Sex Symbol Read online

  She knocked on his trailer door.

  “Come in.” God, his voice was sexy.

  She took a deep breath, steeling herself to be firm about what was and wasn’t acceptable in the workplace. She opened the door and walked in. And all her determination went out the window.

  Because there was Micah, standing in the middle of his trailer, completely naked and fully aroused.

  Micah wondered if he’d gone too far when he asked Beaumont to send Maddie to his trailer, but as soon as he saw her, his hard and throbbing cock told him not to care.

  He’d wanted to take her the minute she’d finished giving him the most incredible shower blowjob. She’d thought she was relieving him, but her amazing gift made him want to give her an orgasm of her own. He’d struggled through the morning, trying not to think about her. Finally, he knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on his acting if he didn’t have her. Now.

  He expected she’d turn down his text. She took her work too seriously to drop it for a romp in the hay. He admired her for that. Which was the reason he had to come clean to Beaumont about missing his mark. Plus, he’d promised Maddie he would. Using Beaumont as an excuse to get her to his trailer was just an added bonus.

  Losing his clothes came spur of the moment. He was mid-changing into costume when he remembered how turned on he’d been when Maddie had told him she’d considered waiting naked in his hotel room. Maybe this was a good opportunity to reverse the scenario. Hopefully she’d appreciate the gesture.

  The look on her face suggested she did.

  It took three short seconds for her to cross from the door to his arms. Their mouths met and the kiss was ferocious and fraught, as though he hadn’t seen her in days rather than just hours. He grappled with her pants while she roughly ran her hands through his hair, the sensation of her fingers on his scalp heightening his arousal.

  When he came up for air, he murmured against her mouth. “Oh, baby, I missed you.”

  “Um hmm,” she moaned, reclaiming his lips.

  He lowered her pants and panties to below her knees and lifted her onto the nearby countertop—the same counter he had kissed her against a week ago. Without releasing her mouth, he tore open the condom he’d laid out in anticipation of her arrival and rolled it over his shaft. He scooted her forward until she was on the edge of the counter, and then spread her as wide as she could manage with her pants still hooked around her ankles. With his thumb, he rubbed the length of her pussy, pausing to enter her hot opening, testing her readiness. Christ, she was so wet for him.

  He removed his thumb and moved his pelvis toward her. “Here I come.” He plowed into her. Fuck, she felt good. Even after more than a day of repeated sex, she still felt hot and heavenly as that first time. He paused for a second to admire that.

  Then with a punishing rhythm, he began thrusting, hard and fast. His panting matched hers as she gasped at each stroke, thighs slapping against his hips. He could fuck her like this for hours, forever even, though he knew this would be quick. He was too aroused, and she was too, already clenching around him, warm and tight.

  He placed his hands on her hips to help move her back and forth over his cock, and increased their tempo. Wait, wait, he told himself. Wait for her.

  “Maddie, I want you to come,” he growled.

  She arched and released at his request. “Ah, I’m coming!” She covered her mouth to stifle her cry.

  “I am too.” Blind, flashing light crossed his vision and he released with her, leaning forward, pushing her back against the cupboards behind her to support the sudden loss of feeling in his thighs. “Mmm, baby, you’re incredible.”

  He gave her a quick kiss and pulled out, noticing her wince as he did. “Are you sore?” he asked.

  She waited while her breathing slowed. “Somewhat.”

  He smiled. “Fantastic.” He leaned in to nuzzle her nose before pulling off the condom and disposing of it in the toilet.

  “Waiting naked. Wow.” She wriggled off the counter and brushed past him. From the bathroom she called, “But what if that hadn’t been me who knocked?”

  He pulled on a pair of briefs. “Hell, I bare my ass in every movie I’m in. Who hasn’t seen my stuff?”

  She didn’t close the door as she cleaned up. He liked that. She felt comfortable around him. Hell, he hoped so after all they’d done in the last two days.

  He leaned against the doorframe, watching her. “Besides, I knew it was you.”

  She washed her hands and dried them on the hanging towel. She faced him, unable to leave the bathroom with him in her way. “Pretty certain I would come, were you?”

  She was frisky, but he sensed she was serious behind her tease. He played along. “Oh, I work hard to make sure you come.”

  She blushed, her skin turning even pinker under her just-fucked hue. He had to turn away. He loved it when she colored and he couldn’t be certain he could stop himself from taking her again.

  She took the opportunity to leave the bathroom. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the countertop. The fucking, amazing countertop. “I’m supposed to be working.”

  Ah, that’s it. She was irritated at him for interrupting her job. He deserved that. He stepped into his jeans, zipping them before he responded. “This was work related.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “Beaumont told me I should apologize to you. He, of course, didn’t know that I already had.” He walked over to her and placed his hands on her hips. “It was also a thank you for this morning.” He kissed her lightly on her nose then sat on the bench across from her to put on his socks.

  She glared at him.

  “Hey, if it were really an issue, you didn’t have to come.” He grinned, emphasizing the word “come.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I came to your trailer to tell you that I couldn’t just be summoned for sex.”

  He chuckled. “How’s that going?”

