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Disclaimer: Not ours. The real ones at least. Just wild imaginary spinnings.

Summary: Hmmm, about technophobes and friends who mean well.

Chapter Nine

The benefit screening was at Carleton College, and there wasn't a red carpet, but it was organized that the important guests and the actors entered through the main door and all the spectators that had purchased their tickets had to get into the theater through a side entrance. Mick smiled at Jen and pulled her out of the queue to go and see the actors attending the screening.

"Come on, Jen, let's go peek. I am sure there will be at least one hunk among the actors. Please?"

Michelle was dragging her through the mass of fans till they reached the fence that limited the main entrance. "Look Jen, there are some of the actors!" squealed Mick, but Jen didn't even look to where Michelle was pointing.

She was looking nervously at her watch instead. Michelle had just told her that the movie was a real long feature film, at least three hours. She had to find a way to leave earlier, she did not want to risk missing Orlando when he got back to her place. She knew it wouldn't be easy to disappear on Mick, and somehow she didn't want to make that move on her friend. Not even for Orlando. So, she thought it through and grabbed her cell phone, looking for the speed-dial for Orlando's cell, to call him and make a date to meet later.

Orlando tugged at his tie, and looked at his watch. He had to find a way to sneak out of the screening before the movie was over. He wanted to go back to Jen's as fast as possible and be with her. Maybe take her out for a nice dinner …

He automatically smiled at the flashes of the cameras pointed his way, and absently waved to the people outside of the theater, as he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. As he managed to pull it out, it stopped suddenly and he saw Jen's number. He dialed back, worrying. What he hadn't expected was to hear a cell phone ringing close to him, in the crowd. As he looked towards the source of the ringing, he saw her. His heart nearly stopped at seeing her there. No place to run…no place to hide. He raised his phone to his ear when she did and waited for her to see him.

Jennifer jumped slightly at the sound of her phone ringing. Mick shot her an annoyed looked and turned her attention back to the actors, while Jen answered her phone.

"Hello?" she asked, glancing around to see if anyone else was giving her a peeved look. Her eyes met with a familiar pair of dark ones across the way. Her heart stopped beating for a split second, the air leaking out of her lungs slowly. "Orlando," she whispered, her face getting paler by the moment.

"Jen," he said, his lips moving to the voice in her ear. "Let me explain."

"Why are you here?" she asked, her words coming out slow, her mind still trying to wrap around the fact that he was there and not in some meeting.

"I…I'm one of the actors in this film," he said, his eyes still locked onto hers.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were going to this screening?"

"Why didn't you?"

Anger was starting to heat her up, especially when she saw a tall, dark-haired woman come over and wrap an arm around Orlando's waist. He turned towards the woman with a smile, kissing her on the lips. Shocked, Jennifer handed her phone to Michelle and walked away.

Orlando glanced back to Jen, finding that she had disappeared and her blonde friend giving him an evil glare. "Bloody hell," he muttered, his feet already moving to go find her.

Billy's hand came around his arm, holding Orlando back. "I dinna know what ye're thinkin', mate, but ye're in front of thousands of people watchin' yer every move. If ye take off now, ye're gonna have a helluva mess to clear up in the morn."

"He's right, Orli, you can't leave now," Liv agreed. "Who was she?" Orlando gave Liv a sad smile. "Possibly the only woman who knows me better than my mum." "Then let's get you inside and find a way to sneak you out the back. Certainly can't let her get away, now can we?" she laughed, hooking an arm with him and Billy and leading them inside the building.

******

Jennifer slammed her front door behind her, sliding down till she was sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. Struggling movie actor indeed! How could he let her believe that all this time? And who the hell was that woman?

Jen buried her face in her hands, wanting to cry her heart out but unable to shed one tear. How could she been such an idiot? Hadn't Mick warned her about getting too involved with him? And she hadn't listened…at all.

Merlin whimpered as he padded over to his mistress, licking at her face. Jennifer wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his fur as she sighed.

"Oh, Merlin…I was a fool…such a fool."

A sudden pounding on the door, startled her. Jen froze, tightening her grip on Merlin when he growled low in his throat. Whoever it was pounded hard on the door again.

"Jen! Jen, I know you're in there! Open up, please!"

She fought to keep from shouting back when she heard his voice.

"Jen, God, please open the door. I'm sorry I didn't tell you…I just didn't know how."

"Go away, Orlando Bloom, and I don't want to ever see you again!"

