Anna stared at me in disbelief, and why shouldn’t she? My statement had been anything but convincing. I frowned at myself. Try again, idiot.
“It was really good,” I continued. I leaned in, so she’d know I was serious. “You were incredible in it.”
She blinked rapidly, and her eyes darted away, running from her blush. My compliment had surprised her? I wasn’t the only one who’d said this; she’d gotten great reviews. But maybe the praise meant more coming from me? I liked that idea a whole lot.
“Thank you,” she uttered. Slowly, her gaze drifted back, and her expression was warm. “How come you didn’t tell me you saw it?”
I put a hand on the back of my neck and massaged the tension there. “I didn’t know if it’d make you uncomfortable.”
She flashed a small, knowing smile. “Because now you’ve seen me naked?”
Jesus, I had. Five viewings—and it’d nearly killed me each time. I cast my hand out as I shrugged. “We’re friends. I didn’t want to make things weird.”
“That’s sweet, but just so you know, if you’d told me you hadn’t seen the movie? That’s what would have made things weird.” She grinned. “You played a big part in me taking the role. I mean, I can’t tell you how glad I am you messaged me that day.”
“Me too.” It came from me instantly, and a spark ignited in my center. She softened in the seat, subtly leaning toward me. That was a good sign, right? Fuck, it had to be.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Of course.”
Mischief lit her eyes. “I heard a rumor about you in school.”
“Yeah?” I chuckled. “Which one?”
“You got caught doing eighty on Salem Drive, but the female cop let you off with a warning.”
“Was that before or after I had sex with her on the hood?”
Her eyes went wide. “Oh my God, did you?”
“There were, like, five different versions of the story going around. In some of them I was going a hundred, which isn’t even possible. Salem has too many curves.”
Anna, the girl who’d braved putting everything on-screen, for some reason seemed bashful to ask. “And the sex with the cop?”
“Also, not possible. An engine gets hot when it’s going eighty—way too hot to put somebody on the hood.”
The blue in her eyes darkened, which was another good sign.
I quirked my lips into a smile. “I don’t think Officer Greer would have taken me up on the offer, anyway. He’s married to my mom’s friend.” The Greers had basically been part of the family since before I was born. “The truth is I was only going sixty-five, and rather than give me a ticket, Officer Greer did something way worse. He called my dad.” Who’d spent forty-five minutes at the dinner table that night putting the fear of God in me. “I wasn’t allowed to drive anywhere but to school and back for the next month. Remember Jenny Hayes? She drove by while I was pulled over. I guess it started with her, but I dunno how the rumor got so big.”
Anna’s lips rounded into an ‘oh.’ “Yeah, I remember Pathological Liar Jenny. At least seventy-five percent of the stuff she said was made up.”
“You mean she isn’t cousins with Justin Timberlake? She told me that once.”
Anna snorted. “Right, I’m sure she is.”
The conversation shifted to the upcoming week. Sato had given the itinerary to Anna, but she’d barely been able to look at it between reading scripts and the wardrobe fittings for her next role. She seemed so excited about our plans, and I couldn’t wait until we touched down on Kauai. Then, all it would be was a thirty-minute car ride and we’d be at the private villa Anna’s assistant had helped me pick out.
The landing was smooth, and as soon as the seatbelt light was off, I was out of my seat, pulling down Anna’s bag from the overhead.
“Hey,” a male voice called to me. “Are you who I think you are?”
I slowed as I lowered the bag to the floor. Outside of racing, I didn’t get recognized much, but it did occasionally happen. I turned to the passenger standing in the aisle behind me. He looked to be in his sixties, and the vacation had clearly started. He already had on the standard-issued Hawaiian shirt.
“Maybe,” I said, giving him an easy smile.
“You drive the sixty-five car.”
“Sure do. Jamie Campbell.” After I pulled up the handle on Anna’s bag, I offered my hand to the guy.
