With Love, Alex: Fairlane Series #0.5 Page 2

  As if he hadn’t noticed the line of people to his left that were dying for him to give them even the smallest amount of attention, he turned his head and gave one lucky waitress the go ahead to approach. She had a tentative smile on her face with her shoulders slightly hunched. With long, black hair that matched her outfit of a tank top, short skirt, and heels, I watched it sway with each step she took.

  “M-m-may I help you.” She stuttered. I couldn’t blame her either. I don’t think I would have had the courage to even take a step toward him, let alone talk to him.

  “Sure, darlin. We’d love to order some drinks. I’ll have a Jack and Coke. What would you lovely ladies like?”

  Dawn, Shelli, and Matt all ordered beers, while I ordered a Malibu with pineapple juice. As I watched, I was impressed with the way Colton was gentle with our shy waitress. I had a feeling he picked her from the others because she didn’t think she was hot shit like the other two waitresses who had been panting on the sidelines. He wanted her to feel special, and maybe he was doing the same to us.

  After taking a few sips from my new drink, I figured I should talk to the man sitting beside me. I was sure he thought he got the wrong end of the stick being stuck by me, someone who had barely said two words to him since he’d sat down.

  “So, how do you know Colton?” I asked as an ice breaker even though once the words had come out of my mouth I realized how lame they were. I might as well of asked him how he liked the weather, but I didn’t know what else to say.

  “His wife, Anna, and my ex-wife have been friends for years, so eventually we became buddies.” He answered with his mouth so close to my ear, I could feel his hot breath with each word. I felt a tingle at his closeness. If he moved any closer his lips would brush against the shell of my ear and for the first time in a long time, I relished the attention from a man.

  “Really? That’s cool. Who’s your ex?” I asked, my body turned his direction, but I was nowhere near as close to him when I spoke.

  “Sophia Kerridge,” he answered, this time he kept his distance.

  “The Sophia Kerridge?” I asked with way too much enthusiasm. It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about her from his stiff body language.

  “Yeah, the Sophia Kerridge.”

  “Oh, wow,” I started to reply, but he interrupted with his own ‘wow’ which came out sounding highly annoyed. I could tell he’d misunderstood my wow, and I wasn’t sure if I should try to clear up the misunderstanding or try to find something else to talk about keeping the conversation easy.

  “Go on and say what you want to say.” Matt said after a few tense moments of silence.

  Closing my eyes, I prayed to say the right thing. I was really blowing it with this guy. I hoped he’d give me a chance to explain. “I said that because I didn’t know who you were. It’s so dark in here. I didn’t recognize you with your hat on. You’re Matthew Ryan, right?”

  Not talking about his ex-wife and recognizing him seemed to appease Matt, at least going by the easy-going smile that crossed his face once I mentioned his name.

  “You really didn’t recognize me?” he asked with a smirk on his face. One that I found slightly annoying. Did he need his ego stroked?

  “Until tonight, I’d never laid eyes on one movie star, let alone two. It never occurred to me that you might be someone famous. It makes sense since you’re hanging out with him.” I indicated Colton across the booth from us.

  “It’s cool. I guess I’ve spent too much time in LA where everyone knows everyone, or so it seems with the paparazzi following every move you make. I forget what it’s like to be out amongst the rest of the world.” His arm slipped behind me as he inched toward me. “This is my first time here, and I understand why Colt likes coming here. Even if people know who you are, they aren’t constantly yelling your name, asking for an autograph, taking pictures of your every move, or following you. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the fans who genuinely want to meet me. It’s the people who are making money off trying to catch me making an ass of myself or anything gossip worthy. If we were in LA right now, there’d be pictures all over the internet of us sitting here by now. They’d say how we’re sleeping together, or how you’re my girlfriend, or more than likely how I’m a manwhore.” He shook his head in disappointment, making me feel sorry for him.

