Hammered

by Cathryn Fox

  “Ty,” I say and go up on my toes. If we’re pretending to be a couple, then who cares if I kiss him with an audience. “You don’t have to convince me. I’m all in.”

  “No baby, as soon as this shuts down for the night, it’s going to be me who’s all in.”

  I can’t help but laugh at that, even though his eyes are full of need and hunger, and laughter is so far removed from his expression, I should probably be afraid—that he’s going to eat me alive, and leave me a shell of my former self.

  He puts his hand around my head and he’s about to kiss me, but pulls back abruptly. “Shit, we’re being photographed. I’m done with the spotlight, Haven.” He inches back. “Remember where we were. I want to pick up right here once I get you alone tonight.”

  “Okay,” I say, breathlessly.

  Mason calls out for me. “Back to work,” Ty says, and turns to give me a whack on the backside. “Just remember, the sooner you’re done, the sooner my mouth is on you.”

  I smile as a rush of want careens through me. “That’s incentive for me to get the lines right.”

  He grins and walks away, taking my focus with him. As Tyler goes back to working, I take my script, read through the next scene and step up to Jonah. Soon enough, my lines are flowing, much better than they were earlier, and it could be from Tyler’s reassuring pep talk. A warm sense of security wraps around me, and I try not to think about what things will be like in a couple months when we wrap up the movie. Hopefully the letters will stop once whoever is sending them sees me with Tyler.

  Minutes turn to hours and the sun drops lower in the horizon when the director calls it a day. The cast and crew are all headed to Winchester’s for a drink and a bite to eat, and I go along, even though I’d love nothing better than to hang out with Tyler in private. But he and Jared and Carter follow along, and plunk down at a table not too far from where I’m sitting with the crew.

  Looking completely star-struck, Stacey brings us our drinks, and we put in our orders. I nurse a beer as everyone talks about the day’s shoot, and while I try to involve myself in the conversation, my gaze keeps straying to the Owens boys.

  In no time at all, a group of girls are sitting themselves at their table and a ridiculous jolt of jealousy sparks inside me.

  “You must be happy about that?” Mason says and nudges me.

  “Sorry what?” I ask.

  He looks at me as he takes a mouthful of beer and swallows. “Our trailers will be here tomorrow. You can move out of the Owens house.” He laughs. “But don’t worry, Gram will still be cooking for us.”

  “That’s great,” I say as some cute blonde puts her hand on Tyler’s shoulder and offers him a big smile. His head lifts, like he can feel my gaze on him, and I quickly look away. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to run to the ladies’ room.” I stand and dash down the hall. I hurry into the washroom and check myself in the mirror. Heavy boots pound down the hall behind me and I stiffen. I probably shouldn’t have run off like that. If someone was out there watching me, they know I’m alone.

  Knuckles rap on the door and I freeze. “Haven, are you okay?”

  I relax at the sound of Tyler’s voice. “I’m okay,” I call out.

  A moment of silence and then the door inches open. I gasp as Tyler’s big, steady presence takes up space in the small bathroom. “You can’t be in here,” I say, catching his eyes in the mirror.

  “Clearly you don’t know me at all,” he says, another reminder. What I do know is with Tyler, what you see is what you get. I just wish I knew myself as well as he knows himself, and honestly, while I’d like to know more—everything—about him, it’s probably not in my best interests. Sharing our physical bodies is one thing. Sharing our hopes, dreams, and future is another.

  That thought almost makes me laugh because while I’m sure he has his all figured out, mine is a blank slate, chalked in when the next movie opportunity arises. My agent controls my every movement. I follow along like a little lamb. I remember there was a time when I used to like that. Or maybe I never did. Maybe it was just what I grew up doing. My normal.

  He stalks closer and my body reacts to his closeness. “I know a little,” I say when I catch the worry in his eyes.

  Other than my brother, when was the last time someone actually worried about me? It’s sad that I can’t answer that.

