a delectable treat. “Emma-”
“Shh.” Dragging hot, wet kisses down his torso to his low belly, she paused to look up at him.
His face was a tight grimace. “Emma, we should-”
She pulled apart his unfastened jeans and kissed the spot, the tender, beautiful spot of skin she’d exposed. It wasn’t tan like the rest of him, and somehow that seemed achingly vulnerable.
“Em-”
She tugged at the opening again, a little harder this time, and hummed her pleasure as his erection sprang out, hampered only by his knit boxers.
“Stone might come back-” he started to say, but he broke off with another heartfelt groan when she pulled the fabric away from his body and let him free.
He was smooth and long and thick, and she let out a murmur of excitement. “You weren’t worried about that a minute ago.” She ran a finger down his rigid length. Feeling incredibly empowered and bold, she kissed the very tip of him.
“Emma.” His voice was no more than a harsh whisper, so she did it again. His head fell back, his fingers tightened in her hair. “What are you doing to me?”
In truth, she wasn’t quite sure. She wasn’t a virgin-she’d slept with three different boyfriends, but none of them had been relationships where she’d been sexually comfortable.
And not one of them, as she’d already admitted to Rafe, had been able to bring her to orgasm.
But Rafe had and it wasn’t just gratitude that had her wanting to please him orally, but a burning desire to try this, to bring him to pleasure, too, and make it her own.
His hands were fisted at his side now, his belly and legs rigid as he lay there letting her explore. She eyed the very tip of him, straining so desperately toward her mouth. It seemed no effort at all to take him inside, to run her tongue over him.
“Emma-” As if he couldn’t help himself, his hands tangled in her hair. “Don’t stop.”
“I won’t.” And she didn’t, not until Rafe lost the reins on his control and shuddered as helplessly as she had only moments before.
He still hadn’t returned to normal breathing when suddenly, from outside the prop room door, came voices, startling them into silence.
“You say they were just here?”
Emma blinked. That was Amber’s voice! What was her sister doing here?
“I said so, didn’t I?” Stone sighed. “Look, I left them right in this very studio when my sister paged me thinking she was in labor. False alarm.”
“Hmm…wonder how the shoot went?”
“With those two? Fireworks guaranteed.”
Inside the prop closet, Emma closed her eyes. Fireworks had definitely gone off.
“What do you mean?” Amber asked.
“Don’t you know?”
“Know what?” Amber’s voice went from wary to annoyed. “Don’t tell me he’s playing with her.”
“You really don’t know,” Stone marveled. “Well, you’re going to love this. As much as you and I can’t stand each other, they have the opposite problem-only, as far as I know, neither has admitted it.”
Inside the prop room Rafe stared at Emma. Emma stared right back.
“They’re hot for each other?” Amber went quiet for a moment. “This I can’t imagine.”
“Why not?”
“Because Rafe isn’t hot for anyone ‘Hollywood’ and, although Emma isn’t typical Hollywood, she works there, and her work is her life. And even if he’d lost his mind and decided to go for it, there’s the little fact that Emma wouldn’t want him in return. She doesn’t have time for
“So explain why she’s been acting as you on and off for the past month,” Stone said.
Amber laughed. “That’s simple. I begged her. I needed her help.”
“You needed her help,” Stone said doubtfully.
“Mmm-hmm. And just so you know, I don’t…
Stone laughed. “That’s why you tell everyone I’m gay.”
“No, I tell everyone you’re gay to explain the fact you don’t want me.”
There was silence. Then Stone said in an odd voice, “Whoever said I didn’t want you?”
“You did, that night-”
“That night you came on to me when you already had a date with you? Did you ever think maybe I just didn’t want to share?”
“So…what are you saying?”
“Do you have a date now?”
“You don’t see one, do you?”
“Ask me now, then,” he said.
A pause. “Okay. Stone, do you want me?”
“I’d like to explore the options.”
There was no sound, then Stone let out a choked noise. “Why are you leaning against the lockers like that?”
“Just giving you time to explore your options.” Her voice became sultry. “You know what I just realized, Stone? I think you’re going to like the options.”
“You still have a boyfriend?”
“I left Kenny in the Caribbean.”
“I thought it was Ricardo.”
“Stone, Stone. Keep up.”
Stone let out a laugh that didn’t sound too convincing. “Stop doing that.”
“Stop doing what?”
“Stop lifting your skirt like that and showing off your thong.”
“I don’t think you want me to stop.”
“Amber-”
“Stone,” Amber mocked, then laughed. “Oh, come on. Stop resisting. Let’s get the hell out of here, stud.”
Stone must have agreed, because the studio door shut and suddenly the place was quiet. Embarrassed now that the afterglow had dimmed, Emma began to straighten her clothing.
She heard Rafe doing the same, though she didn’t look at him.
“A damn closet,” he muttered. “First a pool, then a restaurant and now a damn closet. You’d think I could manage to get you into a bed.”
“They’re going to see our cars in the lot,” she said, crossing her arms, wishing she could say she’d never wanted to come today, wishing she could say she wished they had never started this whole thing.
But she didn’t wish that at all.
“Probably,” Rafe agreed.
“Maybe I should go.”
He just looked at her.
“And, anyway…I have some writing to do.”
“Well then, you’d better run, hadn’t you.” He waited until her hand was on the door. “But don’t fool yourself, Emma, or even try to fool me. You running now has nothing to do with getting caught or even your precious work. I’ve gotten too close again and you need out. Plain and simple.”
She didn’t question that. Silly to, when he spoke the truth. She reached for the door.
“Emma?”
She hesitated but this time didn’t look back.
“We still have to do the nurse shoot.”
Damn it. “Right.”
They finished the shoot in perfect silence and, when it was over and she’d changed and again reached for the door, he said softly, “See you next time.”
