He lowered his head and she felt his hot rapid breath against her ear and neck. She moved her hips to meet his thrusts, taking him deeper into her hot tight core.
They coupled in the moonlight, their movements increasing in speed as the intensity built up to a peak for both of them. Maddy felt her body become a single nerve ending of pleasure and her orgasm hit her like an explosion of searing starlight, making her cry out with pleasurable release. Every muscle in her body tightened and released in a rhythm of ecstasy. Alex’s hardness was held tight within her, feeling impossibly thick.
She writhed with pleasure beneath him and he threw his head back suddenly, his cry of pleasure carrying across the night waves.
* * *
Later, after the closeness of afterglow embraces and conversation, they fell asleep. Maddy awoke before dawn and reached down for Alex’s manhood. As she played with it, running her fingers lightly up and down the shaft, it hardened in her hand. Alex awoke and grinned at her sleepily.
She worked on him until he was at full hardness then straddled him, guiding him into her. They both gasped as he slid inside her. Maddy rolled her hips, moving him in deeper. Alex held the soft swell of her hips and thrust up into her over and over, experiencing her again.
The sun slipped above the horizon and brilliant light flooded the Master Cabin as Maddy rode Alex. She felt no shame, no embarrassment now that her lover could see her body with all its curves. She felt like a sexual goddess, her bountiful assets overflowing with femininity.
Alex watched her as she rolled and gyrated above him and the look on his face said that he appreciated every curvy inch.
Their morning became an exploration of each other, a time of heat, tightness, hot hardness and release.
* * *
It was almost lunchtime by the time they headed back to shore. Maddy sat in the sun on the foredeck of the Swan and watched Sunnystone Bay grow larger as they approached the marina. As well as the crowds on the beach, there seemed to be a gathering at the marina itself. Maddy could see groups of people standing by the slip where the Swan was usually anchored.
She looked up to the window where Alex was piloting the boat and saw his concerned face. He took the boat in and Maddy could now see a news crew on the dock awaiting their arrival.
Alex slid the Swan into the slip and came down to get the ropes and tie her off. As he did so, Tammy Jones approached, her cameraman in tow. “Alex Stone, what do you think of this latest development? Do you see a reconciliation on the cards?”
He finished his knot before standing and facing Tammy. “What?” He helped Maddy step onto the dock. She stood beside him feeling as confused as he looked.
A dark-haired man in his fifties wearing a suit pushed through the crowd and stood next to Alex. “Mr. Stone has nothing to say on the subject,” he said.
Alex looked at him. “Joe? What are you doing here?”
The man looked Alex square in the face. “Listen to me, Alex, there’s something you need to know...”
A shrill female American voice rose above the murmuring of the crowd. “There he is. Alex! Alex!” The people parted for her and she appeared in front of the camera. A tall slender woman with long black hair and the type of face that had achieved the perfect ideal through plastic surgery. Maddy recognized her immediately.
California Longley.
“Alex, my darling,” California said, taking hold of Alex’s arm, “I’ve missed you so much.”
Alex looked confused but he didn’t remove his ex’s hand from his arm. He didn’t even say anything when Tammy Jones said into the microphone, “We’re here at Sunnystone Bay with Alex Stone and California Longley, with whom Alex had a tempestuous relationship. After seeing Alex on TV, California has flown all the way from... California... to tell Alex that she forgives him for the behavior that put the couple in the limelight not all that long ago.”
Maddy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why wasn’t Alex saying something?
Tammy Jones thrust the microphone into California’s perfectly made-up face. “California, what made you come to this decision? Have you finally put the past behind you?”
California looked into the lens with her big blue eyes and nodded. “That’s right, Tammy. When I saw Alex being attacked by this fat woman, I knew I had to come out here and save him. He’s always been the only one for me.”
Alex went to open his mouth but the man named Joe stopped him. “Alex has no comment. We’ll arrange an exclusive interview later. All interested parties should contact me, Joe Tanner, and a deal will be made for the rights to this story.”
