Role of a Lifetime: Out of Hollywood Romance

by Cora Davies

  "I do. I do. I do!" Hailey cried writhing in pleasure. He could tell it had been a while for her. There was always a certain look on a woman's face when it had been a while since she had reached climax. It should not have been a while for someone like Hailey.

  "How about this?" Eric slid another finger in and bent down to bring his face closer to her heat. He looked up with interest as her face shifted from pain to pleasure. But he did not stop, did not slow down. "Do you want me to stop?"

  "Nonononono," Hailey collapsed back on the pillows. "Don't stop."

  Her hips shifted up and Eric used that moment to slide his free hand under her and place his mouth against her throbbing peak. He sucked, enjoying the jerks of her body as she rode closer and closer to a climax.

  "Oh my god, Eric please. Please. Please." She moaned over and over as Eric began the frantic flicking motion with his tongue. "Yes! Yes!"

  Eric felt when Hailey reached climax and pulled away a moment later so he could watch her face as she rode the wave of pleasure. "Holy shit. You are beautiful."

  "Come here," Hailey said as she gripped his shirt collar and pulled him down on the bed. He collapsed on the bed as she climbed to sit on top of him. She pulled his shirt over his head and ran her fingernails down his chest. He felt his skin bead up where she left him behind. She ran her hands down to his pants unzipping his fly and yanking his jeans down his legs. They fell to the floor and she leaped on top of him. She laughed as he caught her. "Sorry, I've always wanted to leap on someone. If anyone could catch me I knew it would be you."

  "You are nuts." Eric laughed pulling her in for a kiss. He flipped her onto her back and mounted her. "Do you have a condom?"

  Hailey reached over, yanked her side drawer open and pulled the package out. She ripped it open with her teeth.

  "Impressive," Eric said pushing her hair away from her forehead. He could not get enough of touching her. Her skin was flawless and he slid his fingers down her smooth cheekbones. Her hands were at the elastic of his boxer briefs, forcing them off and his stomach jerked at her touch on his sensitive skin. It's like I haven't been touched in months. He slid the condom over his shaft and leaned his body against her. His hand reached down to play with her already sensitive peak. "What was it that you said you wanted from me earlier?"

  She looked at his length and blushed. "I want you inside me."

  "What is with the whispering? This is the first time we've been alone," Eric said teasing her more.

  "I want you inside of me," Hailey said louder as she lifted her head and nipped at his lip.

  "I thought you'd never ask," Eric said smiling and positioning himself over her and bringing himself to the edge of her hole.

  She looked coyly at their awaiting connection and back to Eric's face. "I didn't ask."

  Those words did Eric in. He slid inside her-slowly, gently-he loved watching her squirm. She gripped his hips and he felt her to slide herself onto him further. "What's the rush?"

  "Oh my god, you are killing me." Hailey reached out. It was her turn to brush the hair from Eric's forehead as it hung in front of his eyes. He kissed her fingers as they slid back past his mouth. "I am not used to this much foreplay!"

  "Me either," Eric said pushing himself in her a little deeper, reveling in the feeling of her breasts against his chest as she arched her back. "But I love watching you squirm."

  Hailey cried out as Eric thrust himself inside deeper. He knew what he said was true. He never took it this slowly with a woman. But something about the way Hailey cried out, moaned, and thrust her hips made him want to be inside of her all night.

  Hailey lifted her head and bit his shoulder. Eric growled. He thrust in finally, giving her his full length and watched her face carefully. She likes it. She wants it all, too.

  Eric felt the violence of his thrust and willed himself to not go so deep, but she dug her nails into his ass, guiding him deeper still with each plunge. He could not stop. He wanted her so much. He had never been with anyone like her in all of his life. He found a breast in his hand and twisted her small nipple in between his fingers, marveling the way her breast fit perfectly in his hand. Like it was made for me.

