Unravelled (Revealed #2) (4 page)

Nerves made both my mind and mouth go into autopilot. ‘What came up? I thought you were looking forward to showing me your new apartment?’

Sean shifted on his seat and cleared his throat several times, his cheeks flushing again, but clearly not from lust this time. ‘I was. I mean,
I am
. But I’m not staying in the new place at the moment.’ Scratching at the back of his neck I watched as Sean’s cheeks reddened further, a seemingly nervous reaction that did nothing to calm my anxiety. ‘It’s just details to do with the series … the production team have moved me into a house closer to set, that’s all.’

Hmm, I could have sworn that one of the reasons he gave me for his choice of apartment was its convenient proximity to the set … but trying to recall the exact details of a conversation from nearly seven weeks ago was decidedly tricky, especially seeing as my mind was currently in overdrive.

He’d certainly greeted me with enough enthusiasm when I’d got in the car – the slight ache between my legs, swollen mouth, and damp panties were evidence of that – so I didn’t want to appear desperately needy or defensive, but an obvious question presented itself in my mind which I couldn’t help but ask. ‘Why can’t I stay with you, though?’ I persevered, bitterly disappointed that I had come all the way here to spend my time alone in a hotel. Not that I couldn’t happily entertain myself, of course, but when the original plan had been to stay with Sean and catch up, this new alternative certainly seemed a poor second option.

‘Our relationship is still so new, Sean, we’ve barely spent any time together. I … I guess I was hoping to rectify that.’

Letting out a frustrated breath, Sean looked at me, his usually vibrant blue eyes cloudy and shadowed by a deep frown as his brows knitted together. ‘I know, I wanted that too.’ Running a hand through his dark hair it spiked up all over the place as if he’d had a small electric shock, and, because of whatever product he used, it stayed that way, making him look like a handsome scarecrow. Under different circumstances I’d have smiled fondly and leaned over to smooth it down for him, but now I was edgy and unsure what was going on, so I kept my distance and joined my hands in my lap.

Perhaps he saw my frown or the way my posture had stiffened, because Sean leant across and pried my hands apart, taking one into the warmth of his and lifting it to his lips where he kissed the palm several times. ‘It’s just that it’s a property owned by the film company and only employees can stay there. I’m sorry, Allie.’

Oh. Well, I suppose that could logically explain things. Plus I knew he’d been working horrendously long hours this week, which could perhaps be the reason for his twitchiness. Gazing at my pale hand clutched in his tanned one, I let out a long breath, trying to release my paranoia and instead enjoy soaking up the warmth of his lips on my skin. It was infinitely reassuring, and I felt my nerves begin to unravel under his loving attentions.

Giving in to the seductive kisses he was fluttering along my wrist, I smiled, deciding that I was being overly suspicious and needed to chill out and appreciate that we were finally back together. I was tired from my long-haul flight, my brain not fully functioning yet, which was probably the cause of my insecurity and suspicion.

As we wound through traffic, the car once again began to fill with tension, but this time it had nothing to do with my earlier paranoia and everything to do with the red hot waves of lust that were once again flowing between us and seeming to heat me from the inside out.

Our months apart had left me decidedly horny, and now that we’d had sex once I couldn’t seem to get it out of my mind. Sean’s continued attention to my arm wasn’t helping matters in the slightest either – his lips were still on my wrist, licking and nibbling at my thundering pulse point and making my blood feel like liquid fire in my veins. His free hand had settled on my bare knee a few seconds ago and was now working a trail up my leg and under the hem of my skirt to my inner thigh as if he was intent on initiating round two. Oh goodie. His tickling and massaging was leaving my skin increasingly hot, my entire body needy and flustered until I squirmed on the seat and let out a long, low, lusty moan.

Chuckling, Sean met my gaze, his eyes dilated with desire as he blinked slowly, a sexy smirk curling his lips. ‘I’d like nothing more than to lift up that sexy little skirt, rip off your knickers, and fuck you again,’ he informed me in a deceptively casual tone, as if he were discussing something mundane like the weather and not using deliciously crude language to describe the very thing I desperately wanted him to do to me.