Maddy felt an emptiness in her gut. Why was Alex allowing this to happen? She looked at him. “Alex?”
“He can’t say anything, Miss Davis,” Tanner said. “He and California have a lot to talk about.” He looked sternly at Alex. “This is your career on the line. Don’t blow this chance.”
Paparazzi and reporters closed in on the trio of Alex, Tanner and California. Maddy let them push past her. She felt numb. Last night had been the most wonderful night of her life but obviously Alex didn’t feel the same way. It was just one more night to add to his score card. She slipped away in the confusion and made it to the parking lot before hot tears coursed down her cheeks. Yet again she had been proven dumb.
A car pulled up in front of her. Maddy dimly recognized it as Kim’s. The passenger door opened and Kim ushered her inside. “Come on, get in.”
Maddy got into the car. Every movement was too much effort. She just wanted to lie down and curl up and cry.
Kim roared away from the marina, leaving the media circus behind. “While you were gone, California Longley arrived in town. I knew something like this was going to go down. That woman is too much of a fame whore not to get involved.”
“I don’t understand,” Maddy said, “Why didn’t Alex say something? Why didn’t he tell her to leave him alone?”
Kim sighed. “I don’t know. I said there was something between you and him and I was right about that but maybe I was wrong about the other thing. Maybe he is just an asshole after all.”
“He was different last night,” Maddy said as if trying to convince herself. “He told me things he hasn’t told the media. He was thoughtful and kind and...”
“He told you things he hasn’t told the media.”
Maddy nodded. “About a girl he proposed to once.”
“And did you... did you and him have sex last night?”
Maddy nodded again. She had referred to it in her mind as making love rather than just sex but it was obviously just sex as far as Alex was concerned.
Kim pulled over to the side of the road, killed the engine and dialed a number.
“Who are you calling?”
“Tammy Jones. She’ll still be busy doing that broadcast from the marina but I’ll leave a message on her voicemail.”
“What are you calling her for?”
Kim spoke into the phone. “Tammy, it’s Kim Garcia. Maddy has a story for you.” She hung up.
“Why did you say that? I’m not going to kiss and tell. It isn’t right.”
Kim looked at her seriously. “There’s only one way you’re going to feel good about this, Honey, and that’s if you get revenge on that son of a bitch.”
As Kim started up the car and pulled back onto the road, Maddy watched the calm sea through the window.
She doubted she would ever feel good about anything ever again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Alex searched for Maddy in the crowd but couldn’t find her. The mob pressed in on all sides, jostling and shoving. The lens of the camera pointed at Alex like a dead eye. Tammy Jones tried to get close but Joe was pushing her back. “Don’t say anything Alex, just don’t say anything.”
“Where’s Maddy?”
“It doesn’t matter. She isn’t part of our strategy anymore.”
“What?”
“Just get to the car,” Joe said, “and we’ll talk about this at the
hotel.”
Alex didn’t understand what was happening. An hour ago he had been on the Swan in the open sea with Maddy and now he could hardly move through the crowd of people who had invaded the marina. What the hell did Joe mean by “strategy”? All Alex wanted to do was get to the hotel and call the Seagull Inn where Maddy was staying. He needed to talk to her. Why had she vanished like that?
They reached Joe’s rental car and Alex climbed into the passenger seat while Joe slid into the driver’s side and started the engine. California got into the back and Joe pulled away from the crowd, careful not to hit anyone but driving with enough speed to keep people from the front of the car.
When they got clear and were driving along the Sunnystone Bay main street, Joe said, “I booked you into the suite at the hotel. Now you’re not incognito anymore there’s no reason for you to be cooped up in that small room.”
“Never mind that,” Alex replied. “What’s going on? Why is California here?”
“We had to come to save your ass, Alex. The whole thing with Maddy Davis didn’t work out. She’s become popular with viewers but you haven’t. That dinner incident where she threw her wine over you was filmed by somebody in the restaurant. It’s gone viral and it’s making your reputation worse.
