Love in the Dark

by 12 Book Boxed Set (epub)

  I was doing a look over in the crowd to see if Alexa had made it yet when two tall blonde girls brushed past me giggling as they danced to the Pitbull song pumping through the speakers.

  “And so I said to Zoila, well, duh, I’m going to take the audition, I mean, it’s for Scorsese,” blonde number one said.

  “No way, Martin Scorsese?” Blonde number two gawked at her.

  “No.” Tall blonde number one laughed. “Big Boobs Scorsese, you know, the guy that does those Spring Break videos.”

  “Oh yeah, yeah, he’s rich.” Blonde number two grinned at her. “I think I saw he was a judge at Martini’s wet T-shirt contest last week. My friend Lisa won. She got like, five hundred dollars and a free T-shirt.”

  I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing and turned away from them, about to pull out my phone to text Alexa that I was going to leave. This club was far out of my comfort zone, and I just wasn’t having fun at all. I wasn’t even in a dancing mood, if I was honest with myself. And not one of the young hot studs milling around had so much as glanced at me.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  The words were smooth and sexy. I turned to brush off my suitor with a small smile. I never accepted drinks from strangers. It just wasn’t smart. How were you to know that they hadn’t dropped a roofie in it or something? I didn’t want to end up in the back of a car I didn’t know. But even though I was going to say no to the drink, I was happy to have been asked.

  “N … Oh.” My eyes made contact with the man who had offered me the drink and my jaw dropped.

  “Is oh a yes or a no?”

  His eyes twinkled as he smiled down at me, obviously having had this reaction from multiple women throughout his life. I blinked rapidly as I stared back up at him. I could barely believe my eyes. Jackson Camden was standing in front of me. The Jackson Camden. The rock star Jackson Camden. Jackson Camden of my teenage dreams and, if I’m honest, several late-night fantasies.

  “I, uh…” I mumbled and swallowed hard as I shook my head. “I…” I started again, but my voice trailed off as I noticed that I had lost his attention already.

  “Jackson Camden, is that you?” A tall, slinky blonde joined us at the bar and ran her fingers down his back as she purred up at him, lips pouted and boobs pressing into him. I had to admit that I was slightly envious of her confidence. There was no way that I would feel comfortable pushing myself on a famous rock star like that.

  “Yes, it’s me.” He had completely turned away from me now, and I watched as he smiled at her.

  “Can I have your autograph?”

  I watched as she giggled and flirted with him. I couldn’t look away even though I was starting to feel like a bit of a voyeur.

  “Sure, where do you want it?” He took the pen from her hand and my jaw dropped once again as the lady pulled her top down and asked him to sign her breast.

  “Better luck next time,” a voice whispered into my ear from behind me. I jumped, let out a small scream, and dropped my purse in surprise. I bent down to pick it up.

  “Excuse me?” I glared up at the man next to me, not looking at him properly as I stood back up, clutching my bag tightly to my chest. Had he been watching me watch Jackson and the blonde this whole time?

  “I said, better luck next time.” His voice was deep and mocking, and his tone was already irritating me.

  “Better luck next time?” I finally made contact with his sharp, azure blue eyes and my heart skipped a beat as I realized who I was talking to. The number one actor in all of Hollywood, Oracle Lion. He looked taken aback as our eyes made contact, and he seemed to be searching for something in my gaze. I offered him a small smile, but he didn’t smile back and I stood there, feeling uncomfortable.

  “Just think, that could have been your breast he was signing if you’d been able to open your mouth a bit faster.” His lips twisted up at the side and he looked as cocky in person as I had always imagined him to be from his movie posters and TV interviews.

  “I don’t want him signing my breasts.” I spoke stiffly, not knowing what to say. I wanted to tell him off for being rude, but how did you tell off a big star?

  “You’d rather have him doing other things to your breasts?” He grinned and licked his lips in a deeply suggestive manner. I shuddered in response. My shudder was directed to both him and myself. I couldn’t believe that he would be so blatant with me, and I couldn’t believe that I sort of liked it. Most probably because of my earlier flirtation, my body was in high gear.

