Overnight Sensation (11 page)

He jerked reflexively in her hand and made a deep sound of pleasure. When she glanced at him, the expression in his eyes—hot and intense—consumed her, made her want to see just how far she could go before he completely lost control. It had nothing to do with re-creating a Helena scenario and everything to do with how he made her feel: sexy and desirable. With the heavy weight of him cradled in her hand, she suddenly needed to find out if he tasted as good as he looked.

“I don’t know, soldier,” she mused aloud, sending him what she hoped was a sultry look, “your situation appears…dire.”

He smiled fractionally, but Ivy didn’t miss how his muscles tightened as she squeezed him gently, before sliding her hand down the length of him, then back up again. “Yeah,” he agreed, his voice husky. “I’m not sure how much longer I’ll last. What do you recommend?”

“Well, first of all…” Ivy scooted back on his thighs a bit. “We’ll need to do something to relieve the…pressure.” She bent forward and, without giving him time to react, took him in her mouth.

He made a strangled sound of surprise and pleasure, and then shifted his hips, shoving his jeans down his thighs to give her better access. Ivy murmured her approval, and with one hand still wrapped around him, she swirled her tongue over him, thrilling to his taste and texture. The feel of him beneath her palm was an aphrodisiac. He was smooth and slick against her tongue, and she slid her mouth over him, taking as much of him as she could. She alternately suckled and licked him, reveling in the throaty noises he was making. She squeezed the base of his shaft and, with her free hand, cupped him from below, lightly raking her fingernails across his sac until it was drawn up tight beneath him.

The noises of intense pleasure he was making, combined with the tightening of his muscles, told her he was close to climaxing. She wasn’t prepared when, with a groan, Garrett lifted her away from him and bore her backward until suddenly, she was pinned against the mattress by the weight of his body.

“My turn.” The promise implicit in his voice sent erotic shivers of anticipation down Ivy’s spine.

“But I didn’t finish,” she protested weakly.

“Sweetheart,” he growled softly, “any more and you’ll kill me.” He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to the sensitive skin beneath her ear. “And you don’t want to do that before I have a chance to give you a few pointers.”

Pointers. There was that word again. Ivy realized it had the ability to arouse her as much as it was beginning to infuriate her. Had she really said she wanted pointers? Right now, all she wanted was him, hot and hard between her thighs.

Still, she couldn’t stop the words that sprang to her lips. “Is this how it was with Helena?” she asked, breathlessly, as if she’d just sprinted a mile. Ivy knew she shouldn’t care what he’d shared with Helena, or even if he still cared for the other woman. This was business. It was about rescuing her lackluster love scenes, and no matter how enjoyable she might find this, there was nothing personal about it.

Nothing.

Not even when he rocked slowly against her, letting her feel his hard heat against her core. Not even when he reached beneath her and cupped a buttock, then slid his hand underneath the elastic band of her panties to massage her bare skin.

“Stop thinking,” he commanded thickly, as if reading her thoughts. His breathing was ragged against her neck. “Just feel.”

Flames licked along the underside of her skin, and liquid desire pooled at her center. Desperate for the taste of him, she turned her face toward his and sought his lips with her own. But Garrett didn’t just kiss her; he devoured her. He stole her breath with the fierceness of his kiss, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth. She met him eagerly, drawing him deeper as she threaded her fingers through the warm silk of his hair.

She was unprepared when he pushed aside the fragile barrier of her panties and stroked her intimately, parting her soft folds and swirling his finger over her slick flesh.

She dragged her mouth from his. “Ohmigod.”

The sensation of his touching her was electric, and she pushed helplessly against his hand.

“You’re so wet.” His voice was low and rough. “So responsive.”

“It’s—it’s been a long time,” she gasped in explanation. That was why she was soaked with desire for him, why she was greedy for the feel of his flesh. It was no more than her body’s long-suppressed needs finally demanding fulfillment.

