Chapter 5 — Why You So Hard?

Karina was adjusting some settings in the camera, peering through the lens. Because she couldn’t really see the buttons her fingers were pressing, her thumb hit the zoom button. It distorted the unfocused image she was looking so she got to work fixing it. It took three seconds to realize what she was looking at, for a gasp to tumble out of her lips and for her body to fly away from the camera, face red and her eyes huge.

Antonio was erect. Hugely erect. Oh, god. Karina closed her eyes, turning her head away.

“I tried to tell you,” he growled.

Karina opened her eyes, only to see Antonio’s reflection on the glass of the window. All of Antonio. She looked away again, feeling the heat creeping up her neck. But then she was really looking at Antonio, eyes narrowed into slits, his jaw tight as he ground his teeth in annoyance.

Why the hell was he looking at her as if this was her fault? She snapped her spine straight, standing to her full height as she glowered at him. “You have to do that, don’t you?”

“Newsflash. Dicks don’t have brains. They just react.”

She didn’t understand what he meant first until she remembered. He chuckled harshly at the same time she glanced down at herself. At her naked body. Squeaking, she frantically looked around for her clothes.

Antonio was standing right next to pile of her clothes.

“Hand me those clothes!” She exclaimed, putting her hand out. “And put the robe on!”

“Damn, will you relax? You’re going around like some outraged virgin.” Antonio complained, picking up her shirt and tossing it at her. As Karina yanked it on, he continued. “I don’t know why you’re so bothered. This has nothing do with you. It’s not you with the hard-on. Well, your nipples—”

Karina’s head popped out of the neck hole. Eyes blazing, she snarled, “Don’t. Talk. About. My. Nipples.”

Antonio finished belting his robe doing it deftly despite his limit. He smirked. “Why not? They’re a nice surprise. You hardly have any breasts, but your nipples are, well, they make up for—”

“Antonio!” She shouted, seeing his eyes drop to her breasts, her stomach, then between her legs. She was still pants-less, and he was still standing next to her clothes. One hand covered her pussy protectively while she jerked the other toward him. “My pants!”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. I only have one arm,” he said, taking his time to bend and pick up, of course, her panties. He held it up, his grin so big his dimples were practically splitting his face into pieces. “Hmm. Red lace panties. In the old days, wearing this color would be screaming for Blake dick.”

Karina’s eyes were daggers, but he continued to smile. Blushing furiously, she hopped into them, uncaring if her rough movements might tear the delicate lace. When she looked up, Antonio had his arms crossed, still wearing that smug smirk.

“I’ve always liked a waxed pussy, but your native situation is giving me second thoughts.”

“Shut up! Gimme my pants!”

Antonio laughed and then, unbelievably, put his foot right on them. He was clearly enjoying her rising hysteria.

“You want me to castrate you?” Karina hissed.

“I don’t know what you’re so worked up about. So, I’m hard. Big deal. I haven’t had sex with anyone for a while. I have to say in clothes, one doesn’t see much. But once they’re off, wow. I like the no-bra look, by the way. Didn’t think I would but…” he spread his palm innocently. “As I said…your body is giving me a lot of second thoughts.”

“Pants now, Antonio, or I will murder you!”

“You’re no fun,” he grumbled, bending down and giving her the pants. Karina snatched them away from him and turned around, unintentionally impressing him with her firm backside. Antonio grinned then dropped it as the denim covered the dusky cheeks. Dressed now, Karina faced him, her stance stiff and her face in a scowl.

Clothes gave her control. Squaring her shoulders, she looked him in the eye and stated, “You’ll take care of that situation and come back here when you’re ready.”

“I can use another hand, you know,” Antonio said suggestively, his eyes twinkling as she blushed. “Or a mouth.” He licked his lips while staring at her wide mouth.

Her glare was venomous. “Leave.”

Antonio huffed, straightened the collar of his robe and sauntered out of the room. Karina slammed the door shut after him, breathing hard.

It was never going to change, was it?

No matter how much praise she got, the prestigious awards, the so-called respect of the entertainment community, she was still an object of mockery. What did she know once her back was turned? Who smiled when facing her, who didn’t?

