Painting the Lines: A Hot Romantic Comedy (Ace of Hearts Book 1)

by Ashley R. King

  “Do you need to get that?” Julian asked, his voice a low, husky drawl, his possessive stare having never left her body.

  “Hell no.” This was something she’d dreamed of for months and nothing was getting in the way of it. Not again.

  Julian exhaled a sigh of relief and then yanked off his tee. “Oh, thank God.”

  Her mouth went dry, her lips longing to map the lines of his body. The phone continued to ring, increasing the radiating sense of urgency as he brought his mouth to her chest, biting and sucking the curve of her breast, his tongue tracing the cups of her bra. She wanted to scream at him to rip it off.

  As if reading her mind, Julian’s fingers went to work. “Let’s see about getting rid of this.”

  With a flick, the bra was unhooked and flung across the room. At the sight of her bare skin, Julian’s eyes flared, and his breathing quickened. The intensity of his study sent a shudder down Amalie’s spine.

  “Like what you see?” she asked, using one of his favorite lines.

  He dragged his gaze to meet her eyes and held himself over her again, their bodies aligning, causing Amalie to squirm with need. He pressed his hard chest against her breasts, his skin molten lava against hers, his rigid length pressing against her thigh. His mouth hovered just inches away from her lips, but then he leaned in and wrenched a kiss from her that felt like she’d given up her soul.

  Amalie gasped, her heart colliding wildly against her ribs as he pulled back just a little and looked her deep in the eyes. “If we do this, Stardust, no more bullshit. It’s you and me. Is that something you’re cool with?”

  God, yes. She’d never wanted anything more. She wanted him to mark her as his.

  She opened her mouth to speak, momentarily failing. Her senses were short-circuiting in overload—the feel of Julian, his smell, every single thing about him wrapping around her heart and squeezing.

  “Make me yours,” she whispered on a throaty exhale.

  And with the sexiest growl, he lowered his head to her nipple, his mouth devouring her like their last glorious night in New York. There would be no interruptions this time. Amalie would make sure of it.

  The heat of Julian’s tongue sucking and flicking caused a breathy moan to escape her, her body acting on its own accord as she writhed against him, everything hot and firm, causing him to press his cock against her harder in response.

  She brought her nails to his back, dragging light scratches down his skin. He groaned at the feel and captured one of her hands in his, holding it captive against the bed as he dragged his wicked tongue down the valley between her breasts. Each moan that drifted from her lips made him smile against her body.

  He caught her gaze. “Can I taste you?” His hand drifted down her waist and settled between her legs. With firm pressure, he teased her clit through her jeans. “Right here?”

  She almost shattered just hearing those words, just feeling that touch. After so many months of denying her desires, the ache that bundled there felt dangerous, ready to explode. She wasn’t sure she would live through what he was about to do to her, but she nodded, breathless.

  His stubble pricked her skin as he descended, sending every single nerve ending into overload. Amalie sucked in a breath and held it as his deft fingers removed her jeans with ease. He looked up at her, eyes bright, and then her underwear followed her jeans to the floor.

  Julian sat back on his knees, between her legs, his calloused hands caressing her from knee to hip, over and over, until he paused, spreading her wide as his eyes drank her in.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered, and then he slid his long body flat on the bed, his mouth replacing his hands, trailing kisses up the inside of her thigh.

  Amalie could hardly breathe, watching his dark head inch closer, every muscle in his broad shoulders and back rippling as he hooked his arms under her hips. He shot her a look that made her nervous, in a good way, because he looked hungry, the erotic glimmer in his eyes speaking volumes.

  His kisses were slow and tortuous, his tongue working her clit with steady, slow pressure at first, the intensity increasing to a fever pitch as the mumbled sounds he made against her sent shivers through her body.

  “Julian,” she called out as she began to throb. “Julian, I want you. Inside me.”

  His eyes flicked up, and the corner of his mouth lifted. “Patience, Stardust. We’ve got a long night ahead.”

