Chapter 27
INEZ
27
Ican’t get my hands to stop shaking.
I’m sitting on the old couch in Nolan’s office at the back of the bar, subtly rocking back and forth, as adrenaline mercilessly attacks my system. From where I’m hiding out, I can hear the bumps and bangs of the film crew packing down their equipment. I just can’t wait for them to be gone.
That interview was so brutal. Of course I hadn’t been expecting it to be a walk in the park, but Sabrina really came after me tonight. If I thought the world despised me before, the hate train is going to be exponentially worse now.
The only thing that made that experience somewhat bearable was having Nolan standing in the shadows. Even across the distance between us, his presence gave me the strength to get through it without crumbling. Right now, I’m more grateful for him than I can put into words.
After the longest while, there’s a tap at the door.
“Yeah…” I say, sounding hoarse.
The door slowly swings open, Nolan’s massive shoulders filling the entryway. There’s a deep wrinkle of concern between his eyebrows as he wordlessly marches toward me.
“Are they gone?” I whisper, my voice cracking around the words.
He nods lightly as he lowers onto the cushion beside me. “They’re gone,” he confirms.
His eyes scan me up and down, like he’s searching for bruises. But the damage I sustained tonight isn’t visible to the naked eye.
I feel like shit.
“How’d I do?” I try to sound strong and confident even as my eyes are quickly filling with tears.
Nolan doesn’t answer. Instead, he takes me into his arms, pulling me against his chest. I melt in his hold, instantly realizing how much I need a hug.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” he whispers, his lips pressed against my forehead. The familiar woodsy fragrance of his shirt is especially comforting right now with the vulnerable state I’m in.
“Proud of me?” I whisper, burying my face against his strong chest. “After all the drama I’ve brought to your doorstep since I got back to town?”
Nolan gently pushes me backward to hold me at arm’s length. “You really don’t get it, do you?” He shakes his head. But he doesn’t elaborate.
“I don’t read minds, Nolan. And you aren’t exactly great at communication. If you want me to understand you, you’re going to have to actually talk to me.”
I don’t want to be rude and I don’t want to take my misery out on him. But I’m just so fucking tired. I’m tired of wanting things from him that I know he’s not capable of giving me.
Like usual, he shuts down on me the second I demand more of him, the second I try to deepen our connection.
Tonight, I’m too weak to act like I don’t care. I blink through the tears now streaming from my eyes. “Talk to me, Nolan. Please.”
He stares at me for a long moment, hesitating.
Then he surprises the shit out of me when he drops to his knees in front of me on the old carpet, taking my hands in his. “You’ve brought me happiness, Inez. You’ve brought me excitement. You’ve brought me something to look forward to everyday. I don’t mind the fucking drama. You’re worth it.”
“Nolan…” I whimper.
He takes my jaw in his palm as his fingertips swipe at my tears. And then the most unexpected words of affirmation pour out of his mouth. “You’re more than just beautiful, Inez. More than just some hot chick with a killer body. You’re kind and you’re smart and you’re funny. You light up a room simply by existing in it. You don’t even have to say a word.” His voice drops low. “You dazzle me. Every time I’m near you, you dazzle me. That’s why you’re my stargirl.”
“Oh my god…” I whisper softly.
This is a side of Nolan I’ve never seen before. If he goes on talking like this, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep it together.
It’s not like I’ve never been complimented before. But from this enigmatic man, it feels different. It feels genuine. It feels real.
It feels like nourishment for my starving soul. I want more of it. I want to eat it up, till no part of me is hungry anymore.
His hands fall to my bare knees, squeezing gently. The touch feels so intimate, so personal, so forbidden. He’s kneeled in front of me, watching me with his stormy eyes ablaze.
When Nolan is this close, the heat of his body overwhelms me. I don’t know how to hide the fact that I’m immediately turned on. The events of earlier this evening are long forgotten.
“I know that things are complicated, Inez. That’s why I’ve tried so hard to keep my distance. But I can’t keep my distance right now. Not when you’re falling apart like this.” He slightly spreads my knees apart, positioning himself right between my legs. His voice drops another octave or two. “I want to hold you tonight. I want to touch you and make you feel good. Just once. Say yes.”
“Yes,” I whimper quietly. “Touch me. Just once.”
He gently pulls my face closer and I lean toward him. He looks at me and there’s no hesitation in his eyes, no more holding back.
He’s decided what he wants tonight. Me.
My eyes flutter shut and then his lips cover mine.
Bliss. Exhilaration. Fucking euphoria. That’s what I feel when he kisses me. His kiss is a ballad written across my lips. Soft. Tender. Almost poetic.
