Unravelled (Revealed #2) (2 page)

Rolling my eyes, I stood up from the tall kitchen stool and wandered across to the industrial-sized coffee machine in the hostel kitchen. This place was only a budget backpackers’ joint, but they provided very tasty, very
free
coffee every morning, which was a definite point in its favour as far as I was concerned. Pouring myself a refill, I turned and leant back on the counter, still too twitchy with excitement to sit down. The caffeine couldn’t have helped, either. Even knowing I would have to share Allie’s time with Sean couldn’t put a dampener on my day. My bestie was on her way, and after three years of living on entirely different continents we would finally be in the same city again.

As I sipped my coffee, I thought about Allie’s whirlwind romance with Sean. After spending eight weeks apart she must be so excited to see him – and perhaps a little nervous if our phone call the other day was any indication. Part of me (a deep down, long-buried part) was actually slightly envious of their relationship. Not because he was famous – that didn’t bother me at all. The part I was curious about was the closeness they shared. From Allie’s descriptions, they seemed to be utterly head over heels for each other and could hardly wait to get back together after their time apart.

Pursing my lips, I absently played with the elastic bands around my wrist as my thoughts briefly darkened. A closeness like that with a man was something I would never experience, even if the idea did occasionally intrigue me. Having gone through a particularly traumatic relationship when I was younger, I now didn’t date. At all.
Ever
. A fact that Allie found particularly frustrating, but was something I saw as a necessity to keep myself safe. No relationship could ever be worth the trauma I had gone through.

Shaking off the shudder that ran up my spine, I drained my coffee cup, washed it, and hung it on a hook before taking a deep, calming breath. Locking my feelings and memories away inside me – something I was now particularly good at – I replaced my smile and turned back to the room feeling far calmer.

I needed to find some distractions to fill my time for the next day or two, because knowing Allie would be here soon was driving me nuts with excitement. It was still early, so maybe I could burn off some of this fidgety energy with a run, and then head out at lunchtime to register with a few more employment agencies.

Even though the hostel was cheap, I was essentially living off my savings and so couldn’t afford to stay for much longer without finding work. Seeing as Allie was going to be here for at least a month, I had decided that I may as well try to get a temporary job and extend my stay too.

As I made my way out of the large kitchen, I heard a familiar piece of music from the lounge area that made me pause. Turning my gaze to the television, I saw the opening credits of one of my favourite shows,
Fire Lab
, and found myself humming along to the theme tune as my grin got wider. I wasn’t a massive telly watcher, but this show was based around an arson unit in LA and had it all: drama, action, a touch of romance, and of course, Jack Felton. A man so handsome it should be illegal. Just as thoughts of him entered my mind, there he was, gracing the screen with his dark-haired godliness, warm brown eyes, and chiselled jaw.

Before I could stop it, a small appreciative hum left my throat, drawing the amused attention of the lone occupant of the sofa.

‘He’s quite a hunk, isn’t he?’ the girl said, as she grinned at me in agreement then turned back to the TV to join me in my ogling.

My cheeks flushed traitorously, but the girl’s attention was firmly rooted on the TV and I felt myself relax. I might not date, but I
did
occasionally window shop – after all, I was a twenty-six year-old woman, not a ninety-year-old nun. Jack was my latest crush, and since he’d been signed as the lead in
Fire Lab
I had become quite a closet fan of both the show and him. According to the gossip magazines I sometimes read, he lived in LA too – not that I’d seen him, of course, but the fact that I was in the same city as him always gave me a little thrill when I stopped to consider it.

It was tempting to linger and indulge in watching the programme, but I tore myself away and turned for the stairs. Work was needed, and today was the day to find some. Now I just had to pound the tarmac for a nice cleansing run and then dust down my suit to hit the employment agencies.

Chapter Three

Allie

So here I was. Los Angeles International arrivals terminal. Thanks to some strong winds on the way I was over an hour early, and grateful to finally be able to stretch my legs properly. I was also so excited that I felt sick. Although admittedly that might be down to the chickpea and beef sandwich I’d had on the plane about two hours ago, because it had smelt decidedly dodgy and hadn’t tasted much better.

