"I stick to one woman." Jensen looked at his beer. "So what was that look you gave me when I mentioned calling Selene?"
His agent squirmed and looked away from him. "You know she really is seeing Zack Acker, right?" It was interesting to note Mark in any kind of discomfort; the man rarely showed emotion of any kind. "Look, Jensen, I like you as a person, and I feel as if I'm also your friend. So I need to tell you that I don't think they're faking it."
His gut knotted. There was a first time for everything, but he didn't expect to be cheated on by the woman who'd practically stalked him until he finally gave in and dated her. "What makes you say that?"
"From what I understand, they are sharing his trailer on site in Australia. He brought her home a couple weeks ago for a family event. They kept it pretty well hidden until someone caught them at the airport going back to Australia." He gave him a penetrating look. "Don't you and her talk?"
Not much in the last couple months. He had to admit, they texted more than talked lately. "Not often enough, it seems."
Long after Mark went back inside, Jensen sat outside. When he popped the cap on his third beer, he glanced up to see Cassie and Tesha. They pushed a cart with a cake atop it. Cassie coached Tesha along. "Steady. Wait. Slow down. There's a bump here."
He leaned back in the chair and shook his head. "Why don't you just carry it?"
Tesha glanced at him. "Because it's heavy and fragile."
"I'll get it." He stood up.
"No!" both women cried out when he took a step toward them.
"We got this," Cassie held her arms out to block the cake. "If something happens to my masterpiece I'll cry."
With an annoyed huff, he sat back down. "Who gives a shit? The damn thing's gonna get cut anyway." He studied the cake. It was decorated to looked like a stack of purses. They looked real. Impressive that she could do it with cake batter and icing. "Besides, it's gaudy."
Cassie's eyes rounded and her mouth fell open. He looked away, hating himself for uttering the words.
"A man would say that." Tesha touched Cassie's arm. "Come on, let's get it out of the sun and set up over there under the canopy.” The women continued their slow progress away from him. Tesha glared over her shoulder at him when Cassie was turned away and Jensen rolled his eyes.
An hour later, he stood at the back patio watching Vanessa oohing and ahhing over the cake. She'd taken dozens of pictures of it and with it. Obviously it was her birthday. The actress was in seventh heaven, excited to be the center of attention.
She pulled Cassie close and hugged her, then handed her cell phone to Tesha. "Take our picture together, please. Make sure the cake is in it." Vanessa smiled widely.
"You're making all my cakes from now on," the actress told Cassie, who remained reserved. "I mean it, Cassie. You are a genius. I already love your cupcakes. This is the most awesome cake ever. You have all my favorite purses on there."
"She is very gifted." Tesha handed Vanessa a small plate with a sliver of cake.
Jensen's cell phone rang and he went inside to his bedroom to answer it. Selene sounded groggy. "Hey, sorry it took so long to call you back. My hours have been crazy. There was this huge storm. A freak one..."
She continued for a few minutes describing the damage the storm had caused to the set and such.
"Are you seeing Acker?" Jensen dove right in, not in the mood for games. "If you are, it would have been nice to give me a heads up."
"I--I don't know what to say." Selene's voice became high pitched. "I mean, it sort of just happened."
"You came back to the states with him. You're staying in his trailer. That just sort of happened too?"
Her breathing was audible. "Shit. I'm sorry. My agent made me keep it from you."
"Why? So you could come across like a cheating bitch? Cause that would be such great publicity right? Maybe that will be the headline of my next interview."
"You wouldn't dare!" Selene shouted. "It's not like that. I mean, we wanted to tell you."
We. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out? When the fuck were you planning to tell me?"
"Look, it started out at PR. I mean he is the man of the hour, it made sense."
So that was it. Acker was the 'man of the hour', Selene's M.O. going from who was on top of the pile at the moment.
Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of someone passing the door. He went to it and slammed it shut. "Look, fine. Do what the hell you want. But don't expect me to sit back and look like a fucking pansy."
