“Safe?” I ask incredulously in a voice husky with desire. “It’s not like we’re jumping off a bridge. Since when has being with you ever been safe?”
“No, this is serious stuff.” He runs a hand through his hair, oh; he looks just glorious, tousled hair, white shirt with a dark suit, eyes like melted chocolate, a body that won’t quit. He glances out the window, and I think I just moaned in frustration. “Elle, I’m sorry to admit, I’ve been with a lot of women, especially lately, they just came and I took them. And sometimes stupidly, I have not always taken precautions and practiced shall we say ‘safe sex”.
“You have got to be kidding me? You could have AIDs?!” After almost two years of living like a nun, reunited with him, and he may have an STD! “Are you kidding me!”
“I’m sorry, Elle,” He throws himself back onto the leather seat, eyes riveted to the ceiling, saying over and over again, “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
“Are you sick?” Concern for his health throws a wet blanket over my desire.
“No, No, I’m fine, but I’ve hurt you so much in the past, I don’t want to risk harming you again. It’s one thing for me to be careless with my own heath, but I can’t risk exposing you.”
He continues, “I’ll get Juls on the phone right now, she can set up a lab appointment first thing in the morning.” He shakes his head. “Damn it! Tomorrow morning I have a huge meeting with a producer and some studio VIPs for my next movie project. I can’t miss it;; my entire career may be riding on it.” He runs a hand through his thick hair, screwing up his mouth in concentration. “Maybe later in the day,” he thinks out loud. “It might take a few days to get the results back. Shit.” We gaze at each other, not touching. He groans. “But God, I want you now.” He breathes against my mouth, and there’s a desperate, passionate feel to his kiss.
“Who is Juls?” I ask, and why do I care who Juls is. I’m so hot in the confines of this limo, there is only one thought on my mind…I want him now. He can’t be serious, wait days for test results to come back. I need to be home for school in a few days. I want to jump this man right here and now. Easy for him to say, he’s been screwing every bimbo in Hollywood. I’m on the cusp of menopause! This could be it;; I’m done waiting!
“Juls, is my personal assistant,” he explains, speaking into a very expensive looking cell-phone. “Juls, it’s Esteban, Yes, I know it’s very late, but this is important.” He nods, smiling, “Yes, I know you require eight hours of beauty sleep. But I need you to make a doctor’s appointment for me, whatever it takes to screen me for STD’s.” He rolls his eyes in exasperation. “Yes, I need you to set this up for me either very early in the morning or after the meeting. Why now?” He snorts. “Very cute, no, I have not had an epiphany regarding my, as you call it, slutty lifestyle, and no, I am not applying for the priesthood.” He leans over to kiss me and I hear Juls laughing on the phone. “You’re right, they wouldn’t have me. Yes, I’ve met someone. Very special.” His eyes glitter warmly on me. “No, I’m not going into details now. You’re awfully nosy for someone who was sound asleep just minutes ago.”
I listen to this one sided conversation, the tone more like the banter between a brother and sister than a professional relationship. “So give me a call and let me know the details.” Vic says. “Yes, I know this is going to cost me. Hey, I just gave you a raise. No, you’re not indispensable. I’m sure a thousand girls would line up for your job. Yes, I know it would take a thousand women to replace you, love you too, go back to sleep.”
“I’m sorry.” He looks at me with a quizzical expression on his face, misinterpreting my
disappointment for anger. “Are you mad at me?”
“You know,” I sniff, “You made the assumption I would sleep with you. Maybe, I’m not that kind of girl. Mr. Rienz.” I say half seriously, a bit chagrined at my passionate response to him and possibly being lumped into the one night stand bimbo category. He attracts woman like candy on Halloween. Yes, I want to sleep with him……really bad….. but the STD conversation, while responsible on his part, took the romance right out of the moment.
“Elle, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to assume, we’re both available and it feels so right, I thought it would just happen.” He kisses me gently on the cheek and moves along the bridge of my brow. “I’ve been in Hollywood too long. This town has no moral code, everyone is screwing around.”
“Vic, I don’t need to be courted, we’re both adults. The idea of you showing up on my porch with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates is ludicrous.”