  “No!” I said sharply. “That’s really out of order.”

  “What is?” he said with a small wink. “You need to loosen up, lady.” He stared at my lips and I wanted to slap the smirk off of his face. “Or maybe you need something sweet to eat.” He said the words slowly and suggestively.

  There was something in the way that he spoke that sounded so familiar to me, but I shook it off as just being smitten with his movies. Instead of responding to him, I turned away from him. I was pleased to see that the blonde was gone. Jackson was still there, and I took a deep breath before tapping on his shoulder.

  “I’ll have that drink now.” I smiled up at him and he looked back at me with a smile.

  “I thought you’d never say yes,” he teased with a crooked smile, and I laughed loudly so that the other man would see that I could be fun, even if he didn’t think so.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Jackson?” The man behind me said, and I groaned.

  Why was he still here? Though I could probably guess. He was obviously there with Jackson. I didn’t know that they were friends, but didn’t all famous people seem to know each other? Thinking about it, hadn’t they been in a band together years ago?

  “Sure, if I can get her name.”

  Jackson grinned at me, and I felt my face flush with pleasure. It was kind of cool that a hot rock star wanted to know my name. Actually, it was more than kind of cool, it was super cool and awesome, and I wanted to text Alexa and jump up and down. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before in my life.

  “Piper.” I smiled at him sweetly, my heart racing rapidly. “I’m Piper.”

  “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” began the man behind me, and I ignored him. He was trying to rile me up for some reason. I just didn’t know why.

  “Nice name.” Jackson smiled at me. “I’m Jackson, and that’s my good friend, Oracle.”

  I turned around reluctantly and looked at the annoying man behind me again. This time I allowed my eyes to look him over fully, while he did the same to me.

  Of course, I had known as soon as I’d seen him that he was Oracle Lion. I would have had to have lived under a rock not to know who he was. Oracle Lion was an A-list actor, former rock star, and a complete and utter playboy. He was in the newspaper almost every other week with a different model or actress on his arm. And he was known as the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood. He was sex on legs and standing next to him I felt his presence and charisma oozing from every pore of his body.

  If it had been hard to believe that Jackson Camden was here, then it was even harder to believe that the handsome, gorgeous, and completely untameable Oracle Lion was standing right next to me. It was hard to believe, but it was true. I guess the gossip rags weren’t always true. They said that Oracle never deigned to go to public establishments anymore. He only liked to attend exclusive parties and private clubs.

  I guess they’d been wrong.

  “Hi, what’s your name again?” Oracle held his hand out and tilted his head as he gave me a small nod.

  “Like I just said, I’m Piper.” I reached my hand out to shake his, and I felt a small buzz as our fingers touched. “And you are?” I gave him a small smile, faking politeness as he grinned. “I didn’t quite catch your name. Did Jackson say Urkel?” I gave him a blank stare, hoping he bought my I-have-no-idea-who-you-are act.

  “No, I’m not Urkel.” He raised an eyebrow as he stared a
t me with the most intense gaze I’d ever experienced in my life. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle as he kept his focus on me. “I’m the starring fantasy of every woman’s dreams.”

  He winked at me, and I was glad that I had faked ignorance. He was an insufferable bore with an ego bigger than the sun. I could tell that already. And just because he was hot didn’t mean I was going to fall at his feet. I was over assholes, famous or not.

  “Oh, is that your name? It’s pretty long, isn’t it?” I raised an eyebrow at him and his eyes narrowed as he stared at me. The cocky smile left his face and I could see that he was taken aback.

  “Yes, it is pretty long, but I usually save that talk for the bedroom.” Oracle’s expression turned seductive, and I swallowed hard as I thought about being in his bedroom with both of us naked.

  “Whatever, Urrrkkkeeel,” I said, pretending that he hadn’t gotten me hot and bothered. “Were you named after Steve Urkel from Family Matters?”

  “You’re joking, right?” Oracle smirked at me, and I responded with a blank face.

