Page 180 of Private Lives

‘You know, I think you two should get back together,’ said Jim softly.

‘Get real! Like that could ever happen.’

‘I’m serious,’ he said. ‘Think about it. Everything that’s gone wrong in your career has happened since you split: all that crap in the press about “Tragic Jess”, “Loser in Love”. You and Sam were happy together.’

Jessica felt a lump in her throat and swallowed hard. It was true, they had been happy, hadn’t they? They’d certainly been the golden couple of Hollywood, but since then it had all gone downhill. She shook the thought away.

‘Is that what you think of me, Jim?’ she said, turning towards him. ‘I’m a loser in love?’

‘I think you’re an incredibly beautiful woman. But I think you deserve better than what’s happening right now.’

She glanced away from him, feeling a sob rise inside her.

‘Don’t blame yourself,’ said Jim, stroking his fingers down the curve of her neck. ‘None of this is your fault.’

There was a long, electric pause.

She turned back and gazed into his blue eyes, wanting someone to tell her it was all going to be okay, wanting someone to make it all better again. The mood in the room had changed suddenly, the air prickling with a sexual charge she’d not felt in years. Their eyes locked and she knew he was feeling it too. She touched his thigh and he took her fingers. Her mood changed from misery to defiance as she stepped off her stool and moved towards him.

It was instantly clear where this meeting was heading.

‘Are you sure?’ he said haltingly.

‘Absolutely sure,’ she whispered, melting towards him.

He pressed his hard, gym-toned body against her and kissed her neck, slipping his hands down from her shoulders to her breasts.

‘Not here,’ she said, taking his hand. ‘The bedroom.’

He practically carried her on to the bed, falling on top of her, his mouth finding hers in a searing kiss. Impatiently she lifted her T-shirt over her head as his nimble fingers unzipped her jeans and pushed them down over her lean hips, taking her tiny thong with them.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he moaned, planting kisses all down her hard stomach, running his thumb up and down her wet labia, then twisting two fingers inside her.

‘Yes!’ she cried, pushing her hips towards him, groaning as his mouth moved down to pleasure her.

With strong hands he turned her around, bending her over the bed. She heard the clank as he unbuckled his trousers, a fumble as he put on a condom, then pushed his hard cock against the curve of her ass, skin against skin. He gathered up her hair so that he could plant greedy kisses on the nape of her neck, then, losing patience, roughly parted her legs and sank into her with one thrust.

‘Yesss . . .’ she hissed, stretching out, her hands gripping the sheets as he rocked back and forth inside her. It felt so good, she thought, her breath catching as his cock reached some sweet spot she hadn’t even known was there. Sex had always been a commodity for Jessica, a means to an end, but this . . . this was something else.

He grabbed her hips and pushed her up on to her hands and knees as he pumped from behind, deeper, faster now. His hands cupped her buttocks and she smiled, knowing that a full-body micro-dermabrasion the day before meant her ass looked like a peach.

‘That’s it, please keep going, please,’ she gasped. The ripples of pleasure were building, building, contracting into her stomach like a tight coil and then releasing back out around her body in electric waves of pleasure. She let out a deep cry, as much of surprise as desire, then collapsed on to the sheets, relishing his weight, his strong arms around her, two perfect post-coital bodies uniting as one.

Finally catching her breath, Jessica stretched over to her bedside cabinet and pulled out a menthol cigarette. Her battle to quit had been a losing one, and with Jim Parker naked beside her, she needed one more than ever.

‘We shouldn’t have done that.’ She smiled, taking a long drag and blowing a smoke ring towards the ceiling.

‘Oh yes we should,’ he laughed. ‘I’ve wanted to do it for five years. But then I always knew we would.’

She propped her head on her elbow. ‘You arrogant bastard,’ she murmured.

He took the cigarette from her and had a drag.

‘It’s why I’m so good at my job. And it’s not arrogance, it’s self-belief. There’s a difference. You’re an amazing woman, Jess,’ he said, running a finger along her thigh. ‘That’s why I hate to see your career going the way it’s going.’

The lazy smile faded from her face.

‘What are you talking about?’