I smile at the thought. “I want to be with you. The whole STD business though….Vic, I’m done with sharing. My husband had affairs. I know he was very careful, for his sake and mine, but I don’t want that fear hanging over my head anymore. This time I get to choose, with Jack, I had our children to consider. And truth be told, I did love him, as stupid as that may sound. I loved him, his family and our life, I wasn’t about to ruin it just because Jack was a jerk.”
“Elle,” He says, placing his finger under my chin, tipping my head back forcing me to look into his eyes. “I can’t change the past, but the future is a road we can map out together. In all honesty, I’m tired of waking up next to strange women. If I didn’t have Hanna, I’d have no roots at all. I’m sorry your husband was unfaithful. The meaningless affairs are getting old. I’m ready to settle down. I know it’s too early to have this conversation, but my gut says what you and I had as teenagers is still there.”
I trace his lips with the tip of my finger. “I want to be with you, but I’m not a casual lover. I’ve only been with two men, you and my husband. By today’s standards, I’m almost a virgin.”
“For a virgin, you’re a quick learner.” he quips, a dimple plays in the corner of his cheek.
“Don’t change the topic, but you understand what I’m saying? I don’t think I can play the Hollywood game. So for now, you’re right, we slow down and wait.” I run my hand over the lapel of his tuxedo jacket, loving the feeling of his broad shoulders. With a giggle, I continue my exploration, adding, “But in the meantime, there are a few skills I’ve picked up along the way…..are you sure that glass separating us from Ike is see-proof? I’d hate for him to see……”
And so, on the drive to Lani’s house we were like teenagers in heat, let loose in the back of a travel van with a six pack of beer. Somehow we maintained the ability to lust each other’s bodies without removing a stitch of clothing, until Ike discreetly raps at the window announcing we had arrived. With great reluctance, Vic helps me straighten my clothes while I try to still my racing heart. With a laugh, I suggest, “You might want to keep your shirt untucked.”
“Yeah,” He says with a rueful laugh. “I feel like a kid again, excited as hell and not satisfied.”
“Walk me to the door?”
“As a gentleman, I insist. Nothing less will do. I’ll even hold open the door.”
“Perfect,” I extend my hand to him as he exits the limo. Ike holds the door, making no attempt to hide his amusement over Vic’s lustful state.
We stroll up the walkway to the house, hand and hand; I limp like a three legged dog on my one shoe. At the door, turning to face each other, he dips his head for a good-night kiss and the finality of the moment rockets a shot of fear through my heart. I’ve lost him before; I can’t bear the thought of him walking away, even if only for a day. My hand trails out of his as he turns down the path, blowing a kiss from his fingertips. “Until tomorrow, I promise, Elle, I promise.” Tears swim in my eyes;; a cold ache of loneliness fills my being.
Watching his dark silhouette walk to the car, I have an idea, a flash of inspiration; a light bulb moment. I remember. “Vic, wait,” I cry, reaching into my purse, limping down the walkway, pulling out the strip of pink condoms my girlfriends gave me as a dare….waving them like a pink flag of courage. They challenged me to live a little. And I’m ready to live, boy am I ready to live. “I’ve got boots!” I squeal.
> “Boots?” He asks with a quizzical look on his face.
“Condoms, rubbers, safe sex! Dummy.” I laugh. “I’m supposed to be the naïve one, Mr. Hollywood Hot Stuff.” I hear a snort of laughter erupt from Ike.
Vic turns and slowly walks toward me, stopping just outside my arm’s reach. He whispers, “Elle, caro, you are making this so hard.” He runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head in doubt. “I’m afraid to touch you the way I want to,” he says, a quiet tremor in his voice. “I’ve hurt you enough for one lifetime.”
“Vic, don’t leave me here.” I plead, holding out my hand to him. “I’m a big girl. And Cinder-Ella doesn’t want to go home, she already lost the slipper, but Prince Charming is standing right in front of her, the carriage awaits,” I take off my shoe, and hold it out to him as an offering, it winks and gleams in the moonlight. “It is past midnight, the clock bell has tolled……….take me home with you. Finish the story.”
“Elle,” his voice husky with emotion. He covers the distance between us in two short strides, sweeping me into his arms, as only Prince Charming can….and the shoe drops……. forgotten, sparkling like a jewel in the dew covered grass.
