One More Night (Backstage Pass Book 1)

by Ali Parker

  "There you are." Tara laughed and moved up to grab my wrist. "I got us a drink to share, but I'm not feeling it. Finish it for me?"

  I nodded and downed it, ignoring the burn of the liquor and the sour taste of it. "What the fuck was that?"

  She pulled me toward the back into a closet of sorts and half climbed up my body as I tried to keep myself standing. "God, you're so hot."

  I didn't stand a chance as she pressed her lips against mine and forced her tongue deep into my mouth. A groan left me at the hot sensation of her wrapped around me, and I ignored the fact that the room was spinning. I just wanted sex. Hot, uninhibited fucking with the pretty woman stripping me down.

  I gripped her ass tightly and slipping my fingers under her panties as she pressed back and fucked herself against my fingers.

  "Riley," I mumbled as the world came crashing in.

  Chapter 11

  Riley

  "Thanks for meeting up with me today." My Aunt Debbie looked nothing like my mother, but they had different fathers, so it wasn't too surprising. Her long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she wore very little makeup.

  "Of course. I'm sorry about yesterday, it's been-"

  "Hard. I know. I wasn't sure I could sit through the whole thing either. Your mother would have sat up in her casket if she knew a preacher was talking about God over her. I'm glad you let me have that part though. I honestly wasn't sure." She shrugged and picked up her menu.

  "Of course." I didn't exactly know how to answer her. She was the most outspoken woman of God I'd ever met, and her and my mother didn't exactly get along. It had something do with my aunt trying to convert my mom every time they spoke. Not that my mom didn't need a serious conversation in her life, but faith didn't seem like the answer. A job? A good guy who wasn't toked up on weed? A house and steady income? Yeah. For sure.

  "What are your plans with the house?"

  "There is no house. It got repossessed by the bank a few weeks before the accident." I pulled my Coke closer to me and leaned down to take a quick sip from the straw. "There's nothing left to figure out, nothing to sell, nothing to close down. Mom didn't have anything."

  "She has some money tucked up somewhere from our mother's will. When momma died, she left a sum of money to me and to your mom." She leaned back in her chair. "You don't think she blew it on drugs and men, right?"

  "No clue." I glanced around, feeling more uncomfortable under the inquisitive eye of my aunt than I had trying out for the movie part with Eon. "I don't really care."

  "I understand that. I'll have my lawyers do some digging."

  "And what do you care?" I tried to keep the tenseness out of my voice. I wasn't my mother and didn't have a shitty relationship with anyone in our extended family. I didn't actually have a relationship at all.

  "I'm just concerned about you. I know you're probably not in a much better place than your mother was. How are you going to pay for your schooling? Did this new movie part actually come with a paycheck?"

  "Yes, it did." I didn't elaborate. Something told me she was digging for information.

  "Well, good. My concern was that I didn't want to leave you with nothing."

  "You won't. I can take care of myself, but thanks." I picked up my menu and swallowed the accusations I wanted to fling at her. No wonder my mother never mentioned my Aunt Debbie much. She played the part well, but never in a million years would I believe that she actually wanted to help me.

  If she had, she would have helped my mom, and no one did that, not even me.

  ***

  I got home to find a note from Char that she was on a date, which seemed a little weird, but I was grateful for the night to myself. It was good to get back to school and to my drama class. It would all be ending soon, and it was for the best that it was, but I still enjoyed the normalcy of it.

  After locking the door behind me, I dropped my books and purse on the kitchen table and walked through the quiet apartment. The place smelled like vanilla, which always reminded me of cookies for some reason. I walked into the kitchen with a hankering for something sweet and found a bag of chocolate chips in the pantry. After moving everything around a hundred times, I found the other ingredients and went to work making some cookies. As much as I hated to admit it, it was therapeutic. I walked into the living room and turned on an old Ethan Lewis movie, one where he was young and at a summer camp.

  A smile lifted my lips as warmth spread through me. He had to be the most adorable guy I'd ever seen in all my life. He was around fourteen in the movie and the camp hunk.