As I made my way through the throng of people attempting to exit the airport I felt my phone vibrate in my handbag and smiled, glad that I had remembered to turn it back on after landing. Dragging my suitcase away from the chaos of the luggage carousel, I tucked myself out of the way and then dug around amongst the debris in my handbag – Kindle, chewing gum, hair brush; you name it, I had it – until I finally found my phone.

Seeing a message from Sean, my stomach bunched with excitable nerves, but my face curled into a smile nonetheless as I slid my thumb across the screen to open it.

From: Sean

Checked your arrival and saw you were early so I’m here already. Look for a driver with your name, I’m in the car. Hurry up. I can’t wait to see you. S x

A pang of disappointment settled in my chest – I’d been half hoping for a romantic reunion in the arrivals lounge, with Sean sweeping me into his arms and spinning me about frivolously while I giggled and smothered him in sloppy kisses.
Pfft
. I made a dismissive noise with my lips and rolled my eyes – that was the stuff of movies, and although Sean might be a film star, he’d already warned me that the reality of dating a famous person wasn’t going to be easy.

Popping my phone back in my pocket I made my way through Customs with a small accepting smile on my face – Sean had an established reputation in Hollywood and often drew crowds, so meeting me in the car made sense. But I was still a little disappointed.

Exiting into the main terminal building I was met by a sea of expectant faces belonging to the families and loved ones waiting to greet their relatives. It was so busy that I actually found it a little overwhelming at first, and the huge glass building seemed to elevate the noise around me to astronomical proportions until I was almost wincing.

Glancing repeatedly around the crowd, my eyes finally caught sight of a smartly suited man holding a placard with my name upon it, just as Sean had said. What Sean hadn’t said however, was that it would state my full name – Alexis Louise Shaw. Bastard. I’d told him how much I hated my first name, and I could just imagine him sat in the car having a good chuckle to himself.

Tentatively making my way across, among the jostling crowds, I began to feel the bundle of nerves in my stomach expanding. I was so excited about seeing Sean again, but simultaneously I was nervous. It had been a full two months since we’d seen each other in person, and given that our relationship was so new, the distance had made me jittery. Not to mention the tense Skype calls. Forget edgy, those had made me full on paranoid.

The suited man silently nodded at me as I reached his side and gave him a hesitant smile. ‘Good afternoon. You must be Miss Shaw.’ Seeing my jerky nod, he gave me a smile. ‘My name is David. I’m here to pick you up on behalf of Mr Phillips,’ he informed me in a deep American accent.

His very being exuded professionalism: perfect posture, crisp white shirt, flat cap, and a black suit that wouldn’t have looked out of place in
Men in Black
. Taking the handle of my case, he inclined his head towards the exit doors. ‘The car is just outside.’ He set off in the direction of the exit signs before flashing me a gleaming white grin. ‘I hope you brought your sunglasses, because we’re having a bit of a heatwave at the moment. It’s sixty-nine degrees Fahrenheit today, far warmer than usual for this time of year.’

His words were like music to my ears because back in the UK I’d left behind one of the coldest, wettest Aprils ever recorded. Bring on the rays. The sticky warmth of the day engulfed me as we exited the terminal and I smiled happily, tipping my face back to briefly soak up the sun. It might only be the end of April, but David was right about the heatwave – it was far hotter than I’d been expecting.

Lowering my gaze again I found David waiting patiently for me and looking rather amused by my impromptu sunbathing session. Flushing with embarrassment, I began to move again, following him like an obedient puppy until we reached a long queue of cars waiting by the kerb. As I gazed at the different vehicles my eyes widened. I’d literally never seen so many expensive cars in one place. I suppose it was a sign that you were in Los Angeles when the majority of cars sitting in the short stay car park were Porches and Mercedes.

Opening the boot of a sleek black limo at the front of the line, David slid my case inside before holding the back door open and leaning his head in. ‘I’ll just be a few moments while I pay the car parking fee, Sir.’

