by Jennifer Ann
The moment he’s rolled the condom over his massive shaft, I grab onto his neck, pulling his lips down to meet mine. My sour taste on his tongue arouses me all over again, as if his face is still nestled between my legs. At first he merely arches into me, rubbing his erection against my belly as we kiss. So I reach down to guide him inside, gasping inside his mouth when he finally enters. He’s so much bigger than I had anticipated. It feels fucking wonderful.
He stops and draws his mouth back, making me cold and achy all over. “You okay?”
“Only if you keep going.”
Heated eyes capture mine, igniting every last inch of my skin with a blazing heat. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
I laugh in a happy, carefree sound I swear I haven’t made since I was a kid. “That’s good, because you’re doing the exact opposite.”
His lips capture mine as he continues easing in all the way. I guide him to pump harder and faster, lighting every nerve ending in my body with the power of a grenade. As I’m bucking against him, head tilted back to the ceiling, I hear, “Angie? You home?”
Shit.
6
Asher
I freeze with the sound of a man’s voice, my eyes pinning Angie’s. She lets out a reluctant sigh before motioning for me to climb off. Reluctantly, I do as she requests, arms crossed as I wait for an explanation.
She slides off the bed and slips into a robe. “I don’t know what he’s doing back here. He’s supposed to be in the Keys already.”
That’s all it takes for my dick to go soft. Anger crawls up my spine, heating my head until it’s the temperature of lava. I finally had the chance to be with her, and that jackass ruined it. “Your panties and pajamas are in the living room,” I remind her through clenched teeth.
Her hands run over her wild hair. “I’ll think of something. Just…stay put.”
After she leaves, I throw on my shorts and head into the bathroom, washing her smell off my face. It’s my fault for accepting her offer while she’s still involved with her costar for whatever fucked-up reason she was trying to justify. She’s dealing with too much the way it is, and didn’t need one more complication added to the list. But dammit, I’ve wanted her for so fucking long that there wasn’t anything that could’ve stopped me from jumping at the opportunity.
As I slip out of her room, trying to listen in on whatever she’s telling him, slow and sensual music begins to blast from the living room speakers. Fucking great. Either she suspected I’d be eavesdropping, or Theo’s in the mood to get it on. If I had thought to throw on a damn shirt, I could’ve charged in there and pretended she had asked me to come over to check on something. Instead I creep down the hallway until I can’t go any further without being seen.
“…lay down,” I finally hear Angie say. “Did you drive here like this?”
Theo makes a loud snorting noise, sounding like a total prick. “Like any cop in this city’s gonna stop me? It’s easy to bribe ‘em. You should try it sometime, Ang. Better yet, you can come with me now and see for yourself!”
“I’m not going to let you kill someone with your car!” Angie snaps.
“Come on, baby! I won’t hurt anyone, I promise! It’ll be fun! The party will still be going by the time we get back down there! It wasn’t the same without you! You’re so fucking hot—I miss having that sweet ass around!”
Rage festers in my gut. I’ve been around all kinds of drunks after working at the bar for six years. I know one thing to be true about Theo in this moment: he’s sure as hell not drunk.
I can’t believe she even gives this dirtbag the time of day.
“You’re not going anywhere, Theo! You need to lay down and sleep it off!”
Stopping myself from charging into the room and kicking him out on his pathetic ass is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Even if it seems like the right thing to do, I know it would only infuriate Angie, especially when she told me I’m “off the clock.” If he physically does something to her, however, then it’s game over for Mr. Hollywood.
Several minutes pass where I can’t hear their voices over the music. Makes my stomach surge when I consider what they could be doing.
Just when I’m contemplating whether or not to jump off the balcony and put my misery to an end, I hear her bare feet padding against the floor, headed in my direction. When she comes into view, she drops her chin and her cheeks flush pink. “I’m sorry. He’s going to have to stay here for the night. I can’t let him go anywhere else like this.”
“I’ll give him a ride back to his place.”
“No, he’s out cold. And he can’t risk being seen like this.”
Closing my eyes for a moment, I shake my head. “We need to have a serious talk about his drug use. The guy needs help, Ang.”
She lets out a shaky breath. “Now’s not the time to get into that. He gets irrationally angry and paranoid when he’s high. You have to leave while he’s still out.”
I shake my head, ready to go in the other room and beat the asshole to death. “Do you do coke too?”
The way her eyes pop wide, I already know my answer before she hisses, “Of course not. Who do you think I am?”
Thank fuck she at least seems to be telling the truth.
Studying her long and hard, my eyebrows knit together. “I don’t know anymore. The Angie I knew wouldn’t have associated with someone who was into that shit.”
Her lips twist with a scowl. “Well I guess I’ve changed. I understand that not everyone’s perfect.” She mirrors my defensive pose, seeming on the verge of a scream. “Please. Just go back to your place. I’ll let you know the new plan in the morning. I imagine he’s going to want to head back to the Keys once he’s up for the drive.”
As much as I care about her, I can’t believe she’s putting up with his shit. Worse yet, from the way it sounds, she won’t be telling him about us anytime soon. Not that there actually was an “us” aside from what was shaping up to be killer sex, but she’s making it crystal clear that’s all it was going to be. How was I so quick to agree to sleep with her?