  I sat down on the couch and pressed my forearms to my knees as he walked up to a group of girls in nothing but a bathing suit. His bright green towel was thrown over his shoulder, and where most guys were pale and skinny, he was tanned and had a bit of muscle definition.

  "How long have girls and women alike been lusting after you, Mr. Lewis?" I let out a long sigh as he tilted his head and smiled at the girls. They giggled like crazy and I had to stop myself from giggling too.

  "Hi ladies. We're headed out to the dock to catch some rays. You girls wanna go and rub suntan lotion on our backs for us?"

  I snorted and shook my head. Only me. Only I would be at home on a Friday night while the rest of the world was dancing and drinking, partying and forgetting that life had to suck so damn much all the time. But I was good. Warm. Whole for a few minutes watching Ethan grow up on screen.

  The beeper on the oven went off, and I got up and walked to the kitchen, noticing a text on my phone from Jace. Call me.

  I picked it up and pressed the button as I grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies from the oven. My stomach cried out, sounding like two cats fighting in a back alley.

  "Hey. That was quick." Jace spoke between soft panting.

  "Yeah, what're you up to? Making some girl’s night?" I smiled and moved to get a plate and spatula. The cookies had a few minutes to cool before me and a gallon of milk were taking them out.

  "Funny. I only wanna make one girl's night, but she's made up some silly excuse to keep me away."

  "You can't be serious. You? She has to be an idiot. I would never do that to you." I put the cookies on the plate and pressed the phone between my ear and my shoulder. "What time are you getting off?"

  "A little before midnight. You changing your mind?"

  I smiled. "Not yet, but text me before you head this way. If I'm here, I'll let you in. I'm pretty sure I'm going to sugar myself up and get into bed. I could use a long night of sleep."

  "Dream of me?"

  "That's a high possibility. Can it be something other than sex?"

  "Of course, but we both know you can't seem to think of anything but fucking when I'm around."

  "That's because you're such a cock." I smiled and walked to the fridge, getting out the milk and carrying my treats back to the living room. Charlotte would blow a gasket to know I was drinking out of the carton, so quite simply, she wouldn't know.

  "Very funny, beautiful. I'll text you later. You've been teasing me for the last few days with your hot little body. Time for me to teach you who's in charge."

  "Is that so?" I broke a cookie in half and glanced up as Ethan stretched out across his towel on the dock. All the girls attacked him and the scene changed. I laughed loudly, unable to help myself. I was mad at him, but it was silly. He was fighting against his attraction toward me as much as I was fighting against mine for him.

  Him ignoring me sucked, but it was doing both of us a favor. I was weak in my sadness and he would take pure advantage of me. The end result - too many emotions on the set. Deza had to have gotten to him or maybe it was Frank. I'd have to thank them or kick them in the crotch when I saw them next. I wasn't sure which.

  "All right. Later, baby." Jace hung up and I tossed the phone onto the couch beside me.

  There was nothing I enjoyed more than watching Ethan's earlier films, but after finishing half the plate of cookies and a th
ird of the gallon of milk, I needed something more. I forced myself to take everything back to the kitchen and put in one of his Bond films. It was horrid of me to fast forward to the love scene, but I couldn't help myself.

  "Everyone should binge on goodness every now and again." I found the exact spot where he pulled his co-star close to him and pressed play. The look in his eyes was so fucking hot and the way he gripped her shoulders was possessive.

  "Don't tell me what you need. I already know." He smiled and licked his lips a little.

  "You do, do you?" She slid her hands around his hips and tugged at his shirt.

  "Mmmmhmmm... all bad girls need them." He leaned down and ran his nose by her jawline as she visibly shivered.

  "A spanking?" she whispered before he took her down to the floor and pressed himself to the top of her.

  My heart was about to beat out of my chest as if I had no clue what was coming next. The sex scene wasn't nearly as fun as a porn might be, but it was enough. Ethan stripped the woman down and had her crying out in long groans as the camera panned out.

