by Trisha Grace
Jake ran toward Elena and interposed himself between the women, preventing Angel from getting to Elena.
Angel stuck her hands on her hips and jerked her stubborn chin out as she glared up at him. Angel was around Elena’s height, and her head barely came up to his shoulder. Still, she didn’t seem at all intimidated by his height.
Her eyes looked incredibly dark, and her gaze exuded a sense of weird energy that made him uneasy, but he refused to budge. He wasn’t sure what Angel was going to do, but after what she’d done to Elena, he wasn’t going to let her anywhere near Elena.
And she seemed to realize that after a moment. “Go to hell—all of you,” she hissed the last three words, then turned and stalked out of the room.
Jake turned back to Elena and saw her shoot a glare at Jerome, who threw his hands in the air and walked into the en-suite bathroom. Jake frowned and wondered if Angel had been right. He shook his head and followed Elena as she strode out of the room. “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything.”
Elena stopped and spun around, her brows knitted. The muscles along her cheeks twitched, but she didn’t say a word.
He’d jerked to a stop as well, and he realized he’d offended her. “I just thought—”
“Thought I was hooking up with Jerome,” she said and turned, continuing her walk toward her room. “Thought I leaked the photos. Thought I was only with you so my reputation could shine a little brighter and better.” She opened the door to her room and turned back with the same glare she’d just given to Jerome. “Why were we even together if you thought so badly of me?”
“I never thought that about you,” he said. “You were the one who wanted nothing to do with me.”
Her jaw dropped, and she stared at him for a moment before she exhaled and made a noise between a laugh and a grunt. “You’re unbelievable.” She slammed the door closed, and he stood glaring at it.
He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled heavily before turning away. Why did he even bother?
Elena leaned back against the door. She tipped her head back against the heavy wooden door and sighed softly. What was that? Why did she allow herself to lose control like that?
She’d already reminded herself to be on her best behavior, and she’d done so well throughout lunch. She’d smiled and answered all of his friends’ questions; she’d posed for all the photos they wanted to take.
She’d tried to make sure the atmosphere was as casual as possible so things wouldn't be awkward.
Whatever had happened between Jake and her was ancient history, so why did she have to bring it up? Why did it matter so much to her that he didn’t seem to trust her? So what if Jake thought there really was something between Jerome and her?
She buried her face in her hands, then pushed them over her hair.
“Stop being a baby,” she said to herself. She’d acted in romance films with actors she couldn’t stand being around. She’d made herself film a movie that required her to swim—something she would never have chosen to do if she had a choice.
What was the big deal about spending a day with Jake? She could definitely do it.
Still, she winced when she realized what she had to do: be the adult and apologize for her outburst.
After that, she just had to do what she was good at—acting. She could act as if she was having fun. She could act as if she didn’t care about what had happened between them. She could act as if she didn’t care what he thought about her.
Elena walked over to the small table flanked by two dark brown leather-bound cushioned seats and grabbed one of the two bottles of water standing behind a white pot and tea cup set and an array of tea.
Pretend? She frowned. No, Elena, you truly don’t care.
What was wrong with her?
It was probably just her nerves. She opened the bottle and sat while gulping down the water.
Being on the yacht was unnerving for her. She’d told Henry she wouldn’t be renewing the contract this year because she didn’t like the idea of going out to sea to shoot the commercial and posters.
But Henry had been so nice to her. He’d gone ahead and signed a contract with her even when her scandal hit the news. She’d been a nobody then. Her first movie, Cruise to Nowhere, was about to hit the screen, but even that was in jeopardy because of the scandal.
Still, Henry took the risk. “I don’t believe a word of that,” he’d said.
So when Henry asked her politely to reconsider and assured her that he would make everything as safe and comfortable for her as possible—even taking the time to give her a tour of the yacht—she couldn’t say no.
She glanced at the half-drunk bottle of water and cleared her throat. Why wouldn’t the weird feeling in her throat go away? She didn’t want to get sick now. She only had this week to rest and relax before having to film another movie.
She had the whole week planned. Gina had gotten the DVDs of all the shows she’d missed, and she was going to be a couch potato for the whole week.
She took another gulp of water before looking over at the array of tea in small silver tins. She broke into a small smile when she read the labels. The tins were all different blends of rose tea. She’d mentioned how much she loved the rose tea at the small tea restaurant where she and Henry had been at, but couldn’t believe he’d remembered.
She set the bottle of water down and picked up one of the tins. She popped open the lid and took a deep breath, basking in the heavenly rose fragrance that brought her mind to the small, classy tea shop in France. If only she was there right now.
Elena sighed softly.
A part of her was glad she hadn’t said no to Henry, while another part of her hated Henry for being so nice.
There’s nothing to worry about. She’d probably told herself that a million times over, but she couldn’t stop herself from sticking close to the walls.
