That was the problem. Vanessa was always game. Unlike his brother, Adam, who'd slept with her years ago, right after returning from the war, Jensen had managed to keep from sampling her generous offers.
Not that he wasn't attracted, but the timing was off. Currently he was dating Selene Bales, Hollywood's current A-list baby. And no matter what the tabloids spewed, he was a one-woman man.
Vanessa adjusted under him and he closed his eyes and envisioned a cupcake...then for some reason, Cassie Tucker's image came front and center. "Augh." Yep, wrong image.
"Oh. What is that?" Vanessa winked up at him. "Happy to be on top of me all of a sudden?"
"Don't move." He groaned and looked over his shoulder as someone pulled the covering off his butt. "How much longer?"
"Wanna hook up later?" Vanessa slid her hand down his back until one of her fingers ventured into the top of his butt crack.
"Stop it, Vanessa."
With a soft chuckle, she moved her hand and placed it on his shoulder as directed. "It could be fun."
"I don't know," Jensen replied honestly. "I'll think about it."
"Go ahead, kiss," The director instructed. "Action!"
The house was bustling with activity when Jensen returned to his brother's home and base of operations for the movie crew. All he wanted was quiet, a place to dig in and hide for a few hours. He walked straight from the front door, past the large living area and kitchen, to the master bedroom. After a few pushups and crunches, he'd shower and crash for the night. He was too exhausted to even think about eating, much less to take Vanessa up on her offer.
The bedroom's lights were on and there was shuffling in the closet. Jensen went to the closet door and looked in. His older brother Adam was digging around in a box and didn't bother to look to see who watched. "I can't find my damn football jersey."
"Why don't you just go buy a new one?" Jensen peeled his shirt off and threw it on to pile of dirty clothes on the closet floor, right next to where Adam stood.
The glare Adam gave him made him take a step back. "Because it's my lucky shirt." He slid a look to the pile of dirty clothes. "I'll be glad when all this is done and I can have my house back."
Jensen lowered and began doing pushups. "Why? It's not like you're moving back in. When you're in town, you stay at Tesha's."
"This house is not a place for strangers to take over. It's my home," Adam grunted, and tore open another box. "Where the hell is it?"
"What do you plan to do with the house, anyway?" Jensen's arms were tiring, but he pushed on.
His brother didn't stop tunneling through the items the box. "Probably keep it. I don't know, rent it out or something. I haven't decided. It belonged to my buddy and I hate to sell it."
Vincent Bailey and Adam served together in Afghanistan. His brother's friend died as a result of sniper fire, even after Adam had dragged him to his helicopter and flown him to the closest medical unit. He'd left Adam the old Victorian and a car, which Adam also restored and drove on occasion.
When Jensen's arms threatened to give out, he flipped to his stomach and began to do crunches. "I kinda like this house too."
He frowned up at Adam who'd stood over him with a shirt over his shoulder. "Found it. Joined the city football league in Nashville. Playing tomorrow against the Lebanon Hornets."
"Hornets? What's your team's name?"
Adam toed the edge of the rug. "Trailblazers." He shrugged. "Gotta go. Tesha and I are driving back to Nashville today. Dinner at the parents’ tomorrow, you coming?"
"I sorta got a thing planned with Vanessa."
His brother's raised eyebrows brought back the memory that Adam and Vanessa had hooked up. Immediately any desire to even think about going out with the actress waned. "You know what, yeah, I'll be at the folks' tomorrow."
The first thing Jensen did after showering was to text Vanessa to call off getting together. First of all, he couldn't cheat on Selene and secondly...yuck, she'd slept with Adam.
An hour passed and he lay in bed, looking at the ceiling. The wind blew hard against the windows and the rumble of thunder was followed by rain. Too restless to go to sleep, he trudged to the kitchen for a snack. It was almost ten now and most of the crew was tucked in their rooms.
Chad Simpson, a cameraman, sat on the couch watching television. He looked up when Jensen entered and raised a hand in greeting.
