Player in Paradise (7 page)

“You feel so good,” he says
, his hot breath in my ear. The pleasure he gives me is something that I’ve never felt before. I want to savor the feeling longer, but soon I erupt around him, feeling as if I just finished running a marathon. He quickly follows, biting his bottom lip, and falling on top of me when he’s done.

He rolls to the side; w
e’re both silent and immobile, spread out across the bed, catching our breath.

“Fuck,” he mumbles quietly.

I twirl the silver necklace around my finger absentmindedly and exhale, unsure of what to say or do next.

“That…was amazing,” he says, grabbing my hand. His thumb brushes the backside of my palm as we stare up at the ceiling.

I’m sitting across from Austin at a long table inside the hotel’s Italian restaurant, wedged between Cassidy’s mom and Austin’s body guard. Feeling awkward would be the understatement of the year.

Cassidy is ignoring me, which I’m fine with, while Austin is
engaged in a lively conversation with his manager who’s seated next to him.

The waiter finally arrives at our table. “Have
you decided on drinks?”

“I’ll have a glass of wine,” I say, hoping it will ease my tension.

Austin orders a beer. The food is passed around family-style, even though we’re hardly a family...or maybe a really dysfunctional one. I hand a large dish of pasta to Austin and his fingertips graze mine. The touch makes me jump, almost dropping the plate.

“You ok?” he asks, placing it back on the table.

I nod and divert my eyes from his.

Cassidy and her mother discuss an upcoming movie role, while the guys chat about sports. I spin my fork around my spaghetti in circles, but don’t bring it to my mouth.

As Austin swigs on his third glass of beer, his foot inches its way over to my leg under the table. I try to recoil, but there’s nowhere to go.

I try to catch his attention by kicking him, and he looks up.

“Stop it,” I mouth.

He grins and nudges my foot again.

“I’m not feeling well,” I announce to no one in particular. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

I grab my glass of wine and bring it over to the lobby bar. What have I gotten myself into? I shouldn’t have slept with him. I shouldn’t have even kissed him. We can never actually
be together under the circumstances that we’re in. And I hate secrets; I hate lying. I know I technically do it every day, but it’s easier to lie about someone else’s life than my own.

I down my second glass of wine faster than the first and the bartender
starts a tab. I want to call Mandy and tell her what happened, but she’d kill me, and I’m embarrassed that I was so easily won over by his charm, his body, his smile, that sun-kissed skin, and unforgettable beachy scent…

A familiar face takes a seat across from me at my littl
e table. “How are you feeling?” Kai asks. He leans in close and seems genuinely concerned.

“Physically, better
. Emotionally, drained.”

“Good to hear that I didn’t
cause you any long-lasting damage. Although, I was kind of hoping you might have had some shoulder strain…I have been known to give a pretty good neck massage.”

I smirk. I guess Austin’s not the only player in town.

“Cute,” I respond.

“Seriously, if you’re bored we can go hang out
somewhere. I got off of work a few minutes ago.”

Is he really asking me out? His dimples are kind of alluring. And technically I’m not attached to Austin, or anyone else for that matter.

“You know what? I’d love to hang out with you.” I close out my tab and walk with him to his car, a regular-ole Toyota Corolla.

“There’s a great bar up the street where a lot of the hotel staff go, is that ok
ay?”

“Sure!” At this point, I’ll do anything to escape my thoughts about Austin and the stress my job has been causing.

We enter the local dive and it’s exactly how I pictured it, overly-crowded and slightly run-down, with a karaoke machine in the back and people drinking out of plastic cups. Kai buys me a drink, something infused with lots of rum. The liquid burns at first, but after the first few sips, it starts to feel smoother and smoother. We dance to the music and sweat glistens over my skin as the shoddy air conditioning doesn’t cool the temperature down at all.

“You’re a blast,” Kai shouts over the loudspeakers.

I’m on my fourth drink of the night and heading from buzzed to drunk.

“So are you!” I throw my arms around him as we dance closer. I don’t know why I’m flirting with him, I don’t think I like him that way, but I can’t help it.

The music pulses through my body and he leans in for a kiss. I let him touch his lips to mine, but there’s definitely no fire in my belly, not even a slight spark. I ease him off gently and flash a kind smile.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Nothing, let’s just dance.” I put some distance between us and rock out on my own. I just needed a release. Not a sexual release, but an emotional one. Something to take me out of my mind for just one moment, and this did the trick perfectly.

I check my phone as Kai drives me back to the hotel. Four missed called from Austin, three text messages, and one voicemail. All with the same message – “Where the hell are you?”

