Chapter Sixteen
Aidan woke up the following morning with his arms wrapped tightly around Beth. Breathing in her scent, feeling her warm body next to his was the perfect way to greet the day. He smiled as she stirred and sighed contentedly. “Good morning, baby,” he said in a gruff voice as he pressed a kiss to her neck.
She tipped her head up and smiled sleepily at him. He kissed her softly on the mouth.
“Aidan?” she moaned as he nibbled her neck.
“Yeah?”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this but…”
Aidan brought his face up and smiled teasingly at her. “But?”
“I’m sore,” she said shyly.
“Was I too rough for you, Beth?”
Bethany’s lip turned down in a frown. “No. It’s not you, Aidan. I’m just not used to this kind of marathon love-making.”
“I was too rough. I’m sorry, luv,” Aidan said as he pressed sweet kisses to her neck.
Bethany punched him in the arm. “You were not too rough! My God, my voice is hoarse from my shouts of pleasure. You better believe I liked every minute.”
Aidan rolled on his back, taking her with him, and laughed. God, he hadn’t had this much fun in years. She was becoming precious to him. Perhaps too precious. Once the movie was done, they would go their separate ways, she would meet other men, get married, have babies. Bethany would have a normal life, something impossible for him to give her. The thought of their separation did not sit well with him though. Ignoring the painful knot in his stomach, he kissed her, lightly bit her lower lip, and then he got up and walked toward the bathroom.
Aidan washed his hair in the steaming shower, berating himself for becoming too attached to Beth.
“Aidan?”
Aidan couldn’t help it, just hearing her voice made him smile. “Yeah?”
“Hey, I’m sorry I’m too sore for sex. I could give you a blowjob.”
Aidan pulled the curtain back and looked at her with astonishment. “C’mere,” he said, motioned her with his fingers.
Bethany walked toward him, a small cotton robe her only protection.
“Drop the robe.”
Bethany hesitated. “Why do you sound angry?”
“I’m not mad, sweetheart, but drop the robe,” he said again, softer this time but no less intense.
Bethany complied with his request and walked into the shower. When he opened his arms to her, she walked into them, and he could feel her relief.
Aidan hugged her, saying hoarsely, “What am I going to do with you? Baby, I’m not mad, I never was. You jump a little too quickly to the angry conclusion, you know that? That could be your history with men, which I’m pretty sure I don’t care to hear about but look at me, I’m not mad. Why would I be mad that we couldn’t make love?”
“Well,” Bethany said. “You seemed interested and—”
Aidan laughed, and when Beth became rigid, he hugged her closer. “Of course, I’m interested. You’re gorgeous, and I loved waking up with you in my arms. But, Beth, we made love six times last night. Six. Times. I could be interested in my sainted grandmother returning from the grave to bake me bread, but after six times, all I am is interested.”
Aidan sensed she still needed reassurance. “What a sweetheart you are. What I’m trying to say is that I couldn’t get an erection now if the world depended on it. I’m done for.”
Bethany smiled, and then bashfully asked, “How long are you going to be done for?”
Aidan grinned. “Until such time that I can have a good strong cup of tea, some food, and a couple of hours break, all right? I’m far from sixteen, and you are making my cock forget that we are thirty-five years old.” He kissed her sweet mouth and turned off the shower. Cupping her face in his hands, he asked, “Do you understand?”
Bethany nodded, her eyes shining.
Aidan kissed her nose and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and began to dry off. “God, I hate all the silly chitchat I’m off to today.” When Bethany stepped out, Aidan wrapped her in a towel. “You’ll have fun with Serena. The Universal tour is grand. I took it before all this.” He indicated his fame with a wave of his hand.
Aidan brushed his teeth while Bethany blow-dried her hair. The whole scene reminded him of an idealized married couple, getting ready for work. He shrugged off that fanciful notion and watched Beth massage moisturizer on her face. What was it about this woman that made him so whimsical?
“There is this deli that’s famous. I’ll have Serena take you there as well. Who knows? You might see a movie star.” He winked at her in the mirror and began to shave.
Bethany smiled. “That would be so cool,” she said with no inflection in her voice. His eyes glimmered with humor, and then he began working his face into the strange expressions necessary for him to shave.
“Later, if you’re very lucky, you may even be able to have wild sex with a famous movie star,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her in the mirror.
Bethany, blooming with new confidence, said, “Now you’re talking.”
Aidan laughed, smacked her bottom with the towel, and walked out of the bathroom, naked.
Bethany followed him, saying, “I go where that naked butt goes.”
Aidan roared with laughter, turned to kiss her, but stopped. “Better not, don’t want to start something we can’t finish.”
“Damn.” Bethany sighed.
Aidan eyed his clothes in the closet and sighed. “I know. Unfortunately, wild sex will have to wait because you’re sore, which is totally fine, and I have to run over to that ridiculous entertainment show for a pointless interview about my style.”
“That is really too bad. If I could get some tea in you, I could have number seven right now.”
Aidan turned and looked at her with interest. “You’re sore.”
“Not that sore.”
“Then let’s try for seven, luv. I’m willing if you are. But we have to be really fast,” he said with a smile as he made a wild dash for the bed.
Aidan’s smile grew into a grin when Bethany’s peals of laughter cascaded over him as she followed him.