Chapter 30 The Heart Leads You Back…… Ike pulls the limo up a curved driveway leading to a Spanish style villa jutting out over the ocean. Vic’s West Coast retreat. The entrance to the house is crowned in a gorgeous profusion of bougainvillea growing over the doorway, framed with pots of brightly colored flowers. Vic sweeps me into his arms and carries me over the threshold. As he gently places me down, my eyes are drawn to a doorway leading to a patio opening to a view beyond the boundaries of the house. A vista of sky and water as far as the eye can see. A small infinity pool tumbles over the edge, mimicking a river flowing to the ocean. The beach below the balcony is a sea of white sand leading to the surf of the frigid Pacific Ocean. The half-moon overhead casts a pearly glow to the beach. But the stars overhead are brilliant in the cloudless sky.
“Welcome home, Ella, my mia bella, welcome home.” He runs the palms of his hands upward along my arms, so close I can feel his heat. “I can’t believe you are here with me.”
That’s two of us…. because once here in his home, I’m as nervous as a school girl on her first date. What have I started? Maybe I should have taken this more slowly. And then my attention is distracted, as he steps behind me, turning me toward the ocean view, placing kisses slowly up my spine, only stopping at the delicious, titillating hollow of my neck. His fingers caress the top of my dress, sliding against my skin, and his touch resonates through me. I moan, melting into his body.
Beguiled ….if I ever doubted the word, now I understand. His touch embraces me with warmth, the fulfillment of a promise. With Vic, I’m beguiled, pulled along a current into depths beyond myself. No boundaries, no rules, just Vic. He tilts my head as he draws closer, his fingers a soft brush of warmth across my cheek, there is no escape. All I see are those compelling eyes. There is no delusion into believing any less, with Vic, it’s only more.
A soft tug at the base of my French twist, hastily arranged when we walked on the beach releases a scattering of pins as my hair yields to his marauding hands. He slides his fingers upwards, releasing the restricting coils.
The soft graze of his firm lips quickens my blood until the pulse beating in my breast throbs in a delicious ache. He slips his arms around me, embracing me, pressing my breast against his hard chest. And, oh, it feels so wonderful, being held this way after so long. His mouth rolls off my lips and begins to trail a series of warm, moist kisses over my face. I feel myself tremble, the passion for him, once possessed, then stolen away, now resurrected. His lips move against mine, tasting my hunger, adding to his desire for me. My arms wind around his shoulders, holding him as my fingers tangle in his hair, his soft, silky hair. That primitive flame, dormant for so many years, thought never to be rekindled, leaps to life in a firestorm of passion, burning with a need I had nearly forgotten.
“Breathe,” He whispers, his lips brushing mine. “Breathe, we have all night, nothing can disturb us here.” My head falls back into the cradle of his arms, staring up at him, shocked by my response; dizzy from….lack of air and the consuming need for his touch.
I can see every feature, every line, every plane of his face etched in the dim light. He runs his hands over my shoulders, his soft palms sending shivers across my skin. And in one swift move, the zipper of my dress slides open, and the blue sheath rustles as it cascades down, a shimmering pool of color on the tile floor. He helps me step out of it, the cool night air strokes my fevered skin; and I feel his gaze lower to the swell of my breasts peeking above the lace-edged bra. He slips his hand around the base of my throat, pushing his thumb into the soft skin beneath my chin, forcing my head back until all I see are sparks of golden fire in his eyes, whirling in the shimmer of stars framed by the overhead skylight. His fingers deftly unhook the bra, as my breasts spill out; he unleashes his tongue on them. Groaning, I bury my hands into his hair, eyes closed against the onslaught of desire. Stopping, he looks up at me expectantly, and gently slips my panties down. He pauses, and stares for a moment, drinking me in, his eyes smolder. Removing his jacket, he tosses it to the mounting pile of clothes on the floor.