  His tongue slid inside her, and she fisted the sheets, her eyes closing as another moan left her. He’d given her what she asked for, but it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t stop her hips from grinding against his mouth, searching for more, bigger, deeper.

  “Please,” she begged, threading her fingers into his hair. “More.”

  He groaned, his grip on her tightening as he trailed his tongue up again and nibbled her, bringing her to the precipice of an orgasm she needed more than air.

  But then, with their gazes locked, he slid a finger inside her, then another, his thrusts matching the relentless rhythm of his magnificent tongue.

  Amalie rose on her elbows, overtaken, gasping as mind-numbing pleasure coursed through her, her sex clenching around Julian’s fingers through the spasms of release. “Julian! Fuck!”

  After she’d ridden out the orgasm, Julian dipped his tongue inside her again, tasting her as she slowly returned to her senses. With a provocative smile painted on his face, he gave her one last, long lick, eliciting an impatient whimper from the depths of her soul as he moved for the condom in his bag.

  “Here, let me,” Amalie shot up, not wanting to miss a chance to touch him, to hold him, to see him. She’d imagined him naked. Dreamed of it. She couldn’t wait any longer.

  Julian stood at the side of the bed, the expression on his face filled with lust and adoration. Wordlessly, he shucked his jeans, leaving only black boxer briefs that clung to his thick muscled legs, his firm, rounded butt, and a cock that strained against the fabric.

  Amalie’s mouth watered. Oh, yes. She was in for a night of delicious fun.

  She half expected Julian to make a joke or quirk a brow, but this Julian was laser-focused as he stepped out of his underwear, allowing her to see him completely bare for the very first time, to see exactly where that sexy trail of hair led to.

  Her lady parts clenched and tingled at the sight of him, the sheer size and perfection of his entire body.

  He touched her chin, making her look at him. “Touch me,” he said, and Amalie thought she might melt.

  She didn’t hesitate, closing her hand around him, watching his stomach muscles flinch in response. God, he felt wonderful, like steel wrapped in silk.

  Julian made a strangled sound as she stroked him, admiring. “Condom, Stardust. I can’t bear much more.”

  She bit her lip, feeling his eyes watching her every movement as she rolled the rubber down his cock. She kissed his stomach, and then, he lay her back onto the bed, gently, his mouth capturing hers.

  She reveled in the feeling of his skin against hers, in the thought of finally having him inside her, after all of those months.

  “You feel so good,” she mumbled against his lips.

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” A grin quirked his lips, making her smile. Slowly, he filled her, eliciting a little gasp. In that moment she felt absolutely complete, especially when her eyes met his and she saw a new emotion flickering behind the depths of his lightning-strike stare. It sent a bolt of longing straight to her heart.

  “You’re perfect,” he bit out as he moved, the rhythm deliberate, hitting her exactly where she needed.

  “Let me get that in writing,” she said, trying to make a joke, but then he reached his hand down between them, touching and teasing, and her eyes fluttered shut on a sigh.

  “I’ll give you anything you want.”

  “Then give me everything,” she panted.

  As if a switch flipped, Julian picked up the pace, leaning back just a little, creating friction at a new angle that threatened to make her
come apart at the seams. A soft sheen glistened over his body as he pumped harder, going deeper. Damn if the sight of him, all sweaty and naked and carnal, wasn’t the hottest thing she’d ever seen. She bent up to bite his shoulder, causing him to groan. He leaned down, his lips pressed to the pulse of her neck, biting and soothing with long kisses.

  A shudder rolled through her. She was close again, oh so close. Her grip on his shoulders tightened as she moved with him, her heart pounding in her ears. “Julian,” she called out… “Please don’t stop.”

  “No way in hell.” His voice was ragged as he gave her one long thrust that sent her over the edge.

  Starbursts built from technicolor dreams burst behind her eyelids, muffled cries floating between them as she buried her head in his shoulder. She’d never felt so undone, every fiber of her being unraveled.

