The Monster of Fame (The Price of Fame Series) (13 page)

Jess grinned, clearly pleased with Anna’s change of heart. “I’m in. Let’s start getting ready. I want to look like a million pounds tonight.”

* * * *

“Why are you checking your phone every two seconds? Got a hot date you’re not telling me about?”

Anna looked up from the home screen on her phone, feeling like a squished whoopee cushion again. She wanted to introduce Miles to Jess. Where the hell was he?

They’d been at the party for almost an hour and he hadn’t shown up, neither had Kevin Jones, Miles’s favorite act. She looked around the bar again, the upscale club was a million miles away from anywhere she’d visited back home. The floor was covered in expensive looking dark wood with illuminated glass blocks edging the dance floor. A DJ was playing the latest house music at a reasonable level at the other side of the room. Mirrors lined the back walls and the rest were painted a deep purple.

The only people in attendance were her fellow contestants, the judges—minus the man she was impatiently waiting for—and others working for the show.

“It’s not a date. Not really.” Anna hesitated. She hadn’t told anyone about the thing with Miles and her. Probably because she didn’t know what on earth it was. She couldn’t tell Jess she was sleeping with him, that had only happened once and they hadn’t a bed since. He did, however, call and text her every day—sometimes he was flirty, but most of the time to see how she was doing. It was really sweet. Plus, whenever they found time alone, he ravished her with sexy kisses that made her feel that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

In a way, she was sort of glad she hadn’t seen much of him because she doubted she’d be able to hold off on telling him she loved him. He was still hurting over the death of his wife—any idiot could see that—and until he got better, she wouldn’t put pressure on him to love her back. But she still hoped…

“It’s more…someone I’d like you to meet actually. I’ve been seeing him, and I really like him.” Her phone beeped, interrupting her and she opened the text with clumsy, impatient fingers.

I’m running late. Will be there soon xx

Warmth swelled her chest and her lips curved involuntary.

“Anna, who’s the guy? C’mon, you can’t leave me hanging on like this.” Jess stared at her with penetrating brown eyes. She pushed back her auburn hair impatiently, waiting on Anna’s answer.

Anna felt the blood rush into her face. “Miles Oliver,” she whispered, aware of the others in the trendy bar close by.

“You’re kidding,” Jess whispered excitedly back, her huge eyes almost popping out of her pale face. “You lucky sod. Have you slept with him yet?”

Anna was sure her face was crimson by now. It felt like her skin was on fire. “Jess,” she chided. That really wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with her friend.

“Oh. My. God! You have.” Jess slammed her hand on the table and a huge grin lit up her face.

The babble of voices around them cut off at Jess’s outburst and Anna felt the heat spread to her neck. She kept her head down at the chrome table and hoped the others would quit staring at her soon.

“Oops. Sorry,” Jess whispered, and Anna shook her head, a wry smile curving her lips.

“Don’t worry about it.” The babble of chatter picked up around them again and Anna relaxed the rigid set of her shoulders. “I want you to meet him though. I think you two will get on like a house on fire. He’s really not the meanie the show makes him out to be. It’s in his contract to be rude and outspoken. He’s actually really sweet.” And kind, and caring, and a master in the bedroom.

Her tummy did a little flip with the idea of revisiting that part of their relationship. Her eyebrows mashed together as she realized that they would probably have no time alone at all if—no,
when
—Anna got through to the finals along with his acts.

“Hey, I like that about him. I told you before he’s hot in a bad boy, indie sort of way. Well done, girl, you’re now officially a woman.” Jess grinned from ear to ear, and Anna remembered a conversation between them years ago when they agreed neither of them would truly be a woman until they had lost their virginity. Jess beat her to it almost five years ago.

“I guess I am,” she confirmed and grinned. Now all she needed was for Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy to get his butt there.

“A toast.” Jess lifted her glass from the table. “To womanhood.”

Anna clinked her glass against Jess’s and shook her head before sipping the wine. She had a feeling she was going to enjoy womanhood very, very much.

* * * *

A huge grin spread across Anna’s face as she watched Miles banter with Jess. The pair had hit it off really well and even Kev joined in on occasion.

