Running Back to You (The Running Series, #1) (47 page)

Evan rocks his hips, and my legs open for him.  Slowly, he presses into
me, and each inch brings with it the most exquisite pressure.  My body tightens
around him, and I wrap my legs around him, desperate to have all of him joined
with me.

He grasps my hands in his, locking our fingers together, and moves
slowly, pushing a little deeper each time.  With each thrust, I feel myself
being lost in him.  “Only you, Juliette, only you, always,” he proclaims, never
taking his eyes from mine.  I can see and feel the truth behind his words.  He
fulfills my needs in every possible way, physically and emotionally. 

The gravity of it all hits me like a brick wall and once again, I can
feel tears falling.  But these are tears of pure joy.  I try to hide my
emotions by nuzzling into Evan’s neck, but he pulls away and looks down into my
eyes, brushing the falling tears away with his thumb.  “Don’t cry, my love,” he
whispers.

“I love you so much, Evan.”

“Baby, I’ll love you all the days of my life.”

His words put me over the edge.  Without warning, my core begins to tense
violently.  Waves crash through me, rippling through my body, leaving me
shaking and quivering as I tighten around him.  I dig my nails into him and cry
out for him.

Instantly, I can feel him tremble and shudder as he pulses and throbs
inside me, filling me with his warm release.  As the waves retreat, we are both
left exhausted and sated. 

“S
o, what time do you think you’ll get here?” I ask Evan as he drives towards
the boardwalk.

“Doors open at seven, right?” he asks.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you need to be there the entire time,
sweetheart.”  The security will be extremely tight and I feel safer tonight
than any other night.  “I really want you to be with me at closing, so why
don’t you wait until closer to ten.”

“Juliette, I can’t do that.  It’s a charity event.  People are expecting
to see me there.  I’ll be there at seven thirty.  Where will you be working?” 

“All four of us will be working the patio tonight.  Derek, Emmy and I are
bartending and Marcus is working security on the patio.”

“Good.  I won’t be able to spend much time with you, tonight.  Remember,
I signed up for this.  Girls are going to flirt with me.  I have to show them a
good time so they spend lots of money at your bar.  But remember, it’s you I’m
going home with tonight, and every night.” 

“Damn right you are, chief.”  I rest my head on his shoulder and wrap my
arm around his as he drives the short distance to the north end of the boardwalk. 
The closer we get, I can see news vans with satellites on the roof setting up
to broadcast.  I’ve seen one news van here every now and then, when there’s a
bad storm, a parade, a walk-a-thon, a seafood festival.  But tonight, there are
already five vans gathered here, and we’re not opening for a few more hours.

“Promise you’ll find me immediately if you need me.  You may not be able
to see me, but I’ll be here with you the entire night until we leave together.”

“I’m not supposed to socialize with the celebrities tonight.  We had a
staff meeting yesterday, and Jack was very clear about it.  We’re supposed to
be one hundred percent focused on service and making ourselves invisible.” 

“Then make sure you don’t cozy up to any celebrities, just me.  Got it?” 
Evan pulls up to the boardwalk.  Ever the gentleman, he insists I wait while he
comes around to open my door.  After a hug and kiss, I watch as he pulls away.

My
celebrity
boyfriend.  The word celebrity has taken on an
entirely new meaning for me.  I always thought celebrities were larger than
life, that they lived fantasy lives, surrounded by glamour and glitz.  Truth
is, they have the same struggles the rest of us do, but all their trials and
tribulations are broadcast to the world.  All that glitters is most definitely
not gold.

A crowd has gathered all along the boardwalk, crowding the entrance to Wilkinson’s. 
It seems like the entire population of Point Pleasant is out here tonight.  It
also looks like the entire police force is on duty.  In fact, I’m fairly sure
they are.  As I look across the multitudes, I can see a large number of the
people gathered and waiting are young girls.  No doubt that when a true
heartthrob appears, screaming and screeching will ensue.