His hand trembled with anger when he pressed the end button.
"Damn it! "The cell phone bounced off the bed and onto the floor when he threw it.
Chapter Seven
A timer dinged and Cassie pulled open the oven door while balancing her cell phone between her ear and right shoulder. Kyland continued talking, his voice cracking between deep and high pitch. She smiled at the sound of her baby brother going through the stage of turning into a man. At seventeen, he was a bit of a late bloomer, but that was fine with her. "The guys are excited about hanging out after graduation. Andy wants to know if he can bring his mom. And Jerry said his parents are coming, but they're paying for their meals. I also invited Clara, she's coming alone."
Cassie laughed. "Okay, so we have eight total. Yes, that's fine, and I'll pay for it all. This is a celebration for you, Kyland."
"Cool. But I don't think they'll mind paying," Kyland insisted. "Mom left me some money, I can pitch in too."
"Save your money. You'll need it." Cassie's heart melted at the excitement in his voice.
After a few more minutes of listening to his plans for that day, she hung up with her brother and slid the cupcake pan to the counter then retrieved the second one. A glimpse of dark brown hair at the door made her heart skip. "Oh boy," Cassie mumbled and turned to put another two into the oven.
Jensen entered and strolled to the counter. He didn't bother to stop until he lifted the hinged counter and walked behind it to where she stood. "Quiet afternoon, huh?"
He picked up a cupcake and sniffed it, his eyes pinned to hers. "Yum."
Heat rose from her neck until her face felt fevered. Damn him and that pretty face. "You're not supposed to be back here." Cassie snatched the cupcake from him. "And you can't sniff cupcakes either."
For a few moments they only stared at each other, neither spoke nor did they move. Cassie wasn't sure who took the first step. All she knew was that feeling Jensen's mouth over hers and being up against his hard chest was overwhelmingly wonderful.
The world ceased to exist as he continued his wonderful taking of her lips, while his hands slid down her body to cup her butt. He lifted her onto the counter and she slid her arms around his neck. At the moment it was all him, the feel, the taste and the hardness of Jensen Ford.
His tongue probed and Cassie parted her lips to allow him access. The heat from the ovens behind him permeated through the skin, but warmth of his touches went deeper, straight to center of her being.
It had to stop, the rational side of her brain screamed for Cassie to listen, but her body overruled common sense when his palm covered her left breast and his fingers moved to caress her nipple. Instead of moving away, she grabbed his shoulders to bring him closer. The man was an incredible kisser and his body felt perfect.
In the distance a bell rang and Cassie considered how appropriate to hear chimes at the precise moment her legs wrapped around his waist. He lifted back, his eyes half closed. "I think your oven is ringing."
"What?" It took a few seconds before the words made sense. She wasn't sure, but he may have repeated it twice. "Oven?"
By the time she realized she was sitting on the counter and a moment ago had her legs wrapped around a man in plain view from any passerby, Jensen had donned oven mitts and was pulling overly browned cakes from the oven. He placed them both on the counter with smooth moves of someone used to being in the kitchen. When he pulled the second pan, he set it next to the first. "There,
they look fine don't you think?"
Cassie stared at him with rounded eyes. "I don't like you. I'm not sure what just happened."
The one shoulder shrug didn't tell her anything, so Cassie grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "I mean it. I'm not sure what that was all about."
Jensen lifted a brow, his darkened eyes traveled down her body. "Women like bragging rights. You're probably no different."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Cassie slammed her hand down on the counter, which hit the edge of the pan sending hot cupcakes askew, a few landing on the floor. She ignored them and glared at Jensen. "I'm not a groupie."
"You just said you don't know what happened. You don't like me." Jensen's voice was neutral, a blank expression on his face. He looked down at her, and there was a hard, icy edge to his voice. "It happens to me all the time. It's enjoyable sometimes."
Her hands curled into fists. She had to hold back the urge to slap the look of disdain from his face. "You came here, behind the counter, so don't put it all on me."
