She takes hold of my hand and places a kiss to the palm. “Thank you. But it’s fine, Vaughn. You told me earlier about what you had agreed with Jack, and I get it. I do.”
“It’s not just for me though. I don’t want you thinking I’m a selfish prick who wants to keep you hidden for my own agenda. If people knew that you and I had sex, the press would be in your business before you knew it. Asking questions, offering you money for details of our night together, digging into your life. We’d be married, and you’d be pregnant with my baby by the end of the week, if they had anything to do with it.”
Something flickers through her eyes. Worry, dismay. I’m not sure, and it’s gone before I can catch hold of it. But I worry that she thinks I just want her for this one night. That’s not the case. One night is nowhere near enough to cover what I’m feeling for her right now. How insanely bad I want her.
“Okay. So, we’ll keep this night just between you and me,” she says easily.
“Just this night?”
“There’ll be more?”
I move my mouth down to hers, cupping her face in my hand. “I want more nights with you, Pins.” I let my lips brush over hers as I say, “The question is, do you want more nights with me?” I tip my head back, staring into her eyes.
“I want more,” she says without hesitation. Then, she smiles.
And I just have to kiss her again. And again.
Then, before I know it, I’m putting on my second condom of the night, and we’re having sex again. Even when I’m deep inside her, it doesn’t feel like it’ll ever be enough.
I don’t know when will be enough with Charly. All I do know is, I have to have her as much as I can, for as long as I can.
Charly
I wake up, surrounded by heat.
Vaughn.
I turn my face to him. He’s sound asleep.
He looks beautiful. His lashes are enviably long against his cheekbones.
And then I have a what-the-fuck moment. I was wondering when this was going to happen.
I’m in bed with Vaughn West!
Holy fuck!
Vaughn West!
He was inside me last night. A lot.
We had sex three times, and I had countless orgasms until we passed out.
I had sex with Vaughn West.
I have to stifle a giggle.
I stretch out my deliciously sore limbs. The kind of soreness that only comes from great sex. Amazing sex.
I turn over and reach my hand out to my cell on the nightstand to check the time.
Twenty-five past seven. I have to be on set at nine. My alarm is set to go off soon. I turn it off, so it won’t wake Vaughn.
Then, my bladder screams at me.
Easing out of bed so as not to wake him, I grab the nearest item of clothing near me, which happens to be Vaughn’s sweater, and I pull it on.
It smells of him. I lift the collar to my nose and inhale. His scent elicits memories of last night, and my stomach clenches.
And then I realize what a creeper I must look like right now, smelling Vaughn’s clothes.
I chance a look at him to make sure he’s still sleeping. Then, cell phone in hand, I go to the bathroom.
I glance back at Vaughn before I go inside.
Vaughn West is in my bed.
Holy sweet mother of Jesus.
I quietly close the door behind me, locking it.
I pee and then wash my hands. Then, I decide to brush my teeth. Teeth squeaky clean, I rinse with mouthwash.
I decide to call Nick.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he answers cheerily.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Why are you whispering?” he mock whispers back.
“Because I’m in the bathroom.”
“And the acoustics are bad in there?”
“No, smart-ass. I’m whispering because Vaughn West is sleeping twenty feet away in my hotel bed.”
There’s a marked silence.
And then, “Holy fuck.”
“Right?” I giggle quietly.
“You had sex with him?”
“Three times.” I smile wide.
“Charlotte Michaels…this is the one and only time that I will ever say this to you, but…I hate you.”
“Hey!” I call out and then quickly cover my mouth.
“Just kidding. You know I love you. And I totally knew he’d go for you.”
“You did not.” I laugh.
“Yep. I called it. Remember at our apartment, I said you should get it on with him?”
“That’s not calling it.”
“Um, I think you’ll find it is. And I expect your first kid to be named after me.”
“Jesus, Nick, we just had sex. We’re not getting married.”
Nick laughs. “Well, not yet, you aren’t. But give it time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, I know how easy it is to fall in love with you. He’ll be a goner in no time.” His voice has softened, and a lump triggers in my throat.
When Nick says lovely stuff like that to me…I can’t express what it means to me. I’ve never been good at expressing my emotions. But just to know I’m loved by someone…it means everything.
“Are you crying?”
“Of course I’m not. I don’t cry, remember?”
“Yeah, I know. Chandler Bing.” He chuckles. There’s a beat of silence, and then he says, “So, Vaughn West…”
“Yeah.” I let out a dreamy sigh.
“I have to ask—”
“Big. Thick. Huge,” I cut him off, knowing exactly what he was going to ask.
“Lucky bitch.”
“I know.”
I hear movement in my room. “I’d better go,” I whisper. “And I know you won’t say anything, but I have to ask—”
“I’ll keep it to myself. You know I will. Anyway, you and Vaughn…it’d be in the papers. They could find out…”
“I know.” I pause. Then, I say, “I love ya.”
“Love ya, too. Family forever, right?”
“Family forever.” I hang up and leave my cell on the bathroom counter.
Then, I open the bathroom door and head back into my room.
Vaughn’s awake.
He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, the sheet covering his lap.
“Hi,” I say, feeling suddenly shy.
“You’re wearing my sweater.”
I curl my fingers into the hem of it. “It was the closest thing on the floor that I could grab to put on.”
“I like you in it. Although I’d prefer it much more if you were wearing nothing. Come here.” He beckons to me.
I pad toward him, stopping between his open legs. His hands go to the backs of my thighs, sliding upward, and stop just under my ass.
I thread my fingers into his hair. He looks up at me. Those stunning eyes of his are sparkling with lust. My tummy flutters.
He grabs my ass in his hands and lifts me, bringing me on top of him so that I’m straddling his lap. He’s already hard beneath me.
We’re nose-to-nose. I stare into his eyes.
“Hi.” He smiles.
“Hi yourself.”
He slides his nose along the side of mine and brings his lips to rest on mine.
Then, he kisses me, tongue slipping into my mouth, as his hands grip ahold of my waist.
“You taste good in the morning,” he murmurs.
“The power of toothpaste.” I smile against his lips.
“Yeah, it’s like magic, that stuff.”
I chuckle at his humor and kiss him back. I graze my teeth over his lower lip and then swipe my tongue over it. He catches hold of my tongue and sucks on it, making me moan and squirm on his lap.