CELEB CRUSH

by Christie, Nicole

  We’re just a few inches apart. I can feel the heat emanating from him like hot coals. My skin breaks out in goose bumps as his gaze rakes over me slowly and intimately, like the whisper of a touch. I don’t want to be affected by it, but my hormone-infused body has other ideas. I can’t stop myself from giving his body the same treatment, noticing the way his damp t-shirt is molded to the elegant contours of his torso, how his jeans hang low on his hips exposing a strip of bronze taut flesh.

  I have to clear my throat to ensure my voice comes out steady. “Now what?” I ask, going for bored. If only my voice wasn’t trembling.

  Luke finally drags his attention away from my naked breasts. When his molten gold eyes finally meet mine, I’m ferociously happy to see that they are slightly glazed and out of focus.

  “I didn’t fuck Kat,” he says huskily. “There was only that one time, I swear. I haven’t touched her since.

  “Riiight.” I roll my eyes. “Let me guess—you were just talking…naked?”

  “I didn’t know she was—shit.” Luke glances down at my body again, then closes his eyes and shakes his head. “She set me up.”

  I snort derisively. “Yeah, right—and you’re so innocent, baby. You told me you were hanging out with your friends tonight.”

  “I was. I didn’t lie about that.” He looks steadily into my eyes. “Kat was part of the group. She’d been acting weird all day, so when she said she needed to talk to me in private, I took her up here. Don’t look at me like that, Tiger. She’s been my friend, and has been for a long time—since before I even met you. Things were still awkward between us, and I didn’t want it to be. I thought we could talk through it.”

  “Sure. Naked talking. Is that a celebrity thing?”

  “Andi.”

  “Go.” I wave him on imperiously.

  Luke hesitates, his gaze flicking away. I instinctively brace myself, knowing I’m really not going to like whatever comes next.

  “She told me she might be pregnant,” he blurts out.

  I gasp loudly, falling back in shock. If the counter hadn’t been there, I would have fallen right on my ass. Pregnant?! The word sinks slowly in, and my brain processes it as quick as mud.

  He looks pained at my stunned expression, but grimly continues to stab daggers through my chest. “She’d been really busy lately, so she didn’t notice her missed period for a while. Not until she started throwing up.”

  “Oh, my god,” I say faintly. I cross my arms over my chest and concentrate on trying not to hyperventilate. I look up at him in disgust. “Did you not use a condom?”

  Luke’s jaw tightens. “I did—I always do. But they’ve been known to fail.”

  I don’t say anything, though uncharitable thoughts are definitely running through my mind right now. Pregnant…fuck.

  “She brought a bunch of pregnancy tests. I made her take all five of them.” Luke cups my chin in his hand and forces me to look up at him. “They were all negative. She’s not pregnant, Tiger.”

  I almost want to collapse in relief—but then I remember why it shouldn’t matter to me anymore. I jerk away from him. I can’t stand to be naked in front of him any longer, so I grab a towel from the rack to cover myself. “Congratulations,” I say sarcastically, looking away from him. “So, to celebrate you decided to go for another round?”

  “I said I didn’t touch her,” he says through gritted teeth. “We talked for a bit, and I told her I was going to take a shower. I thought she left. I was as shocked as you when I came out and she was still here.”

  “After you ran out, I asked her what the hell she was doing. She set me up, Andi. She admitted everything.” Luke rubs a hand over his jaw, his expression turbulent. “She said she was in love with me.”

  I barely refrain from rolling my eyes again at his sheepish expression. “There’s a shocker,” I mutter.

  He smiles wryly. “I should have guessed, right? But I was too hung up on you to pay attention to anything else. Kat told me about the night we hooked up—I was drunk and—I took some of those pain pills. I didn’t remember anything. She said I didn’t even finish.”

  Something inside me reacts to that, but outwardly I’m like stone. I stare up at him, my eyes narrowed. “So that whole pregnancy thing…was a ploy?”

  “Yeah. She was hurt and pissed. It got worse after she found out we were together.” Luke stares at a point above my head. “She thought a pregnancy scare would bring us closer—or something like that. When that didn’t work, she decided to try and seduce me. She got naked and waited for me to get out of the shower. That’s when you came in.”

