Player in Paradise (12 page)

My work day finally winds down around six-thirty and I’m ready for a drink.
“Up for happy hour?” I ask Mandy.

“Girl, you read my mind.”

We grab our bags and can’t get to the door fast enough.

“So, what’s going on
with Austin?” Mandy asks as we enter the bar down the street.

“He’s so fucking mood
y, it’s like I’m dealing with a diva sometimes,” I say, shaking my head. We sit down and browse the drink specials before ordering our usual set of skinny margaritas. “I guess he was just upset that I didn’t consult him before bringing you in on our scheme.”

“He doesn’t trust me? Do you know how much dirt I have on all the celebrities in this t
own?” she exclaims, grabbing a handful of tortilla chips.

“I know, but he’s weird like that I guess. Anyway, he’s cool with it now. But get
this, he wants me to join him in New York for the press tour.”

The bartender slides us our drinks and I take a sip, anxiously waiting for the tequila to kick in.

“Are you gonna go?” she asks before reaching for more bar food.

“Priscilla didn’t ask me to
, but I really want to join him…you should have seen the look in his eyes…”

“Damn that boy is horny, huh?” she laughs. “Just tell Priscilla you think he needs some extra supervision and
that you’d be happy to volunteer your time and services.”

I take another sip of my
liquid relaxer. “You think it will be that easy?”

“I don’t think she’ll suspect anything. Ask her tomorrow. Do it!” Mandy says, grabbing my arm.

“You’re gonna make me spill my drink!” I say with a giggle. “Fine, I’ll ask tomorrow. But who will keep tabs on Tyler while I’m gone?”

Mandy shoots her hand up in the air. “I will, I will!”

“Okay, but don’t do anything stupid.”

She squints at me. “Since when do I do anything stupid? I’m a perfect secret agent.”

“Uh huh, sure.” I guzzle down the rest of what’s left in my glass.

Mandy sips away, ignoring some of the typical L
.A. creeps that try to hit on her. I’m about to order another drink when my phone buzzes. I grab it from my purse and find a text from Austin. Mandy leans over my shoulder to get a glimpse.

“He just wants to know what I’m up to,” I say.

“He’s either really obsessed with you, or he has no life. Or maybe both,” Mandy replies.

It must be hard for him to ma
ke any real friends in Hollywood. Especially after knowing how many lies people tell around here. I’m chalking up all the attention he’s giving me to being bored.

“I don’t mind him checking in,” I say, texting him back. “I just wish he could join us out
at places like this…”

“That’s what happens when you’re hooking up with a movie star…Hollywood problems!”

“Tell me about it. He can’t go anywhere without the paparazzi tailing him. It sucks.”

“Sorry
Liv, but I simply can’t sympathize with someone who is dating a hot as fuck piece of man meat such as Austin Ford, while I’m left to rot with these douche bags.” She waves her arms around her, displaying the array of overly-tanned meatheads that surround us.

“Hey, I didn’t want to like him…it just happened.”

“Uh huh, keep telling yourself that. Just don’t let him break your heart, please,” she says.

I sigh and stare back at her.
“I won’t. Promise.”

I take a few bites of my breakfast bar at work the next morning and go through my emails. I’m about to check Priscilla’s calendar to schedule a meeting with her to discuss New York, when Austin comes barging through the front door of the PWR Group.

“I’m here to see Priscilla,”
I overhear him say to the receptionist.

Mandy
peeks her head over our shared cubicle wall. “What the hell is he doing here?” she whispers.

“I have no idea,” I reply, quietly. My stomach churn
s and I start praying.
Please don’t let him fight with Priscilla. Please don’t cause a scene. Please don’t let me get fired.

“Priscilla’s on a call right now, but I’ll go check in with
her,” the receptionist responds.

I stand up from my chair and glance over to where he stands.
He’s wearing a faded tee with the American flag on it, snug dark denim and black Converse sneakers. His hands are on his hips as he taps his foot rapidly. He turns his head, and our eyes instantly lock. My cheeks grow warm as he smiles over at me. I place my finger to my lips, hoping he’ll remember to act like we’re just business associates. I don’t want other PWR Group employees becoming suspicious.

He nods his head, but still raises his eyebrows up and down. I quickly take a seat back at my desk before he gets out of hand.

