EthanShe was so far beyond perfect, it hurt. The way she molded herself to the front of my body was both sexual and loving. I wanted to tell her that she belonged there - with me, but it would have been silly. Like a dicked up, cheesy-ass line from an old movie. The movies I loved so much."You want to get something to eat?" I kissed the top of her head and glanced back down the beach to find the film crew packing up and not paying us a bit of attention. Did I care if they knew we had something budding between us? Not really. Other than pissing off Deza, which was a bonus depending on the day, I was proud of who Riley was. She'd be a better performer than I ever would, and a part of me wanted to daydream about the day when she was center stage and I was standing behind the curtain, simply supporting her dreams."Yeah. In a minute." She glanced up at me, tearing at my heart with the sadness that sat at the edge of her expression. Whether she was willing to recognize it or not... she w
EthanShe laughed again, and I delighted in the sound. The woman had me by the balls and the heart. It was comical to watch her question her pull over me, but I'd seen her do it multiple times. Clayton needed to forgo his teaching her how to be a better actress and instead remind her of the confidence she had locked down inside of her. If she had a clue of her ability to cast a spell across the audience... she'd be dangerous to more than just me."Are you asking me to pretend to be your girlfriend this weekend?""Yeah. It's not too farfetched is it?" I smiled and moved up to hold the door open for her. "I'll let you pet the monster if you agree to help me out."An older couple walked out of the hotel through the door I held open. The look on their faces was priceless."Shit, Ethan. Really?" Her cheeks turned red as she laughed."Absolutely." I took her hand, finding myself not wanting a moment where we weren't touching in some capacity. It felt wrong to miss out on anything with her.
Riley"You're already up." I pressed my heel against the bed and rolled us over. "I want to taste you.""What? No. I wanna feel you come." He reached up and gripped the sides of my face, pulling me back down for a long, probing kiss. Every cell in my body came alive, percolating at the idea of having a night trapped beneath him."You will, but you're not denying me again." I nipped aggressively at his mouth and moved down the length of his body until I reached the top of his jeans."Riley. You don't have to-""I want to. Shut up already." I undid his jeans as he played with my hair and brushed his fingers by my breasts, teasing my already rock hard nipples."Don't overdo it. Just take what you can."I chuckled and glanced up to pin him with a hard stare. "Do you always coach the women who are about to suck your cock? It's not very sexy.""Fine, but I better hear you choke, or you're not doing it right." He dropped back and groaned as I tugged his pants down his thighs and forced his s
Riley"Who? Ethan? Me too sometimes." I sat down beside her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders."Hey. I'm right fucking here. Jeez." He winked at me and sat down on the other side of Deza. "I don't hate you, D. I'm just kidding. Riley and I have only been trying to have sex since the first day we met. The woman is driven to get what she wants... when she wants it."I snorted and D ignored him. It was probably for the best."No. Darren." She pressed her hands to her face. "He's killing me slowly. I'm not myself at all anymore because of him.""I'm glad it's someone else's fault besides mine." Ethan glanced up at me and shook his head. He obviously disapproved of Darren, and I understood why. He was my agent before Deza picked me up, and the man had big dreams and lots of hot air to blow around, but when it came to actually making something happen? He was all talk."What happened?" I rubbed her back softly and tried not to think about what Ethan and I would be doing if everyone wou
EthanThe movie night was fun, but a complete bust for my original intent for having it. Deza passed out beside Riley, and she was soon to follow. Where I would normally have finished up the movie and woken up the pretty girl in my bed... there were two, and Deza wouldn't have appreciated being jostled away. I had it in mind to get her back good for dicking up the night.She'd done that shit on purpose. I just knew it.I'd gone back to my room sometime in the early morning after trying to get comfortable on a third of the bed. Having Riley's sweet ass pressed up against me wasn't exactly conducive to sleep. She'd hopefully understand and not look at it as if it were another dick move on my part.After a quick shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and sat down on the bed with my phone in hand. Seemed like Liam and I were set for the weekend. He'd be happy."What's up, Brosky?" His voice filled the line. The guy was perpetually happy. I'd have to dig a little and figure out the secr
Ethan"You're such a cock." My brother was green with jealousy. I'd happily have let him pinch hit for me with the hordes of adoring fans. It was overrated - big time."Best part about me, right?" I snorted and got off the elevator in search of a familiar face.Frank motioned that I join him from inside a cafe near the front of the hotel. It was nice to see that it was just him and Paul. Where I wanted to see my girl, I didn't wanna put on my nice guy front just yet. I was weary and starving."The only good part about you.""Fuck you very much. I'm out." I hung up the phone and tucked it in my pocket. Charlotte and Riley would come with us to mom's for the weekend and Liam would pop the poor girl's cherry. Where Riley wouldn't approve, Charlotte would probably fall in love. Then we'd really have a stalker on our hands. Something about the idea of the girl stalking my brother left me giddy. He deserved another problem in his life. I'd make sure it happened."You look like you had a lon