"I'm not. Just helping you figure out why you threw yourself at someone you claim not to like." He walked around her and straight out the front door.
"What the hell just happened?" Cassie glared at the doorway. Perhaps she shouldn't have said she didn't like him after humping him like a bitch in heat. "Ugh!" She picked up a cupcake and took a big bite only to spit it out when it burned her tongue. Outside a motorcycle rumbled to life and she saw Jensen ride by and head out of town.
The bell over the door jingled and woman with arms full of shopping bags walked in. "It's hot in here."
"You have no idea." Cassie turned to see the oven door was still open.
The next morning at Tesha's house, the smell of sausage, eggs and biscuits drew the eager film crew for an early breakfast. They'd set up two round tables in the large room between the kitchen and living room. The hum of conversations intermingled with the soft jazz Tesha loved to play.
Cassie kept a nervous eye on the French doors every time they opened. Jensen had yet to make an appearance and she couldn't help but wonder if she should find him and apologize. Of course he'd not acted offended, but in all fairness she should not have blurted not liking him. He'd been nice enough to drive her to see about Kyland's school and all.
"One more batch of eggs and we should be done. Those that haven't made it probably are not planning to eat," Tesha told her, forking sausage into a platter. "I heard voices earlier, not sure if they were leaving or just getting in."
A few seconds later, Vanessa Morgan came down the stairs. She stretched like a cat and sniffed the air. "So much for sleeping in, between the smells and the chatter, it was impossible." She came to the counter and picked up a piece of toast and nibbled at it. "I'm so hungry today," Vanessa announced, to nobody in particular.
At the sound of footfalls Cassie looked to the stairs, where Jensen appeared. From his mussed hair and rumpled clothing, he'd also been sleeping until a few moments earlier.
He'd spent the night there. Not in his room at Adam's house. Her stomach churned and her chest constricted.
Tesha looked to the actor with a critical eye and then turned to Vanessa with a frown before speaking to Jensen. "Breakfast?"
"Nah. I'll grab something at the house." He walked through the room and straight out the French doors. Everyone seemed to ignore the obvious conclusion that the co-stars had slept together.
Cassie handed the spatula to Tesha. "I'll be right back." She trailed after Jensen out the side doors. He was almost to the front porch next door when she caught up with him. "Hey."
Yawning and scratching his head, he turned to look at her. "Hey."
"I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday." She let out a breath. "After what you did, taking me to the school and to your parents...I shouldn't have snapped at you."
"Okay." He looked past her. "Anything else?"
He certainly knew how build a wall, she would give him that. At the moment once again she disliked him.
"Nope. That was it." She turned on her heel and walked back to Tesha's. Why had she even bothered? Definitely an actor, because the man who'd dismissed her just now was not the same one who'd driven her to his hometown and took her to the cupcake shop. Then there was the passionate man who'd kissed her senseless.
Cassie brushed a tear away. Her gut churned with jealousy. There was nothing between her and Jensen, of course. But the knowledge he'd slept with another woman hurt, for whatever reason.
When the front door closed behind him Jensen slacked against it. His chest so tight he fought to breathe. For the first time in a long time real tears stung his eyes. How tired he was of the same thing. Of meaningless sex. Of women wanting to be with him because of who he was. The hurt of being cheated on by Selene led him to make two back-to-back stupid mistakes that would cost him.
He'd gone to see Cassie, to talk, to try to have a normal day. When he'd woken the day before all he could think about was the need to be with someone who understood normality. Although he'd not gone on a date in a long time, the thought of asking Cassie to go with him on a ride in the country had excited him. Planned to first flirt a bit and then ask her out.
When they'd kissed he had been sure she'd agree; things had gone better than he expected is what he'd thought. Dumb, so damned stupid. The first words she'd uttered after the best kiss he'd experienced was to tell him she didn't like him. Thank God he was an actor because it had taken all his skills to keep from showing the hurt he felt at the words that cut into him. Straight to the gut, Cassie hadn't held back what she really thought about him.