  "Awww... come on!" I moved to the edge of my seat and tried to ignore how badly I wanted to reenact some of those love scenes with him.

  The door opened behind me, causing me to yelp.

  "Sorry! Just me." Charlotte walked in and closed the door before moving toward the couch. "Are you having an Ethan Lewis marathon without me?"

  "Yep. There's milk and cookies in the kitchen. Grab you some and come join me. This is the most fun I've had in months." I moved back on the couch and pulled the blanket off the back of it, snuggling up to one side and pausing the movie for her. The scene had Ethan standing outside on a balcony in a towel, looking like sin incarnate.

  I almost had sex with him.

  Heat rolled through my stomach and pulsed in all the right places.

  "Warning. I'm turned on by this asshole. Like crazy turned on." I let out a shaky sigh and reached for a cookie as she took her place beside me.

  "Finally, you admit it. He's so hot. Please tell me that you guys had a sex scene in Rio."

  "We almost had sex, but you called about my mom. It was probably for the best." I picked up the changer and shoved half the cookie in my mouth.

  "What? You mean like you had a sex scene or the two of you as Riley and Ethan almost slept together?" Her eyes were as big as saucers.

  I laughed. "As Riley and Ethan?"

  "Yes. Like not in a movie scene or on a set. Oh my God... was it on a set? After hours? Like you guys had so much fucking passion from the scene earlier that day that you-"

  "Whoa. Hold up. You're going off the deep end, and there is nothing I have that will save you from that." I smiled and pressed play. "We're attracted to each other. We almost had sex in his room, but we didn't. He wants a friends with benefits arrangement, but I don't. At least I don't think I do."

  "Holy hell! I want one. Tell him that I'll be your understudy for the friends with benefits thing. I'm not you, but I can pretend to be!"

  I rolled my eyes and settled back into the couch as the clock struck midnight. My phone dinged and Charlotte tossed it to me with a smile on her face.

  "Tell me it's him."

  "It's not. He never calls or texts. It's probably Jace." I glanced down to see that it was Ethan. My heart leapt into my throat, but I played it off. "Yep. Jace. I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back."

  "All right, but don't leave me hanging. I gotta live through someone."

  "Let's pray it isn't me." I walked down the hall and stopped beside the bathroom as I unlocked my phone to see what the man of my wet dreams wanted.

  Ethan: Hey baby. I can't stop thinking about you. I keep thinking if I close my eyes with these other bitches that magic will happen. Like freaky Friday shit. I open my eyes and bam! Bamb! Bumb! How the fuck do you spell Bam? Anyway... I want you. Come over tonight and let’s pick up where we left off. You naked and wet, me hard as fuck. We could spend the night fighting for control and tearing up my sheets. Come over here. You know you wanna, Ri.

  "Ri?" I read the message two or three more times and realized what it was. Drunk texts. It was almost too funny not to reply to, but I forced myself to slip the phone in my pocket and head back out to Charlotte. Poor Ethan Lewis. Letting his true feelings out while he's totally wasted.

  It felt good to hear him say it, even though there was little we could do about it.

  He wanted me. He wanted me. He so totally wanted me.

  Chapter 12

  Ethan

  I woke up feeling like someone had used my head for a punching bag the night before. My face hurt and my skull throbbed as colors flashed in front of my eyes.

  "Fuck," I groaned and rolled over, not sure where I was. It wasn't home. "Where am I?"

  "Get up, pretty boy. I just made us some bacon and toast. I'm gonna eat your half if you don't come the fuck on. You know how much I love bacon." Liam's voice was an automatic comfort.

  "What happened?" I forced myself to sit up slowly as the room spun.

  "I'm gonna say you either drank a whole fucking lot while I wasn't watching, or you were drugged. I found your ass naked in a broom closet and the girls split." He pressed his hands to the doorframe and tilted his head. "You fucked that girl bareback?"

  "What? No. Hell no." I got up and turned to press my hands back to the top of the bed. "Fuck, I feel like death."