RileyFor some reason, I was relieved about not having the night I expected with Ethan when I woke the next morning. He and Deza were already gone, which gave me time to pace the floor for a little while. I knew it would feel good, no more like great, to spend the night in his arms, to feel him owning every part of me, but I was scared.Like fucked up scared.I picked up the phone and called Charlotte. Jace would have been a better choice for the conversation at hand, but he'd turned mushy on me. There was no talking with him about Ethan."Hey. You okay? Having fun?" Charlotte sounded chipper.Good. I need chipper. "Yeah, I'm good. Just needed to hear your voice." I pressed my fingers to my forehead and continued to tear up the carpet in front of the window. "I just... Shit. I don't know.""Uh oh. Did something happen?""Yes. No." I stopped and pulled the curtain back. The film crew was setting up, which meant I had very little time left before they would expect me downstairs. "Befor
Riley"Great job today, guys." Frank glanced around the circle with a huge smile on his face. We'll be working a little more in the morning and then heading back home.I couldn't help but study Ethan as we all stood around together. He'd been on-point all day long, but now that the work day was over, I could almost sense him sliding into a depression. Had something happened with the pregnancy case today?His beautiful smile faded, and his eyes lost their luster as Frank continued to talk through what we had left to do over the next few weeks. My heart ached for me to move across the group to him and wrap him in a tight hug, to promise to help him with anything he needed from me.But he didn't need anything, did he?I needed plenty from him, but it was unfair. He wanted lust and I was pushing for love. Maybe there was a way to meet him in the middle and dive into lust first with the hope that it would eventually turn the tide and become something amazing.Or maybe I was delusional.The
Four Months LaterEthanNo matter how many times I went to the premier or opening night, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I was worried about my woman, but knowing her, she was handling it better than me. Deza had her in one of the dressing rooms at the large theater downtown where we did all of our opening nights."She needs to have some time to herself where you're not humping her damn leg like a Chihuahua in heat." Deza had been quite clear on why Riley wasn't coming with me to the premier."You want a turn?" I'd tried to hump her leg a few minutes earlier as she came in to check on me, but it hadn't gone over too well. Something about her big ugly boyfriend out front and him not liking me as it were.His loss. He's eating those words when the two of them finally retied the knot. It was me that got them back together, though neither one of them seemed to want to admit it.It was a thankless job."You know it's weird." Deza moved up in front of me and reached up, adjusting my tie.
RileyWe walked into the wedding dress shop, and everything became real. All of the struggle and strife we'd been through to reach this point.I turned as tears blurred my gaze and reached for Ethan."Baby, what's wrong?" He leaned down and pulled me against his chest as a salesman spoke up behind us."How can I help you, Mr. Lewis?""Nothing. I'm just overwhelmed. I'm sorry." I pressed my hands to my face and leaned against him.He brushed his hair down the back of my head. "My girl and I want to see some wedding gowns. The best that you have. And I'll put down a thousand dollars to have you leave us be back in the dressing room for about an hour once we have a few of your best.""Done, Sir. I'll gather them now."He kissed the top of my head. "We can come back, Ri. We don't have to do this now.""No. I want to." I forced myself to look up at him. "I just feel out of place.""But you fit in at the mall?" He chuckled, but the sound fell flat. He got it. I was out of place there, but a
Ethan"This is Ethan," I mumbled into the phone, trying to keep my voice down, though there was no way in hell anyone could hear me over the noise at the mall."Ethan Lewis?" A woman stopped in front of me.Fuck me. I pointed to the phone and shook my head no, pulling it away and mouthing that I was a look alike."Oh. Never mind." She gave me a snarl and walked on."Deza?" I put the phone back to my ear. "I'm in the mall. Come get me before these crazy bitches tear the flesh from my bones."Deza's laugh filled up my ear, accompanied by Frank’s. "We have you on speaker. What the fuck are you doing at the mall on a Saturday? And a public mall at that.""Riley forced me to." I pouted and watched for signs of my girl in the windows of the store she was shopping in. "She's still wearing rose-colored glasses about this shit.""I'm taking it she didn't see those horrible pictures the Daily Star posted about her being-" Deza started.Frank finished it. "Pregnant with Ethan's alien twins?"The