  I couldn’t stand cocky guys. Especially guys like Oracle who thought they were God’s gift to women. I knew all about Oracle Lion. Everyone who owned a TV or saw a magazine knew that he had more women than some people had acquaintances. I wasn’t going to let him think I was going to be his next conquest.

  “Joking about what?” I shrugged and looked over at Jackson who was observing the conversation with a huge grin.

  “I think you’ve finally met someone who doesn’t know who you are, pal.” Jackson started laughing and punched Oracle in the shoulder.

  “Yes, it would seem that way.” Oracle looked into my eyes and this time he smiled sweetly. I could see why so many women fell for him; his very glance made me feel like he was gazing directly into my soul. “You don’t recognize me at all, do you?” His tone was curious as he tilted his head to look at me in a way that made me shiver. Was he really so full of himself that he thought I wouldn’t recognize him?

  “So what would you like to drink, Piper?” Jackson asked me again, and I was about to answer when I felt my phone vibrating through my purse. I pulled it out and saw that it was Alexa. Finally!

  “Where you at, biatch? I’m here.” That was Alexa—always so polite.

  “Excuse me, sorry. I think my friend is here,” I said as I texted her back.

  “Hey, I’m inside by the bar.”

  “Cool, get me a drink.”

  “What do you want?”

  “White wine. Or a White Russian. Or both. Or white wine with a white Russian in a hot tub. :)”

  “Okay. Also, you will never guess who is here!” I typed and prayed that Oracle wasn’t spying on me and staring at my screen while I typed.

  “Who??? Putin?”

  “Alexa! I’m rolling my eyes. Putin?”

  “Ha ha, then who?”

  “You’ll see. See ya in a few.” I typed and put my phone back in my purse.

  “So was that your boyfriend?” Jackson asked, his eyes on my hands as I shook my head, my face covered in a goofy smile. Alexa always made me laugh, even when I was mad at her for being late.

  “No, it’s my best friend, Alexa.” I could feel Oracle staring at me, but I didn’t look at him. “We’ve treated ourselves to a ladies’ weekend,” I explained, even though he hadn’t asked me any other questions. “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you were based in New York.”

  To be honest, I had no idea if Jackson was based in NYC or LA, and I didn’t really care. However, I knew for a fact that Oracle was based in LA because I’d read an article only a couple weeks prior about some new ten-million-dollar house he’d bought in Studio City. The exterior had been beautiful, but the inside looked like a hot mess, full of ostentatious pop art and artifacts that belonged in a museum, not a home.

  Not that I would tell him that, no way, José I wasn’t going to admit that I was an avid reader of gossip mags and had more than once had a crush on a movie star when I was younger, including him. He couldn’t know that I knew what his bedroom looked like, not when I’d pretended that I didn’t even know who he was.

  “Ladies’ weekend?” he asked me, and I have to admit that I was surprised that he was showing any sort of interest in my life.

  “Piper, Piper, there you are!”

  Alexa ran over to me, bumping past people without a care as she made her way to me, her long blond hair flowing down her back. She was wearing a very short red dress and four-inch heels. Her mascara was caked on blacker than I’d ever seen it and her red lipstick screamed, Look at my pouty lips! She looked like she was hoping to be discovered and featured on the cover of Playboy magazine and I couldn’t help smiling. We were such opposites.

  “I have been looking all over for you.” She gave me a huge hug, and I knew she hadn’t noticed Jackson or Oracle as yet, even though they were standing right next to me and staring at us both.

  “I highly doubt you’ve been looking that long as you just arrived a minute ago.” I laughed as we air-kissed.

  “So where’s my wine and Putin?”

  “Alexa.” I rolled my eyes at her. “No one would ever believe you were a grad student at Berkeley.”

  “Stop being so kind, Piper.” She winked at me and then she gasped and I knew that she had spotted at least one, if not both of the famous men next to me. “Oracle Lion, is that you? Oh my God!” She almost screamed as she stared at Oracle, and I knew he was grinning even without looking at his face. “Is this who you were talking about, Piper?” She grinned at me. “I knew this was the place to be.”

  “How do you do?” Oracle’s voice was smooth as he spoke to Alexa. “I assume you’re Pepper’s best friend?”

