Chapter Seven
chapter seven
J ake choked on his sake. He wanted to grab Kat’s hand and bolt out of the restaurant. Before he could reply, the waiter reached over them to set down their sushi. Jake coughed into his napkin.
“You okay, sir?” asked the waiter as he refilled their sake cups.
Jake nodded and said, “Yes, yes. I’m good,” then flashed him a smile. “Hey, we’re in somewhat of a hurry, so can I give you this now?” Jake asked, fishing his credit card out of his wallet. He wanted to expedite this dinner as quickly as possible. He was surprised by Kat’s boldness, but not surprised at all. In all her rationality, she was always clear on what she wanted.
“Sure thing, Mr. Laurent,” the waiter said, and walked away to run Jake’s card.
“What’s your hurry? Maybe I want dessert.” She picked up a sushi roll and popped it in her mouth. He watched her deliberate chewing. “Mmm. This is delicious, you should try some,” she said in a cheery voice.
He leaned over and whispered, “Kat. If I could, I would bend you over this table right now.” His heart raced. He was charged up and her comment threw him right over the edge. He felt like he was vibrating. He often felt this way when he was anxious, excited … really, any emotion. It was the kind of reaction he’d spent years in therapy learning to control.
“Rule number six,” she started, pointing her chopstick in his direction. “no sex in public.” She looked dead serious except for the smirk on her lips. She was teasing him, and it was having the desired effect. He wanted her and she was going to make him wait.
“Fuck your rules,” he growled. He reached over with his chopsticks and snatched a piece of a dragon roll. His nostrils flared as he refereed the dueling desire and frustration wreaking havoc on his thoughts. Kat laughed and pushed the plate of sushi close to Jake. How is she still sitting there like we’re having a normal dinner? Seeing her unaffected made him crazy, but it made him want her more. It was a power play, and he was turned on by her control.
The waiter returned with his card and set it in front of him. He leaned over and whispered, “I’m not supposed to do this, but can I have a quick photo? My fourteen-year-old niece is a huge fan.”
“Of course!” Jake said. “Crouch down here so your boss can’t see.” He gestured to the other side of his chair. Jake was relieved he didn’t have to stand up. Rule number seven was probably “no hard-ons in public.” He could only imagine the Insta comments that would generate.
Eventually, the waiter left them alone, and Jake looked at the table. They had made a pretty good dent in what they’d ordered. Once Kat had declared their next activity, he’d wanted to skip the meal, but it felt good to eat real food.
Part of his image was his slender frame, and he was pressured to keep it that way. It allowed him to play younger characters, which was part of why he got so many offers—his young look, coupled with experience, made him desirable to directors. His team counseled him to stay small and young-looking for as long as possible. He didn’t often get to enjoy a full meal, existing mostly on protein shakes that offered all the appropriate nutrients and calories, but none of the joy. Watching his weight was his least favorite part of his job.
Kat was fiddling with her phone. “My taxi is two minutes away. I’m going to head out.”
He tossed his napkin on the table. “Great. Let’s go,” he said. He couldn’t wait to get her alone and a car sounded like a great place to start.
“Call your own. I’m not walking into your apartment building with you,” she said, standing up. “It’s a good idea for us to leave the restaurant separately, too.”
Frustration jolted into his body, but he wasn’t going to challenge her. He put his hands up. “Yes, rule number three.” He opened his phone and ordered a car. It was only five minutes away. He would be right behind her.
He watched her walk out and thought about the difference twenty-four hours had made. He had been a ball of stress—fucking up a movie, angry, and hard to handle , as he had heard the assistant director say. He’d laughed more since Kat had arrived than he had in several months. She was a safe place—not always easy, but always safe. He understood the reasons they didn’t discuss or define what they were to each other. At twenty-five, he told himself, he didn’t want the stifling expectations or responsibilities that come with relationships.
But he had called her. When his world seemed dark, he’d called her. Although he’d yet to make complete sense of it, he knew she was someone he wanted in his life. What he wanted, what he could sustain, and what she would give him were questions he couldn’t answer. At the moment, he didn’t want to figure it out. He just wanted to be with her. “No thinking,” she’d told him.