The bar is closed and I have to be admitted by the bouncers.  Once I’m
permitted inside, there is a palpable buzz in the air as the bar is being
transformed.  Some of the bartenders will be working security, like Marcus, helping
to manage the crowds and maintain control.  Some of the celebs will have their
own personal bodyguards tonight, too.

The four of us are busy getting the bar fully stocked and set up properly
for the night.  While we clean and prepare, I give them the latest news.  “Hey
guys, Evan and Adam got pictures of someone vandalizing my car last night.”

Emmy looks at me with a very serious look on her face.  “Your car got
vandalized?  Christ, Jette, this shit is unbelievable.  Did they recognize
anyone?” she asks.

“Not yet, but they’re working on it.  Did I mention, it’s a woman? 
Interesting, right?”  I say directly to Emmy and Marcus.  Derek just continues
to go about his business, but I can see him smile, or is it a smirk?  It’s hard
to tell from this angle.

There’s no time to debate and discuss.  There’s too much work to be done,
and soon the doors will be open.  But I wanted to make sure they knew the
truth.  They were completely wrong about Derek.

A few of the artists will hopefully perform a song or two tonight, so a
crew is working manically to perform sound and equipment checks.  My wildest
dreams would be for Bruce Springsteen to make a rare appearance.  He’s been
known to show up unannounced, so there’s always a chance that I’ll get my
wish. 

No sooner do I finish getting everything in order when the doors open and
guests start filing in.  One of my favorite local cover bands, The Nerds, is
performing tonight.  Until they start at nine, the house DJ is spinning some
great dance music.

The first celebrity to join us on the patio is none other than NFL star
Evan Big Mac McGuire.  I feel him before I see him.  I still get a jolt of
electricity whenever he’s near.  He’s wearing his new red Sentinels jersey and
looking so incredibly yummy in it.  I’ve never seen him in uniform before. 
Holy crap.  I could eat him up.  Everything about him is perfect, his sharply
chiseled jaw, the slightly crooked angle of his nose, the dimples that make his
face light up, and his brilliantly blue eyes.  I am suddenly awestruck.  All I
can think about is getting him naked again and back home in
our
bed. 
I’ll have to hold that thought for a few more hours.

Evan strides straight towards me, and I cannot help myself.  I run out
from behind the bar and throw myself into his arms.  “Hi, baby!” Evan greets
me.

Evan introduces me to Carlo Rivera, a wide receiver with the Sentinels. 
Both men tower over me, standing well over six feet tall.  Wow.  If I spend
too much time with these two, I’m going to need a neck massage from looking up
at them.  Despite his strong and powerful appearance, Carlo is very friendly
and approachable.

I’m careful not to monopolize Evan’s time; he’s expected to hobnob with
the guests tonight.  I excuse myself and get back behind the bar.  Fortunately,
Evan stays close by and I can observe from a distance.  Men and women equally
want his attention, although I suspect each have widely varied reasons, and
both want their picture taken with him. 

He’s amazing with the crowds.  I swear I actually see him flip a switch
mentally.  It’s subtle, but knowing him the way that I do, I can see that his
smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.  When he smiles for me his whole face
lights up, bringing out his dimples.  Now he’s smiling and shaking hands, being
as charming as ever, but there’s no sign of dimples or sparkle. 

Time is flying by.  The patio is packed and at times, it’s hard to see
where Evan is.  Girls frolic up to the bar giggling and excited after their
photo op with my man, but this time, it doesn’t bother me.  Not even a little
bit.  They may not know it, but I have everything they want.  And I’m never
going to forget how close I came to losing him forever, more than once.  That
will never happen again.

Marcus is doing a great job keeping the guests moving around the bar and
celebrities.  Emmy, Derek and I are so busy we barely have time to talk.  I see
Emmy’s face light up and I can’t help but wonder what’s got her panties in a
bunch.  Sure enough, half the cast of the Jersey Shore just wandered onto the
patio with a caravan of enthusiastic fans.  I should have known that Emmy would
be a fan, she loves all things extreme and this group is exactly that.

