Love in the Limelight: Volume One

by Brenda Jackson, A. C. Arthur

* * *

  God, how he’d love to try out that tongue.

  Thrumming heat raced through his gut. Funny the difference a couple of weeks could make. His first days on the set, he was ready to push everything aside to focus on his role on Paging the Doctor. But now that he felt comfortable playing Dr. Tyrell Perry, he no longer went to bed with his lines infused into his brain. Instead something else—or should he say someone else—occupied his thoughts. And that person was standing right in front of him.

  “You know what I think, Ethan?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  “No, what do you think?”

  “You being here, claiming you needed a place to crash for the night, is part of some manipulating scheme.” He could hear the sharpness in her tone and could see the fire in her eyes.

  “Not true. I called you for the reason I told you. I didn’t have anyone else to call.”

  “C’mon, Ethan. Do you honestly expect me to believe that? Of all the women you’ve been linked to, do you really assume I’m that gullible enough to think none of them would have let you stay overnight at their place?”

  “I imagine one of them would.” He paused a moment and then said, “Let me rephrase what I said earlier. There are others I could have called but you are the only one I wanted to call.” Boy, if only she knew how true that was.

  She got silent and he knew she was thinking, trying to make heads or tails of what he’d said. Then she simply asked, “Why, Ethan? Why was I the only one you wanted to call?”

  He saw the frustrated expression on her face. But it was what he saw in her eyes that captivated him. Desire. Although she might wish it wasn’t there, it was and it was just as deep as what he was feeling.

  But Rachel was a logical person who would not accept anything less than a logical and straightforward answer, so he said, “Because you are the only one I want.”

  Chapter 8

  Speechless, Rachel could only stare at him while all the sexual desires she’d had for him since day one came tumbling back. Why was he trying to make things so difficult? Why was he forcing her to admit the one thing she had tried to deny? She was attracted to him something awful.

  It would be so easy to let her guard down and walk across the room, wrap her arms around his neck and give in to temptation and indulge in a heated kiss. A kiss that would probably curl her toes and then some.

  But she had to think logically. He threatened something she couldn’t risk losing—her privacy. Any woman he was involved with would become just as much news as he was. The paparazzi would make sure of that. He was a man who spent his life, both personal and otherwise, in front of the camera, a place she tried to avoid.

  She shook her head. Things were going all wrong. They had decided they wouldn’t go down this road, so why were they? They were friends and that’s all they would ever be. He knew it and she knew it, as well. If he refused to do what was best, then she would.

  Rachel backed up and nervously tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. “C’mon, let me show you where you’ll sleep tonight. I think you’ll like this room since it has its own private bath.”

  He held her gaze and, for a moment, she felt a weakening she didn’t want to feel. Those eyes were the reason and she understood what was happening. Ethan had invaded her space, both mentally and creatively. And she couldn’t deal with it.

  Instead of saying anything else, she walked off and drew in a deep breath when she heard him falling in step behind her.

  * * *

  Walking behind her had its advantages, Ethan thought, watching the sway of Rachel’s curvy hips and the lushness of her backside in her shorts. She probably hadn’t figured out yet that he was enjoying the back view, and it was just as well since he definitely needed to think.

  Contrary to what she thought, when he had shown up tonight it hadn’t been with the intent of jumping her bones, although he found such a possibility a very enticing prospect.

  He followed her up the stairs and once they reached the landing, he glanced around. The second floor was just as large and spacious as the first. There were a number of hung paintings and he couldn’t help but admire them.

  “Are these your creations?” he asked when she turned around after noticing he had slowed down.

  She followed his gaze from wall to wall and smiled. “Some of them.” She pointed out those that were. “The others are my mother’s. She was a successful painter. A few of her pieces are on display at the L.A. Museum and various others.”

  “They’re all beautiful. You inherited her gift and it shows in your work.”

  “Thanks.”

  They began walking again and as before, he followed. When she paused by a door he moved ahead and glanced inside. It was a huge room with a small bed. But it was a bed and tonight he wasn’t picky, although he would much prefer hers.

  “This is it,” she said, entering the room. “The bath is to your left and there are plenty of towels and washcloths. Everything you need for your overnight stay.”

  He didn’t miss her emphasis on “overnight.” She intended for him to be gone in the morning. “Thanks, I appreciate it, and no matter what you think, Rachel, I didn’t have an ulterior motive for coming here tonight.”

  Instead of saying she believed him like he’d hoped, she merely nodded, turned and walked away. Instinctively, his gaze went to her backside, and a sizzling heat began building inside of him. Hell, he was a man and tonight he was reminded of just how horny he was.

  * * *

  A few hours later, Rachel curled up in her favorite spot in her king-size bed. Ethan had been in her home only a few hours and already her house smelled of man. And as much as she hated admitting it, she liked the scent.

  She couldn’t help but notice it after rechecking the doors for the night and walking up the stairs to get ready for bed. She had heard the sound of the shower and the fragrance of his aftershave had floated through the air. Immediately, tremors of desire had rippled through her, and upon reaching the landing she had quickly hurried to her room and closed the door.