I knot my fingers in his russet brown hair, desperate to hold him near. Because I’m sure that if he changed his mind about this right now, I’d just die.
As his lips and tongue play with mine, he reaches for the ribbon holding my dress together at the waist. With a soft tug, the fabric comes loose, opening up to reveal my black thong and my lacy demi-cup bra beneath.
Nolan pulls free of the kiss and his gaze sweeps over me, leaving a path of flames across my exposed skin. He slowly eases the satiny fabric over my shoulders, allowing it to fall in a pool on the couch. And now I’m sitting here in nothing but my underwear.
From the way he’s looking at me, I expect him to pounce on top of me and take what he wants. I expect it to be over quickly.
But he doesn’t even touch me. Instead, he falls back onto his haunches, slowly inspecting every inch of my frame.
The self-conscious part of me wants to wrap myself up in my dress and hide. Am I good enough? Does he like what he sees? Or do I fall short of his expectations? But I’ve learned that with this man, it’s best not to make assumptions.
“W-what are you thinking?” I dare to ask, bracing myself for his response.
“I’m thinking you’re so fucking perfect, Inez,” he whispers reverently. “Every inch of you is perfect. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. The mere idea that I get to put my hands on you has me shaking.”
Oh shit…
This man is undoing me with his words. If he keeps talking to me like this, he’s going to send me over the edge without lifting a finger.
But I want his fingers. Inside me.
I take his hands, putting them on my thighs. “Touch me,” I mewl.
His calloused palms slide up the length of my bare thighs, tenderly exploring my goosebump-covered skin. “You sure that’s what you want? I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”
His asking for my consent only makes him that much sexier. “God, yes. I’m sure.”
With a firm grip, he spreads my legs even wider. “Where do you want me to touch you, Stargirl?”
“Between my legs,” I say with no reservations. I should probably be shy about this but I’m too keyed up to be demure.
His voice drops dangerously low. “Like this?” With a casual flick of his thumb over the bud of my clit, the man almost unravels me completely.
“Yes.” The sound is a broken whimper as my eyeballs roll back in my head.
He just grins. “Your bra—get rid of it.”
I do as I’m told, reaching behind me to unclasp the garment before sliding the straps down my arms and letting it fall to the floor. Nolan watches with satisfaction as my tingling breasts bounce free. He takes a moment to gently squeeze one sensitive globe, tweaking my hard nipple. I helplessly whimper his name.
“Fuck…” he mutters right before his lips cover my other nipple. He kisses and licks and sucks, making my thighs contract harshly.
I feel his thumb glide along the lace edge of my panties. “Can I take these off?” He asks, his voice pure like silk and rough like gravel at the same time.
I reflexively raise my hips off the couch. “Mmm-hm.” I nod vigorously, biting down on my lip to keep from saying something embarrassing and unhinged. Something like, Fuck me right this fucking second, you fucking sexy fucker!!
In a slow, smooth motion, Nolan pulls my soaked thong down the length of my thighs. It’s shameful how wet I am, a liquid string of arousal stretching from my pussy lips to the crotch of my panties. But Nolan watches in fascination, his hooded eyes transfixed to my exposed core.
“You’re dripping for me. Look how soaked this pussy is for me.” He growls. “You’ve been wanting this for a long time, haven’t you?”
“For so long. You have no idea,” I admit. For six, long-suffering years, to be exact.
The way he’s watching my pussy is too much. It’s so raw. So dangerous. Needing to retreat from his intensity, my eyes fall closed.
That’s when I feel two thick digits push into my mouth. “Get these fingers all nice and wet for me, baby,” he commands.
On instinct, I suck and lick his fingers, coating them in saliva. Over and over, Nolan feeds his fingers deep into my mouth before slowly pulling out. “Fuck, Inez. That’s exactly how I imagine you sucking my dick, baby.”
I’ve imagined sucking his dick, too. More times than I’m willing to admit. Before this night is over, I want to do just that. I want him to fuck my throat until I’m hoarse.
But Nolan is clearly the one directing the agenda tonight. And right now, he’s busy teasing my clit with his saliva-drenched fingers. He manipulates my little nub, rolling, tugging, stroking. Then he penetrates me with one long digit, impaling me. My body reacts to each touch, jerking and convulsing as if operated by a remote control. He adds a second finger.
“Nolan, fuck. Yes,” I breathe out, grasping at his strong shoulders to steady myself.
“Play with your tits for me,” he orders, finger-fucking me.
I don’t hesitate to take my breasts into my hands, tenderly squeezing and tugging them as a current of arousal moves through me. Nolan watches, his eyes hooded.
