Los Angeles Lights: A Hollywood Billionaire Alpha Shifter Romance Page 4

  As a response, Zack kept me wrapped in his broad arms, rocking me back and forth in an effort to calm me. I didn’t quite regain my composure before we finally reached his mansion. He carried me up the stairs and laid me out on a couch in his bedroom where I threw my arm over my eyes that finally managed to cry tears now that we had reached the comfort of our home. I felt so ashamed and defeated. I'm done trying to make a difference in the world. It didn't want to change. My efforts to help us progress forward were utterly pointless. Zack rubbed my head again and kissed my arm.

  “Those men are bastards for destroying your work. To hell with them!” He stood and yelled at the tall windows of his bedroom. He then suddenly turned to me. “I will produce your work. We will make it so amazing that they can't possibly ignore it!”

  I shot up from the couch, happy tears replacing the exasperated ones.

  “Do you really mean that, babe?”

  “Of course I do!” He swept me up into his arms and spun me around. He knew I loved it when he did that. “I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. We can work together, and I will produce your stories. You won't ever have to deal with that lousy Jeb ever again.”

  I giggled as he spun us around, the dizziness hitting me hard as we landed on the bed and rolled around kissing. I suddenly felt like I was on top of the world again, my fear replaced with such strength that I wasn't sure I could handle all the excitement at once.

  “I already sold them the script that they destroyed.” I pointed out.

  “We'll choose a different one. I'm sure you have hundreds. Go fetch your bag and we'll go through them right now.” He said.

  I excitedly jumped from the bed and ran to my tote in the hall where I kept a number of scripts that were ready to be read, just in case I ran into someone who truly appreciated my style of writing. Zack poured through my portfolio and chose one that struck his fancy. He raised it up and announced his decision was final to the invisible audience before us. I tackled him from across the bed, the joy in my stomach turning into a ravenous hunger for his body. Papers scattered across the floor as I tore his white suit from his body, almost destroying the beautiful silk shirt that he had just purchased earlier in the day for the occasion. The buttons flew off in random directions, pattering against the plush carpet. I could fix his shirt later.

  I gently dug my nails into his chest and sucked his nipples, eliciting soft moans from his lips. As I traced the scar on his chest with my finger, I trailed my lips down his stomach to the hem of his slacks, pulling them back slightly with my teeth. I rubbed against the surface of the fabric in circles until I felt him grow hard against my cheek. I pulled down his boxers with one hand as my other wrapped around his chiseled backside, pulling him closer towards me. Looking up coyly into his eyes, I took him fully into my mouth, lips wrapped tight around his massive erection. Zack groaned and bucked into my mouth, pushing himself deeper into my throat than I was normally comfortable with. This time, however, he couldn't get deep enough to satiate the burning need I had for him.

  I pulled back and teased the head of his penis with my tongue, circling the tip until the noises coming from his mouth grew desperate. I spent a few minutes teasing him before finally devouring him whole, sucking and pumping with my mouth in fast, ravenous movements. I forced my lips all the way down to the base of his cock even though his girth felt large enough to break my jaw. I greedily sucked him to the back of my throat and started massaging his shaft with my lips, my hands cupping the soft, tight skin of his testicles.

  Whenever we were getting hot and heavy, we always went straight into sex. We were usually too desperate for each other's bodies that we often skip foreplay and go right into the hard stuff. Partially because we preferred the intimate nature of having sex face-to-face, partially because I wasn't too experienced in the sex department and he was taking my 'education' slow. This time, however, I wanted to experience every inch of his body, one piece at a time.

  As I continued to work my lips around his cock, he took hold of my hair and guided my movements with his hand. I moaned while sucking, grabbing his other hand and pulling it down to massage my breast.

