“What aren’t you telling me?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me K, stuff I’m not comfortable to tell you yet, but honestly I’m enjoying this easiness between us.” My hands trembled slightly as I closed them around her pretty face. I wasn’t used to emotion or talking like this. My stomach churned knowing that I’d have to spill the beans sooner rather than later about everything else that was shit in my life. Cut myself open and let the darkness ooze out of my wounds. “I like knowing I can come round here and see you, that you don’t have to be drunk to be nice to me, or to get my own way. It’s different.” I shrugged. I should care that I’d just given away a piece of what me and Nikki were about, but I didn’t. She looked sad as her eyes closed to me. I didn’t want fucking pity, what the fuck did pity do, other than piss me off?“Honestly, I feel comfortable around you.”
A soft smile lit up her face. “Okay,” she nodded slowly, agreeable. What the fuck. “But promise me that you’ll open up to me, because I hate secrets and I detest lies. I was brought up on a bed of lies from my father, I don’t need that in my life again.”
Her determined gaze met mine. I didn’t know where this whole thing between us was going, or if I was even ready to acknowledge there was something other than sex even between us, but I guessed that now was the time to start. But I had no idea how to handle it. “Do you promise to go easy on me?”
“I do.” Her hands slid up my chest and cupped my face while mine moved into her hair.
“Then I promise too, but one step at a time, yeah? You’re the first woman I’ve wanted to spend any time with unless I was screwing her. That’s sweet if nothing else.” I smirked as I dipped my head and took her lips. Our bodies were tight as her mouth moved over mine, and as her hands worked their way into my hair, she paused to speak, mumbling against my lips.
“I’m not sure I can handle your version of sweet.” Her gaze found mine as she opened her eyes and grinned as she pulled back from me.
“It’s not pretty, and once you know everything you might want to call a day on whatever we’re doing here.”She deserved to know what she was letting herself in for.
Well,” she clung onto my T-shirt, “you won't know unless you trust me.”
“Hm, yeah, I suppose.” I kissed her again briefly and stood upright, breaking my hold on her and stepped back, “I have to go.”
I couldn’t leave without one more kiss though, she was too addictive. Yet again, I’d found something to feed my thirst, I just hoped it didn’t backfire on me this time. I brushed a kiss over her cheek and walked around her. I didn’t say another word, well not until I walked into another body as I left the room.
“Hello, Gav.” I looked down at the tired looking brunette in my path.
“Holly,” I grunted as I walked around her and left the flat, calling out to Karen that I’d call her.
I was outside and in the humid air in no time and quickly jumped back in my car. I didn’t start the engine straight away, instead I sat there and mulled over everything that had happened this morning, until my head was full of crap that I didn’t want to think about. I sighed to myself; I knew I couldn’t sit here. In fact, there was only one thing that allowed me to think… I needed a drive. I turned the key in the ignition and shotout of there like a bat out of hell, and headed for the highway. I relaxed into the seat as I opened her up, letting my tyres burn on the tarmac as I kicked up the dust behind me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Karen
It was the morning of the casino shoot. I was so nervous, my hands trembled as I tried to make coffee. What if I didn’t do a good job? No. I had to push back any negative thoughts that were trampling my mind. I needed my confidence to domineer my negativity today. Gav’s arms thread around my middle and he pulled me back against his firm body. “Morning.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek, putting a smile on my face. “I can hear you thinking from the bedroom.” I turned to gaze at him from over my shoulder.
“Really?” I asked, I thought I was hiding it well.
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
I let out a sigh and stirred the drinks, “I’m just nervous.” I shrugged, trying not to make it a big deal, but I guess I was already failing at that.
His fingers were soft on my arm as he turned me to face him, then he lifted his hands to my face, “Why are you nervous?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged again, “what if I can’t do the pictures justice. They wanted him and as much as Roman’simages speak for themselves, I still need to get the right angle, the right lighting, it’s…it’s all about…” He cut my rambling off with a kiss, his lips firm as they smothered mine, refusing to hear any other opinion about my capabilities that I tried to voice. I didn’t even know what I was going to say next, the words had already escaped me. Instead, I let my body melt against him, I let him kiss away my worries and ease my concerns. By the time he’d released me I felt much better and calmer.
“Okay now?” He smiled down at me, his arms tight around me and kept me against him.
“Yeah.”I breathed with a small grin. If only a kiss could solve everything.
“Good,” he trailed his fingers down the side of my face, “because I’ve seen your work and you’re working for Roman because you’re talented. Don’t ever doubt yourself.” He tapped my nose, a sexy smile playing on his lips.“Doubt is a nasty habit.”
I nodded and planted my cheek against his chest, tucking my head under his chin. After we had our talk a few days ago, I wasn’t sure I’d see him again at all. It would have hurt, but I would have had to deal. Gav wasn’t the kind of guy to let me have a choice, he’d only have to kiss me and turn his blue eyes on me, and I was a goner. But last night he turned up on my doorstep. I worried that he was only coming to see me to fill his urges, but then he fell asleep in my bed, it made me relax a little. I didn’t expect to wake up and find him still there, he wasn’t the kind of guy to lay his hat down anywhere. I didn’t want to think that he could be different with me, because then I’d be setting myself up for a fall.
“Come on, let’s drink this coffee and grab something to eat, because I’m starving. The shoot isn’t until four, we’ve got time to shower, grab food and get ready.” His hands grabbed my face as he tipped my head back and kissed my lips again. “And maybewe’ve got time to ease some of those nerves from this sexy body.” He winked and pulled me tighter against him, his hardening shaft brushing my abdomen. “So, unless you want me to throw you over my shoulder and go all caveman on your arse, I suggest you get dressed.” I smiled. Heat filled my cheeks as my hungry gaze roamed over his rugged, handsome features. My fingers ran through his overgrown stubble. It wasn’t even stubble anymore it was almost a beard now.
“Are you shaving today?”
His fingers moved to his chin and rubbed his fingers through the hair. “Nah. This is part of my personality.”
“It’s also a little messy,” he frowned as I grinned back in a daze.
