It was to see how exactly how much he could ruffle Rori’s feathers.
Chapter 51
It took a minute to break the code on Teddy. She wouldn’t even make eye contact with him, until he pointed out one of his cameras. That’s when he got his bite.
“Really?” she cooed, suddenly switching her body language to put them chest to chest. “You’re in the film business?”
He nodded, exaggerating a little. “Used to work in L.A., but now I’ve gone private.”
Mike had her full attention. “Yeah? You work with any stars?”
“Some,” Mike said, wanting to skirt the issue. “But a girl as pretty as you has to have thought about going into the business.”
Her botoxed lips split to reveal straight, white teeth as Teddy beamed at him. “Totally! Rich and I met in L.A. on set. He’s going to help me break into the business.”
Mike didn’t have to ask what kind of set they’d met on. Her oversized implants were more clue than he needed. Instead, he put a perplexed look on his face. “Huh. How’s that working out for you?”
Teddy’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, breaking into the business. Have you gotten any jobs since you started dating Rich?” Say no, please say no!
“Well, no, but—”
Mike gave his head a slow shake.
“What?” Teddy asked moving closer, her hand resting on his arm. “Why are you shaking your head?”
“Because,” he said. “You’ve fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book.” And she had, which meant that Mike didn’t have to lie to her. That was a plus.
“What trick?”
“The trick where the old, rich dude sees the pretty, young girl and wants him all to himself.” Mike took a sip of the wine, making a metal note to find educated reasons to hate it. “Rich doesn’t want to help you break into movies, Teddy. He wants you on his arm so other men think he’s a stud. No one’s going to hire you while you’re openly dating a man more than twice your age.”
“But—”
“Name one hot, married actress who is in high demand.”
“Well, I mean, Kim Kardashian got married.”
“And promptly divorced, reinforcing the notion that no one man can make her happy.”
She seemed to consider that. “There’s Angelina Jolie.”
“Who’s married to Brad Pitt, who is decidedly not the age of her father. Richard isn’t a hot Hollywood male actor or a gargantuan basketball player. He’s an old dude and a nobody in the industry. It’s more like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas?”
“Omigawd.”
“Exactly,” Mike said, sending a meaningful glance at Rori’s dad. “If you’re serious about acting, you can’t be photographed with a guy like that. No one wants to close their eyes and picture you doing it with an old guy. Would Kim Kardashian date a guy like that?”
“Hell, no!” Teddy said, getting into the spirit of the conversation. “See? I told Marcy all this and she told me I was being short sighted.”
“Uh-huh,” Mike said knowingly, taking a gamble on his next question. “And where’s Marcy now?”
Teddy’s expression turned ugly. “Holy shit! You’re right. She’s back in L.A. landing my acting jobs! That selfish whore!”
It was hard not to smile. L.A. hadn’t changed one bit in Mike’s absence. “I mean, I get it if you love Rich and want to be with him. That makes sense. But if you think he’s going to get you into movies, well, that just isn’t going to happen.”
As messed up as it seemed, Mike almost felt as if he were doing a good deed all around. He was helping Rori keep peace with the parents while realigning Teddy with her long term goals. He was probably even saving Rori’s dad a really, really messy break up down the line. All in all, he felt a bit like a good Samaritan. Mike was so pleased with himself that he didn’t notice Teddy’s body language become just a little more fluid and sensual.
“And you said you make movies?” she mewed, reaching out to toy with one of his buttons.
“I, uh, no!” he managed, stepping back only to discover the wall that had always been behind him. She had him cornered.
Teddy stepped in, her hand moving south. “But you have friends, right? Director friends?”
“I, uh—” Yes, he had director friends. But more than that, he needed an ‘eject’ button at the moment.
Chapter 52
The moment Mike successfully steered Teddy away from her dad, Rori stepped in for some one-on-one time.
“Glad you could make it,” she said, hoping her smile didn’t look to plastic.
He smiled back. “Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? What, two years now?”
“Five,” Rori said, unable to stop herself.
“Really? You’ve been out of the country that long?”
“Time flies,” Rori said noncommittally. “So… Teddy. How long has that been going on now?”
“Oh, you know I don’t count.”
“Of course not,” Rori said, hearing bitterness in her voice. She needed to jump to what she really cared about before Teddy made her way back over. “So are you here just for the night, or do you plan on coming to the event tomorrow?”
“Oh, we’ll be here tomorrow,” he beamed. “Teddy is looking forward to all of the press that will be here.”
No class. Absolutely none. What had her mom seen in this guy all those years ago?
“I see.”
“But it’s a really great exhibit, Aurora. Really sexy. I like it.”
She flashed another plastic smile. “I figured you might.”
“And that heart sculpture—”
“—is not for sale,” Rori said before he could ask the question.
“Ah, c’mon,” he pouted. “Even to your dad?”
“Especially to my dad,” she said, trying to sound playful as she spoke even though she felt more than a little ill. Why had he come? He was so much easier to deal with when she didn’t have to factor in what a selfish ass he was, even after all these years.