The receptionist runs back over and guides him toward Priscilla’s office. “She has a few minutes until her next call. Come right in.”

I tap on the cube wall to get Mandy’s attention again. “Oh my God, I’m freaking
out right now,” I whisper. “What do you think he’s saying?”

M
andy shakes her head. “No idea.”

“At least I ge
t to see him again. Damn he looks good.”

Mandy giggles and sits b
ack down. I strain to hear Austin and Priscilla’s conversation through the door, but they’re too far away. I can’t concentrate on my work; my eyes just gloss over the computer screen. 

The inter
-office line rings at my desk. It’s Priscilla.

“Can you come in here?” she asks.

“Of course.”

My legs shake and I almost trip over my own feet as I walk to her office. I knock and then slowly open the door.

“Take a seat,” Priscilla says.

Austin pulls out the chair next to him and I sit down. He smiles at me, but I don’t show any emotion back.

“Austin was just telling me what a wonderful job you did in Hawaii
keeping everything on track,” she says.

My stomach turns and
I want to throw up. Why is he doing this to me???

“Thank you,” I say, without looking at him.

“He also suggested that you attend the New York media visits so that you can help him prepare for interviews.”

Her sentence was delivered
in her normal, flat, slightly bored-sounding tone.

“Really?”
I ask, trying to act surprised. “I’d be happy to. As long as it’s okay with you, of course.”

Priscilla nods. “
Yes, I think it would be a good learning experience for you.”

I s
mile and my heart rate finally slows back down to a semi-normal pace. “Great, I’ll book my ticket now.”

Austin turns and I try to avert my eyes so that I don’t slip up. “See you in New York
.”

“Yep, see you then.” I get up as fast as possible and bolt out of Priscilla’s office.

Mandy pops over when I return to my desk. “So?”

“I’m going to New York. I’ll tell you about it later. I’m too nervous right now with Austin still in the building. I think I’m
gonna pass out.”

I take a sip of coffee and lean ba
ck in my chair, trying to get my thoughts in order. What was I supposed to be doing? Oh right, purchasing plane tickets. I pull up the travel agency website as Austin walks out of Priscilla’s office. He stops as he gets close to my cubicle and leans on the metal frame. Please don’t make a scene, please, please, please.

“So, you excited for New York
?” he asks.

“Um, yeah, it will be busy. I have a lot of interviews lined up for you.”

I lean forward toward my computer and click through the website. I need him to walk away, but instead he inches closer to my chair. “My stylist brought over some clothing options for the photo shoots, can you help me decide which one looks best?”

“Uh…yeah,
just send me the pictures and I’ll let you know.”

“
Actually, I have them in my car, come outside for a sec.”

I turn to face him and
shoot him an evil glare. What is he trying to do? He succeeded in his mission of getting me to New York; he should leave when he has the chance…

“Come on,” he says, turning my chair around.

I roll my eyes and stand up to follow him out the door. He leads me to the stairwell we discovered yesterday and shuts the door behind us.

“
I’ve missed you,” he says as his hands find their way to my waist, pulling me in close.

“Austin, we c
an’t…”

H
e cuts me off with a kiss. A deep, forceful kiss. His tongue searches my mouth while his smooth fingers travel under my blouse, caressing my skin softly.

As h
is body takes control of mine, I find myself kissing him back just as intensely. His mouth moves to my neck and he breathes heavily into my ear. I shiver as he tugs on my earlobe with his teeth. “I can’t wait to get to the city with you,” he whispers.

Lifting me up, he
steadies my back against the concrete wall. I swing my arms and legs around him tightly for support. His fingers dance up my leg, then crawl under my skirt, grazing my center. I want him so badly, but I know someone could walk up or down these steps at any moment.

Before I can rationalize further, h
e slides his digits under my panties and sneaks one inside. My breath hitches as he glides in and out.

“
I want to make you come, right here, right now,” he growls in my ear.

I close my eyes and try to ignore the danger of getting caught
. My tongue dives into his mouth as he quickens his pace, helping to block any further anxieties about our surroundings. I grab onto his shoulders, my nails digging into the thin fabric of his t-shirt, as he rubs me just the right way.