She knew her fear was irrational. It wasn’t as if the floor beneath her would just give way, and if it did, being near a wall wouldn’t help much. You’re okay. She was safe on the yacht. She’d never heard of anyone falling out of a yacht. Not during a photoshoot anyway.
Chapter 3
“What’s wrong with you?” Wayne asked when he got closer to Jake.
Jake, leaning forward with his elbows propped on the metal railing, shook his head as he continued to stare out at the sea, at the water skimming past the boat as it glided along.
“It’s Elena, isn’t it?” Wayne looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one was around before saying, “You were lying when you said you guys weren’t serious and had only gone out on a couple of dates.”
“I didn’t say that. She did,” he said, which was why he didn’t deserve to have the door slammed in his face, which was why he was so irritated with himself. Why was he allowing himself to care so much about someone who denied what they had at the first sign of trouble?
“No, you did.”
Jake’s chest rose as he took a deep breath. “No. I only said that because she did it first.”
“No, you did it first.”
He exhaled heavily and glared at Wayne. “Which part of what I said did you not understand?” From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Elena looking at him. She held his gaze for a moment, and her head tipped ever so slightly to the side.
Jake glanced over his shoulder to make sure Elena wasn’t looking at someone behind him. After what had just happened with Elena, he doubted she was actually looking for him.
But there wasn’t anyone behind him. “I have to go,” he said and walked away from Wayne.
“Where are you going now?”
He waved the back of his hand at Wayne without turning back to him. His eyes were focused only on keeping track of Elena, and he knew Wayne would leave him alone.
Jake followed Elena back indoors and through the small walkway that led to their rooms.
She looked over her shoulder at him once, just a glance that was long enough to let him know that she wanted t
o talk to him.
They both checked to make sure no one was around before they ducked into her room. He smiled as he thought about how they used to do this when they were sneaking around, making sure no one found out about them.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, and she broke into a small smile. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
He frowned at her, and her smile grew wider.
“It’s nothing, I promise.”
He shrugged and scanned the room. “Your room is so much larger than ours. Henry must really like you,” he said, emphasizing on the On part of the On-ry.
“Ahh … so you were listening. I thought you just zoned out.” She sat on one of the two chairs flanking a small coffee table.
“So you did notice me.”
She pointed to the other chair when he turned to face her. “I’m sorry about just now. That was immature of me.”
“I never thought you were the one behind the photos.”
“All ancient history.” She gave him a perfectly sweet smile, but the smile wasn’t the one he used to love. It was unfamiliar, even strange.
He couldn’t quite figure out why. She looked gorgeous, and her smile would probably get any guy to do whatever she wanted, which would explain why his rowdy swim team was so docile around her. But that amazing smile of hers somehow made his heart heavier.
One of her shoulders moved up and forward before dropping back in place. “I just wanted to apologize. I don’t want things to be awkward since we have to remain on this yacht for the rest of the day.”
He nodded. That was what this meeting was about: to remain cordial since they were stuck together for the day.
She stood and extended her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Elena, please.” He reached over, but instead of shaking her hand, he pressed it down. “You don’t have to do this. I’m sorry for thinking you and Jerome had something on. It was just that you guys shared a look after Angel stormed out, so I thought …”
“Forget about that. So are we okay?”
“You tell me.” He watched her as she blinked.
Then her lips curled into that smile he was growing to hate. “I think we’re okay.” She walked over to the door. “They’ll be coming to do my makeup soon.”
He supposed that was his cue to leave. He stood and strode over as she opened the door. “How are you feeling?”
“Perfectly fine.”
He stared at her for a moment, studying her face and perfect smile. He felt as if he was standing in front of a stranger who looked exactly like Elena, and it made his heart ache to realize this was what they had become. He was now someone she had to put up a guard against.
He swallowed the sigh before it escaped and said, “You’re safe on board.” He reached for her face, and her eyes widened when he brushed his thumb against her cheek.
They both turned their heads when they heard voices.
“I should go,” Jake said and stepped away.
Elena closed the door without another word, and he walked forward as if he’d just come out from the swim team’s room and was heading back out to the stern.
Jake flexed and clenched his hand, then took a deep breath as he got back onto the stern. His chest rose as he inhaled deeply through his mouth, then collapsed as he puffed his cheeks and blew out the air.
That didn’t help the knot in his chest, though, and he was glad when Wayne shouted at him from the sun deck.
“Jake, you need to change!”
Wayne dangled the clothes on a hanger in his hand.
Finally there was something to do, and he could get his mind off Elena.
He hurried up, took the clothes from Wayne, then changed and headed to the sundeck. Three white lounge chairs stood in the middle, in front of all the lightings and reflectors.
“Mr. Owen, please take the seat in the middle.” The photographer waited for him to take his place before giving further instructions to the rest of his team.
The yacht had come to a stop in front of a backdrop of white clouds and the hills of an island in the distance. But the breeze had come to a stop as well, and Jake was beginning to perspire as the sun beat down on him.