  When he released his grip on my hair, he sat up and reached down to pull up my gown. His fingers danced across my satin panties and circled my clitoris with his fingers. Once Zack had me moaning and wet, he reached further down and inserted his finger into my aching opening that so desperately needed to be fucked more than anything right now. First one, then two, then three. He had magic fingers, and after a few seconds, he had me almost screaming, which was muffled thanks to his swollen cock in my mouth. I didn't think it possible, but I could feel him grow even harder in my mouth. I could feel his overwhelming need groaning from his lips, desperately saving himself so he could ravish my body like the animal he truly is.

  I heard him growl as he pumped his cock into my mouth, every bit of him shaking to be inside of me between my legs instead of down my throat. Sweat covered his chest as I pulled away and raised myself up to meet his lips with mine, slowly tracing them with my tongue as I continued to massage his manhood with my hands. Zack growled again and grabbed me by the waist and flipped me around, tearing my dress to shreds with his nails as he bent me over the foot of the bed and pushed himself inside of me with aggressive force. I arched my back as he pounded me from behind, a position we rarely ever engaged in because we prefer to watch each other's faces while we make love. But tonight, it seemed to be exactly what I needed. Each time he penetrated me, it rattled my entire body, and I rolled my eyes up to the back of my head in ecstatic bliss. He could push so deep into me in this position; my body shuddered with each thrust. He filled me completely, yet my body still ached for him.

  Zack traced the curve of my back up to the base of my neck and tangled his fingers in my hair, grabbing hold. He pulled my head back as he started thrusting harder, causing the bed to move in sync with his rhythm, pounding against the wall as he pounded into me. I was sure his cleaning staff could hear us from downstairs, but I didn't really care. I was positive they were accustomed to this sort of noise. Knowing someone might have been listening made me moan louder as Zack pulled out of me and flipped me back over before jumping into the bed himself. He sat up and lifted me onto his lap, and I lowered myself down on top of him so that we were making love sitting up and facing each other. He began to convulse slightly as I pressed my body down harder, his nails growing suddenly and digging into my flesh. My clit rubbed against his pelvis as I ground into him harder and harder, and I could feel the pleasure building, almost painfully unbearable. I cried out as he came, a hint of his wolf appearing briefly to howl as he shook beneath me. I rode his climax like a wave and reached my own peak in absolute ecstasy, biting into his neck as my body shuttered from the sensation. I ground into him to prolong the orgasm, managing to maintain the ecstatic sensation for nearly a minute as we pressed so deeply into and over one another, rhythmically clenching our bodies until we were our of breath and physically exhausted. We both collapsed on the bed panting into each other's arms in bliss.

  “Skylar,” he groaned, kissing my ear. “I never knew how hollow I was until you came into my life to complete me.”

  I kissed him deeply, then wiped a trickle of sweat from his handsome brow. “And I never knew my body could feel sensations like that until I met you.”

  He winked at me and bit my nose playfully.

  I suddenly felt a stinging sensation and looked down to find blood trickling down my thigh. That must have been from Zack digging his nails into my sides. He lapped up the blood eagerly before it hit the cream colored sheets. Watching him do so was intensely erotic. I snuggled into his arms as our hearts slowed to a steady pace as we prepared to sleep, even though it was still relatively early.

  “Rest well, my love. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

  2.

  The next day, Zack and I bustled about, busily getting ready to start producing my screenplay that he had chosen. We ate breakfa
st in the enormous dining hall and excitedly chatted about who would be ideal for which role.

  “Auditions are always a formality so that everyone feels they have a fair chance,” Zack explained.

  “Everyone should have a fair chance,” I stated. “That's just what my screenplay is about.”

  Zack grinned, then nodded in agreement.

  “You're so right. We’ll hold open auditions and equitably judge each person who comes for a role.”

  I was pleased that Zack understood how I felt about proceeding with this movie. We finished breakfast and then went about making phone calls to set everything in motion. Zack drew up a budget, and we spent some time discussing it together. I felt like we were an unstoppable team. My vision was coming to life, and it was because my unbelievably handsome Hollywood superstar boyfriend believed in my work. I was so overcome with emotion that I stole a kiss from Zack in the middle of his phone call. It caused him to blush, something I'd never seen him do before. He smiled and took my hand in his, winking as he continued to speak into his phone.

