Page 86 of Callback
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Jude
Morning came fartoo quickly. Warmth pressed into my chest and as I blinked my eyes awake, Marlena’s body was nestled against me, spooning. I sighed, pulling her tighter and snaking my arm around her bare waist.
She was so fucking soft. So gorgeous. And when she moaned, she wiggled against my hard cock.
Rolling to face me, I was met with her sweet smile. In the morning light, the spray of freckles across her nose and cheeks seemed to be even more highlighted. “Good morning,” she said quietly, a morning rasp invading her normally clear voice.
“Morning,” I returned, my lips curving, and pulled her in for a gentle kiss.
My erection pierced forward, nestled between her thighs and pushing into her saturated folds. I wanted her. I wanted her over and over again. But she might still be sore from last night. “Coffee?” I asked. “I had Rosie stock my fridge with half and half.”
“In a minute,” she rolled over, straddling me and lifting onto her knees. Leaning over my nightstand, she grabbed a condom from my stash and slipped it over my cock. With a sigh, she lowered herself onto me. Fucking heaven. I lifted my hips, pushing deeper into her wet heat.
“My God, you’re fucking beautiful,” I said, diving my hands into her red hair and pulling her down to my lips. The tips of her breasts brushed against my chest and I took a nipple into my mouth, circling my tongue around her peaked nub.
From above me, she panted, quickening her pace. I moved to her other breast, wrapping my lips around the rosy tip and giving it the same attention. How did I get so lucky? I didn’t deserve her. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep her.
She lifted up, straightening her spine and rolling her hips, her body rippling over top of mine. Wetting the pads of my thumb, I put pressure to her clit, circling the slick area. Her soft belly tightened visibly. With my other hand, I brushed the mole on her thigh before gripping her hip and guiding her body rhythmically over mine.
Like a rubber band, I was stretched too far, knowing that with this woman my fate was entirely up to her. I would either snap or shoot forward and only hope she’d be along for the ride. She was different than the rest. Marlena Taylor was genuine, kind-hearted. More than just a Hollywood starlet out to climb the ranks to stardom.
A flash of light came from behind her and her shriek rocked me from our blissful state. She turned toward the window, shielding her breasts as another pop of light came from a small opening where the curtain hadn’t pulled entirely over to the window frame. “Oh, my God,” she said, covering her face.
I leapt up, pulling Marly down, using my body to shield her from the photographer, and tucking her into the blankets. “Stay down,” I growled, grabbing the other sheet and wrapping it around my waist. I ran to the window pulling the curtains flush to the sides. How the fuck did they get beyond the gate? Did they climb over top? I ran to my cell and dialed the police when a whimpering from under the covers caught my attention.
“Poppy.” I pulled her out and took her into my arms. “It’s okay. Here.” I grabbed my robe from a hook on the door and put it around her shoulders. “Look at me.” I tilted her chin, angling her gaze to mine. Anxiety clenched my stomach as my eyes connected with her sparkling baby blues. They were wet and shimmered like sunlight along the top of a lake. “It’s okay, Marly. It’ll be okay.”
She shoved my chest and pushed to her feet. “It willnotbe okay. Are you kidding me? I have a reputation in this town for sleeping my way into roles. And now? They have photographic evidence of just that. Even though it’s not true. Even though it wasnevertrue.” She sobbed and pulled the robe tighter around her body, moving toward the door. Her shoulders trembled violently with her tears. “What was I thinking? This isn’t the girl I want to be.”
I hated seeing her so upset. Those tears broke my heart. I jumped in front of her, holding my hands out. “Wait,” I boomed, stopping her before she ran out of my bedroom. “Let me make sure the windows are all covered.” I reached into a drawer, pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms and slid them on.
Slipping into the kitchen, I nodded at Rosie, my housekeeper and the only woman I allowed a key to my home. “Mr. Fisher!” she exclaimed. “There must be dozens of reporters out front. What happened?”
I rubbed my forehead, checking each window and pulling the blinds. “I had an overnight guest,” I said quietly, and Rosie nodded, comprehension flashing quickly along her face. “Can you call Joe? Have him bring around the sedan with the tinted windows. Make sure he pulls into the garage—the spot all the way on the left so they don’t see her car within it when the doors open.”
“Yes, sir,” Rosie said, concern tilted in her brown eyes.
I ran to the closet next to my bedroom, grabbing some of Layla’s clothes she had left here. Yoga pants, a button-down shirt… they were maybe the only things Layla had ever worn that were down to earth. They were also probably the reason she left them here.
Marly was pacing when I got back to the room, still clenching my robe. “Oh, thank God,” she rushed to me, grabbing the clothes. “I thought I was going to have to drive home in this.” She pinched the corset as though it were a cockroach; gross and impossible to kill.
“You don’t have to drive anywhere,” I said. “My driver will take you home—it’s a tinted car. He’ll drive you around for as long as it takes to lose whoever is following you.”
Her harsh, humorless laugh cracked like a whip between us; the smile on her face was sour. “Like that matters. They got a photo of us in bed together.”
I clutched her shoulders, tugging her into my chest. “We don’t know that. Theytooka photo, that doesn’t mean they could see anything in it. The curtain only had a tiny opening.”
A breath dragged through her open lips and she shook her head. “Even still, someone must have leaked the image Jack took of us at the club. Otherwise, why would they be here?”
Anger squeezed in my chest. Someone. Yeah, right. It had to have been fucking Jack. That was his payback. Even without me punching him in his smug fucking face, he probably would have leaked that photo.
Her eyes were wet as she looked up at me, and it was worse than a punch to the spleen seeing her in that state. Everything inside of me simply wanted to hold her until every tear had shed.
“This isn’t me,” she said quietly. “I’ve just been caught up in this role. And inyou. I’m not whips and gags and paddles. I’m lace and silk and… and… teddy bears.”
If her tears were a punch to the spleen, then her words were a knife to the gut. “I warned you,” I said, in a hoarse voice. Even after I cleared my throat, it didn’t help much. “But for a girl who claims that this isn’t you, you seemed to really enjoy yourself. Besides, I can do fun things with lace and silk too.” I leaned back to look into her bright eyes and gave her my best smile. “Teddy bears might be a little creepy though.”