  “Then you know a woman’s bathroom isn’t going to keep me away when it’s clear something is wrong.” He puts his hands on my arms, and spins me until I’m facing him. Those green eyes of his move over my face, a careful assessment. “Did you get another letter?”

  “No, thank God. I’m just praying they stopped.”

  “If that’s not what’s upsetting you, what is?”

  “I’m not upset,” I say quickly, and lift my chin to display a confidence and composure I really don’t feel. But I’m an actress and if I can’t pull this off, maybe I should quit.

  He exhales sharply, and I sense his frustration. My God, the man is disappointed in me. That’s worse than anger, and why the hell can’t I get anything by him? “Why are you lying to me, Haven?” he asks, his voice a measure softer.

  I glance at my feet, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “I…I…”

  “If you didn’t like that woman putting her hands on me, just say so.”

  My head snaps up, and he’s not grinning, not teasing, not making fun of my ridiculous jealousy. No, there’s no ego at play here. He’s sincere, totally accepting of my feelings. Most guys would laugh, tell a girl to get over it, invalidate her feelings, but not Tyler. He values my emotions and as much as I don’t want it to, it plucks at my heart.

  He lightly rubs my arms. “I never asked for her to touch me. I never encouraged it. If we’re doing this, Haven, if we’re going to be involved while you’re here, and I’m going to be your bodyguard, we need to be honest.”

  I nod in agreement. He’s absolutely right. “I don’t know why I was jealous. We’re having sex. Nothing more.” I crinkle my nose. “But I guess I’m not really into sharing either.”

  “I told you I was the only man who was going to put his hands on you while you were in Blue Bay, but what you need to know is you’re the only woman I want to put my hands on. Got it?”

  My pulse leaps, and deep between my legs I grow wet. “Got it,” I say, feeling a little silly for the way I acted, but at the same time excited to know it’s me, and me alone he wants—for the next few months, anyway.

  “How about we get out of here.” He steps close and I gasp as his hardening cock presses against me. “If we don’t get somewhere private, like ASAP, I’m going to bend you over this counter, lift this little dress up and sink into you.”

  9

  Tyler

  I stand back as she says goodnight to her cast and crew, and they carry on with their drinking and conversations as I lay my hand on the small of her back and lead her out into the night. I catch Jonah’s eyes as we go, and I pull her in a little closer. Am I showing possession? Damn straight. I want everyone to know she’s with me, and oddly enough, I’m not one-hundred percent sure it’s because someone is after her.

  Outside, streaks of pink and purple bruise the night sky and Haven’s shoes tap quietly on the cement, breaking the quiet around us. She glances around the parking lot and arches a brow as she turns to me.

  “No motorcycle tonight.”

  “Nope. Why, did you want a ride?”

  “Honestly, I’ve never been on one before.”

  “No?” I keep my hand on her body and she leans into me. “Rock’s never taken you out for a cruise?”

  She almost cringes when I bring up her brother, and really it’s not her who should be worried. He’s liable to hand me my ass on a platter for sleeping with her, but again, I’m sure he’d want me to be watching over her like any good friend would do, but sleeping with her, not so much. Nevertheless, she’s a grown woman who can make her own choices.

  “I wouldn’t go anywhe
re near his motorcycle. I’m pretty sure he has a death wish,” she says with a laugh.

  Rock is reckless, that’s for sure. “Do you trust me enough to ride with me?”

  “I don’t know you, remember?”

  “True, how about we give it some time. I can tell you I’m trustworthy, but you should decide for yourself.”

  “I trust you, Tyler,” she says quickly, blinking up at me with eyes so full of vulnerability—so lost—I could fucking sob.

  “Okay, good,” I say, for lack of anything else. “Where we’re going, we can’t take the motorcycle.”

  She arches a brow. “Oh, are you taking me to some dark back road, or something?”

  “No, we’re going straight to the fishing cabin,” I tell her. “I promised you a place where you could find peace and quiet, didn’t I?”

  “I’m not quite sure you promised me that, exactly. I said I’d give anything for privacy, and you said something about holding me to it.”