She’d spoken with Kev a lot tonight and he’d confirmed Jess’s theory that the others in the house were ignoring her because they were jealous of her voice. Miles’s death glare around the room had frightened her, so she assured him and Jess she really didn’t mind. After all, she didn’t, not really.

She had Miles and Jess and her family back home—hell, even her friends and, she supposed, fans on EconEkt. Her life was spectacular at the moment, and she wasn’t about to let a bunch of superficial people get in the way of her happiness.

As the night progressed it became clear from the eyes Jess was giving Kev across the table that she was totally into him. Anna hoped her friend got lucky. Now that she’d spent some time with him, she could see Kev really was a nice guy.

Plus, he was pretty good looking. Like Sander, Kev had muscle—serious muscle. It didn’t do anything for Anna, but Jess seemed to like it. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes. Anna could definitely see why Jess fancied him, but she only had eyes for Miles.

He wore a simple navy shirt and oversized jeans. His hair was all askew like he’d just woke up or had a round between the sheets with her. She was really struggling to keep her eyes—and hands—off him.

Of course, the public venue meant she couldn’t be as close and flirty with Miles as she’d like, which was more than a little frustrating. He did, however, send her the occasional wink when Jess and Kev were engrossed in conversation. Each time he did it, and each smile he threw her way, had her heart fluttering uselessly in her chest.

“Wanna dance?” Kev asked Jess, and she looked to Anna for approval. Anna nodded, glad to have some alone time with Miles.

When they left, Miles moved to sit in Jess’s chair next to hers and bent over so his face was so close she could see the gold flecks in his leafy green eyes. His aftershave was spicy and alluring, making her want to lean closer still to get a better sniff. Sexual awareness sizzled in the air between them and she wished like mad she could transport them somewhere else—preferably his bed—and have her wicked way with him.

“Can you stay with me tonight?” he whispered close to her ear. Goosebumps rose at the feel of his warm breath against her skin, and she wanted to say yes more than she longed for air to breathe.

Disappointment speared through her. “I’m staying at Jess’s hotel tonight. I wish I could.”

His smile was one of understanding and he leaned in, brushing his lips briefly to her temple. Anna’s gaze darted around the room, making sure no one else noticed, but they were all too busy dancing or flirting or drinking to pay any attention to them.

“It’s okay. I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” His hand found hers under the table and he linked his fingers with hers, gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

Anna chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “Tell me about it.”

He looked away from her and she followed his gaze to see Jess necking with Kev on the dance floor. Good for her. Anna giggled and turned back to Miles who was grinning down at her.

“Looks like Jess made a new friend.”

She rolled her eyes in response. “You honestly can’t take that girl anywhere.”

“The kid needs a pretty girl to distract him. He’s been so nervous about tomorrow.”

“Hey,” she chided and mock punched his shoulder. “Kev’s the same age as me.”

“Oh, I know.” Miles’s grin was positively knee melting.

“Hey, Anna,” Jess interrupted, and Anna turned to face her. Jess was struggling to meet Anna’s eyes and she twisted her hands nervously in front of her.

“You okay, Jess?”

Jess leaned in close to Anna’s ear on her other side. “Yeah, actually…I was kind of wondering if you’d mind staying at the house tonight. I’m really sorry, but Kev and I are getting on great. I think it might end up back at the hotel. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind some alone time with Mr. Bad Boy here.”

Anna laughed. Miles was a lot of things, but bad boy wasn’t one of them. “Sure, Jess. No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Anna hugged Jess, then Jess loped off to the dance floor. She turned and winked just before she reached Kev. Anna winked back.

“Do I get to hear the joke?” Miles asked, and Anna turned to beam at him.

“Is that offer of a sleepover still on the table?”

Miles cocked a bushy dark eyebrow. “Jess getting lucky tonight?”

She laughed. “Not as lucky as
I
hope to get.”

His answering smile was so full of promise it melted her insides. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to drag him out of that club then and there and demand he take her back to his flat.

* * * *

“Come here, Annabelle.”