There were leftover makings for a sandwich in the fridge. Jensen grabbed some sliced beef, cheese, a cupcake, and a bottle of water. Meal in hand, he plopped down on a chair in the living room and looked to the screen. It was an old war movie.
The cupcake was caramel, his favorite. Cassie usually brought one or two of them when she delivered them in the afternoons. He'd not seen her in a couple days. His lips curved at her reaction to his nudity. For some reason it was fun to pick on her.
Something about Cassie Tucker gripped his attention. She was a combination of sass and innocence. The woman was so different from the many that he'd grown accustomed to in Los Angeles. One minute she got in his face about something and the next, she was blushing and covering her face. Whoever her boyfriend was had to be on his toes all the time to keep up with her. Of course she had a man, a woman that fetching had to have some guy in her life.
The thought of her with someone made him stare at the cupcake. Who did Cassie date? She seemed to keep busy. Between catering breakfast and her cupcake shop, it left little time for a personal life. If anyone knew about the effect of long hours on a relationship, it was Jensen. Hell, the only reason things worked out with Selene was that they were both actors and understood the business. One had to be a committed to make things work when separated by long hours and distances. Not to mention, in their case, having to cope with the constant allegations of cheating on each other by the tabloids and gossip shows on television.
He considered calling Selene. She was in Australia at the moment. The text she'd sent him last was short and to the point. A quick "thinking of you". They'd never gotten to the "I love you's,” which suited Jensen fine, since he wasn't sure he loved her. She was totally hot and they had great chemistry in bed, but at times he wondered when his feelings would develop for her. Caring was more what he felt for her. Even after this separation of almost a month, he didn't miss her. Not really.
A snore caught his attention. Chad's head was thrown back, his mouth wide open. Perfect. Jensen took icing off the cupcake and dropped a huge dollop into the cameraman's mouth.
The guy made a choking sound and began coughing. When he caught his breath Jensen was almost to his bedroom door.
"Son of a bitch!"
Chapter Three
Sleepless nights were the worst. Too tired to sleep and not able to relax, Cassie stretched on her couch and heaved a sigh. The wine she had earlier did little to help. Good thing she didn't have to work the next morning. Once sleep came, it would be nice to sleep in for a change.
A familiar face on the television got her attention. Jensen Ford, front and center on the flat screen. It was an angry scene, he was yelling, the tendons on his neck taut. He wore a torn bloody t-shirt that left little to the imagination. Even with bruising on his face, he was gorgeous.
Cassie sat straight up when the scene switched to him storming into a house where a woman ran to him. The actress began to kiss him and tear his clothes off. When he responded by grabbing her and slamming her against the wall, Cassie's eyes popped wide. "Holy shit," she whispered when the woman wrapped her legs around his hips and began to moan.
With a shaky hand she reached for her remote. Time to turn the television off.
Two additional glasses of wine later, the credits rolled and Cassie finally pushed the little red button sending her living room into darkness. "Christ, that was hot," she mumbled and headed to her cold empty bed.
Ding. Ding.
Ding. Ding.
"Yeah." Cassie croaked more than spoke into her cell phone. It felt like a brick was imbedded into her forehead. Sh
e winced when opening her eyes to the brightness of the room.
She sat up and tilted her head from side to side in an attempt to get the crick out of her neck. "Kyland?"
Her brother cleared his throat. "Are you sick? You don't sound too good."
"I'm just cranky. Didn't get much sleep last night." She eyed the time display on her cell phone. It was ten-thirty, the latest she'd slept in a long time. Perhaps her erotic dreams had something to do with it. "Ugh," she slapped her forehead, immediately regretting it. But she did not need to revisit her dreams while her little brother was on the phone. "What's up, kiddo?"
"Just wanted to tell you not to come next week. I'm not doing the graduation thing."
Now she was wide-awake. Cassie jumped to her feet and shuffled to the kitchen. Tea, very strong tea was in order. "What the hell are you talking about, Kyland? Of course you're attending. It's a special day."