  While getting dressed for bed, she had heard him moving around. The sound of someone else in her house felt strange because other than Charlene or Sofia, she rarely had houseguests.

  All was quiet, so she could only assume Ethan had settled in for the night. That was just great. He was probably sleeping like a baby, and here she was, wide awake and thinking about him and the fact that he’d wanted to kiss her. She could now admit to herself—although she would never admit such a thing to him—that she had wanted to kiss him as well and that she was curious. However, being curious wouldn’t benefit either one of them. It would serve no purpose.

  Yes, it would...if it didn’t lead anywhere.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. Not lead anywhere? Yeah, right. There was no doubt in her mind that kissing Ethan would probably lead right here to her bedroom. And they had agreed to be nothing more than friends, she reminded herself.

  But since he seemed quick to break the rules, why couldn’t she break a few of her own? As long as the kiss and anything that followed after the kiss was all there could ever be and they knew where they stood with each other, would it really hurt for them to indulge in something that her body was telling her she both needed and wanted?

  Her ears perked up when she heard the sound of Ethan moving around. A smile touched her lips. It was two in the morning and she felt grateful he couldn’t sleep any more than she could.

  She sat up in bed when she heard his bedroom door opening and then picked up the sound of him going downstairs. Being hungry at this hour would serve him no purpose since she didn’t have any food in the house, unless he was planning to make another egg sandwich.

  Before she could get cold feet, she eased out of bed, deciding if a kiss was what he wanted, then a kiss was what he was going to get.

  * * *

  With a deep sigh, Ethan closed the refrigerator door after pulling out a bottle of beer. He was hot and needed to cool off. He’d tried t
o get some sleep only to be awakened with dreams of him and Rachel together in some of the most explicit sexual positions possible. If those dreams kept coming, they could possibly ruin him for future relationships—at least until he discovered how close his dreams were to the real thing.

  After screwing off the beer bottle top, he took a huge swig, appreciating how the cold liquid flowed down his throat and hoping some would keep moving straight to his groin.

  “I see you couldn’t sleep either.”

  Ethan spun around. Rachel was the last person he expected to see. After showing him the guest room, she had made herself scarce, basically hiding out in her bedroom.

  She crossed the room toward the coffeepot, and he wished he could ignore the tantalizing view of her bare legs and curvy backside in a pajama set that consisted of clingy shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top.

  “No, I couldn’t sleep,” he answered, before taking a final swig of beer while wishing it had been something stronger.

  “Why?”

  He looked over at her after placing his empty beer bottle on the counter. “Why what?”

  “Why couldn’t you sleep?” Her expression grew troubled, showed her concern. “Isn’t the bed comfortable enough?”

  For a moment he thought about telling her the real deal, then decided she probably couldn’t handle it if he did. “The bed is fine.”

  “Then what’s your problem?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s yours?”

  Ethan hadn’t meant for his tone to sound so gruff. Nor had he meant for his eyes to shift from her face to slide down to her thighs. But they did. Heat settled in his gut before he returned his gaze to her face. Just in time to see the corners of her lips lift in a wry smile. “Something amusing, Rachel?”

  “You tell me.” She began walking toward him and her scent—lush, exotic, jasmine and womanly—preceded her. He watched her as a sharp, tingling hunger swept through his groin, and suddenly, memories of the dream that had awakened him had his skin feeling like it was being licked with tongues of fire.

  He never took her for a tease and hoped that wasn’t her intent because he was not in a teasing mood. It wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge right now. When she came to a stop directly in front of him, he inhaled and filled his lungs with her scent. And his testosterone level shot sky-high.

  “Remember earlier when you asked me about those vibes, Ethan?” she asked.

  “I remember,” he said while thinking her mouth was almost too luscious for any woman’s face.

  “Well...”

  He refused to let her get all nervous on him now. “Well what, Rachel?”

  Ethan watched her take a long, slow breath. “You were right about that curiosity thing.”

  He didn’t intend to make it easy for her. “What curiosity thing is that?”

  She cleared her throat. “That curiosity thing about kissing.”

  He nodded slowly. “So are you admitting to being curious?”

  “Umm, just a little,” she said.

  He went silent, deciding to let her think about what she’d said and, more important, what she planned to do about it.

  * * *

  Standing there facing Ethan, not all in his face but probably less than two feet away, Rachel concluded she had never felt anything close to the stomach-churning heat that had taken over the lower part of her body. It didn’t help matters that he was shirtless with his jeans riding low on his hips. His muscular physique dominated her kitchen and reminded her that she was very much alone with a very sexy man.

  And apparently he was a man who didn’t forget anything, especially her evasiveness from earlier when she’d refused to elaborate on these vibes she was sensing. She was smart enough to know Ethan had no intention of letting her off the hook and was making her work for anything she got. That was fine with her, since she’d always considered herself a working girl.

  He was a man who knew women. So he had to know she wanted him to kiss her. She hadn’t been ready earlier tonight and hadn’t been accepting. Now she was both ready and accepting. Nothing would change between them with one kiss. She was convinced of that now. Why would it? She wasn’t his type and he definitely wasn’t hers. Sharing a kiss wouldn’t produce a marriage license or any document that said they would have to take things further than that. Monday, on the set, they would go back to being just friends. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  “You think too damn hard.”