“So this is it?” I ask. “You’re going to pretend nothing significant happened tonight?”
“Ash…” Her fingers skim over my arm before she draws her hand back, giving me this fake as shit smile that’s condescending in too many ways. “That night in New York, you told me we could have fun together. Isn’t that all it was going to be? A good time?”
While I remember saying something along those lines, I thought our relationship had taken another turn since then. I’m an idiot to think this was anything more. I lean in and sneer, angry as I’ve ever been with a woman.
“Have fun with your bullshit boyfriend. I’ll be next door if you come to your senses and decide you want help booting his ass to the curb.”
I nudge my way past her, vision tunneled. Don’t know how I keep walking to the door without throttling the asshole passed out on the couch. The whole situation is fucked.
My second day on the job starts out even shittier than the first. I couldn’t sleep after leaving Angie with the jerk, so instead I used the property’s gym until four in the morning. I passed out less than two hours before she sent a message letting me know they were gearing up to leave.
When the new car arrives, I finally meet Theo face-to-face inside Angie’s apartment. Without the trick of cameras and set lighting, he could be an average guy in expensive clothes and designer sunglasses. If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t get why women are so into guys like him who only have a decent smile, and not a whole lot else to bring to the table. Makes my skin crawl that Angie can’t see past his act.
Arm possessively hooked around her neck, he gives me this holier-than-thou smirk. “You’re the guy Charlie hired to protect my girl? Have any experience?”
I bristle with the “my girl comment.” He doesn’t deserve to have any claim on her. A million responses rifle through my head, all meant to insult the bastard and call him out for bein
g a dickless prick.
“As a bouncer,” I decide on with a grunt.
The jerk laughs. “Nice of him to give an old family friend a job.”
Nudging him, Angie collects her beach bag off the floor. Then she throws me a friendly smile, like I’m supposed to pretend this is all normal and she’s not faking a relationship with a junkie. “Let’s hit the road so we’re settled in by lunch.”
If I’m going to survive this day, I’m going to have to focus on my job, and forget the night before ever happened.
The mansion Theo rents in the Keys turns out to be nauseatingly pretentious. Unlike 90% of the homes we drove past, it’s modern and lacking Southern charm, primarily constructed out of glass walls. I would’ve guessed the three-story structure with two guest houses out back was a 5-star resort. Dozens of partygoers run around in swim attire, some of the women not even bothering with a top. It’s the ultimate bachelor pad where a guy like me could have the time of his life if I wasn’t working and didn’t want to rearrange the face of the man renting it out.
The entire day is like watching an 80s music video in real time. I fill up on water and energy drinks while the rich and famous day-drink and smoke joints while acting like over-privileged morons. Angie doesn’t actually spend much time with Theo, and only finishes three wine coolers before they move inside for a catered dinner. She caught my attention a few times throughout the day, either throwing me a wave or the kind of smile that asks if we’re going to be alright.
I only ever acknowledged her with a nod of my head. Theo was so busy entertaining his female admirers that he didn’t stop once to check in with Angie. On my way to the bathroom earlier, I caught him snorting a line with a chick in one of the bedrooms. As I hang back from the rest of the crowd, watching Angie from afar, I catch him beside the guest house with his hand shoved between the same chick’s legs.
Stopping a few feet away from them, I clear my throat. “Shouldn’t you be headed inside to entertain your guests?”
Theo backs away from the woman, brushing his fingertips over his gums before smirking. “Shouldn’t you be minding your own fuckin’ business?”
I square up to him. “Angelina is my business.”
He laughs brightly, then turns back to the woman, rubbing his palm across her perky ass. She’s young, possibly even a minor, with huge golden hair, too much makeup, and some of the largest fake tits I’ve ever seen. If she wasn’t wearing a tiny scrap of silver material, you’d think she was getting ready for a centerfold shoot.
“Go inside and wait for me,” he tells her, motioning to the guest house. “I’ll be along in a minute to destroy that sweet body.” Their lips meet again in a sloppy, open mouthed kiss. When they’re done, Theo’s chewing her gum. It’s so revolting that the sandwich I ate earlier starts to make its way back up.
Holding my angry stare, the woman licks her red lips. “Sure you don’t want to join us, big guy? There’s more than enough of me to share.”
Then she reaches behind her back, pulling on the string holding her tiny top in place. When I refuse to move my eyes downward to watch the material fall, she shrugs and turns for the guesthouse.
Theo licks his lips, eyes not straying from the woman. “That is one fine piece of ass.”
I grunt with my fist burning for action at my side. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t knock you to the ground.”
“Because the studio’s lawyers would slap a lawsuit on your redneck ass for messing up this face.” With a barking laugh, he claps his hand on my shoulder. “Lighten up, big guy. Angie knows what we have isn’t exclusive. We’re just playing it up for the fans.”
“In that case, you can stop showing up at her place unannounced, coked out of your mind, expecting her to take you in.”
“Brother, you’re not hearing me. I said we weren’t exclusive. That doesn’t mean I can’t claim a piece of her fine ass every now and then.”
