Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
“Jesus,” I mutter out loud. After all, I almost lost control on the beach. That’s never happened before. Yet I’ve just met this woman but I’m already more attracted to her than any woman I’ve ever dallied with.
“Steady, old boy,” I warn myself. “Keep it on an even keel. Don’t freak her out by being a caveman.”
Turning back to the fridge, I begin pulling out supplies for dinner. I find myself calming down while washing and then cutting vegetables. It’s a nice routine. I enjoy cooking but hardly ever get a moment to myself to do it and to be frank, there’s no one interested in eating my cooking either. The last few women barely ate, to be honest. They picked at their food like rabbits, which drove me crazy.
I get it. They were actresses and the camera puts on ten pounds, so they had to maintain weight. But still, actually being with those women was trying. All they wanted to talk about was auditions, lines, scripts, and hopefully tapping into my connections and network. Thirty years as a movie star means that I know a lot of people in the industry, and the starlets I dated weren’t afraid of using me for what it was worth.
Then again, acting is my passion. It gives my life meaning, and I’m very lucky to be successful. Most struggling actors barely get jobs, but instead, the best scripts consistently land on my lap. I guess it’s just that the fame is starting to drive me crazy after decades of the same thing. Talking with Brynn, who has no idea who I am, is refreshing. She doesn’t care about who I know or what I can do for her. She doesn’t care about parties, or being seen at the right places in LA. Instead, she’s getting to know the real me, and it makes me feel good.
I pause a second. You’re lying to her, a little voice inside me says. You let her think you’re just a ho-hum caretaker, and not a global movie star. I shut it up, but my heart contracts. Am I being deceptive? It’s just for a little while, I tell myself. I’ll reveal my true profession when the time comes.
“Tom,” Brynn’s voice says, startling me from behind.
I turn around, almost dropping the knife I’m holding on my foot. She’s standing in the door of the guest bedroom in nothing but the small towel from the bathroom. She’s clutching the terry cloth tightly to her chest and looking a little embarrassed. Little does Brynn know, but desire and an emotion I can’t identify course through me at the sight of her curvy form. She looks incredibly sexy and absolutely delectable, dripping wet with nothing but a small towel to shield her assets.
“I need to borrow more clothes. Sorry,” she says, blushing a little.
I shake my head to wake myself up.
“Oh, sure thing.”
I walk past her, my hands itching to touch her soft skin again but I manage to keep myself in check. I grab another t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants out of the drawers. This time, the t-shirt is even more ridiculous than before. Instead of Snoopy, it’s SpongeBob Squarepants doing a dance on the front.
“Thanks,” she says, smiling up at me. “You like SpongeBob? I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“My nephew gave it to me,” I say by way of explanation. “He’s four, and SpongeBob is his hero.”
Her big brown eyes are shining with gentle mirth, and I can’t help myself. Feeling almost desperate for her, I lean down and kiss the corner of her soft lips. I can hear her intake of breath and my body screams at me to keep going but I pull back. I hover over her lips for a second watching her eyelashes flutter open.
“Are you hungry?” I whisper.
She laughs and nods.
“Then let me cook, woman.”
She giggles. “I’m not stopping you.”
I throw her a look. “Well, not on purpose. But you can’t walk around nude and not expect me to be distracted.”
She giggles again, and I force myself to turn my back so she can get dressed. Walking back to the kitchen, I take a deep breath. Holy shit, this is dangerous. Even more, chopping vegetables with no blood flow to the brain is downright risky. But I get myself in hand, and after about ten minutes, delicious smells are wafting from the simmering pot on the stove.
“Tom, that smells amazing,” Brynn hums, coming up beside me.
I smile down at her, happy that she’s close.
“Thanks, I wanted to make you something hearty.”
She looks down at the stew with its browned chunks of beef, orange carrots and substantial chunks of potatoes.
“Total success then.”
As she says that, I hear her stomach growl and she blushes.
“Sorry. I guess I’m just a hungry girl.”
She is too cute. I lean over and kiss her.