I remembered my dream, how in sync we'd been. At first, though, Elias didn't seem to know what to do. His movements were graceful, but there was still an awkwardness about them, as if he wasn't sure how he was supposed to behave, but he quickly relaxed, kicking water at me as I leaped from puddle to puddle. When he laughed, my stomach tightened and I decided that his laughter was my favorite sound in the world. I let go of his other hand and cupped my hands in front of me.
They filled quickly and I tossed the water into the air, laughing as I tipped my head back. I closed my eyes as the rain beat down on my face. My arms went out and I started to spin, letting myself get dizzier and dizzier until the ground beneath my feet grew unsteady.
I stopped spinning, feeling the world sway around me. Maybe that part hadn't been such a good idea. Then, suddenly, Elias's arms were around me, holding me steady. I opened my eyes and he was looking down at me. His eyes were darker than I'd ever seen them and I could suddenly feel the heat radiating between our bodies, as if we were generating our own energy, just by our proximity.
“It is probably not wise to do that.” His voice was low. “It affects your balance.”
“Yeah.” I was surprised at how breathless I sounded. “I noticed.”
We remained standing like that for a minute, my hands pressed against his chest, his arms around my waist. It was still raining, but I could barely feel it. I didn't notice that my clothes were clammy and cold, that I had goosebumps all over my body. What I did feel was the steady thumping of his heart under my palm. The firmness of his muscles. The way his body pressed a straight line against mine.
“We should go back inside now,” he said finally.
I might've imagined it, but I could've sworn that there was a real reluctance in his voice. It could've just been me projecting my own. “We don't have to.”
He nodded. “Yes we do.” He raised one hand while keeping the other around me. His fingers brushed against my mouth. “Your lips are turning blue.”
That wasn't possible, I knew, because they'd just caught on fire. Heat blazed from where he'd touched me, flames licking across my nerves at a near-frantic rate. I wanted more. I didn't just want his finger to touch my mouth. I wanted his lips on mine, wanted to feel them move with me. I wanted to taste him, let our tongues dance together. I wanted to know if he would be gentle, tender, for that first kiss, or would it be raw and passionate, fueled by the desire I saw in his eyes.
The smile he gave me said that he knew what I was thinking, but he didn't act on it. Instead, he lifted me up as easily as he had Thanksgiving night, and walked us back to the trailer door. I let him lead me inside, only then realizing how cold I was. He hurried towards the bathroom while I took off my shoes. Okay, so maybe that hadn't been the smartest idea, but it had been well worth it to see him not being so stiff. Also, fun.
When he came back out of the bathroom with two large, fluffy towels, I changed my mind about the intelligence of my plan. Elias's white dress shirt was transparent, clinging to his muscular chest in a way that left nothing to the imagination. The pants were also soaked, giving me a pretty good idea of what was underneath, even with the chill factored in. Then I saw his eyes widen and I realized that my own long-sleeved tee and sweats were just as clingy. Judging by the heat that flared in his eyes, he found my current state as alluring as I found his.
He wrapped one of the towels around me, wordlessly using one corner to dry my face, then moving up to work on my hair. I stood still as he used the towel to rub away the rain, every cell in my body acutely aware of just how close we were. After a moment, he wrapped the towel tightly around my shoulders, then took a step back.
“You should change out of those clothes,” he said, his voice rough. He reached for the other towel, using it to dry himself off. “There is a robe hanging on the back of your bathroom door. You should have enough time for the clothing to dry before you must go to wardrobe and make-up.”
“What about you?” I asked, my own chill forgotten as I watched the towel move across his body. I could only imagine what it looked like when he did this without any clothes...
“I will use the hair dryer to attempt to speed the process,” he said.
“I meant about your clothes,” I said. “You're just as wet as I am. You can't stay in those all day like that.”
“Do not concern yourself with me,” he said. “Once your clothes are dry and you are back on set, I will find a way to dry my clothes.”
“Nonsense.” I shook my head. “We'll head over to wardrobe and make-up now. They'll have something in your size, I'm sure, and Eliza will have no problem tossing our clothes into a dryer.” I smiled. “As long as you don't mind having to wear something weird. I'm not sure what they have in your size. It could end up being something like a toga.” I made the last part a tease.
Elias glanced out the window and then back at me. He nodded and took a step towards me. He was less than a foot away when he put his towel around my shoulders as well. “The rain has lessened. If we go now, we should be able to avoid another downpour.” His hands lingered on my shoulders.
I nodded mutely. I didn't want it to end like this. It had been one of those movie romance moments. Two people in the rain, fighting their attraction for one another. Wet clothing that needed to be peeled off, leaving golden skin glistening. It had all the hallmarks of turning into one of those head-in-the-clouds, fireworks-in-the-sky, wet-for-a-whole-other-reason kisses.
He raised one hand and spread his palm across my cheek. His thumb brushed across my cheekbone and my heart gave a funny little skip. All he had to do was lean forward, bend his head just the slightest bit. My lips parted and my chest tightened. I didn't want to breathe until he did it.
“We must go,” he said with a sigh.
