Escorting the Actress by Leigh James
Lowell
"You havea lot of explaining to do, Kyle Richards." I stomped toward my couch and collapsed on it, spent from the performance on my front porch.
"Don't you mean y'all have a lot of explaining to do?" He threw himself into the chair across from me and grinned.
"Ha ha." I looked at the ring on my finger, temporarily distracted.
"Pretty, isn't it? Just like you."
I looked up and found him watching my face. "That was some stunt."
"It wasn't a stunt."
I raised my eyebrows, and he looked sheepish.
"Okay, it was sort of a stunt."
I winced as if he'd kicked me in the stomach and automatically wished that I hadn't.
He sat up straighter, watching my face. "Lowell, I meant it. What I said."
Which thing you said? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't, because I was holding my breath.
He came over to me and kneeled in front of me. My eyes filled with hot, traitorous tears, and I blinked them back. He pulled my left hand to him and ran his fingertips gently over the ring, looking so deep into my eyes I felt it in my stomach.
"I love you."
I still wasn't breathing. He looked at me, waiting for an answer. I finally gave up, blew out a deep breath, and roughly wiped the tears from my face.
"I love you too," I admitted.
He smiled. "You don't sound too happy about it."
I pulled my hand back and defensively put my other hand over it, as if to protect the ring. "That's because I'm not. What're you doing here? You're supposed to be at work. In Boston."
He looked a little wounded and went back to sitting across from me. "I called my dad last night. I told him that I love you and that I need to be with you for your premiere. Then I told him that I really, really want to come back to work for him and that I'm going to follow through as soon as I feel okay about coming back east."
"You know he's going to cut you off for good, right?"
I sounded accusatory, and I was—but not for the reasons he might think. I didn't care if Kyle had a lucrative career or a massive trust. I would take him shoeless and shirtless, just as he was last night. But I didn't want him to miss out on a great opportunity, and I didn't want him to lose the chance to mend his relationship with his father. Not because of me.
"I don't want you to give all that up. Not for me. I'm not worth it." My voice wobbled, and I inwardly cursed as I wiped more tears away.
"Lowell, knock it off." Kyle looked exasperated. "Of course you're worth it. But I don't have to choose—Pierce agreed to let me start after the premiere. He was surprised I had the balls to call him and tell him the truth. It was definitely a first for me."
"What about his app launch?"
Kyle shrugged. "We just have to keep the truth about our past a secret. We've done it so far…"
"Did he tell you about Caroline? That she called him again?" I didn't want to give Kyle any more of a reason to hate my mother, but he deserved to know what we were up against.
"Yes. She threatened him, and for some reason, he agreed to give her exactly what she wants. He seemed… happy about it." He looked baffled. "Your mother seems to have a knack for keeping my dad's attention. I think they might go on a date, or something."
I shook my head. I was just as confused by our parents' love-hate relationship. "That is completely messed up."
I didn't even want to think about the ramifications, for us, if our parents dated again. Ew.
"I went to see my mother after I left the Stratum last night. We had a terrible fight." I looked at him. "She said she was going after Pierce for hush money, and if that didn't work, she would sell her story—our story—to the press. So we're only safe for as long as your dad keeps her satisfied, which is a tall freaking order, let me tell you."
He shrugged. "My dad seems happy to give her money, at least for now."
"Until she gets too greedy, like last time."
"Hopefully she's learned her lesson. Maybe they both have." He paused as if he was thinking it through. "But for the short term, we should be safe. I think my dad said he has pictures of her she wouldn't like going public. They'll keep each other busy by blackmailing each other for now. They really might deserve each other. But your mother won't go to the press, and my father won't cut me off. Done and done."
"So we could be okay," I mused.
"As long as nobody else finds out about our past." Kyle chuckled. "This really is sort of crazy, huh?"
"That's a massive understatement." I took a deep breath and held up my left hand. "What about this?" I wriggled my fingers, secretly loving the weight of the engagement ring. "What're we going to do about this?"
"What do you want to do about it?" His voice was dead serious.
A pit formed in my stomach. "Everyone's gonna think we're getting married."