  He moves forward suddenly, caging me in with his body. “I swear to god, baby, nothing happened. I did not touch her.” He captures my gaze with his, willing me to believe him. “When I thought Kat might be pregnant, I panicked. Having a baby right now is the last thing on my list of things to do. But my first thought was how the hell was I gonna tell you. It killed me to think of hurting you like that! Look at me, Andi. I didn’t betray you—I love you. Please believe me.”

  I am beyond confused and conflicted right now. My stupidly hopeful heart tries to beat again, but I ruthlessly repress it. Is it naïve of me to think he might be telling the truth?

  I clutch my towel tightly to my chest and study Luke’s pleading expression, his wide intense eyes and firm mouth. Yes, I know him very well—maybe even more than anyone like he says. But he’s also a brilliant award-winning actor. How do I know if he’s telling the truth, or playing a scene? The fact that I want to believe him more than I want to keep on breathing tells me I absolutely cannot trust my instincts.

  “I don’t know,” I say finally. “I need to think.”

  He takes a step back, almost as if I’d slapped him. Why does he look so sad right now? What does he expect—that I’d fall at his feet, instantly appeased? Fucker.

  “There’s nothing to think about,” he says softly. “Either you believe me, or you don’t. Either you trust me—or you don’t.”

  “You’re right—I don’t!” I scream. “I don’t believe you—and I don’t trust you! What the hell’s the point, anyway?! You know what? It was stupid to think that it could actually work between us.”

  I push past him and storm back out into the room. I don’t get more than a few steps before he grabs my arm, whirling me around.

  “So that’s it? You gonna just walk away without a fight?”

  “All we do is fight!” I exclaim, gesturing wildly between us. “Admit it—we don’t make sense! We’re not working out. You could have anyone you want—what are you even doing with me?! Why do you even like me?! It doesn’t make any sense!”

  “Stop—just stop!” Green sparks are flying out of his eyes. “There are a million reasons why I want to be with you—and just one why we can’t. You’re afraid, and that’s the only damn thing keeping us apart right now!”

  “I’m not afraid! Stop saying that!”

  I slap my hand on his chest and shove as hard as I can. He doesn’t budge, of course. “Why do you think I came here, huh?!” I rage at him, smacking him repeatedly just like a tantrum-throwing girl. “I was going to have sex with you!”

  Luke grabs my hand, and traps it against his chest. He bends his knees slightly so his face is more on level with mine. “So have sex with me.”

  My mouth falls open in indignation. “No! Are you kidding me?! We’re fighting!”

  “All we do is fight,” he says, mimicking me. “We’re fire and gasoline—and you know what the problem is? We can’t take it slow. We’re not made that way. We go fast and hard until we burn out. I should have taken you to my bed that night we met like I wanted to—then you’d know what I knew the first time I laid eyes on you: you are mine.”

  He walks deliberately into me, pushing me backwards until I stumble against the wall. I’m glad for the support since my legs have suddenly turned into mush. My eyes dart all over Luke’s face, desperately trying to read him. I want to laugh in his face, but
I have never felt less like laughing in my life.

  “I’m not yours,” I mutter weakly.

  “Yeah, you are. And you know what? I’m fucking tired of taking it slow. From now on, we’re going a hundred and twenty.”

  Chapter 25

  When Luke’s mouth comes down on mine, I’m ready and waiting for him. He slams me back against the wall, pinning both my arms above my head with just one hand. My towel falls away, but I barely notice. I strain forward to press myself against him, biting his cut lower lip and tasting blood. Luke doesn’t protest, even deepening the kiss—he likes pain with his pleasure, too. He releases my arms and his hands and mouth move over my breasts—touching, kissing, and sucking until I’m moaning and begging for mercy.

  To get back at him, I frantically pull and tear at his shirt, trying to yank it off of him so I can run my hands over his heated skin. Laughing, he moves back a little and pulls it off for me. We attack each other again, fighting for control.

