The Stars Trilogy (23 page)

The woman was not as dumb as he first thought. But she lacked strategy. Zero finesse. “Wow. Are you proposing to me, Kasia?”

She slowly ran her fingers through her hair in that practiced man-eater move. “I’m not a woman who likes to waste time, Dare. We are seldom in one place together so I’ll take this opportunity. I’m one of the highest paid supermodels in the world right now, even more famous than Naiomi and Gabrielle. You will see in my Facebook and Twitter, I have more followers than them combined. I will be an asset to you. I’m okay with a prenup.”

Opportunity.
Her language limitation was not going to help her in her millionaire husband- hunting at all. He indulged her crass attempt at landing him as her next benefactor. “And what do you want from me that Jamie doesn’t have?”

“An American citizenship. A-list style, of course.”

He admired her honesty but her extreme pragmatism and the barely veiled avarice in her eyes made him sick. He was suddenly so tired of Hollywood bullshit, suddenly missing Celine like hell.

“Excuse me.” He grabbed Celine’s clutch bag and the white napkin where Jamie’s certificate of agreement was written, drafted by his smartass, weird as hell, gorgeous as an exotic fairy secretary of one day. He crammed the napkin in his pants’ pocket.

“Goodnight, Kasia.”

“But...can I have your number?”

He just smiled and left the room.

He found Celine at the bar counter, giggling over something Jamie said.

It was all he could do not to charge toward them and knock Jamie to the floor for taking off precious time from him and his secretary.

The lounge was full of LA’s very important people and some stood up to approach him. He had to perform courtesy chat with a senator whose political career he had always supported. One of Warner Bros.’ executives indirectly proposed two movies, if he was interested. He smiled, shook hands and exchanged hugs and kisses with society ladies while his eyes were covertly spying on Celine and Jamie.

When at last he was able to pass through the throng of people, he walked toward the bar. Jamie and Celine were looking at him now, both wearing pleasant smiles, as if they were really enjoying the evening. That pissed him off more because he was feeling miserable as shit.

“Let’s go,” he said to her without looking at Jamie.

“Now...?”

“Yes. Now.”

She looked at Jamie apologetically. “Well...it was great talking to you, Jamie.”

“All my pleasure, Celine. I hope we’ll see each other soon.”

He could read Jamie clearly. His friend was not trying to hide it from him either. Jamie really liked Celine. A kind of like that was more than sexual.

Dare held her arm and helped her off the high stool.

“That would be nice,” she said to Jamie cheerfully. “You can be a guest at Dare’s house anytime this week. Bring your check book with you, okay? And your lawyer, if necessary.”

Jamie chuckled. “You are amazing.”

Dare practically dragged her away from Jamie.

“What, not even a thank you, brotha?” Jamie called out to him.

He gave his friend a murderous look.

Jamie chuckled. “Bye, Celine.”

“Bye, Jamie.”

Chapter Ten

“Jack Logan rockx!!! I saw it with my Dad last night and he loved it, too! It’s hella fun to watch movies with him‘coz he explains the story to me every now and then as if I don’t understand English lol. I love my Dad. He’s

the coolest. Hope you’ll meet him one day. You know what, I’m going to start your official fan club here in the Philippines.I’m going to be it’s founder. I’m so excited! I got a cool Daredevil freebee shirt from the theater! Wearing it right now. By the way, I was indeed salutatorian during my high school graduation. Dad and Mun were so proud. Wish I could show you my medal. Summer is here again and I’m looking forward to your new

sci-fi movie with Steven Spielberg. I’m sure it’s going to be explosive.

Mwah! You’re the greatest! Love u!”

SHE COULDN’T STAND HIS SILENCE.

Weren’t he supposed to be happy and thanking her for her participation in landing him his twenty million dollars from Jamie Knoxville? Well, she didn’t do much but she refused to believe she did nothing at all.

“Mr...uhm, Dare?” She hoped he won’t mind her informally addressing him by his first name. Maybe she had earned the privilege to be on the first name basis with him now.

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you happy?”

They both turned to each other.

“Yes. Thank you, Celine. You did really well back there. I couldn’t have made him sign into the deal without your help. You did more than a secretary would. You are a powerhouse negotiator that any wise CEO must employ.”

She was surprised, to say the least. He was praising her negotiating skills!

“So...why aren’t you smiling?”

His expression remained stoic. What was he thinking?

Unable to help herself, she obeyed her spontaneous urge and traversed his private space. She raised her hands and touched his cheeks, pushing the corners of his lips with both her thumbs to form a smile. She sang to the tune of the birthday song. “Tweny million dollars...tweny million dollars...tweny million, tweny million...tweny million dooooooh-llaaaaars.”

His eyes became a deep mesmerizing shade of blue, his lips breaking into a real smile.

A huge grin that lit up his entire face.

“There! Guiness should take note of this! Twenty millions dollars’ worth of smile! That’s certainly a world record!”

He chuckled.

How she loved the sound of his hearty laughter echoing inside the plush interior of the limo.

Before she knew it, she was in his arms.

Oh dear! Here’s the encore! Remember, no drama! Get a grip!

She felt his body heat, the beating of his heart, his comforting strength as he embraced her tightly. Oh God, he smelled so, so goooooood.