His phone buzzed with an alert, letting him know the car had arrived. On the way out, he obliged a few tables with quick photos when they asked.
It was a short ride to his apartment, and he flew out of the car and into the building. As he bolted up the stairs, his phone rang. He pulled out his phone to hit ignore when he saw Roger’s name pop up on the screen. Damn. He’d agreed to a call today to discuss an upcoming film where he was under contract. Swearing under his breath, he answered.
“Hey, Roger,” he said, out of breath from running up the first two flights of stairs.
“Jake! How the heck are ya?” Roger asked, dispensing the obligatory pleasantries.
“I’m okay,” he said. “Sorry, I’m hoping this can be fast, I’m kinda in the middle of something.” He typed his code into the keypad and opened the door. Kat was on the other side of the room, looking out the large window. She turned, and Jake mouthed “sorry” while motioning to the phone at his ear.
Roger let him know the start date of his next project was moving earlier and might overlap with his current project. He needed to know if Zero Code was on schedule so he could confirm Jake’s arrival date in Prague with the producers.
“No, we’re a bit behind,” Jake said, sighing. “Also, I was planning on having at least a month off after this. We talked about this, Roger.”
Roger ignored his comment about time off, instead questioned why they were running behind. There was no way to skirt the fact that they were behind because of his performance. He figured Roger already knew. “I’m having trouble connecting to the part … I don’t know … it’s just not coming.”
Jake held the phone away from his ear as Roger started his lecture.
“Your reputation is one of the key reasons you’ve moved to offer only, Jake. You’re still young and don’t forget, the only thing consistent about directors is that they hate risk. If I tell the studio the film can’t start because you are having issues, it will snowball. You have to fix this. Shit. We have to control this. You are too new to studio-driven films to have a reputation for being difficult, or worse, costing the studio money.”
“I kno—” he tried to interject, but Roger barely took a breath as he spoke.
“Jake, this could be bad. You should’ve told me right away. You have to get back on that set and show them what you can do. You’re better than this.” Roger continued, his voice getting louder. Jake often remarked that he lectured him more than Jake’s own father. Today would be no different.
“I get it,” he said, not hiding the irritation in his voice. “I screwed up. Reminding me of it isn’t helping.” All the worst-case scenarios only made him spiral further into his own self-loathing. This was the exact opposite of getting out of his head.
He paced the room, feeling a quiet panic building. He tried to calm the shake in his voice when he felt both of Kat’s hands on his shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing. She faced him, concern evident on her face. He tried to turn away, shrug off her hands, but she held him with a firm grip. She leaned up, and he felt a soft, slow kiss on his neck. She was silent as she gently licked the ear that wasn’t pressed up against the phone and brought her hands up the back of his shirt.
His head rolled back, he took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. He let his anxiety dissipate and flow through his breath. As Kat had counseled him earlier in the morning, he just breathed into it. This was more than desire. He understood it now. She was bringing him back to his body and away from the pressures he was creating in his mind. He wanted to hang up the phone, but Roger was working through schedules to do follow-up calls, including one to their PR team. He kept the phone on, but he was barely listening.
Kat didn’t stop at his neck. She slipped her hands past his waistband and took him in her hand, slowly moving up and down with a gentle promise of what was to come. Jake bit his bottom lip to stop from groaning. He closed his eyes and let her make him feel good. He opened his eyes with the intention of putting his forehead on hers, but instead, she kneeled, slid his pants down, and took him in her mouth. There was no hesitation, only a light touch in every spot that sent electricity right through him.
“Goddammit,” slipped out of his mouth. She was killing him. He had to get off this call.
“What?” Roger said, confused.
Jake pulled the phone away from his ear and shouted, “Roger, text me the times. I’m hanging up now.” He hit end on the call and threw his phone on the chair.