"Okay." He shrugged a loaded shrug.
"Okay?" I wailed, my voice reaching a near-hysterical pitch.
"That's what I said." He didn't falter.
I put my hand back in my lap and fiddled with the gorgeous ring. "You really are a PR artist, you know."
"I know." He gave me a lopsided grin that made my heart speed up.
"So what're we gonna tell the press?"
"The truth." He kept grinning. "That we're getting married. Whenever you're ready."
I stared at him. I had the sense, for once, to just keep my mouth shut. But that was where the sensibility ended. I threw myself into his lap and kissed him with wild abandon, letting my body say what I was too chicken to.
After our kissing became more frantic, he carried me to the bedroom.
"I missed you," he said quietly.
His mouth claimed mine, his tongue probing my mouth until I was dizzy with lust. I arched my back beneath him, trying to get as close to him as possible.
"I need you," I said urgently. I felt as if I was gonna cry if I didn't have him inside me right now.
I whipped off my tank top and my shorts. The self-consciousness I'd felt before was long gone. It was just me and Kyle, his glorious chest pressed against me, his strong arms wrapped around me.
I unzipped his shorts, somehow struggling to get him out of them, while he fisted my hair. His enormous cock, hard and glorious, sprang out to meet me. I leaned down to stroke him, feeling him get even thicker. I greedily took him into my mouth and heard him suck in a sharp breath. I took him all the way to the base of his shaft, wanting to taste every inch of him. He moaned and threw his head back as I sucked on him hard, wanting to get him ready to be inside me.
"Oh, fuck yeah."
Lost in the moment, he thrust into my mouth, and I felt myself getting even more turned on. I loved how he responded to me, like he loved me being in control. I was throbbing though. I needed him. Being apart from him, thinking I was going to lose him—even for a little while—had been too much, and now my body physically craved his.
He gently stopped and pulled me up to him. He ran his hands through my hair and looked at me, his eyes urgent.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you, too." I leaned over and kissed him, my need for him overpowering.
He grabbed a condom from his pocket of his discarded shorts and handed it to me. I ripped the foil packet open, pinched the tip, and rolled it down his length. He pushed me back onto the bed with a deep, probing kiss that made me moan. He trailed his fingers down to my sex as he kissed my nipples. His fingers circled me, making me arch against his hand. Finally his fingers touched my clit and he rolled it back and forth. Pressure built up inside me. I arched up to him again, greedy for more.
"You looking for something?" he whispered in my ear. I heard the grin in his voice.
All I could do was nod and hope like hell he knew what I needed. Now.
He slid his tip into me, and I groaned. Then he hitched himself in farther, with small thrusts, and my body stretched to accommodate him. His thrusts became harder and deeper, bringing me to the edge already. He put his hand against my hip bone and pulled me against him for every thrust, making my vision go blurry, a scream building up in my throat.
"Come for me, baby."
As soon as he said it, an orgasm ripped through me. I was shaking, screaming his name as I shattered around him.
He fucked me ruthlessly through my orgasm. Then he took my hands and held them over my head. He licked and sucked my nipples between thrusts, making me moan. Every roll of his hips sent shockwaves through me. It was as if my body had been built for his—he filled every inch inside me. Every thrust brought me closer to the edge again.
"Tell me you're mine now. Tell me you mean it." He slid into me, making it difficult to breathe.
"I'm yours. I mean it."
He thrust all the way into me again, making my heart speed up and my world go woozy, as if my impending orgasm was going to knock me out.
"Tell me you love me, Lo. That you're mine."
I felt my body clench. "I love you, Kyle." I was crying and laughing, moans escaping my lips without my consent. "I'm fucking yours."
Now his thrusts were deliberate, deep, and bracing. I could tell he was about to come, and he was holding on until the very last second. I adjusted my hips and forced his cock all the way into me. I moaned deeply as he fucked me until I found another release.
I shattered beneath him, screaming his name again. He slid even deeper inside me, lacing his fingers through mine, his thrusts ragged.
I heard myself still screaming, but I also heard Kyle.
"Mine. You're mine," he said as he came inside me, holding onto me for dear life.
