Heartthrob

by Katie McCoy

  “I just need to see Jax Hawthorne,” I begged, immediately hearing how crazy I sounded. “Don’t you recognize me?” I asked, hoping that one of the security guards was a fan of the tabloids.

  But all I got were blank looks.

  “Ma’am, we need you to leave,” they told me.

  Just as they did, I saw a familiar face step out of a limo.

  It was Jax.

  “Jax!” I shouted, but my voice was lost in the crowd that was cheering his name.

  He stepped onto the red carpet and waved at his fans. I didn’t know how he had managed it, but he had changed out of the jeans and shirt he had come to see me in and was looking unbearably handsome in a tux. Only I could tell that his smile was faded and didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Jax!” I shouted again, trying to run towards him, but I was stopped by the security guards, who looked ready to physically remove me from the premises.

  Before they could, I stuck my fingers in my mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle. The same whistle that Jax had taught me when we were kids. It cut through the noise of the crowd, and I saw the moment it reached him.

  He spun on his heels, his eyes going immediately to me.

  The security guards were pulling me away when he ran over.

  “Stop,” he told them. “She’s with me.”

  They released me, and I fell into his arms.

  “I’m so sorry, Jax,” I told him. “I shouldn’t have let you walk away. Because, because you’re my everything too.”

  A wide smile spread across his gorgeous face, full of relief—and tenderness too. “Does this mean you’ll give me another shot?” he asked. “A real one this time?”

  I nodded.

  “But what you said, about hurting you again . . .”

  “You’re worth the risk,” I told him, tears beginning to well in my eyes.

  “You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that.” He swept me off my feet. “Because I am completely and utterly in love with you, Penny Pollack.”

  Tears were now freely running down my cheeks. “I love you too,” I said.

  All around us cameras were going off, capturing every second of my ugly crying. But I didn’t care who was watching. I was in Jax’s arms, where I belonged.

  “Just one more thing,” Jax whispered in my ear. “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

  “Oh, Mr. Darcy,” I sighed. “You say the nicest things.”

  And when Jax lowered his lips to mine, the entire world disappeared, and it was just the two of us. And everything was perfect.

  30

  Penny

  Epilogue

  We were halfway across the world, but we still couldn’t escape the press. After three months of dating—actually dating: no contract, no agent, no one’s business but our own—I was still getting used to the fact that sometimes people would follow Jax around and try to take his picture.

  For the most part since we’d been in Australia, it had been curious, but polite fans, but now that the tabloids had learned exactly where Jax was going to be shooting Captain Atom, they had all flocked to the remote tropical island.

  Luckily, he wasn’t going to start the shoot for another week, so the two of us had managed to sneak away to a practically private part of a nearby island where absolutely no one had been able to find us. It had been several days of tiki huts, pig roasts, and umbrella-topped drinks. And I had Jax all to myself. It was pure paradise.

  Rolling over, I enjoyed the view.

  Sure, our private cabana on the beach offered an unbeatable view of the ocean and the cliffs, but at the moment, my attention was focused on the mostly naked man fast asleep next to me.

  Jax Hawthorne was truly a heartthrob. And he made my heart throb every time I looked at him. He made a few other body parts throb as well.

  I slid closer to him, dragging my hand across his superhero chest. He stirred, his hand capturing mine and pressing it against his heart.

  “Good morning,” I whispered, pressing a kiss against his shoulder.

  “Good morning,” he echoed, his voice sleep-rough and sexy.

  I kissed across his collarbone, dipping down to drag my tongue across a firm pec. My hand escaped his and also traveled down, finding that beneath the sheet, he was naked and hard. He let out a hiss as I wrapped my hand around his cock, his eyes falling closed.

  “It’s a very good morning,” he groaned as I stroked him.

  “Mmhmm,” I agreed, pulling back the sheet and moving down his body.

  When I took him in my mouth, he practically arched off the bed.

  “Fuck,” he said through gritted teeth. “A bloody fantastic morning.”

  I took him deeper, loving the way he tasted, loving the way his hands gripped the sheets near his hips as I pushed him towards the edge. But before I could take him over, he pulled me up his body.

  “I want to be inside you,” he growled, reaching for the bedside table drawer.

  Pulling out a condom, he passed it to me, and I happily did the honors, rolling the condom down his impressive length. Then, I straddled him, his hands on my hips as I guided him inside of me.

  I took him deep, both of us letting out a sigh when he had filled me completely.

  “Fuck, you feel amazing,” he breathed.

  I couldn’t respond, my entire body tingling with the pleasure he gave me. Then, with his hand urging me on, I began to move. I rode him slowly, taking my time, taking my pleasure. His head was thrown back on the pillow, the cords in his neck standing out as his breathing became shallow.

  I chased my own pleasure, speeding up, rocking against him. Then, just when I was on the edge, Jax reached up to cup my breasts. He drew his thumbs across my hardened nipples and then dipped one hand downward to touch my clit.

  I exploded at his touch, my hips rocking forward, my entire body shuddering at my release. Grabbing my ass, Jax thrust upward one last time and then his own climax hit him, pulling him over the edge with me.