The photographer had them shift their positions several times, and his cheeks ached from holding his smile much longer than he was used to when Angel came out onto the sun deck.
“I said to leave me alone,” Angel shouted at someone behind her as she got onto the sundeck. “You don’t understand anything. I’m so sick and tired of doing this with you.”
Jerome emerged soon after. He reached out and tried to take her hand several times, but Angel always shook him off.
“Guys, over here,” the photographer said to get their attention, then adjusted the lens and snapped a few more photos.
Jake’s focus returned to Angel and Jerome, and he noticed Elena had joined them.
Elena went over to Angel and said something to her. Since she wasn’t yelling, he couldn’t figure out what it was. He frowned when Elena suddenly grabbed Angel’s arm and yanked her closer while leaning forward. Inches from Angel’s face, Elena stared right into her eyes.
Elena said something to Angel, and Angel pushed Elena out of her face.
“Stop being so uptight!” Angel stretched her hands over her head. “I’m feeling on top of the world right now. Don’t ruin it.”
“Angel, stop it.” Jerome moved forward.
“You’re always on her side!”
Elena met Jake’s gaze when she glanced over. She shook her head before saying something to Angel and walking away.
“Wait, Elena!” Angel ran after Elena and hooked her hand around Elena’s elbow. She smiled sweetly at Elena and snuggled closer after saying something.
Elena didn’t reply to her, but she didn’t make a move to pull her arm away from Angel either.
Jake’s foot twitched, and he inched forward.
“Mr. Owen.” The photographer snapped his thumb and middle finger together twice. “Over here.”
Jake almost rolled his eyes. He wasn’t a distracted child. But the photographer’s action did remind him that he wasn’t on the deck alone. The rest of his swim team was right behind him. He couldn’t just go wherever he wanted.
The photographer then waved his hands about as he told them to shift their positions again.
He glanced over at the trio, who had disappeared back indoors. Besides the clicking of the camera and further instructions from the photographer, peace returned to the deck. Jake looked over at where Jerome, Angel, and Elena had just been standing and couldn’t shake off the ominous dread growing in his chest.
Kent Robinson’s frown grew more pronounced when he saw Jake twitching.
He’d never seen his captain like he was today. Jake had always been quiet, but he appeared to be sulking throughout lunch.
Their coach was always tough on them, more on Jake than anyone else, but Jake had always powered through whatever training and punishment his coach dished out to him. He didn’t even sulk when a stupid wrestling match he had with Wayne caused him to miss months of training and sit out one of the major competitions.
Yet Elena’s mere presence, or perhaps her friendliness with them—especially Wayne—seemed to bother Jake like nothing else.
Looks like Carolyn’s got herself some competition.
Mr. Golden Boy will be out on Amazon at the end of July.
Look for these titles by Trisha Grace
Now available:
Ghost of the Past Book 1 - Moving On
Ghost of the Past Book 2 - Closing Books
Ghost of the Past Book 3 - Growing Up
Ghost of the Past Book 4 - Believing Again
Box Set: Ghost of the Past Series
A Fresh Start
Done Being Friends
Sing For Me
Shine Series Book 1 - Mr. Bad Influence
Shine Series Book 2 - Mr. Playboy
Readers Exclusive:
Gho
st of the Past Prequel - Letting Go
Prequel for Mr. Playboy - For Tracy (available for download in the following page)
So Much More
Coming Soon:
Shine Series Book 3 - Mr. Golden Boy
Shine Series Book 4 - Mr. Party
Ghost of the Past Book 5 & 6 (Lydia and Joanne)
FREE Novella from Trisha
As mentioned, Mr. Playboy is a continuation of the prequel For Tracy. Get the novella for free when you sign up for Trisha’s Readers’ Club. What if you’re already in the club? Don’t worry, you can still sign up and get the novella.
Click here to download the book for FREE
One frantic phone call leads to Sarah Carter becoming the guardian of her favorite student, Tracy. Tracy’s parents has been arrested for a crime they didn’t commit, and while they try to clear their name, Tracy will be left in the care of Sarah and Tracy’s Uncle Keith.
But Sarah has no idea Uncle Keith is Keith Sutton, Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor, and doesn’t realize how much trouble she is heading for.
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Acknowledgement
Authors won’t be anywhere without their readers, so I want to thank all my readers—especially those in my Advance Reader Club. Thanks for being so supportive of my work and taking the precious time to read and write a review for my books. Without you, I won’t be able to do what I love for a living.
Special shout out to Tabatha, Victoria, D’anah, and Kacie. You ladies are so AWESOME, always ready to help me out with the reviews. I am ever so grateful for all of you.
To anyone who has ever written a review for my books: THANK YOU! I’m sorry I don’t have everyone’s name. Do drop me an email and connect with me, and I can add your name to the list!