  “Pepper?” Alexa looked confused. “You mean Piper?”

  “Oh, yes, that was it.” I looked over at him now and I could see the smug look on his face as his eyes danced along my face. “Piper, of course.” He gave me a fake apologetic smile, and I did my best not to roll my eyes at him.

  “And I’m Jackson.” Jackson moved from next to me and inserted himself right next to Alexa. “Nice to make your acquaintance.”

  “You too. I’m Alexa.” Alexa grinned and then looked at me with a searching look as if to ask, How did this happen?

  I shrugged at her. I wasn’t sure why Jackson had approached me, and I was still quite shocked that more women hadn’t come up to the two of them. I mean, here they were, two huge megastars—but then I remembered that we were in West Hollywood and the last thing anyone did was approach stars. It just wasn’t done, though I could feel the stares of half the club on us now. I had been oblivious to the stares before because I’d been so annoyed waiting for Alexa, but now I could clearly see that both men and women were staring at the four of us with varying degrees of jealousy, surprise, excitement, and wonder. I could see the women wondering what Alexa and I had that they didn’t. They wanted to know how we were so lucky as to grab two of the hottest men in Hollywood’s attention. I wasn’t sure myself, but I wasn’t going to question it.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  “Oh…” She looked at me before answering. I could tell from the look on her face that she wanted to say yes. I knew that she fancied Jackson. I mean, who wouldn’t? But he was a rock star with a well-known penchant for one-night stands, and I didn’t see what the point of them getting to know each other would be. We’d be driving back up to Northern California the next day. “What do you think, Piper?”

  “I think Piper wants you to say no. She wants you all to herself.” Oracle winked at me and then continued. “And I can see why, you’re one sexy woman, Alexa.”

  “Excuse me?” I blinked at him, my eyes narrowing. “What does that mean?”

  “What does what mean?” He stared at me then, a small curve on the right side of his lips. “Are you saying that you would like to have a drink with us?”

  “Well, no, that’s not what I’m saying, but …”

  “So you’d rather have Al
exa all to yourself?”

  “Why are you putting it like that?” I glared at him. “Like I’m …” My lips stopped moving as I could see that he was looking close to laughter.

  “Like you’re what?” he questioned.

  “Like I’m a lesbian.”

  “Is there anything wrong with being a lesbian?”

  “No, of course not, that’s not what I’m saying.”

  “I quite think that I’d be a lesbian if I were to become a woman,” he said with a huge grin. “I’d be a huge dyke.”

  “You can’t say that.” I shook my head at him. “You just love being controversial, don’t you?”

  “Am I controversial?” he asked, one eyebrow raised as he moved closer to me. “I don’t find myself to be very controversial.”

  “I think I’ll accept that drink,” Alexa said to Jackson, giving me a small smile. “Seems like you two are busy chatting.”

  “We’re not busy chatting.”

  I gave her a look, but she smiled sweetly for a second and then whispered something in Jackson’s ear. He looked back at me and Oracle and started laughing. I could feel myself growing heated as I knew they were laughing at me. What had she said to him? And what happened to girl code? Alexa should have been guiding me to the other side of the club or even out of it as soon as she saw how rude Oracle was being to me.

  “Where are you going?” I asked as she stepped back.

  “Piper, please,” she mouthed at me, her light brown eyes twinkling as she gave me a look that said, Please, please do not ruin this for me.

  And I knew I had to suck it up. How often did either one of us have a hot, handsome A-lister interested in us, even if it was just for a hookup? Never, that was how often. Not that we were ugly or anything, but we were both just that bit too nerdy to attract loads of men.

  Well, I was too nerdy, at least. Alexa always got men. Even though she had been a history major like me, she didn’t look like the typical history buff. Not many people would guess that she was getting her PhD in European history. She didn’t even give off that sexy librarian vibe when her hair was in a bun. She was cute and fun-loving and sexy, but she was also very astute and aware of the opposite sex. She knew how to flirt and she knew how to flirt well. Unlike me. I was the definition of awkwardness, and I couldn’t flirt to save my life.