What To Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection Part Two (49 page)

“Ah, sorry,” he said.

I shook my head. “No worries.” I handed the envelope to Kevin.

He opened it, took out the contract and quickly scanned it. “Do you have any idea what these papers mean? This is huge for me.” He looked at it again with extreme pride on his face.

“I’m so happy for you.”

He looked up from the papers. “Happy for
us
. You’re part of the team here. I couldn’t have done this without your help.”

It saddened me to hear that. For one thing, it was a humble thing for him to say, and that wasn’t something you came across very often in Hollywood. And secondly, while I knew it was true that I’d done a lot to help him land the role for Jacqueline, I’d also done a lot to put Kevin’s business in jeopardy.

All it would take is one rumor about Kevin using young assistants to persuade studio execs in a less than ethical manner.

I couldn’t have been happier that it was Friday and I had two full days to be away from Kevin and the office.

All I could think about for the rest of the day was when I’d see Max again. He said he’d let it be a surprise, and when I was leaving his office I thought it sounded exciting. But by the end of the workday it was just nerve-wracking.

I had plans that night to go to a club with Krystal and two of her friends I’d recently met. Maybe that would serve as a good distraction from all things Max.

“This dress makes me look like a whore, doesn’t it?”

I was in my bathroom putting on makeup when Krystal walked in and asked the question. I remembered her asking me that when we were in Vegas. I looked at her in the mirror. She had on a tight, peach-colored strapless dress that went all the way down to her feet. It was gorgeous on her, but I wondered what would happen if she accidentally stepped on the hem. There was no way her boobs wouldn’t pop out if that happened.

“Why do you keep asking me if you look like a whore?”

She turned to the side and looked at her profile in the mirror. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to look like a cheap skank.”

“You look great. Just one thing, though…” I told her about the hem and she said she’d already thought of that, and if it happened, maybe it would be the highlight of the night.

“That would be an understatement,” I said.

I finished getting ready, all the while debating whether or not to tell her about what had happened in Max’s office earlier in the day. Frankly, I was amazed by my restraint.

Krystal gave directions as I drove us to her favorite club, a place called Drais located atop the W Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. Having been to Las Vegas, I was somewhat ready for the action—the lights, music, well-dressed and good-looking people—but this was a step up. These were Hollywood’s hottest hanging out in a place that was a restaurant, pool, and nightclub. Inside, the music was loud, lighting showcased the red, black, purple, and green walls. Big comfortable chairs and couches were everywhere. People were dancing beneath oversized floor lamps, complete with shades. Even more people were out by the pool.

It was a gorgeous night. From the vantage point of the rooftop of the W Hotel, I had a completely new perspective on LA. At least I did in a visual sense.

We found two of Krystal’s friends who she’d been meaning to introduce to me—Julia and Rachel. They were also aspiring actresses, and within ten minutes of being introduced to them I heard them talk more about auditions and agents than Krystal had in the month I’d been living with her. Odd.

When they got around to talking about the famous people they had seen here before, Max’s name came up.

“Speak of the devil,” Julia said.

We all looked in the direction she nodded toward.

Holy shit
. There he was. Over by the outdoor bar area. He was speaking to two men I didn’t recognize, and then we made eye contact. A slow grin appeared on his face and he mouthed the word: “Surprise.”

And surprised I was. Actually, that’s not even the word for it. There might not be a good one to describe what I felt—my breath hitched in my throat, my knees got weak, and I felt a tingling sensation all over my skin that left my nipples hard and a faint ache between my legs.

“I’ve heard stories about that guy,” Julia said.

Krystal looked at me with a worried expression. I was glad I hadn’t told her what had happened in Max’s office earlier that afternoon.

Rachel sipped her margarita. “Do tell.”

Yes, please do tell
, I thought. Maybe I needed to know more about Max before I let him give me the surprise he’d promised earlier.

“Total womanizer,” Julia said.

Krystal looked at me, then at Julia. “Have you been on the receiving end of it?”

Julia said, “No, but I’ve heard things. Lots of things.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Just that he’s fucked a lot of actresses.”

Krystal laughed. “Oh, the horror. Hey, it’s Hollywood. He’s hot and single. No laws against him doing what he wants.”

Julia turned to Krystal. “Don’t tell me you—”

“Nope.” Krystal shook her head. “I’ve only seen him in person one time, actually.” She looked at me.

“You?” Julia said, giving me a look up and down, like I was someone Max wouldn’t look twice at. At least that’s how I took it.

I didn’t bother to answer her. I just smiled. I knew what was about to happen, and I decided to let that speak for itself.

Rachel swirled her drink. “He could do whatever he wants with me. Look at that body. Damn.” She was biting her lower lip.

“Oh, holy shit.” Julia’s eyes got huge. “Is he… Yep. He’s coming over here.”

“Come to mama,” Rachel purred.

But he didn’t go to Rachel. He came up to me.

“Hello, Olivia.” He kissed my cheek.

I whispered, “What are you doing here?”

His mouth was still near my ear. “Surprise…”

Rachel and Julia looked at me, shock registering on their faces. They looked at Krystal, who shrugged, with a grin on her face.