Her brother was silent. All she could hear was his breathing. Knowing he usually thought before speaking, a quality she didn't possess, Cassie waited.
Finally he spoke, his words quiet and measured. "I don't have a cap and gown. We didn't make it in time to get it ordered. I can't go through the ceremony without them."
"Shit." Normally she would have apologized for the expletive, but in this case she felt it was warranted. "I'll be there this afternoon. I'll get everything fixed." She hit the numbers on the microwave much harder than necessary after setting the cup of water into the opening. "And don't you worry about a thing. Not only will you walk across the stage, you will have a celebration dinner after."
"I think it's too late. I graduate next week." Kyland sounded hopeful.
"Nope, it's not. I'll speak to the principal and get you a cap and gown. Invite your friends to Bill's Pizza Place. My treat, right after the ceremony."
"Cool." He hesitated. "Mom and Charley are out of town. I told her I wasn't going to do the graduation thing, so they went on a bike ride to Myrtle Beach."
"I'm sorry, honey." She hoped her anger at their mother didn't come across. Kyland was her half brother, the product of one of her mother's affairs on her father. The one that ended their marriage. Cassie loved Kyland almost like a son, especially since she'd cared for him her entire life. At twelve, when he was born, her mother had a built in sitter. But since she'd moved out almost six years ago, it had been mostly phone calls.
"No big deal," Kyland interrupted her thoughts. "She'd probably do something to embarrass me anyway. You know how Ma likes to holler and get attention."
Oh yes, she was well aware of her mother's overreaction to things. It never failed; she'd do something to be the center of attention.
Her mother had acted much the same way the day of Cassie's wedding. Although Cassie had poured the entire contents of a pitcher filled with ice water over her groom and the bridesmaid when she caught them having sex during the reception, the fit her mother threw made everyone rush to her instead of Cassie.
After the failed marriage, it took months to get the annulment, move out of the condo they shared and return all the unopened presents. Even to the people that insisted she keep them. She didn't need any reminders of the worst moment in her life.
The entire fiasco had left her shocked and lost. Not sure what to do next, her grandmother's suggestion to move in with her was exactly what she needed. Moving to Lovely to be with her grandmother and opening the cupcake shop had been the perfect salve to her deep wounds.
After her grandmother met up with girlfriends in a quaint retirement village near Pensacola, Florida, she'd moved there a year later and left Cassie her house.
Living alone in Lovely suited Cassie just fine. She had a good quiet life there.
Cassie’s dating life however, was pretty dismal. Other than a couple of dates over the span of two years, she'd pretty much dedicated her time to her work. It wasn't that she didn't trust men; not all men were the same. It was just hard to move on after such a devastating blow. It was supposed to have been the happiest day of her life. The courtship and engagement had gone by without a hitch. During the wedding plans, she'd noticed Kevin had distanced himself and seemed to be on edge, but she'd chalked it up to jitters.
It all became crystal clear in the most cliché event of her life; she'd caught him, pants down and fully locked and loaded between the legs of one of her bridesmaids.
He'd never told her why he'd done it, never explained his actions, other than to admit it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. Cassie surmised they'd gotten to know each other during the wedding preparations and one thing led to another.
After telling Kyland she'd call him the next day, Cassie finished drinking her tea. Instead of staying home to clean her house as planned, she'd go to Tesha's and borrow her truck to go to Nashville. The last thing she needed was hers to break down on the one day she really had to get somewhere. There was no way Kyland would miss his graduation and not have a celebration. He was a good student, not straight A's, but passed all of his classes with a high enough average to not have a problem getting into the community college.
She'd already convinced her mother it was best for him to come stay with her until he began classes in the fall, since the small college was closer to Lovely. Of course once she reminded dear mom about the loss of Kyland's child support, she didn't put up much of a fight. The woman was as shallow as ever.
Not seeing Tesha's truck, she went inside the house. Of course Tesha was gone, Cassie had forgotten Tesha had gone to Nashville for the weekend and probably wouldn't return until later. On Mondays, Debbie and Carol, two women from town, covered the catering job for her and Tesha.
