by Robin Leaf
Darby turned to Vanessa. “Can I see you alone for a minute?”
Vanessa looked to Riley, who shrugged. They walked five steps away.
Darby grabbed Vanessa’s hands. “I wanted to apologize personally for earlier. What I should have said was that it’s obvious to me that you two are falling for each other. The sex thing was really personal.”
“Like I told Riley, there is no need for you to apologize.” Vanessa smiled.
“Well, I think you know I do love that guy over there. I’m glad you came along, Vanessa. But something you may not know is that he isn’t one to take anything lightly. I can see he has really deep feelings for you, and I encourage it, but I also know what that means.”
Vanessa wasn’t sure how to respond since she wasn’t sure what Darby meant. “Darby, I won’t… I don’t…”
Darby looked deep into Vanessa’s eyes. “It means you have the power to hurt him.”
Vanessa glanced at Riley and looked cuttingly back at Darby, and she had to bite back the bitter tone as she responded. “That power goes both ways, Darby.”
Darby hugged Vanessa. “Oh, gosh, I don’t want that at all, either, Vanessa. Just please, please, take care of him. I don’t like it when he’s hurting.” She looked at Riley. “I like him like this.”
Darby waved to Riley and rejoined her party. Riley walked over and laced his fingers through Vanessa’s.
“What was that all about?” Riley inquired.
“Not quite sure. I think I just got big sistered.”
Vanessa fought the urge to fall asleep in the car to no avail. When they arrived home, she woke up just long enough to walk to Riley’s room, go to the bathroom, take off her makeup, brush her teeth and slip out of her dress. She grabbed one of his t-shirts that she saw Graciela put away the other day and climbed into his bed.
“So you assume you can just steal my t-shirt and crawl into my bed, Dr. Taylor?” Riley teased as he moved in behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist.
“Why not? We’ve been sleeping in the same bed for almost a week now. And you assumed you could climb into my shower and steal… well… me, Mr. Tate,” she retorted, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
She woke up Thursday morning with Riley still sleeping beside her. Somehow during the night, his hand had found its way up her shirt and rested on her breast. She realized that she was so tired last night, she didn’t pay attention to how Riley had dressed for bed. The last few days, they both slept naked, but she didn’t know if it transferred to sexless nights. Lifting the covers slightly, she dared a peek. Boxers. Damn. I was hoping for naked.
She didn’t want to disturb him, so she watched him sleep, warming at the utterly peaceful, content expression on his face. She ran her fingers lightly down his shoulder to his elbow and back up again. She repeated the action, this time taking her fingers all the way to his hand, the one resting on her breast. She moved his hand down to her waist, but when she trailed back up his arm, she realized his hand kept moving south.
“My hand was quite happy where it was,” Riley said with his eyes still closed. “Now, it’s just going to have to find a better place to play.” His hand slid under the top of her panties.
“Really? Better? With all the time your hands spent on them the past few days, I figured they liked the girls better.”
“Well,” his fingers found their target, “my hand will just have to spend some additional time here to collect more data to make a better informed decision.”
She arched her back at his touch, then lifted her shirt. “Okay, but only in the name of science, and only if the girls don’t get jealous.”
Damn, Riley is certainly gifted. If he has only had the two girlfriends, I probably will wonder how he got so good with his hands way later. Right now, Oh. My. God. Shit, he can get me revved up quickly. No, I don’t want to come, not yet.
She stopped him so she could roll him to his back and climb on top. Ripping off her panties, she yanked down his boxers and straddled him. She lined him up and sank down on his cock forcefully, taking charge, controlling the pace and completely in command. He willingly gave her the helm, watching her with curiosity and awe, taking orders like a good sailor should. She grabbed his hands and lifted them to her breasts, guiding his fingers to tug, twist and flick her hardened nipples not so gently. Once she was satisfied with his action there, she reached down with her own hand, and he watched with wide-eyed pleasure as she rubbed the spot Riley had become very familiar with earlier, performing her own scientific exploration. She groaned and arched her back, rubbing and pinching her clit, never taking her eyes off his.