“That’s it, baby,” he whispers
as his finger quickly rotates in tiny circles on my tender spot. His hot breath in my ear sends me over the edge and I kiss him harder to mask the moan that wants to escape my lips as I release.  

He slowly frees
my legs, but my arms are still locked around his neck. He squeezes my ass and gives me one final kiss before I finally let go.

“See you
tomorrow?” he asks, readjusting his jeans with a smirk.

“Yes, see you then.”

I smooth down my top and skirt and head back to the office with a stupid grin on my face.

Mandy and I try to stalk Tyler after work again. We’ve been parked outside the coffee shop for thirty minutes. Of course Mandy brought her “stealth” outfit -- tight black pants, an even tighter black tank top, extremely large sunglasses and a skull and crossbones scarf.

“You look more like a crazy person than a spy,” I say.

“Shut up! I am rocking these faux leather leggings.”

“Right, of course you are.”

She sticks out her tongue and squints through the windshield again. “I don’t think he’s working tonight.”

“Di
d you check his Twitter?” I ask.

“Of course, but he hasn’t updated in hours.”

We continue to keep our eye on the door, watching customers and employees enter and exit, but there’s no sign of Tyler. After an hour of chatting about celebrity gossip, clothes, hairstyles and pets that we used to have, it’s time to call it quits. “Let’s pick this up another night,” I recommend.

“The sooner you bust Cassidy, the sooner you c
an enjoy Austin all to yourself,” she reminds me.

I can only imagine what it’d
be like to hold hands with him in public, or go out to dinner. Maybe I could even attend a movie premiere with him as a date instead of an employee.

“Is it wrong that I’m already envisioning myself living in his huge ass mansi
on, cooking him breakfast in the giant kitchen that looks like it’s never been used?”

“Yes, you’re getting far too ahead of yourself. You don’t even have confirmation that
he’s being monogamous with you.”

I scrunch my nose. She’s right. Even though he said he wants me, we never actually talked about being in a relat
ionship, or claimed the titles of boyfriend and girlfriend.

“Well, I’ll
make sure he only has eyes for me if I’m going to go through all this shit for him.” I toss my cell phone in my bag and whip off my hat and sunglasses.

“Damn straight!” Mandy yells.

I text Austin to let him know that Tyler was a no-show. It’s a bummer, but I haven’t given up hope yet.

Austin strolls through the doors of LAX flanked by security. He’s late, but not as late as last time. Cassidy requested to meet us in New York separately which is fine by me.

I join him in the security line and take off my
sandals. “Good morning Mr. Movie Star,” I whisper.

“Why do you book these flights so damn early?” he says with a yawn before removing his beanie and sunglasses.

“Because I like to have time to settle in and get everything organized before we have to get to work.”

The TSA agent waves me through the metal detector and I pick up
my belongings.

Aus
tin meets me on the other side with his security. “I can think of other things we can do during the extra downtime.” He raises his eyebrows and flashes his signature smile.

“
Shhhhhhhhh!!” I cover his mouth with my hand. “I’m your publicist right now, not your sex slave, okay?”

“
I like that imagery. I’ll save it for later.” He taps his finger to his temple and closes his eyes.

Are all guys like this, or just him? I roll my eyes and head toward the gate.
Once we’re on the plane, my stomach feels like it’s been filled with a bucket of butterflies. I try to shut my eyes, but all I can think about is how we’re heading to New York to discuss how happy Austin and Cassidy are about their engagement and their upcoming wedding plans. More lies, more deceit. My body isn’t handling it well. I just want it to end. I need it to end.

We sleep most of the way to JFK International and land in the early-afternoon
, although it feels later with the time change.

“Rise and shine.” I shake
Austin from his slumber. His long eyelashes flutter open and he knocks his headphones off his ears. He stretches out his long limbs before standing up to leave the plane. We head to the exit quickly and find our driver who leads us to a black SUV.

“I love New York,” Austin says, intertwining his fingers with mine
as we sit close together in the back seat.

“I’ve actually never been here before…”
I try to peek out the tinted windows to get a glimpse of the city as we drive over a bridge.

He turns
and tilts his shades down his nose. “You’re joking, right?”

