me to be in the headlines than off the radar. I know you didn’t expect this.”
“It wasn’t something I thought about, that’s for sure.” She watched him play with her hair. “It’s been okay, though. It’s just people talking about how happy we look and how much fun we seem to have together. I can deal with that.”
“I’m definitely happy,” he said, brushing her hair behind her shoulders. His fingertips traced the side of her neck, and he bent his head down, bringing his lips to where his fingers had just been. “Where did we leave off earlier today?” he murmured, trailing kisses along her jawline.
“Mmm, right there.” Emily tilted her head back.
Cory slid his arms around her, guiding her until she was lying down on the sofa, his body above hers. “There?” he asked, his mouth finding her earlobe.
His hands slipped underneath her shirt, raising it up to expose her stomach, and he inched down the sofa until he could bring his lips to her navel.
“Or there?” he asked, helping her pull her shirt over her head. He rained kisses everywhere he could find a bare inch of skin.
“There, and right here,” she breathed, raising her head up so her mouth could find his. She felt herself sink farther into the sofa cushions as Cory pressed his hips against hers.
She pulled at the bottom of his T-shirt. Cory lifted the shirt over his head and tossed it to the side, where it landed on the floor. She reached for his belt buckle next. Soon, all he was wearing were his boxer briefs as they became a tangle of limbs on the sofa.
“Upstairs?” Cory asked, his breathing shallow. He ran a finger along the inside of her bare thigh, sending shivers through her.
Emily nodded. Cory bent his head down and kissed her shoulder, then scooped her into his arms. He carried her out of the living room and up the stairs, into his bedroom.
Chapter Eleven
Countless photographers and a crowd of onlookers stood behind black velvet ropes and metal guardrails that lined an entire block of Hollywood Boulevard. They waited for the award nominees and celebrity presenters to make their way down the red carpet, and to pose for photos in front of the step-and-repeat. From where she stood with Cory, Emily could see flashbulbs coming from either side of the red carpet. A videographer with a camera on his shoulder followed a svelte, sharply-dressed woman who held a microphone in one of her perfectly manicured hands.
“Welcome to the red carpet,” Cory said, squeezing Emily’s fingers. “Are you ready for this?”
“Are they going to interview you?” Emily asked, holding his hand a little tighter. While she was growing used to seeing her photo on celebrity gossip sites, she had yet to speak to anyone in the media directly. She was pretty sure that even if she had, nothing would have fully prepared her for the scene that was in front of her.
“Don’t worry.” Cory laughed. “This is friendly fire. All they want are smiles and sound bytes for the six o’clock news and some of the entertainment shows. At most, you’ll have to say ‘hello’ into a microphone.” He looked up and pulled at her hand. “It’s go time.”
He led her down the red carpet. Cheers erupted from the crowd behind the security gates. Emily felt her heart begin to pound, knowing all eyes were on them.
“They love you,” Cory murmured into her ear. He waved at the crowd.
They paused in front of the step-and-repeat. The woman with the microphone Emily had seen just a minute ago walked toward them, followed closely by the videographer. The woman extended her hand to Cory when she reached them.
“Lori Summers from Tinseltown Buzz,” she said, shaking his hand.
“Good to meet you,” he replied.
Lori raised the microphone to her lips and began speaking in the bright, bubbly voice Emily associated with entertainment shows. “And just arrived is one of tonight’s presenters, Cory Sampson from Blistering Twilight. How are you tonight, Cory?” She thrust the microphone in front of him.
“I’m doing well, Lori,” he said.
“And this must be Emily?” she asked. Emily wondered if Lori expected a response from her, but saw the microphone was still being held out to Cory.
He gave the camera a charming grin. “This is Emily,” he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. “I’m excited to introduce her to the world.”
“You’re presenting for favorite female actor, aren’t you?” Lori asked.
“I am. It’s a great group of nominees.”
“Who do