Why is he so concerned?

I stumble back into the hotel lobby, feeling like a sweaty mess, with my arm wrapped around Kai’s waist for support.

Austin shows up out of nowhere and immediately runs toward us, pulling me close to his side. He towers over Kai. “What the hell did you do to her?” he asks, getting all up in his face.

“Nothing, man, back off,” Kai says, swaying me back in his direction. “We just went out for some fun.”

Austin steps closer, looking like he’s ready to throw a punch. I mouth “sorry” to Kai and he quickly drops his hand from my arm.

“I’ll see you later, Olivia
,” he says, walking out the front entrance.

I turn to Austin
and his strong forearm catches me as I wobble in my heels. “Where did you come from?” I ask.

The room spins and I place my weight on his shoulder to keep myself from falling.

“I’ve been at the lobby bar trying to find you, or wait for you, or I don’t know what,” he quips.

I turn to lean against his chest and he grabs onto my shoulders, guiding me to the elevator. “I didn’t know where you went,” he says quietly.

“I went dancing,” I croak.

My feet are throbbing and I kick off my shoes as soon as we get inside.

“I thought…” he stares up at the mirrored ceiling and runs his fingers through his waves. “Nevermind.”

I don’t respond. At this point, I can’t tell which way is up and which way is down. Not really the best time for a meaningful conversation.

He assists me down the hall and searches my pockets for the keycard. I toss him my purse and place my hands against the cold, hard wall, trying to steady myself. He finally opens the door and I rush to the bathroom.

I don’t want him to follow me in, but his footsteps are behind me and soon he’s holding my hair back as
I kneel to the porcelain god. How embarrassing, but at least I feel a bit better.

Taking a seat on the chilled tile floor, I wrap my arms around me knees and pull my legs to my chest. There’s no way I’m moving from this spot any time soon.

Austin grabs a bottle of water and slides down next to me, forcing me to take a drink. He swings his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his chest. I listen to his heartbeat and the steady rhythm calms me down.

“You shouldn’t have left the hotel,” he says, rubbing his hand over my bare arm.

Why does he care where I went?

He
stands and lifts me off the ground, carrying me to the bed. I close my eyes as he peels off my skirt and blouse, leaving me in my bra and panties. I feel his presence above me and instinctively reach out for his hand.

The bed sheet moves and his warm body curls up against mine as he slips the covers over us. I face away from him and he kisses the back of my neck. That spark that was missing with Kai instantly returns when I feel Austin’s smooth lips on my skin. It feels so good, but I’m so exhausted.

“I don’t know what you’re doing to me Olivia, but I don’t remember ever feeling like this before,” he whispers, moving strands of hair behind my ear.

I smile to myself before slowly turning to face him. “I feel it too.”

He unzips his jeans and tosses them out of bed before removing his shirt. His bare chest presses up against my back as his arms cradle me into slumber.

The sun bursts through the window and I open my eyes slowly. My head hurts
worse than when I fell off the Jet Ski. I try to move, but realize I’m stuck in the vice grip of Austin’s arms. I vaguely remember seeing him last night, but I can’t put all the pieces together on how we ended up here.

As I try to wriggle my way free, he draws me closer and his morning wood presses up again
st my backside. I giggle and he stirs at the sound. 

“Good morning,” he says, placing a kiss on my cheek
and releasing me from his clutches.

“Morning.”

I rush to get up and run to the bathroom. I don’t want him to see me with messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and smeared makeup. Plus, my breath must be awful.

“Do I smell that bad?” he yells through the door with a laugh.

“Sorry, had to pee!” I shout back. I flush the toilet and quickly run a brush through my tangled strands, gargle some mouth wash, and wipe my face with a damp towel. 

Austin knocks on the bathroom door, but enters before I give him permission to come in. He looks like he just stepped out of an underwear
ad with his hair perfectly tousled, a little bit of stubble lining his jaw, and nothing covering him except for navy boxer briefs. Why can’t I look like a model when I wake up too?

“Are you feeling better?” He
leans against the wall and cocks his head to the side. God, he looks concerned; was I really that messed up last night?

I shake my head. “Yeah, I think so. Just have a little he
adache, but I’m sure an Advil will take care of it.”

He grabs a bottle of water that was left on the floor. “You should drink this, you’re probably dehydrated.”

I take it from his hands. A sip of water has never tasted so good before.

He scratches his head and leans his body into the sink’s marble countertop. “I’ve never seen you drunk before. It was actually kind of funny.”

I playfully slap his chest. “Shut up.”