Karina was never called beautiful. A long-time girlfriend of her dad’s, who had designs on becoming Mrs. John Jones until he saw the abuse she subjected his young daughter to, had been the one to tell her quite gleefully why she would never be beautiful. Karina hardly remembered her now. The woman wasn’t a goddess herself but passably pretty, maybe, for John to be smitten with her for years. She gave Karina pitying looks just after John complimented her, and then pull her aside when his back was turned to say he was just being nice because he was the dad. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t bother.

Karina was twelve years old when John woke up to the truth about the woman, but the damage was already done. She could only see herself through this woman’s eyes. Therapy only told her that it was her voice that mattered above everything else. She listened to this now, but the woman’s lessons were still there, carved in her mind and will never be gone.

She accepted she was ugly. That was a fact. She just wished people would do the same and get on with their sorry lives. Maybe she could get herself fixed, like trim her nose and make it pert and elegant maybe, but whatever the mirror showed after that would always be overshadowed by the truth. And what was she to do about her height? Was she supposed to get a boob job so that there would be something visually pleasing about her? Maybe if she did, people would forget about her ugly face and just focus on what a nice pair of breasts she had.

This has nothing to do with you, Antonio told her. Of course, it didn’t. She knew dicks. The words were still hurtful. She knew he wasn’t being mean and just telling the truth. She knew what she looked like. Dicks never got hard in her presence—unless she did the work.

She busied herself fixing the bed, adjusting the lights, the camera setting. They had been shooting all day and she hoped to be done before evening.

Alright. Concentrate on the job. Losing herself in the filmmaking process was her antidote to tension, disappointment and hurt.

She was only puttering around for minutes but it felt longer. As she finished, the door opened and Antonio slipped back in the room, robed and looking a lot calmer. They looked at each other, Karina hating the blush returning to her cheeks and covering her entire face. But she kept her expression impassive, her eyes revealing nothing.

Antonio spoke first. “It’s done.”

What did he expect her to say? She pointed at the marked spot on the floor. “Undress and put yourself there.” Her tone was brusque. She gave him a wide berth on her way to the camera.

Antonio sighed quietly and removed the robe. He left it on the chair and went to the marked area of the floor.

Fifteen minutes into the filming, Antonio suddenly turned to her and said to the camera. “You’re gonna have to relax.”

She raised her head, frowning at him. “What the hell does that mean?”

“If there’s anyone who should be embarrassed it’s me. I’m the one who got hard. I’m naked. You won’t look me in the eye.” Antonio accused her.

“I’m not embarrassed,” Karina said flatly. “But I admit I just…well, I’m off my groove given what happened. Sorry.”

“What happened to us being equals in filming this?” Antonio demanded. Karina had to hand it to the guy. Yep, he was as naked as the day he was born, a magnificent, gorgeous male specimen and he was owning it. She refused to let her eyes drop below the waist although what she’d seen earlier was now indelible in her memory.

Meanwhile she was cowering behind the camera, hating the tightness in her nipples that she couldn’t really hide under her t-shirt.

“If you think I’m going to get naked again, think again,” she snapped. “I won’t be mocked. Not by anyone and not especially by you.”

“When did I mock you?” Antonio sounded exasperated.

“Antonio, just get on with the scene, will you? You’re wasting time.”

“You’re wasting time. I’m working my ass off but the tension you won’t shake off is so thick it can be cut with a knife.”

“Are you kidding me?” Karina was surprised. “I’m responsible for this so-called tension?”

Antonio smiled innocently. “Maybe you should take a few minutes off like I did.”

“Fuck you.”

He flexed his left hand. “I can definitely give you a hand.”

“It’s not funny.”

“Oh, come on, honey.” Antonio told her, his voice dropping to a lower register that, to her shock, had her pussy swelling. “I’m just looking out for you.”

“Stop it. I will walk away from this movie, Antonio. I don’t care about the lawsuit. You have more riding on this than I do.”

“I’m not the one who went to the god-forsaken Brightwood looking for me.”

She stuck her chin out. “I’m having regrets. I should have let them nail your skinny ass.”

“This is the second time you mentioned the state of my ass.” Antonio turned, popping his hip and giving it a pat. “It’s quite firm, actually. But I suppose skinny is better than fat, isn’t it? Yours—”

Karina turned and marched out of the room. Before she made it halfway down the hall, Antonio’s hand was on her wrist and turning her around. She slapped his hand away and shot him a look so murderous he took a step back. It was clear he’d crossed the line.

