Valorous, A Tame Quantum Novel (Quantum Series Book 2) Read online

  “You okay?” Flynn asks during a break.

  “Yeah. It’s hot in here.”

  “Is it? Feels okay to me.”

  “How much longer until your category?”

  He smiles and winks when he says, “It’s toward the end.”

  Someone taps him on the shoulder, and he gets up to say hello.

  Marlowe slides into the seat next to mine. “How’s it going, Mrs. G?”

  “Is it hot in here, or is it only me?”

  “I’m fucking roasting. It’s always hot at these things. Too many people and not enough air.”

  My stomach flutters at the thought of asking Marlowe about Valerie. But I need to know. “Hey, Marlowe.”

  “What’s up?”

  I glance over my shoulder to make sure Flynn is still actively engaged in his conversation. “Tell me about Valerie. What’s she like?”

  “She’s a viperous bitch. I hate her guts, and not just because of the hell she put Flynn through, but because she’s not a nice person. People in this town are seriously over her. I don’t know too many directors who will still work with her.”

  “Hmm, interesting.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I ran into her in the ladies’ room. She was a little… less than friendly.”

  Marlowe snorts in a most unladylike fashion that makes me like her more than I already do. “I imagine she was. Not only did she lose Flynn, but for years he told the world she permanently turned him off marriage. That’s gonna leave a mark. Did you tell Flynn you saw her?”

  “No. I didn’t want to upset him on his big night, and I knew he’d be pissed at what she said to me.”

  Marlowe leans in closer. “What’d she say?”

  “It’s not even worth repeating. I suppose if I was stupid enough to lose the love of a man like Flynn, I’d be a jealous bitch, too.”

  “You will never, in the history of the universe, be capable of the kind of shit that woman spews. And P.S., you did the right thing not saying anything to him about it. He sees red where she’s concerned, and it is a big night for him. Or I expect it will be anyway.”

  “Don’t jinx him.”

  She smiles at me. “You really love him, don’t you?”

  “I really do.”

  “Good. You’re just what he needs in his life.”

  “You think Hayden will ever come around to seeing that?”

  “Hayden has his own demons,” Marlowe says, looking at the man in question as he laughs and jokes with friends. “I don’t think his reaction has anything to do with you or Flynn, and you shouldn’t take it seriously.”

  “It hurts Flynn’s feelings.”

  “Those two have always had their ups and downs. It’s the nature of their relationship. They always get past the bumps, so try not to worry.”

  An announcement is made that the commercial break is about to end and everyone is asked to return to their seats.

  “Hey, Marlowe, thanks. You’ve been a good friend to me. I appreciate it.”

  She gives me a quick hug. “I hope we’ll become very good friends.”

  Marlowe Sloane wants to be good friends with me. How crazy is that? She returns to her seat, and Flynn slips his arm around me.

  “How you doing?”

  “I’m good. How’re you?”

  “Ready to get out of here.”

  “And hit the parties?”

  He shakes his head. “I’m a newlywed. I’m skipping the parties.”

  “What if you win?”

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that…”

  “You can’t skip the parties.”

  “Watch me.”

  The way he says those two little words—and how he looks at me as he says them—does crazy things to my insides. I love how much he desires me and how badly he wants to be alone with me. I lean back against him while we wait for his category to be announced.

  Marlowe is the presenter for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. She announces the nominees, and when she gets to Flynn’s clip, the audience goes crazy. He smiles for the cameras, but under the table he’s gripping my hand.

  I give him a squeeze in support.

  “And the Actor goes to… my friend Flynn Godfrey for Camouflage!”

  The place goes bonkers.

  He kisses me, hugs Hayden, Jasper and Kristian and then heads for the stage. We’re all on our feet clapping, cheering and, in my case, trying not to cry. Marlowe greets him with a hug and hands him the award.

  It takes a long time for the applause to die down. Wearing that humble smile I love so much, Flynn stands before his peers, holding his award and drinking in his big moment.

  Even if I’d been watching the show at home having never met Flynn, I’d be happy for him because Camouflage is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. But as his wife and the woman who loves him… I’m over the moon with happiness and pride in his accomplishments.

  “Thank you so much to the Screen Actors Guild for this incredible honor,” he says after the crowd finally settles. “I’ve been blessed to work with so many of you and to call you my friends and colleagues. We’re the luckiest people in the world to be able to do this job we love. To be recognized for the work is frosting on a pretty nice cake. You all know this film is very near and dear to me and to everyone at Quantum. Jeremy’s story took me on an amazing journey and gave me an all-new appreciation for the sacrifices our military members and their families make for us every day. Please do your part to support our veterans and their families. We owe them everything.” Another round of enthusiastic applause follows that statement.

  “No one gets here,” he says, holding up the statue, “without a lot of help, and I have the best people in the world working with me as well as the greatest family anyone could hope to have. And now…” He takes a moment and seems to be collecting himself as he looks directly at me.

  My heart stops and I hold my breath, waiting to hear what he will say.