‘But for the things I plan to do to you next we need to make it back to the hotel. The quicker the better,’ he murmured, before licking his lips again and huffing an impatient breath. ‘We shouldn’t be too much longer. Help distract me from your tempting little body, Allie,’ he suggested with a wry smile, once again attempting to adjust his crotch with a wince. It seemed from the bulge in his jeans that Sean felt just as insatiable as me.

Thinking back to his last words I blinked several times, staring at him uselessly. I was bright red, could barely think straight, and he wanted me to conjure up a distraction? My brain was only just managing to keep my body functioning normally, let alone attempting to focus on thinking. His salacious words were still spinning in my brain, and my body had been well and truly whipped up into a frenzy, but as I let my gaze wander out of the window I saw a poster for AT&T, the American telecommunications company, and an idea hit me.

‘Actually, I need to get an American pay-as-you-go SIM, can we quickly stop at a shop?’ My voice sounded thick with desire, and breathless to the point where I was seriously doubting the ability of my legs to carry me into a store in their jellified state, but he’d asked for a distraction, and hey presto, I had provided one. I should have sorted this out before leaving home, but in the midst of all the packing, stress, and last-minute jobs it had been forgotten.

Sean laughed, but then dug his fingers into a ticklish spot by my groin – that hollow of skin just where the hip, stomach and groin meet – making me jerk and yelp, before he shot me an intense but amused stare. ‘Did you not hear what I just said about needing to get back to the hotel
quickly
?’ he grumbled, a faint smile finally gracing his gorgeous lips. ‘But OK, we’ll stop, as long as you really are quick.’

Nodding once, he lowered the privacy glass and reluctantly informed David of our slight detour before looking back at me, his eyes filled with an exhilarating mix of lust, love, and happiness. Returning his heated stare I licked my lips, deliberately dragging my tongue slowly and teasingly across my lower lip and successfully drawing his attention.

‘I want to get you into bed just as much, Sean, believe me. I’ll be quick as a flash,’ I promised him in a low tone, my words causing a growl of appreciation to rumble from Sean’s throat as he took my hand and gave a firm squeeze.

‘Don’t mention flashing,’ he complained with a wince as he yet again tried to make his groin more comfortable. ‘Now I’m just picturing you on your hands and knees with that gorgeous arse of yours flashing up at me enticingly.
Fuck
.’ I couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled up at just how wound up Sean was, but one thing was for sure – if he was this focused on sex now, then things were set to be
explosive
between us by the time we got back to the hotel. My core quivered at that thought and I had to forcibly drag my eyes, and hands, away from him to stop the urge of throwing myself at him again.

As it turned out, there was a convenience store just off the main road only a few minutes later, and David assured us that even though it wasn’t really a touristy part of town, they definitely did temporary SIM cards.

‘You stay here, I’ll just be a minute,’ I told Sean as the car cruised to a stop in the lay-by opposite. Not that it was likely that he would have accompanied me anyway, I supposed. I could just see the headlines now,
‘Hollywood heartthrob buys crappy disposable SIM Card from 7-Eleven.’

I’m not entirely sure what made me do it – perhaps Sean’s barely constrained lust was permeating my body, but suddenly I felt uninhibited and wild. Leaning over, I placed a scandalous, open-mouthed kiss on his mouth, briefly sucking his lower lip as I brazenly used my free hand to cup his groin and give it a firm squeeze, all the while hoping that David wasn’t watching.

Lurching below my touch, Sean grabbed at my wrist and let out a long, hissed breath, his eyes shooting wide open. ‘Christ, careful, Allie, one more touch like that and I’ll come in my jeans.’ I was thrilled by his response, rather proud to find him still rock-hard underneath the faded denim. Good. I’d make use of that as soon as we got to the hotel. I’d been so horny for the past two months that I couldn’t wait to jump on him, and almost told David to skip the shop and take us straight back … but I
did
need the SIM card. My mum would panic if I didn’t call her tonight, and it would cost a fortune from my UK number.

Sliding reluctantly from the car I gave one final, lighter caress to his manhood and giggled to myself as I heard a growl of frustration, followed by a series of heated curses. Grinning to myself I hurried through the muggy heat into the store, in a ridiculously good mood and thinking this day really couldn’t get any better.