  They were a tangle of arms, legs, and sheets as they twisted and thrust against each other. Eric swore he could hear the crackle of raw electricity in the air as the room grew hotter. Sweat beaded down his back, and the sheets grew moist and too hot for the moment. He threw them off and pulled Hailey off her back as he moved to sit at the edge of the bed.

  She sat against him, breast to his face, fitting around him as his feet hit the floor. She rocked her body steadily, and then with fevered spontaneity as her breath became more labored against the top of his head.

  "Oh god Eric. Here! I'm coming!" Hailey yelled and Eric felt as her wet hole clamped down on his cock. The extra tightness was just what he needed to bring him to the edge. He pulled himself to his feet and pressed her against the wall, plunging his cock deep within her as she dug her fingernails into his shoulder blades. He moaned and rammed deep one last time as he felt himself empty out.

  Their chests raised and fell against each other, neither speaking, neither moving. Finally, he walked back to the bed, almost unsure of how they had walked across the room. He slid her off him and laid her gently on the bed. He pulled the condom off before collapsing next to her on the bed. Hailey's head quickly found a home on his chest-his arm around her shoulders.

  Hailey fit perfectly against his body. He could not keep that realization out of his mind, and he was not sure he was ready to deal with all the implications that came with fitting perfectly with someone.

  "I can't believe we just had sex," she said against his chest.

  "Yeah, that good? Or more of the bucket list stuff?" Eric said. He felt her smile against his chest.

  "Shhh, every time you talk I just think of you in one of your stupid action movies. And I can't decide if I should hide my head in the sand or wave your boxers like a flag in my front yard," Hailey said as his fingers began to trail up and down her arm. Did she not feel how perfectly they fit together?

  "You really don't like my movies do you?" Eric asked. He could not blame her; he did not even like half the movies he did-massive paycheck aside.

  "I'm just messing with you. I watched one the other night actually. The first night you got here."

  He slid her off his chest and onto the bed. Eric rolled on his side and propped his head up using his elbow. "No shit, which one?"

  "It was the one where you are a secret agent or cop... and you have to get the bad guy-and you do. Then there was the girl, and you got shot in the arm or stomach or something." Hailey smiled tiredly, her eyelids fluttering half closed. "I was a little drunk. Little hazy on the details."

  Eric laughed quietly. "I think you just described half of the movies I was in."

  "Oh, your dad was in this one. Your real life one. He played your drunk uncle, or neighbor, or..." Hailey began to drift off.

  "My drunk boss. I remember that one." Eric got up and flipped off the light. He considered getting dressed or, at least, putting his underwear on, but he figured that would just make more work for him in the morning when he woke up next to Hailey.

  He pulled the blanket up over Hailey's shoulders and lay down next to her. Her deep breathing let him know she was asleep. He kissed her between her shoulder blades.

  "Be careful Hailey Rogers," he whispered. "You're making me feel things I'm ready to feel, but I don't think you are."

  Eric closed his eyes, it had been a long day and he was asleep within moments.

  ***

  Eric woke up with a distinct feeling of being watched. Maybe it was just grogginess? He was not able to get much sleep through the night-they had woken up a few hours earlier when Scott called Hailey. At first in the confusion of the late night phone call, Hailey had been worried. But Scott only called to tell her that her family had gotten safely onto the plane. After she hung up with Scott, Eric could not help but to ta
ke her in his arms and pleasure her again.

  Hailey was breathing deeply. She and had not been awakened by whatever had woken him. He rolled over to face the doorway and his heart stopped for a second. The crack of sunlight coming in under the curtains illuminated a figure in the hallway. Eric pulled the sheets off and was almost to his feet when the man spoke.

  "Get the fuck up already. I'm not coming in there-and I've been standing here saying your name a hundred times." It was Eric's brother. What the hell was Raymond doing here? "I'll be downstairs when you're dressed."

  Raymond turned and padded quietly down the hallway. Forget why Raymond was here, how the hell had he gotten inside? Eric was sure he had set the system last night when they came in. The place should have been locked down. He quickly got dressed and looked at Hailey one last time. She was still asleep. One breast spilled out from beneath the sheet and he grabbed the soft tan cotton fabric to cover her. She stirred and made a tiny noise, but did not wake.