To complete the campaign of stupidity, he'd come back, drank too much and took Vanessa up on her offer to spend the night with her. Sometime around two or three, they'd stumbled to her room. Too drunk to remember much, he wasn't sure he'd actually done anything, not until the morning when she'd taken care of him before the sun had even risen.
Of course the movie crew expected it to be a stunt to get tongues wagging, as most of them knew Mark's gossip mill plan. He didn't care about them knowing, but he wasn't too sure how he felt about Tesha. Her disapproving look didn't sit well. But she'd get used to it. If she was to be his sister-in-law, there were a lot more women in his future she'd hear about.
Jensen went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, allowing the cold air to blast into him. He grabbed a bottle of water and chugged the entire bottle, washing down three headache pills that were kept handy on the counter top. While he waited for the coffee cup to fill from the automatic maker, he looked through the side windows toward Tesha's house.
Why had Cassie followed him? The last person he was in the mood to talk to this morning was her. There was no way in hell he would allow her near him ever again. What he'd felt the day before was too much like caring. It was clear after her statement that she would not mind sleeping with or making out with Jensen Ford the super-star, but when it came to the man, she didn't like him.
Unlike her, he could see himself with someone like Cassie. She was the type of woman a man married, sunk into her pliant body for years without tiring of her. A woman who could fulfill fantasies and make a guy hurry home. Very dangerous thoughts, he admitted with a grunt, and took his coffee with him as he trudged to the bedroom.
He'd move on.
Continue the make-believe relationship with Vanessa and once the movie was done take some time off. Maybe ride across the country or something. Just him and the bike. No need for anyone else in his life.
Chapter Eight
"Where's the graduate?" Tesha asked Cassie as they sat in the cupcake shop a week later. It was an hour before closing, almost five. Kyland had come to stay with Cassie after his graduation, a couple of days before. He was only staying for a few days and then going to Myrtle Beach for two weeks.
Cassie smiled at her friend, who'd kept the conversation away from Jensen. Hadn't even asked her why she'd gone after him the other morning. "Kyland's at home. Probably in fron
t of the television. He should be packing, but no doubt will wait until the last minute."
"He's got two days." Tesha shook her head. "It's nice of his friend's parents to take the boys to the beach for a summer break."
"Kyland is so excited about it. Said they get the first floor to themselves, at the beach house."
Tesha laughed. "A small taste of independence. Of course when it comes time to eat and such, they'll want parents nearby."
"Of course," Cassie agreed with a chuckle. "Once he gets back, only a month later, he starts classes at Newton City College. I only get him to myself for a few days."
"You can see him on weekends." Tesha reassured her. "Plus it will give him a chance to grow up slowly."
"That's true." Cassie sighed. "I was hoping to give him my car when I buy another one, but it's acting up again. So frustrating."
"I have an idea," Tesha told her with a wide grin. "I won't need my truck when I move to Nashville. I'll gift it to Kyland as a graduation present."
"I can't let you do that. We'll pay for it." Cassie stood and refilled their cups with fresh decaf. "You're too generous, but I insist on paying you something for it."
Tesha gave her a droll look. "I don't think it's worth more than a grand. How about that?"
Although she knew Tesha's truck was worth a lot more, she was grateful. It would answer her prayers so that Kyland could get back and forth from school to work with her on the weekends. "All right, I'll give you the money on one of the saddest days ever."
"What?" Tesha licked frosting from her fingers and swallowed her cake. "What do you mean?"
"The day you move. I won't have my bestie close by anymore." Cassie frowned into her coffee.
"What about Eliza?" Tesha asked referring to the friend of Cassie's who worked at the Lovely Diner. "She's very nice."
"True." Cassie had to agree. "But she's always with Deputy Castro. They are inseparable."
The Last Hero: Fords of Nashville, Book 2 Page 5