  I’d seen the gossip magazines and I knew what he was talking about. There were people out there who believed everything they read just as I knew there were people out there who lied about what they wrote to scandalize whoever the article was about and make money. I’d hate to be under the microscope the way they were. I’d seen some of the things that were written about both Colton and Matt. Most of what was written about Colton was good since he had dated and was now married to America’s sweetheart. As for Matt, he had a lot of negative press about him in the recent years.

  Mostly it was about how it was his fault that his marriage to Sophia Kerridge had disintegrated. Supposedly, he had an affair with the leading lady while on location for a movie. I’d only known him for a few short minutes, but he seemed nice enough. I didn’t know if any of what was said about him was true or not. I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask him. It didn’t matter anyway since I doubted I’d ever see him again. Unless it was on the big screen. I was going to enjoy my time in the company of two movie stars who had chosen to sit at our booth. Not think about what I’d read or heard about them. This was a once in a lifetime experience. I was going to make the most of it. Starting now.

  Shape of You by Ed Sheeran came on making my body start to move in my seat and Matt chuckle next to me.

  “Would you like to dance?” he asked as he moved out of the booth taking my hand to help me out. It seemed Colton, or the club had told our waitress to keep our drinks coming because every time one of our drinks started to run low a new drink was put in its place. Whichever it was, the alcohol was flowing, and I was undeniably feeling the effects after the few strong drinks I had with dinner.

  “Yes,” I yelled back with my arms in the air as we made our way to the dance floor. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw both Dawn and Shelli laughing as they made their way over to me.

  I didn’t care who I was dancing with by that point. With each move or turn, I had one of the three around me as my partner. Dawn and I always thought our height difference was funny when we saw ourselves in the mirror. Tonight was no different. Dawn may have been almost six-foot-tall, but she still wore crazy high heels causing me to be eye level with her cleavage. I repeatedly stumbled into it either from the drinks or the heels. Her hand held me there making it look like I was motorboating her. She laughed, and a loud cheer came from the surrounding men. I hadn’t noticed we had an audience until I heard and then felt the heat from the crowd. Letting me go, Dawn started to dance with a guy who had stepped up to take my place. I couldn’t help but laugh as she pushed him away when he tried to motorboat her.

  Matt’s hands grasped my hips from behind as I kept dancing to the beat and watched my friend as she took over her new dance partner. I felt Matt’s face against the side of mine as the front of his body met my back. Slowly one of his hands shifted to wrap around my stomach and pulled me further against him. If the alcohol hadn’t been in my system, I probably would’ve pulled away, but I was feeling its effects and enjoying the feel of a man as he moved with me and made me feel sexy.

  As the songs played on and we danced together, Matt’s hands wandered, but nothing too inappropriate. I could only smile as I stepped back into Matt and ground myself on the side of his leg. Matt took that as a sign to move on from his innocent hands over my dress to kissing up my neck and making his way to my mouth.

  At first, I was in shock, I hadn’t been kissed in years. I’d stopped kissing my husband when he started smoking, hating the taste of cigarettes. When he asked why I simply told him the truth. He didn’t stop smoking or even bother to brush his teeth or wash out his mouth, which ended our kissing and eventually our marriage accor
ding to him. Matt tasted of beer, which I wasn’t a fan of, but it was way better than cigarettes. He was gentle in his kiss, probing to make sure I wanted it as much as he did. Once I felt his tongue caress against mine, my body met his move for move with the beat of the song. The kiss was something I’d been missing and didn’t even know it until that moment when it wasn’t harsh and wild with fury, but soft, wet, and lush.

  “Oh my God,” I heard Shelli yell somewhere beside me as Matt’s hands made their way down my back and cupped each ass cheek, pulling me closer to him. I could feel he was hard, giving me a heady feeling. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I felt desirable, wanted, and wanton all at the same time causing me to pull back enough to look up at him. I wanted to see his face instead of being caught up in the moment or the music, and saw the desire I felt pressed against me.

  “You ready for another drink?” he asked, his lips brushed the shell of my ear, causing me to shiver even though I was hot from all the bodies around us and from the constant dancing. Yes, I was ready for a drink to cool down my heated body, but also my libido too.