The older women looked up just as Cassie walked in to get a drink of iced tea. "Did Tesha say what time she'd be back today?"
"Sometime this evening," Debbie, a woman with brilliant blue eyes, replied.
"I have to go to Nashville today," Cassie told them dejected. The chair scraped along the wooden floor as she sank into it. "I guess I'll take a chance my clunker will make it."
"You can take my car." A deep voice made her jump.
Jensen peered down at her from the doorway to Tesha's office. "I'm not using it. I have my bike."
"Y--your Jaguar?" She squeaked. "I can't drive that."
"Why not?" His eyebrows lifted, his handsome face serious. "Can't drive a stick?"
"I can drive a stick. It's just that, it's so expensive. No, I can't take a chance that it will get dented or something." Cassie stood and took her keys out of her bag. "Thank you for offering, though."
He followed her outside and took her arm turning her around. "What if you break down? There are spots without a gas station, houses, or a cell phone signal for miles."
Of course he was right, but it made her so nervous that her legs began to shake. It was probably his proximity that caused it along with his offer. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Cassie narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you being so stubborn?" he replied. "How long are you going to be gone?"
"I plan to drive there, see someone at my brother's school and come back. I may have to get a cap and gown, too, so two stops at the most." She looked toward the side of the house where she knew the black Jaguar was parked. "Thank you, but honestly I'd be too nervous. I can't possibly accept."
"Fine, I'll drive you, then." He pulled her down the steps, guiding her towards his car.
Cassie pulled her elbow from his grasp. "What about your movie? Won't they be mad if you leave?"
Unfazed by her jerky moves, Jensen took her arm again. "I'm the star of the movie. If I decide to take a day off, they'll shoot around me, and I'll make up the scenes I owe them tomorrow."
Scant minutes later, mouth hanging open, she sunk into the buttery leather and allowed Jensen to buckle her in. Once he slid into the other seat, she finally was able to form a coherent thought. She was driving down a country road alone in a two seater with Jensen Ford. It was not only unbelievable, but also totally awkward.
He turned to her, h
is pretty eyes hidden behind dark aviators. "Where are we going?"
"Lebanon."
"Awesome. I know the place well. My parents live there."
"Oh?"
"Yep, actually, do you mind if we stop by there for dinner?"
She wasn't sure what she said in response, because it came out more like a squawk than a word.
"Cool." Jensen must have taken whatever it was for agreement.
Chapter Four
The principal’s office sent Jensen straight back to High School. The smells of the cafeteria food in the air, along with the sounds of lockers banging closed, followed by the bell made him glance through the glass door toward the hallway where dozens of student scurried to whichever class was next.
"Just so we are on the same page, Mrs. Clapper? My brother will not only be walking across the stage, but he will be receiving a diploma, right?" Cassie told the middle-aged woman.
The principal of the small high school kept staring at him with ill-hidden admiration. "Yes. Yes, of course. If there's anything else I can do, please do not hesitate to call me." The woman barely looked to Cassie, speaking to him instead. "The cap and gown will be here in the morning. Have Kyland stop by and pick it up."
"Thank you," Jensen stepped forward and shook the woman's hand. The lady inhaled sharply and leaned forward as if to kiss him.
Cassie stepped in and grabbed his arm. "We'll be on our way. Come on, Waldo."
The principal smiled brightly. "You really should think about filling in for Jensen Ford. You could be his twin, Mr. Dudley."
They made their way to the parking lot and Jensen rounded the car to open the door for Cassie. "Waldo Dudley? Couldn't you think of a better name?"
"Nope." She assumed an innocent expression. "That names suits you perfectly."
It was a nice afternoon and much too early to show up at his parents’ for dinner. No doubt they'd begin to pepper him and Cassie with questions and his brothers would do something to embarrass him. So he'd prolong their arrival as much as possible. He pushed a button on his cell phone and spoke to a friend while Cassie texted on hers.
The Last Hero: Fords of Nashville, Book 2 Page 2
