Page 24 of Kiss and Makeup
Things came to a head on our next shoot, which also happened to be at the 1307 location and involved a lot of green screening, which meant a lot of editing after the fact. This particular ad was supposed to air in three days to be on schedule, which meant all the shots had to get done today. Otherwise, the visual effects team wouldn’t have time to complete the ad and the deadline would have to be pushed forward, which would please nobody.
The entire day was hectic. Everyone had things to get done and everyone else’s tasks seemed to interfere with those things, so a lot of tempers flared and words were said that hadn’t happened on any other day working on this contract.
Maybe spending all day with the atmosphere and the attitudes of everyone breathing it in made Kristen finally put her foot down.
“What is wrong with you?”
Her words blindsided me because I had thought I was alone. The day had finally ended and everyone involved in the shoot had headed home—or so I thought. “What?”
“You’ve been acting off for days.” She crossed her arms, leaning against one of the black leather couches spaced around the room.
“I’ve just had a lot to do in the company lately.”
“Don’t give me that. You stare at me all the time, and not a ‘hey, sexy’ kind of stare. If you want to say something to me, just say it.”
I didn’t want to mention it. I really didn’t. But then, suddenly, I remembered how Kristen had treated me before she told me about Emma. She had held me at arm’s length, leaving me purposefully in the dark and giving me a feeling of powerlessness, like nothing I said mattered.
“Fine. Who was the guy?” I had convinced myself to ask about him, but I couldn't stop myself from being a little short.
“The guy?” Kristen looked thoroughly and truthfully confused, which calmed me more than anything else could have.
“The guy a few days ago who came to see you here,” I sighed, sitting on the edge of the desk. “He talked to you, you shook his hand, he left.”
“Is that really why you’ve been so distant lately?” She stopped herself from continuing on that vein with visible effort, probably realizing it wouldn’t help matters. “Okay. His name is Brent, and he’s my ex. He cheated on me and wanted to apologize to me. Are you satisfied?”
“You’ve never mentioned an ex before,” I pointed out. “And it seemed like you parted on pretty good terms.”
“Oh, for the love of—” Again, Kristen took a breath to steady herself before continuing calmly. “I don’t like to talk about exes in general. To anyone. I leave the past in the past and I feel like it isn’t appropriate or wanted to bring up exes in current relationships. Like I said—no, let me finish.” She cut me off immediately when I opened my mouth. “Like I said, he wanted to apologize. He did, I said thank you, I forgive you, we’re still done, and he left.”
I stared at a nail hole in the wall, fidgeting nervously. I wanted to believe her, but… This didn’t disprove my worst fear. This story could be true, and Brent could still be Emma’s father. “He’s not…. I know you said Emma is your sister’s daughter…”
Wherever I was trying to go with that or however I thought I could bring up that question, Kristen shattered it immediately. “Xavier, are you serious? Brent isn’t Emma’s father. Her father is dead. Her mother is dead. Would you like to visit my sister’s grave with me to be sure?”
Every suspicion, every angry thought whooshed out of my head like water down a drain. “No—no, of course not—”
“Then stop talking to me like I’m lying to you. Brent and I are through and he means nothing to me anymore. Why can’t you accept that?”
“Kristen, you’re—” I had to pause for a breath. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I’m just… I’m still not used to having you back. You make me feel so good, and you make me a better person.”
For a second, Kristen stared at me. Then, slowly, the animosity and irritation faded away and she reached out to me. “I make you a jealous person,” she pointed out softly.
“A little jealousy is a good thing,” I defended myself. “But I know I went too far.” My larger hand, calloused from years of lifting weights, engulfed hers. She was so irresistible, standing there in her almost-too-sexy business clothes and just richer than usual lipstick. “Let me make it up to you?”
The taste of that lipstick tingled against my tongue when I pulled her into my chest and kissed her, trapping our intertwined fingers between us. It was a gamble. I was ready to risk it.
Back in college, Kristen had this wild side to her. Deep inside, somewhere beneath the scheduling and the no-nonsense attitude, a spontaneity lurked. If I could fight past her tongue, reach my own deep into her mouth, and find that Kristen with passionate kisses… anything could happen.
She kissed me back. My hand wasn’t all that held her to me; her fingers were claws against my back, a sharp pressure holding me in place. That place was a step back, then a second, then a third as I found that buried part of her that would try anything, anywhere. My back hit the wall, probably bruising my shoulder blades, but in the moment all I could feel was everything Kristen did to my body.
Everything about us, everything we did—underlying it all was this strong sense of urgency. Clothes were oppressive. Those came off first, my expensive suit jacket falling to the floor and her skirt ending up across the room. Then the touching, hands wildly skimming across each other’s skin like only rough contact could get our bodies closer.
My hands reached around and found her ass. I bounced her up into my arms, holding her against me with a hand on each soft, round cheek. Bare nipples rubbed my jaw, and I took one into my mouth, sucking at first, then biting—then biting harder.
A gasp told me when my teeth closed a little too hard, and harsh nails on my back reminded me that anything I did to her, she could return to me tenfold.
She slipped from my arms and her thigh crept between my legs as my erection rubbed against her stomach. I pinched and kneaded her nipples and we staggered together, rocking back and forth.
A jolt ran through me as we hit something. I half fell forward, and I almost apologized—then I realized Kristen was pulling me down with her, dragging me onto the black leather couch and onto her.
