Impulse

by E. B. Walters

  She waited until they were inside the trailer with the door closed before facing him. He still looked like he’d swallowed a rotten egg and was about to throw up.

  “I’m okay,” Jillian reassured him. He didn’t seem convinced. “You were worried.”

  He laughed harshly, let go of her hand, and scrubbed the back of his neck. “No. You’ve done this countless times, right?”

  Disappointed by his denial, Jillian nodded. “Yeah.”

  “So mishaps are nothing to lose sleep over?”

  “You got it.” She sat at her dresser, removed the wig, and shook her hair. Through the mirror, she watched Lex. His hands shoved in his front pants pockets, he glanced around the trailer before his eyes found hers again. He still looked shaken.

  She didn’t understand men. They jumped into dangerous situations to play heroes all the time, but they’d never admit to feeling an emotion they deemed weakened them. Her brothers were like that. They’d watch her like a hawk when she performed, but as soon as she rode off the ring, they’d act like she’d just taken a walk through the park. A pat on the back from her father and pointers on how she should improve certain moves from her brothers were all she ever got.

  Her mother had been the fusser. Chris took over after she’d died, hugging and praising Jillian when her brothers weren’t watching. Just once, she’d like a man to admit to having real emotion outside the bedroom.

  Jillian started to unbutton the outer suit. Lex still stood behind her, scowling.

  “So where are we going for lunch?” she asked.

  “Downtown,” Lex said curtly. He pulled up the chair his mother had used yesterday, sat, and gently rotated Jillian’s chair until she faced him.

  “Lex, I need to remove these suits, shower, and—”

  “They can wait.” He spoke slowly, taking her hands in his and looking into her eyes. “I wasn’t worried, Jillian. I was petrified that you were burned and possibly injured in some way. The last ten minutes before you jumped, I imagined all sorts of terrible things going wrong. When I saw you on fire…” He stopped and shook his head. “I don’t think I can watch you do stunts again, yet I want to be here to make sure you’re okay.” He frowned, his hand reaching for her face. “What did I do? Why are you crying?”

  Jillian shook her head. “I’m not crying.” She lifted her chin and blinked hard until she stopped the tears from falling. In control once again, she kissed him. “Thank you.”

  He frowned. “For what? Getting scared for you? I know this is your job and something you love, but we’re going to make a few changes around here.”

  She blinked, focusing on his words instead of the fuzzy feelings his confession had brought to the surface. “Changes?”

  “Yeah. Big ones. I need to talk to your uncle.” He stood and started for the door.

  “What changes, Lex?”

  “I’ll be back.”

  “Lex.” She stood, ready to tackle him if he took another step. “What. Changes?”

  He stopped by the door and looked back at her. “I want to find out his safety protocol for various stunts. If we are to keep you safe, I want to add a few of my own.”

  “You can’t just dictate—”

  “Oh yes, I can. I have a business to run, and I can’t do it worrying about people screwing up and making you land in a hospital. Don’t worry.” He smiled, but his expression said he intended to get his way. “I’ll be nice about it.”

  Jillian sighed as the door closed behind him. The man was used to having his way, and so was Chris. They were going to knock heads, and she would be caught in the middle.

  Damn.

  She removed the suits and dumped them in a hamper along with the wig. She’d never showered and changed so fast. Any second, she expected Chris to storm into the trailer, demanding she control Lex.

  Yeah, like a lion can truly ever be tamed.

  Her hair was still wet and her face free of makeup when she opened the trailer door and went in search of them. Chris and Lex were having a heated discussion by the trailer used by the rest of the stunt crew. As she got closer, both men threw back their heads and laughed.

  Jillian slowed down. They were getting along?

  They looked up and saw her. Lex waved her over and pulled her to his side. “Then it’s a deal?” he asked, shaking Chris’ hand.

  Chris nodded. “It’s a deal. I’ll stop by your office.”

  “What deal?” she asked.