He grabs my hand and keeps my fingertips on his skin. “I’m glad you didn’t stay with that sketchy hotel dude last night.”

He continues to guide my hand slowly down his chest. I swallow hard and look up. “He’s not sketchy. And nothing happened.”

He grins as if he already knows that I only have eyes for him. “Good.”

He intertwines his fingers with mine and pulls my hand forcefully so that my body falls into his. I’m paralyzed by his gaze as he searches my face for a response. My lips turn up and before I know it, he’s hoisting me up on top of the cold slab of marble between the double sinks. His mouth urgently finds mine and our tongues dance together.

He pulls away after a few seconds. “You brushed your teeth, didn’t you?” 

“Maybe,” I say coyly.

“Cheater.”
His nose scrunches up as he says the word like it’s incredibly scandalous.

I laugh and bring his face back to mine.

“Cheaters get punished,” he whispers.

I inhale sharply. Punished? My body tingles in anticipation. “Is that so?”

“And, you already have a prior offense - you went out last night without me.” He pouts. He really is dramatic.

My legs dangle over the edge of the c
ounter and he spreads them just far enough apart to fit himself in between.

“You’ve been a very…
bad…girl.” His tone sends a chill up my spine.

Tossing my hair off my neck, he plants soft kisses on the tender skin beneath. He stops just above my collar bone and sucks harder. The affectionate kissing turns devious as he bites down.

I grasp for his hair as the burst of pain courses through me, but he forces my hands back down to the counter and keeps them locked in place. I moan softly as the ache dissipates and turns into a warm tingle. I want to grind my body into his, but he keeps a small space between us.

He unlatches himself from my neck and leans back with his arms crossed over his hard chest. “So, have yo
u learned your lesson yet?”

I want to leap from the sink and jump his bones, crashing our bodies to the ground, but I stay put and shake my head from side to side. “No.”

“Oh boss lady, you’re naughtier than I thought,” he growls, rushing back and landing between my legs again. His force crushes me against the mirror behind us, and he swiftly unhooks my bra with one hand while the other caresses my lower abdomen.

“I fucking love these breasts,” he murmurs before taking one in his mouth.

I squeeze my legs around his waist, wanting every inch of him to be as close to me as possible. The lingering scent of last night’s cologne mixed with sweat intoxicates me as I breathe him in deeply.

My fingernails dig into his shoulders a
s he bites down on my nipple hard. I hold my breath to keep from screaming. Closing my eyes, I relish the feeling of his teeth scraping against the sensitive area. I’m startled as he tugs my panties aside and slowly glides in one finger to explore me further. I want to cry out, but his mouth engulfs with me a devouring kiss.

I break away, panting, and stare into his determined eyes.

“I need you,” I whisper, sliding off the counter quickly and kneeling down in front of him. Tearing the boxers off his hips, I immediately grab on and take him in my mouth. He exhales loudly, placing one hand on my head while the other grabs the marble countertop to keep himself steady.

I close my eyes and advance myself deeper onto him. A low, guttural sound escapes his lips and I know I’m doing something right.

“Olivia,” he whispers between heavy breaths. “I’m the one that needs you.”

He
slowly eases me off and picks me up, carrying me quickly to the unmade bed. Slamming my body down into the pillow-top, he swiftly removes my underwear and grabs a condom from his shorts. He glides it on before plunging into me. The initial sensation forces my eyes closed and a breathy, foreign sound bubbles out of my throat.

I grab onto his sides
tightly and flex my hips faster, finding the perfect rhythm. I want him to kiss me again, but I don’t know if he will. I lift my eyelids to find his face contorted above me. His eyes are open, but unfocused, as if he’s on another planet. I sneak my line of sight further down to watch him enter me with quick, deep thrusts.

The pressure builds and he’s almost got me at the finish line. I claw at his back, waiting for him to take me over the
edge. I press myself against him and he throws my legs over his shoulders, pushing even deeper.

I’ve never reacted so
animalistically to sex before, but then again, my past experience in the sack mostly consisted of sloppy, meaningless throws with drunken frat boys.

“You like tha
t?” he says as I scream out. I scrape my nails along his back as I finally climax.

He moans discreetly as his pace
slows, before crashing down on top of me.

Our chests rapidly r
ise and fall against each other, and I twirl my fingers in his hair as my heartbeat slows back down to a normal rate. He moves to the side and wraps one arm around me so that my head falls comfortably in the crook of his shoulder.

“Morning sex,” he says with a chuckle.
“Gotta love it.”

“What time is it anyway?” I ask, searching for the clock on the bedside table. “Shit, we’re late!”

