Hollywood Nights // Bob Seger

Char

I'm so freaking nervous. The elevator doors open to a long hallway. It reminds me of the date Jacob took me on and the long walk from the elevator to my hotel room door. He'd warned me it would be the longest walk of the night and he was right. I wondered if he'd kiss me goodnight. I worried I'd been too much for him, that I'd pushed him away already.

Then I freaked out because I realized I'd wanted him to kiss me. Really bad. My heart was racing but I played it off, kept acting aloof and teasing him.

Until I said his name.

It wrecked him. I could see it in his eyes. He'd been waiting for me to call him Jacob and the second I did, he gave in to the pull between us. I've never been the same. 

Missing him was a shock. I knew I would, but the depth of my longing for him was unexpected. I lingered in it, drowned. Bree was actually worried about me. She wouldn't let me wallow, but even with the forced companionship that comes with being on tour, I withdrew from everyone more than I normally would. I was such a mess, Brianna Royce—world famous pop star, my best friend since kindergarten and the reason I learned the managerial side in order to protect her from the industry vultures—kicked me off the tour.

But I went willingly. I knew she'd be fine. There were plenty of people in her camp. And seriously no one was going to push her around with her boyfriend, Zack, in tow. He looks like a cheese puff, but the guy has a protective streak a mile wide. He can hold his own verbally and his black belt in jujitsu doesn't hurt, either. He's earned my trust.

I make the long walk to Jacob's hotel room door. My hands shake when I knock as my phone starts ringing. Just as I pull it out of my bag to hit ignore—this is absolutely not the time for a business call—the door swings open, Jacob on the other side with a phone to his ear. My phone rings again, Jacob's name flashing as the caller.

I want to laugh, and I want to cry. But mostly, I want his arms around me. In the next second they are.

"Good surprise or bad surprise?" I ask, Jacob crushing me to his chest.

"Good. So damn good you have no idea."

"I think I have some idea." This. This is what I needed.

"Baby, I was just going out of my mind missing you. I couldn't sit still. I was trying to figure out when I could fly to you for even a day but couldn't seem to make it work." Jacob kisses me, sending jolts of need through my entire body. "And here you are. Just damn."

"I realized I didn't need to be at Brianna's beck and call." I'm breathless as he peppers my neck and shoulders with kisses. "Her producer is with her for the next few shows. I decided I needed to be here."

Jacob pulls me into the room. I drag my bag in behind me as he shuts the door, locks it and throws on the top latch with a flair.

"I still can't believe it," he says, stalking toward me, intent and determination in his eyes.

I gulp. He's almost predatory. I want to run, knowing he'd chase me. I'd flee to his bedroom where he'd follow me, pressing me to the wall as he captures me...

"You're blushing." He grazes my check with the tips of his fingers as soon as he's close enough. I didn't actually run, but the images burned into my mind of the chase are raising my blood pressure.

I say nothing. Instead I look down at my hands, worried that he'd see the desire in my eyes. I wasn't planning on coming directly to his room at this hour. My travel time had taken way longer than I expected to arrive in Los Angeles thanks to delays on both legs of my flight. I was going to get my own room and freshen up before I came to surprise Jacob, but I'd gotten to the hotel too late for any rooms to be available. The thrill of spontaneous travel plans. Now I'm with him but still have a gross layer of airport grime and all-day flights. I'm wearing sloppy travel clothes and no make-up. My hair is a rat's nest. I'm not presentable, or desirable in the least.

But the way he's looking at me, like I'm the air in his lungs, like he could devour me, I'm second guessing my level of desirability. Self-consciously, I lift my hand to pull at a wayward curl. Jacob leans down to look in my eyes, eyes that have remained rooted to the floor.

"I love the curls. This," he runs a hand from my shoulder down to my hip, "is the girl that took my breath away. I've been dreaming of having you in my arms, just like this, for over a year."

I glance at him, half in disbelief that he's saying these words and half in unbridled desire.

"Don't get me wrong, the sexy boss babe is hot, too. But she isn't the girl who squeezed the hell out of my heart right away."

"Boss Bitch. I'm not really a babe."

Jacob gives me a smirking side-eye. "But I love your bitchy side as much as all of your other sides."

My breathing hitches at his use of the four-letter word. The word that's been whispering in my ear for weeks.

"And you are an absolute babe." Jacob tucks a few curls behind my ear as he leans in to kiss my cheek. While his lips are still attached to my skin, he bends his knees and grabs me under my ass, lifting me up as I throw my legs around his waist.

"You are a boss in the boardroom and a freak in the sheets." He growls the declaration in my ear.

"Isn't that what Snoop Dog said about Martha Stewart?"

