Red Carpet Romance (27 page)

“You. You always do that to me.”

“Let’s take care of you, now.” She
leaned over and took him into her mouth.

He groaned. “Wait…I’m not gonna be
able…”

“My turn.”

“I want to finish inside you.” His
words stopped her flat.

“Your wish is my command.” She
reclined while he positioned himself between her legs. He entered her slowly,
closing his eyes for a second and groaning loudly as he filled her. Then he
lifted her ankles and hooked them over his shoulders. Plunging in deeper made
them both moan.

“As amazing as ever.” He moaned and
sighed at the same time.

“Oh, yeah!” she whispered, her
fingers gripping his back.

He set a slow pace then started to
pick it up. Susanna closed her eyes, focusing on her senses. His masculine
scent teased her nose while her fingers dipped into his muscles. At one point,
he leaned back to take her mouth aggressively with his.

His taste, his tongue, and him
inside her pushed her passion to the limit. Heat and tension spiraled up in her
body, building quickly to a crescendo. She knew his control was slipping as he
increased his pace. Her hands sensed the coiling passion in him as her own
matched it.

“Don’t wait for me,” he muttered.
Sweat dripped off his forehead onto her chest.

She tightened her grip, but it did
no good, the tension rose higher and higher until it exploded, sending pure
pleasure shooting through her veins to every part of her body. A strange noise
came out of her mouth a second before he burst inside of her. Both bodies lay
still for a moment. Sliding off each other’s sweaty torsos, they managed to lay
still and kiss.

“Was it like you remember?” She
asked, shyly.

“More. Better.” He caressed her
cheek then threaded his fingers through her hair. “I’ve missed touching you,
your hair, kissing you. Talking to you. I’ve even missed Junior.”

“You have?” She sat up. “I’ve missed
him, too. Sometimes I dream I hear him crying, and I wake up, but he’s not
there.”

“What about me? Did you dream about
me?” He propped himself up on his elbow.

Susanna rolled on to her side away
from him. She sensed heat rising to her cheeks, but Quinn wasn’t having any of
that. He reached over and tugged on her shoulder, rolling her back to face him.

“Well?”

“Of course.” She peered up into his
eyes. “I missed you every day and dreamt about you often.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me?”

“It was all so convenient, having a
woman in your home, cooking for you, sleeping with you. I needed to know if it
was real. I needed to step away.”

“It’s because of what I said that
night, when I was drunk, wasn’t it?”

“I won’t lie. That played a part.
Suddenly, I was cast out without any discussion. In one day, I went from
indispensable to tossed out with the trash when I made a mistake. It gave me
pause. Still does.”

“Even now. Even when I tell you I
still love you, maybe more than before.”

“Ah, the separation was good for
you, too.”

“I worked my ass off. But yeah, it
was good. I had time to think…to miss you.”

“Our lives became entwined in an unexpected
way, almost without knowing it, while we had Junior. We were like a family. It
was weird the way it happened.”

“Maybe, but I liked it. Having you
around every day, helping me with the script, cooking incredible meals,
Junior…you were so patient and gentle with him.”

“Was I? I thought I was only his
caretaker, a placeholder until his mother got back.”

“You were much more than that. You
were his mother, at least for two months. I’ve never seen that side of a woman
before. It was beautiful to watch. You have a good heart.”

Tears stung her eyes at the
heartfelt compliment he gave her. “Thank you,” she choked out. Susanna inched
closer to him. Quinn got the hint and pulled her into his embrace.

“I’d love to stay like this, but…”
He glanced at the clock. “We have to be on the red carpet for the
Academy Awards
in two hours!”

“Oh my God!” Susanna bolted up from
the bed and opened her suitcase. “You brought this in here, didn’t you?”

“Of course. Where else would you
sleep?”

She shot him a sly smile as she pulled
out her dress and hung it up. Quinn unzipped a plastic bag hanging in the
closet where his tuxedo was stored. “Quick shower first.” He grabbed a towel
from the linen closet and headed to the bathroom.

Susanna smiled into the mirror. Her
experiment had worked. She loved him more than ever, and he seemed to feel the
same. A sense of confidence warmed her body.
Quinn loves me.
All seemed right with her world as she focused on
applying just the right amount of makeup.

Quinn returned with a towel wrapped
around his waist. She put down her mascara brush to look at him and whistle. He
blushed. “I missed having a hunky, naked body around while I’m getting
dressed.”

“If we had more time…” he began.

* * * *

The limousine picked them up on the
dot. Quinn offered his arm to Susanna, who was dressed in a shimmering, white,
sequined, body-hugging dress to the floor. He was devastatingly handsome in his
black tuxedo. A woven, silk shawl over her arm, she picked her way carefully
down the stairs in her too-high-heeled, silver, satin sandals. He opened the
door for her and then closed it to enter the other side so she wouldn’t have to
slide over in her gorgeous but flimsy dress.

They held hands during the ride.

“You’ve been nominated this time?”