Then he kisses and nibbles a slow, sensuous path up my inner thigh. He leans in, taking a deep inhale of my most private region. “Mouthwatering, baby. You smell so good. Tell me how sweet it tastes.”
He removes his fingers from my hole before he drags them across my mouth, painting my lips with my juices. With a groan, I suck them into my mouth, swirling my tongue around, savoring the mild tangy flavor.
“It’s so good,” I confirm and his pupils flare in approval.
“I’m so fucking hungry for you, Inez,” he grinds out, stroking his hand down the front of his pants, giving his erection a squeeze. “Tell me you want me to eat this pretty pussy.”
“Please. Please, Nolan.”
“Say the words, Inez. Tell me you want this.”
But I’m breathless. “Oh, god,” is all I can manage to get out.
“I don’t read minds, babe. Communicate. If you want me to understand you, talk to me.”
Ugh. He’s throwing my own words back in my face. Why am I not surprised?
A wicked half-grin curls one corner of his mouth as he waits. Right then, I realize something—his asking for my permission is not about consent. It’s all a form of torture. He wants to hear me beg. And I’m not above giving this man exactly what he demands.
“Yes. I want it. Eat my pussy, Nolan. Eat it right fucking now.”
His smirk widens as he carefully drapes my legs over his shoulders. “Look at the enthusiasm. That’s what I like to see. Such a good girl.”
The ego on this man.
With a breathless chuckle, I grab a fistful of his russet brown hair, gently pulling his head closer to my throbbing center. My brain is spinning with lust and I’m not sure I’m capable of stringing another sentence together.
Thankfully, Nolan doesn’t waste another second. He grabs my ass off the couch, pulling me right on his mouth and he buries his face at my core.
His tongue slides over my folds and between my nether lips, from the front all the way to the back, meticulously covering every centimeter along the way.
“You taste so good, Stargirl. Like a piece of heaven. I want to stay here with my head buried between your legs all night.”
He eats me like a man who hasn’t had a decent meal in ages.
He eats me with purpose. Like a man on a mission. Like his goal is to make me forget every night I’ve cried myself to sleep, every time I’ve felt all alone in this world, every time I’ve thought I wasn’t good enough.
I try to control myself but I can’t. My hips thrash helplessly against his mouth.
When I feel my orgasm approaching, my legs slam tight, holding Nolan captive. “I…I need to come. Make me come.”
“Yeah, baby. I’m going to make you come,” he promises. “You’d better scream my fucking name.”
With that, he plunges two fingers deep inside me, curling them against my G-spot. His mouth covers my clit, roughly sucking the nub between his lips.
I start to chant his name like a chorus. I see fireworks in every color of the rainbow as my body tenses and bares down. I burst past the finish line with a long, filthy moan that shakes the four walls of this small room. The orgasm washes through me like a hot electric current and I’m defenseless against the aftershocks.
Nolan doesn’t let up for one second. He doesn’t even come up for air. I squeeze my thighs around his stubbly cheeks and he works his tongue like a machine designed by the heavens just to give me pleasure.
When I finally collapse against the cushions, I’m boneless. Light-headed. Blissful. Nolan climbs onto the couch beside me, leaning against the cushions and gathering my naked body up into his arms.
His chest is pounding like a drum and his body is feverishly hot. Also, there’s a rod of steel in his pants, begging for my attention.
But when I reach for his buckle, willing, ready and able to return the favor, Nolan grabs my hand, placing a kiss on my knuckles. “No, Inez. Tonight is about you.”
“But what if I want to make you feel good, too?” I whine.
“Just holding you like this is all I need right now.” He seems genuinely content to stretch out on this couch with my sweaty limbs draped over his.
This feels so nice but I’m desperate to not get carried away. Because it would be easy to forget our agreement. Just once. Just tonight. Nolan and I don’t have a future beyond this very moment.
I can’t let myself enjoy this cuddling thing, even though it feels so amazing. I could fall for him. So easily. And what would happen then? We can’t be together. His vision for the future doesn’t align with mine.
But when I try to get away from him, Nolan only squeezes me tighter.
“I’m a mess…” I whisper, sweeping a hand over my damp skin. “I’m covered in sweat and other fluids I won’t mention.”
“I don’t fucking care. Let me hold you a little bit longer. Before we have to go back to that stupid ‘just friends’ thing.” He makes air-quotes.
My heart aches. Laughing ruefully, I curl up in his lap like a love-starved kitten and he strokes my hair and whispers sweet things into the curve of my neck. He draws silly shapes on my ticklish skin with his fingertips.
This feels like a slice of heaven. But I’m no fool. I know that hell could be waiting right around the corner. Especially once my interview with Sabrina hits the airwaves.