Any woman would be pleased having someone as handsome as Antonio Blake chasing them. With her, it was the real deal, Antonio Blake, naked, chasing her. But she was unlike a lot of women.

The look on Antonio’s face told he barely missed a landmine. Karina waited for him to smile, tell her he had been joking and meant nothing. Apologies were never for someone like her. She was ugly and had to be mocked. She deserved no apology.

“I’m sorry.”

Taken aback, she flinched. What did he say?

“That was… there’s no excuse. I meant no harm by it but that’s not what happened at all, is it? I’m sorry. I apologize for hurting you.”

In her job, she couldn’t be vulnerable. She couldn’t be hurt. She retorted, “You don’t matter enough to hurt me, Antonio.”

She would love nothing more than to take pleasure at the surprise and hurt on his face. But she learned a long time ago never to let her emotions known. She wasn’t very skilled but when she gave it a hard try, she did it.

“However,” she continued formally, “I accept the apology. I know it’s not easy for the likes of you.” She couldn’t resist making that last dig. He deserved it.

Yep. She was right to twist the knife a little more. She brushed past him and went back to the room. Behind the camera she went, ready to work. Defiance remained on her face until his return. Antonio stood by the doorway.

“Let’s get to work, shall we?” she said.

“Sure.”

* * *

To prove that his words were useless pings on her flesh, her heart, Karina surprised him once again by removing her t-shirt. Antonio’s eyes came close to popping out of their sockets as she undressed with business-like rapidity, shucking off her clothes as if stripping before an audience was a regular occurrence. She stood back and stared at Antonio, daring him to cut her down.

They stood across from each other, nearly alike in build except for the obvious differences, and her skin splashed wildly with birth marks. As their eyes mapped the topography of each other’s bodies, she felt the tension Antonio claimed was present. Her expression was stoic except for the fire in her eyes, sharp and piercing. Even in thought she refused to yield. His expression remained blank, but his elegant nostrils were flaring. His shoulders were tight, as if he was bracing himself for a blow.

She didn’t have to look directly at it to know what was happening again. She could tell. He was breathing faster, his fists curled tightly. It has nothing to do with you.

She prided herself in getting a better handle of her emotions. It had been so long since the last time she had sex. Put her in a room with a man like Antonio, with his handsome face and muscular, perfect body, and it didn’t matter how much of an asshole he was. Her body was responding to his presence, the vision of him, in the tightness of her nipples, the growing hot ache in her pussy. With one last look at Antonio, she went behind the camera and called action.

To her surprise, Antonio gave her a defiant look too and went through the scene.

It took three takes for Antonio to nail every expectation demanded of him. Yet he wasn’t satisfied and insisted on a few more takes, just to be sure and for Karina to have choices when editing. She agreed, though she felt it wasn’t necessary. She got the perfect shot. But actors who insisted on hitting all the emotional beats again, just to make sure, were rare so, grudgingly, she could appreciate that in Antonio.

She panned the camera up and around his body, already imagining how the scene would look in the edit. Every frame would be a testament to the character’s cunning and strength too, then going wide as his humanity was slowly exposed. Karina’s heart was racing, knowing it was in her hands, for the audience to see the character without an arm and not Antonio Blake. The camera lingered on his face as he slowly removed the prosthetic arm. 

Finally, she called it a wrap. She stepped away from the camera, relief now on her face. Antonio let out a breath and for the first time gave her a genuine, warm smile. Hesitantly, she smiled back before looking away to start putting her clothes back on.

Antonio pulled on his robe and belted it loosely. He watched her back muscles flex and stretch as she raised her arms to put on her t-shirt. His chest rose high as he watched her breasts gently swing up slipping her arms up in the shirt.

“Listen. We have to celebrate,” he said, tightening the knot of his robe as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

“Celebrate,” she mused, putting on her panties. Half-dressed, she faced him. It seemed strange to see him covered now. She blinked and wearily picked up her socks from the floor. She sat on the bed, crossing her legs to put them on. “You want with the crew and the other actors?”

“Screw them. We’ve bonded in the last few days.”

“So?”

He winked at her. “We haven’t killed each other. Though we came pretty close a few times. That’s something worth celebrating, isn’t it? Unless…” She noticed a strange expression on his face. Was it uncertainty? Antonio shrugged, suddenly nonchalant as he continued, “you already have plans.”

