by Lane, Terri
“I hope you don’t mess this up, mister,” she said sharply.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she was already out of the room, Samantha taking her place.
“Was that Mercy?” she asked.
Harvey nodded solemnly.
“Oh, great,” Samantha said while walking towards the bed. “I’m going to hear an earful later.”
“I mean, we’re consenting adults,” Harvey said.
“We are, but she’s going to lecture me about sleeping with hired staff,” she said.
Harvey nodded with regret, looking down at the silk sheets. Two hands cupped his face and pulled him into a gentle kiss, causing him to moan.
“Hey,” she said. “I won’t let it come between us. I promise.”
Harvey smiled.
“I’m not really worried about that,” he said.
“Good. We have a lot to do and I have an ankle to keep an eye on, so let’s get to it,” she said with a smile.
“You mean I have an ankle to keep an eye on,” he teased.
Samantha eyed him from the closet, looking at him over her shoulder with a sultry glance.
“Do you want to help me pick something?” she asked.
Smiling, Harvey stood from the bed and went into the closet, ending up in a tumbled mess on the carpeted floor for a few minutes before finally getting ready to go downstairs. Mercy was waiting for them in the dining room and exchanged glances with Samantha who pulled her aside. While Harvey waited for them to return, Rose brought him his usual cup of hot peppermint tea and he thanked her.
“Just keep it under wraps,” he heard Mercy say from the hall. “And don’t come crying to me when he ends up being another jerk.”
The front door slammed and Samantha returned to the dining room, her face grim as she sat at the table. She picked at her toast.
“Hey,” Harvey said while placing his hand over hers.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. I think Mercy is just worried about me,” she replied.
“It sounded a bit harsh,” he said.
Samantha sighed and picked up a fork, pushing food around her plate.
“So, where should we go for dinner?” she asked.
Harvey stared at his cup of tea.
“Wherever you would like, my dear,” he said.
Samantha smiled and then turned to him, her eyes bright with hope.
“Let’s go somewhere nice,” she said.
“Anything,” he said. “I mean that.”
After they finished breakfast, they headed out the door for their usual routine. Samantha seemed timid at dance practice, but warmed up as soon as she felt her ankle was ready to be used. Harvey watched her carefully from the door. Every tumble made him nervous, but then she recovered with ease. Her positive attitude beamed and she smiled wide as she spun around, rolling over the ground and encouraging her dancers to keep going.
The beautiful image of her lying in bed returned to his mind and he smiled when she walked over. She was sweating and panting, her tight yoga pants accentuating her bottom as she walked past him to use the water fountain. When she returned, she looked over at the dancers stretching and pulled him into the hallway where she planted a sweaty kiss on his lips.
“This is going to be difficult to hide,” she said.
Harvey groaned.
“I’ve been thinking about that all morning,” he admitted.
“I really don’t care,” she said.
Harvey hesitated.
“I kind of do,” he said.
“Why?” she asked.
“It’s just really soon,” he replied.
She nodded.
“I understand. We’ll talk about it over dinner, okay?” she said. “I have to get back to dancing.”
Before she pulled away, he planted another firm kiss on her lips and then watched her bounce away, smiling and stretching with her dancers before lining back up.
It was going to be a busy day.
Chapter 11
Though Harvey was particularly timid at first about having dinner in public, it proved to be a rather normal occurrence. It wasn’t uncommon for many stars to dine with their bodyguards as it provided them safety while eating. He found it easy to play pretend until Samantha nudged his foot from beneath the table, causing him to flush slightly while trying to remain composed.
She had tempted him a few times, running her fingers nonchalantly down her chest to expose her cleavage, but it only seemed to heighten their encounters later in the evening. He enjoyed the secret tryst and hoped they could continue without fear of exposure.
After a few months of steady dating, they were settling back into their usual routine with added bits of romance. Samantha had finished her tour and was working on a new album while trying to juggle imposing questions from paparazzi. They would be in New York for a few weeks while recording, occupying an extended hotel room. Harvey admired the grace with which she handled the nosy press and even applauded her efforts to keep them away.
“I could never do that,” he admitted. “I just wouldn’t be able to handle them so eloquently.”
“You’re teasing me,” she said while setting down her bag in the hotel room.
“Not at all,” he insisted.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled wide.
“Let’s order dinner tonight and stay in,” she said.
“Anything for you,” he said. “You can call the pizza place down the street. They’re very good.”
He heard her speaking on the phone as he retreated to the bathroom to relieve himself. While washing his hands, he studied his reflection in the mirror. It looked like specs of gray were poking through his dark brown hair. He frowned and looked closer. As he became absorbed in his inspection, he heard a loud gasp come from the room and immediately appeared at Samantha’s side.
She was in front of the hotel bed with her hands covering her face.
“Did you hear something?” he asked.
