Get a Grip (Hollywood Nights)

by North, Cara

  “Whoa,” he stopped. She had changed clothes.

  “You like it?” she asked and fidgeted with the hemline of the light blue, silky fabric trimmed in black lace and draping her modest curves, accentuating what she had, especially her long, tan legs.

  He took a breath, and then let it out, “I do.”

  “Good,” she relaxed a little. She stepped forward. He stepped forward. They moved in sync until they were standing there in the hotel room the way they had stood at the altar. He leaned down to kiss her. His hands moved to her back and he pulled her closer. He was so anxious to kiss her again. To feel the soft texture of her lips, the smooth feel of her tongue along his. His entire body tensed and his cock hardened as her mouth opened to him.

  ***

  Ivy had made quick work of changing into the nighty she had brought just for this occasion. She had tossed her clothes on a nearby chair, straightened her hair and make-up, and ate a handful of nuts to curb one hunger so she could finally indulge in the other. She was lost in his strong arms, his gentle lips, the feel of his chest against her palm, and the rapid beat of his heart. The moment their tongues touched, something happened. Bo stepped away from her as though she had bit him. She took a step forward and he took a step back. “What?”

  She saw fear and panic in the man’s eyes.

  “What?”

  “Did you eat something?” he asked.

  “I had a few peanut and chocolate candies, why?” She stepped forward. He stepped two steps back.

  “Call an ambulance. I don’t have…”

  He turned to go back into the bathroom. She heard the water running. She picked up the phone and called for an ambulance. She called the front desk and told them she needed medical help though she wasn’t sure what for.

  She ran to the bathroom to find him spitting water and rinsing his mouth. “Bo, what’s happening?”

  “You’re trying to kill me,” he said it without humor. He meant it. She felt it like a slap. “I’m allergic to peanuts.”

  Realization dawned on her and three years’ worth of knowing Bo Bliss at a distance flashed quickly before her eyes. Bo only ate with everyone else when they had the “nothing fun food” as she had referred to it then. No peanuts, no gluten, no added sugars, it was whole, clean foods. Bo had asked as they checked in for the flight if they served peanuts. She thought he may have wanted some. He was just making sure he didn’t have to worry about it.

  “What can I do?”

  “Stay away from me. You’ll make it worse.” He was already starting to get hives. His lips had swollen a little.

  “Oh my God, oh my God, Oh. My. God!” She yelled as the hotel staff came into the room. “He’s allergic…peanuts…”

  She watched as Bo obviously started to have trouble and his face continued to swell.

  “Hey, call Tasha, she has that allergy. She has that thing with her,” One guy said.

  “Sir, help is on the way, just hang in there.” Another one shouted.

  Ivy took several steps back as a young woman ran into the room and from Ivy’s point of view, stabbed him with something. Then she did it again.

  Some conversation Ivy could not hear above her own sobs of helplessness and shock took place. A young man approached and said, “Miss, if you had the peanuts you need to wash your hands. If you have any left, I’ll take them with me. You can follow me across the hall. I got this robe for you. I’ll let you in the room so you can clean up. It’s the only way they will let you go with him.”

  Ivy put the robe on as the ambulance team moved in. She walked over to her purse, an item that cost more than she cared to admit, and pulled out her wallet taking special care to grab it with the cloth of the robe and not her hand. It was the only thing she needed. It was the only thing in a separate compartment from everything else. She handed the guy her purse and said, “Get rid of all of it.”

  She followed him in bare feet down the hall. Once inside she removed everything and sat it in the farthest corner of the large, luxurious bathroom and scrubbed her hands until they were red and aching. She used the hotel dental pack and brushed until her tongue hurt from trying to remove any trace of peanut. She looked at herself in the mirror and sobbed again.

  Ivy slipped on a different robe and walked out of the bathroom. She immediately dropped to her knees and began praying. She promised if Bo lived, she would not take him for granted. She would give their marriage an honest try. She promised not to try to take shortcuts in life again. She knew this had happened for a reason.

  ***

  “Miss.” The words were in a woman’s voice and followed by a knock on the door. It opened and another girl, a young one, said, “They are ready to take him to the hospital. I brought you some clothes.”

  “Thank you,” Ivy accepted the clothes. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”

  The girl assured her, “Our manager is trying his best to keep people from talking about it. We have a strict policy at this hotel. We follow the motto of Vegas, but it gets tough when it comes to celebrities. We’ll move your things to another room to avoid any further issues.”

  Ivy sniffed, nodded.

  “I’ll let them know you are on your way.” She stepped out of the room.

  ***

  When Ivy climbed into the back of the ambulance she was relieved to see that he was still alive. He was obviously exhausted and still very swollen. He barely looked like the man she knew. He looked like a caricature. His features exaggerated by the swelling.

  She tried, but failed to hold back a sob.

  “Would you rather ride in the front?” The EMT looked at her.

  She shook her head no. “Is he going to be all right?”

  “Oh, yeah. He will be just fine. Fortunately, they had that epinephrine ready and got it into him before it got worse. He’ll need to be monitored tonight and barring any complications he’ll be released in the morning.”

