Love in the Spotlight

by Olivia Jaymes

  “I promise you can play as much as you want afterward,” he vowed, tossing the outer package away and bracing his hands on either side of her body. “But I’ve waited so long for this I can’t delay anymore. Are you ready for me, babe?”

  A million times yes. He pressed her thighs wider and the hard tip of his cock nudged against her entrance. Her fingers curled into his biceps as he pushed relentlessly forward. He wasn’t small and it had been awhile, but she was so wet he glided in to the hilt without much fuss.

  This feels amazing. So good. So incredible.

  Her walls gripped him tightly as he began to move, stoking the simmering fire in her abdomen and sending shock waves of pleasure all the way to her toes with every stroke. To her surprise, she was climbing toward release again, another explosion shimmering just out of her reach.

  Wrapping her legs around his lean waist, she canted her hips just as Sam changed the angle of his thrusts. Heaven. Perfect.

  Her hiss of pleasure must have told him he’d struck gold because he buried his face in her neck and didn’t so much as pause, thrusting hard and aiming at that spot deep inside of her that was threatening to send her into outer space like a rocket. Her breathing ragged, she tried to hold off and make the pleasure last longer, but it was simply too strong. It turned her inside out and sideways, spinning out of control into the beckoning clouds.

  His release came right after and she watched fascinated as he threw his head back, his male beauty never more potent than at this moment. He was a fierce conquering warrior, but he was also supremely exposed, his emotions laid bare for her perusal. She wanted to lock onto this moment and freeze time there, hold it for a little longer to enjoy, but that’s not how life worked. Soon enough, he was groaning her name and slumping on top of her, their hearts pounding in perfect tempo. His weight was delicious and she savored the feeling, running her hands up and down his damp spine and delighting in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

  Eventually he rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she was tucked into his side but sort of sprawled on top of him as well. Her fingernail traced whirly patterns on his chest as their breathing returned to somewhat of a more normal pattern. She was afraid to speak in case she broke the spell. If she said something would he think it was time to leave? She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

  “Do you want some water or something?”

  Little Miss Awkward. She never knew what to say after the first time with a man. Not that there had been tons of them but there’d been enough to know that she wasn’t good at this.

  “I don’t ever want to move from this place.”

  He was teasing but she liked the sound of it.

  “You don’t have to move. I can go get it for you.”

  His arm tightened around her waist.

  “I don’t want you to move either.”

  Frankly, neither did she.

  “Then what do you want to do?”

  Somehow, he’d insinuated himself between her legs and turned her onto her back. He was wearing that evil grin again. She was beginning to really like that smile. A lot.

  “I want to do it again.”

  What a fantastic and amazing coincidence. So did she.

  *

  The sun wasn’t even up the next morning when Sam opened his eyes. For a few seconds he wasn’t sure where he was but then all the memories of last night came flooding back to him, bringing a smile to his face. He’d slept with many women in his lifetime, but he’d surely remember Riley on his deathbed. For someone that outwardly appeared to be quite conservative – a kindergarten teacher, after all – she’d been rather wild and wanton between the sheets. Vocal too, just how he liked it.

  The focus of his thoughts was sleeping peacefully next to him, her head pillowed on his shoulder and her leg casually tossed over him. His fingers trailed lightly over her soft skin and delved into the silken strands of her hair that smelled a little like vanilla. She stirred but didn’t waken, luckily. He needed a few minutes more to simply lie here and enjoy the warm closeness. The feel of her skin touching his and the weight of a sexy and beautiful woman against his body. Even after their lovemaking last night, he hungered for her again this morning, his body hard and ready. That part of his anatomy was destined to be disappointed.

  He also needed the time to figure out how to make a graceful exit. He didn’t have anything planned as to what to say or do, but sneaking out while she was still asleep was out of the question. They’d been honest and upfront with each other last night. He wouldn’t be disrespectful in the light of day.

  They’d both known that he couldn’t stay.

  A sigh escaped from Riley’s lips, the puff of warm air sliding over his chest, and his arms tightened instinctively, pulling her a few centimeters closer.

  He was leaving in a few hours but that didn’t mean that he could never talk to her again. They could stay in touch. Between texts, email, and Skype they could keep up with each other’s lives without too much hassle. She would have time off this summer, too. She could fly out to where he was on location and visit him. Then maybe in the fall he could come here for a few days.

  Stop. Right now.

  Riley was a good woman who had generously allowed him into her life. She didn’t do it so he could fuck it up with some half-assed relationship that when he played it back in his head sounded more like a booty call than dating. It sure as hell wasn’t in the least romantic. It might start out sounding that way – making space for each other in their hectic lives – but Sam had a nasty feeling that the result wouldn’t be nearly as poetic. A “sometimes” relationship where his career drove all the decisions. It wasn’t a good deal for Riley and he wasn’t going to be the asshole that offered it to her.

  Riley would move on and forget about him soon enough. If he was a decent human being he’d want her to find a nice guy, settle down, and have a passel of kids. Hell, maybe they’d name the first one Samuel. Or not.

