Causing a Commotion (21 page)

So much so trepidation entered her heart. Then Colin grabbed her head, pushed her to him, and only he was in her mind, in her heart.

She liked that he spoke her name, that he groaned and breathed hard at the flicker of her tongue across his silky smooth flesh. That his eyes closed and he threw his head back and his whole body trembled before he pulled her to her feet, not letting her push him beyond the brink.

She’d wanted that. To make him lose control. To know that she’d shattered his composure.

Instead, he shattered hers. He kissed her. Her breasts. Her belly. Her thighs. He sampled every dewy drop of her flesh, tasted her femininity with huskily whispered pleasure.

Jessie didn’t remember lying down on the plush carpet. Didn’t remember Colin donning a condom and joining her there.

Colin spreading her thighs and thrusting into her body, that she remembered. In living color. In explicit detail. In ecstatic pleasure that she doubted she’d ever forget.

Problem was how was she going to live without him now that she knew? Knew exactly what this man did to her and just how well he did it?

* * *

Colin dropped his forehead to Jessie’s and cursed himself.

What the hell had he just done? Other than give Jessie a carpet burn that was sure to leave a mark? He should have at least carried her to the bed, but hell, he hadn’t been thinking, only feeling.

He’d made a big mistake. A colossal one, that’s what. He’d had sex with Jessie. An actress. His co-host. The woman who stood in the way of his getting his show back. She was his enemy in many regards, and he’d had sex with her.

The best sex of his life.

Sex that turned a man’s skin inside out he came so hard.

From the moment he’s seen her half-in, half-out of the cab, he’d wanted her. Every second since had been leading up to this moment. To his taking her and making her his.

Ordinary sex that had him shaking. That had him already craving to know if he’d come that hard again if they repeated their activities throughout the night. That had him thinking he was insane for thinking about loving her again when he’d come mere seconds before.

Making love with Jessie just made him want her more.

Like alcohol. You thought you could just take a sip and then you had to have another and thinking it no big deal, you took that sip. Next thing you knew you were unable to stop. Addicted from the first drop.

He craved Jessie with that intensity. More so. Much more so. Which scared him.

Other than sobriety, had he ever wanted anything more than the next drink?

Knowing he was in over his head and not nearly strong enough to face a more zealous addiction, Colin rolled off the intoxicating woman beneath him.

The television screen flashed with the menu and played a tumultuous beat, indicating the movie ended at some point during their lovemaking.

Earlier he’d wanted to watch Jessie onscreen, now he only wanted to leave, to get far away from Jessie’s sweet allure.

Knowing he couldn’t stay, Tamara could be home any minute and they were naked in the living room, Colin stood, scooped up his clothes and headed toward the bathroom. Without saying a word.

What could he say? Thanks for the best sex of my life, but, no thanks, I’m too much of a chicken to risk seconds?

When he came out, Jessie was fully dressed and sat on the sofa. She’d restarted the movie and it was paused on the last scene he remembered watching.

She smiled and held up the popcorn bowl. “Hungry?”

She had no idea. Just looking at her sent him into a starving frenzy.
He should be satisfied.

Since she was determined to act as if nothing happened, Colin figured he should do the same. At least until he figured out this mess.

Karen faked a lot of things. Caring for him. Orgasms. Sobriety. She’d actually griped at him for drinking. For the first time ever, blame shifted off himself and onto the woman who’d changed his life forever. In a bad way.

He got the feeling making love to Jessie Davidson just changed his life forever, too.

In just as bad a way.

Chapter Fourteen

The following Monday Jessie fidgeted in her dressing room chair while the make-up artist applied the last touches to her face. Her hair lay in a fashionable style and she wore a killer blue skirt and mini-jacket with a tight little white tee beneath it. Big white hoops adorned her ears and bubble gum flavored gloss shined her lips.

Still, Eric agreed to come on the show to talk about his new film. A break-through for him in many ways since the film cast him as a successful, married businessman who was secretly gay and in love with his wife’s twin brother. Not Eric’s usual hunkboy fare. Already the critics acclaimed the show.

Or maybe Elaine wanted her to make a good impression after her collapse last week. She wanted to make a good impression all right. One on her lover. A lover who’d redefined her definition of orgasm before leaving her apartment. The coward.

Why had he admitted to wanting her if he was going to run afterwards?

He hadn’t run so far as to not call her. Once in the morning and once each evening to check to see how she was feeling, but he’d found reasons to not to physically see her for the rest of the week and weekend.

Today, he’d have no choice but to see. To talk with her while they sparred on
Causing A Commotion
. She might just slip off her heels and play footsie with him during one of his segments. See just how far up his starchy pants leg she could go before she got a reaction.

Because now that she knew, she wasn’t willing to slip back to status quo. Colin and she shared something special and she wouldn’t let him ignore her.