  "Right, well, I'm gonna warn you now, I'm pretty sure that girl fucked you while you were drugged up. There was... um... evidence of it everywhere."

  I glanced back at him. "What? No one saw that shit but you, right?"

  "Right, unless the bitch took selfies with you."

  "This is your damn fault." I stood up and walked toward him aggressively.

  "Chill your nuts. I didn't force you into a broom closet, and since when do you drink anything that doesn't come in a fucking bottle that you watch get opened? You know how women are? You're the most famous guy in Hollywood. Shit, bro."

  I stopped in front of him as anger burned through me. "I gotta call Deza."

  "No need. She's on her way over here now. She blew up your phone this morning."

  "Seriously?" Terror raced through the center of my chest as I walked quickly to the bathroom. I slammed the door behind me and hit my knees, losing the contents of my stomach and hating myself. There was a reason I didn't go out to clubs or anywhere public where liquor was involved. I wasn't very good at holding my own. I'd reasoned the night before that having Liam there would make it all okay. I forgot what a torrential fuck up he was on purpose.

  "Get out here right now!" Deza's voice was loud and sharp.

  "All right, but stop yelling. I feel like my fucking head is going to explode."

  "I swear to God, I'm going to kill you Ethan Lewis."

  "Yeah, yeah." I opened the door and let my eyes run down her body. "You look hot."

  She slapped me, causing me to step back in shock. She was rarely violent with me, but by the look on her face, the shit was bad. Really bad.

  "Stop talking and get in here. We have to figure out what to do about you and your stupidity before Frank calls me. Eon is fine with you being a billionaire playboy and acting like shit, but getting drunk in a popular club and swinging your dick all over the place? No! Just no! I hate you sometimes." She turned and walked to the kitchen.

  I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to think past the part of the night where I followed Dara or Sarah or Kara back to the back room. Nothing would register after that.

  "I showed my cock to the club?" I walked into the kitchen and stopped short as Deza turned on the news. They were having a field day with me and Liam dry humping some slutty girl on the dance floor. The title of the breaking news was, "The boy we once knew and loved... corrupted by fame."

  Liam snorted and handed me a plate of food as Deza whipped around and pinned him with a look that had to leave his balls running up to hide inside of him.

  "Sorry." My brother lifted his ha
nds in surrender as I moved up beside Deza and ate a piece of bacon.

  "I thought you said you got me out of there after the closet shit." I didn't glance over at her as she turned to face me.

  "Closet shit?" she growled.

  Liam moved up on the other side of me and grabbed one of my two pieces of toast. "Nope. I just said I saved you from that shit and got you dressed again."

  "Dressed again!" Deza shouted at the two of us.

  "I was drugged, all right?" I snagged the piece of toast from Liam before turning to face her. "I went out to have a good time with my brother, and he brought two chicks. I was trying to find other people to be interested in seeing that you've cock-blocked me from the one girl that leaves me hard and happy as fuck. I did what you asked me to do."

  "This is not what I asked you to do!" Her hand was shaking as she pointed a finger at me and poked me in the chest. "You're going to ruin your career like every other idiot in Hollywood has."

  "And you care because it ruins your career," I barked back at her and shoved more food in my mouth.

  Her expression softened as tears filled her eyes. "Fuck you too, Ethan."

  "D." I walked after her as she turned and marched back toward the front door. "Come on, Deza. I took a punch for you. You know I love you."

  "That's not what's being questioned here." She opened the door and glanced over her shoulder. "You think I put up with you and your bullshit because I need you to keep my career running? Try again."

  I wasn't sure what to say, but didn't have time to react anyway. She slammed the door in my face and left. I needed to go after her, but my head was throbbing and my stomach sick as hell.

  "Come on, dude. You can explain yourself later to her. So the fuck what if we went out to have a little bit of fun? No one got pictures of you in the closet. I'm sure of it." He gripped my shoulders and squeezed. "You'll make up with Deza. You always do."