First Take (Star-Taken) (3 page)

FOUR

Rachel couldn’t believe what she was about to do. She’d never been one to make the first move, but it was time for the over-thinking to end. She closed the distance between them, weaving her fingers tighter through Stephen’s.

Good thing
she wasn’t prone to sweaty palms, though the warmth from his body wasn’t helping her stay cool. Air-conditioning wouldn’t be unwelcome. She was in imminent danger of combusting from the proximity of his body coupled with the stifling outdoor heat.

S
he also preferred not to share her fantasy with anyone who happened by. “I’d rather we not kiss in public.”

“Is that an invitation?”
he whispered, his breath caressing the side of her cheek.

She nodded.
Now that she’d made the decision, her brain was hardly functioning. She’d just solicited Stephen Raymond to have his oh-so-delicious way with her in private. Stepping onto the first stair leading to the stoop, she said, “It is.”

“Are you sure?
” He narrowed his eyes. “You did say you had too much sake. I don’t want you to cry foul later.”

Had that happened to him before?
Had his parents deserting him only been the beginning of a string of bad memories? Needing to counter the implications of his words, she stood on one foot then recited the alphabet in reverse order.

A look of shock danced across his face
, and she laughed. “Field sobriety test. I’m fine. I don’t ask just anyone into my home. Famous movie stars notwithstanding.”

H
is expression lightened as he chuckled, and she tugged his hand. “Come on.”

They climbed the stairs to the front door
. When she turned the key in the lock, he said, “So what, you thought someone might see us kissing, snap a few pictures, and you’d get fifteen minutes of fame you’d rather not have?”

“Mmm, something like that.”
Though she’d been thinking on a smaller scale than the audience of millions that wag rags, her family’s term for gossip shows and magazines, had. She twisted the knob and pushed open the door. The thought of cameras hadn’t even crossed her mind. She might’ve reconsidered her actions if it had, though Stephen’s chuckle was worth a little embarrassment.

“Uh
-huh. But you don’t mind being captured looking silly?”

Rachel
stepped into the entryway. Did she mind? She crossed the short distance to the bottom stair. Lifting a shoulder, she said, “I’m not anyone important. People will have no idea what I’m doing if there is a picture. I mean there will be speculation of course, but it’s all guessing. A kiss, however, tells a story all by itself.”

A picture of her being goofy, she co
uld easily explain to her mother, who was addicted to the wag rags, but a lip lock? That couldn’t be brushed away with a flippant remark.

Behind
Stephen, the door shut with a soft click. “It does indeed.” Then he was heading toward her.

Her breath caught at the heat in his gaze.
That shade of green definitely meant turned-on. She swallowed hard. And he wanted her. A strange buzzing filled her ears, maybe from the desire pounding through her veins; but then he was there, stopping only a foot or so away, and her mind blanked.

He
grabbed her hand and tugged her close. She landed against the hard planes of his chest, and he captured her gasp with his mouth. Threading a hand through her hair, he freed his other hand then cupped her butt. The proof of his arousal pressed into her hip and she groaned. He took total advantage and thrust his tongue inside her mouth.

God
, she hoped he’d keep taking advantage too. Sensations swamped her. He was intense, not only on-screen but in real life. Every one of his movements heightened her awareness. He suckled her lips in what could only be described as a luscious kiss. He swept his tongue along the seam of her mouth, and as shivers tightened her skin, she gasped. He took advantage, gliding inside in a sensuous, sinful exploration. The slight massaging motion of his fingers against her bottom pressed and released in tempo with the kiss. She slid her hands up his chest then around his neck and opened wider, silently begging for more.

He broke the kiss
, and she whimpered. He kissed the corner of her mouth. Seeking his lips, she turned her head, but he skimmed them along her cheek to her ear. “Which floor?”

Floor? Yes, the floor w
ill do just as well as the bed.

B
ut they were in the foyer.

Oh
!
My
floor.
She cleared her throat, but her voice was still scratchy when she said, “Third.”

He groaned. “Of course.”

The sound reverberated through her, warming her in a way different from the liquid heat of lust coursing in her veins, leaving her rubbery knees threatening to give at any moment. Not that weak legs would stop her. “Want to race to the top?” The faster they got to her apartment, the sooner they could resume those delectable kisses. She unwound her arms from his neck.

He squee
zed her bottom before releasing her. “No, I don’t want a stupid accident to keep us from celebrating the rest of your birthday.” He checked his watch. “There’s a little over four hours left until the end of the day.”

She gripped the railing as her knees went slack for a moment and h
er mouth went dry. Was he saying he planned to spend the next few hours seeing to her pleasure, making her birthday wish a reality? She moistened her lips then swallowed. “Whoever said you couldn’t be a romantic lead was so wrong.”

A
wide grin split his face, destroying the perpetual, tough guy demeanor, and her heart skipped a beat. “Get your ass moving before I change my mind about the race.”

A thrill shot through her at the image of him chasing her up the stairs, and
she took the steps with a definite sway in her hips. When he groaned again, she bit her lip. Those husky vibrations sent warm tingles dancing over her skin and pleasant trembles rolling through her belly. By the time they’d taken the three flights, her heart beat raced, and it wasn’t from the climb, which she made at least twice a day.

When
she fumbled with the key, Stephen brushed her hands away then worked the lock and opened her door. He stepped aside and, with a slight bow, extended an arm toward the interior. “After you.”