His fingers worked magic between her legs. Fierce need sliced through her, and she knew it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge. Even now she could feel her orgasm building, her inner muscles tightening in anticipation. Garrett used the pad of his thumb to circle her clitoris, until she arched against him with a soft cry of distress.

“That’s it, sweetheart.” He claimed her mouth again, thrusting his tongue against hers even as he inserted a finger inside her. She came in a shattering explosion of sensation that left her shuddering and weak. He didn’t release her, just continued stroking her until, unbelievably, she felt the beginnings of yet another orgasm. It blossomed within her, an insistent ache that made her long to wrap her legs around him and bring him completely inside her.

“Garrett,” she whispered against his lips, “please…”

Was that her voice that sounded so needy? She couldn’t believe she was begging this man—a stranger in nearly every respect—to have sex with her. She’d never done anything like this in her entire life, not even when she’d been in college. But there was no denying she wanted him, with an urgency she couldn’t recall feeling for any other man, ever.

Garrett kissed her languorously, as if he had all the time in the world, as if he had no clue she was going out of her mind with wanting him. “Oh, man,” he breathed, “somebody pinch me. I’ve dreamed of you for so long.”

What? Ivy tilted her face back to look at him, smiling uncertainly. “You have?”

To her dismay, he jerked his head up and stared at her with something like horror in his eyes, as if he was seeing her for the first time. Before she could ask him what was wrong, he swore softly and snatched himself away from her body. Disentangling himself from her legs, he got up and yanked his pants up over his hips.

Bereft at his abrupt withdrawal, Ivy surreptitiously adjusted her panties and smoothed her dress down over her thighs. Her body still thrummed with sensual vibrations, but all of a sudden she felt awkward and unwelcome. She pushed herself to a sitting position, watching him. He stood with one hand braced on the kitchen table, head bent. Every muscle in his body screamed with tension. Clearly, he was upset, but whether with himself or her she couldn’t tell.

Recalling the shocked expression in his eyes as he’d looked at her, she suspected he’d gotten more than a little carried away in pretending she was Helena. He’d actually forgotten who he was with. For just that instant, he’d believed she was Helena.

“I’m sorry,” he said over his shoulder. “I didn’t mean that. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

His words only confirmed what she already knew—physically he’d been with her, but the rest of him—the part that mattered—had been with someone else. A peculiar heaviness settled into her chest.

“That’s okay.” She stood up and fished around on the bed for her elastic before smoothing her hair back with both hands and capturing the thick mass into a ponytail. She stood for a moment, staring at his back. “This whole thing is my fault. I, um, pretty much took advantage of you.” She chewed her lip. “Sorry.”

He spun around then, his expression incredulous. “You think you took advantage of me?”

She spread her hands. “Well…yes. I came here and practically begged you to have sex with me.” She drew in a deep breath and forced a smile. “At least we didn’t let it go that far, right?”

One black eyebrow arched. His hair was disheveled where she’d thrust her fingers through it. His jeans were still unbuttoned, and through the open vee of denim, she caught a tantalizing glimpse of the lightly furred skin beneath. He looked incredibly sexy. But when he rubbed his jaw and partially turned away from her, she realized that apparently it didn’t matter how she felt about their brief interlude. It obviously bothered him.

She infused a bright note into her voice, determined not to let him see her hurt. “You know what? I’m just going to leave now. We can pretend this never even happened.”

She made a beeline for the screened door, startled when he stepped into her path and blocked her with his body.

“Ivy.” His voice was low.

“No, don’t say it,” she implored. “It’s fine, really.” She searched his eyes. “I’m not a little girl, and I came here tonight with my eyes wide-open. I know that what you shared with Helena was special, and I don’t want to take anything away from that. I realize I’m not her…”

God, she was making a mess of it. She closed her eyes and struggled to collect her thoughts. “I just wanted to feel a little of what she must have felt when she was with you. Because if I can’t feel that, then I might as well pack my bags and go back to New York right now.”

