Hollywood Remake (A Celebrity Love Story)

Chapter 10: Punch-Drunk Love

 Kate made her way across the darkened living room to where Aidan was standing.

"Are you sure?” she asked. “Let me see."

"I know how to check a circuit breaker, Kate."

He looked down at her. She was up on her tiptoes, craning to see past him toward the electrical cabinet, but he kept himself planted in place to block her path. He knew he’d only bought himself a little time. How long before she figured out that he’d tripped the main switch? How long before she left to go charge her phone somewhere else?

Was this the last time he was ever going to see her face up close? Katie’s face. Katie’s big brown eyes. Katie’s soft, full lips. How many times had he dreamed of seeing her face here in this house? Kate, in his living room. How many times had he pictured it? And now she was finally here, and he had blown it. Not 24 hours into the visit, and he’d already ruined everything. Just a matter of time now. The fuse was lit, and the moment she got her phone charged, the bomb would go off and the whole thing would blow sky-high.

How many times had he imagined her here in this house, under this roof? How many times had he planned exactly what he would do? He’d meant to savor it. Open some wine. Play some music – something slow and smooth. Take her in his arms and dance together in the living room. Just sway together, feeling her heart beating against his chest, inhaling the scent of her hair. And then slowly begin to kiss her... Dance her over to the bedroom… Bit by bit, take off her clothes…

But there was no time now for any of that. Forget savoring it. Forget setting the mood. Forget that he was punch-drunk from lack of sleep, and his eyes felt like someone had scraped off the corneas with sandpaper. Forget that he’d been wearing the same clothes for the past 12 hours, and the fear-induced sweat from the night before hadn’t yet dried on his damp t-shirt. Forget that he probably smelled like a zoo animal.

Time’s up, he thought. Too late. Too late for slow and smooth. Too late to play it cool. Too late for anything now but naked desperation.

He reached out and dragged her body against his, planting his mouth firmly over hers.

Kate had been trying to see the fuse box when she felt him jerk her against him and cover her mouth with his own. For a moment, she was too surprised to resist. He tilted his head, kissing her deeply, and she felt her own mouth open in response from pure muscle memory. His arm was around her waist, pressing her against him, and she could feel that he wanted more than just a kiss. Apparently, Koko hadn't managed to empty the tank completely.

She brought up a hand between their bodies, dragging her mouth away from his. "What are you doing?"

"Power outage," he answered breathlessly. “Gotta kiss someone in a power outage.”

She shook her head. “I never heard of that one.”

“Must be a West coast thing,” he replied, dipping his head to kiss her again.

She brought up her other hand to stop him. "You stink," she said, wrinkling her nose and pushing against his chest. "You need a shower."

He released his arm from around her waist, and she took a step backward, but he reached out and grabbed her hand. Without a word, he began pulling her toward the bedroom. "What?" she said.

"Let's take a shower then," he told her roughly as he led her past the bed and toward the bathroom.

This was not part of the plan, Kate told herself. She was supposed to be packing. Get in and get out. That was the plan. No showering.

He still had hold of one of her hands as he reached into the shower and turned on the water. He had taken off his t-shirt and now he was kicking his way out of his jeans. She should leave the room. She knew she should leave the room, but she stood there watching him. Whoops, there went the pants. And the socks. And the underwear.  She skimmed her eyes down the length of his body and back up again, taking in the light sheen of sweat that highlighted the contours of his well-toned physique.

“Take your clothes off,” he commanded, coming toward her and lacing his arms around her again. 

"Aidan," she whispered, but his mouth was on hers before she could protest any further. She clutched at his upper thighs and ran her hands up his hips, feeling his stomach muscles clench spasmodically at her touch. His fingers were at the back of her neck now, undoing the buttons of her blouse, as he continued to move his lips relentlessly against hers.

Aidan, she thought. Aidan’s lips. Aidan’s breath inside her mouth. Aidan’s hands pulling her shirt over her head. One last time. One last time with Aidan. One last time, before she got on a plane and flew away, and they went their separate ways, and she never saw his face up close again. His fingers were undoing her bra now. Just one more time, she thought, as she felt the clasp spring open. She moaned into his mouth as she arched her back against him.

She shimmied out of her jeans, and he opened the glass door to the shower stall, edging her backward into the billowing cloud of steam. Her heel caught on a piece of upraised tile and she lost her footing for a moment. Her stomach lurched into her throat as she stumbled backward, but his arm was firm around her waist, keeping her upright.

“Watch your step,” he murmured, as he eased himself into the stall with her. She reached up and ran her hands through his hair, pulling his head back down to hers as he positioned them beneath the stream of scalding water.

There was a soap dispenser mounted to the wall. Kate reached out and filled one palm with shower gel. She lathered it between her hands and then began applying it with her fingers to his upper arms… his shoulders… his chest… working downward. He had her pressed up against the back of the shower stall with his hands planted against tile on either side of her hips, locking her in place, as he kissed her on and on.

Aidan suppressed a groan as he felt her hands move around his waist and begin soaping up the muscles of his back. Without releasing her mouth, he reached up, groping blindly. He grabbed the shower head out of the stand overhead and brought it down. He felt her gasp at the sensation as he began running the pulsating jets of water along her body in slow circles.

Her fingers were in his hair, lathering his scalp, when he heard her let out a sudden yelp. “Stop!”

He broke the kiss and looked down at her. “What?” he gasped.

She didn’t answer, but grabbed the shower head out of his hand. She turned it, and he felt the blast of water hit him in the chest. Ice cold. He tripped backward in surprise. He reached out a hand to catch himself, but too late – his feet were skidding out from under him. The water heater, he realized, in his last fleeting moments of consciousness. It ran on electricity. Once the tank was empty, there was no hot water left.

Then his head slammed down against the sharp corner of the ledge behind him. He looked up and saw her face, one last time.

Her face. Kate’s face. Her eyes wide with panic. Her lips parted in a silent cry.

Too late, he thought, as he watched the world go black. Time’s up.