  “Now I have Natalie, too. It’s no secret that these last few weeks have been rough for my wife—I sure do love saying that—and for me. Neither of us will ever forget the love and support we’ve received from this community. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Natalie’s wildebeest dog, Fluff-o-Nutter,” he says to a crackle of laughter from the crowd. “Without Fluff’s bad behavior, Natalie might’ve walked right by the park where I was filming in New York, and I never would’ve known that the love of my life was getting away. So thank you, Fluff.” Looking directly at me, he adds, “Natalie, I love you with all my heart, and I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”

  He holds up the award. “Thank you very much for this incredible honor.”

  I wipe away a monsoon of tears as Flynn and Marlowe leave the stage arm in arm, laughing as they go. I can’t believe he actually thanked Fluff! He’s back a few minutes later with the Camouflage cast to accept the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

  What an amazing moment to witness, even if I had nothing at all to do with it. His joy is mine, and I’m filled to overflowing with pride for this man who has swept me off my feet and captured my heart. That day in the park feels like a lifetime ago, when it was only a couple of weeks. Flynn and I have packed a year’s worth of living into that short time, and I’m so excited to see what’s next for us.

  As the show ends, Flynn comes down the stairs from the stage. Even with an award in each hand, he manages to lift me right off my feet and kiss the daylights out of me with most of Hollywood looking on.

  I put my arms around him and kiss him back.

  He seems to finally remember where we are and breaks the kiss, but I can feel his reluctance.

  “I’m so proud of you and so happy for you,” I whisper into his ear so he can hear me over the din around us. “Thank you for recognizing Fluff’s contribution to our relationship.”

  “She played an essential role. Best supporting actress.”

  I smile up
at him, and he hugs me again. Since I’m wearing sky-high heels, I can see over his shoulder. My gaze locks on Valerie, who’s looking at us with barely restrained hatred. I’m not sure what comes over me, but I smile at her as I hug my handsome, successful husband. Let her eat her heart out, because she let him get away.

  The look she gives me is positively vile, and I realize that with one smile, I’ve made an enemy for life. That’s okay. I hold on tighter to Flynn. We’ll get our revenge by being happy together.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he says in a low growl.

  “Don’t you have to do interviews and stuff?”

  He moans. “Yeah, I do, and then we’re getting out of here.”

  “I’m with you, love.”

  “Yes, you certainly are.”

  Chapter 16

  I love watching him do the interviews. With his Actor statues in hand, he’s all the things I love best about him—humble, charming, funny and sincere. The reporters ask the same question over and over: How does he feel about being the front-runner for the Oscar? It’s exciting, he says, but a lot of things in his life are exciting these days. The last reporter wants to know how he’s enjoying married life.

  “It’s spectacular,” he says with a smile for me. “And about to be more so if you’re done with me.”

  “Far be it from us to keep the newlyweds apart any longer,” the giddy female reporter says. “Congratulations again, Flynn. Camouflage was amazing. You deserve all the acclaim and awards.”

  “Thanks very much.” He comes to claim me. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”

  We follow the security detail to the limo, which they have standing by, ready to whisk us away.

  “Are people going to be mad if you don’t go to the parties?”

  “I don’t care if they are.” The second we’re settled in the car, he puts his arm around me and draws me to him, his eyes glittering with happiness and intent. “Kiss me, sweetheart, before I die from wanting you to.”

  What else can I do when he puts it that way? I reach for him and bring him to me, laying my lips over his and breathing in his endlessly appealing scent. It always makes me want to burrow into his neck. For the longest time, we don’t do anything more than kiss, lips pressed against lips, sharing the same air. The sheer intimacy of the moment hits me like an arrow to my heart. This man who could have any woman in the world has chosen to spend the rest of his life with me.

  He frames my face in his big hands and pulls back to study me. “How can you be so beautiful and all mine?”

  “I was just wondering the same thing about you.” I curl my hand around his wrist. “I really loved what you said up there. Fluff will be pleased when she hears about it, too. It was very sweet of you to include her.”

  “You know I meant what I said about how close we came to never meeting. If she hadn’t broken free, if you hadn’t chased her… It makes me ache to think about what we could’ve missed.”

  He kisses me again, his mouth sliding over mine, his tongue coaxing its way in. His hand slides up my leg, pushing up my skirt as he drags his fingertips over my inner thigh and beyond. Breaking the kiss, he says, “Take off your panties. I want to taste you. Right now.”

  “Flynn…” I glance at the closed partition that seals us off from the driver. “Not here. We’ll be home soon.”

  “Right here. Right now.” He tugs on my panties to make his point.

  The thought of doing that now, here, makes my heart beat fast and my palms sweaty, not to mention the flood of heat between my legs. “Flynn…”

  “Shhh.” The panties come down my legs and get stuffed into the pocket of his suit coat. He kneels on the floor in front of me. Then I’m on my back, my skirt hiked up to my waist and my legs propped open on his shoulders. God, is this really my life now? As he parts me and licks me from front to back before dipping inside me, I realize I was only half-alive before I met him and found out how much more was possible.