  “Hmm.” She sighed. “Depending on how you look at it, rather well, actually.”

  He returned to her, wrapping her in his arms. “I’m glad you came,” he said softly. “And I’m glad you came to my trailer.”

  She hit him softly.

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “And I hear you—I won’t summon you for sex again.” He shouldn’t have done it in the first place. Sex on set was unprofessional. Though the sneaking around part was especially fun.

  “Promise?” she asked, throwing her arms around his neck.

  He nodded. “No.”

  She smiled against his lips. “Thank God.” She kissed him deep and slow in stark contrast to their earlier frenzy. Too soon, she pulled away. “As much as I hate to, I have to get back to work. And so do you, I’m sure.”

  “Yes, I’m late for makeup.”

  She started for the door and a sudden aching overtook him. He didn’t want her to leave, couldn’t bear to be without her for even the short time before he joined her on set. It was a new emotion for him—stifling and suffocating and wonderful and freeing all at once.

  He grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving. “Spend the night with me?”

  She grinned, lighting up the small space. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Seventeen

  Maddie grabbed a French fry off the dining cart next to the bed and dipped it in ketchup. She twisted to face Micah who was stretched out next to her studying his script. She leaned over and fed the fry to him.

  “Yum,” he groaned. “French fries and sex…now that’s what I call a perfect evening.”

  “Post-coital fries are the best. You sound like you don’t get that very often. I’m going to assume you don’t usually eat French fries.”

  “Not on my diet plan. But I figure we’ve been burning enough calories that I can indulge.”

  She giggled as she stuck a fry in her own mouth. “No French fries, no girlfriends…you kind of make it seem sucky to be a Hollywood star.”

  He gave a dramatic sigh. “You have no id
ea.” He resumed reading his script.

  She picked up another fry and chewed on it slowly, watching Micah as he closed his eyes and silently mouthed his lines. It had been a great day, waking up with Micah, sex in his trailer, a perfect shoot. Then, after she’d cleaned up the set and stopped by her hotel room for a change of clothing and some personal items, she’d arrived at Micah’s room. They ordered burgers and fries from room service, and while Micah was supposed to be reviewing his lines, occupied their wait with more physical activities.

  They still hadn’t talked about their arrangement, and even though that’s what they agreed on, she still couldn’t help feeling anxious. Was all of this new for Micah or had he been with a woman longer than one night before? What was the best way to balance getting to know him under the covers with getting to know him outside of the bedroom? How should she act with him around others? Could she expect that she was with him until further notice or would she have to wait each day for an invitation to his bed? They were standard new relationship questions, but because of who Micah was, they felt heavier.

  He reached up and stroked her arm. “Hey. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours? You seem to have gone someplace serious.”

  “Not too serious.” She decided that if she didn’t share her thoughts she’d never get to know him. “I was wondering how long you’ve had your no-girlfriend rule.”

  His hand rested on hers. “Wow, not too serious at all. I must not be very entertaining.”

  She slipped her hand out from under his and poked him in the ribs. “Oh, you’ve been plenty entertaining. Now answer the question.”

  He sighed. “Seven years. Right about when I signed with my manager, Stu. That was just after I met you, actually.”

  She bit her lip. “And in seven years, you’ve had no long-term anything?”

  Micah tossed his script on the nightstand. “Now I didn’t say that.” He spoke carefully. “I dated a model about four years ago. For several months. It was all over the tabloids. Maybe you read about it.”

  Maddie’s breath caught. She vacillated between jealousy and hope. Who was the bitch? And did that mean he was open to a relationship again?

  “I don’t read the gossip mags.” She spoke as cautiously as he had. “What happened?”

  “I…do you really want to hear this?”

  “Yes, I really do.”

  “Okay. Nichelle was her name. And she’d just started getting some major jobs when I met her. Then we started going out and I decided to break my rule and give the whole relationship a try.” He blew out a heavy breath. “That’s when I discovered yet another reason Hollywood relationships don’t work. You can never tell who’s into you for you, and who’s into you for what you can get them.”

  She tensed, realizing that whatever this Nichelle had done to Micah had made an impact. “What did she do?”

  “Turned out she wanted a part from a director I was working with. She pushed me to introduce them, so I did. Then when he didn’t give her the part, she dumped me.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Maddie felt a wave of nausea, but she kept it to herself. The man had such a jaded opinion about romance in the first place, then to have someone use him like that? It would make her goal of getting close to Micah that much more difficult.

  “I’m dead serious.” He stared at her, sensing her anxiety, perhaps. After a moment he asked, “What about you?”

  “No one’s ever used me to get a part in a movie.” She took another French fry and fed it to him, hoping to remind him of the awesome things about girlfriends, such as post-coital French fries.

  He sneered at her. “Have you had anything serious?”

  “Who says I don’t have a boyfriend right now?”

  “Ha ha ha.”

  “What?” She tried to hide the hurt from her voice. “Does it seem utterly impossible that I’d have a boyfriend?”

  Micah gave a genuine laugh this time. “No, it seems utterly impossible that you don’t. You’re incredibly smart, beautiful, creative, sexy as hell…” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “But you wouldn’t be here with me if you had a boyfriend.”