  I grin. “Yeah, I did say that.” A wave of need careens through me as I think about the ways of holding her to that, as I hold her against me.

  “Do you really think we should go to the cabin, though?”

  Beneath the streetlamp, I catch the worry in her blue eyes. A few more steps takes us to my truck and I open the door. “Sure, why not?” I ask, but there is a part of me that freezes up at the thought of stepping over the threshold. But I’m a damn grown man now, and I haven’t been there since I was a kid. Surely, I can walk into the place without old hurts bombarding me, and I’m not sure why, but the thought of facing the place with Haven by my side seems just a little bit easier.

  She gives an easy shrug, but her shoulders are tight. “I just…Summer seemed worried about it.” She slides into the cab of the truck. “It’s not like that movie, Cabin in the Woods or anything, is it?” she asks, half laughing, half frowning.

  I laugh at that. “You watch too many movies.”

  “It just seemed like Summer was worried about you going back there. Did something bad happen?” she asks in a soft voice.

  I circle the truck, a goddamn lump climbing into my throat as I slide in. “I’d never put you in a dangerous situation, and you don’t have to worry about me.”

  She frowns at that. “I’m allowed to worry about you, Tyler.”

  Warmth moves through me at the conviction in her voice. I put my hand on her thigh and give a little squeeze. “I’m fine,” I say, even though that might not be entirely true. My whole life I was taught to be tough, taught to hide my emotions because real men never cry, never show fear. I might have taken that advice to heart in the cage, but it’s a whole different game when you’re a kid in the woods.

  Beside me, Haven stifles a yawn, and I shift the conversation, no longer wanting to talk about me. “You guys have long days on the set, huh?”

  “Early starts and late endings.” She gives a heavy sigh, a weariness about her, like exhaustion is seeping into her bones, or maybe it’s more than that.

  I cast her a quick glance as I maneuver down the winding road, passing a few of Blue Bay’s summer vacationers. They wave as I pass, and I wave back in return. “Do you enjoy it?”

  She goes quiet, too quiet, and when I glance at her again, she smiles but it’s strained.

  “Most days,” she says.

  I nod, and sense she doesn’t want to talk about it. We both sit in comfortable silence, lost in our own thoughts until I come across the long dirt road leading to our secluded oasis. Grandad bought up this land years ago. Dad once talked about parceling it off and selling lots around the lake. Maybe that’s something my brother Jacob might want to do in the future. He dabbled in the real estate market when he was in Florida, although I wouldn’t like to see the land go to anyone other than the Owens family. I drive deeper into the woods, until the road narrows and the trees close in on us.

  “If we’re going overnight, I probably should have stopped to get clothes.” She gives me a playful look. “Then again, I have a feeling I don’t need them, but I could use a toothbrush.”

  “Already done, toothbrush included,” I say and gesture to the back of the truck.

  She shakes her head like me thinking to pack a bag is ludicrous, but I don’t miss her grin. “Looks like you thought of everything.” The smile on her face fills me with pleasure. Honest to fuck, how can such a little thing make her so happy? I guess she’s been fending for herself for a long time now, unable to rely on anyone else. Dammit if that doesn’t piss me off, make me want to be the guy she can count on, at least while she’s here in my neck of the woods.

  I follow the path, and soon enough my headlights illuminate the cabin. Haven sits up a little straighter, her eyes wide.

  “I…I thought this would be like a run-down fishing cabin.”

  I take in the well-made cottage, the wide expanse of deck on the front which overlooks the dock leading to a gorgeous lake. Our old boat bobs in the water, and creaks against the wharf. A mixed bag of emotions, everything from happiness to grief, rips through me. Nothing has changed since I’d been here last, yet everything is different.

  “I have no idea why I had that image in my mind, but it’s gorgeous, Ty,” Haven says, pulling my thoughts back. I swallow down the unease punching into my throat, turn the engine off and sit there for a second. I glance at the place again and try to see it from Haven’s eyes.