  I collapsed on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my ear, his hands stroking my hair.

  “This is the best morning I’ve ever had,” he murmured, kissing my cheek and then my lips. The kiss deepened, and it was several hours before either of us moved from the bed.

  “It’s beautiful here,” I told Jax as we walked along the beach that evening.

  “It is,” he agreed, but when I turned to him, I found that he was looking at me, not at the sunset.

  I blushed. I couldn’t help it. Even after everything, just a look like that from him was enough to make me flush from my head to my toes.

  He looped his arm around me and pulled me close, planting a kiss on the top of my head.

  “Are you sure you’re not going to be bored when I start filming next week?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Nope. Emmy and Charlie got me set up with a bunch of new clients, so I’ll have plenty of work to keep me occupied.”

  Ever since I had crashed a premiere to confess my love to Jax—a confession that had made it to every major news source across the globe—every other decision I had made had felt a lot less terrifying.

  I hadn’t expected to like freelancing as much as I did, but it gave me the freedom to travel with Jax, which I was loving. I was still getting used to the constant attention from the press, but Mia was helping me navigate that, as well as Paige and Emmy, both of whom had experienced a similar situation. And it helped that Morgan was co-starring with Jax in the Captain Atom movie. Somehow, I found that it was a lot easier to watch them kiss in rehearsals when I knew we’d all be pigging out on cupcakes afterwards.

  “I’m proud of you,” Jax told me.

  I turned to face him. “Proud of me?” I asked. “You’re the one who got the part of their dreams and brought us to Australia!”

  Jax linked my hand with his. “Yeah, but you’re the one who took a risk on me. And on herself.” He kissed me, long and deep. “And I’m proud of you for that.”


  I smiled at him. “When I’m with you, it doesn’t feel like a risk at all. It feels right.”

  And it did. It felt perfect.

  THE END

  Thanks for reading! The All-Stars series continues with Mia’s book, SEX GOD - keep scrolling for a look at Chapter One!

  Sex God

  All-Stars #4

  Austin James: Rock star. Sex god. And my brother’s best friend.

  He was always my #1 crush - and off-limits - until a college hook-up showed me he was every bit the playboy his reputation promised. Now, he’s back after a mysterious break from the spotlight, offering an exclusive profile that could make any journalist’s career. And he picks me.

  Two weeks to land the scoop of a lifetime? I’m not about to let a little unresolved sexual tension stand between me and my big break. OK, a *lot* of sexual tension. Austin knows just how to push my buttons, and despite everything, the chemistry is too hot to ignore. My reporter instincts tell me he’s hiding something… but when he puts that rockstar mouth to work, I forget everything. Except how to kiss him again.

  Can I figure out Austin’s secrets - before they break my heart? And will this off-limits romance find a way to become something real? Find out in another hot romance from Katie McCoy!

  Order now!

  All-Stars Series:

  1. Royal Player

  2. Hot Bachelor

  3. Heartthrob

  4. Sex God

  1

  Mia

  I’d heard once that the best things in life are free. And even though I was pretty sure that it wasn’t in reference to swag and an open bar, I was in complete agreement. Working as a glorified list-maker at the website ChatBuzz didn’t come with a great salary or any prestige, but hey, a girl couldn’t look a gift martini in the mouth.

  “To clocking off.” I raised my glass in a toast. “And a whole… twelve hours before I have to write another list about the Top Five pets who also look like a Kardashian.”

  “Only five?” my friend Cassie teased, taking a long sip of her martini – and drawing every straight, single male gaze in the bar as she toyed with the olive in her drink.

  “Easy there,” I warned her. “The bartender is about to spill something trying to look down your shirt.”

  “Serves him right.” Cassie looked over, then paused, assessing him. “On second thoughts…” She winked, and the bartender was so distracted, he dropped his shaker with a crash.

  If I wasn’t friends with Cassie, I might have hated her. She was smart, pretty and ambitious as hell. The kind of person you didn’t want to compete against. Luckily, the two of us had become fast friends at work, sneaking off to the kitchen to drown our sorrows in vending machine snacks and gossip. Sure, Chatbuzz was a hot website, but we both not-so-secretly wanted to be doing something more – I wanted to write in-depth interviews with fascinating people, while Cassie’s law degree was pretty much sitting useless while she vetted all our writing for libel. We both swore that one day, we’d make the break, but until then, we were paying our dues – and our student loans - and occasionally reaping the benefits of our job by attending launch parties with free swag and open bars.

  Tonight we were at the celebrity-filled launch for a new cellphone that promised to be better than all current smartphones currently on the market. So far, the only things that seemed different about it was the handle it had on the back to make taking selfies easier.

  “I see Paris Hilton,” Cassie said, leaving the poor bartender to clear up his mess.

  “Saw her already,” I told her. “And she doesn’t count anymore.”

  We were playing our favorite game at these events – spot the celebrity.

  “You know who she is by name,” Cassie countered. “Therefore she counts.”

  “I wish I didn’t know who she was by name,” I argued.

  “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “Those are the rules.”