“So I had an idea. I asked myself, “When was Alex at his most popular?” The answer was simple: When he was with California. So we’ve been talking and we’re going to help you get back on track. A public reconciliation should get all your fans back.”
“What?”
“It’s OK, Alex,” California said from the back seat, “I’ve agreed to everything. It really is best for everyone.”
“Best for you, you mean. Joe, stop the car.”
“What? We’re going to the hotel.”
“Stop the fucking car right now.”
Joe pulled over and said, “Alex, what’s wrong?”
But Alex was already out on the street, walking as fast as he could down an alley where Joe couldn’t follow in the car. He needed to get away, to get as far as possible from this craziness as he could. Did Joe really think Alex’s life was a public spectacle? The events at the marina and Joe’s suggestion of getting back with California seemed unreal, like something only a madman would dream up.
Alex needed something real.
He needed Maddy.
His cell phone rang. Alex looked at the screen. Joe. He dismissed the call. He wished he had Maddy’s number but he never asked her for it. The only way he knew how to contact her was to go to the Seagull Inn, where Joe had tracked her down to call her about the dinner date.
Ten minutes later, Alex found a beach shop and purchased a baseball cap with the Shark Festival logo on it and a matching t-shirt which he put on outside the store. No need to make it easy for the press or the paparazzi. He adjusted his sunglasses, pulled the brim of the cap down low, hunched his shoulders, put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and walked in the direction of the Seagull Inn.
When he got there, he was surprised to find no paparazzi outside. He was sure that after the broadcast from the dock, there would be a few photographers waiting to get a snap of Maddy. They all knew this was where she was staying.
He went in through the door and crossed the foyer to the reception desk where a young dark-haired man in a dark suit sat. His name tag said his name was Max.
“Good afternoon, Sir,” Max said as Alex approached.
“Hi. Can you tell me what room Maddy Davis is staying in?”
“Would you like me to call that room for you, Sir? Can I have your name?”
“Alex.”
“Just Alex?”
“Yes, she’ll know who I am.”
Max consulted a computer and frowned. “I’m afraid that guest checked out today, Sir.”
“Checked out?”
Max nodded.
“Do you know where she went?”
“I have no idea, Sir.”
Alex left the hotel and checked his phone. He didn’t have Maddy’s number but she had his so why hadn’t she called? Why didn’t she tell him she was checking out of the Seagull Inn today? He had no missed calls on his phone.
He wondered if he had actually spent last night with Maddy in the Master Cabin on the Swan or if he had just dreamed it. If that had been a dream, today was turning into a nightmare.
There was nothing else he could do except wait for Maddy to call. He decided to contact her at the London Eye offices if she didn’t call him but she wouldn’t be there until after the Shark Festival was over. Until then he simply had to wait.
He wandered away from the hotel and toward the cliffs. His direction was aimless, his thoughts jumbled. He should have kept Maddy close at the marina when the vultures descended. Where was she now and why wasn’t she calling? It didn’t make any sense at all. Last night had been truly wonderful so why would Maddy run away?
He spent the afternoon on the cliffs watching the boats on the sea. His phone rang eight times but the caller was Joe every single time so Alex turned off the phone and ignored the voicemails Joe left.
As the evening sky began to darken, Alex headed toward the main street. He was staying at the Sunnystone Bay Hotel which was located near the center of the small town and he had no idea what else to do but go back to his room and wait for Maddy to get in contact. Not knowing where she was or why she had disappeared in the confusion at the marina was killing him.
A car pulled up next to him and Joe leaned over from the driver’s seat. “Alex, there’s something you need to see.”
Alex sighed and climbed into the car. “What is it, Joe? I’m tired.”
“You have to see for yourself.”