I shake my head.
“Nope. I’m from the South, never been north of Georgia. My parents took us to Disney World every year, but that’s it as far as vacationing goes.”

“
Well, my mom never took me anywhere except the food stamp line.”

My heart is zapped by an invisible stun gun. I don’t know how he wants me to react to his random confessions of his shitty childhood. Do I console him or laugh it off?

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“No, I’m sorry
I brought it up, just forget it.” He adjusts his beanie and leans back into his seat. “So you were saying, you’ve never been to NYC?”

“Correct.
First time here.”

“So you’re a City virgin, hmm?” he says, poking me in the side.

“Yup…” I tickle him back and lean in closer. “Guess you’re the lucky one to pop my cherry.”

“I wish I was that lucky,” he whispers.

The driver interrupts our stimulating conversation to let us know we’re near the hotel and that the security team is ready for our arrival. We hop out of the car and the concierge immediately descends to take our luggage. I could really get used to this celebrity lifestyle.

Austin’s security guard meets us while I check in the team
at the front desk. Cassidy should be here in time for a romantic dinner out with Austin, which means we only have a few hours to ourselves.

Austin laughs when he sees me enter the room next to his.
“Stalker.”

“Didn’t you know
? I’m your biggest fan,” I joke.

Instead of taking his keycard out
, he follows me into my suite. “Nice digs.”

“Yours
is probably much nicer.” I quickly check myself out in the mirror as I pass by the closet. I gaze out the large window to find an expansive layout of lush greenery. “Wow, look at this view.”

“Central Park,” Austin says, sneaking up behind me.
His hands slide around my waist as he rests his head on my shoulder. “Maybe we can explore later tonight.”

I p
lace my hands on top of his and he grabs my wrists from underneath, spinning me around. I’m immobilized as he stares down at me, overcome with such strong emotions for this beautiful, broken being. There’s so much that I want to say. I want to tell him that I’m so proud of him for overcoming his messed up past. I want to say that he doesn’t have to lie to the public to have fans, and that he can stand out on his own without being part of a “power couple.” That he doesn’t need to drink to show his emotions, and I can help him feel things without alcohol involved. But I just can’t bring myself say anything; it’s like there’s a lock around my vocal chords. Even my breathing slows.

Instead of speaking, I
quickly wrap my arms around his broad shoulders and rest my head on his hard chest. I don’t want to be anywhere else right now but here.

He lifts my head away from his body and l
eans in for a tender kiss. Soft lips embrace mine and tears swell behind my eyelids. I must have let one fall by mistake because he backs away.

“What’s wrong?”

I shake my head and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. “Nothing.”

“Bu
t, you’re crying. What did I do?”

I smile and try to blink away my tears as I laugh
. Yes, I’m an emotional mess. “You’re just…I…I don’t know,” I manage to sputter out. How do I even begin to explain? If I admit my feelings now, he’ll probably run for the hills.

“Olivia…” H
e takes a step forward and closes his comforting arms around me, holding me even tighter than I held him. “I know…I feel it too.”

I press my body against
his and hide my face in his now tear-soaked shirt. His large hands rub my back in small circles.

“Come here,” he says, taking my hand.
He leads me to the bed and kicks off his shoes. “No more tears.”

I join him, rolling
on my side. He glares back at me and bites his lip, raising an eyebrow. I glide my fingers underneath his snug shirt. The ripples of his muscles bump my fingertips up and down as I feel my way around his lower abs.

H
e trails kisses up my neck as I play with the belt loops on his khaki shorts and unbuckle his belt.

“I want you so damn bad
, Olivia. It’s been too long,” he whispers as he reaches my ear.

His aggressive nature takes over and he swats my hand away from his fly to flip me over on my back.
Straddling my waist, he slowly tears off his top and tosses it to the side. Chewing his bottom lip, he looks me over with an approving nod. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

I instinctively cover my face with my hand.

“What are you doing? I have to see those sexy brown eyes looking up at me.”

“Sorry, I’m just not used to getting compliments I guess,” I say under my breath. What does he see in me that I don’t?

He leans down and lifts my shirt up slightly
to plant a soft kiss on my navel. “You have a cute belly button.”

He raises the fabric
a little higher and places another kiss a few inches above my stomach. “And your skin is so soft.”