I barely noticed David disappearing because my entire body was now aware of the fact that Sean was just a few feet away. Would he be pleased to see me? Would everything be OK between us? And would the attraction be the same? God, I hoped so. The hairs on my arms stood to attention, my stomach was spinning like crazy and my heart had started accelerating so quickly that it felt like a bass drum pounding in my chest. In fact, I felt decidedly lightheaded as I dipped my shoulders to enter the car and only just managed to persuade my trembling fingers to pull the door shut behind me.

This was it – reunion time.

I was barely in the car before I was engulfed in the glorious sight, smell, and strong arms of Sean as he took a hold of my upper arms and literally dragged me across the car and onto his lap, causing me to yelp in shock and then giggle happily.

Over the course of just a few seconds it was like a hormone bomb had exploded inside the car. We didn’t even bother to say hello, instead we became a blur of clutching fists, exploring lips, and lusty moans, rapidly reacquainting ourselves after our separation. God, I’d missed him so much. The relief from his keen response washed over me in blissful waves, relaxing my previous insecurities until I felt like a pliant, boneless mass of lust poured like a second skin across his body.

This was hardly elegant. I was sitting sideways across Sean’s lap with my skirt askew and rumpled, but I still managed to shamefully grind down on his groin. My fingers greedily slid through the silky strands at the back of Sean’s head, eliciting a groan of pleasure from him as I tugged to pull him even nearer, not satisfied with our already close contact. Sean’s hot tongue delved between my lips, twining with mine as he hummed his appreciation into my mouth. Taking hold of my hips in a similarly tight hold, he jerked me down so I could clearly feel the heat of his groin against me through our clothing.

Our breaths were mixing and combining in my mouth, his taste so familiar and divine that I really couldn’t believe I’d lasted eight weeks without him. Grumbling something unintelligible against my neck, Sean lifted me, hitching up my skirt at the same time as shifting my legs so I was now straddling his lap. Giving a sharp, upward thrust he prodded the growing evidence of his excitement against me.
Right
against me. Oh God. We were joined so firmly that there was no disguising the hot length of his excitement pulsing between us against the thin lace of my knickers.

I didn’t care where we were, I wanted him.
Right now.

It appeared that Sean was on the same wavelength, because one of his hands pressed down between us and dug underneath my skirt until his fingers found the damp lace at my groin. ‘Hmmm. Lace. These feel too nice to rip off. Shame,’ he muttered as he pulled the fabric aside and slid a finger along my quivering flesh to my clit.

My eyes rolled back in my skull at the unbelievable pleasure as a gargled moan left my throat. That felt so bloody good. I was so desperate for him that I nearly yelled out, ‘Rip them off! I don’t care!’ but instead, I brought myself back to the moment and set about doing my own burrowing until my fingers found, and hastily undid, the zip of his jeans.

From the moment his hot, hard cock surged free into my palm, there really was no doubt about what was going to happen, it was just quite a surprise to me how
quickly
it happened.

One second I was groaning my appreciation of his talented fingers as I reciprocated by gripping his firm shaft, then the next moment Sean had lifted me and, after impatiently flicking my knickers out of the way, had dragged me down to line up my entrance with his waiting cock.

‘This is going to be so fucking good,’ he muttered hotly. The sounds of my yelps and Sean’s groans then filled the car as he nudged the first few inches inside me before becoming wedged. Sean was rather well graced in the manhood department, and I vividly recalled how I’d found fitting him in a bit of a challenge at the start of our relationship, but I’d adjusted over time. I suppose after the few months apart where my body had gone without sex, I just wasn’t used to this type of generous intrusion any more.

Never being one to turn down a challenge, I impatiently wiggled on his lap, trying to push myself down and causing Sean to growl against my mouth as he gripped my hips to stop me. ‘For fuck’s sake, don’t hurt yourself,’ he murmured, licking two fingers and lowering them between us to add more lubrication. He really didn’t need to; I could feel that I was wet enough. I just needed time to stretch a bit.

Lifting his face to kiss me, Sean held me half-impaled on him, my body relaxing as his slow, luxurious kiss worked its magic, making me accept more of him until at last he was fully sheathed inside me.

Our foreheads met, damp with sweat, dilated eyes burning with desire as we grinned at each other and took a second to absorb how great it felt to be reconnected again. Really,
really
flipping great.