He took a step backwards and I suppressed the urge to curse. I'd seen on his face how much he'd wanted it. Something was holding him back. What was it going to take to get him to finally make a move?
Chapter Twelve
It was dark in my room, but I could see his shadow in the doorway. How long he'd been standing there, I didn't know. Though I couldn't see his features, I could feel the weight of his eyes on me. I didn't ask when he'd come back and he didn't offer an explanation. In fact, neither one of us said a word, but I held out my hand to make sure the invitation was obvious. I could feel my face growing warm, embarrassed by my boldness, but I didn't back down.
I wanted this and I knew that he wanted it too. It didn't matter that we'd only known each other for less than two days. It only mattered that every cell in my body called out to him, that every fiber of my being ached for his touch.
He shed his clothes as he came forward, revealing a body that made my breathing stutter and things low in my belly tighten. His torso was just as muscled as it had seemed beneath his finely tailored suits, walking that fine line between 'holy shit I need a cold shower' and 'okay, way too much.' I let my eyes travel down his body to his narrow waist, my gaze following the dark curls that started at his bellybutton and descended to the thick, long member that hung between his legs, half-swollen and rapidly growing.
I licked my lips and tossed back the covers. I was bare beneath my nightgown and pulled it off with one smooth motion. I heard him suck in a breath as I revealed my slender body. I wasn't as buxom as, say, Summer, but what I had was all natural. My breasts were firm, my nipples well proportioned. I'd had more than one man tell me that they were the perfect size.
The hair between my legs was sparse and pale, marking me as a true blond. Despite the numerous compliments I'd had about my body over the years, I usually was nervous any time attention was drawn to it. Now, however, I felt nothing but desire for the man approaching me and saw my own need reflected on his face.
He climbed on the bed slowly, his movements fluid and almost cat-like. He settled between my legs without saying a word and covered my mouth with his own. I gasped as he entered me, my lips parting to grant his tongue access. As he moved over
me, I trembled, my body on fire. I had never felt anything like this before. It was as if we had always been and would always be. As if he had been made for me and I for him. We were one body, one soul, and I could feel the impending release that would merge us more wholly than I'd ever dreamed possible...
My body jerked awake, my breathing coming in pants. What the fuck? I stared up at my ceiling, my eyes open wide. Had I seriously just had a sex dream about Elias? We hadn't kissed, had barely touched, and now I was dreaming about us having sex? I really hoped this wasn't a harbinger of things to come because I didn't think I could take a lot more of that.
It was a week before Christmas and I still didn't know what I was going to do about my bodyguards over the break. Things had been quiet since Thanksgiving, but I knew that Harrison was still nervous. If it had just been Paul, I would've only had him come with me when I went shopping and not care what my manager said about it, but because I didn't want to go that long without seeing Elias, it made things a little more difficult. And, if I was going to be completely honest, as much as I liked Paul, I just felt safer with Elias.
I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. It seemed that the guys felt similarly. I'd told them both that I needed to do my Christmas shopping and they'd both suggested that I do online shopping. When I'd told them that I like the whole shopping in person experience, they'd both given me looks that had clearly said that there was no way I was going to be leaving the house to go buy gifts that I could get online. They were probably right and I knew I should get started so I didn't have to do any rush deliveries, but I was still holding out hope that I'd get to go.
There was a knock on my bedroom door.
“Miss Rhines?”
I shook my head, wondering if I was imaging what I was hearing. Why was Elias waking me up? My sleep schedule was all screwed up, thanks to needing an extra day shoot because of the rainstorm last week. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was close to seven o'clock. That was actually about right. I had an eleven o'clock call time tonight, so this was about when I needed to be waking up. I'd just forgotten that it would be Elias doing it.
“Teal?”
“I'm awake,” I called back. “Thanks for checking on me.”
There was no response for a moment, then he spoke again. “I have a surprise for you.”
Half an hour later, Elias was driving me to a part of the city I'd never seen before. He wasn't telling me what this was about and the suspense was killing me. The only thing that kept me from trying to wheedle the information out of him was the excited light in his eyes that told me how much he was looking forward to whatever this surprise was.
He pulled the car into a small parking lot that didn't appear to belong to any one building. When we got out, I saw that the parking lot had a sidewalk leading towards a small grouping of what looked like little shops. All of them were decked out for Christmas, complete with lights and what I thought were window paintings. It was absolutely beautiful.
“I thought that this would allow you to do your Christmas shopping. I know that it is not a large mall, but—”
“It's perfect,” I said, and I really meant it. This was like something out of a fairy tale, the kind of place I would've described if someone had asked me where my ideal shopping location would be. The only thing that was missing was snow, and it was chilly enough that it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities. “What is this place?”
“It is called Christmas Village. The stores prepare all year and remain open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week starting the day after Thanksgiving.” Elias looked at me for a moment, then held out his hand.
I felt the smile spread across my face as I threaded my fingers through his. This night just kept getting better and better. “This is amazing, Elias. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
“I am glad that you like it,” he said. “Shall we see if we are able to find gifts for all of those on your Christmas list?”