She shrugged too. “Well, there’s a bathtub I intend to be in for the night when I get home.”

“You don’t want to have a meal first? It’s my treat.”

She had to laugh. “Antonio, as you said, we’ve bonded. But don’t you think it’s time we take a break from each other?”

He huffed. “If you don’t want to, just give it to me straight, will you? Tell me no and I’ll get off your ass.”

He sounded really miffed. Ridiculous. Antonio Blake never cared for what people thought of him. “I’m not saying no. I’m just questioning the wisdom of you and me again. Just you and me. Again.”

“Oh, so you you’ll flash your pussy at me but I’m not worthy enough as a dining companion?”

“I wasn’t the one with some action going on down there,” she pointed out, standing up to put on her pants.

“How many times do I have to educate you on penises?”

“You think you can give me lessons? Damn, don’t answer that,” she snapped when Antonio suddenly grinned way too angelically. The man was too hazardous for a woman’s mental health. “Fine. Let’s go grab a bite somewhere. But we can’t leave the equipment behind. We’ll have to wait for the guys to pick them up.”

“No problem. I’d like to take a nap in the meantime.”

Karina laughed. “Go ahead. Old man.”

“Old man, indeed,” he said, shaking his head as he left the room.

The Vision guys arrived thirty minutes after calling them. Karina directed them in the dismantling of the camera and the lights. Parker, who came with them, was given a copy of raw footage of today’s scenes for safekeeping. She kept another copy with her just in case.

 Antonio had not crashed in one of the opulent suites. Instead, he returned to his dressing room and settled on the bed there. She shook him gently on the shoulder. It wasn’t fair that even in sleep and his mouth hanging open, Antonio Blake still looked like a god. He grunted and rubbed his eyes before opening them.

“Hey,” he muttered. In his soft, vulnerable state, it was tempting to run her fingers through his hair and take a whiff of his neck. Karina frowned at the direction of her thoughts and quickly turned away. She put on her black leather jacket.

“Let’s go. The nearest diner is an hour from here.”

He frowned. “We’re going to a diner?”

She rolled her eyes. “It won’t kill you to eat something highly-processed and fatty, Antonio.”

He sat up, rubbing his eyes again. One side of his hair was flat and other was tousled. “I thought we could go somewhere nice.”

“This isn’t a date. It’s a meal between two people who have, as you said, bonded. I could murder a cheeseburger and onion rings. Come on.”

“You’re right. This ain’t a date,” Antonio said as he got up and stretched. How tired was he? Karina wondered, realizing for the first time that shooting that one scene must have been grueling for him.

“If this were a date, you won’t be anywhere near onions at all,” he added.

* * *

They got in Karina’s SUV. Antonio told her that he’ll have his limo pick him up from the diner when they’re done. As she drove down the road, she turned on the radio, looking for the station that played classic metal rock music. Antonio chuckled as he settled comfortably on the seat.

Eyes on the road, Karina growled, “What?”

Antonio turned up the music, still chuckling. “I like this station too. And the song.”

She listened to the first bars.

“This was the song playing the first time I had sex with a girl.”

“’I didn’t need to know that.” Karina muttered, blushing.

“Shannon Kane,” Antonio drawled, deliberately ignoring her. “Brown hair. Nice, really big breasts for an eighteen-year-old. I didn’t last long because of those breasts.”

“Oh, and it’s not because, I don’t know, it’s your first time?”

“How old were you when you first had sex with a guy?” Antonio asked her.

“Antonio, if this is the kind of bonding waiting for me at dinner, I won’t hesitate to drop you off at the roadside and to hell with you.” She was beginning to sweat despite the air conditioning.

“Come on, Jones. What’s the big deal? You can tell me.” He wheedled her.

“It’s personal.”

“I told you about Shannon!”

“I didn’t ask you!”

“Alright. Let’s start with something easier. Who was your first kiss? How old were you? Was there tongue?”

“Really, Antonio?”

“You blush easily because you’re like one of those demure, proper women of old, aren’t you? The kind who sits with perfect posture, never spills her tea, stiff collars, but actually hotter than sin under your petticoats?”

Karina shifted to fourth gear as they approached the highway. “You watch way too much porn, Antonio.”

“I like the red panties, by the way.”