  Speaking of more, he slides his fingers into me. He moans against my most sensitive flesh. “Fuck, I love how you taste, Nat. I’ll never get enough of you.” The stubble on his jaw rubs against me, the sting only adding to the assault on my senses. Every one of them is engaged as he licks and sucks and strokes me to a screaming orgasm. As I come back down from the incredible high, I remember where we are.

  “Ah, the driver…”

  “Won’t hear a thing. I told him to turn up the music.”

  He keeps going, as if he didn’t just make me come harder than I ever have before. “I want another one.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can, baby.” He sets out to prove me wrong, and makes me scream all over again as I grasp a handful of his hair and hold on for dear life.

  I’m desperately trying to get air into my starved lungs when I feel him press against me. “Has it been seven days yet?” he asks, sounding as desperate as I feel.

  Raising my hips to encourage him, I say, “Yes. Close enough.” I open my eyes to look up at him as he enters me in one smooth stroke that fills me to capacity and nearly makes me come—again. I can’t believe I’m having sex in the back of a limo.

  “You’ve turned me into a regular sex fiend, Mr. Godfrey. Airplanes and limos.”

  “Mmmm, so many other places to explore and a lifetime to do it—and now with no more fucking condoms. God this is amazing, Nat.”

  “For me, too.” My hands find their way inside his suit coat to his sweat-dampened back and down to grasp his ass as he thrusts into me. I love the way that feels, his muscles working in harmony to make love to me.

  He has the same idea as he reaches under me to take hold of my ass to keep me in place for his absolute possession. For the first time since my meltdown on our wedding night, I feel like he’s letting go of the tight hold on his control.

  I want to let him know I love what he’s doing. “Yes, Flynn, yes… Don’t stop.”

  My words are like gas on his fire. He picks up the pace, and his lips come down on mine. I open to his tongue, which takes fierce possession of my mouth. I’ve forgotten all about where we are or that there’s a driver on the other side of a thin screen. I can’t think about anything other than the magnificent pleasure of making love with my beautiful husband.

  He raises his head, opens his eyes and looks down at me, and I lose my heart to him all over again when I realize he’s checking on me. Even when swept away by passion and desire, he takes care of me in a way that no one else ever has or ever will.

  I reach up and put my hands around his neck. “I’m okay. Come down here and kiss me again. I love to kiss you.”

  He gives me exactly what I want and need until we’re both coming, his fingers digging into my bottom as he pins me down with the force of his body and lets himself go.

  I gather him into my embrace, holding him close.

  “Love you so much, Nat. So, so much. Every guy in that room tonight wanted to be me because you’re so amazing and beautiful, inside and out.”

  “So are you. And we’re even more beautiful together.”

  He lifts his head to look out the steamed-up window. “We’d better get ourselves together. We’re almost to Malibu.” Smiling down at me, he withdraws and produces tissues from a box that came with the limo.

  “They’re prepared for backseat hookups, huh?”

  “Don’t think about the leftover DNA on the seats.”

  “That’s gross. You need to get your own limo so the only DNA on the seats will be ours.”

  His eyes get wide and animated. “Other than you, nothing turns me on more than being told I need to buy another car.”

  “Because the sixty you have aren’t enough.”

  “Never enough.” He pulls up his pants and lands on the seat next to me. “Seriously, baby, new cars make me hot. Not as hot as you make me, but pretty damned close. That smell… Mmm… I can only think of one thing on this earth that smells better than a new car.”

  “And you are not going to say wh
at that is.”

  Offering a wolfish smile, he says, “Okay, I won’t say it.” He pulls my panties from his pocket, brings them to his face and takes a deep breath.

  I’ve never seen anything so earthy or erotic in my life.

  “Do I shock you terribly?”

  “No.”

  He tips his head, eyeing me skeptically.

  “You make me feel like I’ve been half-asleep my whole life until I met you and came alive.”

  “That’s the most incredible thing you’ve ever said to me.” The panties return to his pocket. He puts his arms around me and holds me and kisses me until we arrive at Hayden’s beach house.

  “I think it’s probably safe to go home to my place tomorrow,” he says when we’re inside, where a very enthusiastic Fluff greets us like we’ve been gone for six months. She even seems rather happy to see Flynn.

  “She must’ve been watching tonight when you made her famous.”

  “Maybe we’ll be friends now.” Flynn goes to answer a knock on the door. “Thanks a lot.” He returns holding two bags.

  “What’s that?”

  “Dinner from In-N-Out. Best burgers in LA.”

  “How did you pull that off?”

  “I texted the security guys and asked some of them to stop on the way home. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate tonight than with some In-N-Out,” he says with a dirty wink.

  “Are we still talking burgers?”

  “Of course we are. What else would we be talking about?”

  Flynn lights the gas fireplace, and, still decked out in formal attire, we enjoy a picnic on the living room floor.

  “I gotta say, this burger is amazing.”

  “Told ya,” he replies, his mouth full. He dips fries in ketchup and holds them up to feed me, slipping a couple to Fluff, too.

  Burgers and fries have never tasted better than they do tonight. I reach over to wipe a dab of ketchup off his lip. “Is this what happy feels like?”

  “Sweetheart,” he says gruffly, clearly moved by my question, “this is what ecstatic feels like.”