It turns out what Orlando has in mind is to take me up to the shower and soap up each other's naked bodies. And then turn me around against the shower wall and join with me from behind until I'm crying tears of pure pleasure. By the time we stumble out of the shower again, I feel both cleaner and dirtier than I have in a long time. And I'm beginning to think it's a miracle that I can still walk after two weeks with this man.I'm drying off in front of the mirror when Orlando comes up behind me. His golden eyes meet mine in the mirror as he reaches around and cups my breasts through the thick towel. He isn't wearing a towel at all."I have an idea," he says into my ear. "Why don't we get dressed up and you let me take you to dinner?"My heart leaps. "Like a real date?""Yes, like a real date. How does that sound?""It sounds amazing," I tell him."Good. Do you think you can be ready in forty-five minutes?"Oh yes, I can. I dart off to the guest bedroom - all of my clothes are sti
"I didn't know you were back in town already," Nadia says to Orlando, batting her eyelashes. "You told me you'd call me when you returned.""Ah, yes. I'm sorry," Orlando says, withdrawing his hand from mine. "Forgive me, Nadia, but things have been a little chaotic these past few weeks. It slipped my mind.""I can see that." Another quick flick of her eyes in my direction. "Well, don't hesitate to reach out. You know how much I enjoy our time together." She reaches over and caresses his cheek. "Enjoy your meal. I imagine you have quite the appetite." Flipping her bouncy golden hair over her shoulder, she struts back across the restaurant without waiting for a response.I can't help myself - I watch her walk away, my eyes following her all the way to her table on the far side of the room. She's sitting with two other women who are just as willowy and beautiful - probably some of her model friends."I'm sorry you had to witness that," Orlando says behind me.I twist back around."I
My chest constricts. "What?""I might say the same of you," Orlando repeats."What do you mean?""You and your so-called 'doodles.' " He watches me levelly. "You claim you aren't an artist. You claim you can't tell stories. But I've seen your work, Maggie. I told you the first day we met that you have an interesting perspective, and I wasn't lying. You're talented. You're imaginative. And I think if you wanted to, you could make a career of it."I don't know what to make of that. I pick up my glass and twirl it from side to side, watching the wine swish around. "You're just saying that because we're sleeping together.""I assure you, I'm not. Why would I needlessly flatter you if I already know I can make you wet on command?"He's a little too on the nose with that comment. "Okay, then you're just saying it to avoid talking about why you don't want to write your own scripts."He doesn't answer right away, and I risk a peek up at him. He's still watching me closely, but his expre
"Go to the women's restroom," Orlando says. "I'll follow in a moment."Obediently, I rise from my chair. My heart is thumping in my ears, drowning out the murmur of voices around me. Everything is fuzzy, as if I'm listening underwater.I don't let myself glance toward Nadia's table. Or lock eyes with anyone I pass. I only focus on the urgent pulse between my legs, of the need that has taken over every part of me.I wonder if he fucks his other distractions in restaurant bathrooms. It's the only thought of that kind that I allow, and I suppress it again quickly. I've already decided to do this, and I won't turn back now.When I reach the women's bathroom, though, I realize there might be a hitch in our plans. All three stalls are occupied, and there are two other women waiting for their turn. Disappointed, I turn and leave.Orlando shows up only a moment later."There are too many people in there," I whisper to him.He pokes his head into the men's restroom, but apparently the si
The moment the words are out of my mouth, my climax hits. I go tumbling off the cliff, falling headfirst into a river of sensations so deep I can't remember which way is up. Within seconds, Orlando groans against my throat, pinning me hard against the chair as he finds his release.We both stay there for several long moments, just trying to catch our breath. My skin is dewy with perspiration, and several large beads of sweat roll down my back, but for once, I don't mind. I don't even care that large patches of my hair cling damply to my throat.With a contented sigh, I let myself lean against the back of the chair. Orlando reaches down and pulls up his pants, then takes a seat on one of the lower stacks of chairs nearby.I rub my eyes, feeling exhausted. "That was...hot."He chuckles, and he sounds just as tired as I feel. "I agree."There's something strange in his tone, and I open my eyes to slits, peering at him. "Is something wrong?""No," he replies, shifting and reaching do
I stride over to the bathroom door and unlock it, then hurry out into the restaurant. My dress is still partway unzipped, but I can't bring myself to care. I want to get out of here, to find a place to be alone and figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now.He doesn't love me. That knowledge burns deeper into my heart with every step I take. I love him, but he doesn't love me. Even though I told myself a hundred times this was coming, even though I warned myself from the beginning that my crush would never be returned, not in the way I wanted, it feels like someone has torn my heart out.Something tugs at my foot, nearly tripping me, and when I look down I see that my thong is caught around my ankle, tangled partway around the heel of my shoe. And that one of the bands of elastic has caught on the edge of a table leg."Maggie!"Orlando's voice carries across the restaurant, causing a number of people to look up from their meals.I'm too emotional to listen to him right now.
