“I was on to you the moment I saw blood on your face. I knew you could be wounded.
Gods can’t bleed. Everyone knows they are protected by mystical forces.” His hand landed on my hip, pulling me in-to his groin. “But you’ve called me ‘God’ hundreds of times now. Have you been lying all this time?”
I met his darkened eyes, and was excited by his aggressiveness. “If I tell you the truth, there will be no living with you and your huge ego. You know I worship you, so that should count for something.”
I watched as his devilish tongue slid out to wet his lips. I wanted those wet lips on me, wanted to taste the flavor of bliss on his tongue.
Ryan held out his cell, angling it. “You want a picture? I want a picture, too,” he uttered close to my lips. “Look at the camera and smile, baby.” After he captured our smiles, he captured my mouth.
And then someone bumped into me, on purpose.
“Hey! No making out.” I looked over into the goofy, disapproving face of Ryan’s Seaside co-star, Kathleen Jarrett, and took in her awesome black sequin dress and gorgeous eyes. Behind her, her handsome actor boyfriend, Ben Harrison, beamed, flashing those adorable dimples.
“She’s taking pictures of Somerhalder’s ass,” Ryan said dryly, tipping back his glass of beer while he discreetly indented his partial erection into my hip.
Kat gapped at me. “Really?”
I sucked in a quick breath from feeling the unspoken need in Ryan’s pants and the silent point he was trying to make. Kat was waiting for an answer, so no sense denying it. “It’s for Marie. She’ll get a kick out of it. I’ve got to get one of Zac Efron, too. She’ll freak.”
“Ooh, I know him. You want to meet him?” Kat asked, bouncing excitedly.
“No, she doesn’t,” Ryan answered for me.
Kat rolled her eyes and finished her drink.
“Jealous much?”
Ryan scoffed, taking another sip. I patted his gloriously tight abs. “He knows I love him and only him.”
Soon we were surrounded by most of the Seaside cast, all of us laughing, joking, and downing plenty of expensive alcohol. Even Suzanne was tolerable.
Kat set her glass down on the table. “I need to use a bathroom. Taryn, go with me?”
Ryan leaned over and gave me a quick kiss. “Don’t get lost.”
I took my hand off his thigh and followed Kat through the tightly packed crowd. Why is it that when you’re slightly buzzed and wearing uncomfortable shoes, the ladies’ room becomes a half-mile walk? Kat squeezed past some people, turning to grab my hand to pull me through. I couldn’t help but giggle with her when we got to an open space.
She wrapped her arm around mine. “That was fun.”
I was still laughing, having a blast when I sort of fumbled in my tracks, unsure if my eyes were deceiving me. Sure enough, two girls were making out hot and heavy in a darkened corner.
Holy hell. Welcome to Hollywood.
Should I be shocked or turned on by their blatant public display? The whole thing had me quite bemused until one of them broke away and made eye contact.
I staggered. Holy hell, that’s . . .
Lauren Delaney.
Sucking face with Nicole Devin.
Never in a million years . . .
The second Lauren saw me she pulled back from Nicole, shoving her away, apparently flustered from being caught.
“What are you looking at?” Kat asked, yanking on my arm.
I nodded my chin and Kat guffawed loudly, apparently just as shocked as I was.
“Oh my God. I . . . Wait until I tell Ryan.” I thought Kat was going to double over with laughter. “He’s turning all his leading ladies into lesbians.”
I gave her a stern look. “That’s not funny.”
“Oh yes it is! What are the odds?” She looked over her shoulder. “That means Suzanne is next.”
We were outside the women’s bathroom when my cell rang. It was Marie, probably calling to squeal in my ear over Ian Smolderhalder’s exquisite derriere.
“I almost touched it!” I blurted excitedly, not even bothering to say hello.
I could tell by the first sound she made that she was upset. “Taryn, listen. Tammy just called. Pete was just rushed back to the hospital. I don’t know what’s going on but she said that he tried to walk and couldn’t feel his leg so she called the ambulance. I guess he fell in their bedroom.” My slightly inebriated condition mixed with a power shot of worried adrenaline made me feel lightheaded. I covered my other ear with my hand, trying to hear her over the chatter and noise. By the time I hung up with her, I felt as if I’d been socked in the stomach. I left Kat behind in the bathroom and hurried back to the table to tell Ryan.