He muttered a curse and turned away from her, raking a hand through his hair. When he spun back around, his eyes glinted dangerously and his voice was rough. “What I shared with Helena—well, let’s just say it wasn’t about sex.”

Ivy cringed at the derision in his voice. “I realize that. But it’s the love scenes that reveal to the audience just how deeply you cared for each other. I was just hoping that—that I could…”

Her voice trailed away as she realized how shallow she sounded. But, really, what was she supposed to say? I was just hoping I could use you for sex so that I could figure out how to shoot the love scenes, and, oh, by the way, you have a great ass, so it’s no hardship for me to sleep with you? Nice.

“Listen. I’d be lying if I told you I don’t want to…You’re a beautiful woman…but that doesn’t…”

The guy was actually flustered. Which was so unexpected it gave Ivy a little courage. She knew he found her attractive. Regardless of how he felt about Helena, he’d definitely had a physical response to her, Ivy. And nobody was going to tell her that in the few short days he’d spent with Helena, their connection to each other hadn’t started with a good healthy dose of lust. Okay, so maybe it had developed into something more after they’d gotten to know each other, but initially at least, it had to have been all about the physical relationship, and that Ivy and Garrett could replicate.

“Three days,” she said softly. “Just spend the next three days with me, until Finn and the others return from Xalapa. After that, you don’t even need to acknowledge me if you don’t want to. I won’t expect anything from you afterward, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “So, what—we spend the next three days locked together in this cabin, trying to re-create the time I spent with Helena so that you can go back and re-create it with Terrell? ”

For several endless seconds, there was nothing but silence. “Let me get this straight,” he continued, his voice tight. “You want me to pretend you’re Helena. You actually don’t care if I think about another woman when I’m with you?”

If Ivy hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he was angry. She gestured helplessly. “Well, nobody says you have to think about her. But if it helps you to, you know, get in the mood…” Although, really, to Ivy’s way of thinking, it didn’t take much to get Garrett in the mood. They hadn’t even bothered to undress and he’d been totally turned on.

And he hadn’t been the only one.

Ivy could hardly believe she’d almost had sex with Garrett Stokes. She’d known the guy for all of a week, had exchanged no more than a handful of words with him, and had been in his cabin for less than ten minutes before they’d fallen on each other like a couple of horny teenagers.

She was pretty sure that if she hadn’t jolted him back to reality, they would have had sex. Part of her wanted to weep that she hadn’t just kept her mouth shut, pretended she hadn’t heard his ragged confession about Helena and let him continue working magic on her body. She’d been ready to combust, and that had just been from what he’d done to her with his hands. She almost couldn’t wait to see what he could do with his mouth…and the rest of his body.

And what was it, exactly, about him that made her forget her good sense? Okay, so the guy had the most amazing eyes she’d ever seen, and a body that just didn’t quit, but she’d worked with some pretty hot costars and none had tempted her as much as this man did. Even the few actors she had been involved with hadn’t made her lose control the way Garrett had.

Her heart thudded so loudly in her ears she thought for sure he must hear it. She couldn’t believe what she’d just suggested, and as much as she told herself that coming to the casita had been a career move, a part of her acknowledged anew there was another reason for her wanton request. She wanted him. Badly.

Even if it meant setting aside her own identity to have him.

“In other words,” he said grimly, interrupting her thoughts, “you’re looking for a stud.”

“I’m not looking for a stud,” she said quietly, stung by his choice of words. “I’m looking for a mentor.”

“A sex coach.” His tone was gently mocking.

Ivy tipped her chin up. “I want to experience firsthand what Helena shared with you. After all, you were the one who said you’d be available to give me pointers if I needed them. You were the one who said I’d need to act out the love scenes as if I were with you. ” She took a step toward him. “So what’s wrong? There’s obviously no shortage of chemistry between us. Most guys would jump at the chance for three days of no-strings sex.”