* * *
The suite at the Sunnystone Bay Hotel was not exactly opulent but it was large and comfortable and had two bedrooms, a bathroom with a jacuzzi, a balcony that looked out over the street and a living room with a big flat screen TV. It was in front of this TV that Joe guided Alex. “This is the station that Good Morning Everybody is shown on,” he said. “They’re doing a trailer for tomorrow morning’s show. Wait until the commercials come on and you’ll see it.”
Alex sat and waited while a reality show followed the lives of a group of young adults in Chelsea.
The commercials started and Alex waited for whatever it was Joe wanted him to see. He wasn’t sure he could really be bothered with it, whatever it was. He was tired and depressed and just wanted to go to bed. Maybe when he woke up in the morning all this would turn out to be a bad dream. Maybe he was still in the Master Cabin with Maddy and he would wake up next to her.
“This is it,” Joe said, pointing at the TV.
On the screen, Tammy Jones was walking along the beach by the lifeguard hut. “It all started here,” she said, “when a young woman went for a swim at Sunnystone Bay’s Shark Festival. That woman, Maddy Davis, was rescued from death by Hollywood actor Alex Stone.”
The picture changed to a clip of Alex coming out of the sea after rescuing Maddy, then being slapped by her when he admitted he wasn’t a real lifeguard.
The clip faded. Tammy stood on the beach looking into the camera again. “After the slap came the glass of wine in Alex Stone’s face.”
A grainy image of Maddy throwing her wine over Alex in the Cliff Cottage Restaurant was shown.
When the clip ended, Maddy had joined Tammy on the beach. Maddy looked downcast and could barely face the camera.
“What happened after that is a mystery to our viewers,” Tammy said, “but tomorrow morning, Maddy Davis will speak live on Good Morning, Everybody about her experiences with the star of Meet Me in Hell. Was meeting the real Alex Stone hell? Find out tomorrow at nine o’ clock.” Maddy smiled weakly at the camera and the spot ended. The next commercial started.
Joe stood in front of the TV and said, “Did you know Maddy Davis was a journalist?”
“She’s not a journalist. She works at London Eye as...”
“Yes, she works at London Eye. A magazine,
Alex. These are the people who all want a piece of you. So you knew she was a journalist but you still went ahead with... whatever you did with her. I don’t even want to know.”
“It was your idea that I get together with her, Joe. And she’s a layout artist, not a journalist.”
“Well that makes a huge difference. Did you sleep with this layout artist?”
Alex said nothing.
“Don’t bother answering. Your face says it all.” He started to pace back and forth. “I thought we’d put all this behind us. OK, here’s how we play it... whatever she says tomorrow morning, you say you weren’t in your right frame of mind. You’re still hurting after the break up with California. But now you’re getting back with California and you’re putting all that other stuff behind you. How does that sound?”
“It’s a lie.”
“It doesn’t have to be. California is in the suite next door and believe me she is willing to give it another go with you.”
“I’m not saying anything to anybody about this. You like saying “no comment” when it suits you, Joe, so now I’m going to say it. If anyone asks me about Maddy, my only answer will be “no comment”.”
“Are you crazy? We don’t know what she’s going to say tomorrow. We need to prepare a defense.”
“I don’t care what she says.”
Joe held up his hands. “OK, OK, you don’t have to say anything. I’ll see if I can dig up some dirt on Maddy. If I can get it into the newspapers we can discredit...”
“No,” Alex said. “Leave her alone.”
“Alex, this is your career on the line. You’re already on a slippery slide and now this. Maddy Davis’ interview could be the final nail in your coffin.”
“I said I don’t care,” Alex said, standing. He went to the door and opened it. “Now leave me alone. Go talk with California since you two seem to be thick as thieves.”
Joe stood unmoving for a moment then walked to the door. “You sleep on it and we’ll talk again in the morning. If we go to the beach before this supposed interview happens, maybe we can stop it. Offer Maddy money if she keeps quiet. Hush money.”
Crazy About Curves: 10 Luscious Reads Page 78