He took it and shook furiously, excited. “Mark Freeman. My wife and me, we’re from Phoenix. We were there when you won the Cam-Am 500.”
The wife ducked her head around her husband. “We were hoping Scott Kempen was going to win.”
The guy hadn’t let go of me, and his grip intensified while his face filled with embarrassment. “Karen,” he uttered under his breath.
She shrugged. NASCAR fans—God didn’t make a more loyal creature.
The driver she’d been rooting for was an asshole who could suck my dick, but I plastered on a smile. “Well, he made it a good race.”
Anna stood from her seat and glanced at the couple, a thrilled smile curving on her lips. Was she getting a kick out of seeing me with a fan? Didn’t seem like he was aware he was still shaking my hand.
His wife’s mouth dropped wide open. “Oh my God, that’s Anna Douglas!”
Why don’t you shout it a little louder? I don’t think the folks back in coach heard you.
Her gaze was laser focused, darting furiously between Anna and me.
“Who’s that?” the guy asked.
“She was in that movie. I’m sure you remember, Mark. She was naked, and you couldn’t stop talking about it.”
“Oh.” He turned beet red.
At this point, I decided I was okay with letting him continue to shake my hand all the way off the plane. I felt a little bad for him.
The wife’s attention landed on the bag I’d pulled down and zeroed in on the floral scarf knotted through a zipper pull. “Are you two together?”
“No, no,” I said quickly. “We’re not together, we’re just friends.”
Wait. Shit!
In my attempt to make it clear we weren’t ‘together’ together, I’d overcompensated. I’d made it sound like the idea of Anna and I dating was silly. Like I didn’t want that to happen, when it was exactly what I wanted.
Maybe I’d gotten lucky and Anna hadn’t picked up the mixed signal I’d just sent—
A vacant smile was frozen on her pretty face.
Awesome.
I’d just friend-zoned myself.
CHAPTER FIVE
Jamie
Anna stood in the spacious living room, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the villa. If it was daylight outside, she’d be able to see beyond the deck and the amazing view of the ocean, but it was late, and the moon was hidden behind clouds. The beach was just down the grassy slope, and with the windows cracked, we could hear the waves crashing against the shore.
The villa was traditional Hawaii plantation style. The pitched ceiling in the open living room and kitchen had warm wood and exposed beams, reminding me of a sophisticated thatched roof. Some of the decor was beachy and tropical, but the couch was modern with oversized and squared off armrests.
The pictures online of this place were good but hadn’t done it justice. The house was seductive and romantic. It was perfect.
The manager of the villa spent the last ten minutes giving us a tour, showing us where the snorkel gear was stored in the garage and how to work the outdoor shower to rinse off after coming back from the beach. She didn’t get starstruck around Anna—maybe celebrities stayed here a lot, and the woman was used to it. The gated, luxury community meant we’d have privacy.
There’d been an awkward moment when the manager opened the master bedroom door and announced it was the better of the two rooms, so we should stay there. Anna didn’t say anything, but I got the impression it was easier to stay quiet ra
ther than correct the woman’s assumption.
“Mahalo,” the manager called out as a goodbye before she left.
As soon as she pulled the front door closed behind her, I grabbed Anna’s bag and hauled it toward the master bedroom, the wheels clacking over the grout lines in the tile floor.
“Where are you going?” Anna hurried after me.
“You get the big room.”
“No, that’s fine. You can have it.”
I ignored her and rolled the suitcase through the doorway, parking it beside the dresser. I turned and shot her a smile. “Too late. Your bag’s already in here.”
She frowned. “We’re splitting this trip fifty-fifty. It’s not fair if I get the nicer room.”
The other room had a queen-sized bed instead of a king, a smaller bathroom, and no beach view, but I didn’t mind. “It doesn’t matter to me, but if bothers you, we can switch halfway through the week.”
She gave me a look like I was driving a hard bargain. I loved how she was still polite and humble after she’d gotten a taste of fame. The Kentucky girl her parents had raised right was still there.