“I like quiet when driving.” Karina reached down to kill the radio, plunging the car to a sudden silence.

“Shannon blew me a few times before we did it, you know. She’d blow me, I’d have a go at her breasts, finger her. We shared a joint before having sex the first time because we were both freaking out.”

“Antonio, I really don’t want to hear anything about your first time. You’re almost forty and you’re talking about having sex with an eighteen-year-old. It’s creepy.”

Antonio made a face. “Kill my buzz, why don’t you?”

Karina grunted, “I didn’t start the conversation.”

He fidgeted in his seat “So, how old were you?”

“Antonio.” She warned.

“I won’t stop until you give me something.”

“I won’t hesitate to kick you out of the car.”

“You’re going to dump a one-armed man in the middle of nowhere?”

“Boy, when it suits you, you’ll lay it on thick, won’t you?”

Knowing he was winning, he laughed. “Come on, babe. Someone got between those long legs first and lived to tell the tale.”

Karina rolled her eyes before taking the exit to the next town. Alright. Since he wanted to go there.

“Don’t judge,” she said.

Antonio held up his hand and shoulder. “I won’t.”

“No, I mean it, Antonio. No judging. I don’t hear want to hear any smart or crass comment from you.”

“I give you my word,” he said solemnly.

She guided the car through the town, driving past shops and stores. “Twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five what?” Antonio demanded. Because she couldn’t stop the blush overtaking her face, he soon figured it out. “God. You were twenty-five?”

“I think it’s a lot more alarming to be late-bloomer having sex for the first time!” Karina said defensively, giving him a warning glance.

“But surely you tried before?”

“I’m not giving any more details,” she muttered.

“You tried?”

“Antonio, come on!”

She found a sign for the diner. At only five miles away, she was soon pulling over its parking lot. It was late in the afternoon so the after-work and dinner crowd wouldn’t be coming by for a few hours. She guided the car to a spot near the end of the lot.

“Look, you couldn’t have hit twenty-five without getting at least fondled,” Antonio said as they left the car. He ignored her warning glare. “And some guys like small breasts.”

“Why is my sexual history fascinating to you all of a sudden?” Karina demanded as she they walked toward the diner. “There’s nothing there, Antonio. You only have to look at me to know.”

He gazed at her, taking in the top of her hair, lingering on her eyes, then taking his time looking at the rest of her. He only looked away to get the door for her.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said as they went to a booth at the corner.

“Please. What, suddenly you’re nice?” Karina scoffed as they sat down.

Before Antonio could speak, a waitress approached them, armed with menus and her pad. But Karina already knew what she wanted, and it got a grin from the younger woman as she noted it. Antonio, who suddenly looked thoughtful, said, “I’ll have what she’s having but with fries instead of onion rings.”

“Drinks?”

“I’d like warm water with a wedge of lemon in it, if possible,” Karina added.

“Sure thing.” The waitress beamed at Antonio. “And you, handsome?”

“I’ll have a root beer. Oh, I see you have pies. What do you recommend?”

“Our strawberry cream is a favorite.”

“A slice please.”

The waitress repeated their order, smiled at them again then left.

The diner only had three other customers besides them, and they were sitting at the bar. Karina pulled off her jacket, frowning when she saw Antonio staring at her. “What now?”

“I’m not the greatest person around,” he said. “But I want you to know that I’m not…look, I’m not mean, alright? And there’s no excuse with what I said before but…I really am sorry.”

Karina didn’t know what to make of this about-face. As far as she knew, Antonio treated everyone else like servants at his beck and call. He never gave consideration for anyone’s feelings. But here he was now, sitting less than five feet away from her and actually looking contrite. Really contrite.

That or he was pulling one hell of a masterful performance. Actors were just overpaid liars, after all. And Antonio was finest of his generation.

But Karina was hardened from years of abuse, misogyny and sexism. She stared at him warily.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I was an asshole?”

“Yeah. But what do you want to come out of it? See,” she continued, stacking her elbows on the table and leaning forward. “You’ve been in this business longer, Antonio. Nothing happens without an agenda in mind. Why don’t you tell me what it is you really want?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please. I can smell bullshit from a mile away, Antonio. Let’s just get on with it, alright? Because I hate it when people sweeten me up and I fall for it. I know how this town works. I would rather you respect me enough to realize that and dispense with this apology with the puppy dog eyes.”