  Both men ignored her question, but Chris couldn’t meet her eyes. She knew him well enough to know when he’d done something she wouldn’t like.

  “The Vancouver trip has been pushed back, so see you on Monday, Jill,” he said. “Think about what we discussed earlier.” He took off as though hellhounds were after him.

  She turned to Lex and narrowed her eyes. “What did you do?”

  He gave her an innocent smile. “We reached an understanding. Nothing big.”

  Oh, she hated his arrogance. “Yeah. Right. That’s why Chris hightailed it out of here with a guilty look on his face. What understanding? You mentioned changes, which means you bullied him into—”

  “Making sure you’re safe. I will not compromise with anyone on that, including you. The one thing we couldn’t agree on is”—he grimaced—“that.”

  Jillian followed his eyes to… “Our trailer? What about it?”

  Lex rubbed his chin and shot her a glance, a twinkle appearing in his eyes. “Everything. I like that one better.” He pointed at Margo’s newer trailer.

  Margo’s trailer had everything a person could possibly need. From a bedroom, a fully stocked bar, and an entertainment unit Jillian would kill to own, to a workout area in the back. Margo had given them the grand tour before she’d morphed into a bitch.

  “Yeah, well, you can’t do what your mother did and take it from her. That’s not how things work around here. She’s the star of the show, and stars get the best of everything.” She lifted her chin and stared at him from the tip of her nose. “Not that there’s anything wrong with our trailer. It has history. Memories in every ding and scrape. It’s perfect just the way it is.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but it looks like something you salvaged from a junkyard and slapped paint on.”

  Her jaw dropped. “That’s the meanest, elitist thing you’ve ever said. Take it back.” She dove for him.

  He dodged her hand, and she nearly lost her balance. But he was there to break her fall, wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her back to his front. The feel of his hard body sent her juices flowing.

  Heat flared. She felt him stir behind his zipper and wanted to rub against him. No, she wanted to do more. Feel his skin against hers. Run her tongue across his nipples and feel them respond. She couldn’t remember feeling this consumed by a guy before, this never-ending need to touch, taste, and feel him.

  The moment stretched, her heart pounding hard, her breathing quickening. She moved ever so slightly and heard him groan. His head lowered, his breath warm on her ear as he whispered, “You don’t play fair.”

  “Haven’t you heard? All’s fair when you mess with me.” She reached for his arms, but he whipped them away. She turned to find him hurrying toward her trailer. For a large man, he moved fast. Then he had the gall to laugh. A few nearby people watched them and snickered.

  Oh, now he’s in for it.

  Jillian went after him in earnest, but he cheated. He ducked inside their trailer and closed the door on her face. He wiggled his fingers through the glass panel on the door. Jillian gave him the finger. The look on his face was comical. When she entered the trailer, he was walking down the length of the trailer, checking every nook and cranny and shaking his head.

  “I can’t believe you gave me the finger. You’re a sore loser,” he said without turning.

  “And you are a know-it-all snob.”

  He turned and came toward her. “What’s the mileage on this thing?”

  She plant
ed her hands on her hips and blocked his path. “You owe me an apology, mister.” He studied her, a tiny smile curling his lips. “What?”

  “You’re breathtaking.”

  The compliment was unexpected and nice, but Jillian faked indifference and rolled her eyes. “Compliments are not buying you brownie points. This is our trailer, and you cannot disrespect it.”

  “Technically, it’s Lander’s trailer. You need your own.”

  Jillian scoffed at the idea. “No, I don’t.”

  “Chris agrees with me.”

  “He wouldn’t dare.” The look in Lex’s eyes said he had. Jillian threw her arms in the air. “Unbelievable. You walk into my life and literally take over, charming everyone, making them agree to everything you want…” She screamed when he scooped her up and sat on the nearest chair.

  “That’s because I’m always right,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You have a god complex.”

  “And you are a star. You shine brighter than any woman or man on this set, so screw anyone who says you don’t deserve the best.” He captured her lips in one of his toe-curling kisses.