  From the pristine state, it’s obvious someone has been taking care of the place. There’s a fresh coat of Cape Cod grey on the cedar shakes, and blossoming white and purple flowers decorating the window boxes. Maybe one of the guys has been here, or maybe Gram tends to the upkeep. Either way, I’m surprised to see it so pristine.

  “Did one of you guys build this?”

  “Actually, this is where Gram and Granddad used to live when they first married. Granddad worked and saved and eventually built the homestead after my Dad was born.”

  “It’s lovely, Tyler.” I catch her smile as she takes it all in. “Ohmigod, look there’s still a rope in the tree over there.”

  I laugh. “We had fun on that thing. Well, except Jamie. He got all tangled up, couldn’t jump off, and nearly broke his neck when he came back and smacked into the tree.”

  She covers her face and laughs. “I can’t even imagine eight boys. I have one mischievous brother, and all his antics were enough.” She shakes her head. “It’s a wonder you didn’t kill each other.”

  I laugh with her. “I know.”

  She exhales a contented sigh. “I’d give anything to have those kinds of memories, Ty.” The smile falls from my face and I swallow, hard. I let her indulge in that dream even though not all the memories were idyllic.

  My gaze goes to the old bird feeder that I made in school. I laugh. “I can’t believe that’s still there,” I say and gesture to the feeder shining in my headlights. “I made that.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I made it for Mom in school. I think it was for Mother’s Day or something like that.”

  “It’s sweet. I bet she loved it.”

  “Yeah, she did.”

  “You two were close.”

  I nod as my chest tightens, right around the vicinity of my heart. “You would have liked her. She was really sweet. My asshole brothers called me a mama’s boy. Age difference and middle child thing. I think my mother took pity on me, but don’t worry, I put them all in their place when I got older.”

  A small smile touches her mouth. “I bet you did and your mother sounds like an amazing woman, Ty. I’m so sorry you lost her when you were young.”

  “How about you, Haven? Are your parents around, still in your life?”

  She opens her mouth like she wants to say something, closes it for a second and simply nods. I’m not sure what it is she was going to say, and right now, with my insides a little raw, I’m going to let it go. She pinches her lips tight and glances around again, like she’s looking for a distraction, a change in subject.

  “It’s
a bit crowded at the old homestead. I can’t understand why one of you guys haven’t claimed it as your own by now.”

  My smile fades from my face. “I can,” I say, and clench down on my jaw as those two words come out a bit shaky.

  She frowns and her hand tightens over mine. “We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to. We can go back—”

  “Come on. I’m fine. Let’s go check it out.”

  I hop from the truck, grab our bags from the back and meet her on the wooden walkway leading to the front porch. The aged boards groan beneath my weight as we both go quiet and make our way up the path. Someone has been keeping the place up, but more needs to be done. We walk along the boards, and in the distance, water laps on the sandy shore and crickets chirp in the tall grass nearby.

  “A porch swing. I love this,” she says and drops down into it. “Can I sit here for a minute?”

  “You can sit there all night if you like, but the mosquitos might eat you.”

  “Come sit with me,” she says and pats the seat beside her. I plunk down and give us a slight push. The old chains groan as a comfortable silence envelopes us. She breathes in deep, like she’s sorting and examining the different scents surrounding us, and I can almost feel the tension leaving her bones as she exhales. I like that she’s comfortable here, with me.

  “You want to hear something funny?” Haven asks, breaking the quiet of the night.

  “Sure, tell me a joke.”

  “Well,” she begins as I kick my legs out. “I always wanted to have an apiary.”

  “Really, you want a bee farm?” She nods and I try to figure out the punch line. “Why is that funny?”

  She thinks about that for a second. “I don’t know, it just seems silly, I guess.”

  “Nothing silly about that, Haven. If you want an apiary, you should get an apiary. What made you think of that tonight, anyway?”

  “I was on this set once. I was only around five, I think, and we were in a house on a lake, with lots of flowers. I used to watch the bumblebees in between scenes. They just went from one flower to another, like they didn’t have a care in the world. I think I used to envy all that freedom, to be honest.”