"Jen. Please open the door! I think your neighbors are about to call the police."

"Good!"

Another loud thump hit the door, and she was sure it had been his head. "Jennifer…I can't explain why I didn't tell you everything…except that I was scared. I was afraid that…"

Jennifer got to her feet and opened the door. "Of what? That I might not understand you were a little more popular than you had said? That you have women to fuck all over the United States, and oh, lucky me! I'm just another one of them! Oh, I understand alright, you bastard. Get off my front porch and never come back!"

She started to slam the door right in his face, but Orlando's hand shot out to stop her.

"Liv isn't a woman I fuck, Jennifer. You're wrong about that. She's just a very good friend."

"That you kissed!"

"I kiss all my friends! Bloody hell, I even kissed Elijah two minutes before that! That's just the way I am."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Yes!"

"Why should I?"

Orlando walked in, causing her to back away from the door, a bit apprehensive of the anger that made his dark eyes glitter. He slammed the door behind him, which caused Merlin to growl low in a warning.

Without taking his eyes off of Jennifer, Orlando ordered, "Down, Merlin."

To Jen's astonishment, Merlin sat down on his haunches, tail wagging in a friendly gesture. Good grief, the man even had her dog under his spell.

Jen had to stop walking when her back met the wall. Orlando braced his hands on either side of her head, leaning close.

"I would never kiss her the way I kiss you."

Jennifer fought the urge to shiver, her body heating in a different way now. She tried her best to hold onto her anger. "What about the struggling actor bit? Didn't look to me as if you are struggling. Plenty of girls knew your name tonight."

"Yes, I wasn't telling you the whole truth on that one, but only because I wasn't sure of you yet. I didn't know if you were trustworthy or…"

"Some fanatic out to get you?"

"Yes. I was going to tell you tonight. All of it."

"Until you got caught."

Orlando sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "Look, Jen, I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. My bloody damn mistake. Please don't hold it against me."

Jen felt the last of her anger melt away, as she reached a hand up to trace the row of buttons down his shirt. "I'm more upset about the woman than the actor thing. I somehow guessed in the back of my mind that you weren't struggling as much as you wanted me to believe."

He smiled, effectively knocking her off kilter. "And Liv? Do you believe me about her?"

"Well, I believe you, but if she lays another hand on you, I might be prone to violence."

His hands slid around her back, bringing her body flush with his. His lips lightly kissed the corners of her mouth, sliding along the length of her jaw. "Do you forgive me?"

"Orlando, I don't…I don't know what to say."

"Say you want me to kiss you. That would be a nice start," he said, pulling back from her.

Her mouth fell open, but no words seemed to come out. Damnit all, now was not a good time to be so shy! She saw one eyebrow raise slowly on his handsome face, his smile letting her know he wasn't going to say anything till she said something. Jennifer let out a small huff in frustration, her cheeks flushing with annoyance.

"Fine. You always have to have it your way, don't you?"

"Not always, but now I do."

"Alright, Orlando, I want you to-"

She never got the rest of her words out, for his mouth fused over hers, shutting her up promptly. Jennifer felt every bone in her body melting, her brain turning to mush and her knees buckling when his tongue swept into her mouth, tasting her. She barely managed to get her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. He raised his head slightly, whispering something against her lips that she didn't quite catch, and then was taken under again. His hands slid down her sides to cup her bottom and pull her up against him more. His hips nudged hers, letting her know just how exciting it was for him to be touching her. Jennifer felt as if her lungs were going to burst if she didn't get some air. She pulled her head back and let it fall back to the wall with a thump.

She heard Orlando laugh softly, his hand coming up to cradle her head and rub the tender spot. "Are you okay, love?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, her eyes closed in bliss.

"I asked if you were okay." His mouth planted small kisses to the line of her neck, opening occasionally on her skin to taste her. Jennifer arched her neck to give him all the free reign he wanted. His hands came up to grasp her jacket, slowly pulling it from her body and letting it drop to the floor. The next thing she felt were his hands running up beneath her sweater, touching her soft skin.

Orlando felt as if he were in heaven finally being able to feel her against him. This was what he wanted. If they got no further than this tonight, it would be enough…more than enough for him to go on. He just wanted to feel her.

"Orlando," she whimpered.

He drew back just enough so that she wouldn't feel crowded, his eyes hot as he burned his gaze over her. "Jen, don't be mad at me. I don't think I can take it."