“Fine,” she said, issuing a loud sigh. “I guess this will have to suffice.” She faked disgust. “It’s all just so huge and beautiful.”
“I know, it’ll be difficult.” I glanced toward the doorway leading back to the living area. “You hungry? Want some wine?” The fridge and pantry had been stocked with everything on the list Sato sent over earlier this week.
Anna looked around the room, and I didn’t miss the way she eyed the inviting bed. “Aren’t you tired? You didn’t sleep during the flight.” She checked the screen of her phone and did the math in her head. “It’s like three in the morning for you.”
I was tired, but from the second we’d stepped off the plane, I felt a ticking clock. I only had so many days to convince her to give us a shot and wasn’t going to waste time sleeping. I shrugged. “I can rally.”
A shy smile on her? Jesus, it was hot. She tilted her head toward the bed. “Sorry, I think I need to crash. That way I’ll be ready to go tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, of course.” Unlike her, I wasn’t any good at acting, but I did my best not to look disappointed. “Well,” I said, “see you tomorrow, then. Good night.”
“Good night.”
As I turned around and headed for the door, unease filled my gut. Was I imagining it, or had relief flashed through her expression?
She stole my focus as I took a beer from the fridge and rolled my suitcase into my room, only to discover I’d grabbed a soda instead. I was too lazy to go back to the kitchen and get what I wanted. Besides, what I really wanted was in the bedroom across the hall. Was I going to be able to dig myself out of whatever hole I’d put myself in?
I yanked off my shirt, kicked off my shoes, and undid my jeans, but each movement was slower than the last. Now that I was alone, exhaustion creeped in. I snapped off the lights and climbed into bed, desperate for sleep. Would I dream about her again? I did practically every time my head hit the pillow.
Last night I’d dreamt she was sitting in my lap, wearing only a bra and underwear and her mouth attached to mine. I’d undone the clasp at her back and pulled the bra straps down off her shoulders, but she didn’t give me time to look at her perfect breasts. She’d slid down to the floor, kneeling between my legs.
As I thought about the part where she’d wrapped her lips around my dick, I reached under the covers and palmed myself. I was already half-hard. And, yeah, I was tired as hell, but the ache for her wasn’t going away.
I’d have to be quiet. The villa was nice, but all the windows were open, and the walls seemed to be paper thin. Across the hall, I could hear Anna moving around in her enormous room, unzipping her suitcase and getting ready for bed.
I shoved my hand under the waistband of my boxers and closed my fist tight around my cock. Thinking about the dream with her so close by made it more vivid. I pictured her pink lips sliding up and down on me and matched the tempo with my own fist. My breathing picked up as I imagined the sensation of her wet tongue swirling over my skin.
Blood rushed loudly in my ears as I went faster. I was so fucking hard, it was unreal. Being around her all day intensified my desire, teasing me. I needed release. I pumped my hand harder, stroking down the length and twisting as I came back up.
As I got right to the edge, a faint hum drifted from her room. I stopped moving so I could focus on the sound better. Was she brushing her teeth with an electric toothbrush? I hadn’t heard the water running. What was making that buzzing noise?
It became crystal clear when a faint sigh rang out.
Fuck me!
I’d know that sigh anywhere. It played on a continuous loop in my brain since the first time I’d seen her movie. Anna had given a similar breathy moan during the first sex scene where she was strapped to a table.
Only this sigh? It was real.
I froze in place, wanting to press my ear to my door so I could hear every detail better, but I was sure if I moved I’d come. So, I lay in the bed, my dick in my hand, listening to her soft moans that were pure torture. Her bed creaked, and I heard her shifting around, and I pictured her writhing on the sheets, the vibrator pressed between her gorgeous legs.
She came quickly, judging by the sharp gasp and how the buzzing ceased.
It took one pump of my hand, and I was done for. I slapped my free hand out and balled the pillow beside me in a fist, clenching my jaw. As the pleasure rocketed through me, I strangled back my groan through tight teeth.