  I looked around the crowded room, searching for another famous face, but also on the look-out for cute guys. It had been a really, really long time since I’d been on a date. And a really, really, REALLY long time since I’d had any date-related fun. Though it didn’t seem like I was going to find any relief in this crowd; it was all Soho hipsters, and some Wall Street bros, and way too many fedoras in the room.

  “Slim pickings tonight,” I told Cassie, who nodded.

  “What did you expect?” she asked.

  “Chris Pine to drop by and be stunned by my wit and beauty?”

  She laughed. “I still say Hemsworth is the superior Chris.”

  “Fight me.”

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, distracting me from Chris-centric combat. I checked the screen. “Uh oh.”

  “What?” Cassie was already pulling out her phone to check the messages.

  I read out loud. “We are pleased to announce that Richard Watkins, formerly of Vice, has joined the ChatBuzz family, effective immediately.”

  Cassie shivered. “Ugh, I hate it when they call us a family.”

  “I know,” I wrinkled my nose. “If it’s a family, I hope I’m adopted.” I skimmed through the rest of the message, but it was all corporate double-speak. “What do you think happened to Michael?” I asked, scanning the email for our former boss’ name. There was no mention of him.

  “Obviously they canned him,” Cassie said. “Not that I can blame them – our traffic numbers have been terrible for months.”

  Michael had been a terrible boss, but at least he had been terribly predictable. “Do you think this guy can change that?” I wondered out loud.

  Cassie shrugged. “There are only two things I know for certain in life, and one of those things is that ChatBuzz will continue to undervalue you and me, no matter who’s in charge.”

  “I’ll text Luke, see if he knows anything. He did some work for Vice last year.”

  Cassie perks up. “That extreme sports documentary? That was great. How is Luke?”

  I hit her on the arm. “Don’t say his name like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you want to do things to him that his sister really doesn’t want to hear.”

  “But he’s soooo hot.”

  I hit her again. “What?” Cassie gave me a wicked grin. “Not my fault,” she said. “Blame your parents.”

  “Trust me,” I said. “I definitely do.”

  It wasn’t the first time a friend of mine had swooned over my big brother – and sadly, it wouldn’t be the last. Now, thankfully, he spent most of his time out of the country working on documentary films, but growing up with him had meant a steady stream of girls trying to be friends with me to get closer to him – and guys running the other direction when they realized Luke took his whole ‘protector’ role way too seriously. And even when Luke didn’t have a clue about my romantic life… well, then he screwed it up, just by existing.

  “Remind me never to put Luke and you in the same room together,” I told Cassie.

  “Meanie,” Cassie fake-pouted. “If I had a hot brother, I wouldn’t keep him from my friends.”

  I laughed. “Why don’t you put those fluttering eyelashes to work, and go get us some more drinks?”

  “It’s a plan.” She got up and smoothed down her shirt. Even though she was wearing a similar outfit to me – short shirt, v-neck shirt – her curves were doing a lot better job of filling it out. I followed her to the bar, and watched as she did her signature lean so that the bartender could stare down her shirt. It worked and within a minute, we had two fresh martinis on the bar in front of us, the bartender’s gaze focused solely on Cassie’s boobs.

  “So,” he said to them. “Having fun?”

  At least he was cute.

  I excused myself while they flirted, suddenly feeling the effects of the previous martinis on my bladder. Unfortunately the line for the bathrooms was snaking around the perimeter of the crowded dance floor. I definitely couldn’t wait that long, so I looked around – and saw the velvet ro
pe, leading to the VIP area. Bingo!

  Making sure no one was watching, I quickly stepped over the rope and hurried down the hallway. Thankfully, the bathroom back there had no line… and was downright luxurious, with marble counters, plush towels and little soaps in gold dishes. I ducked into the stall to find that it was just as fancy, with a little ledge just for my purse. They probably planned it to protect people’s Birkins, but my Target clutch appreciated the spot, all the same.

  I had just flushed when I heard someone else come into the bathroom. Or, rather, more than one someone. From the sound of it, I had just been joined by a couple. A rather horny couple.

  “What if someone comes in?” A feminine voice asked, then let out a squeal.

  “Shh,” the guy replied. “Nobody will see.” It didn’t work. Instead, it actually seemed to make things worse as the girl began giggling almost uncontrollably, each giggle punctuated with a breathy moan.

  Great. Apparently one half of this couple got the giggles when she was turned on.

  I stood in the stall, debating whether or not I should cover my ears. Because it became immediately clear that while the two of them weren’t having sex, they were definitely doing sex-adjacent things.

  I heard feet moving and clothes rustling, all mixed together with the unmistakable wet, smacking noises of people kissing. I wasn’t hearing much from the guy, except the occasional attempt to hush his partner, but the girl was making more than enough sounds for the both of them. Apparently, she was having a great time.

  “Oooooooo,” she moaned.

  My eyes widened, and I couldn’t help ducking down a little to peer under the small space beneath the stall door. All I could see was a pair of beaten up men’s boots – a very, very large pair – and a pair of stiletto heels. Without any feet in them.

  Apparently this guy had hoisted his partner up onto the counter of the bathroom and was doing some very, very interesting things to her.

  “Wow,” she giggled, followed by a lusty sigh. “That feels so good.”