His hands graze my sides and the material is now at bra-level. “And I know you’ve heard me rave about your
breasts, but they really are the best ones I’ve ever seen.” He grins. “And they’re real.” Slipping one hand beneath the underwire, he gives my boob a little squeeze. I look up at the ceiling, unable to take him seriously, even though I know he’s being truthful.

“I want to compliment you until you start to believe it,” he says
, touching my face to bring it back toward his. “I see the way you look at me, and I want you to know that’s how I look at you too.”

He rests his chin in the center of
my chest and his bright blue eyes dive into my soul. “I know this might sound crazy since we haven’t known each other that long, but I just want to be with you all the time. Seriously, I go crazy when you’re not around. You’re all I can think about…”

His declaration leaves me breathless.
I reach for his face and in an instant our lips crash together. I pull the ends of his wavy locks to bring him closer to me. Our tongues mix together and it’s like I can’t search him deep enough to fulfill my longing. I pull away with a smile on my face. “I’m falling for you too, Austin.”

He leans back
on the disheveled King sized bed and stares at me with wide eyes. “Really?”

“
Yes! How could I not?” I jump forward to push him back down again and place tiny kisses across his pecs, letting my tongue linger on his nipples.

“I could list a number of reasons,” he mumbles
.

I rush my
lips back to his ear. “You may not be perfect, but you’re perfect for me.”

He smiles and rests his hands behind his head
, not taking his baby blues off me as I lift off my shirt and remove my bra.

“Thank you
,” he says, licking his lips. “And, I’m enjoying the show.”

I
try to finish what I started before by unbuckling his belt and unzipping his fly. His body never ceases to amaze me and I want to know every inch of it. I slide his shorts off and step out of my jeans.

He draws me back down so that our legs cross over each other and we’re tangled up, rolling around in a mess of tousled hair and urgent kisses.
My heart pounds so hard I can hear it inside my head. I can feel his readiness and eagerly explore inside his boxers. He lets out a low groan and tilts his head back.

“Remember this while you’re
at dinner tonight,” I say, lowering the elastic waistband off his hips. I get a glimpse of his perfect v-line and my lips travel down his happy trail. His eyelids crack open when I reach the bottom. Kneeling between his legs, he laughs quietly as my long hair tickles his stomach. I glance up briefly; I love the way he bites his lip as I handle him.

Lifting my head up, he brings my face back to his and smiles. “How could I not replay that in my mind all night?”

He turns us over and pins me to the mattress. “These are coming off,” he says, sliding my panties down.

“Wait,” I say as his hands travel back up my leg.

He lifts himself off me and sits back. “What’s wrong?”

“I just need to know something first...” I take a deep breath and try to find the right words to ask my question.

“What is it?” He grabs for my hand and lays his head next to mine on the pillow. The dim light from the lamp in the corner of the room illuminates his face.

“I don’t want to keep doing this if we’re not…you know, if I’m not the only one you’re
doing this with.” I avert my eyes quickly – confrontation was never my strong suit.

He squeezes my hand tighter. “Didn’t I just say that you’re all I can think about?”

I sigh. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean that you’re being monogamous with me.”

His fingers slip out of mine as he turns his body to the side. “
Olivia, I’m sorry, but I don’t do relationships.”

That was not the answer I was expecting to hear.
I suddenly feel overexposed and scramble to cover myself.

“Oh come on,
” he says, trying to pry the bed sheet away. “Just because I don’t want to put a label on us, doesn’t mean I’m out there prowling the streets for my next hook up. I’m here with you, and I’m not going anywhere. I guess I’m just not the commitment type.”

I swallow hard. My mind races as
I struggle to determine if this is what I want. Do I want to risk everything I’ve worked so hard for, for someone who won’t consider me his girlfriend?

“I need some time to think.” I rise reluctantly from the mattress and get dressed.

“Olivia, don’t do this.” Austin tries to reach out for me. “I thought we were having a good time. Come back to bed.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” I say, grabbing my purse. “Don’t forget to meet
Cassidy; she’ll be waiting for you in the lobby in twenty minutes.”

I let the door shut behind me and rush to the elevator. I hit the button for the lobby and look up at the ceiling
as a million questions run through my brain that I haven’t figured out how to answer.