  When Eric walked into the sitting room, the scent of coffee washed over him. Raymond held out a cardboard cup of coffee with a local gas station name on the side. Raymond sighed. "It's not Boulevard Coffee, but it will have to do. I am sure it still has the appropriate amount of caffeine."

  "How did you get in here?" Eric demanded. His brother was one of his closest friends, but his appearance this morning unnerved Eric. Eric should not belong here anymore than Raymond did, but he felt territorial. This was the place he found. His brother would come in and try and control the situation, control Eric, just as he always did.

  "The old man let me in."

  "Jason?"

  Raymond shrugged. "Brown truck, red baseball cap. Recognized me. Not before he showed me his shotgun. Wasn't too happy I'm here. But when I told him why he let me right in."

  "Why are you here?" Eric took a sip of the coffee. It had cooled during Raymond's drive from town but it was not bad, a little thick.

  "Sandy came to see me," Raymond said before taking a sip of his coffee. His lip curled slightly in disgust. Eric resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Raymond had always been a little more spoiled than Eric and his sister.

  "Yeah?"

  "Yeah. You pissed her off. Said you left her for some cowgirl." Raymond raised his eyes looking around the room. "Can't say I'm too surprised. We can't send you anywhere without your dick getting you in trouble. But I was hoping, maybe just the one time, you'd keep it in your pants."

  Eric did not say anything but played with the white trim on the chair's armrest.

  "Is this all part of your plan to get the movie rights? Because you're just going to break this one's heart too when you move on from here. Have another one chasing us around for money...? Maybe not since you didn't pick this one up at a Piggly Wiggly. But she has a name in the industry. Do you realize what she could do to your career?" Raymond stood up and walked to the window behind the couch. The sun was rising over the field and Eric knew the workers would arrive soon if they had not already. "Do you realize what she could do to our family's reputation?"

  "You have to stop worrying about reputation." Eric had never understood Raymond's obsession with what the public thought of them. Sure, it went to ticket sales, but Eric read the tabloids on occasion. There were worse things than sleeping with a beautiful woman. Even if it was twisted around to make it seem like Eric did it only to further his career. Hollywood was a land where the line between sex and career was constantly blurred.

  "As I was saying..." Raymond picked up a picture frame holding a picture of Risa with a blue ribbon. "What is the plan with this woman? When you're done here?"

  "There's no plan. We're just having fun." Eric felt defensive and lied. He did not want to let Raymond know the truth. That Eric was developing feelings for Hailey at an alarming rate.

  "Does she know what she's getting into? Having fun with you? I think she likes her privacy out here in the middle of nowhere." Raymond was still walking around the room looking at pictures, smiling snidely at small knickknacks that lined the shelves. He was making Eric nervous. "From what your PI tells me, she's got her whole life on such a lock down. Do you think she's ready to have the paparazzi breathing down her neck?"

  "They aren't going to find out about her." Eric's heartbeat rapidly increased. Shit, what had he been thinking? That he could take a time out from his life and be normal? Meet a normal woman without it becoming a spectacle in everyone's eyes?

  "Sandy's telling them. She's sending them out here Monday." Raymond held his hand up to silence Eric. "It's the same day her Lifetime movie airs. You know a scandal on the same day will increase the ratings. As far as the world is concerned the two of you are still together."

  "Fuck," Eric punched the top of his leg. "I can't just leave. I can't just leave her. There is stuff going on here you don't know about."

  "Old man filled me in on that too. A minute after he tried to shoot me in the head for trespassing. I don't know what kind of backwoods situation you got yourself into here. But the time to play is done. Either get the movie rights and run, or, if the bitch doesn't give you the rights-"

  "Don't call her a bitch." Eric was on his feet, his fists clenched at his sides.