“I haven’t, but the movie has. It’s
a great honor just to be nominated…and to have acted in a nominated movie, even
if we don’t win.”

“Good attitude.” She kissed him.

As they got closer and closer to the
Beverly Hilton Hotel, Quinn became more and more nervous, tapping his foot, unable
to sit still.

“You really want to win, don’t you?”

“What?”

“You’re nervous.”

“Something else on my mind.” He
gazed out the window.

“Want to share?”

“Not now.”

Susanna decided he did care about
the award and, for some crazy reason, wouldn’t admit it. She tightened her grip
on his hand and shot him a warm smile. He grinned back, lifted her hand, and
kissed the back.

“Love you.”

Finally, their car got in the queue
for the entrance. Limousine after limousine pulled up and famous couples and
singles emerged. Sam Callen was doing the interviewing, as he did every year.
Quinn coughed, patted his pocket, then pasted a smile on his face as he
prepared to face the throng of happy fans.

Sam opened the door. Quinn got out
and offered his hand to Susanna. She slid out, legs first. They walked a few
steps on the red carpet then Sam stepped back. Susanna proceeded ahead of
Quinn. She felt a tug on her hand and turned around. The crowd had been
silenced, and there was Quinn, going down on one knee.

“No. You wouldn’t. Not here?”

“Susanna Barnes, I love you with all
my heart…”

“Quinn, get up. People are staring…”

“Will you be my wife? Marry me,
Susanna.”

Susanna simply stood and stared at
him as he opened a small box and displayed an insanely gorgeous, four-carat,
square-cut, diamond ring.

Her mouth was as dry as a fallen
autumn leaf. Quinn wore an idiotic grin.
A
public life? Again?
Her gaze scanned the crowd, all awaiting her answer.
Everything we do will be scrutinized.

“Susanna?” He asked, cocking his
head to the side.

But
I love him so much. I can’t leave him now.

The crowd stood by, silent, waiting.
Susanna glanced briefly at the fans, holding their breath, and then the hopeful
expression on Quinn’s face. She smiled and nodded.

“Yes, I will.”

As soon as the words were out of her
mouth, the crowd went wild. Quinn slipped the ring on her finger and hugged her
tight. Sam Callen announced the engagement, a first in the history of the
Academy Awards
. Quinn kissed her with
passion while the fans roared their good wishes. People were jumping up and
down, applauding, yelling, and Susanna was laughing. Quinn put his arm around
her waist, and they marched quickly the rest of the way down the red carpet
into the hotel.

It seemed like hundreds of
celebrities stopped them to shake Quinn’s hand or pat him on the back. Women
smiled enviously. Susanna moved as if in a trance, as it all seemed so unreal.
She glanced at her hand to stare at the ring glittering beautifully in the
artificial light.

“Are we really engaged?” She asked
him.

He nodded. “You said yes, can’t back
out now.”

“Don’t want to, but it’s all so
fast. I can’t catch my breath.”

“You want to marry me, don’t you?”

“Of course. I love you.” She slipped
her hand in his.

“You’re going to be the most amazing
wife and mother.”

She beamed at him. “Think so?”

“I’ve already had a sneak preview
and all I can say is it’s a hit, five stars…”

“Not a limited engagement? This show
will run forever?” She looked over at him.

“Forever, baby, forever.” A
photographer snapped them sharing another kiss.

Epilogue

To avoid the press, Quinn and
Susanna pretended they were getting married at Café Limoges, but they escaped
the city and got married in Pine Grove at a private ceremony in Maggie and
Cal’s backyard. Chaz stood up for Quinn, and Annie was Susanna’s matron of
honor.

They married not long after getting
engaged because Quinn had signed a contract to open with the show
BLIND LOVE
and could not take time off.
The lovers were inseparable. While he rehearsed, Susanna often sat in the
auditorium, sketching the cast, and then presenting them with her art. She
learned the play by heart.

One afternoon, Quinn joined his wife
in the first row, where she hung out. “Have you seen Cara?”

“Your co-star? No, why?”

“Seems there are two New York City
detectives looking for her.”

“Police?” Her eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah. And they won’t say what for.”

*THE END*

About the Author

Jean Joachim is an author, married, a mother of two boys and
owner of a rescued pug named Homer. She writes contemporary romance and has
more than a dozen contemporary romance books published with more scheduled to
be release within the coming months.
 
Jean has been writing non-fiction for over twenty years and fiction for
three. Her review column, "Movie Choices for Kids" has been syndicated
on parenting newspapers websites for the past 12 years. A native New Yorker,
she still lives in New York City. Her website address is:
http://www.jeanjoachimbooks.com
.

More Books by
Jean C. Joachim

Now and Forever 1, a Love Story

Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny

Now and Forever 3, Blind Love

The Renovated Heart

Love Lost and Found

Call of Duty (anthology)

If I Loved You (Hollywood Hearts, book 1)

Under the Midnight Moon

Secret Cravings
Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com