Chapter Four

Cait

Running had definitely been a good idea. I tended to get extremely fidgety when I was excited about something, and Allie’s imminent arrival was exciting me to near explosive levels. I was super jittery and could barely keep still. Where was she now? Still in the air? Or had she landed yet? I was almost bursting at the seams with anticipation.

As my legs got into a nice, steady rhythm I started to relax into the run, my body working off the excess energy rather pleasantly as I began to mentally plan a list of sightseeing that Allie and I could do together. As I jogged energetically around the corner of a small community building in the park, I ran headlong into something solid and unrelenting like a hapless bird into a freshly washed window. There had been no warning or possible way to prepare myself, just
wham
.

I was vaguely aware of hard muscles and warm skin beneath my fingers before I went tumbling backwards, the impact from the stranger’s broad, strong frame so powerful that it sent me cascading unceremoniously to the ground.

‘Oof!’
The air rushed from my lungs as my back hit the sun-warmed tarmac, winding me instantly and sending stars spinning in front of my eyes.

Unfortunately, any vague remnants of my composure were lost seconds later when I tried to draw in a breath and couldn’t. Instead, awful retching noises began to escape from my heaving chest as I desperately tried to breathe, while simultaneously clawing at the stony ground in an attempt to sit up and gather some speck of my shattered dignity.

I failed on all counts.

My composure appeared to have deserted me and made a run for the hills, because air simply wasn’t returning to my lungs and I was still wallowing around like a beached whale.

My iPod was blaring The Prodigy in my ears, but over the fast, rhythmic beat I vaguely heard a man’s voice. ‘God, I'm so sorry! Are you all right?’

I was sprawled on the floor with breath sawing from my lungs like a blocked drain and he was asking if I was all right? Did I flipping look all right? As I blinked in shock behind my sunglasses a multitude of sarcastic replies flew through my brain, but with my head spinning and my poor lungs winded, I couldn't actually voice any of them, choosing instead to check my stinging palms for scratches, which were thankfully minimal.

Tugging one earbud out so I could hear, I tried to calm my spinning head. ‘Winded …’ I finally managed to croak between rasping breaths. Blimey, I hadn't been winded like this since I was a kid and fell off of the rope swing in my back garden. I'd forgotten how ridiculously uncomfortable it was. I felt like someone had kicked me square in the chest with a hobnailed boot.

It suddenly occurred to my poor shocked brain that as well as being marginally injured, I was also lying on the ground by the feet of a man. He was towering over me, which might not bother some, but after my …
harrowing
… history with men – one man in particular – my brain began screaming at me how vulnerable my position was.

My cruel mind flickered back to memories of the last day with my ex, when I’d been in a similar position collapsed by his feet. He’d flipped out so badly that I’d had to run from him, but that hadn’t deterred him and he’d chased me, and when I’d tripped and fallen to my knees he’d caught me …

A huge, painful shudder wracked my entire body as I came back to the present and my defences leapt to full alert. In my panic to put some distance between myself and the man, I momentarily dropped backwards and scrabbled myself away on my bum as I raised my face to assess him for signs of danger.

My elbows protested at the mistreatment, but it wasn’t until he spoke that I vaguely began to come down from my panic. ‘Whoa, careful! Just sit still for a second.’ He sounded concerned by my tarmac floundering, hadn’t leapt upon me, and was maintaining his distance, so I decided he didn’t seem to be a threat and marginally relaxed my over-sensitive defences as I tried to focus on getting my breath back.

His blue baseball cap and wraparound sunglasses were swimming in front of my hazy vision like a mirage, which was definitely not a good sign. Letting out a low wheeze I winced and rubbed at my chest with the heel of my hand in an attempt to soothe the constricted muscles around my lungs.

‘If you’re winded you need to allow your diaphragm to expand properly. Here, let me help you stand.’ His low, husky tone seemed vaguely familiar, and for some reason sent shivers dancing down my spine.

As I sat on the floor gasping desperately for breath and picking tiny, gritty stones out of my palms, I felt my panic returning as he suddenly held out a hand to help me up. I did
not
touch men, and I didn’t let them touch me either. Regardless of my sprawled position on the floor, this guy was not going to be an exception to my strictly-enforced rule.