  If this is a battle for dominance, then I'm going to lose because all my circuits are completely fried, and I just melt under his hands. God, I need him. I need him to touch me. I crave his hands and mouth like a junkie craves her next fix—I would shamelessly beg him for it if I had to. The fucked up thing is that I'm still furious, and I still don't trust him—but my doubts only seems to add fuel to the fire. I don't know whether to caress him or hurt him, so I do both. And he likes it. We both do.

  We torture each other. I rake my fingernails down his back and lick a path down his abs. He groans out loud, crushing me against the wall and biting my neck. I wrap my arms around his neck and jump up. He easily catches me, gripping me under my thighs, and aligning me with his body right where I need to be. I rub myself against that hardness in his jeans, and he growls a warning deep in his throat.

  He walks us over to the bed, but I shake my head vehemently in protest. “Not there,” I murmur. He nods, and quickly veers away while I cling to him like a burr, burying my face in his soap-scented neck.

  The next thing I know, Luke is lying me down on a hard flat surface. The table? Ooh. I lift myself up on my elbows to reach him, but he grins mischievously, and draws back. I glare at him and laughing, he leans back over to kiss me but still keeping himself maddeningly out of reach. His hands brush down my sides to my hips and I feel him tugging my panties down. I don’t make it easy for him, clamping my thighs together and twisting away.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” He chuckles, easily holding me in place.

  “Take your pants off first,” I demand, hooking my fingers in the waistband of his jeans.

  “I don’t think so, Tiger.” Luke shakes his head, flashing that trademark sexy mirk of his. “This time I’m calling the shots.”

  I gasp when he tears the sides of my thong off. Smiling dangerously and not taking his eyes from mine, he slowly drags the scrap of material off, and tosses it over his shoulder.

  Now I’m lying on the table completely naked while he still has his pants on. I watch him nervously as he leans over me again, planting the softest kisses on my quivering stomach.

  “Open your legs, Andi,” Luke says in a smoky voice. His gaze flicks to mine, and his eyes are a mesmerizing bright gold.

  I sit up slightly, faking an unimpressed look. “Make me.”

  “Need some convincing, huh?”

  I sigh. "If I fall asleep, don't take it personal."

  Luke’s smirk turns absolutely wicked. “Oh, game on, Tiger.”

  Ooh. What did I get myself into? Before I can take it back, he bends down to kiss my mouth. His hands glide over me with the confident skill of someone who has done this many times before. His expertise both turns me on and pisses me off. And that, perversely, turns me on even more. His talented mouth paves a teasing tortuous path over my neck, my breasts, down…down…down. Until my legs fall open on their own. Luke steps in between them, his gaze touching every inch of my body.

  “So beautiful,” he murmurs, gliding a thumb over my already embarrassingly wet entrance. My hips come off the table in response, and he grins confidently.

  “Get ready for some convincing, Tiger.”

  Hell, yeah.

  Luke takes my hands and moves them between my legs. “Hold yourself open for me,” he orders in a rough voice.

  I mindlessly do as he says because there’s no blood left in head at this point. All I care about is finding out just how good Luke is. Can he really live up to his infamous reputation?

  He can. Oh, yes he can! And I can, too. Oh, my god—he’s everywhere. His tongue and his fingers are simultaneously moving in and out of me while torturing both nipples—god, how many hands does he have? I moan and scream, and come so hard it hurts. The experience is so intense that I actually lose my sight and hearing for a good two minutes. My eyes roll in back of my head, and I see brilliant explosions of fireworks.

  When I finally come back to my senses, I realize that he’s unbuttoning his jeans. “Please tell me you have a condom in your bag,” he says fixing me with a smug look.

  “I have some,” I reply, and slowly climb off the table. “I’ll go get them.”

  I grab my backpack off the ground and then I run straight for the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

  I take a long hot shower, enjoying how loose and relaxed my body feels right now. Like I was at the receiving end of the most incredible and erotic full body massage in history. The kind that you can feel from the inside out. Damn. It was absolutely amazing! Luke could run for president with that technique. And the thing he does with his tongue—he should get an Academy Award for Best Mouth Action.