She’d used the days apart to evaluate how she felt about Colin and what happened—both the sex and his mach one escape. No matter how she looked at it, she wanted Colin in her life and would fight to make that happen. Because whether he was ready to acknowledge it or not, he cared for her. Really cared. Like no man had ever cared for her and the sensation was heady. Possibly because she reciprocated his feelings.

Colin couldn’t have faked the way he’d looked into her eyes when he’d made them one. She couldn’t have, and she was an actress. Or was she?

Because that was the other thing she’d realized. She liked her job on
Causing A Commotion
. More so than any acting job she’d ever done. Perhaps because she’d just not landed the right role for her yet, but she really thought it had something to do with being able to be herself, expressing her own thoughts and views rather than pretending.

A knock to her dressing room door had Elaine and her eyes meeting in the mirror. They mutually shrugged.

“Come in,” she called, while Elaine surveyed the finished product.

Jessie’s breath hitched. Had Colin come by to get them beyond the awkwardness of seeing each other for the first time since they’d had sex? Jittery flutters danced in her stomach at the prospect of looking into his eyes and knowing he wanted her.

Maxwell walked in. She kept her smile pasted on, barely. No matter, she’d see Colin in a few minutes regardless.

“Hi Max.” She didn’t think he liked it when she shortened his name, but he never called her on it. Just sort of gritted his teeth each time she did.

Jessie smiled, then checked her make-up in the mirror. Much heavier than what she normally wore, but being in front of the camera required a thicker application.

“As always, you’re breath-taking.”

Still inspecting her make-up, Jessie ignored him. She’d discovered right after starting at Wolf that Maxwell was quite glib with the compliments.

He came up behind her chair, standing where Elaine had moments before. “I rarely see you these days,” he said, watching her in the mirror.

“Because you and J.P. made me take the rest of last week off,” she protested, lower lip out.

“I wasn’t talking about this past week,” he clarified. “I don’t see you often enough, period.”

Jessie caught his eye in the mirror and grinned. “Have you not been watching
Causing A Commotion
? Shame on you.”

Maxwell frowned, showing frustration at her intentional misunderstanding. “You know what I mean.”

There wasn’t any need for her to spend time with Maxwell. He was the company CEO. She was merely one of many on his payroll. More importantly, he was married. A nice man, but it irked her that he didn’t wear a wedding band. And that he flirted openly. Typical man, though.

Now that she’d discovered not all men were typical, she’d never go back to ordinary.

“Did you like the roses I sent?”

She’d given the gorgeous flowers to the nurses who’d taken care of her, along with the other arrangements. Colin’s mixed flowers had been the only one she’d taken to the apartment.

Maxwell’s hand moved to touch the curve of her neck. She bit back the desire to recoil. This was Maxwell. Her boss. Not just her boss, but ‘the’ boss. A man who’d championed every idea she’d had for
Causing A Commotion
. She liked her job.

She needed to handle this with finesse.

But she did need to handle it. Now.

Maxwell had hinted in the past that he’d be willing to take their relationship beyond employer/employee. She’d patted him on the cheek, brushed off his advances, and he’d let it go. Never had he touched her in the manner he did at the moment. She didn’t like him touching her.

“It would be good for you,” he coaxed, his voice low and seductive. “Good for your career. Good in every way.”

Ewww.

“No.” She stood, turned to face him. “Max, as much as I like you as a person,” which she wasn’t so sure she did at this point, “nothing will ever happen between us. Not so long as you’re married.” At his look, she rushed on. “Not even if you weren’t married.”

She wouldn’t elaborate. Now wasn’t the time to tell Maxwell about her fascination with Colin.

“How are your needs being met if you don’t have a man?”

Did she say she didn’t have a man? Again, probably better not to point that out. She shrugged. “Like most modern day women, I have batteries and know how to use them.”

He stared at her long seconds, laughed, then grabbed her and kissed her. Yuck.

She tried to twist away but he held her tight. She stomped down on his toes, then jerked back, spitting at him, still not freeing herself. “I said no.”

When he didn’t let go of her arms, she brought her knee up, slamming into his groin with all her force.

“I said no, and I mean no.” So much for finesse, she thought, stalking out of the dressing room, head held high, shoulders thrown back, chin jutted forward.

Even if he fired her, she didn’t regret her actions. No meant no even if you were Maxwell Arnold and had the power of God.

Too bad she’d just realized how much she liked her job and that it was her way of staying in contact with Colin until he realized what they had.

* * *

Colin glanced over the day’s agenda. No real news, but a whole lot of who’s who and who’s doing who kind of things. He sighed. What would his father say if he knew Colin played gossip for Hollywood’s hottest? He wouldn’t pat him on the back and tell him how proud he was, that’s for sure.