The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (44 page)

He takes a deep breath and pulls me up into his arms. “There are no regrets with us – just lessons learned.” I love the way his arms feel around me.  I feel protected and safe.  He places a small but tender kiss on the top of my head, and I know he means it.

I step up onto my tiptoes and nibble on his jaw, reaching over to grab his perfect ass in my hands, pulling him closer.  He is full and hard, and ready for more.

“My turn,” I tell him.  “Turn around.”  Dutifully, Evan turns his back to me as requested.  “Place your hands on the wall.”  He does as he is told.  I watch as the water washes over his ripped body. 

I take the shower wash and pour a generous amount into my hand.  Rubbing my hands together, I create a soft, foamy lather.  While standing behind him, I reach around and begin to work the lather across his washboard abs and up his firm chest.  I can feel my breasts rubbing up against his back as I move from side to side, making sure not to miss an inch of his amazing skin.  “How does that feel, baby?” I ask him.

“Mmm,” is his only response.  I stop to get more soapy foam.  There’s more work to be done.  When Evan moves his hands, I scold him, “Oh, no.  You stay right there, chief.”  Once I have a sufficient amount of lather, I return my attention to the area below his abs.  I begin at his pelvis, massaging and stroking.  The moment my fingers touch his firm erection, he moans deeply.  Seeing what I do to him, how he responds to me, and how much control I have over him is intoxicating.  I know I will never get enough of this.  With long, slow strokes, I show him how much I want him and need him.

Without warning, I back up to the opposite side of the shower.  I intend to make this last as long as possible.  Evan turns around and moves towards me.  “No.  Stay there.”  I tell him.  Again, I work a foamy lather into my hands.

“I think you missed a few spots,” I hiss.  I begin by rubbing my breasts, starting beneath, cupping them firmly in my hands, moving up and around, and massaging my nipples into hard, firm peaks.  Evan’s eyes open wide, carefully watching my every move.  His hand reflexively grasps his erection, as he waits for my next move.

I slowly move my hands down my body, slowing at my belly, then lower.  I rub the soap across the outer folds of my flesh, grateful that my weekly waxing has left me smooth and soft. 

Evan watches me like a hungry lion, waiting for his moment to pounce.  His tongue runs along his lower lip, and I can imagine how his lips would feel on my skin right now.  The thought of his lips exploring my body sends another jolt right to my core.

He watches me, flexing his muscles as he caresses his impressive length, starting slowly, then quickening, sliding rhythmically up and down.  I watch, rapt in a multitude of emotions – affection, need, fascination, and awe.  I’ve never seen anything so erotic and overpowering.

As I close my eyes and let out a soft humming moan of pleasure, Evan turns off the water and wraps his arms around me.  “That’s enough playtime.”  He steps out of the shower and wraps a soft white towel around his waist.  The water droplets on his chest sparkle.  I take a deep breath to calm my rapid pulse.  He grabs a large white towel and motions for me to step out of the shower and into his waiting arms.  He wraps the towel around me, and holds me in a tight embrace. 

I look up into his eyes and sigh deeply.  “I love you, Evan Thomas McGuire.”

“Juliette Evangeline Fletcher, I love you more than you could possibly imagine.” 

He takes me by the hand and leads me into the bedroom, our bedroom.  Standing at the foot of our bed, I drop my towel and climb onto the bed, motioning for him to join me.  In a flash, he is on top of me, covering my lips with his and plunging his tongue deep into my mouth.  I mewl with contentment, relishing in the feeling of his skin pressed against mine.  I rake my nails down his back, and he moans for me. 

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, or 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.