  After about a week of planning, calling, and sorting paperwork – intermittently between bouts of physically exerting lovemaking – we had our first auditions set to take place. The room was small, but it created a sense of intimacy. We wanted to be up front and personal with our potential star, whoever she might end up being.

  After a couple of hours of auditions, I was beginning to grow tired. All the faces started running together and their personalities overlapped. No one seemed to match my lead character even remotely closely.

  We called for our next audition and were shocked to find Rita Royce walking through the door with a smug smile on her face, an assistant trailing behind her. Rita was one of the biggest “it” girls in Hollywood. She also happened to be Zack's ex-girlfriend from two years prior. If anything that was anything was going on, she was a part of it - leaving her out often meant poor reviews. Involving her came with a huge price, though. Drama, drugs, and plenty of newsworthy articles with your name slapped in the middle. She had the looks and the fame, but God was she a bitch. She is everything I despise about Hollywood, and then some.

  “Zack Rider!” She announced his name as if he were receiving an award. “I couldn't resist popping in to audition for one of your little films.”

  I turned to Zack angrily, and he met my gaze with a mixture of guilt and annoyance. He shrugged and turned back to Rita who flashed her million dollar smile to the entire crew. Her eyes washed over me briefly in an attempt to size me up. I didn't blink.

  “Rita, what a surprise. It's been so long.” Zack spoke coolly.

  I couldn’t quite recognize the emotion in Zack's voice as he greeted her, explained the role, and then asked her to read a few lines. Rita, cool and confident, looked straight into the camera and immediately fell into the role I had created. The ease with which she portrayed my lead character was astonishing and threatening. I didn't want her to land the part as her lifestyle and personality went completely against the lead role's morals, and were not to mention totally offending to me. As a woman, I want to build my fellow sisters up, but not the ones who terrorize those around her. I couldn't endorse her in this film, and I didn't want to lose my head trying to defend it.

  I remained calm even though I was mentally preparing for war.

  Applause erupted around me, and my frown turned into a grimace. Before Rita left, she waltzed up to the table and leaned over to whisper something in Zack's ear. His casual demeanor suddenly turned into sheer dread, a face I didn’t even think him capable of making. Zack Rider wasn't afraid of anything.

  What could she have possibly told him?

  3.

  The days following Rita's audition were absolutely wretched. Zack seemed to be in a foul mood at every turn. The more he frowned, the more distance I put between us. After the whirlwind of a project launch, I wasn't emotionally stable enough to handle seeing his ex-girlfriend while also dealing with his ridiculous mood swings. Whenever I tried to get him to talk, he'd shut down and storm off to the bedroom to pour through paperwork for the film. My final attempt to elicit an explanation only caused him to growl, which frightened me to tears. I stormed off into the yard and took the path to the pavilion where I could sit near the pond and calm down. I climbed into the hammock that was positioned in front of a fountain and curled up, listening to the sounds of the trickling water. Calm breaths, I told myself.

  After a few moments of silence, I heard a whimper and felt something furry nuzzle my hand. I turned to meet the most beautiful arctic blue eyes staring back at me through the dim light. The wolf nudged my hand again, and I massaged my fingers through his fur as he shoved his snout into my face. He smelled like lavender and vanilla. It was definitely Zack, but I’ve never actually seen him in full wolf form before. He must have been extremely stressed. Zack huffed and whimpered again, and nudged his body up against mine. It wasn't possible for me to pull this gigantic wolf into the hammock, so I carefully got out and embraced him on the ground, petting his fur.

  “Babe, I wish you would tell me what's the matter.” His icy eyes met mine again. They didn't blink. “I want to help you.”

