Play Dirty (4 page)

“She looks like she’s ready to fly. She’s ready to break the shackles around her ankles and soar off into the sky. The way she holds the pose is so strong and elegant, like she could take off at any second.”

Matthew joined her, to see it from her angle, and cocked his head in symmetry with Lynn’s. Their shoulders brushed one another and, unless he was dreaming, he felt her lean into him.

Perhaps she was just cold up on the roof, subjected to the winds and chilly night air.

She wasn’t into some old man with scruff and a coif. Juliets loved young men and he was old enough to be Romeo’s father.

“I kinda see it.”

She laughed and placed her hands around his face to tilt his head. “Here. Look.”

Lynn was right; from another angle—and if he squinted a bit—she almost looked ready to propel into the night sky with no looking back. “I like her searching for a lover instead.”

“It is romantic,” she agreed. “But so is her cutting the ties to the baggage weighing her down and setting herself free.”

“Setting herself free. I like that. I like it a lot.”

Matthew was rewarded with a smile that promised his heart to her without reservation. He couldn’t help but smile back, and wanted more than anything in the world to reach out and grab her, like he did in their audition. He wanted to envelop her in his arms and listen to her all night, let their skin and their lips entwine and connect.

If he could smack himself and not look like an idiot, he would. He needed to get his shit together before Lynn decided he was insane.

“So.” She caught him staring and flushed. “Where did you get your headshots taken?”

Matthew led her around the garden, creating ridiculous poses to hear her laugh. Truth was, he didn’t remember where because they were taken a year ago and he’d had a lot to drink since then, but playing around on the rooftop with her was more fun than he’d had in a while. She appeared to genuinely think he was funny. That was nice. Nadia had always seemed to think he was an idiot.

“How would you pose me? Where would you put me?”

Was it his imagination or did she have a hint of mischief in those perfect lips? Matthew swallowed down his arousal and led her through the rows of plants and bushes until they arrived back at the fountain. He plucked a hibiscus bloom from one of the bushes, a gorgeous set of white petals tipped with brilliant streaks of red and orange, and tucked it in her hair.

“Trust me,” he grinned.

She laughed and nodded. Carefully, he posed her like the ballerina in the fountain, giving her the feeling of flying off the roof.

Lynn was an excellent model, allowing him to position her as he wanted, staying perfectly still. He moved around her to position her waist, because the willing way she bent in his hands was making the bulge in his jeans so tight it hurt. Much more and he might explode.

“Like this?”

“You’re perfect,” Matthew breathed. “I mean, you know, a perfect replica of the ballerina.”

Fuck.

She nodded playfully. “Right. So, this is how you’d have me pose for my headshots?”

“I think you emphasize a lot of her strength and freedom. What director wouldn’t want that in an actor?”

She dropped to the flats of her feet. “I guess I should have had you take my headshots before the audition today.”

Lynn pulled her phone out of her small purse and frowned. Unable to help himself, Matthew pulled his phone from his pocket to check, too. Only a few text messages from a buddy, asking how the audition was going. He swiped to clear them from his notification screen and shoved it back in his pocket.

“There were a lot of us. Maybe they broke for dinner.”

“Except they were in such a hurry to move forward.” Lynn rolled her eyes. “Maybe it’s for the best I didn’t get called back.”

He put an arm around her, aiming for consoling, but enjoyed the feeling of her tucked in so close to him. “There will be so many auditions waiting for you. This was, what, your second one? I’ve had two in one day. And then two the next, and the next.”

“Liar.”

“Possibly.” That made her laugh. “But my point is, there are so many opportunities out there.”

“And too many of us, remember?”

He could have slapped himself across the face for imparting cynicism on this sweet young thing.

“Look, that was the bourbon and innate depression from not yet receiving a call talking. You’ll learn it quickly. You had me captivated from the moment you stepped into Fiona’s character, Lynn. You really did. That sort of talent can’t go wasted.

“Don’t be like me, counting down the days until the money runs out and you’re left picking up a teaching job in order to pay off the student loans acquired to be a more qualified actor.

