Hollywood Ever After (Red Carpet 1)

“Do you wear pajamas? Normally, I mean?”

He lay on his side, facing me. “If I’m at my dad’s or my sisters’.”

“If not?”

“I just fall asleep in whatever I’m wearing.” His eyes traveled over my face. “And you?”

“No, no pj’s, unless there’s company,” I said with a yawn.

He cocked an eyebrow, looking curious. “How does that work with children in the house?”

“I’m always up before them, and I have a robe or pajamas in arm’s reach so I can slip into them if they need me. I’ve always been really hot-natured.”

He looked at my clingy black robe and sighed. “I can behave.”

I pulled the blankets up to my chin and slipped out of the robe. “Thank you.” I stretched, but kept myself covered.

He closed his eyes. “I think I can behave.”

I laughed, watching his face light as I did so. It amazed me that I could make him smile like that. “You have sisters?”

He nodded. “Helen is the youngest and my mate. She was there tonight, by the way. I pointed you out to her. You’d get on, I think.”

I could only imagine the impression I must have made, dancing drunkenly and singing at the top of my lungs. So much for a good first impression.

“And Emma lives in Kent with her stodgy older husband and three monstrous boys.”

“You make them sound so charming.”

His eyes twinkled.

My thumb caressed the slight stubble on his cheek. “Will they mind? Your friends? Will they mind that you didn’t come back?”

He moved closer, his head on the same pillow as mine. “No.” He closed his eyes, his hand catching mine. He kissed my palm gently. “I told them I was hoping to spend the night with you.”

“Oh.” My chest filled with happiness at his words. “I’m glad things worked out for you.”

He laughed, opening one eye. “Things did not go the way I anticipated.”

He didn’t say anything else. My curiosity grew as he blinked silently at me. “Elaborate,” I pleaded.

His hand squeezed mine. “You caught me completely off guard.”

I arched an eyebrow in question.

“I was planning on bringing you here and taking you to bed,” he said.

“Which is exactly what happened.” I gestured toward the bed.

“The drive here changed that a bit. What happened out there was a first for me. I’m not fully recovered.” He’d flushed as he said that.

“Oh.” I felt my breath catch as his eyes darkened. A first? I smiled at him.

“You have no idea what you do to me.” He’d leaned over me then, kissing me deeply. His eyes were thoughtful as he stared at me from under heavy lids. He’d kissed my forehead then and pulled me along his side. “Sleep.”

And we had. I’d woken a few times to find a hand cupping my breast, but he was sleeping soundly, his breath even and warm against my neck.

With the bright morning sunshine now creeping over the bed, I watched him sleep. Morning stubble covered his chin, darkening the edge of his jaw line. His thick eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks and his hair stood on end. He lay on his stomach. His face was turned to me on the pillow. His left hand rested on my stomach and his long fingers cupped my hip.