“Ah, well Teddy will be disappointed, but—” Rori’s dad jerked to attention, his eyes fixed in the direction Mike and Teddy had gone. “What the hell is going on over there?”
Confused, Rori looked over her shoulder to see Mike gripping Teddy’s wrist with both hands while she reached out to cup what she could find between his legs. Well, damn if that boy hadn’t proven her wrong again. Apparently he could charm a gold digger.
And damn if Rori didn’t just hate him a little bit for never seeing fit to use whatever charm he had on her. Ignoring that for the moment, however, Rori turned back to her father.
“Well, Dad, it looks like your current trophy is going a little rogue on my videographer over there. I guess you’ve found yourself another winner.”
“Truly, Richard,” her mom added, coming up behind Rori. “You really should domesticate them before you bring them into public.”
Rori couldn’t help but smirk even as she watched Mike say something to Teddy while pushing her hands away—something Rori suddenly wanted to hear very much.
“Excuse me, but I need to go extricate my friend,” Rori said, starting their direction.
Her dad was right on her heels. “And I need to speak with my girlfriend.”
“’Girl’ being the operative term,” her mom added before following them both over to where the action was.
Chapter 53
Rori still wasn’t sure how Mike had done it, but Teddy and her father were on a jet back to Los Angeles. With everything going on at the opening, Rori now had two less things to worry about. That left her with her mom, Jean, and Anton to juggle the next night, which was completely manageable. But it also meant that her plans for some intense alone time with Mike were pretty much no longer an option. She had an hour now before her dinner with her mother and Jean, and after that her schedule was booked until the show.
And she still hadn’t gotten so much as a hug.
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Rori stared at the dresses in her closet, knowing which one she should wear for the dinner that night, but not putting it on for some reason. Every time she reached for it she heard Mike make a noise in the living room and her eyes would move to the short cocktail dress just a few hangars over.
An hour. There was a lot that could be done in an hour. After one last moment of debate, Rori took the cocktail dress from the hangar and slid into it, leaving the back undone. Then she walked out into the living room to find Mike.
“Wow,” he said the moment she stepped into view. “Nice dress.”
She smiled. “Thank you. And nice moves. You’re going to have to tell me how you Teddy to listen to you like that.”
He shrugged. “Just told the truth, and she knew it when she heard it.”
“Uh-huh,” Rori said, stepping forward. “You must have said it rather convincingly.”
“I, uh, guess.” He cleared his throat.
“Well, thank you. It would have been a headache to have them there tomorrow.”
“Any time. Crisis management is part of the job. You’ve got to remember that I’m used to weddings. The dynamics at those things are insane.”
He was nervous, trying not to look at the dress, which meant he liked it. “I have no doubt.” She turned so he could see her unzipped back. “Could I ask one more favor? Zip me up?”
To his credit, Mike’s hesitation was barely perceptible. She watched as he grew still, his eyes moving from her hair, down her back, and all along the length of her legs. Then his eyes locked on the base of her zipper and he cleared his throat. “Sure.”
Rori could feel her pulse in her throat as she pulled her hair to the side and out of the path of the zipper. She was very aware of what he saw. She’d left the zipper open from top to bottom, revealing her bare, braless back all the way down to the tip of her thong.
“Do I have to zip it up?” he teased. “I kind of like the view as is.”
Rori’s heart started beating double time. Yes, putting on this dress had been the best idea of her life. “Well then, I’ll just let you use your own discretion as to what should be done with the dress.”
She’d done it. She’d opened the door for him to cross the friend line, and based on the huskiness of his voice, Rori knew he wanted to cross that line as much as she did. She closed her eyes, ready for the first touch—their first touch. In her mind, she willed his mouth to her neck and for his hands to slide up her body and push the straps of her dress from her shoulders. This first time with him, she wanted to feel his impatience—for his careful image of caution and aloofness to be blown to pieces as he lost control. With her. For her. She needed that if she was going to let herself do the same.
But the lips on the neck never came. Nor did her dress slip to the floor. Instead, she felt her zipper rise, as requested, without Mike’s skin so much as grazing hers along the way.
Her first reaction was disbelief, followed quickly by disappointment. Then embarrassment, which was a close cousin to anger.
Was he playing some sort of game with her? There was no way he could have misinterpreted what she was offering. Or… could he?
Once the zipper was fully closed, Mike stepped away. “There you go. You’re ready for dinner.” His voice was tight, but still fighting to stay casual while not exactly succeeding.
He seriously thought she just wanted to be zipped up? The poor guy. So innocent. But not for long.
Rori turned to face him, unable to hide the sly smile from her face as she realized how much she was about to rock his world. “You missed your cue, Cannon.”
His pupils were dilated, his mouth slightly parted to breathe as he ventured a “Yeah?”
Rori stepped in, keeping her eyes on his as her hand slid between his legs. He stopped breathing entirely as she gave him a light caress before going for his zipper. It was the last proactive thing she did. Next thing she knew, Mike’s mouth was on hers and he was pulling them both in the direction of her bedroom.
When his hands slid up her sides and tested the weight of her breasts, Rori realized her dress had been unzipped and discarded without her full awareness.