  “Hey, we’re going back to the table.” I yelled to first Shelli and then Dawn when I found her a couple of feet away grinding against a man and a woman. Both gave me a thumbs up. I wasn’t sure if it was in acknowledgment of hearing me or in praise for letting myself go with Matt. I had a feeling it was for the latter.

  Colton had stayed at the table slowly sipping his Jack and Coke while we’d all been off dancing. I smiled at him as we sat in the booth, and I hoped he understood my smile for what it was. Colton Patrick was a cool guy.

  We scooted around until I was next to Colt and not all the way across the table. He’d been by himself for quite a while, I didn’t want him thinking I didn’t want to talk to him or didn’t like him.

  “Are you here visiting family?” I asked lamely. What was with me? I kept channeling Baby and her ‘I carried a watermelon’ moment. He was probably used to people making a fool of themselves around him or at least I was going to tell myself that to make me feel better.

  “I had some time off and wanted to see my family. I don’t see them enough as it is. Anna couldn’t make it, so I asked Matt if he wanted to come and get away for the weekend. How about you? Do you live in Fairlane?” he asked once again flashing his movie star smile.

  “I’ve lived here all my life. When I was in high school, I wanted to get away from here and moved to a big town, but…” I shrugged.

  “What happened?” Colton asked with genuine curiosity. Matt took my hand underneath the table and folded his fingers with mine.

  “I was a typical, stupid teenager and thought I was in love. I got married instead.” It was embarrassing to tell my story, but I wasn’t going to lie even if I’d never see them again.

  “You’re not still married, are you?” Matt asked from beside me, his eyes slightly narrowed. He’d moved to where the whole left side of his body was against mine, but at the mention of marriage he’d inched away. Even the small distance now between us made me glance over at him feeling defeated. I didn’t like that he’d made me feel anything resembling what Decker had made me feel in the past. After all, I’d went through with my ex-husband I wasn’t going to let anyone make me feel less than ever again.

  “No,” I answered, fighting an eye roll. “Tonight, we’re actually out celebrating my one-year anniversary of being divorced.”

  “I’m guessing the divorce was a good thing,” Colton said before taking another sip of his drink and looked over it to Matt. They shared a look. What it said I wasn’t sure, but I thought it was Colton telling Matt to chill out. It wasn’t like he could talk, he was divorced too. His had been splashed all over the tabloids and it had been ugly.

  “Very much so. Let’s not get into that though or I’ll lose my buzz.”

  “We wouldn’t want that now would we.” Colton motioned to someone off to the side, and a moment later a new drink was in my hand.

  “That’s last call,” A new waitress said, eying Colton up and down in a blatantly suggestive manner, causing my eyes to widen at her audacity.

  “Thanks, I think we’re good,” Colton replied dismissing the waitress. Dawn and Shelli walked up to the table as the waitress left. Dawn sat next to Matt and Shelli was next to Colton beaming. “I guess the place will be closing soon. I always forget how early everything shuts down here.”

  Matt looked at his watch frowning. “It’s only one a.m. What does everyone do when the bars close?”

  “Go to a place that’s open twenty-four hours and eat, to a party, someone’s house, or go home.” Shelli answered counting them off on her fingers.

  “Well, I’m not hungry. How about we go back to your place Colt and hang out?” Matt placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

  Colt thought about it for a moment before agreeing. “If that’s cool with the ladies, it’s cool by me. Did one of you drive?”

  We’d all drank way more than we expected to, and I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with Dawn’s car.

  “I drove.” Dawn answered, her phone out. “I’ll get us an Uber, and, in the morning, I’ll come back to get my car.”

  “You don’t need an Uber. I can drive, I only had the one drink,” Colton replied. “If you want to head to my house and hang out for a little while then you can call an Uber to take you home.”

  Shelli’s eyes glazed over at the thought of going to Colton’s house. I wasn’t sure it was a smart move in letting us know where he lived. I wouldn’t do anything with the knowledge, but I wasn’t so sure about Dawn and especially Shelli.