****
Bethany watched him eye his body critically as he slapped cologne on his face and neck. He was so obsessed with the way he looked; it was like living with another woman.
It should have been irritating, Bethany mused, but when someone makes his livelihood looking handsome and being in shape, it behooved him to be all those things and more. So instead of grousing about his constant contact with the mirror, she joined in his critical judgment of himself. After all, he only did this when he went out in public.
“If you want my advice, wear the hunter green sweater, and do that smolder thing you do, and I’ll bet at least five surgically enhanced television anchors will do you right there on the set.”
Aidan glanced at her in mock shock. “Shame on you, Bethany.” He then paused for dramatic effect. “The green sweater, right?”
Bethany laughed and then gave him two thumbs up for effect. “Major hottie in green. That’s you.”
Aidan walked over and whispered into her ear, “And you, luv, are a major hottie in nothing at all.”
“You smell good,” she whispered back.
“So do you,” he said as he placed light kisses on her neck.
“I’m not wearing any perfume.”
Aidan kissed her. “I know.”
Then, stepping away from temptation, he said in mock indignation, “All right, now, let me get dressed, woman!”
Bethany giggled, left him alone, and watched sadly as Aidan slowly covered his beautiful body with clothes. Damn. Well, he did look amazing in that sweater. She heard the gentle knock on the door and said, “God, let that be room service, I’m starving.” Bethany opened the door and found Serena standing in the hallway.
“I’m naked,” Bethany said, in shock.
Serena glanced at her and smiled, although it felt a bit forced to Bethany. “You’re wearing a towel.”
“But underneath…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m sorry, I thought we were meeting at eleven,” Bethany said, a touch of worry in her voice.
Serena gave her a distracted smile. “We are. I’m here right now as his assistant,” she said, thrusting her thumb in Aidan’s direction. Serena turned to look at Aidan eyeing him critically. “Nice sweater, super sexy. Anyway, listen to me, Aidan.”
“‘Super sexy’? I like that,” Aidan said, once again fixated on the mirror.
“Aidan, the rumor mill around town says you are holed up here with some bimbo and having wild sex and doing drugs.”
Aidan paled and said, “What?”
“Oh my God, Aidan! Who would say those lies about you?” Bethany said in shock.
Serena and Aidan said, “Paula,” simultaneously.
Serena groaned. “Unfortunately, your chances of getting nominated for an Oscar are disappearing because of this story. Clearly, like we said, this is Paula at work, but I can’t figure out why. She made a killing in the divorce.”
“I know why, damn it. She came by the hotel room, and I wouldn’t let her in,” Aidan said.
“So she tells the rags you’re doing drugs?” Serena asked.
Aidan darkened with rage. “Nothing that she does surprises me anymore.”
Serena shook her head sadly, her support for him unflinching, which Bethany greatly admired.
“I gave her everything,” Aidan said as he prowled the room in frustration. “I let her buy anything she wanted, go to any freaking retreat she wanted. All I asked was that she not bed anyone but me.” Aidan stared out the window, his expression clouded with resentment.
“What do I get in return?” he asked, facing both women. “A woman who would willingly spread her legs for the milkman if he could do something for her career.” Cursing a blue streak, he walked over to the wall with the clear intention of hitting it with his fist.
Bethany ran over and hugged his back, feeling the tension knotting his shoulders. “No, don’t do that, all you’ll do is break your hand. How will that help, Aidan?” Bethany clung to him, and it seemed to bring him back in control.
Aidan took a deep breath and then another one. After a while, he turned around and brushed her face with his fingers in a silent thank you, and walked toward Serena. “Tell me what I should do.”
Serena grabbed her cell phone, sympathy evident in her eyes. “Well, first let’s call Donna. We’ve got to spin this and spin it good; you’re about to go on television. We need to be prepared for anything.”
Bethany watched Aidan grab his phone, dial a number, and then say, “I need you here, Maeve. Yeah, a Paula-sized shit storm.” He paused for a moment to listen then he smiled. “Thanks, luv.”
Aidan grabbed Bethany’s hand and led her to the bathroom. “Look, sweetheart, I’m really sorry about all this, I know it was part of our deal to keep our relationship as secret as possible. I just need someone to confirm I’m not a fucking drug addict and pretend to be the reported bimbo in my room. I called Maeve; she’ll come and say she has been hanging out with me and that there was no drug activity. Basically, she’ll save my ass.”
“It’s probably best that an already beloved actress comes to save your honor truthfully,” Bethany mused.
Aidan kissed her and smiled. “Thanks for understanding. There has always been gossip about us. And while none of it is true, we had always played up to the possibility when either of us needed a little bump in public interest. She’s more like a sister to me, truth be told.”
“I believe you, Aidan. There is no need to explain further. Take care of this situation. I’ll be here for you in any way I can.”
Aidan kissed her tenderly on the mouth. “Thank you.”
Bethany touched his face gently and whispered, “You are welcome. You can pay me back with lots of sex.”
Aidan laughed out loud. “You got it, Bethany.” He cupped her face with his hands. “Things just got a bit complicated, but you and I, we’re fine, right?”
“Of course, we are. You go face the dragon. I’ll be here cheering you on.”
Aidan gifted her with a megawatt smile.
A knock on the door brought Bethany back to reality. It was time to slay the dragon. One more kiss from her movie star and then he walked into the other room to face his team.