“Oh, my God, Vanessa,” he breathed as he watched her hand, which incited her to widen her legs and enhance her performance. She loved him watching her so much that she delayed coming as long as she could. When she could no longer hold back, she fully let go, quite loudly, which immediately triggered Riley to come boisterously as well. They both fell against the bed, gasping and gratified.
“Wow,” Vanessa said between breaths. “I’m not sure what that was, other than really unlike me.”
“I’m not either. But I know I really liked the show.” He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. “Shower?”
She smiled and nodded. “Shower.” He smiled and jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom to start the water. Once she caught up to him, he turned around and looked her up and down and smiled salaciously. She drug her eyes down his torso and watched his cock harden again. “Jesus, Riley. Again? How?” He shrugged, unaffected by her question. “This is just a shower… no more sex for a while. I need a break.”
He pulled her under the water and kissed her. “Uh huh. I am going to have fun trying to change your mind.”
***
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” she asked over breakfast on the patio. Sunday morning had come on quickly. They spent the last few days watching movies, walking on the beach, and shopping together, luckily undetected. She remembered Riley telling her he had something to do today, so she had made plans with Emily, who she hadn’t seen in weeks.
“I’d like to say a repeat of a combination of Tuesday night on the patio, Thursday morning, and this morning, watching you.” He lowered his voice to that sexy rumble. “Dang, it’s hot to watch you get yourself off. You swear you’ve never used that bullet vibrator? You sure knew what you were doing. I bet that little vibe would feel real good with me inside you,” he closed his eyes, “but I think all three is pushing it. Frankly, I don’t know if I can take much more. It’s something we can look forward to trying later. So maybe I’ll just try to convince you to listen to and like more love songs.”
She loved his newly-developed dirty mouth, and although they had slowed down on the amount of sex, she still needed a rest. “Yeah, I think it’s a good idea to take some time off, too.” She smiled. “And you’re right, it’s hot when you watch me just like I love watching what you did when you watched me. That made me come so hard.”
His eyes flashed and he swallowed. She could tell he was trying not to get too turned on, so he changed the subject. “Yes,” he cleared his throat. “Well, anyway, I have a production meeting at one, but before that, I need to go talk to Charles.” He took a drink of orange juice. “I really don’t want to be away from you, but I should be back before five if you want to have dinner and pick up on the movie night thing. I have more than just my movies if you are getting tired of them. Maybe we can start a series on Netflix or something.”
“Just being with you sounds nice. Plus, this works out because I promised Emily we’d go have lunch today.”
He put his hands under the table and leaned in over his plate. “Can I meet her?”
Vanessa choked on her Dr Pepper. “You want to meet Emily?”
His eyes twinkled. “Yes.”
Wow, this means it’s serious if he meets my friends. This makes it real. Am I ready for this? There are the dimples. Damn. Say yes. He could probably commit some heinous crim
e right in front of me, but flash those dimples, and I’d swear he didn’t do it. Damn those dimples.
“I’ll call her and have her pick me up here for lunch.”
Fuck. This IS real.
TWENTY ONE
Vanessa waited for Emily on the couch with Riley, fighting the urge to get up and pace. She had been busy thinking since breakfast, and Riley seemed to sense her anxiety. She tried to avert the rising panic by her normal methods, avoiding the cookie dough, since none was in the refrigerator. Nothing else seemed to be working. He twirled a piece of her hair between two of his fingers as her muscles twitched nervously. When his other hand touched hers, she nearly jumped off the couch.
“Why are you so nervous?” Riley asked.