Antonio looked shocked.

Karina sat back. “I was right.”

“No, you’re not. I’m just… dammit. And I thought I was the cynic.”

She crossed her arms, looking at him expectantly. He shook his head at her.

“I apologized because I really am sorry. And as I said before, there’s no excuse for my behavior and for the things I said. I’m apologizing not because I want to soften you up or want something from you. I don’t believe in bullshit, either. You have my word that if I want something, you’ll know. Right on.” He spread his arms. “I’m with you right this moment because I want to have a meal with someone I hope will become a friend.”

The waitress arrived with their order, cheerfully announcing which food goes to whom. Karina muttered her thanks while Antonio gave her a friendly smile. She smiled back and walked away, giving an extra sway to her hips.

Antonio raised his glass of root beer. “What do you say? Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?”

Karina stared at him. Part of her was still very suspicious. Another part wanted to believe that he was sincere.

And if she thought about it, Antonio had not given her any reason to doubt him. He’d called her ugly to her face. Told her outright he didn’t get the hard-on because of her. There was no moment when Antonio wasn’t directly, brutally, and at times cruelly, honest.

“I only have one arm here.”

She flushed and raised her cup. They clinked together and took sips. Then they started eating.

Antonio was more skilled at conversation than her. He asked her about the movies she had done, the challenges she had faced. Karina hated her blush after he told her that he enjoyed The Final Breath. She tried to hide her burning cheeks by stuffing her face with onion rings. He watched her fumble and flush, amused.

“You have to be better at accepting compliments, babe.”

“You would know how,” she said. “I’d bet you’ve never been insulted in your life.”

Antonio snorted. “Until you.”

She had to smile. “It’s nice to be someone’s first for a change.”

His grin was absolutely predatory, and she squirmed, realizing what she’d just done. “Speaking of firsts—”

“Antonio, are we back to that? I don’t want to talk about my sex life or yours, or sex! Come on.”

“You know, it’s very intriguing that someone who got naked without the promise of sex earlier, or even money, is very prudish about sex.”

“Oh, so what, it’s all absolutes with you? One has to be comfortable talking about sex to do what I did?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Dumb.”

“Really. Alright.” Antonio took a big bite of his burger. “Educate me.”

“It’s not an extensive lesson or anything. I know how my body is. I’ve made my peace with it. It’s functional.”

He looked puzzled. Karina explained further.

“You needed to be comfortable and that wasn’t going to happen if there’s an uneven distribution of power. This is only with you. You needed to know we’re equals. Hence, why I stripped. My body got the job done.” She took a bite of an onion ring and cocked her eyebrow.

“You don’t think your body is just functional, do you?”

“You saw it. You said it yourself earlier. You didn’t get hard looking at me. No, no. I’m not taking it against you,” she clarified quickly when Antonio was about to protest. “Antonio, I know. I know how my body is. It’s not the kind guys dream about. Or what women want to have. Because I’ll never be an object of sexual desire, as women are primarily still seen to this day, I had to find other ways of seeing myself. My body gets the job done.”

Antonio shifted in his seat. “Look, I admire your, um, work ethic, or whatever you call it. But…you don’t see your body as just that, do you, really? I mean…you’ve had sex. You’ve been desired.”

She shrugged. “It’s not something I like to think about.”

Antonio pushed the plate of strawberry cream pie between them and gestured she take the first bite. Karina had to smile and happily forked herself a piece.

“Karina…I don’t know what’s happened to you to think like that but, I don’t know. I wish you see yourself as more than…serving a function. Take it from someone who’s…never going to be one hundred percent again.”

“What are you talking about?”

Antonio gave her an exasperated look and held up his shoulder. “Hello?”

At that moment, the waitress returned to their table. “I just want to check on you folks—oh, holy shit, honey. You lost your arm?”

Karina glared at her while Antonio quickly crouched inwards. The clueless woman yammered on.

“Terrible, terrible thing, honey. And you’re so handsome—say, aren’t you that actor?”

Antonio grimaced. “Uh—”

“Yeah, you are. I know you. I saw you in that movie. An artsy movie, I think?”

Antonio said stiffly, “I’ve never been in a bird movie, ma’am.”