  The fight had gone out of her at “a star.” When he eased off, her arms were around his neck and she would have agreed to anything.

  “Is it wrong to want to give you the best?” Lex asked.

  Jillian sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. It wasn’t wrong, but who would continue that tradition once he was gone? No one. No, that wasn’t true. She would. Once he was out of her life, she’d be loaded. Sadness crept in, but she refused to dwell on it. Theirs was a temporary relationship. In fact, she shouldn’t be sitting on his lap or chasing him around the set like they were a normal couple in love.

  Love.

  That word should never cross her mind when it came to this man, or she’d be lost. Falling in love with him was out of the question and stupid to boot. She didn’t do stupid.

  Jillian jumped up and took the chair in front of the mirror. Lex scooted closer, eyes probably seeing more than she wanted him to see.

  “This is the twenty-first century, Alexander,” Jillian said. “If I want to give myself the best, I work my butt off and get it.”

  He ran a hand down her arm, leaving heated skin behind. Part of her wanted him to stop. Another craved his touch. God, she was a glutton for punishment. He dropped a kiss on her skin left bare by her shirt, and she leaned into his mouth, seeking more.

  “As per our contract,” he said, his breath warm on her skin, “you don’t spend a dime while you and I are involved, except for the three-fifty. But that’s another story.” He rubbed his cheek on her shoulder. He hadn’t shaved, and the light stubble across his jaw was stimulating.

  Jillian forced herself to mull over his words instead of listening to the hum of her body. This was the perfect opportunity to tell him the truth about her father and the money, and maybe even ask for his help. But he was at her nape.

  “Lex?” his name came out as a moan. She caressed his face, the corner of his mouth.

  “Hmm.” The sound came from his chest and vibrated through her.

  Jillian hesitated, savoring his kisses, memorizing the texture of his skin with her hands. Was it only this morning she’d told him they wouldn’t have sex again? All he had to do was touch her and her body sang. She melted with need, closing her eyes and forgetting where they were. The little sanity left to her reminded her that he was already taking over every aspect of her life. Surely, she must control some parts of it if she was to survive a year with him. Like her heart and how she dealt with her family problems.

  It took all her willpower to grip his head and create space between his lips and her body. His heated eyes said he didn’t like the interruption.

  “I want you,” he whispered, his finger tracing her collarbone and stopping at the pulse beating furiously at the base of her neck. “And you want me.”

  When he looked at her with such need, whatever objections Jillian had flew out the window. Sex was something she enjoyed, and she felt no shame. Her need for this man was slowly morphing into something else. An addiction? Yes. That sounded better than the alternative, because their relationship left no room for tender feelings or long-term commitment.

  She jumped up, marched to the trailer door, and locked it. When she turned around, he was watching her with amazement.

  “What? Do you want to wait until we get to your place?” she asked, undoing her shirt.

  “One of these days, I’m actually going to undress you from top to bottom.”

  “You’ll have to move fast.” Her bra landed on top of her shirt.

  He rolled the chair toward her, nudged her hands out of the way, and finished removing the rest of her clothes.

  “How is that for fast?” He lifted her onto the narrow counter by the sink and kissed her knee, then moved along her inner thigh. Her muscles trembled, and her knees opened. Jillian caressed his head, her hand slipping under his shirt to stroke his back. His muscles flexed. She smothered a scream when he bit into her thigh.

  “Shh,” he whispered.

  Jillian wasn’t going to control herself when he was so ruthless in his possession of her senses. He moved, kissing her stomach, her sides, until he took a nipple into his mouth. She held his head, wanting him to stay there forever.

  Oh yes. The things he did with his teeth. His tongue. He let go of one nipple and rubbed his chin in the valley between her breasts, sending jolts of pure pleasure through her. The roughness on her sensitive skin was so erotic.

  He took the other nipple and sucked on it so hard her body jerked. If he wasn’t standing between her legs and trapping her on that narrow counter, she would have fallen off it.