He went to the sliding door that lead to the balcony and checked it, making sure it was tightly locked. There was nothing on the other side. When he turned around, Samantha’s hands were covering her mouth and tears were streaming down her face, eyes fixed on the television screen.
“What is it, darling?” he asked.
She pointed.
On the screen, a tabloid news anchor spouted about a recently exposed affair. Harvey drew closer and studied the screen, listening closely to the anchor speak:
“It seems like this one got himself into trouble with a famous pop star. Miss Samantha Miles, revered by the world as the best pop artist of her generation, has picked up a new beau—her bodyguard. But that isn’t the only thing heating up their sheets. This pop news guru dug up some pretty public information on Mr. Harvey Chandler and found his current wife...”
“Bastards,” Harvey muttered.
“...and any comment from her agent has been refused. What a scandal! To the wonderful pop star and her new cheating boyfriend, we salute you for style! I’m Timothy Curry with Juicy News Weekly signing out for the night with a bite.”
Harvey shut off the television, standing still in the suddenly silent room. He stepped towards Samantha who immediately took a step back, holding her hand up when he tried to speak.
“No,” she said firmly. “Get out.”
“But Sam, please. Let me explain,” he insisted.
“Explain?!” she spat. “How can you possibly explain that?”
“It’s supposed to sound awful coming from a show like that,” he said.
“I realize that, but...is it true?” she asked.
Harvey quietly looked down at his shoes and then back up to her. He nodded. She grunted and turned around, running her fingers through her blonde hair.
“How the hell…?” she started to ask and it faded from her lips while she sat on the bed. “I just don’t get it.”
“We’re in the process
of a divorce is what that prying man failed to mention,” Harvey explained.
“But you’re still technically married,” she said.
“Well, yes,” he said. “She still hasn’t signed the papers.”
She shook her head.
“And now the world thinks you’re cheating and it’s going to slam my name right under the bus,” she whispered.
Tears were flowing steadily down her face, pattering against the sheets of the hotel bed.
“Just go,” she insisted. “Please, just go.”
“Samantha, please,” he begged.
“No!” she cried. “Get out!”
Harvey hung his shoulders forward and walked towards the door. He could hear Samantha crying behind him. Every inch of his body wanted to be next to her right now. His arms wanted to hold her and his hands wanted to smooth her hair away from her face.
But she didn’t want him.
The weight of his defeat hung heavy on his shoulders as he walked down the hall and went to the front desk to book himself a single room. As he pulled out his credit card, he avoided making eye contact with the desk worker, focusing instead on the bell that was sitting on top of the counter. He received his room key and silently retreated to the room a couple of doors down from Samantha.
Even if she was angry, he still had a job to do. Leaving her unattended made him feel sick and uneasy, his eyes burning from unshed tears. It was unlike him to show such emotions, even in his previous marriage which he considered null and void despite his ex-wife refusing to sign the papers. Perhaps she would concede now that her name was famous. Maybe that was all she had wanted.
While sitting on the single bed, he looked over at the mini fridge and decided to get himself to a small glass of Bourbon. It would at least take the edge off. After scooping some ice into a glass, he went out on the balcony and looked out over the city. The night air was filled with all sorts of sounds like tire screeching and music playing underneath his feet. It seemed to be so alive, yet he felt so dead inside.
It couldn’t possibly be the end of their relationship. They had just started. Everything seemed to be perfect and under wraps, his clever way of hiding his true feelings coming to good use while facing the public. They would make out in her dressing room before the show and then face the crowd with stone faces, pretending to be in a business relationship.
But now it was all thrown into question. He twisted his glass in his hand, swirling the bourbon around before taking a sip. It calmed his nerves. He sat in the chair next to the balcony and studied the glittering lights below. While pulling a cigar from his jacket—the one he was saving for after dinner—he heard a faint scream.
Standing immediately, he dropped his glass and went out into the hallway to find a few people gathered with confused looks. Samantha’s door remained shut. He sprinted down the hall and pounded on the door.
“Samantha!” he cried while jiggling the handle.
She didn’t respond. He slammed his fist against the door, the few people in the hall walking closer in order to inspect the commotion. At the far end, a security guard appeared and yelled for him to halt.
“Chandler Security. I’m responding to a distress call,” Harvey yelled as he stepped back. “Do you have a master key for this room?”
The hotel security guard pulled a key card from his pocket and slipped it into the door. When the light turned green, Harvey barreled into the room to find Samantha crouched behind her bed, glass decorating the floor next to the balcony. He immediately went for the window, inspecting the area. There was a brick near the window. It appeared to have caused the damage.
Satisfied with his inspection, he turned to the security guard who was helping a shaking Samantha from the ground. He approached them.
“Go downstairs and tell them we need our room reimbursed. Then, send us a bottle of champagne and a fresh pizza from down the street,” Harvey instructed.
“Yes, sir,” the guard responded.