Rather clumsily, and with shaking fingers I fumble with the studs from his shirt, undoing the top three buttons. The contrast of white linen against bronzed skin hypnotic, and I rejoice in the smooth feel of his chest under the palm of my hand. And as much as I love a man in a tuxedo, I have a feeling that what is underneath….is better, much better………soon his trousers join my dress on the floor. I glance down at my body barely
recognizing it in the gossamer of moonlight, his hand slips between my thighs. He presses his palm to the sensitive mound of flesh, his fingers sliding inside me.
As his fingers press into me, his thumb passes over the sensitive nub of nerves hidden beneath soft curls. My eyes close as my body moves against his hand. “Tell me,” he whispers, his breath warm, his skin tasting faintly of the sea and salt beneath my lips. In a harsh whisper, his voice and eyes question, “Are you sure, Elle?”
The demands of his hands on my flesh cause a clawing hollow at my insides. I can’t believe he’s asking…...the passion I feel for him is like a freight train running downhill without brakes.
“I want you.” Slipping my arms around his neck, my voice comes almost in a whimper. “Please don’t stop.” He grabs my hips and pulls me into him; my hands reach for his neck and his mouth crashes down, his tongue finds mine. I moan into his mouth as we kiss savagely. He breaks free; scoops me into his arms, and carries me toward the bedroom. The trip a blur of touching, kissing, tongues, and tortuous desire aching to be fulfilled. He eases back slightly standing at the edge of the bed, “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely!” I’m frantic with desire to touch and explore every inch of his body. Stop asking! As we tumble onto the silk duvet covering the bed, he whispers,
“Smooth , warm, and beautiful,” he makes me believe his words. He strokes my face with the back of his knuckles, bending he kisses my lips briefly. His hands move, slow and firm, it seems natural, and glorious, as our fingers link rolling over in the bed, to break apart, finding new secrets to explore. I clutch his shoulders as he kisses and nibbles along the undersides of my breasts, avoiding the two spots I’m desperate for him to touch. My breast swell and ache for the fire of his mouth to claim them.
“You still smell like the forest.” He says.
“The forest?” I ask dumbly, arching my back, tugging
his head to where I want it…..his mouth closes over my nipple and I squirm in ecstasy. “The forest? I taste like the forest; you think I taste like……..oh…my!”
He lifts his head from my breast, my bones turning to mush as his fingers explore lower. “Ummm, yes, mountains… pine… sunshine…wildflowers,” he breathes on the nipple before closing his teeth over it so gently. His touch feels like soft velvet brushing against my s
kin. He sinks one long finger into my waiting depths and he has me squirming and writhing beneath his hands and mouth. My body licked with flames of desire, so strong I’m surprised the smoke alarm doesn’t go off. As I scream his name, glorious peaks of desire sweep through my body, spike, and clench all the muscles in my pelvis.
“Yes, Elle, let me hear you,” he encourages. I want him inside me now, I’m done with wait ing, his breath hisses out as he teases me with his fingers.
“I want you,” I beg…“Now, Vic, now.”
His mouth joins mine, and I feel his desperate hunger. Keeping his eyes on me, he sits up, reaches over to the nightstand and grabs a foil packet, and rips it open with his teeth. Together we slowly roll the condom onto him. He grabs my hands and moves me onto my back as he eases himself into me. He closes his eyes and flexes his hips to meet mine, filling me. It feels so good, it has been so long. He rocks his head back, his mouth forming a perfect O as he exhales.
I move with his rhythm, numbing all thought and reason, lost in the sensations of pleasure rioting through my body. My breath ragged as I open my eyes in disbelief this is Vic…..truly Vic. With open eyes, I see he’s staring back at me, eyes glowing, “Ella, Ella, my bella,” he groans through clenched teeth. I roll over on top of him, taking control of my pleasure, and I cry out his name, spinning up….and up…then crumpling on top of him.
“Oh, Elle!” he groans, holding me still, letting go and finds his release.
…
Exhausted, I sleep until the edge of dawn breaks through the window. Propping my head up on the pillow, I’m pleased to see Vic sprawled across the bed, dead to the world. The Hollywood ladies may be young and buff, but the older ladies…..
Careful not to wake him, I walk barefoot across the room and pick up a white button down shirt left discarded on the floor. Holding it to my face I inhale his scent ……uummmmm, but before any more erotic ideas pop into my head………I need a bathroom.
Adirondack Audacity Page 23