Walking up to Derek’s side of the bar is Christie Rampone, wearing her
National Women’s Soccer League jersey.  She’s a graduate of Point Pleasant High
School, and a local legend.

As I scan around the room, trying to keep tabs on Evan, I hear a band
starting to warm up.  I recognize them immediately.  It’s Stone Temple Pilots,
sans their former lead singer.  The DeLeo brothers are former Point Pleasant
graduates, too.  I think one of them graduated with my mother in the eighties,
but I’m not sure which one.  I’ll have to ask her tomorrow.

Marcus covers the bar for me while I take a quick break.  I walk over to
Evan and give him a playful jab in the ribs to get his attention.  The music is
loud and the voices are even louder, so I have to shout to be heard, “Be right
back.  I’m running in the back to get more lemons.”  We’re running out of
cocktail garnishes and besides, I really want to see who’s inside the main bar.

“I’ll come with you,” Evan offers.  He excuses himself from his
conversation, takes me by the hand, and lets me lead the way.

The crowd in here is even thicker than the crowd on the patio.  It’s no
wonder, really.  Through the masses, I can see a few people posing for
pictures.  As I look closely, I recognize New Jersey natives Zach Braff and
Kirsten Dunst getting their pictures taken with fans and signing autographs.

Near the entrance, another crowd has gathered.  Garnishing a great amount
of attention are Jon Stewart and Brian Williams.  Rumor has it that both men
have vacation homes nearby.  Jon Stewart is numero uno on my fantasy celebrity
dinner party guest list, along with Ellen DeGeneres and Robert Downey, Jr.

As we walk through the crowd, Evan gets many requests for pictures and
autographs, too.  It’s hard for him to go far without being noticed.  He’s
taller than nearly everyone here and his bright red Sentinels football jersey
is an attention getter.

The press is here, too.  Their large, high-resolution cameras and press
passes hanging around their neck set them apart from the regular guests.  The
stars are posing for pictures with their fans, and I’m fairly sure a few of
Evan and me have been snapped, too.  I can only imagine what the tabloids will
make of that.  Everyone believes he’s back with Averee De-Ho.  They will
probably make Evan look like a two-timing Lothario. 

Impervious to it all, Evan just carries on, meeting, greeting, and
chatting with his fans when they approach. 

“Juliette, do you know who that guy is over there?”  Evan points out a
young man across the room who is around his age, just shy of six feet tall with
sharp features, and a dark, brooding expression.  Women are hanging all over
him, and it’s obvious he’s someone recognizable.  I know immediately who it is.

“Sure, that’s Paul Wesley.  He stars in one of those vampire shows on
T.V.  He graduated from Red Bank Catholic.  I think that’s where Marcus went to
school.  I can’t wait to tell Reese that I was in the same room as Stefan
Salvatore.  She’s going to be so jealous!”  Reese is a diehard fan of the show.

“I thought you said his name was Paul.”

“Yes, Stefan is the character he plays on T.V.”

Evan has never met Reese, although he’s heard me speaking with her
several times.  I explain to him how Reese used to make me watch episodes of
the show with her and how she is totally infatuated with both Salvatore
brothers on the show.

This night is turning into everything I’d hoped it would.  The amped up
security is keeping all the guests in line and the celebrities comfortable. 
I’ve gotten my fair share of star sightings.  Now, here I am, walking around
with this strikingly handsome man on my arm and I couldn’t be more content than
I am at this very moment. 

Evan and I make our way through security to the back so I can get some
citrus for the bar.  There’s not a quiet place in the entire building,
dishwashers, barbacks, runners, and security are everywhere.

“See, Evan?  I told you not to worry.  Look at all the security here tonight. 
We’re safer here than anywhere else right now,” I tell him.

“Looks like you’re right.  But still, I’m not taking any chances.”  Evan
looks at me with his smoldering eyes and kisses me, not caring who else is in
the room with us.  It is a deep, possessive kiss that still overwhelms me.  As
we break from our embrace, he gives me a playful slap on the ass.  “Now, let’s
get you back to work,” he teases.