  Okay, down, girl. I have to remind myself that the reason that Luke is so good at that particular skill is because—besides God-given talent—he’s had so much practice. And I know that I said I’d try not to judge him on his past, but it’s freaking hard. I can’t stop thinking about all the girls before me. Do I believe Luke, or not?

  I need to talk to Dr. Pawlak. Did he ever file that restraining order against me, I wonder?

  I finally come out of the shower, expecting to walk into World War III. But Luke seems very calm. He’s doing something on his phone, and barely looks up when I walk out fully dressed and holding my backpack.

  “Where are my keys?” I ask him after a long uncomfortable silence.

  “It’s late. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “Luke.” I sigh loudly. “I have to go. I don’t want to be here.”

  “If you’re worried about sleeping in the bed, don’t. I called the front desk. They changed the bedding.” He gestures to the newly made bed.

  I shift in agitation, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. “That’s not the point.”

  “You’re staying.” Luke finally looks up at me and his expression is hard. “I’m going to take another shower. A fucking cold one.”

  He gives me a mocking smile before disappearing into the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open. I collapse onto a chair with a groan. I know I’m not going to find my keys. Not tonight.

  I grab a blanket and pillow from the bed and set myself up on the couch. Why bother trying to get another room after what I let him do to me? I wiggle out of my jeans and lie down on the couch. Orgasms make me sleepy. I close my eyes and I’m out within minutes.

  I jolt awake to Luke picking me up. “What are you doing?” I mumble, pushing irritably against him.

  He ignores my slaps and punches, and easily carries me into the room. “Go to sleep, Tiger,” he says quietly, a hint of amusement in his husky voice.

  He gently places me in bed, and before I can escape, he’s next to me, pulling me against his warm chest. Oh, what the hell. I remember the incredible orgasm he gave me, and suddenly I want to pat him on the shoulder. Instead, I give up and snuggle against him. I’ll figure this shit out in the morning.

  We come close to having sex that night, though I’m not sure who initiated it. Somehow we both end up naked and in the required position—but then Luke pulls bac
k at the last second, rolling off of me and spewing out an impressive list of swear words.

  “What?” I growl.

  “We can’t.” He groans, running his hands over his face. “Not like this. You’d fucking hate me in the morning.”

  I growl deep in my throat, and kick him. “I fucking hate you now!”

  He just laughs at me. “I’m trying to do the honorable thing here, Tiger.”

  “Whatever. Just remember this moment for future reference. I offered, and you rejected.”

  He rolls onto his side, propped up on an elbow. “Yeah, well, it wouldn’t be the first time,” he mutters, almost to himself.

  “What?” I spring up, clutching the sheet to my chest as I turn to glare at him. “What did you just say?”

  “Uh…nothing?”

  I frown hard at him. “What are you talking about? I never offered to have sex with you before. Have I?”

  Luke avoids my narrowed gaze, turning his face to hide his expression in the shadows of the dark room. “No, you’re right. I was just messing with you.”

  A cold suspicion blooms in me at the hint of suppressed laughter in his deep voice. “Luke,” I say warningly.

  “What?”

  “Tell me.”

  “Tell you what?”

  “Luke!”

  He hesitates. “You’re not going to like it.”

  “Spit it out!”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Luke glances up at me, and his mouth twitches. “Remember when I took you to Chiang Mai for your birthday last year?”

  Uh-oh. I lie back down, and pull the sheet up to my eyes. “Vaguely,” I say in a muffled voice.

  “Remember the red tea house? They had the chickens in cages in the back?”

  I gasp suddenly. “That’s where Nate met that Russian transsexual. Rhoda! He swore she was his soul mate.”

  “Yeah.” Luke chuckles. “Until that thing with the cherries. And the Ticky Boom Bombs.”

  The Ticky Boom Bombs! Oh, my god. I clap a hand over my mouth under the sheet. “Yeah, I…they were so good, I didn’t realize how many I had.” I give Luke an accusing look. “What happened that night? You said I passed out there so you took me back to your room to sleep it off. End of story.”