She turned to face him, unable to contain her words anymore. “Because if you meet Emily, one of MY friends, it makes all this real.” She stood up, and he stood up with her. “You. Me. Us. Together. Real. No turning back. No disappearing. Not my deluded fantasy. REAL.” She walked back and forth, and he watched with wide eyes as she punctuated her speech with wild gesticulations. “It means we are serious. A couple. Are we dating? Oh my God, am I LIVING with you? I mean, we just met about a week ago. And where do we go from here? This isn’t real. I’m dreaming or hallucinating.” She shook her head vehemently. “No. You’re not falling for me. There is no way. Shit like this just doesn’t happen in the real world. What the hell are we doing, Riley?” She paced faster. “This is INSANE! Too fast. Not real. What do I tell Emily this is when she asks? Hell, what do I tell my DAD?” She smacked her forehead. “Holy shit, you are going to MEET my dad! No. I can’t do this.” She ran toward the stairs. “Tell Emily I died.”
He grabbed her arm just before she reached the bottom step and pulled her into the safety of his arms. She initially fought him, but as he rubbed her back soothingly, she calmed. He waited patiently for her breathing to return to normal.
“Are you better?” he asked.
She pulled away from his chest and looked up at him, realizing right then that she was crying. “I think so. A little embarrassed, but better. I don’t know where that came from.”
He led her to the couch and sat her down. “Now, I get that you over think everything. That can be a good quality, but it can also be bad. It gets especially bad when you keep those thoughts inside. You start doubting and questioning everything you feel and everything I say. That I don’t get.”
She laughed humorlessly. “Jeez, who’s the shrink here?”
“Let me ask you this: Have I done anything or said anything to make you doubt me?”
She looked up at him, hesitant to answer. “Well… No, but…”
“Hear me out. I’ve been thinking, too. I’m going to say what I think, and you are going to believe me this time. Have you noticed how comfortable we are together?”
“Well, yes. But…”
“Shhhh, it’s my turn now. And you’re going to listen. Something I’ve learned from you is that when you show your vulnerabilities, I am more likely to show mine. You tried to be all closed off at the beginning, and it made me not want to tell you anything. It’s when you started opening up with me that I wanted to open up to you. It’s probably something to think about when you get your career going.
“So, I’m going to tell you some of the things I like about us, and maybe it’ll make you feel less, well…like that. I like how I can and want to tell you anything. I like how intently you listen to me. I especially like how you lean into me when you listen. I like how your eyes sparkle when you discuss something about which you are passionate. I like that you know and love grammar rules and aren’t afraid to correct them. I like how we read each other. It’s almost instinctive, you know?” He kneeled in front of her. “And I love how you are so oblivious to how beautiful you are. I love that you are beautiful with makeup but even more beautiful without it. I love how periodically, your Texas twang comes out when you talk. I love the look on your face when you try to keep control over your thoughts, but I really love how you slightly blush and try to cover when you say something you think you shouldn’t have.” He grabbed both of her hands. “I love how you watch me when you think I’m not paying attention. I love how you touch me when I talk about my mom, and I love how I feel comforted by it, but I really love how I melt under your touch.” He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “I love how you look at me when we have sex, like I’m the only thing that exists.” He smiled briefly at the memory. “All of what you said a minute ago, I haven’t thought about any of that stuff because being with you is so natural. It feels like I’ve known you for a long time, not just two weeks, and it is almost two weeks, by the way. I meant it when I said I’m not going to let you go. So, yeah, I guess you’re stuck here with me, Vanessa Lynn Taylor.” He kissed her, and she felt it all the way down to her toes.
The doorbell rang. Neither one of them made a move to break the kiss or answer the door. It impatiently rang again.
“It’s Emily,” Vanessa said. DAMMIT.
“I’ll get it.” Riley rose and answered the door.
Vanessa sat on the couch resting her head on the back, eyes closed, breathing, taking in all that Riley had told her.
It’s impossible. There is no way. Twelve days. That’s all we’ve known each other. Plus, he’s a big-time Hollywood actor, and who am I? Dr. Small Town Girl. I’m not his type. I can’t be. This is crazy. But all those things he said. Beautiful things. When I’m with him, God, I so want to believe him. Why would he say all that and not mean it? I mean, I could think he was doing it to get into my pants, but he already did that, too many times to count, and that was before he said it. He said he is falling for me. Can it be true? It’s just not rational. Love’s not rational, right? I wasn’t looking for love. That’s when it usually finds you, though. Shit. A little help here? What do I do?