  She blinked upon hearing Ethan’s blunt words and had to agree that she did think too hard. But then she’d always been the type of person to weigh the pros and cons before she acted. This was one of those times she had to really consider whether the pros outweighed the cons.

  She quickly concluded that they did.

  A smile touched her mouth when she took a couple steps closer to him, fascinated by the blue-gray eyes watching her. Now she was all in his face and decided it was time to do something about it. Granted, she wasn’t the typical kind of woman he became involved with; however, she intended to show him that good things could come in small packages. With a pounding heart, she stood on tiptoe, reached out and placed her arms around his neck.

  “Now, are we in accord?” Ethan asked, placing his hands at her waist, drawing her closer and lowering his mouth toward hers, hovering mere inches from her lips.

  She drew in a deep, unsteady breath, barely able to contain the heated passion taking over her body, filling her with all kinds of sensations. She had never responded to a man this way. Had never been this affected and bold. “Yes, we’re in accord.”

  Fueled by a degree of desire she’d never felt before, she leaned farther up on tiptoes and whispered against his lips, “So, let’s go for broke.”

  Chapter 9

  Nothing could have prepared Ethan for the need that took over his body at that moment. Unable to hold back, he captured her mouth with a possession that fueled his fire in a way it had never been with another woman. He wanted to devour Rachel alive.

  A part of him couldn’t believe that she was in his arms and that he was taking her mouth like it was the only feminine one left on earth. For now, for him, it was.

  For some reason, he couldn’t control the rush of physical hunger consuming him. His tongue tangled with hers with a voracity that sent pleasure spiking throughout his body. He was kissing her hungrily, as if he was seeking out some forbidden treat and was determined to find it.

  Moments later, only because they needed to breathe, he released her mouth and stared into her stunned gaze. Refusing to allow her time to think again, he lowered his mouth once more and at the same time, he swept her off her feet and into his arms. Before the night was over, his touch would be imprinted on every inch of her skin.

  Somehow he managed to get them up the stairs. Upon reaching the landing, he moved quickly toward her bedroom. She wanted to get it on and he was determined not to let anything stop them. Though he had wanted her from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d thought he would be satisfied with them just being friends. Well, he’d been proven wrong.

  The moment he placed her on the bed, he joined her there, wanting to keep her in his arms, needing his lips to remain plastered to hers with his tongue inside her mouth and doing things so wicked it made his skin shiver. The kiss really had gotten ridiculously out of hand because never in his life had he been so damn greedy. So hard up to make love to a woman.

  In an unexpected move, she pulled back, breaking off the kiss and drawing in a ragged breath. Her gaze latched on to the mouth that had just thoroughly kissed her, and he felt his rod pulsate when she took her tongue, that same tongue he’d tried to devour, and licked her top lip before saying, “I think we should get out of our clothes, Ethan.”

  He couldn’t help but smile as he pulled up on his haunches. “I think you’re right.” He moved away from the bed to pull the jeans down his legs while flames of desire tore through him. He pulled a condom pack out of his wallet and ripp
ed it open with his teeth. Sheathing his aroused member was an exercise in torture.

  Without wasting any time, he returned to her. With a ravenous growl and a need he didn’t want to question, he reached out and began removing the clothes from her body. The moment she was completely naked, the lusciousness of her feminine scent filled his nostrils and further stimulated every nerve in his body, making his protruding erection that much harder. He intended to stake a claim on every inch of her body. Beginning now.

  He lowered his head and captured her mouth at the same time his hands reached around and began caressing her back and pulling her closer to the fit of him, his hard arousal pressing into her stomach.

  He broke off the kiss and his mouth trailed lower, planting kisses over the soft swell of her breasts before taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking it with an intensity that made her groan.

  Without losing contact with her nipple, he tilted his head and gazed up at her, saw the heated desire flaming her pupils. Returning his attention to her breasts he began kneading the other while continuing to torment the one in his mouth. He liked the feel and the taste of her and realized his desire for her was intrinsically raw.

  “Ethan...”

  He liked the sound of his name from her lips, and his erection throbbed mercilessly in response. “Tell me what you want, Rachel,” he coaxed softly, planting kisses across her chest while his hands remained on her breasts. “Tell me what you like.”

  When she didn’t say anything but let out a tortured groan, he blew his breath across a moist nipple. “You like that?”

  She didn’t hesitate, responding, “Yes.”

  “What about this?” he rasped in her ear before shifting, letting his wet, hot and greedy mouth slide down her body. She arched her hips the moment his mouth settled between her legs, and he could taste the honeyed sweetness of her desire on his tongue.

  Her eyes were closed, her breathing was heavy. He knew she was feeling every bit of what his mouth was doing to her. With his hands he widened the opening of her legs as her taste consumed him and made him want to delve deeper into her womanly core. Her unique and sensuous flavor drove him to sample as much of her as he could get.