  Next to him Riley stretched and fidgeted, softly groaning as her lids fluttered open. Levering up from the mattress, she lifted her arms over her head, the sheet pooling around her waist, baring her gorgeous body. It was all for the best though that the room was only dimly lit with the weak sunlight just beginning to filter through the curtains. He didn’t need the temptation this morning.

  Finally she leaned over him and flicked on the bedside lamp. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  There was a pink tinge to her cheeks and she seemed to be a little shy despite all the debauched things they’d done to each other last night. Or maybe she was embarrassed because of it.

  “Did you sleep okay?”

  He nodded, his fingers strumming the silky skin of her lower back. “I did. How about you?”

  “Good.” She nodded toward the bedroom door. “Why don’t I make you some breakfast so you don’t get on the plane hungry?”

  Surprisingly he wasn’t in the mood for food, his appetite only for her. But that wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t have much time and if he made love to her again he’d do something stupid like promise to call.

  When he knew good and well that he wasn’t going to do any such thing.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Riley waited for Sam’s answer, kind of hoping he’d say yes so she’d get to spend more time with him but also hoping that he’d say no and he’d go. His very nearness was disturbing her equilibrium and it might be better for her if he simply left.

  It wasn’t a surprise that he had a flight out this morning. She’d known it all week and they’d talked about it last night. She was fine with it…really. She’d get over him eventually, but she hadn’t realized it was going to feel this rotten. That she hadn’t expected.

  It was probably just the sex, anyway. There weren’t enough superlatives to describe last night, so of course she was going to be a little sad when he left. No more great sex, right? It didn’t have anything to do with him as a person. She barely knew him.

  Except that she had
spent a great deal of time with him and he seemed like a good person. Not movie star-ish at all. Really down to earth and normal. She’d expected an arrogant asshole and had instead found a hardworking man trying to do the best he could.

  But then he was one of the most famous actors on earth so maybe it was all make-believe. It would make it easier if she could convince herself that the whole thing was simply Sam’s acting skills. Like he didn’t really care about her as a person and he’d just used her for sex.

  Although he could get sex from many willing women, several of whom had been at the party last night.

  “I’m afraid I can’t,” he replied, swinging his legs off the bed and grabbing his tuxedo trousers. “I still need to go back to Mom’s to shower and pack. The car picks me up in a few hours.”

  She was relieved and disappointed.

  “Don’t you have to take your rental back?”

  “The company will have someone pick it up.”

  That didn’t make any sense. Why not drop it at the airport since that’s where he was going anyway?

  Movie star stuff. He didn’t have to return his own rental, make sure the tank was filled and so on.

  His phone chimed and he fumbled in the pocket of his jacket to answer it while Riley shrugged into her robe and tightly belted it around her waist. She suddenly felt very naked. Too naked. He must have felt it too because he was dressing quickly, while moving the cell phone from hand to hand while he talked.

  “Sure, Bobby. I’m flying into New York today.” He zipped up his trousers and began working on the shirt studs. “Don’t worry, unless the flight is late I’ll meet you at three at Le Cirque.”

  Riley had a vague notion what Le Cirque was. She was pretty sure she’d heard it mentioned on television. It sounded expensive and exclusive. A place that kindergarten teachers rarely hung out unless they were waitressing as a second job.

  Sam didn’t put on the tuxedo jacket, simply draping it over his left arm while he held the phone in his right. “I know how to handle his type. Make a fuss over his last film and admire his trophy wife. We’ll have the financing for the project by the time the waiter delivers the check.”

  Already Sam was in his regular world, barely even aware that he was standing in her bedroom in some podunk beach town in Florida. She could almost feel him pushing toward the front door, anxious to get back to work and to his life.

  So different from her own. Last night had been a fun fantasy but she’d be foolish to think it was anything more. He wasn’t going to miss her when he left or think about her when he was supposed to be doing other things. He wasn’t going to call her in the middle of the night because he forgot what time zone he was in. He definitely wasn’t going to show up at her school with flowers and sweep her off her feet because he couldn’t get her off of his mind.

  She couldn’t say he hadn’t been honest, though. He’d warned her and she’d said she didn’t care. She wasn’t in love with him, either. And she wasn’t. But she did like him and if he was anyone else…

  He seemed to realize she was standing there because he straightened and gave her a crooked smile, holding up one finger.

  “Listen, I need to get off the phone so I can get ready for the limo. I’ll call you from JFK when we touch down. Yeah, thanks, Bobby. I’ll see you soon.”

  Sam hung up and tucked the phone in his pocket. “Sorry about that. I guess my vacation is officially over.”

  “They didn’t give you much respite.” She glanced at the clock. “The sun is just coming up now. Your friend Bobby must be an early riser.”

  “He’s my publicist and I swear he never sleeps. No matter what time of the day or night I’ve talked to him he sounds like he’s had his coffee and eggs. He might be immortal or a vampire.”

  Sam was trying to make a joke to lighten the atmosphere, so she laughed even though it wasn’t all that funny.