  “I don’t know.” She smiled coyly. “You could persuade a girl to forget her man for more than a minute.”

  “But you wouldn’t do that. You’re too decent.”

  Her cheeks warmed. Why did that make her blush? Yes, she was decent. No, she wouldn’t cheat on a boyfriend. Even for Micah.

  She’d break up, then jump him.

  Micah’s eyes twinkled, enjoying her discomfort. “Plus, I think you’re secretly a hopeless romantic.”

  She lowered her eyes. “No way.” But she really was a hopeless romantic. She wanted the whole thing, the awesome guy who loved her and only her, the ring, the wedding cake….

  And Micah knew it. “Yes way,” he said. “And perhaps the fear that you won’t ever actually find ‘the one’ is what keeps you so emotionally unavailable.”

  She gathered the comforter around her, suddenly feeling very exposed. How did this conversation turn to her, anyway? “I’m not emotionally unavailable.”

  “You so are.”

  “I’m here with you.”

  “Yes, you’re here with the guy who declared he was also emotionally unavailable. Way to prove your point.” He grabbed a handful of French fries and stuffed them in his mouth.

  Maddie furrowed her brow. His remark about his unavailability stung. Didn’t they say they weren’t putting preconceived barriers on their relationship?

  But more than that, was he right? About her? She didn’t feel emotionally unavailable. Yet, how many guys had she dated since college? Not very many. Besides the casual fling here and there, there had been almost no one.

  Because I hadn’t met anyone.

  As if reading her thoughts, Micah countered, “Look, you have multitudes of men falling at your feet and you don’t even have a clue.”

  “Whatever.” He was so dramatic. “Like Sam?”

  Micah shrugged. “Sam’s a good guy.”

  She cocked her head and looked at him curiously. “I thought you said he was a douchebag.”

  “I may have spoken falsely.”

  His sudden endorsement of Sam put her on edge. Sam was…was…She actually didn’t know what Sam was. She hadn’t taken the time to find out. What she did know was what Sam wasn’t. He wasn’t Micah.

  She wasn’t brave enough to say that, though. “Sam’s, like, barely twenty-one.”

  Micah shrugged. “Young enough to train.”

  “And he’s always so in the way.”

  “He’s a pleaser.” He lowered his voice. “He’d probably try really hard to please you.”

  Maddie fought to hide the tears that were threatening. Did he really want her with someone else? “So are we done now, is that it? And you’re trying to softly hand me over to Sam to ease your guilt?”

  “Fuck, no!” He pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly against him. “Imagining any guy, let alone Sam, with you—touching your incredibly soft skin, fondling your adorably perky breasts—feels like I’m being stabbed in the gut.” He unrolled her from the comforter so their skin met. “And now I have to fondle your breasts since I was talking about it.”

  She giggled as his palm found her bosom. “So you’d be jealous?”

  “Incredibly.”

  Awesome. “And you aren’t trying to get rid of me yet?”

  “Not a chance.”

  Even more awesome.

  She relaxed under his soothing massage, her nipple hardening under his fingers. She was exactly where she wanted to be with the kind of guy she wanted to be with. Didn’t he know that?

  Head pressed against his chest so she wouldn’t see his face, she told him. “I don’t want to be with multitudes of other guys. I want to be with you.”

  “I know,” he whispered. He kissed her forehead and then nuzzled his face against hers.

  He feels it too. Even though he won’t say it. Her chest warmed
at the realization.

  Then she started to sink again as she recalled the complexity of their situation. “How do we do this? Get to know each other, I mean. With you being you, and all. What do we do?”

  He returned his hand to her breast. “I don’t know about you, but I’m fondling. I can give you some suggestions as well.”

  “Micah, I’m serious.”

  He sighed. “I know.” He was quiet for a moment and she wondered if he wouldn’t answer her. But then he did. “I don’t know. I haven’t done this either. Not successfully. The press like to connect me with every woman I come into contact with. They’ll say that I’m with someone or another, and they will have pictures, but you can’t believe it.”

  “I told you, I don’t read gossip magazines.”

  “Good. Don’t start. And the minute they find out I’m seeing you…it will be tough, Maddie, I’m not going to lie.”

  “So then we should try to remain media free. Don’t you think?”

  “If we want to stay media free, we have to sneak around on set.”

  She swallowed. “I realize that.” She couldn’t deny that it made her more than a little sad to be Micah’s secret. The way she was feeling about him, she wanted to tell the world. But they were still so new, and she really did want to give their relationship a chance. “I suppose I can live with it.”

  He tilted up her chin so he could look her in the eye. “It won’t mean anything, Maddie. What other people say or know. It’s between you and me. If you wonder at all, you ask me. You have to promise.”

  His seriousness was so startling she took a moment to answer. “Okay, I promise.”

  “Thank you.” He released her chin and stroked her cheek. “If we stay low on set we’ll have a better shot of staying out of the media’s eye. It won’t be easy. But while we have the excuse of working together I think we could pull it off. That gives us…what? Four weeks left to figure the rest out.”