  “Can…I touch him?” He appeared to be out cold. The tech nodded and Ivy reached over to hold Bo’s hand. He was hooked up to a machine monitoring his vitals. She couldn’t hold back the tears as they streamed down her cheeks. She had almost killed him with a kiss. She had almost killed him because she was in such a hurry to make him commit to her, she didn’t even stop to have dinner with the man as he suggested when they got off the plane.

  His hand was warm, the back of his hand showed redness from the hives. The moment his fingers curled around hers, she could feel the weight of the world lift from her shoulders.

  Hours later…

  Bo opened his eyes and focused on the weight he felt on his right hand. He turned his head to find his wife, Ivy, the woman who almost killed him, holding his hand and resting her head on it. He wanted to talk, but his throat was itchy. He was in and out of consciousness because the whole incident had exhausted him.

  He hadn’t had a reaction like that since he was a kid. As an adult he had taken every precaution and always had his pen with him. Ivy had thrown him for a loop, the trip was sudden, and he forgot the epinephrine in the glove box because he was paying attention to the way her hair blew across her face when she got out of his car. He thought for sure the greatest threat was the plane ride. Fortunately, they had stopped serving peanuts and had switched to other snacks on that airline.

  It wasn’t her fault. It was his. He should have made her stop for dinner. He should have told her about his allergy, but he didn’t want to seem weak to a woman that was used to a certain type of man. He had ruined it for her and almost died in the process.

  He moved his hand slightly and she lifted her head to look at him. She had been crying. He remembered that. It seemed like every time he awoke she was crying. It did nothing to help his guilt.

  “Hi,” she said with a timid smile. She sat up quickly and poured him a glass of water. She handed it to him and he took it. Her eyes were still pink, swollen, her nose the same. She looked terrible if that was possible.

  After a long drink, he felt like he
could talk. “Hi.”

  “I’m really sorry…” she started and then looked away from him.

  “Hey,” he said. “This is my fault, too.”

  She shook her head no.

  A knock on the door made both of their heads turn. He dropped his head back on the pillow with a groan of frustration as his younger brother entered the room dressed in drag.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Dale, also known as Barbie when in drag, asked as he stormed into the room.

  Ivy must have been stunned into silence. Bo groaned and then looked at him. His little brother was quite the comedian and entertained at a local casino. He used his sexuality and his family and everyone else in the world as his foundation for the comedic script. Currently, Dale dressed as Barbie was wearing a very bright and sparkly get up, a blonde wig, and full face of make-up.

  Bo tried to not to make it worse than it already was. “I had an allergic reaction, that’s all.”

  “That’s all?” Dale’s exaggerated eyebrow lifted. “You are sitting here with that starlet, the news is buzzing about your marriage, your trip to the hospital, and you say that’s all?”

  Ivy found her voice and asked, “Who…who are you?”

  “Girl!” He shouted at her. “Do not get me started on you right now. I’m not happy with you at this moment. If you two had gone about this the right way you would know who I am. Bo, why doesn’t she know who I am?”

  “Ivy, this is my little brother, Dale. He has an act here in Vegas at one of the casinos.” Bo pushed to sit up and they both urged him to relax. “Be nice to her or I’ll have you kicked out.”

  Dale looked at Ivy and smiled a bright red-lipped smile that looked as fake as it felt. Bo wasn’t happy about the sarcasm. Her grip on his hand tightened. He knew Dale could be a bit overwhelming when he wasn’t dressed as Barbie. The man was simply…loud, and always had been.

  Dale looked at him sincerely and said, “You know this scares me. You haven’t had an episode in so long I almost forgot about it. I didn’t like hearing all this from the media. I just stepped off stage and they were dragging me to a television.”

  “I’m sorry,” Bo said. He was. He hadn’t planned any of this.

  “Bo.” Dale looked at him a little too seriously and asked, “Did you really wear jeans and a t-shirt to your wedding?”

  Bo smiled. He started to say something but Dale cut him off.

  “No.” Dale held up his hand. “No. This won’t do. We have to re-do this whole thing. Not only can I not have my brother getting married in that outfit they keep showing you wearing in the lobby, but I can’t have you getting married without me there. I’ll call mom and get the arrangements underway.”

  “We’re already married,” Ivy said quietly. “They may have showed the lobby photo on the way in, but we are…”

  “In the eyes of the law, maybe. God, too for that matter. But not in the eyes of Bliss,” Dale explained. “And those are the only eyes you need concern yourself with now missy. I know who you are. I know all about you.”

  Ivy opened her mouth then closed it. Bo was pretty certain if she met his family prior to this little escapade, she might not have gone through with it. She didn’t. Unfortunately, meeting them this early meant the secrets he had planned to keep until he had some idea of where her head was at were all going to be revealed.

  Bo sighed and said, “Dale, just let me call you in the next day or two. I promise we will have a ceremony and you can plan it…with Ivy.”

  Dale was happy. Bo loved his little brother, no matter how much he made him crazy with his antics.

  “You,” Dale said and pointed to Ivy. “Get ready, because this is going to be fabulous. I’ve got to get back to the casino. I still have another show to do tonight.”