“Oh, please! Listen, I won’t tell if you’ll, uh, sign this.” Karina’s mouth dropped open at the woman’s gall as she pulled out her pad from the pocket of her apron. “What do you mean you’ve never been in that movie? I remember it now. Butterfly.”

Karina covered her mouth while Antonio looked at the woman as if she had just figured out that one and one together make two.

Antonio was never in Butterfly but Chad Warren. The two men didn’t look alike in any way. But they were rivals in the early days of their career.

“Uh, ma’am, actually—” Karina tried to say but Antonio put on a false smile.

“You got me. And I would appreciate your discretion,” he said. “You’ll have to forgive my handwriting, though. I mean—”

“That is seriously okay. I really wish I had one of those camera phones, you know? But a signature is fine.” The waitress said. “Could you make it out to Bernadette?”

* * *

Ten minutes later, Antonio and Karina couldn’t get out of the diner fast enough. The door closed behind them, and they looked at each other. They were flushed, Karina more, from the effort of restraining their laughter.

And they’ve reached the limit.

Antonio was the first to break, throwing his head back and laughing uproariously at the darkening sky. Karina gripped her arms to her sides as wheezing, motorboat sounds drifted from her. They were laughing so loudly that the customers piling in the place looked at them curiously. Antonio flung an arm around Karina’s shoulders and together, they headed back to the car.

Karina wiped the tears from her eyes as she unlocked the door. Still gasping, she said, “I’m not fit to drive.”

“I didn’t think anyone could be that stupid!” Antonio roared, sending a fresh peal of laughter in the air. Karina too burst out laughing again.

Somehow, they managed to plant themselves on the front seats. Their bodies continued to shake, the flush on their faces deepened. Karina leaned heavily on the steering wheel while Antonio sat back. As their laughter subsided, the tremors from their bodies eased. Karina sat up, resting against the seat. Antonio smiled at her.

He really did have a nice smile. Big-ass dimples you can put things in.

He was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Objectively speaking.

Antonio was looking at her too. Karina had never been comfortable being stared at or being under any kind of scrutiny. When his hand touched her cheek, however, she rubbed against his palm. God, she even purred.

Then she dived toward Antonio.

Antonio opened his arms. He opened his arms.

They kissed.

The force of her body had him plastered against the window, arms flailing to hold her securely to his chest. Half his ass was on the seat. The other was in the air. The shift dug between Karina’s thighs. But the precariousness of their position was no hindrance to the meeting of their mouths. Lips brushed together in a soft, hesitant dance, their heads turning from side to side until Antonio pressed his shoulder against her cheek and kept her at an angle that they both liked. Tongues sought each other. He tasted of grilled meat and ketchup, too-sweet root beer.

She kissed him deeper.

She turned, sliding the sleeve of his jacket down his torso to reveal his shoulder. As Antonio pressed hot kisses down her cheek, around the shell of her ear, followed by the thrust of his tongue that had her entire body tingling, she poured kisses on his scarred flesh. Her thick lips pressed fully on the soft, puckered skin. She gave it a little, playful bite before resuming the little kisses that had Antonio grunting and pushing his hips against her. Then his one hand grabbed at her hair, urging her back to him so he could plunge his tongue in her mouth.

It seemed they couldn’t fuse their mouths hard enough, couldn’t take each other’s mouths with tongue deeply enough. The console, the limited space of the front. The tip of Antonio’s nose was red so Karina kissed it as consolingly as she could—if she leaned any more, he was going to fall off the seat. So, as hard as it was, she disentangled herself from his arms.

Sure enough, Antonio protested. “What the hell are you doing?”

Karina pointed awkwardly at the backseat.

“Oh.”

As Karina left the car, Antonio, showing that he was capable of inelegance, simply climbed over seats. He was lying flat on his back when she opened the door. They grinned at each other then he opened his arms again. She eagerly leaped toward him. His pained grunt at her knee landing on his ribs was lost in their kiss.

God, she had never felt like this before. The need to consume, to be with Antonio, was overwhelming and strange. Every kiss fed the flame to this desire. She cupped his face in her large palms as Antonio, with his hand and shoulder, caressed her under her t-shirt. Her jacket was in the way, so she quickly got rid of that. The t-shirt too.

Antonio sat up, caught her by the middle of her back and kissed her breasts, her nipples. His lips were warm and greedy sucking on the plump nubs. Men hardly paid attention to them during foreplay, let alone during sex. There wasn’t much to grab. But Antonio. Oh, Antonio. He sucked and bit her nipples with…well, glee. She rocked against his knee, rubbing her aching pussy against him.