“You taste amazing,” he said against her mouth before trailing kisses down her neck. He clearly wanted to get his mouth on her breasts, which Rori was more than happy to accommodate.
Thank. God. Rori needed this—needed Mike. It was one thing to have sex with a man, it was another thing to trust a man with her body. Completely. But this was more than trust. Rori wasn’t quite sure what it was, and at t the moment she didn’t care. All that she cared about was that it felt like Mike needed her—truly needed her like his next breath.
There was no finesse as she pulled at his shirt, needing it off of him so she could feel him skin on skin. He helped her out, quickly jerking the shirt over his head and throwing it to the side before his mouth crashed back on hers. One hand was in her hair while the other cupped and massaged her core. His pressure was gentle. Too gentle. And when Rori tried to press against his hand for more sensation, he purposefully kept the pressure light.
“Not yet,” he chided, moving his hand around her waist and pulling her flush against him. “Not until my mouth gets down there.”
Holy. Shit. She had not been expecting those words to come from him any more than she could have anticipated her reaction to them. Suddenly she couldn’t kiss him deep enough, couldn’t feel enough of him, and against her will her hips began an inviting rhythm against him like she was suddenly some inexperienced virgin. The heat emanating from his erection was like a call she had to answer. Oral sex might have its time and place, but this was not it. Her body didn’t just want an orgasm. It wanted the primal connection that went with it. The mere thought of Mike filling her had her body both clenching with need.
Forget wanting. Rori needed this. The taste of Mike, the pressure of his body against hers suddenly felt as essential as breathing, which would have been a bit more terrifying had she not been seeing the situation through a haze of lust.
“Mike,” she breathed, trapping his hips between her thighs and pressing heat to heat. The answering squeeze of his arms around her said more than any words could have. She reached down between them and went for his belt. He pushed himself up to make room for her hands, purposefully pressing his shaft against her core as he did so.
“Rori?”
In a flash his belt was undone. “Yeah?”
Rori couldn’t believe how absolutely sexy he look above her. She’d done more than a fair job of plumping up his lips, and those eyes that were always such a vivid blue had darkened under those long lashes of his.
His hand came up to cup her face. “I’m not going to last long. You have to promise me a second round so I can do this right.”
“Sold,” Rori said, before making quick work of his button and zipper. She was hooking her fingers into his waistband to rid him of his pants, when he took control back. Leaning back on his knees, he trailed his fingers down her body until he reached the single scrap of covering she had left, her thong. He paused momentarily as his fingers slid the elastic over her hips, down her thighs, then down her calves.
“Perfect,” he whispered. “How are you so perfect?”
Perfect? That might be a bit of an overstatement, but she appreciated the sentiment. Especially given her current view of him.
Rori was quickly coming to appreciate the appeal of a muscular body. In fact, looking at Mike, she couldn’t imagine another soul in his place as he tasted his way up her inner thigh. With anyone else she would have just lain back and enjoyed the ride, but her body wanted the real deal this first time. She wanted to look into his eyes and lock around the most sensitive part of him core to core this first time around. She wanted to hold onto Mike as the world flew apart, not some bed sheets or the headboard. Mike.
“Mike,” she panted as one of his fingers found her and slipped inside. “Let’s get your pants off.”
Across the room Rori’s phone rang, a
nd she saw Mike send it an annoyed glance.
“Ignore it,” she said, sitting up and catching his mouth hers before urging him under her and straddling his thighs. This gave her perfect access to do what she had wanted to do since the day she’d met him. See him. All of him.
When she pulled down on his pants, he obliged by raising his hips from the bed so she could slide them down his legs and toss them to the side. The little show of getting rid of his pants gave Rori a moment to size up what she was dealing with. She wasn’t one to obsess over the size of her man, but Mike had good length and some serious circumference going on. She was definitely going to feel it when he slid into her. More than anything her body wanted to climb aboard and memorize how he felt inside her.
“Come here,” he said, reaching out his hand to hers. Rori took it, and let him draw her closer as he sat up and kissed her gently on the mouth. Their newfound make out session brought her over him as they pressed flesh to flesh for the first time. Once they touched, she couldn’t help but press in like a cat in heat.
Rori couldn’t tell what was so different about this time than any other time she’d been with a man, but it was definitely different. All of it. Her reaction to the sheen of sweat appearing on his body, the way she inhaled the scent of his arousal, and how she didn’t want to just feel his body, she wanted to melt into it. She wanted to be the only woman in the world who knew how it felt to have him.
“Condom,” he muttered against her mouth. “Where do you keep your condoms?”
It appalled Rori that she had completely forgotten that particular step. And it galled her even more that her first instinct was to tell him to hell with a condom. She wanted to feel him—to feel it all.
“Top drawer. On your left.” It needed to be done. A condom kind of put a damper on the flow they had going, but it was for the best.
As he reached over to the nightstand, Rori’s phone started ringing again.
“While you do that, let me turn my ringer off,” she said, dropping a kiss on him before pushing off the bed.
Mr Imperfect Page 24