“The fuck you say?”
I grab the front of his tank-top and crank my arm back, ready to pummel him to pieces. But movement beside the main house catches my eye, stopping me mid-stroke. A gaggle of photographers creep up from the beachfront of the property, headed straight for the house. There must be at least a dozen of them.
“Motherfuckers!” Theo roars in their direction. “You’re trespassing!”
One of the men raises their camera our way. Grumbling under my breath, I quickly release Theo and head over to the man. Asshole doesn’t stop clicking until I’m close enough that I could strangle him. A few of the others turn their cameras in my direction as they start firing questions.
“Who are you?”
“What were you and Theo Carr fighting about?”
“Is Angelina here?”
“I’m calling the cops,” I growl out, slipping my phone from my pocket. “I’d advise you all to get the hell outta here before you’re arrested for trespassing.”
A photographer standing in the landscape outside the living room windows begins yelling Angie’s name, and the others flock to him. Inside, Angie’s being rushed deeper into the house by a few other women. Some shirtless guy squares up with his back to the photographers, and flashes his bare ass.
It must take another ten minutes before I’m able to get them to leave without actually calling the cops. Then I storm inside, fire heating my veins as I search for Angie. I find her in a game room, sitting on a pool table with long, toned legs crossed while listening to a friend talk about a stupid purse.
“You all right?” I confirm, raising my eyebrows in her direction.
“I’m fine. Paparazzi doesn’t bother me anymore.” She motions for me to leave with a flip of her hand. “Go get yourself a drink.”
Trying to hold my anger back, I shift my weight and lick my lips. “Can I have a minute with you?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t think ‘a minute’ would be anything close to enough with a man like you,” one of the women sniggers, eyeing me up and down.
A few of the women “oooh” while giggling, and one whispers something into her ear, but Angie’s expression draws slack and she nods. I wait for her to come toward me before trailing behind her into the hallway. She leads me into a mostly empty bedroom before closing the door. I head for the windows, checking to make sure there aren’t any photographers nearby before drawing the shades. When I turn back to Angie, the urge to wrap her in my arms and kiss her thickens in my throat.
“Ash, I already told you being hounded by paparazzi isn’t a big deal. It’s a part of my job.”
“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. How much have you had to drink?”
Grimacing, she clenches her jaw. “That’s why you dragged me in here?”
“After what happened the night of your premiere, do you think getting drunk is a good idea?”
“I’m not drunk. I’ve only had a few wine coolers, and those things are like water. I’ll walk a damn line if that’s what it takes to prove it to you.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I study her beautiful face while taking a deep breath. Though I’d like to tell her about the blonde, I don’t want to break her when she already seems fragile. “I wanted to talk to you about Theo. He told me the two of you aren’t exclusive. That true?”
“Yeah.” Sighing, her eyes slide to the other side of the room. “I told you we’re not actually a couple.”
“Then why the charade? That guy’s not right for you.”
“Maybe not, but his status in Hollywood is.” Her chest rises as her gaze returns to mine, bright and glossy. Don’t know if she’s going to cry or what, but it makes me want to hold onto her and assure her everything will be okay.
I cradle her face. “Tell him it’s over. I’d take care of you the way you deserve.”
“I wish it was that simple.” Her little hands wrap around my wrists. Sucking in a shaky breath, she leans down to brush her lips over a few of my knuckles before closing her eyes and leaning into me. “Do you have any idea how cut-throa
t this industry can be? It’s just like all the shit Charlie and Ev went through. The media can be relentless. It’s all about keeping up a favorable image. Do I like being with Theo? Not especially. But our fans love the fact that we’re together. We’re one of the biggest couples in the business right now.” Her eyelids flip open as her tongue wets her lips. The way she looks at me with longing would destroy a lessor man. “Maybe somewhere down the road the timing will be right for me to stage a public break-up. Until then, I’m not willing to put my sudden fame on the line. I’ve busted my ass for years to make it this far.”
A lump of desperation hardens in my chest as I hold her stare. I’m not ready to give up on her—at least not yet. She’s so damn beautiful, and I can sense her slipping away from the person she once was. If I give up on her, she may lose her sweet, Midwestern ways forever.
“Then I guess you need to do whatever it takes to keep up with the lie. But the drive down here…seeing you with him in that backseat, ignoring me all day like nothing happened…it was almost the fucking death of me.” Brushing my thumbs over her cheeks, I lean down until our mouths are a breath apart. Her scent calls to me like a beacon in the dark. “I’ve wanted you for so damn long, Angelina. Even back in high school I wanted to crack the skull of every guy you ever dated. Now that I’ve had you, I don’t know how to walk away. I don’t fucking want to.”
Eyes wide, her breath hitches. About the time I think she’s going to tell me to fuck off, she wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me. With desperation fueling her tongue and greedy hands, there isn’t time to reflect on what I’ve offered.
7
Angelina
No man has ever kissed me the way Asher does. Like I’m his only chance of survival. Like I’m the most beautiful treasure in the world. Like I’m worthy of something beyond having a pretty face that made me famous.