When he ran from the room, Samantha collapsed into Harvey’s arms and sobbed hysterically. A small group of people were gathered near the door and he shooed them away, lifting her to carry her back to his room where he laid her out on the bed.
“Darling, are you alright?” he asked.
Samantha, still shaking, nodded and buried her face into his shirt. He allowed her to let it out, soothing her cries with kind words while rubbing his hand along her back. When hotel security returned with a hotel worker, they apologized profusely for the disturbance and said they would send an officer to report the incident.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” Harvey said confidently. “Please, do not disturb us for the rest of the evening.”
As Harvey wheeled the cart into the room, Samantha sat pensively on the edge of the bed.
“I am so sorry I sent you away,” she said quietly.
“No, darling. Don’t be sorry,” he said while sitting next to her. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine for not sharing that information.”
“If I had just listened for a moment, maybe...” she trailed off, tears swallowing her words.
Harvey wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close, wiping the tears from her face before they could fall on her beautiful spring dress. She hadn’t even changed.
“We don’t have any control over what just happened, but we do have control over what will happen,” he explained.
She smiled through her tears and planted a kiss on his cheek, wrapping her arm around his waist.
“That’s true,” she said. “I like that. I think I might write that down.”
Harvey chuckled.
“My artist is always at work,” he joked.
Samantha giggled.
“I am,” she admitted. “I’m just always writing.”
“That’s good. Use that,” he said.
She nodded and drew him closer, pulling him onto the bed.
“I forgive you,” she whispered while trailing kisses along his shoulder. “I forgive you forever. I just want you in my arms.”
“I’m so very sorry for causing you all that pain. You must be stressed,” he said as he pulled her on top of him.
“I really am,” she said while choking on another sob.
She raised her hand to her face to stifle it and Harvey leaned up to kiss her fingers, causing her to smile through her tears.
“Well, then I’ll just have to fix that,” he said.
His strong hands trailed up to her neck and started to massage the tense muscles, instantly relaxing her and causing her to lean forward. Her lips came down to meet his, a tongue dancing on the edge of his lip as his fingers continued to massage her shoulders and arms. She moaned and bit his lip. Overcome with desire, he kissed her deeply and peeled her dress away from her body, tossing it aside carelessly.
The adrenaline from earlier was still pumping through his system and he was exceptionally aroused, his cock hard beneath his pants. She rubbed her vulva against it, causing him to hiss. He hooked his arms under hers and gripped her shoulders, pulling her down hard against his quivering cock. She smiled warmly and moaned while undoing his belt.
Carefully, she pulled his cock from his briefs and stroked it with two hands, his length enough to nearly fit both. He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it away, casting it aside in the same direction as the dress while shimmying out of his pants. While she positioned herself over his hard cock, he sat up to engulf her lips.
She stroked his erection with her wet vulva, sliding up and down while pressing her breasts against his lips. A tongue unfurled to greet her nipple, causing her to moan as it became erect. His hand cupped the other and massaged gently as she positioned herself over the head of his cock.
Eagerly, he pushed into her entrance and moaned. She was warm and wet, easily accepting his girth as she slid down the length of his cock. A moan escaped her mouth and he looked up to see her eyes closed with a smile on her lips. He grinned. He released the grip he had on her shoulders and allowed her to ride, watc
hing her hips roll forward as her feminine portal engulfed his cock.
He was elated as she pushed him back on the bed. He watched as her stomach tensed and her hips bounced, holding on to her hips as she rode in place. It made him ache to see her in such a natural state. A primal tug deep within wanted to thrust, but he stifled it in order to give her time to reach a level of arousal that matched his.
Blonde hair fell over her face, her lips outlined in smudged red that opened every so often to allow a moan to escape. Her eyes fluttered while allowing her head to roll back, her hands gripping the skin of his chest in order to hold on. When she increased her pace, he sat up and started to thrust deep.
Their lips collided in a state of bliss as his hands traced the curves of her body. He pumped hard inside of her warm body, relishing every moment he was inside of her. Her breathing labored as he picked up the rhythm and turned it into a frantic race to fulfillment, his own primal urges beginning to take over as she moaned ever louder.
She bayed and their lips collided again to stifle the orchestral moment of their peak. In an instant, she was shuddering against his form and he growled, the tension in his gut immediately giving way as he came. He shivered and twitched as she moaned against him. It was their first simultaneous orgasm and he couldn’t stop smiling.
Spent from their passion, they collapsed against the bed and curled up with each other, sweat coating their skin and making it shimmer. Samantha couldn’t stop giggling. She wrapped her arms around Harvey and laid kisses all over his face, her hair tangled from their intense love-making.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I will always love you, regardless of this horrible situation. I believe we can get through it.”
Samantha smiled wide, looked down at the sheets, and then back at him.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. “As long as we’ve got that, we can get through just about anything.”
THE END
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