  "Just a word Eric. Just another one of your conquests." Raymond slowly studied Eric from head to toe. He smiled bitterly. "If the woman does not give you the rights, you need to get out of here before the shit hits the fan."

  "Leave her alone here to deal with the press?" Eric shook his head-his fists still balled.

  "They'll only bug her a few days before they decide they are satisfied you're not here."

  "You know good as I do-they'll drag her in the mud first before they leave," Eric said feeling hopelessness settle in.

  "When has that ever bothered you before?" Raymond sighed. "I'm not thrilled about it either, really I'm not. My wife loves her books."

  "Really?" Eric growled. "Because I get the feeling you don't give a shit one way or the other."

  Raymond started for the front door. "There is always the option of making Sandy headline news on Monday morning. Perhaps a proposal?"

  Eric gawked at his brother. "You've never liked her, why would you tell me to do that?"

  "I'm just giving you options, Eric," Raymond said as he reached for the doorknob. "Get the rights, or don't. Either way, get out of here before the press shows up Monday. Go home and propose to Sandy. That's the ticket. Don't look so glum Eric. Just because you are engaged does not mean you have to get married."

  Eric shut the door behind Raymond. Eric wanted to punch something. A few somethings. Or someones. Either would do. He needed to figure this out. There was no way he could leave Hailey here alone to deal with the press, but he could not stay either. It would be worse if he was here if they actually showed up. He would need to distract them, or distract Sandy. But there was no way in hell he would propose to Sandy.

  He pulled the blinds open as Raymond climbed into the backseat of a sleek black car. Jason and the other ranch hands were standing over by the barn, the regular place they met up in the mornings. Eric had a feeling what he needed was a good day of manual labor to straighten out the thoughts going through his head. Figure it out because either way-he was putting Hailey in a bad situation.

  He found his work boots by the front door and as he laced them up, he began to feel the thoughts roll over him. Would it really be so bad for Hailey to be in the spotlight? She had been living under a rock for so long, but as far as Eric could tell there was no reason for it. There was not actually anything she needed to hide from. Was there?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Hailey woke up alone in bed. Waking up alone was something she was used to after eight years of widowhood, but she had expected to wake up next to Eric this morning. She stretched and laid in the silence for a moment as she considered going back to sleep. She heard a rooster crowing-not that it meant anything. Her roosters were as useless on the ranch as she was. They called around the clock. She threw a pillow over her head and
decided just a few more hours of sleep was all she needed. Then she heard Eric's voice.

  Was he on the phone? She reached over to the floor to find her underwear and t-shirt and slipped them on. She rolled out of bed and stretched her body as long as she could make it, turning her back first one way then the other until she heard the pop. Then she listened again. Eric sounded angry. She stepped out into the hall.

  "Yeah, and you pissed her off. Said you left her for some cowgirl." Hailey stopped dead in her tracks and leaned back against the wall. That was not Eric's voice, but it was familiar. Whoever it was, they were not on the phone but in her house. When Eric spoke again she thought he did not sound threatened-simply irritated. The momentary fear that her stalker had gained entrance fell away as Eric spoke with a familiarity in his tone. The relief was a fleeting feeling as she listened longer to the two men.

  The paparazzi? That was the benefit of being a writer-unless you were one of the top five or so, no one cared who you were. Even then, no one was coming to tear your world apart. She was supposed to be safe, hidden in her little writing career. She was secluded on her ranch in the middle of nowhere. She was not supposed to be thrust into the spotlight. She should have just given Gretel the go ahead the first time Eric's agent had called. Then she never would have met him. She would never have to deal with this.

  Was Eric considering leaving her alone to deal with it? She would have to deal with people who were looking for him? She could not deal with this by his side or alone. She wrote stories. She could not be one. When the front door opened Hailey chanced standing on her tiptoes and looked over the banister. She recognized the man who opened the door. It was Raymond James.

  Eric turned around and she was afraid he was going to see her and know she had eavesdropped on their conversation. Their conversation about me.