Was there any chance she’d been thinking about me, like I’d been thinking about her?
CHAPTER SIX
Anna
I clasped my snorkel and mask in one hand, and my fins in the other, and leaned back until I was floating on the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The private beach was part of a bay, so during low tide it was relatively calm. The sun overhead was warm and made all the colors more vibrant. The lush volcanic mountains looming nearby were bright, beautiful green, and the water stretched around me was turquoise blue.
This place was paradise.
I circled my hands in the water and kicked my feet to keep me from drifting too far away. Jamie and I had spent most of the morning out here, watching fish dart around the coral that was only a few feet below us. We hadn’t spotted any dolphins yet, but when Jamie discovered a sea turtle, he grabbed my hand to get my attention.
Except he always had my attention.
During the drive last night to the villa, I’d figured this week with my “friend” was going to be hard. Then, this morning he’d come out onto the balcony for breakfast in board shorts and no shirt. I knew he was in good shape. Driving a race car took stamina and strength. But seeing the results of his training and how he had those ridges of muscle along his ribs made me swallow hard.
This week was going to be torture.
Each minute around him felt dangerous. I was going to slip up and do something stupid, like flirt with him. Or find an excuse to run my fingers down his chest. Or tell him I’d had two sessions with my vibrator to take the edge off and it hadn’t helped.
I came while I was thinking about you. That wasn’t something friends told each other.
He was nearby, his face in the water with his yellow snorkel sticking up, and it gave me a moment to ogle him. But he must have sensed my look because his head popped up. He peeled off his mask and gave me a smile. God, he was cute even with the indentation line from his mask around his eyes.
Oh, crap. Did I have those marks? I got my feet under me, shifted my snorkel and mask into my other hand, and ran my fingers over my face.
“Taking a break?” he asked.
“I think I’m going to head in. One of my fins was pinching my foot.”
He swam beside me until it was shallow enough to stand. Water coasted down his chest as we plodded up the sandy shore, dotted with black rocks. My head sn
apped forward, and my cheeks burned when he caught me looking at him.
I dropped my gear by our towels, but before I could bend down to grab one, Jamie scooped both up and held mine out. I hated how he was funny, and smart, and insanely hot . . . and he had manners. It was totally unfair.
There were other villas we shared this beach with, but we were the only guests out right now. A few yachts were moored at the end of the bay, bobbing in the gentle waves. “This place is amazing,” I said as we began to towel off. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Yeah. It is.” His voice was weird.
I glanced over at him and swallowed a breath. He wasn’t looking at the ocean or the jungle-covered mountains. His gaze lingered on me, tracing the lines of my teal-colored halter top, over my bare stomach, and down to my matching bikini bottoms. He wasn’t looking at me the way friends looked at each other. This stare was intense and sexual.
And then he blinked, and the expression drained away, as if he hadn’t meant to do it.
A nervous, excited thrill shot through me. If seeing me in a bikini was what it took for him to have interest, I was cool with wearing it and nothing else the rest of the week. I smiled up at him as I bent over to dry my legs, and—
“Motherfucker,” I hissed. Stinging pain snapped across the back of my heel.
His expression flooded with concern. “What’s wrong?”
I tossed my towel onto the sand and sat so I could lift my leg and see the back of my ankle. The small blister was white, ringed with angry red. Jamie knelt beside me, and as I pointed to the spot, his fingers closed around my calf, holding me still so he could examine it better.
With his touch, the pain shifted and changed. It became a dull throb, centered deep between my legs.
“Damn,” he said.
Yes, damn was right. His touch was electric.
He set my foot down on the sand, and his fingers slid slowly away. His blue eyes matched the color of the ocean we’d just come from, and I watched a water droplet skate down his neck and run through the valley between his pecs. His touch and proximity had disarmed me. It made everything hazy and confusing.
Mixtape: A Love Song Anthology Page 8