  Dale leaned over and hugged Bo. He whispered, “Don’t scare me like that again. You know you’re my favorite brother.”

  Bo smiled.

  Just like that Dale was gone. He looked at Ivy and tried to talk to her again. “Little brothers.”

  “I…” She started to say something, but the doctor came in.

  They both groaned in frustration. The doc looked at them a little taken aback by the reaction. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “No,” Ivy said with as much of a smile as she could muster. Bo gripped her hand and let his thumb stroke over the soft fingers. She looked from the doctor to him. She was tired, frustrated, and so was he.

  “Well.” The doctor cleared his throat and proceeded to give them the information they needed prior to being released from the hospital. Bo was anxious to get out of there. He didn’t think they were going to consummate the marriage, but he would give almost anything for a hot shower, a cozy bed, and even a few moments alone with his wife.

  Chapter 2

  Ivy listened closely to the outpatient directions from the doctor, and then again a few hours later from the nurse. They said repeatedly how important it was for him to have the pen with the epinephrine in it at all times. How that girl had saved his life and how much worse it could have been had she not been there.

  The nurse showed her how to use it and satisfied Bo was ready, his swelling reduced to a puffy lip and a few remaining hives, she allowed the couple to leave with two sets of emergency pens, one for him, and one for her to keep handy from now on. Exiting the hospital was like walking a red carpet except they were not in the best conditions to be photographed.

  They both ignored questions as they made their way to a car that was waiting for them. She didn’t have her phone, he didn’t have his. Those items she hoped had been moved to the room they were relocated to. The hotel had arranged for a driver to bring them back. The drive wasn’t far and the night had worn on them so much Ivy felt farther from him than ever though he was sitting right next to her.

  She was afraid to say anything in the car, because the driver might repeat it. Once inside the hotel, the privacy was enforced and the staff would not allow cameras through the doors citing their motto and standing firm that only paid guests were allowed. It wasn’t a cheap hotel and most of the paparazzi had decided to wait outside. Those who had the means would still have to pay and check in, and by then Ivy and Bo were on the way to the top, the secured floors, and the luxury rooms meant for special people and special occasions.

  She watched him go straight to the bed and let out a lusty groan of pleasure as he dropped onto it. She fidgeted with her wallet and looked around at the new setting. It was the same as the first except it was on the opposite side and everything was in the mirrored place of where it had been in the other room.

  Bo quietly said, “Come to bed. You must be exhausted.”

  She looked at him as he pulled his clothes off one garment at a time. Her breath hitched. She was in no condition to feel these sensations, yet they were undeniably there. Heat flushed through her and she instinctively stepped towards him. He pulled back the linen and watched her as she neared. She looked down at her clothes and gulped. He was in a pair of boxer-briefs.

  “You don’t have to take your clothes off,” he said as he yawned and patted the bed next to him.

  The offer put her at ease and she sat on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes. She took a fortifying breath and unfastened the button on her jeans. She unzipped the zipper, and then with as much courage as she could muster, she pushed them down her hips and let them fall to the floor. The t-shirt barely made it past her hip bones.

  She turned to settle in the bed next to him and realized he was watching her intently. Heat coursed through her and her face blushed. In a t-shirt, bra, and panties she slid into a prone position next to her husband. She prayed if he said anything he would say it loud enough she could hear him over the pounding of her heart in her ears.

  He slid the covers over them and said, “Goodnight sweetheart.”

  Ivy remained motionless as he turned out the light and the room fell into darkness. She looked towards the ceiling and noticed the green light of a fire det
ector across the room. She was so anxious her toes must have been moving because a few moments of trying to control her breath and acting calm resulted in him asking, “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head no, but then realized he couldn’t see her. “No. I…God Bo, I just, I can’t close my eyes without seeing it all…I mean, I almost…”

  She sniffed. A tear streamed down her temple and into the shell of her ear.

  “Hey,” he said and moved closer to her. “Don’t do that to yourself. I’m fine. Okay?”

  She sniffed again and his hands reached out to pull her against him. She curled to her side and into his chest. His large hands stroked her back and held her as she wept.

  ***

  Ivy awoke to the feel of a hard body beneath her. He was still asleep. He had rolled to his back and she was partially on him, partially off. He had his hand on her lower back, the tips of his fingers touching the top of her ass. His other hand rested on his cock holding it just as snug through the blankets. She could see him from the light making it past the sheer curtains. They didn’t close the heavier drapes when they got in. She took a moment to really look him over. His chin and cheeks had shadowed with beard stubble. His strong profile dared her to touch his face. The swelling had completely receded. He didn’t have hives any longer. He would still have to take the allergy medicine for a few days and he would likely be sleepy because of it.

  She stopped looking at his face and began looking at his throat, the rise of his Adams apple, the hollow at his collarbone, the strong lean chest smooth to the touch without hair until his navel. She couldn’t see any farther because of the sheets. Both of his hands flexed and gripped in their respective areas.

  She could feel the change of his heartbeat under her palm. He was awake. She looked at him. He gazed at her in a half lidded daze and said, “Good morning.”

  She smiled. She wasn’t sure what to do at this point. She was so anxious about so many things.