Two Months LaterEthan"Why did we decide to do this?" I narrowed my eyes and the pretty girl that sat across from me. The one that had my heart racing and body purring every time she walked into the room."Because." She lifted her eyebrow. I knew that look. "You said that we would get to where we could go out in public and do normal things for our age. We're in our early twenties. We're eating at the food court. Period.""At a public mall." I glanced around and realized every-fucking-body was staring and pointing. I groaned and turned back to her. "If it's not bad enough that every tabloid has taken pictures of you and swollen your stomach for you with photoshop. It makes you look like you're pregnant with my alien twins. What more do you want?"She laughed, and I forced myself to sit back and chill out. "Nothing, baby. I wanted noodles at the mall. I'm tired of being in the house or at private parties. I want to live where everyone else does. I want to shop at Old Navy!""They have
Riley"Bumpy?" The little boy's blue eyes sparkled as he wiped at Ethan's hands over his legs. "Bumpy?""Oh jeez. Thank you so much." The mother jogged up and scooped the little guy up in her arms. "I'm so sorry." She paused as her eyes went wide. "Oh my God. You're Ethan Lewis and Riley Phillips. I love your movies," she pointed over to me, "and you were beautiful in the Spring play at UCLA. You're in the next Eon movie together, right?""Yeah, we are." I smiled over at Ethan, but he was too busy watching the little boy. Did he want kids? We'd had a short conversation about it, but I couldn't remember his response. His own upbringing had been as bad as mine, if not worse.Poverty sucked. Not being loved was way worse."Baby." I tugged on his hand."Oh. Sorry. I got lost there in my head for a minute." He reached out and patted the little guy on the head. "Take care, hmm?""Thank you again." The woman turned as the little boy chirped the word, 'bumpy' a handful of times."You want bab
RileyButterflies danced in my stomach as we drove along the coast and finally pulled up to a white castle that overlooked the water. A maroon Lexus convertible sat in the driveway.I glanced down at my clothes and gave Ethan a look. "Really? Why didn't you tell me to dress up? Whose house is this?"He laughed and pulled behind another large moving truck. "Ours, baby.""What?" Shock raced through me as he got out of the van and left me sitting there. "Ours?"Did he buy a house on the beach? I'd just mentioned wanting one the day before. Late in the day on the day before.I got out and jogged to catch up to him as a bunch of guys I didn't know walked out of the house."Alright. Just bring everything in from the garage, and Riley will tell you where it's going." He reached back and took my hand, half-pulling me into the house. I'd never seen anything like it in my life. I was majestic. Huge. White."Ethan." I was breathless, and my heart hurt in my chest. "Did you buy this place yesterd
EthanI knocked on Charlotte and Riley's apartment door and moved back, the red flowers in my hands holding one white rose.Riley opened the door rubbing her eyes. "Baby? What are you doing? It's before ten."I handed her the flowers and pulled her into my arms, laying a few kisses on her lips and smiling down at her. "Get dressed. We got shit to do.""This early?" She blinked and looked around as if confused. I'd never seen anything more perfect in my whole life."Yeah." I moved away and pointed to the moving truck. "Our trucks waiting right there. Let's get your stuff and get moving. This day isn't going to wait much longer for us."Her eyes widened, and she turned her attention back to me. "Wait. I'm moving in today?""Yep." I walked past her and winked at Charlotte. "Jace coming to help?""Already here, man." He walked out from the kitchen and extended his hand to me. "I never thought I'd see the day where I'd help someone steal Riley from me, but I guess it's come, hm?"Charlotte
EthanRiley wasn't too thrilled when I took her back to her apartment after we got sloshed at the party, but I told her my stomach was upset and I would see her the next morning. Not a good thing to do with a possessive woman in love.I turned off my phone an hour after getting home and took a long shower as excitement bubbled up inside of me. I had big plans for the next day and had been texting on my phone all fucking night to get it all set up for her.She was going to be blown the fuck away. Just knowing that it would be my fault had me giddy as I rolled out of bed the next morning. It was still early, but I was good with it. I wanted everything to be perfect.I pulled out my phone and texted my brother, Deza and Riley’s best friend, Charlotte to make sure everyone knew where they needed to be and what part they were playing."And here you thought I was just sitting on my hands." I glanced down at my phone. The picture of us eating ice cream like two little kids always made me smi
RileyI laughed and got dressed quickly as excitement bubbled in my stomach. I'd never been to an end of production wrap up party. Obviously, because I'd never wrapped up a movie before. It sounded like fun, and if we were going to be drinking and dancing with all of our friends, how could it not?Darren is coming.Worry raced through the center of my chest as I thought through how that could be good or bad. It seemed that there were a lot more chances for things to get messed up than go well.I forced myself to stop thinking about all of it and went back to feeling grateful. Ethan and I were spending almost every night together at his place, and he was dropping hints all the time about us getting married or having kids, or at the very least, moving in together.It was going to happen soon. I could feel it in my bones.I checked my hair and lipstick one more time before walking out of my dressing room and taking the long way over to studio six. I passed by the practice rooms where Cla