Orlando twists around. Just outside his window stands a big, muscled guy with a closely shaved head and a dark line of stubble along his jaw. At first glance, he's terrifying - but then I get a better look at his face. It's the only one of Orlando's brothers I haven't met yet - Raphael, or Rafe, as he's more commonly known."Everything okay in there?" Rafe says through the window. His voice is so deep it's almost startling."We're fine," Orlando says back. He glances over at me. Whatever he had left to say to me, it clearly isn't going to happen now.I flick open the lock and open the car door, climbing out. And that's when I see that Rafe isn't the only person standing in the driveway - there's also a pretty, friendly faced woman with a baby in her arms."What are you doing here?" Orlando demands of his brother as he gets out of the car."Did you forget?" Rafe says. "You said I could get those movies for our father. Edie and I are heading over to the hospital first thing tomorrow
Half an hour later, I find myself walking into Rafe and Edie's house, my head throbbing with tears I refuse to cry. Rafe takes the baby, and Edie gestures for me to follow her.What am I doing? I ask myself as Edie leads me upstairs to one of the guest rooms. I don't even know these people. I never should have accepted their offer of hospitality. They were just trying to be polite.But that's not the only regret bouncing around in my head. I just walked away from Orlando Fontaine. Girls like me don't usually get the chance to be with guys like him, under any circumstances. I should have been grateful he even looked at me twice. I should have reveled in the time we had together, for however long it took for him to get tired of me. He's mind-numbingly hot, astonishingly talented, and he knows how to do things in bed that I'd never even imagined before. So what if he doesn't love me? Half a relationship with Orlando might still have been better than no relationship at all.Edie shows m
Sometimes small choices can have a huge impact on your life.Now, almost a year after I first set foot on the set of Death and Deadly Night, I'm standing with Orlando on the red carpet at the premiere. I'm wearing the most beautiful dress I've ever seen, a shimmery gown with dark silver accents, and my hair has been styled into cascading waves that hang down over my shoulder. I have no idea what I'm doing - there are so many lights, so many people shouting - but as long as Orlando's arm is around my waist, I don't care. I can face anything.Orlando is nervous. He doesn't show it, not on the surface, but I've learned to read him quite well. He doesn't have any reason to worry, though. Death and Deadly Night is brilliant. Some might even call it a masterpiece. I have complete faith that the critics and the rest of the world will finally see Orlando for the genius he is, and he can finally move out of the shadow of his family.Not that I don't love his family, of course. They've all co
Despite the fact that I've slept a number of nights by Orlando's side, I've never gotten a good look at him asleep before. With that loose, tousled hair, he looks almost angelic, but I know that the moment he opens his eyes again, that devilish spark will be back.Repositioning myself in my uncomfortable plastic chair, I prop my notebook on my lap. I've sketched half a dozen different pictures of him over the last half hour. It's tricky to hold the pen with these thick bandages on my palms, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. And Orlando is much easier to draw when his eyes are closed. In this latest doodle, I've even included some of the complicated machines on the far side of his hospital bed, even though only one of them is currently hooked up to him.I'm adding some shading when his voice rises from the bed. "Now I know how my actors feel."I glance up. "Huh?"Orlando smiles. "The way you're studying me from all angles. I imagine that's how my actors feel when I have them i
I just want to go home, slip on my yoga pants, climb into bed, and stay there for days.I glance around the waiting room as I walk through. There are a few more people here now, a few more people who understand the agonizing but monotonous torture of having a loved one in the hospital. The man with the hat and the popped collar looks up as I pass, but otherwise no one pays me any attention.A bright blue sky greets me as I step outside, and a warm breeze sweeps playfully across the parking lot, but neither one can lift my mood. I want to cry again, to sink down onto my knees and weep until all my tears have dried up.I also want to call Orlando, to hear his voice one more time. To tell him I made his father laugh.There's a footstep behind me."I was hoping for Orlando, but you'll do just as well."Throat clenching, I spin around. The man from the waiting room - the one with the cap and the collar - is standing there, and as he lifts the brim of his hat, my eyes go right to the r