"Are you always that loud?" he asked later with a self-satisfied grin.
I smacked him. "Apparently I am with you."
He managed to look even more self-satisfied.
Both of our phones were blowing up, but we were in bed and ignoring them.
"Our parents are going to freak out when they see the headlines," I said.
"What else is new?"
I considered that. "With the two of them? Not too much."
"Tori's really gonna freak out." Kyle laughed.
"Yeah, she is. And my agent. And Lucas. They're all gonna go nuts." I snuggled into him. "And Katie, that bitch from XYZ. I think she's carrying a torch for you. She's probably crying right now 'cause you're off the market."
"And because everybody loves you. No matter how hard she tries." He kissed me.
I beamed at him. "Can we just stay in bed for the rest of the day?"
"Hell, yeah," he answered, beaming back. "Until we go out to dinner to celebrate. And show off that bling. Gotta feed the machine, babe."
We grinned at each other.
"Let's feed some other machines," I said.
He laughed. "That doesn't make any sense, but somehow I know exactly what you mean." He pulled me on top of him. "Now, shh. No more talking."
"Until I scream your name," I reminded him.
"Until you scream my name. Again. I could get used to this, babe."
"Well, you better," I reminded him.
"I missed you so much," he said after we'd had sex for about the zillionth time. He trailed lazy kisses over my shoulder.
I laughed. "We were only apart for a day." I flopped over and put my head on his chest, snuggling into him and relishing the feel of his naked body against mine.
"It was a long day."
I smiled into his chest. "I agree."
He took my hand and ran his fingers over the diamond again, as he'd done repeatedly since we landed back in bed. "This is just a placeholder. Once I start working and I can save some money, I'm going to get you something killer."
I sat up and looked at him. "You're going to replace my fake engagement ring?"
He looked appalled. "It's not a fake. It's real, not CZ."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it." I wanted to shut myself up, but I couldn't.
He scrubbed his hands across his face. "I said it was a placeholder ring because I eventually want to get you something else. Something spectacular. After I've earned the money to do it. That would really mean something to me. In fact, I'd like that to be my first act as a responsible, salaried adult."
His thumb stroked the ring again, and I pulled my hand away. I held it up and looked at it in the light. "This one's pretty. I like it."
Kyle stared at me. "I'm getting you another one." He hesitated for a second. "If you want it, that is."
I sighed and rolled onto my stomach. I couldn't look at him. A million emotions were running through me. Kyle was smart. He rolled on top of me so I could feel his long, perfectly muscled body pressed against mine.
"Do you want it?" he asked and kissed the back of my neck.
I felt him, erect and extraordinarily hard again, pressing against the small of my back. I groaned. "Of course I want it! What are you, crazy?"
"Which it?" He poked me with one of the its I wanted, and I automatically spread my legs a little.
But then I remembered what we were talking about. I tried to muster my last dregs of self-discipline and swatted him away. "I want it"—I jerked my thumb at his lovely, erect, large piece of man fun—"and it." I waggled my ring finger. I turned to look at him. "But we can't be engaged, Kyle."
He sat up and ran his hands through his hair. "You're really doing this? After all that?" He jerked his thumb at the bed.
I sat up too. Even in my glowing post-sex haze, I felt as though I needed to be responsible. To be serious about this. "It hasn't been long enough, first of all. We've only been together for a little over a month. Second of all, our parents were married, and they might be… dating again. I don't even know if we can ever get… you know."
"You know? You sound like a middle-schooler." He cocked an eyebrow at me, and I desperately wished I'd thought of a different word than cocked. "You can't even say it?"
"I can say it. Married. I'm worried we can't ever really get… married. And I'm not even sure that's what this is." I held up the ring again, as if it were evidence of some plot to cruelly confuse and embarrass me.
"Let me try this again. Because apparently I didn't do a very good job." He traced my jawline with his thumb, making me shiver. "I asked you to marry me because I love you. I did it in that obnoxious manner because we needed a headline to trump our fight. Your premiere's coming up fast. You don't need any more trouble. You need to be on top." At that, he laid back and pulled me on top of him.