I nodded and the two of us started down the sidewalk. Only a handful of people were milling about and none of them gave me a second look. It was a wonderful change of pace. I loved my work and I accepted the fame that went along with it, but it was my least favorite part of doing what I did. Being here made me feel what I imagined it must be like to be 'normal.'
We were approaching the first building when the most tantalizing scent I'd ever smelled reached me. Cinnamon and chocolate. My stomach growled and I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since hours before I went to bed. Without me having to say a word, Elias steered us into the shop. I blinked as I stepped inside. This, I imagined, was what it must be like to live inside a gingerbread house. Or the witch's house from Hansel and Gretel.
The entire interior looked like it was made out of food. The walls were painted gingerbread brown and lined at the top and bottom with what looked like fluffy white icing. There were tables shaped like fruitcakes with legs, shelves decorated with Christmas cookies. Even if I hadn't been hungry, this place would've made me want to eat.
“Merry Christmas!” A cheery voice came from a few feet away.
I turned and saw the happiest looking person I'd ever seen. She was a pleasantly plump woman who I swore looked like every picture I'd ever seen of Mrs. Claus. She was even wearing a red dress with a white apron and had white hair pulled back in a bun.
“This is your first time to the Village, isn't it?” Impossibly, her smile grew even wider when I nodded. “I can always tell. There's just something special about seeing it all for the first time. It's such a magical place, especially for couples.”
It wasn't until her eyes dropped down that I realized Elias and I were still holding hands.
“And you two are so cute together.”
Damnit! We hadn't had that conversation yet and I didn't want anyone ruining it by making it seem like I was pushing things. “Oh, I—we—”
“Thank you.”
I couldn't help it. My jaw dropped open and I looked up at Elias. He winked at me. Actually winked at me. And there it was again, that slightly mischievous side that he hid so well.
“Follow me.” The woman didn't appear to have noticed the quick exchange. “I have some cinnamon rolls ready to come fresh from the oven.”
I thought she was kidding until I moved closer and saw an honest-to-goodness oven. I'd spent enough time on movie sets to know the difference between a prop and something that really worked, no matter how good the art department was. I wasn't surprised, then, when she opened it and pulled out a pan of huge cinnamon rolls. She set them on the counter next to the oven and opened a small refrigerator that I hadn't seen until that moment. From there, she took a bowl of what looked like butter, but I was pretty sure it was icing. Yummy, gooey icing. My mouth started to water.
“They'll need to cool for a couple of minutes before I can put the icing on,” the woman said. “Why don't you take a look around and I'll let you know when they're ready. First one's on the house.”
My stomach growled its agreement and, ten minutes later, I was happily working my way through an insanely messy cinnamon roll while Elias carried our hot chocolate and a bag with a dozen more rolls in it. I was pretty sure I'd just found on a new Christmas tradition. When I saw the sign on the next store's door, I decided that this was officially my favorite place in the world aside from home. A big sign on the door read “All food and drink purchased here welcome.”
Still eating my breakfast, I followed Elias inside. Once again, we were greeted by a very happy and enthusiastic store owner slash employee (I wasn't sure which) and told peruse at our leisure. This place sold a variety of accessories. Necklaces, cuff-links, scarves, hats, gloves, bracelets, watches, earrings, wallets. Basically, everything that went with an outfit except for the clothes and shoes. Some were name brands, others were hand-made, everything of beautiful quality.
I made a first pass as I finished my food, then washed it down with the perfectly-cooled cocoa. Without me asking, Elias handed me one of the
wet naps the cinnamon lady had given us. Once my hands were clean, it was time to get down to business.
This place was as much of a treasure trove as I'd hoped it was going to be. I found a beautiful pair of hand-crafted silver earrings for my co-star Amy, a pair of monogrammed cuff-links for Harrison, a leather wallet for Simon and a gorgeous watch for Bryson. I also found an absolutely beautiful silk scarf for Alexa, my cleaning lady, and a pair of leather driving gloves for my landscaper. I'd get Summer the same thing I was getting for the rest of the cast and crew, half a dozen gift cards to various places. I wasn't going to leave her out, but I wasn't about to make anything personal. Gift cards would also work for other acquaintances, but there were still two people I needed to buy for, and I had a feeling they were going to be the most difficult.
We went to the next few stores, and while they were all lovely, nothing really spoke to me. Then we walked into the fudge shop and I knew that I'd found my gift for Paul. A few weeks after he'd started working for me, he'd told me about how his grandmother had always made fudge for special occasions. She'd passed away three years ago and I'd still been able to hear the sadness in his voice. I didn't expect this fudge to be as good as his grandmother's, simply because no matter how amazing a recipe was, nothing could compare to something made with love, but I hoped that it would make him happy.
Now I was down to the last gift and I was really at a loss for what to do. Even if there hadn't been this weird thing between Elias and I, I would've been buying him a gift because that's what I did, but it probably would've just been gift certificates. I didn't want to be that impersonal, but I also didn't want to go to the other extreme. We hadn't talked about what we were to each other, so I had to be careful that I didn't push by accident. It also had to be something that, if he didn't get me anything, I could still pass off as an employer gift with equal measure as Paul's.
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