I pop out of his arms, jumping from the bed. “We were supposed to be downstairs fifteen minutes ago!”

“Who car
es? This is all bullshit anyway.” Austin yanks me back to the mattress.

“I care, and so should you. Just get ready, ok
ay?” I grab his arm and spring him off the bed with me, shuttling him to the adjoining door.

I scramble to take a ten-second shower and swish with mouthwash again. Throwing my hair in a ponytail, I slide on a bikini and sundress and grab my bag.

I knock on Austin’s door. He opens to greet me in board shorts and sandals.

“You ready
yet?” I ask.

He rubs his wet hair with a towel and finds a t-shirt in his dresser. “Is this charade really still necessary? I mean, tomorrow’s the grand finale of public deception, so what
does it matter if we play hooky for one day?” 

Ugh
, tomorrow’s engagement day. I really didn’t want to be reminded of the upcoming nuptials, and worse, the impending end of this work vacation.

“Nice try, but Cassidy would call Priscilla and I don’t even want to think about how much trouble I’d be in.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Hey, you have uh…” he laughs, pointing at my neck.

I turn to the mirror and see a giant hickey staring back at me. “You suck!”

He grins with his hands on his hips. “Yes, and apparently I do it well.”

“This isn’t funny, Austin.” I take my hair down and do my best to cover the obvious bruise, but I know it still shows.

He stifles a laugh. “Yeah, it kind of is.”

“Shut up!” I elbow him in the ribs.

“Ouch!” he screams. “My publicist is abusing me! Call 911!”

I
cover his mouth with my hand before dragging him to the elevators. One of the hotel staff members rushes over as soon as we step out. “Good morning Mr. Ford, Ms. Kelley,” he says with a smile. “Your group already went to the beach to get settled for the parasailing excursion.”

My stomach burns as I pace back and forth. “Do you think we can catch up with them?”

The staff member checks his watch. “Sorry miss, I’m afraid the boat’s probably in the water by now.”

I pull
the ends of my hair. “Shit.”

Austin crosses his arms against his chest and leans back with a laugh.

“What’s so hilarious?” I snap.

“Now we can follow my plan to screw your stupid itinerary! Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

My arm links with his as I drag him toward the beach. “You’re joking, right? Priscilla will have my head.”

His foot pounds the ground and stops me dead in my tracks. “I’m not going. So either you come with me, or have fun with little Miss Bitch on your own.”

I bite my tongue to keep from yelling obscenities in the middle of the luxurious hotel lobby. It won’t make a difference if I’m with one star and not the other, the point is that they’re supposed to be together in public. Why must he be so damn difficult?

Poking my side, he nudges me toward the restaurant. I drop my hands from my waist and follow his lead. The hostess seats us at a booth in the back. It’s almost lunch by now, but we order pancakes and eggs.

He shovels a forkful of syrup-covered-buttermilk-goodness into his mouth. “I think you’re better than this job.”

I jolt back in my seat,
dropping my fork on my plate with a clank. “What do you mean by that? I happen to like my job.”

“You’re better than being a babysitter to fuck ups like me. You should be organizing press tours and setting up interviews with big-time entertainment media, not just getting the paparazzi what they need for the day.”

I slowly pick my fork back up and circle it around my food. “Oh…kay…”

He stops munching and places his large hands on the table. “
You could work for me. Without the agency.”

“What?” I don’t know whether to laugh or feel honored that he has such faith in my PR abilities.

“You could forget about making Priscilla happy, forget about Cassidy’s craziness. And if you work for me, then I wouldn’t have to pretend to marry someone I despise. I bet I can get out of my contract with PWR and you can spin something around to make it sound like I’m the hero when I split up with the bitch.”

His eyes catch mine and my cheeks grow warmer. “That’s really sweet of you Austin, but I can’t. It’s in my contract – I’m not allowed to leave the agency to work for a client.
And besides, I don’t have enough experience, or that many contacts in the industry.”

“I’m sure there’s some way to get out. And I think you would be just fine. You believe in me, and you’d keep me honest, and that’s what’s important, right?”

I swallow hard and nod. “Of course I believe in you, but...” I quickly stare up at the ceiling to break away from his probing gaze. If I leave the PWR Group, Priscilla could tarnish my reputation, and I might not be able to make a good name for Austin in the industry if she turns on him too. Besides, I’m just not prepared to take a leap like that yet. “I’m sorry Austin, but I can’t do that.”

His chair grates against the floor as he
exits the table and storms off, leaving a half-eaten pancake on the plate.