I relished the feel of him beneath me, his strong, muscled body fulfilling every wild dream I'd had about him. But this was serious, so I slid off him. "I'd love to be on top. Hell, I'd love to stay on top forever, but we need to figure this out."
He sat up again, undeterred. "You said yes, right?"
I nodded.
"Did you mean it?" he asked.
"What exactly did I say yes to?" I noticed that my heart was hammering.
"You said yes, in front of the press, to marrying me, which means they think we're engaged. You said yes when I asked you to marry me… which means I think we're engaged." He was quiet for a heavy beat. "And that means, to me, that we're committed to each other. Exclusively. Forever."
I held my breath and felt my eyes well up with stupid, inconvenient tears.
"And for me, forever starts right now," he continued. "But we can wait to get married for as long as you want. 'Cause I agree, six weeks is soon. Not too soon, but soon. I want to do this right. I want to give our marriage every chance to be successful. I'm only ready when you're ready." He stroked my back. "And I want to buy you a different ring. I've been thinking about this for a while, Lo. Like I'm a girl or something. I totally have a picture in my mind of what I want to get you." He looked stupefied by his own thoughts.
That was so adorable, I almost died. "That's really nice."
"I know, right? But listen—I know what I want. I know what this"—he pointed at the ring—"means to me. And if we went to Vegas tomorrow to elope, I wouldn't even hesitate." He watched my face. "But that's me. What about you? What did you say yes to?"
A tear slid down my cheek. I couldn't help it. I couldn't believe that he loved me like I loved him.
"So?" His jaw clenched at my silence and crying. "Are we engaged or aren't we?"
I wiped my face and looked at him. Tension rolled off him as his eyes searched my face.
"Of course we are, you big lug." I threw myself into his chest again. He wrapped his powerful arms around me, and I let myself cry against him. "Like I could ever be away from you again. Y'all is family."
"I'm not a plural, babe. Even though I totally understand you wishing I was." I heard the grin and dimples in his voice.
"I'll teach you one of these days—y'all can absolutely be used in the singular."
He kissed me, our lips coming together delicately at first, then changing into something deeper, more urgent. Kyle pulled back. "I'm gonna teach you a few things, young lady. Now that you've agreed to be mine, I can afford to take my time."
He ran his hands down me, and I giggled a little breathlessly. "That sounds exciting and bad all at the same time."
"It's both, babe—and it's bad in a very, very good way," he said, his massive form looming over me. "You better get used to it."
He kissed my neck, and I took a deep breath. I could get used to this. Very, very used to this.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" I didn't want him to stop, but I couldn't stop asking questions.
He sighed and leaned up. "We're still talking, aren't we?" He sounded humorously resigned.
"I can't help myself." I smiled at him, feeling guilty for stopping him again. But I had to know that this was real, and I needed to feel all the corners of the situation out. "How's this gonna work? You're going to go back to Boston, and I'm going to stay here, or go on location, and we'll see each other… when, exactly?"
Kyle sighed and rolled off me. "You're really trying to keep me outta there, aren't you?" I must've looked stressed because he smiled indulgently and patted my hand. "We'll make it work, babe. I can fly out here on weekends, or we can take turns. When you go on location, I'll take vacation days to see you. We can Skype." He tucked my hair behind my ear. "People do it all the time. We can do it too."
"And what about… our parents? For real? They're going to freak. You know that, right? We were joking about it before, but it's not funny."
Kyle shook his head. "We're just going to tell them the truth. And they're just gonna have to live with it."
"But people are going to find out about us eventually." I swallowed hard. "At some point, the press will discover your real name. They'll figure out who your father is and that our parents were married. It's gonna happen. It's just a matter of time." I looked over at our phones, which hadn't stopped beeping with texts and media alerts. "What happens then?"
He pulled me against him. "I don't know. I only know that what we have is the most important thing to me. Everything else will just have to work itself out."
I looked at him, knowing in my heart that he was right. "I love you, Kyle." Saying it felt so good. "That's what matters to me now."
He grinned. "I love you too, babe. Everything else will be okay. Trust me."