  His hands gripped the back of her head, his mouth on hers, a sexy tennis grunt erupting from him. She felt his body tighten in the wake of her orgasm, her hands running over the tension in his shoulders as he found his own release.

  The world had changed. Everything was brighter—almost like she’d been living a half-life until then.

  Julian pressed soft kisses to her temple, his breath still coming in struggled gasps, the feel of it sending another shiver down her spine, despite what just happened.

  He looked her in the eyes, and with the sweetest smile said, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

  Amalie’s fingers brushed his hair from his eyes as she reached up to kiss his lips. “Me too. How long before we can do it again?”

  “Paul’s going to be so pissed.” Amalie smiled into Julian’s chest, her fingertips trailing along his ribs. They were tangled in the sheets, the last few hours having been more than she could’ve ever dreamed.

  “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. It was worth it, every time.” Julian kissed the top of her head. His other hand stroked up and down her side.

  She wished he’d move that hand over just a few inches, and she was about to tell him so when the movement stopped.

  “Hey, did you ever check to see who was calling you?”

  Her mind tried to work through the sex-fueled haze and finally, it clicked. “Oh, crap. No, I didn’t. Can you hand me my phone?”

  She admired Julian’s body, every muscle flexing as he reached for her cell on the nightstand and handed it back to her. His thumb moved to the corner of her mouth. “Got a little drool there, Stardust,” he teased.

  She was about to tell him to shut up when she began listening to the first part of the voicemail. It was Brynn Monroe. Holy shit.

  Amalie sat up even straighter, the sheet falling from around her body. Julian’s eyes tracked her movements as she listened to the voicemail a second time.

  “It was Brynn Monroe, and she wants me to call her back as soon as possible.” The words stumbled out of Amalie’s mouth, her heart racing.

  Confusion flickered across Julian’s face. “Who’s that?”

  Realizing that she hadn’t even told him about Brynn because she’d been too busy trying to get in his pants, she quickly explained who the woman was and what this meant. As soon as she finished, Julian’s face lit up.

  “Call her back.”

  Amalie giggled. “I am, I am. Hey, hand me a shirt so I’m not talking to my potential agent naked.”

  Julian groaned in protest but still tossed her his shirt. She wanted to sniff it like a freak, but it wasn’t exactly cool to do that with the shirt’s owner watching her like a hawk. After throwing the shirt on, she dialed the number.

  “Hello?” A clear, crisp voice answered the phone.

  “Hi, this is Amalie Warner. I’m calling for Brynn Monroe.”

  “Hi, Amalie. This is Brynn speaking. Listen, I’m calling about your novel, Painting the Lines. I know Lily mentioned that it’s loosely based on Julian Smoke’s current Cinderella run at the US Open?”

  “It is. He helped me write the tennis scenes so it would be more realistic. You’ll notice that some of the remaining tennis scenes still need a little polishing, but otherwise it’s finished.”

  “And we’ll work on those scenes, absolutely. But I loved the story. I loved every single thing about it and finished it in one night. Look, Julian is really popular right now, and the entire country is talking about him. I think we can definitely sell this story, but also, I talked to a contact of mine who said a director is interested in making it into a movie, you know jump on this whole thing while it’s still hot. Here’s the only issue. The director’s leaving for Europe for six months and would need to meet with you tomorrow and Sunday for negotiations. I’ve already purchased a red-eye ticket to LA and left it at the airline desk if you’re interested.”

  Interested? A movie deal? A book deal? All of it in one go? It was everything Amalie had been dreaming of since her first book made the bestseller list.

  Her head was fuzzy, like she wasn’t getting enough oxygen to the brain, so she took a deep breath to steady herself. This was it. It was finally happening. But…

  “Did you say you’d need me to fly out tonight and be there for the next two days?” She felt Julian studying her, but she turned, avoiding the question she knew she’d find in his eyes. She’d just gotten here, in New York. The US Open final was in two days. She wanted to be here for that, to watch Julian follow his dream, but this was her dream, and didn’t it deserve a chance, too?

