Unlocking his hands, I put one over my waist and then placed my arms around his neck, sliding into his arms. Biting my lip, I stared at the skirt of his bed, doing my best to ignore the quivering. His whole body was so cold, so stiff. I could only imagine how painful it must be for him, so I squeezed tighter.

He needs to calm down, but how? What do I say? He’d always loved poetry and plays. I tried to remember anything, but my mind was blank. So I did what all actors did: I made shit up and prayed it worked.

“Once upon a time,

a most joyous time

before the dark times

a time before time

there was you, and there was me

as stupid as young lovers could be.

Not our mothers,

fathers

sisters or brothers

could separate us

not even to a degree.

They mocked us about sitting in trees.

We made out

put out

then fell out of that tree.

So it was just you

and it was just me

now fruits of a poisonous tree.”

He didn’t reply, at least not with words, but he did hold me a little bit tighter. It was only then that I realized he had stopped shaking. Pulling back enough to see his face, I put my forehead on his, and his blue-green eyes stared right back into mine.

I could feel his cock hard between our bodies, just like I was sure he could feel my nipples on his chest. The air between our lips became hotter and hotter.

 Yet neither of us moved.

“Don’t make fun of my poem later.”

The corners of his lips turned up. “I promise I won’t…but can I make fun of it now?”

Frowning, I tried to pull away, but I held on tighter.

“I’m still shaking.”

“No you’re not. You liar!” I laughed, and so did he.

I didn’t realized how badly I missed hearing him laugh or seeing him smile until that moment.

Noah

Dear God, tempt me with anything else but her.  

Sitting up, I couldn’t tear my eyes from her. The white silk robe she was wearing was now completely open. Her nightgown had risen up, exposing her smooth, milky-white thighs and the curve of her beautiful ass. With each breath she took, her breasts rose over and over and over again. Her dark hair was spread out under her. She looked like an angel, one that had fallen for the sole purpose of giving me blue balls.

Sliding one of my arms under her waist and the other under her knees, I lifted her up easily, trying my best to ignore the shiver that went down my spine. When I placed her in the center of my bed, she turned over to one side, curling her legs up to her chest.

“Thank you,” I whispered, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I’m not going to able to say it later. But thank you.”

I wanted to kiss—I wanted to do more than kiss her.

“Fuck…” I hissed when my cock twitched painfully. Stripped down in the bathroom, I didn’t even wait for the water to get hot before I stepped under the showerhead. My skin was so hot that I was sure steam rose off of me.

I stroked the length of my dick slowly at first and then more swiftly the more I thought of her, my mouth parted. What I’d give to pin her body under mine, spread those beautiful thighs of hers and bury myself in her wet pussy. Her sexy legs would wrap around my waist, pulling me deeper into her as I, without restraint, fucked her so hard, so thoroughly, that her back rose off the damn bed.

I wanted to hear her beg me for more when I pulled out and tied her to the bedpost, her smooth ass up high, ready for me to beat it till it was red.

“Jesus Christ….” I gasped as I came, dropping my head under the freezing stream of water. Even after all of these years, Amelia London was still my kryptonite, and she still didn’t know it.

I couldn’t think straight around her. My body reacted on its own around her. My heart, too. It was Amelia’s world, and I was just trying to survive in it.

Grabbing a towel for my waist and another for my hair, I heard the bedroom door open and shut. I figured I’d woken her up and she’d made her escape. However, when I opened the door, she was standing right there, her nightgown barely hanging on to her at this point. Her hair was a mess and pushed up at the back. She looked ridiculous and sinful at the same time.

“Can I use your bathroom, please?” she asked softly, her blue eyes traveling down my abs to my crotch and then back up.

Grinning, I crossed my arms, leaning in the doorframe. “Sure, but I’m not leaving.”

“Ahh…move, you pervert!” She scowled at me, her little nose bunching up as she tried to yank me out.

Laughing, I moved out of the way, and she slammed the door behind her.

“You’re welcome!” I called out, a smile glued to my lips. I knew she was either flipping me off or making a face on the other side of the door, but it only made it funnier.

“Smile any wider, and your face might break,” Austin said when we heard her turn on the shower.

Ignoring him, I moved to the closet, knowing he would follow me. “Did you get it?”

“Ten milligrams of clonazepam…” he whispered, handing me two pills and a bottle of water. I threw them into the back of my mouth and swallowed without it. “You need to slow down, or you will run out again.”

“That’s why you’re holding the bottle, Austin,” I replied, stepping into my jeans. “I’m going out for a smoke. Make sure she’s not here when I get back.”

“Why?” Austin asked.

“What?”

He looked me over carefully, then asked, “Why do you want me to tell her to leave when you want her to stay?”

Without answering, I snatched up my jacket and left.

Amelia

I could have gone to my room. I should have. It would have saved me a lot of embarrassment, but I didn’t want to leave yet. Because of that one decision, I was now standing in front of Noah’s manager dressed in his cotton shirt because I had nothing else to change into. I was hoping—I’m not sure what I was hoping, exactly, but this was not it.

“Where is he?”

“He just went out for a little bit. We’ll see you on set. If you’d like, I will run over and grab something from your…”

He left.

Forcing a smile, I shook my head “no” to his offer because I didn’t trust my own voice. The fact that he wasn’t here meant he wanted me to leave. He didn’t want see me. Yeah. This was the Noah I knew all too well.

Picking up my nightgown and robe, I tried to keep my head up as I headed back to my room. Austin became silent, understanding the message. When he closed the door, I bit my knuckle.

Why the hell are you upset, Amelia?

You should know better. I did know better, but there was still a familiar feeling of rejection building in my chest.

Knock. Knock.

It took a second before Ollie ripped open the door, his cellphone at his ear.

“Where the hell—”

“Give me one second before you yell at me,” I whispered, sliding into the room and leaning against the white doors.

“Amelia?”

“One second more.” I held up a finger for him, blinking back my tears. I took a deep breath and then turned to him.

I started to explain. “I didn’t sleep with him or anything. He was having a hard time, so—”

“So you sacrificed your peace of mind for his comfort.” The look of disappointment and sadness on his face wasn’t helping right now.

“It’s nothing, really. He didn’t ask me to come. I came over because I was nosy, and I’ve been properly punished for it. Can I get ready now?” I didn’t wait for his answer before I stepped around him, hoping he would drop it. But Ollie always had to get the last word.

“Amelia, Noah Sloan is and will always be bad news. Nosing around him will only leave you hurt.”

“I know.” But when it came to Noah, I was apparently a masochist.