Star Struck

The Green Monster Shows Up-Part 5

Chapter 5

Gray and Carson grabbed a couple of imported beers and found two empty chairs. The outdoor venue was arranged in clusters of pseudo living rooms. Large area rugs scattered around the enclosed lot were set with love seats, upholstered armchairs, tables and floor lamps. The effect was a homey, comfortable scene, illuminated by softly glowing bulbs strung overhead.

Stretched out in armchairs, they sipped their beers while watching the crowd. Gray unfastened his bow tie and loosened the first button on his starched white tux shirt. Soon, he became aware he was unconsciously searching the crowd for Eve. When he had her pinned against the wall he had wanted to bury his fingers in that stunning mane of hair, then kiss her tempting lips. The memory alone was making the blood pump hard through him.

Why can't I get her out of my mind? This ridiculous. It's a really a bad idea for more reasons than I can count.

Still he searched the crowd.

Carson cleared his throat, snapping him out of his reverie.

"You doing okay since you and Elexys broke up?" Perhaps conversation would get Eve Brock off his mind.

"Yeah. She wasn't into it anymore. Neither was I, honestly. I beat her to the punch on ending things. We barely saw each other anymore. Ran its course, I guess you'd say." Carson didn't seem particularly torn apart. Elexys had been giving Carson the brush off for a few weeks. Their relationship had lasted a whopping two months, tops.

Gray nodded and brought the beer to his lips. Mid-sip he froze. There she was. Not more than twenty feet away, Eve was deep in conversation with a well-muscled guy wearing a tight-fitting black T-shirt emblazoned with "SECURITY" on the back. The guy probably spent half of every day at the gym by the looks of him.

Whatever story he was recounting made her laugh, appearing relaxed and clearly enjoying herself. She was smiling! Damn, she had a wonderful smile. It went really, really well with those amazing big chocolate brown eyes. This woman was the whole package. So real. So beautiful. Nothing like the plastic actresses he often found himself dating on occasion. He was growing hard again and could swear he still smelled her intoxicating yet delicate perfume.

I want her to smile like that for me. Yeah, but I screwed that up, didn't I?

A low growl emerged from Gray.

The security guy seemed to be a little too enamored with her, which set Gray even more on edge. Every once in a while, the guy would punctuate his story by patting Eve on the arm, occasionally gliding his hand up and down, then lingering before removing it again. He was standing far too close to Eve for a casual conversation.

Damn, the guy was flat out flirting with her, and she didn't seem to mind. I do.

Gray's blood heated, his hands unconsciously drawing into fists. Somehow, he suppressed the ridiculous caveman desire to go punch Mr. Good Looking in the face and drag Eve home with him. Oh, hell, he could envision her underneath him on his bed, that incredible black hair fanned out on crisp, white sheets...

What the hell? I'm daydreaming about sex with newspaper reporters? For the love of...

"Earth to Gray." Carson snapped his fingers, pulling him out of his trance. "What's up with you and that one?" He pointed his beer bottle toward Eve.

"Fuck if I know."

Before he could consider his new infatuation further, a pair of familiar feminine hands came to rest on his shoulders. He smiled.