Anna rushed into the circle of his arms and his lips descended on hers. They’d barely shut the door to his apartment and already she was being ravished, wedged between the wall and a hot, fully aroused male.

Not that she was complaining.

Her body was on fire for him. A few weeks ago, she hadn’t been able to imagine—even in her raunchiest daydreams—her body could be capable of this kind of reaction. It certainly never had before with any man. That’s probably why she’d held onto her virginity for so long. All Miles had to do was look at her in that sexy way he did, eyes all dark and hungry, and her heart palpitated in her chest while her core melted with longing.

Mind boggling.

“We should have wine first,” Miles said when they came up for air, and Anna shook her head. He was always the gentleman. She couldn’t believe she’d once thought him controlling like her dad. He was anything but.

“We’ve had wine already. I think we need to get to the bedroom before I explode.”

His lips were on hers the second she finished speaking and she was lost to the devilish taste of him. He smelled of soap and musk and man, all mashed together. It was to die for. If she wasn’t so desperate for his touch, she’d stand here for hours, drinking in his scent and flavor just to experience it fully.

But she
was
desperate.

And so was he.

He lifted her off her feet and had them in his bedroom in seconds. Anna pushed his leather jacket off and began fumbling with the buttons of his shirt with shaky hands, far too impatient to do it right. She grunted her frustration against his lips.

He released her and pulled the offending shirt over his head. She stood there and gaped at him. His long, lean muscles rippled across his chest all the way down to his abs. She’d seen muscled-up torsos in magazines, but this was way better than any of that.

Miles was all man and all real.

The dark scattering of hair swirling across his chest and down his stomach fascinated her. She wanted to run her hands through it, but she also wanted to lap up every glorious inch of him with her eyes.

“Are you going to perv on me all night or was there something else you wanted to do?” His cheeky grin made a smile curve her lips. She loved this about him. The banter came as naturally as breathing.

“Hmm, that’s a toughie.” She raised her index finger to her lower lip and looked to the corner of his bedroom, pretending to consider the conundrum. All the while, heat flamed at her core and her nipples pebbled painfully against her silk dress, aching for his touch.

“Take your time, Miss MacIntosh, by all means.” Except he didn’t allow her any. He pulled her close and nibbled her neck. “Any decisions made yet?”

“Still…thinking.” She gasped, shivering at the tingling sensation in her neck. Her hands explored the velvet skin on his back while he ravished her.

“Okay…” She caved. “I’m done perving.”

He laughed against her throat and pulled her dress over her head in one fluid movement. After picking her up and depositing her quivering frame on the bed, he pulled a condom out of the drawer, removed the remainder of his clothes and sheathed himself. Her core tingled with anticipation as she stared at the thick, solid length of him.

Anna was extremely grateful that his performance anxiety was seemingly gone. She’d googled it after their first night together and found that guilt was one of the causes of impotence in men. It seemed he no longer felt guilty, either that or he managed to forget about it while he was with her. Her smile grew wider; she liked that she was helping him heal. After all, he deserved happiness and love and all those things she knew he thought he’d ever have again.

He positioned himself over her and trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone. She shivered and groaned beneath him, her knickers growing wetter by the minute.

His mouth moved down to her aching nipple and he swirled his tongue around the peak, drawing a needy cry from her. It was heaven, the heat darting to her core was overpowering, but after a week without him, the waiting was hell.

“Now, Miles.” She’d waited too long for him to waste time with the stuff they could get to afterward.

He looked up at her. His jaw was tense, as were his shoulders. She could see he was holding back, but she didn’t want him to. Not tonight.

“But—”

“Please,” she cut him off with a desperate plea, and his control snapped, as did the string of her thong beneath his strong hands.

“You’re sure?” he asked while settling at her entrance.

Anna thrust her hips toward him taking him in an inch. “What do you think?” Her breathless question sounded curt with her irritation.

He chuckled once, and then pulled out and entered her in one long stroke, filling her completely. She squeezed the muscles at her core and inhaled the spicy scent of him. Her heart rate drowned out the sound of her erratic breathing.