  I petted his fur a little longer before he stood abruptly and stalked off into the distance, the echo of cracks and groans carrying on the wind from his direction. I cringed. It sounded incredibly painful to change. I couldn't imagine what kind of hell he went through just to go out for a run and stretch his muscles. Zack returned, disheveled, in his human form and collapsed into my lap.

  “She's blackmailing me.” He whispered between deep breaths. “She's threatening to release a sex tape of her and I that also features me changing. We have to cast her in the lead role to prevent her from doing it.”

  My heart beat sped up to a wild rhythm as my blood boiled.

  “We have to cast her. That tape will completely ruin me - ruin us,” he continued, staring intently into the depths of the pond. “I could be locked up for a long time.”

  “That bitch.” I gritted my teeth together, trying to stay calm and collected as best I could. The laws had only just been updated a few years ago to accommodate the shape-shifting community. It was illegal for a shifter to be in their animal form in public, and anything to do with sex in animal form with a human could easily land you a life sentence. There were, of course, many underground establishments that catered to people’s unique shifter-related kinks, but law enforcement treated anything to do with human-shifter sex as severely as underage rape. The new laws inspired a lot of protests, many arguing that it was racist - or whatever the term would be when considering the shifter community - and that people should have the right to express themselves as they truly are. It was natural for shifters to want to transform into their animal forms when experiencing pleasure. The pushback, however, resulted in the LAPD being extra vigilant and forceful in their arrests. Zack was right, if Rita releases the tape, it would mean the end of Zack Rider.

  I released a pent-up scream, causing Zack to jump and take me up into his arms. He rubbed my back as silent tears began to fall down my cheeks, the frustration filling me with regret. Why did I think open casting like that was a good idea? Why hadn't I chosen anyone before her? I should have settled on someone else just so she wouldn't have even been able to walk in the damn door.

  But it didn't matter what I could have done. Nothing could change what was already happening. I was positive Zack was going to cast her anyway, despite how much she was the opposite of what we wanted in this film. Once again, my attempts to smash the patriarchy that ruled the entirety of this city – and the rest of this country, for that matter – was completely destroyed. Zack noticed my sudden quiet demeanor and tried to comfort me again. I pushed his hands away and walked off into the distance towards the maze where I hoped I could just get lost forever. I stared up at the sky, wondering where I had gone wrong.

  I could feel Zack's presence a few yards behind me. I knew he was just watching me to make sure I was safe,
that I wasn't going to do anything too rash in light of recent events. I tried my best to keep the tears from reappearing. I was getting tired of crying and felt childish for it. I cried at my original premiere. I cried when Zack said we could make my films ourselves. I cried when I found out Rita was pushing her way into our lives. I felt like I was losing control over everything. It was absolutely maddening.

  I craved a drink suddenly like my life depended on it. I turned on my heels away from the maze and made my way back to the house, shoving past a concerned Zack who was pleading for me to speak to him. I ran up the stairs, pulled on something gorgeous, and called Maya who picked me up in no less than twenty minutes. As I rushed out the front door in the first slinky dress my hands could grab in the closet, Zack implored me to stay. I walked past him and jumped into Maya's car, hoping I would find a bottle to drown myself in and never return. I felt I was better to leave than to stay and lose it again. I didn’t want to lose Zack, but I worried what I would say if I stayed at his place right now.

  Dealing with Rita Royce was one thing. The knowledge that Zack has actually changed forms during sex with that bitch, and let her tape the whole bloody thing, was more than I could handle.

  4.

  The sun instantly blinded me as my eyes wearily opened to greet the world. My head ached. How much had I drunk? I tried to sit up but was met by a sharp pain in my temple that didn't dissipate until I laid back down on the bed.

  Bed. Whose bed? Was this my bed? I threw my arms around in an attempt to feel the sheets. They felt silky between my fingers like they were expensively imported. I sighed. I had gone out to escape Zack only to end up back at his mansion. Bits of my memory started falling back into place that I had temporarily forgotten during my drunken slumber. I heard a light rap at the door as I tried sitting up again through a pounding headache that threatened to make me throw up.