She closed her eyes and savored the precious moment.

He turned his face toward her neck. “You smell so good, baby.”

Baby. He called her baby. She won’t react like an affronted feminist. It didn’t sound sexist to her. She liked him calling her ‘baby’. “You, too.”

She felt so good in his arms, so warm and soft and right.

His lips moved to touch her neck. He licked her skin and she stiffened, making a small sexy sound.

He couldn’t help it, he rained kisses on her neck and shoulders, feeling her shiver and melt in his arms. She molded her body toward him, moaning in such a femininely sexy way that drove him crazier with desire for her.

He grasped her thick, silky hair, anchoring her head against the headrest of the backseat as he fused their lips in a hungry kiss. He had been aching to do this to her all night as he listened to her discuss his film with Jamie. Jamie in turn was enthralled of her and he had noticed how his friend’s eyes had strayed from her face to her chest covertly, when she wasn’t looking. It nearly drove him to violence.

The thought of yet another man discovering her in any way was simply intolerable. He can handle Ben. No, he can’t handle that Ben actually had her. But he can steal her from Ben without effort. He can handle Carlos and Rocky as they were all under his employ. But he cannot handle Jamie wanting her, too. Jamie was also a powerful man in Hollywood.

And what did she eat that she tasted this good? She smelled and tasted like a freshly-picked flower or fruit. He was starving for more taste of her. And she was a responsive little flower, welcoming his kisses and giving her own in a manner that was not aggressive. In fact, she wasn’t the kind of kisser that he was used to. She didn’t open her lips enough, didn’t suck and lick and bite him. She kissed like a novice.

But he didn’t mind. What did he expect? She was hooking up with a frail, sixty-year old man who probably couldn’t give her a good ride anymore. He liked her tentativeness, her hesitation to use her tongue. It was refreshing. It made him want to explore her further. She could learn a lot of new tricks from him.

“Open your mouth, baby,” he coaxed her.

“Uhmm...” She opened her mouth wide like she would with a dentist.

He chuckled. Gracious fuck, he was so hard his cock could be used as a sledgehammer but she was making him laugh in the middle of this.

She closed her mouth again.

“Baby, you need to learn how to really kiss.”

“Will you teach me?”

Those simple words were magic words. It fueled the alpha animal in him to show her the right moves.

He held her jaw and kissed her again, driving his tongue past her lips.

She was caught in the electrifying, wondrous sensations elicited by his kisses. Sparks were igniting like Fourth of July fireworks from their fused lips, traveling like lightning all over her body, making her sizzle all the way to the soles of her feet. It was a mad loop of current that felt so frighteningly and maddeningly good.

Celine tried to calm herself. She could feel it again, the tidal wave of overwhelming emotions threatening to wash over her, and she felt like crying again.
Oh no, no, no!

Dare was kissing her without restraint now and she could fully taste him. Expensive cognac and all Dare. Delicious, intoxicating Dare.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

His lips left her mouth and traveled to her neck. “Damn, you really smell so good, baby.” He inhaled deeply on her skin and sucked it, nipping it gently with his teeth.

She mimicked what he was doing to her. She licked his neck and sucked on his skin.

He groaned and kissed her lips again and she caught on the moves. Her tongue twined with his and engaged in an exchange of thrust and parry. In her own limited experience, she was giving him all she got, all her best. She realized dazedly that she was already reclining on the seat. He had released the lever without her noticing it. He crouched over her, partially covering her with his huge frame, his lips still busy with hers.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when he cupped one of her breasts with his palm through her dress.

No man had ever touched her there before. She’d never allowed any man to cross the line.

This kind of intimacy was so new to her. The feeling was so strange and she squirmed, embarrassed and uncomfortable, but this was Dare, her one and only Dare, the man she had been saving her virginity for. He can touch her all he liked.

She closed her eyes and tried hard not to feel awkward and embarrassed as he pushed the semi-elastic bodice of her dress down her torso, exposing her breasts. She had no bra on as the dress was padded.

He groaned low in his throat. “Fuck…”

She jerked when she felt both his hands cup her breasts.

Oh my goodness! Calm down...calm down...

His fingers squeezed the globes gently, pushing them together. She made a keening sound, her eyes closing tighter. She felt faint, giddy and afraid and excited and she was quivering all over.

He was pushing and squeezing her twin peaks on all sides, weighing and wiggling them in his palms. “You have the most beautiful boobs, baby, fat and firm and soft and real. They feel so fucking good in my hands.”

His words, so blatantly carnal made her burn hotter. She could only moan in response.

She felt something hot and wet on her nipple.

Scalded, she opened her eyes and saw his tongue making licks and swipes on the distended little crown. Then he was sucking it.

She was enthralled by the sheer beauty of it, paralyzed with pleasure. The joy of seeing him touch her like this and the indescribable pleasure generated by his touch seemed to be two distinct feelings, and yet they were one and the same. He went to her other nipple, anointing it with the same loving attention. Every deep suction he made drove a bolt of electricity straight to her core.

Between her legs she felt a kind of pain…no, not pain but an indescribable ache that both felt good and bad. She wanted it to go on and on and yet the ache intensified as he feasted on her breasts, his lips now ravenous, moving faster, transferring from one breast to another…