“Don’t be like us, because we’re all assholes and bitter about having to shell out a kidney every month to a school that didn’t give a shit if we were there or not. And then we met directors who didn’t give a shit if we were there or not.

“Too many of me, too many fuckers who wasted too many years in school instead of on the stage. But you, you’re starting this out
right.
You’re young and fresh and directors love that shit. They love you.”

Lynn waved him off, embarrassed. “You were that whole scene. I was just trying to keep up with you! As soon as we started running lines, I knew I was in way over my head. Like I said, it’s probably for the best I didn’t get it.”

“The night is still young, miss.” Matthew nudged her gently. She didn’t move away from him after he did.

“They may call. And directors like Hans Lewis are perfect for young actresses. He really teaches you the business. Don’t give up hope just yet. You’re too pretty to be sad.”

“What about you? Aren’t you too pretty to be sad?”

“Me?” He feigned shock. “I am devastatingly handsome, but I’m not sad. I’m the veteran here, waiting for the call and consoling my audition partner. I’m the freaking Saint of Lost Actresses.”

“Me? Lost? Impossible. I have cats, if you remember.”

She stuck out her tongue in a very naughty way and disappeared behind a set of hedges. Matthew took the opportunity to adjust himself and exhale very slowly. This girl, this gorgeous Juliet, was going to be the death of him.

Their flirty banter was getting under his skin and all he wanted to do was strip her to nothing and worship her perfectly tight body with his tongue.

It was so easy to picture, her laying spread eagle on his sheets, halo of hair pooled around her, resting on her elbows. He could see the shadows under her breasts and hear the desperate gasp of hunger as he came near her. He could almost smell her womanly scent, so desperate for his touch.

This time he did slap himself, on the forehead.

Goddamn, he was going to lose his shit up here. What was he, twelve? It was time to act like the grown-ass man he was instead of the prepubescent boy inside who wanted to feel her wetness around his erect cock.

“Did you just slap yourself?”

Matthew jumped slightly, but played it off as a stretch. Kind of. “It’s part of my reality check.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him and her eyes ran across his body, head to toe. It was almost like she had lasers that pierced his skin as she went.

“Are you checking me out, madam?”

“You may want to, um, adjust?” She giggled slightly and disappeared behind the bushes again. He heard her laugh cross the roof.

“Shit.” He unzipped his pants and tried to push his cock down a pant leg, but it was painfully hard. Just touching it made his knees buckle slightly and the urge to just jerk off behind the bushes to end his misery was so tempting. Oh, so tempting. But what if she caught him? What if she decided he was a disgusting creeper and never spoke to him again? He couldn’t handle it.

The thought settled him enough to allow him to shove it somewhat out of the way. He zipped his pants back up and found her again by the bench, leaning down to look at the busy life below them.

“I think it was me.”

“You?” Matthew felt a twinge of panic and glanced down at his pants. Fucking dick. Goddammit.

“I ruined the scene. I was having a really hard time concentrating.” Lynn leaned across the railing and bowed her head.

“You weren’t the only one,” he murmured.

“I just couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.”

His heart stopped. Neither one of them had broached the subject of the kiss until this very moment, and he was so grateful she did it first. The space in his jeans shrunk again.

“To be honest, I’m still thinking about it.” His voice came out huskier than planned.

“It was a really good kiss.”

“The best audition kiss I’ve ever had.” Matthew walked slowly up behind her, keeping a few paces back, though he itched to touch her again. Let her make all the moves, all the decisions. He was going to be right there waiting.

A collision of horns echoed below, distracting her for a moment. Then she said softly, “The kind that makes me want to kiss you again.”

Lynn turned around and didn’t look surprised to see him so close. Instead, she looked hungry with desire. Matthew kept himself absolutely still as he watched her. Her gaze crossed his upper body as she chewed on those beautiful lips. Nervously, but desperately, she placed her hands on his chest and took another step towards him.