Jake let out a groan that was nearly a growl. Feeling Kat’s mouth on him almost made him come undone the instant she’d touched him. She took full control, allowing him to turn off his mind and just be in the moment. So many women he’d slept with needed constant assurances and wanted him to initiate every move. He never knew if they were in it for him or because he was good for their own career or social following. He quickly learned that his rising star status also meant more people wanted to use him for their own good. But not Kat. Never her.
He ran his fingers through her hair and caressed her neck. He pulled her back and sank down to his knees so he could devour her lips. He went in for a deep, strong kiss, feverish and breathless as their hands became reacquainted with each other’s bodies. His movements were frantic as he tore at her clothes, pulling his own T-shirt over his head. Once they were rid of their clothes, he slowed down and took his time kissing her soft breasts. He knew every move, had explored every spot, and knew every way to touch her to make her whimper. They lay down on the floor, and Jake settled his body on top of hers. He loved the feel of her body under his.
The last woman he had been with flashed in his mind. She’d been some sort of model—Victoria’s Secret, maybe? He honestly couldn’t remember. He had been able to see every rib and hip bone, just like himself. When they laid together, it had felt like bone on bone. He’d been so weirded out by the feeling that he never saw her again.
He felt Kat’s fingers brush his back and run all the way up to his neck. She playfully pulled his hair and crushed his lips with a hungry kiss. Oh, she wants it a little rough? He gave her a devilish smile before he nipped her shoulder. She let out a small giggle, and he felt her breath quicken. He moved back to her mouth and pushed his body even closer to hers. He was so lost in their kisses that he barely heard her say his name.
“Jake? Jake?” she breathed.
“What? What?” he asked. It came out almost as a moan. His mind was hazy with desire, his brain synapses were slow to fire.
“Condom? We need a condom,” she said as she bit his earlobe.
“Yes. Shit. Yes,” he said. God, he’d almost forgotten. She’d made him crazy and foggy. They were very close. He had never gotten this close without a condom. He got up and grabbed his pants a few feet away on the floor. He’d stashed one in the side pocket.
Kat raised her eyebrows. “You had a condom in your pocket? The whole day?”
“Well, rule number six had not been established yet,” he said shrugging his shoulders as he flashed her a smile. She let out a loud laugh.
He moved to the couch, sat down, and carefully rolled on the condom. He was planning to join her back on the floor, but as soon as he was done, Kat climbed in his lap. He almost came as she straddled him, her aggressiveness affecting him down to his core. Her lips kissed just under his ear. “Did you know you have a freckle right here?” she breathed. “It’s one of my favorite spots to do this …” she said, and Jake felt shivers up his spine as her tongue tickled his neck.
It was all he could do to hold back, but his body was entranced by her control. Once she lowered herself onto him, he felt her let out a long, low breath.
“Jake, why does this feel so good?” she whispered in his ear. She pressed her lips to his, and his mouth parted as their tongues met.
“Are you really asking me to answer that?” Jake breathed. He couldn’t believe she was talking. He was barely able to form a complete sentence. He put his hands on her hips, and she began to move, her eyes locked with his. She found a steady rhythm, her movements building momentum. He threw his head back and gazed at the ceiling. “Fuuuuck,” he said with a grimace as he tried not to end the moment too early.
She was right: this felt amazing, even perfect. It was the high of sex, but also the high of being with someone where it felt effortless. He loved how their bodies came together: he was all hard angles, cut, nearly sharp, whereas she was curvy and soft. She was his shelter, softness and release in a world that felt too hard.
Jake buried his face in her shoulder. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” he said. “That was fast. This is what happens when you tease me all damn day.”
She pushed his head off her shoulder and planted a kiss on his lips. “That was amazing. I needed that. I think we both needed that,” she said, sliding off him onto the couch. She lounged back and stretched her legs, laughing out loud.
Jake walked across the room to clean up. “Why are you laughing?!” he asked, the mild panic clear in his voice. He didn’t think what they had just done was worthy of laughter, no matter how brief it was.
“Look at the time,” she said. “We didn’t even make it twenty-four hours. After a year, I thought it might be at least a week or so, or never.”
“Never?” he asked. “I can’t imagine never.” He walked back over and joined her again on the couch. They weren’t done.