"I'm not mad," she said, her voice as breathless as his. "But I do need to sit down. My legs are about to give out on me."

He laughed softly, brushing her lips against his before sweeping her up in his arms. "No worries, love. I'll hold you up."

Orlando hesitated, when he realized he didn't know if he should take her to the couch, or find her bedroom. He was wanting to go with the latter, but wasn't sure if she was up for it or not. Jen had her head on his shoulder, and didn't see the indecision on his face, but she did sense it.

"That way," she said, pointing to his left.

Obeying her orders, he found himself in a large bedroom, which surprised him considering the house wasn't all that big itself. There was a large bed in the middle, covered in the most virginal white coverlet he had ever seen. And across the room was the biggest computer lab he had ever seen.

"Don't worry, it won't bite," she said, drawing his attention back to the soft woman in his arms.

He looked down to see her biting back her smile. "Are you laughing at me?"

"Yes, and it feels good."

Orlando shifted her high against his chest so that he could kiss her again. "Good. I like to make you feel good."

"So…" she murmured, trailing a finger down the row of buttons on his shirt. "How good are you going to make me feel?"

Orlando was surprised at her brazenness, considering she was the shy violet not just two seconds ago. "Uh…how good do you want to feel?"

Jennifer smiled, his knees going rubbery at the sight. "How about a 10 on the feel good scale?"

"A 10, huh?" he said, laying her down gently on the bed, easing down beside her. "Maybe that can be arranged."

Jennifer started to reach for him, but Orlando lay a hand on her belly, keeping her where she was. He propped his head up with one hand, lazily tracing the features of her face.

"I don't want you to regret anything, Jen. I mean…I'm not sure what might happen from here on out."

"I know, now come here," she said, reaching for him again.

Orlando evaded her grasp. "I'm serious, Jennifer."

She dropped her hands to her sides with a small sigh. "I understand what you're saying, Orlando, and if you think you're going to convince me that you're callous enough to sleep with me and then leave without ever seeing me again, then you're not as smart as I thought you were. Because I know that you would never go any further without making sure that somehow, some way we get together again."

Orlando smiled slowly, the tightness in his chest easing a bit. "Think you know me so well, huh?"

"Yes, I do. Now, can we stop with the talking? I'm tired of it."

"Yes, ma'am. Anything you say."

Jennifer closed her eyes and braced herself for the jolt of awareness that would zing through her body when he kissed her again. She wasn't disappointed. The heat built deep inside of her, low in her belly. She ached she wanted him so much. His lips caressed, aroused and coaxed her, making her wish she could just sink into him. His hands stroked over her, but it wasn't enough.

"Lose the clothes," she murmured, pulling away from him. "We've got to lose the clothes."

"Slow down, love," he said, kissing the end of her nose. "We've got all night."

"I need…"

"I know what you need. Now just lay back and let me do my job."

Orlando eased Jennifer back onto the bed, untangling her fingers from his shirt, as he slowly slid to his feet. He knew she was watching him, as he slid her shoes off her feet then her socks. Her toes wiggled in the cool air, making him smile. He took his shoes and socks off as well, before laying back down on the bed. He didn't miss the disappointment in her eyes.

"Slow, love."

She whimpered out a protest, but he slid a hand up beneath her sweater, cupping her breast through her bra, as he kissed her again. Jennifer pushed up against his hand, seeking more. Sensing what she wanted, he slid a thumb inside her bra, teasing the already hardened nipple there. He pushed the material aside, pinching her lightly between his thumb and forefinger. Sitting up, Jennifer ripped her sweater off, then reached back to dispose of her bra before he could stop her. She pushed Orlando over onto his back and straddled his hips.

"No more, Orlando. I can't take it."

Jennifer reached for the hem of his shirt, attacking the buttons on it with a vigor. It didn't help that his hands were stroking her bare skin, distracting her from what she was doing, nor the fact that her fingers were fumbling over the buttons. Soon she had it open, pushing aside the material so that she could look at him. Her mouth lowered to brush over his nipples, not missing the way his hips arched up into her as if he had just been shocked. Grinning, Jennifer licked and sucked on him, going with pure instinct on this matter. His hands gripped her hair tightly, her name ripping from him.

"Jennifer, stop!" he gasped, finally pulling her head away. "God, are you trying to kill me?"

"No, if I were, then I would do this," she said, reaching down to cup the bulge of his trousers, stroking him with her nimble fingers.

