a better angle and started moving in and out, setting up a rhythm that started slow, but didn't stay like that for long. Jeremy's patience started slipping as the pleasure spread through his body, sending currents in every direction. He was getting closer and closer, so he let go of Tara's leg and slipped his hand to rub his thumb over her clit again, and lower, right above where he was moving inside her. She gasped and her warm breath against the skin of his neck was like a fire signal his body apparently needed to fall off the brink. He came with her name on his lips, and the way her muscles tightened around him told him she fell right after.
He lost track of time for a while. There was an afterglow of pleasure and kisses, warm skin under his mouth and hands. Tara was drawing circles against his back with her hands, his muscles giving way under the touch, relaxing further.
He'd missed her. He'd missed her a lot, and it was never as obvious as now, when she was in his arms, settling for a nap or maybe just a cuddle session after they'd done a lazy cleanup and drunk the wine he'd poured earlier.
"I missed you," he whispered with his mouth against her hair, because she should hear it. He wasn't an affectionate guy over the phone or texts, but right here, when they were together in the flesh, it was easier to say what he was thinking. What he was feeling. Maybe not all of it, but some, at least.
She tightened her arms around him. "I missed you, too," she whispered, words a bit slurry as if she was on the verge of falling asleep.
He smiled to himself. Afternoon nap, then. He was fine with that.
CHAPTER FIVE
Tara woke up to Jeremy's fingers moving up and down over the back of her neck. She sighed, nuzzling into the skin of his shoulder. She felt good, sated and relaxed. And Jeremy was right here, finally, touching her and kissing her, like she wanted him to during all that time they'd spent apart.