One Hot Secret (Love on Fire)

I cry out his name as my climax draws closer and closer. When I come, it’s like a roll of waves, one over another, until everything goes still. I breathe heavily as I lather my body, not sure whether to be proud of myself and the speed at which I can bring myself to orgasm or embarrassment for the same.

After my shower, I agonize over what to wear. I settle for a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, after all, I’m going to be trying on clothes. Downstairs, I find Maria and Chris in the kitchen chatting while he’s eating lunch. I’m surprised to see him as he and Kyle are always together.

He must have noticed my surprise because after we exchange greetings he explains that he’s headed to the set and was only grabbing something from his office. “Maria tempted me with lunch. I’m too weak to resist,” he says, and Maria blushes.

“Have a seat, Grace. I’ll dish you up some pasta,” Maria says.

“Thanks.” I slide onto a stool at the island and marvel at the quantity of food Chris has on his plate, considering his lanky frame.

“Stella is coming around today to get you ready for the awards show, right?” Chris asks.

“Yes. I’m nervous as hell about that.” I surprise myself with my honesty. I don’t know Chris very well, except, of course, that he’s Kyle’s PA. Whenever we run into each other, I’m with Kyle.

A sympathetic look comes over his features. “I promise you there’s nothing to worry about. You don’t even have to say a thing if you don’t want to. Stella is used to dressing mannequins, and she doesn’t expect conversation.”

That makes me giggle, and the tension I feel dissipates.

“If you want to talk, though, Stella’s great. She’s been around forever and is one of the most grounded people I know.”

Maria sets my lunch on the island, and we exchange a warm smile. I can understand why Kyle sees them as his family. They are good people.

“Thanks for the tips. I was feeling as if I’d be expected to catwalk down a runway with every new outfit I try on,” I tell Chris.

He chuckles. “This industry is intimidating at first, but it gets a whole lot easier. You’ll be just fine.”

I shoot him a grateful smile. We chat easily throughout lunch, and he confides in me that his wife is pregnant, even though he’s not supposed to tell anyone yet.

“Congratulations!” I tell him, and Maria echoes my words.

“I’m going to knit a sweater for the baby,” Maria says excitedly.

When Chris leaves twenty minutes later, I feel as if I’ve made a new friend, and I’m a whole less nervous about my meeting with Stella.

She shows up at exactly two o’clock. Maria gets the door and shows her to the living room where I’m waiting, leafing through a magazine. She walks in, wheeling a rail packed with clothes. She’s got short blonde hair and a ready smile. We meet in the middle of the room, shake hands, and introduce ourselves.

“I brought a lot of styles,” she says with a laugh and gestures at the rack of clothes. “Do you want to begin?”

“Yes, please. The sooner we start, the faster we’ll finish,” I quip. I have a habit of blurting out my thoughts when I’m nervous.

She laughs. “I take it that trying on clothes is not something you enjoy?” When I nod, she continues, “In that case, I’ll make it as painless as possible.”

The first thing she has me do is choose the gowns that catch my attention. I pick almost ten of them, and as I try on each, she tells me which styles I should go for and which are unflattering for my body shape. She not only styles me, but she also educates me on putting together outfits.

“That was fun,” I tell her hours later after we decide on the outfit for the awards show.

She beams at me. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m headed to the set where Kyle is working to finish off his look for him. I’ll be here tomorrow with the makeup and hair person to help you guys get ready.”

I blink rapidly as nervousness gets the better of me. Stella notices it and comes to where I’m standing. She places a hand on my arm.

“It’ll be fun. You’ll feel like a princess going off to attend a ball.”

“I believe you.”

***

Stella was right. I feel like a princess on the way to a ball as Kyle and I head to the awards show in a limo. I feel beautiful, too, after almost three hours of hair and makeup back at the house. I liked Kyle’s reaction too when he saw me, exclaiming how sexy I looked, but I look sexier with absolutely nothing on.

The gown that Stella and I settled on is a sleeveless shimmery silver one with a shawl to match. It clings to my body like a second skin, but it’s comfortable, which adds to how sexy I’m feeling.