“God,” he groaned, looking up at her. “Oh. So good.”

“It gets better,” she whispered, taking his mouth in her lips. As they kissed, she felt for his zipper and tugged the tab down. Her fingertips found springy pubic curls. Antonio cursed against her tongue as she scooped him out of his pants.

“W-Wait. Karina—” but she kissed him again, pushing her tongue in his mouth as her fingers wrapped around his dick and rubbed him.

Antonio was grunting. Growling. With every breath he managed to take, his dick hardened and warmed in her hand. God, the man was huge. She moaned wondering what it would be like to take him in her mouth, feeling him thrusting into her throat and flooding it with his cum. Her hand sped up.

“Babe—” Antonio snatched his lips from her, shaking his head. “Karina. Wait. I—make it—last—” he groaned.

Karina gasped too, feeling the spurt from his dick fill her hand. Amazed, she watched her hand rubbing him furiously, milking his dick dry. Antonio’s hips pummeled against her, his grunts and harsh whimpers bathing her cheek. Her grip didn’t falter until he exhaled loudly and collapsed on the backseat. Karina, blushing, wiped her hand on her jeans.

“Kay,” Antonio’s voice was ragged. He looked well-satisfied but annoyed. “I wanted to have sex with you, not come in your hand.”

“S-Sorry,” she stammered, realizing now that he tried stopping her.

“Don’t be. I’m just…well, I really want to have sex with you.” Antonio looked at his half-erect dick. “But I’m not willing to wait.” His teeth flashed in the dark.

“Huh?”

Antonio smirked and suddenly rose on his knees, dislodging her. Karina grabbed for the door with one hand and the other gripped the leather of the driver’s seat. She watched with growing disbelief as Antonio unzipped her boots and tossed them to the front seat. Her pants and panties followed next, yanked down her legs in one swoop, with his one hand and shoulder. Karina was blushing violently and panting by then, realizing that she was buck-naked in her SUV while Antonio only had his pants dragged down to his hips.

He drew one leg over his shoulder, grinned at her then shoved his tongue in her pussy.

“Antonio!”

Never—she never had anything like this happen to her. As his tongue slid up and down her slit, tasting the sensitive flesh surrounding her clit, she grunted, hips lurching sharply. She felt on fire, and his wicked tongue was stoking her.

His tongue swept up and down, from side to side. The pace was languid for a few seconds before he took her, firm, wet thrusts inside her passage. His shoulder kept her leg far apart from the other, leaving her open and exposed to his lips and tongue. God, this was really happening. It was really happening to her.

Antonio caught the soft flesh of her outer labia between his lips and sucked it, did the same to the other before his tongue was stroking up and down her pussy again, the tip lingering on the nerve-packed area where her clit was. Karina was gasping, sobbing, feeling her clit thrust and firm like a button, getting redder and plumper as Antonio lavished licks and kisses all over her pussy except for this. She would give her life for him to even just flick his tongue there. She really would.

“Antonio,” she sobbed, not knowing how else to say what she wanted.

He seemed to understand because he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked.

“Antonio!”

Dammit, this was … no, nothing would ever be like this. There was nothing that could describe this feeling. It was everything and too much, the impossible and the unimaginable. She chanted his name, her hips thrusting against his chin as his lips clamped around her clit firmly, possessively. As he unraveled her, his fingers took an experimental dip in her pussy before plunging in.

This was how it was to be taken.

“Oh, god! Antonio!”

She was going to die. She was going to die if he didn’t stop. Whining, she tried to turn, fought to close her legs. She pulled at his hair. Her lips managed to open, her voice, strained and weak, followed. But instead of saying stop, she begged for more.

And more.

“Antonio. Antonio. Antonio.” Her eyes closed as she thrashed under him. She was insane to want this to stop. At this moment, she would willingly walk away from everything if it meant being on her backside with her legs spread wide and Antonio’s tongue and fingers thrusting into her for eternity. No question about it. If she was going to be destroyed, she couldn’t think of a better way.

“Please,” she begged, her eyes fluttering open briefly. Her glazed stare found his eyes on her, dark and brilliant at the same time. “Antonio, please.”