He laughs. "Sounds like it." He continues nibbling my ear lobe as he carries me down a hallway. I giggle at the contact.

"That tickles."

"I've got some other places to tickle." He drops me on the bed, stalking over me with desire burning in his eyes. It takes my breath away how much he wants me. He kisses me deeply, even with the layer of airport dirt. I let his kiss take me away, moaning as his hands wander under my loose overalls into warm places on my body.

"Jacob," I plead.

"I love the sound of my name on your lips," he answers as his lips continue their assault on my body, now traveling south.

He makes the most of this surprise visit, melding our bodies together, showing me in every way that he's happy to have me here. That he needed me here as much as I needed to come.

And I do. Several times.

***

Jacob holds me close, his arms wrapped around my body. We're sleepy with satisfaction but still in a semi-conscious state. His fingers run up and down my arm gently, sending tingles across my skin.

"Mmmm, why is this so perfect," I mumble.

"Because we fit together." Jacob pulls me closer.

"True."

We doze for a few more minutes. It's late for him, but I'm still on an East coast time zone, so it's practically early morning for me. I'm exhausted with time and travel, but not wanting to fully give in to sleep. I need my brain to absorb the fact that I'm with him, that he's here next to me. I want the knowledge to seep into my dreams.

"I'm still in shock that you're really here." Jacob's quiet voice startles me slightly, enough for him to notice and soothe my surprise with a kiss on the cheek.

"Me, too," I say. "Once I decided to come, I couldn't get here fast enough."

"With how at peace I am, I think I needed you here more than I realized."

"What do you mean?" I crack my eyes open a little more and angle my face to look at him. "Were you not doing okay?" I knew he'd missed me but he's been so wrapped up in filming I can't image he's had time to wallow the way I have.

"I've been so stressed about the pressure I'm under with this movie. If it flops, they'll blame me. I'm the nobody with a zero career, not like Emily and Bryant. He's the director of the hour who can do no wrong. He's not going to take the blame."

"Do you think it will flop?" I ask cautiously. Sometimes I know instinctively if one of Brianna's songs will be a huge hit. There's a magic in the way the music and the lyrics meld together that has the 'it' factor. The opposite is also true. I know when a song doesn't hit and encourage Brianna to pass on it. I'm wondering if Jacob has the same sense about this movie.

He shrugs, however, telling me what his thinking is just his own fears.

"Who knows, right? There's a buzz about the story because the book was such a big hit. Emily has a ton of momentum right now, as well. People will go just to see her as a damsal in distress, even though her character can more than hold her own."

"Sounds like everything is on path to do well."

He gives me a side eye. "Yeah, that's another thing. What if it's a hit? What if I'm suddenly at the top of everyone's list. Then the pressure train starts all over again with the next movie I sign onto. I don't know if I can take this pressure."

I nod, wrapping my arms tightly around him, offering physical support when words fail me. This is the fame roller coaster. "Brianna went through the same thing when she had her first hit. The fear that she was going to end up a one hit wonder."

"Oh, god."

"But she didn't. She isn't. And you won't be either. The fact that you're taking this so seriously, and not self-inflating your ego over it, speaks volumes."

He takes a deep breath at my words. I guess I was able to offer support that way after all.

"Would you come to set with me tomorrow? I know you'll be jet lagged but you can nap in my trailer if you need to. I think I'll be better if you're near. Right before you knocked, I needed to call you, even just to say goodnight, to hear your voice and calm my nerves."

"I'd love to go. What scenes are you working on?"

Jacob takes another deep breath. "It's our first action scene in public. Bryant has a few L.A. blocks shut down for the chase sequence. The public scrutiny begins."

"Aw, you'll be fine."

"Promise?" He kisses me.

"Promise." I say the words firmly but wonder if I can follow through on that promise. The variables are out of both of our hands, but perspective is 90% of the battle. If he believes he can do this, the chances are that he can.

God, I hope so.

What did you think of Char's perspective? I felt like it was time to get inside her head, but I don't think this will be repeated. Maybe in an epilogue... I did the same thing in Diva, putting one chapter in Brianna's POV - it's a separate 'book' because I had young readers and its a little spicy (for my stuff anyway, haha!)

Next week will be back to Jacob's POV and on the streets of downtown L.A. As a native southern Californian who grew up in L.A. county, I've got some fun places to include in mind!

This song came to mind when I was thinking of the night the two were about to have in his hotel room. But DO NOT listen to the lyrics because it's basically about a small town boy who gets suckered by a pretty girl. This ain't that, lol! I just liked the tune and the title.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Charmer is officially part of Kindle Vella! The first 3 chapters are free to read, and after that it takes coins to unlock each one, similar to the Paid stories here on Wattpad. Updates will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays 🥖