“Does she always do this?” Riley asked Emily, breaking Vanessa from her reverie.
“Yes. It’s annoying, but she wouldn’t be Vanessa without it.”
Vanessa opened her eyes to see Emily dressed in a red, brushed cotton, fitted halter top and white shorts. She and Riley faced each other.
“You can stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Vanessa protested.
“Well, we’ve been doing it for about five minutes before you noticed,” Emily teased and reached down to put her purse down on the coffee table. “While you were lost in your brain, we had to introduce ourselves to one another.”
“Oh my God, Emily, you got a tattoo!” Vanessa jumped up to see Emily’s right shoulder, which glistened from whatever protective ointment she had slathered on it. “What is it? It looks like a swirly H. Is it Tater’s initial?”
“No, it’s the symbol for Pisces. I thought it was about time to get one. I mean, my boyfriend is a tattoo artist.”
“But I thought you said you never…”
“Yeah, well, I did. Can we talk about this at lunch?” she stage whispered. “So, Riley. It was very nice to meet you. I’ve been in L.A. all of two years, and you’re the first celeb I’ve met up close and personal. I thought I’d be all quivery and nervous around you, since you’re not like a normal person.”
“Emily!” Vanessa reprimanded.
“So,” Emily continued, “I see how you look at my girl over here. You like her?”
Riley full-on smiled and nodded. “A lot,” he paused. “More than a friend.” He added innocently.
“Hey, I’m STILL here!” Vanessa shook her head, smiling. “You going to make him check yes or no now, Em? Riley, now you know what made me panic earlier. I just can’t control her.”
“Many stronger than you have tried, Ness,” Emily laughed. “Do I embarrass you?”
Vanessa smiled. “Daily. I don’t know why I hang out with you.”
“You love me. That’s why. Yin to my yang. We make a great team because we complement each other perfectly.”
“You just kept me around so I could clean the apartment. You like my neat freakery.
”
“Yep, that’s it. And you keep me from having to think. You do it enough for the both of us.”
“So, Emily,” Riley began, slipping an arm around Vanessa. “I need some insight into Vanessa.”
“This ought to be good,” Vanessa muttered.
Emily smiled. “I’ll tell you this. She is the best person I know. We’ve been best friends since middle school. I’m closer to her than I am to my own twin sister.”
“Still haven’t talked to Etta?” Vanessa asked, hoping the change in subject would distract Emily.
“Nope. I wish I knew the reason for the freeze out.”
“Well, your sister never was as cool as me,” Vanessa mumbled.
“True,” Emily said. “But, Riley, Vanessa is not as secure on the inside as she seems on the outside.”
Vanessa shot Emily an evil death stare, wishing she had perfected her Jedi powers so that she could explode Emily’s head.
Riley laughed. “Yeah, I kinda already figured that one out on my own. See, I’m trying to convince her how good I think we are together, and I’ve met… resistance.”
“Oh? Things are going well, are they?” Emily hooked her arm through Riley’s and dragged him away from Vanessa. “Look,” she said in a lowered voice, “I’ll see what I can do at lunch. I’m pretty good at convincing her to take risks. From what I can tell, this is one worth taking.”
“Thanks,” Riley said in the same hushed tone. “If she didn’t get lost inside her own head so much, I think we’d be okay.”
“Yeah, her mom really did a number on her. One time…”
“ENOUGH!” Vanessa yelled. “Emily, let’s go.” She grabbed her friend by the elbow and quickly walked to the door.
“Wait,” Riley urged. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.” He turned to Emily and shook her hand. “It was nice to meet you, Emily.” He turned to Vanessa, pulled her close, wrapped her up in his arms, and kissed her in that tingling, knee-weakening style that never ceased to blow her mind, complete with the tongue touches that he knew drove Vanessa crazy. He pulled away from the kiss, smiling devilishly. “There. That gives you something to think about at lunch.”