Orlando caught her hand tightly, keeping her still before he spilled himself in his trousers. "No more," he said, flipping her over onto her back.

She felt a rush of cool air as he stood again, this time his hands going for the snap of her jeans. He pulled them down to her feet and off, not caring where they landed as he threw them behind him. His eyes were locked on the sight of her laying on the white bedspread with nothing but a pair of peach lace panties on. His hand was shaking slightly, as he reached out to stroke her legs, which parted for him slightly.

"Jen," he murmured.

"Orlando, please…please hurry."

He rose above her, her legs parting to make room for him as he laid on top of her. It seemed as if they were two missing puzzle pieces fitting together at last. She didn't welcome the barriers of his trousers and her panties still between them, but at least she was a lot closer to having him inside her than she was a few minutes ago. She could feel every hard inch of him against her wet core and the sweetness of it almost made her cry.

"I don't want to scare you, Jen. I know that you may be…"

She watched his face, wondering just what he was trying to say.

"Well, I mean, you're probably not sure of…"

"Are you trying to say that I haven't been this far before?"

"Well, yes."

"You're right, but only because I haven't ever found someone I wanted to go this far with…until now."

"You're sure it should be me?"

"More than sure. Please," she whispered against his lips.

Instead of rushing to take her, Orlando kissed and stroked her to the highest peak of arousal, until she thought she might burn up into ashes. When she realized that he had stripped them of the rest of their clothes and was now getting ready to sheath himself inside of her, Jen felt a brief moment of uncertainty.

"Uh, Orlando?"

"Yes, love?" he asked, rolling a condom onto his hardness, which was so full and aching he didn't know how long he was going to last once he got inside of her.

"I…I don't think you'll fit!" she gasped.

Orlando looked over at her, a smile on his lips as he covered her body once again. "Oh, I'll fit, love. You'll see."

He took her mouth, distracting her with his tongue, when he fit himself to her wet entrance, pushing slowly so not to hurt her. He felt her tense beneath him, and he murmured words of comfort to her, as he tried to get her to relax. He sank in slowly, inch by inch, till he was finally seated to the hilt inside of her. Sweat was drenching his face, but he refused to move until he was sure he wasn't hurting her. His face remained buried in her neck, his chest heaving with every breath he took.

Orlando felt Jen's hips stir beneath his slightly, and he reached down to grip them hard, knowing he was going to spill if she didn't stop. Jennifer whimpered and tried to move again.

"Stop moving, Jen," he gasped out harshly.

"But I have to. I feel…it's too much. You've got to move!"

Gritting his teeth, Orlando slowly pulled his hips back to push forward again, watching as her back arched, her mouth opening for air.

"More," she moaned. "Give me more."

"I don't want to hurt you, Jen."

"You won't!"

The pressure of her tight sheath around him was too much for him to resist. Anchoring her hands above her head, he grasped her hip and held as he started the flux and flow of riding them both to a completion. Jennifer was so vocal, he almost thought he was going to have to gag her. But the sound of her pleasure spurred his own higher. He found himself thrusting into her rougher than he had intended, but suddenly it didn't matter.

With her cries of release ringing in his ears, Orlando pumped into her one last time, his own back arching as he spilled deep inside of her. He found he had no strength in his body, completely rung out by her. He did manage to roll to his side, keeping Jen right against him, as he struggled to gain his breath.

Jennifer lay so still beside him, he almost thought she was dead. He felt her stir slowly, her leg finding a way across his hip, her face burying against his neck. He could feel her smile against his skin, the worry easing in his mind.

"Wow," she murmured, licking at his still hot skin. "That was…" she sighed as if in relief. "…wow."

Orlando chuckled, one hand running down the length of her back, not missing the way she arched under his touch. To find her so responsive, sent a thrill through him.

"Orli?"

He smiled at the drowsy way she said his name. "Hmm?"

"Can I keep you?"

Her question made him freeze with shock. His heart nearly tripped out of his chest. How could he possibly answer that question? He wanted to tell her yes, for as long as she wanted, but the truth of the matter was…he didn't know.

Luckily, he didn't have to answer, for Jennifer fell into a deep sleep that not even a tornado could rouse her out of. He held her there against him for a few more minutes, until the cool air started to chill them. Orlando moved to put Jennifer and himself under the covers when he discovered something that sent a shot of pure fear through him…the condom had broke.