  “I did. Would you rather think about it and call me back? I can give you about fifteen minutes before I need to be in a meeting. Call me back at this number, and Amalie?”

  “Yes?”

  “It’s worth it, I promise. This will shoot you even farther than Breaking the Fall did. I can guarantee it.”

  But at what cost, especially after everything she and Julian had just shared?

  “Brynn, I can’t thank you enough for your kind words and for taking the time to even read my manuscript. I’ll definitely be calling you back in just a few. Thank you again.”

  “No, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it. I look forward to hearing from you. Talk to you soon, Amalie.”

  And with that, the line went dead, and Amalie was left sitting there, sputtering and completely in a daze.

  “Everything okay?” Julian broke through her reverie, concern lacing his voice. He smoothed her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. And just like that, her heart was torn.

  With a slow nod, she took Julian’s hand. “Brynn wants to represent me. She thinks the book could sell and has a director interested in optioning it. They want me to fly to LA tonight.”

  His face brightened as he crushed her to him in a hug, his mouth at her ear. “Baby! Baby, that’s fucking amazing! I knew this would happen. Didn’t I tell you? I told you you’d kick ass!”

  She knew he’d always believed in her, and without his encouragement she never would have moved on to the next phase of her writing. When Stella dropped her, she wanted to give up, but it’d been Julian who kept her going, who taught her to keep fighting and to believe in herself.

  Amalie slowly moved away from the hug. “But I wouldn’t be there for your match on Sunday. They need me in LA the next two days to talk to the director.”

  She was sure he’d already heard that part but just wanted to make certain he understood. God, the conflict inside was threatening to tear her apart. How could she have one of the happiest moments of her life and yet feel so awful?

  “And then, you know, tonight we kinda”—Amalie coughed, her face heating into what had to be ten shades of red—“took a big step, er, several big steps…”

  Julian took her hands in his. “Now’s not the time to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I feel bad about not being at your match…”

  Julian shook his head. “This is your dream, Amalie, and more than anything I want you to have it because you deserve it. You’ve followed me for months and have watched me get my moments, no
w it’s time for you to step into the sun and get yours.”

  “But—”

  And then Julian leaned in and kissed her forehead, making sure she met his eyes as he scooted away. “But nothing. You’re going to get on that plane tonight, and you’re going to make us proud, okay?”

  “You…you won’t be upset that I won’t be at the final?” This was all so different than how Maxwell acted when she sold that first book. He had been jealous of her success, had sabotaged it, but then again, Julian was not Maxwell. She could see it in his eyes that he truly wanted what was best for her.

  He shook his head. “How could I ever be mad when you’re chasing your dream? Come on, let’s go to the penthouse and get your things. I’ll ride with you to the airport.” He grabbed his room key while slipping on his clothes and shoes.

  Standing from the bed, Amalie wordlessly did the same and then made her way over to him. She placed a light hand on his arm, her heart melting at the tenderness in his stare, in his words, in everything about this man she wholeheartedly loved.

  “You should stay here,” she said. “Rest and get ready. You and I both know the media will mob you if they see you out and about. I’ll be fine, I promise. We’ll talk when I get back, because I have a feeling Paul will have that phone of yours on lockdown.” She gave him a smile, confidence and excitement lighting up her heart. This was it. This was her time.

  Julian looked uncertain, like he wanted to argue with her about accompanying her to the airport, but she stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him, effectively silencing him. “No arguments.” She pulled back, her voice filled with pride. “You’re going to win. I know it.”

  Julian nodded, his eyes crinkled at the corners, his lips tilted up. “You be safe, Stardust. I want you to know how proud I am of you.”

  “I know. Right back atcha.”

  She turned toward the door, but Julian grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him.

  “Amalie…” He looked so serious, his eyes a little damp, his voice cracked around the edges.

  She slid her hands up his arms and laced her fingers behind his neck. “Yes?”