  “He sounds like an interesting person.”

  “He is,” Sam assured her, his gaze coming to rest where she stood across the room. He seemed stiff and not nearly as relaxed as he’d been all week. “I guess I need to be going.”

  This was awkward. So incredibly awkward. Last night she hadn’t been thinking about the inevitable goodbye. Should they kiss? Hug? Riley had never had a one-night stand so she wasn’t sure what the rules were.

  Not sure what to say, she led the way out of her bedroom and to the front door. He slipped into his shoes and palmed his car keys as they stood there, each one waiting – or hoping – for the other to say something and break this painful tension.

  “I hope you have a safe flight and there aren’t any delays.”

  A neutral statement.

  “I hope so, too.”

  It was like a slow torture. Neither of them knew what to say, but there was one thing she needed to do.

  “Riley–”

  “Sam–”

  They’d both spoken at the same time, which was funny as neither one of them had been too keen on speaking only moments ago.

  “Ladies first,” Sam said with a smile.

  Taking a deep breath, Riley could only smile back. The tension had lessened enough that it was easier to breathe.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for what you–”

  “No, you don’t have to do that.” Sam was shaking his head and waving away her words. “I don’t need a thank you for doing the right thing. I’m just glad I could help. It was my pleasure, Riley. You made this vacation…special.”

  Those blue eyes were dark with emotion and that last word had come out reluctantly, as if he hadn’t wanted to admit it. He was probably thinking that she might push for more. He could relax because she wasn’t going to do that and embarrass them both.

  “Not everyone would have done it,” she pointed out. “But I am grateful.”

  Reaching for the phone in his pocket, Sam checked the display, probably watching the time. There was a ticking clock on their relationship, after all.

  “Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Riley. Will you look after my mom? Just keep an eye on her, that’s all I ask. I worry about her when I’m halfway around the world working and don’t get to talk to her much.”

  That was an easy promise to make, and one she did happily.

  “I will,” she promised. “Paula is one of my best friends and I love her very much. We’ll keep her busy, how does that sound?”

  “Fantastic. I appreciate it more than you know. Having met you and Tara, I can sleep a little easier knowing that Mom has a group of loyal friends around her when I can’t be.”

  Silence again. They’d run out of things to say so it must be time for Sam to go. She reached for the doorknob but his hand was there first, his touch shocking her as a bolt of lightning ran up her arm.

  Physical attraction still there? Check.

  “Riley.” Her name came out softly, almost like a sigh. “I have to go.”

  “I know. We talked about this last night and it’s okay. I’m not going to cry or beg you to stay. We both knew it was a one-time thing.”

  “It doesn’t mean it’s easy to leave this morning.” His fingers came up under her chin so that she had to look into his eyes. “If I were a different kind of guy…fuck…I never wanted to hurt you–”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips to stop his flood of words. “You haven’t hurt me. I’m not in love with you, Sam, and you’re not in love with me. There’s lust and friendship and maybe a few other things but we’re not in love.” She smiled then because the memories from the week were flitting through her mind. She’d had fun – real fun – for the first time in a long time. “But I will miss the dancing to the oldies.”

  His answering grin was dazzling, good enough to be in the movies.

  “I will, too.”

  Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers once, twice, and then a third time before deepening the kiss until she had to grab onto his shoulders to keep the room from spinning. He stepped back and she felt the loss of his tou
ch immediately. Twisting her fingers together to keep from reaching out to him, she mustered up another what she hoped looked like a carefree smile.

  “What is it they say in the acting business? Break a leg?”

  “Thanks,” he chuckled. “I could use the luck. I start a new picture in a few weeks. Goodbye, Riley.”

  It was time. No more putting it off.

  “Goodbye, Sam.”

  He stomped down her front porch steps, the light from the rising sun making a halo around his retreating figure. What a crock. Sam Collins was no angel. Devil, maybe. But he’d also been, for one week only, a good friend. And for one night, a wonderful lover. It would have to be enough and it was more than many people ever got.

  Goodbye, Sam. Have a nice life. I’ll be fine.

  And she would be. In a few weeks, he would be a lovely memory that she would cherish for years to come. But right now she was going to eat lots of ice cream.

  *

  The limo driver loaded the bags into the trunk of the vehicle while Sam said goodbye to his mother. He’d showered, dressed, and packed and was now ready to head to the airport. He had a business meeting this afternoon and a new movie that was scheduled to start filming in a few weeks. Vacation was over.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to just leave like this,” Paula said, clearly agitated by his departure. Normally she was sad to see him go but she didn’t get this upset. “Have you lost your mind?”

  Pulling his mother into a hug, he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “I’ll come back and you can come visit me in New York if you want. You can go shopping and see some shows. It’ll be fun.”

  Throwing up her hands, she rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Of course I’ll see you again. I was already thinking I might join you in New York for a few days. I’m talking about you and Riley.”

  Stiffening, he simply shrugged. “What about Riley? We went to the party last night just like you wanted us to.”