  “Yes, Lex. Oh, God, yes. More.”

  She wanted to taste him too and tugged on his shirt, until he let her remove it. She ran her hands over his shoulders. He had such a perfectly proportional body. His head lifted up, and his mouth claimed hers. Hot. Hard. Hungrily. He stroked her shoulders, her back, sliding down to her waist.

  He still wore his jeans while she was completely naked. She reached for his belt, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he sunk low and sat on the chair, cupped her butt cheeks, and nudged her to the edge of the counter. Then he was lowering his head, the stubble on his chin scraping her sensitive skin, the feeling contrasting with the flutter of his soft hair on her upper thighs.

  A low moan of pleasure escaped her when his mouth closed on her. His tongue and teeth worked together in perfect harmony with one intention—to drive her crazy.

  “Lex,” Jillian moaned and pushed against him. She didn’t think she could control the sounds coming from her mouth. At least she’d closed the curtains earlier after showering, but he was relentless, pushing her fast to the limit. She wanted to beg him to slow down.

  “Please,” was all she managed before he changed the level of intensity.

  He moved her legs over his shoulders and leaned in for a deeper connection. As he reduced the tight nub into a point of intense sensations, he slid his middle and index fingers inside her. Jillian bit her lower lip to stop her whimpers. Then he did something new. He made little erotic circles as he pushed in and out of her.

  She went crazy.

  If he didn’t have a firm hold on her, her butt would have slipped off the counter. Jillian couldn’t stop crying out as waves of pleasure crested. Lex didn’t stop, sucking harder and prolonging the sensations while she shuddered and moaned his name. He released her, kissed her thigh, and rested his chin on it, a smug smile curling his lips.

  “I’ll never get tired of hearing that,” he whispered.

  Jillian shifted, her legs giving away when they landed on the floor on either side of his hips. But he was there to steady her. She reached for his belt again, but he stopped her.

  “No, sweetheart. After last night, you must be sore. I can wait.”

  Was he nuts? She wasn’t about to let an erection go to waste. She leaned into him and rubbed her lips acro
ss his.

  “I want you, Lex.” She kissed his upper lip, then took his lower one between her teeth and nipped it before letting go. “And I mean to have you.”

  He grinned. In seconds, he’d lowered his pants, his erection springing free. Thick. Hard. Majestic. He never failed to take her breath away. Her eyes locked with his as she went down to her knees. The look in his eyes made her feel powerful. It was as though he wanted to tell her not to do it while at the same time begging her to go ahead.

  Smiling saucily, she ran her fingers along his shaft. His hips lifted off the chair. Not meaning to torture him, she wrapped her hands around him, not fully spanning his girth with each hand.

  He was hot.

  Ridged with veins.

  Velvet over steel.

  She leaned down and ran her tongue from the base to the tip of his shaft. He cursed softly. Not good enough. She repeated it and rolled her tongue around the tip.

  “Oh, fuck!” slipped from his mouth.

  That was more like it. She leaned in closer and started with the tip, laving it with her tongue, hearing him groan. Then she opened her mouth wide to accommodate his width. She made her throat muscles relax as she took in his entire length.

  Lex’s hands caressed her hair, her shoulders, then went back to her head. With a gentle pressure, he rocked farther into her mouth and down her throat. The taste of hard, hot erection and the scent of his arousal were too much. She moaned, knowing full well what it would do to him. The vibrations of her vocals rippled through his shaft.

  “Holy shit,” he growled.

  Liking his response, she did it again.

  “What the hell are you—?”

  She moved her head, humming as he slid down her throat. Shudders shot through him, but the next second, he staggered backward, breaking their contact. Eyes wild, his breathing heavy, his expression begged her to… what? Give him what he needed?

  She knew how he liked it. Hard. Fast. Furious. Rough. She was a bit sore from yesterday, but the pleasure would make up for the discomfort. Jillian turned, arched her back, and glanced over her shoulder at him. He stared at her with so much lust it hurt to look at him.