Except as soon as she was far enough in
side for the door to shut, he had her pinned against the wall. Excitement warred with alarm as he kicked the heavy wood closed. At least it didn’t lock automatically. Maybe if this turned bad, one of her neighbors would check out the screams—

“So, birthday girl, have you ever fantasized about this? Me?” His heavy-lidded gaze didn’t hide the heat in his eyes.
His trademark half smile kicked up the right side of his mouth.

A
wave of embarrassment washed over her, no doubt turning her fair skin a very unattractive shade of red. “Truth?”

He dug his fingers into her hips and settled his pelvis against hers. The
length of his erection burned into her belly even through the denim of his jeans and the light cotton of her clothing. “Complete honesty.”

Her embarrassment
multiplied. Yes, she was thirty. Yes, she was an avid reader, especially of romance. Yes, she had a creative side of sorts. How then to admit her imagination fell flat when it came to her actual sex life? She knew what an orgasm was, had experienced what she thought was one or two, but still shrank from exploring her own body, as had all her loser exes. She swallowed hard, averting her gaze, but he released one of her hips and skimmed the free hand up to her chin, which he nudged until she met his gaze, which demanded truth.

Rachel
took a deep breath. “I never made it past the first kiss.” She bit her lip. “I think I figured the rest was better left to fantasy.”

His eyes widened. “You continue to surprise me.” He brushed his thumb across her lower lip, dropping
his gaze to her mouth. Shivers raced along her skin and she pressed herself against that tantalizing ridge in his jeans. “And which is better, the fantasy or the reality?”

That startled a laugh from her, and
brows drawn together, he raised his gaze. “Seriously? The fantasy doesn’t even begin to com—”

Stephen
cupped her neck and sealed their lips together again. Her knees buckled at the first pass of his tongue. He slid the hand at her hip between her butt and the wall and lifted her. Briefly, he shifted away. She mumbled a protest, but then that wonderful length was wedged firmly against the heart of her as his thighs held hers open.

God, if his kisses left her breathless and weak, how would sex with him
affect her? A wave of unease swamped her. She’d never be the same afterward. Was it better to experience being with him once overshadowed by the probability it would only be the once, or to never be with him at all?

He broke the kiss
then dragged his lips along her jaw to her ear. “What’s wrong?”

R
esting her head against the wall, she laughed, though there wasn’t anything humorous about the situation. Her fantasy man stood between her legs, his hard arousal separated from her aching core by just a few layers of clothing, and all she could wonder about was how she’d feel afterward. What was wrong with the present?

“My brain won’t switch off
.”

When h
e traced the tip of his tongue along the length of her neck, she shuddered. “Then I’m not doing this right.” He nipped her ear lobe, and she gasped.

“No
. You’re doing everything right.” Her voice had a breathless quality. That should be proof enough.

He played with the lobe of her ear before
outlining the shell then dipping inside for the briefest moment, his warm breath cooling the light moisture. Her nipples tightened.

Who knew her ear and
breasts were connected?

“That’s more like it,” he whispered before nibbling at the cord of her neck.

She arched her back, pushing her breasts into the unrelenting wall of his chest. With a moan, she rolled her head to the side, allowing him better access to her throat, which he promptly took advantage of, skimming his teeth along her neck until he reached the spot where it joined her shoulder. Then, he bit.

“Oh
,” she gasped, threading her fingers through his hair and holding him secure, silently begging him for more. Winding her legs around his waist, Rachel settled his erection firmly against her clitoris. Pleasure zinged from neck, to breast, to that bundle of nerves until she was a trembling mass.

Stephen
shifted his hand from her hip to her breast. He brushed over the nipple, the soft material of the bra lining abrading the sensitized bud. As a wave of bliss rolled through her, she tightened her grip on his head, pulling him closer, if that was even possible. Her hips levered off the wall, and she cried out as he sucked hard on her neck while pinching her nipple. She rocked against his erection as pure pleasure consumed her.

Long moments later
, the tide retreated until she could once again distinguish individual sensations. He no longer played with her nipple, though his hand remained cupping her breast. He rained gentle kisses along her shoulder, neck, chin, and ear. Should she be embarrassed? Was it normal to orgasm from so little contact?

He nipped her earlobe, and
she sucked in a sharp breath. “That switch doesn’t stay off long does it?”

S
queezing her eyes shut, she fought tears, but they still clogged her throat as she said, “I can’t help it.”

H
e withdrew his hand from her breast to capture the first tear as it escaped the corner of her eye. “Hey, look at me.”

She sniffed then opened her eyes. His face was a watery blur, but she could make out the frown furrowing his brow and turning down the corner
s of his mouth.

“You sure do a number on a guy’s ego. One minute
, you’re melting at the slightest touch and emitting the hottest little sounds in the back of your throat, and then the next, tears, and not happy ones. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Way to go, Rach. You’re letting your
sexual insecurities ruin this experience.

What had happened to the confident woman who’d settled in for a fantasy date with the very man cradled between
her legs? God, she could kick herself, but that would require releasing her hold on his waist. Maybe if she brushed it off, he’d go along. She wiggled her hips against his erection, which wasn’t quite as impressive as it had been a few moments ago.

He returned his hands to her hips and gripped them tight. “Uh
-uh. I understand nerves, but I’m not a big fan of hot one minute, cold the next. If you’re not sure, that’s fine. Just say so and I’ll stop right here. Right now.”

She bit
her lower lip. Did that mean he wasn’t turned off by her hyper-responsiveness? Her earlier concerns about her safety had vanished with his words. If he intended to have his way no matter what, then he wouldn’t have cared about her blowing hot then cold. He would’ve ignored her tears and kept on going.