Her crown of brown hair shifted beneath his chin as they embraced and she made her way to his lips, anxiously, hesitantly, reveling in those sweet seconds leading up to what would be their first real kiss. Matthew framed her hips between his hands, but didn’t touch.

And then she jumped him, throwing her hands around his neck and pressing her lips to his.

A switch flipped in his beautiful Juliet and a sex kitten emerged. Her kiss was his poison and he drank greedily, but she clearly wanted more. Not a kitten, but a frantic tiger ready for a meal. Lynn pushed him against the railing and parted his lips with her tongue.

Matthew kept his hands on her lower back, but moved them no further, as she slinked across him, breasts rubbing against him, teasing him with her gorgeous femininity.

He could deny himself no longer. He picked her up and they bumped around the rooftop looking for someplace solid to land. They collapsed on a bench near the back—Lynn unwilling to let go of him—and leaned against the back of the small structure housing the roof exit.

Lynn pressed her lips across his neck, lightly swirling her tongue behind each kiss and biting him. Each groan that escaped his lips appeared to turn her on even more. She rocked her hips against his bulge, moaning in delight at the hardness waiting for her.

He had to fight down his urge to rip her flimsy dress off and ravish her, because God knew he would, but this was not the time.

This creature was too beautiful, too young for a hardened has-been like him.

This was just to relieve the pent-up stress from waiting, he told himself. They could kiss their frustration away, but no more. She was only using him.

Lynn unbuttoned his shirt slowly and knocked his protesting hands out of the way. She tilted her head back and gasped as she ran her fingers across his chest and stomach, the pieces of himself he was most proud of.

Matthew pulled her into him and nibbled across the tender flesh of her skin, soaking up the smell and taste of her.

His dick was throbbing. Each kiss was like fifty of their stages kisses and they were drunk on each other. She ran her nails across his back and up his neck until he dipped his head against her chest. If they were in his apartment right now, he’d rip her bra off with his teeth and make her perky nipples his only source of sustenance.

She pressed her chest forward, practically begging him to take her in his mouth, but he pulled her in for another kiss.

If she didn’t stop soon, he was going to give her exactly what she wanted—a hard fucking. Scenes of her naked body filled his vision as she trailed back down his chest, this time with her tongue. She was getting dangerously close to his cock and it was unbearable.

They had to move before he fucked her in her perfect mouth.

Matthew picked her up and pressed her against the wall, pinned her wrists to the brick. She moaned under him, trying to bite at him, wickedness filling her eyes.

“You are trouble,” he said into her neck, running his tongue across the softness. “Very big trouble.”

“I’ve noticed your bulge since the audition,” she breathed against him. “I’ve been dreaming of it in my mouth ever since.”

“Unf.” Matthew rested his head on her shoulders and tried to think of baseball stats and the recipe for his grandmother’s streusel and every line from Space Balls. Anything to quell the fire in his veins and the lust in his hips.

“I like you, Matthew. You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

Where was his sweet Juliet, who flushed with dimples and was afraid to take his hand? Who was this incredibly sexy minx crawling all over him? She could have her pick of any college-aged guy in the tri-state area. What could she possibly want with an old man like him?

She grabbed his cock and bit against his neck. “Please let me show you how much I like you.”

Matthew kissed her, hard. No more talking. She was going to completely ruin him by talking. So he let his kiss tell her everything.
You’re beautiful. You’re perfect. I never want to stop
.

The steel door banged open with a loud boom, startling them out of their intensive lip lock. They jumped apart, giggling. Lynn grabbed his hand and led him back down the rooftop stairs, past the confused onlookers. Matthew buttoned his shirt back up one-handed, watching his Juliet laugh her way down the stairs.

He was so done for.

PART ONE

They didn’t hold hands walking down the street, though Lynn made it clear she wanted to. The Theater District’s bustle kept his mind distracted, reminded him he missed out on his last real chance for the season, possibly forever.

He didn’t want it to be a dictating force in his evening anymore, but they were only here because they met at the audition.

He was only able to feel her hands on his dick because they didn’t get a callback.