  “Are you sure?” I asked expressing my concern with both my voice and eyes. Luckily Dawn and Shelli weren’t paying attention to me or they’d probably gotten mad, but seriously as someone famous you couldn’t let just anyone know where you lived, and we hadn’t talked or known each other long enough for him to think we were remotely trustworthy.

  “Yeah, when we get there I’ll have to excuse myself and call my wife, but Matt can entertain you all.” Colton explained as he signed the bill. I knew it wasn’t as much as he would have been paying if he was in a club in LA, but I still didn’t want to know how much the bill was either after all the drinks we’d had.

  “That’s okay,” Shelli exclaimed as she stood up. She was ready to go, and I had a feeling that after tonight, life was never going to go back to the simplicity I had been living. “Let’s go!”

  3

  Not All First are Good

  “Good morning.” An unfamiliar voice rasped against the back of my neck at the same time a hand wrapped around my hip and pulled me against a very hard appendage poking me in the ass.

  My eyes flew open as last night came back to me in spectacular technicolor as did the headache from hell.

  I was never drinking again.

  The night before, we went back to Colton’s house in a gated community I’d only driven by a few times. It popped up several years ago, but no one knew anyone who lived there. Now I knew that Colton Decker had bought an enormous piece of land on the Southeast side of Fairlane and had houses built for his family and a few friends. From what I could tell in the dark, they were all the nicest homes in Fairlane. They sat up on a hill overlooking a manmade lake and most of town. The entire area was gorgeous even late at night. I knew it would be even more so during the light of day.

  Once we got inside his house, Colton took off for his room and locked the door so that he could call his wife, stating that Matt could show us around. Matt took us for a limited tour since he’d only been there the one time and didn’t really care about the decor or layout. Dawn, Shelli, and I ate up our surroundings, we’d never been in a movie star’s house before. It was naturally gorgeous, but I was surprised that it wasn’t flashy or in your face wealthy. I never would have guessed one of Hollywood’s heartthrobs lived in it if by some twist of fate, I walked through it. We ended up in the kitchen where Matt made us all drinks and shots. By that
time, I had no idea how many drinks I’d had only that I’d never drank so much in my life. My inhibitions were as low as my dress rode high up my thighs which Matt had taken a liking to, if my memory served me right. As his hand trailed up the inside of my thigh close to reaching the promised land, Dawn and Shelli excused themselves and made themselves scarce. I had no idea where they went only that I didn’t see them for the rest of the night. In all truth, I didn’t see much else of anything as Matt led me to the room that he was staying in, each of us with yet another drink in hand. By the time my back hit the mattress my inhibitions were nonexistent, and so were my panties.

  What had I done?

  One night out and I slept with some guy I’d only just met. I was going to have to do the walk of shame and in front of Colton Decker, no less. Another first. I couldn’t believe I had sunken so far on my first night out in forever. I couldn’t make this a pattern with an impressionable six-year-old at home. Not that he was going to know about my night of debauchery. If it were up to me, no one would find out, but I didn’t think I would get my wish seeing as Dawn was very likely still here and Taylor was probably sitting by her phone waiting to hear from me about my disastrous night out.

  Scrambling out of bed, I wrapped the sheet I had luckily snagged in the process around my body as I looked around the room for my clothes. I kept my eyes away from the man in bed as much as I could. Since I’d stolen the sheet, he was naked and not one bit ashamed of his body. It was hard not to notice his tanned, muscular physique that was on display or his hard on that was sticking straight up saluting me in all his average glory.

  If I remembered last night correctly, Matt had jackrabbited me to his completion. I can’t say that’s how I imaged the first time I had sex in years to go. To say it was disappointing even from the fog of last night and my almost debilitating headache was an understatement.

  “Could you please cover up?” I asked in desperation to find my clothes and get the hell out of there with as much dignity as I could. Which seemed to be next to impossible.