Okay, so coming to the hospital might be mistake number 2,152 I've made since Orlando walked into my life. I thought I was ready for this. I thought I was strong enough to handle whatever I learned today. But I wasn't prepared for the sudden rush of emotion I feel when we walk through the automatic sliding doors into the hospital lobby. I've spent a lot of time in hospitals these past few years. I should have known better.As Rafe and Edie sign us in, my gaze wanders over the people in the waiting room. In one corner, a woman knits while two small children play with a plastic puzzle at her feet. Several chairs away, an elderly couple sits hand-in-hand, the man looking on the verge of tears. Against the far wall, another man sits with his cap pulled down over his eyes and his shirt collar popped up. He looks like he wants to sink right into the wall.All these people are here waiting for a loved one, waiting for news. I know exactly how they feel. Guilt swells in my belly when I think
Thankfully, the GPS system in Rafe and Edie's sedan already has Orlando's address programmed in. Before long, I'm cruising through the streets of L.A. toward his house.I have no idea what I'm going to say to him when I see him. But I'll figure it out when I get there. I just want to see him again.My palms are sweaty on the steering wheel, but I tighten my grip and pretend not to notice. Not even my overactive sweat glands can distract me tonight.When I pull into Orlando's house, I hit a bit of a snag - I don't know the code to his gate. Any grand plans I had to waltz into his house and surprise him with a big romantic gesture are effectively thwarted, but I'm not about to turn back now.I lean out the window and press the button on the call box.It takes a moment for him to respond."Hello?" he sounds confused. I guess it is closing in on midnight."Hey," I say into the speaker. "It's me.""Maggie." His voice is much more alert now."I want to talk," I tell him. "Can I come
Half an hour later, I find myself walking into Rafe and Edie's house, my head throbbing with tears I refuse to cry. Rafe takes the baby, and Edie gestures for me to follow her.What am I doing? I ask myself as Edie leads me upstairs to one of the guest rooms. I don't even know these people. I never should have accepted their offer of hospitality. They were just trying to be polite.But that's not the only regret bouncing around in my head. I just walked away from Orlando Fontaine. Girls like me don't usually get the chance to be with guys like him, under any circumstances. I should have been grateful he even looked at me twice. I should have reveled in the time we had together, for however long it took for him to get tired of me. He's mind-numbingly hot, astonishingly talented, and he knows how to do things in bed that I'd never even imagined before. So what if he doesn't love me? Half a relationship with Orlando might still have been better than no relationship at all.Edie shows m
Orlando twists around. Just outside his window stands a big, muscled guy with a closely shaved head and a dark line of stubble along his jaw. At first glance, he's terrifying - but then I get a better look at his face. It's the only one of Orlando's brothers I haven't met yet - Raphael, or Rafe, as he's more commonly known."Everything okay in there?" Rafe says through the window. His voice is so deep it's almost startling."We're fine," Orlando says back. He glances over at me. Whatever he had left to say to me, it clearly isn't going to happen now.I flick open the lock and open the car door, climbing out. And that's when I see that Rafe isn't the only person standing in the driveway - there's also a pretty, friendly faced woman with a baby in her arms."What are you doing here?" Orlando demands of his brother as he gets out of the car."Did you forget?" Rafe says. "You said I could get those movies for our father. Edie and I are heading over to the hospital first thing tomorrow
I stride over to the bathroom door and unlock it, then hurry out into the restaurant. My dress is still partway unzipped, but I can't bring myself to care. I want to get out of here, to find a place to be alone and figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now.He doesn't love me. That knowledge burns deeper into my heart with every step I take. I love him, but he doesn't love me. Even though I told myself a hundred times this was coming, even though I warned myself from the beginning that my crush would never be returned, not in the way I wanted, it feels like someone has torn my heart out.Something tugs at my foot, nearly tripping me, and when I look down I see that my thong is caught around my ankle, tangled partway around the heel of my shoe. And that one of the bands of elastic has caught on the edge of a table leg."Maggie!"Orlando's voice carries across the restaurant, causing a number of people to look up from their meals.I'm too emotional to listen to him right now.
The moment the words are out of my mouth, my climax hits. I go tumbling off the cliff, falling headfirst into a river of sensations so deep I can't remember which way is up. Within seconds, Orlando groans against my throat, pinning me hard against the chair as he finds his release.We both stay there for several long moments, just trying to catch our breath. My skin is dewy with perspiration, and several large beads of sweat roll down my back, but for once, I don't mind. I don't even care that large patches of my hair cling damply to my throat.With a contented sigh, I let myself lean against the back of the chair. Orlando reaches down and pulls up his pants, then takes a seat on one of the lower stacks of chairs nearby.I rub my eyes, feeling exhausted. "That was...hot."He chuckles, and he sounds just as tired as I feel. "I agree."There's something strange in his tone, and I open my eyes to slits, peering at him. "Is something wrong?""No," he replies, shifting and reaching do