Max put his hand on the small of my back. “Everyone having a good time so far?”

Krystal and the girls said they were.

I didn’t bother introducing him to Rachel and Julia. Their disdain for me was obvious in the way they looked at me, but I didn’t care.

Max looked at me, then at the girls. “I hope you ladies don’t mind, but I need to steal Olivia away for a little while.”

All three shook their heads.

When we got a few feet away, Max asked me who drove.

“I did. Why?”

“You should give your car key to Krystal.”

“Why?”

“So she can get home.”

I laughed nervously. “I know what you meant, but…where are we going?”

He kissed me lightly on the lips. “It’s a surprise, remember?”

I got my car key out of my bag and walked the few steps back to Krystal and handed her the key.

“You’re leaving?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Julia and Rachel both looked at me with their mouths open.

“He said he has a surprise for me,” I said. “I’ll see you later. Or tomorrow. Or…whenever.”

I turned on my heel and walked away, feeling like I’d just won the championship round of the catty girl playoffs.

T
hirty minutes later, we were in Malibu, turning into the driveway of a huge house. Palm trees dotted the lawn, and the house was illuminated by lights shining up from the ground.

Max pulled into the garage, turned off the car and said, “I can’t wait to get you into my house.” He got out and came around to open my door for me. When I stood, he took me in his arms and kissed me ferociously.

“I can’t wait to see your house. It looks beautiful.”

“That’s not why I want you inside.” He took my hand and led me inside.

We entered through a door in the garage, and it led right into an expansive living room. It was dark—everything from the walls to the floor to the furniture, shades of rich browns and reds, with small pools of light from lamps around the room. His office was bright and modern looking, but his home was all warm tones, very masculine.

Just like him. And just like the possessive way he kissed me again when we were barely inside the house.

My purse dropped to the floor. Max slid the zipper down the back of my dress and it fell to my ankles. I stepped out of it, finding myself standing there in my bra, panties, and heels.

“You have a way of getting me naked, Max.”

“I love when you’re exposed to me.”

His lips sealed around mine, his tongue hungrily exploring my mouth.

I managed to pull away a little. “Don’t I get to see you?”

He moaned from deep in his chest. “I want you to see me. Undress me.”

His hands fell to his sides and he stood before me, waiting.

Holy shit
. I was about to undress Max Dalton and see his gorgeous self in the nude.

I untucked his shirt and slid it up his body, my hands underneath, feeling the muscles in his stomach and chest. I unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it over his shoulders and it joined my clothes on the floor.

He was in just as good a shape as I’d imagined. His chest was broad, covered by a thin field of fine hair. I put my hands on his pecks and felt how taut they were.

When I looked up at Max’s face, I saw his eyes smoldering with intensity. I kept eye contact with him as I lowered my hands down his stomach and found his belt. Hearing the metal-on-metal
clink
as I unfastened the buckle was like a chiming alert:
You’re about to touch his cock…

And that’s what I did. My hand slipped beneath the waistband of his boxers and before I knew it my fingers were touching the base of his erection. I moved my hand to wrap it around his girth, and felt how thick he was.

Max’s hands came up to the sides of my face, and he pulled me to his mouth. A searing hot kiss followed as my hand explored his length. The skin was velvety soft, sheathing the hardest and biggest cock I’d ever felt. A rush of excitement burst through me as I thought about how I was the object of his driving desire.

“God, Olivia, your touch is so perfect.”

He kissed me again as he unhooked my bra. My breasts felt heavy and he took each of them in his hands, cupping them, rubbing my nipples with his thumbs.

I kissed his neck and down his chest and stomach, lowering myself to my knees. I unzipped his pants and pulled them down along with his boxers. My first look at his cock. It was long and thick, sticking straight out and twitching with eagerness. It seemed like I looked at it for several minutes, but I know it was only seconds. Just as I was about to take him into my mouth he touched my shoulder and urged me to stand.

Max wrapped his hands around my waist. “I want you on the couch.” He lifted me with ease and took the few steps toward the couch, setting me down on my back.

“I’ve wanted to taste you all day,” he said, kissing down my neck, my chest, stopping at each nipple and tracing rings around them with his tongue. They hardened into tight peaks under his movements.

Max was kneeling on the floor as I lay sort of sidelong on the couch. He pulled my underwear down my legs swiftly, almost yanking them, and at that moment I wouldn’t have cared if he’d torn them off of me.

He raised my legs with one of his large, strong hands holding my ankles together, and removed my heels.

He licked the backs of each calf, then down behind my knees, where it almost tickled a little, but this was too hot an experience for tickling. Down my thighs, kissing, sucking…staying there, sucking…

Was he giving me a hickey on the back of my thigh? Marking me?
Whoa.

When he parted my legs, he guided one to drape over his shoulder. He pushed the other out, far, spreading me wide open just as he’d done on the couch in his office.

“I love it when you’re so open for me,” he said, echoing my thoughts.

“Max…” My voice trailed off. I couldn’t get any words out. I’m not even sure what I would have said, anyway.

He kissed the inside of each thigh, lingering a little on the second one, opening his mouth and letting his teeth drag along my skin. Then buried his face between my legs, his tongue fluttering along my wet flesh.