by James, Vicki
The first property I’d ever owned.
Leaning down, I kept my eyes on the house as I whispered in Julia’s ear. “Even when I walked out on you after you quit the band, I knew I’d found something here with you. Something I’d want to come back to one day. It felt a lot like peace, and I wanted more of it. You needed space, and I needed to figure things out, sure, but I still knew, Jules. Even then, I wanted more of it. So…”
She spun in my grip with surprise etched all over her face. “You bought this house? Here? Mersea Island?”
“Yeah.” I tucked hair that didn’t need moving behind her ear, just for an excuse to touch her. My fingertips grazed the side of her face before falling down the back of her neck. “I didn’t even care if we didn’t get to this point. I just wanted to have a reason to be close, even if we didn’t make it as lovers. I’d always need you as a friend.”
“When did you do this?”
“I asked Dicky to help me find a place not long after I left you.”
“But…” She glanced back over her shoulder at the house before she looked back at me and broke out into a breath-taking smile. “Rhett, this house is a shithole.” She laughed.
“It’s not that bad,” I said, looking up at it and cringing. “Is it?”
“You do know it’s been on the market forever.”
“I did not know that, no.”
“Nobody around here wanted it.”
“Really? Why the hell not? It’s blue!”
“Have you even looked inside it?”
I scratched the back of my neck, scrunching my eyes together. “Erm… no.”
“Have you had anyone you trust look inside it?”
I shook my head and pressed my lips into a thin line.
Julia laughed genuinely, and I became addicted to the sound of it. The way it echoed in the night air, stole my breath, and made me want to find the nearest hard surface to throw her down onto.
“Oh, Rhett.” She grabbed onto my arms and dropped her forehead to my chest. “How much did it cost you?”
“Erm…”
“Wait. I don’t want to know.” She shook her head against me. “You’re such an idiot.”
“I’m trying to be romantic here.”
“Stick to what you know, Sinatra.”
“Come on.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re not even a little bit impressed? I just bought a house to be near you.”
Her laughter died down, and when she looked up, her eyes twinkled. “Yeah, you did, didn’t you?”
“I bet none of your other boyfriends have ever done that, right?”
“Can’t say they have. Although, none of them have ever been super famous millionaires like the one I have now, either.”
“The one you have now?” I raised a brow.
She ran her hands over my arms and leaned in closer. “Yeah. The boyfriend I have now.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“I always thought that single word would scare you.”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “The only thing I’m scared of now is that money pit covered in blue paint behind us.”
Jules couldn’t help it. Her laughter poured free again as she turned to give it her full attention.
With her back to me, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against my chest. Jules fit perfectly everywhere. She provided me with everything I never thought I would need. I’d always heard it was the guy who was meant to make the girl feel protected, but with her in my life, I was the one who felt safe. Settled. Like, for the first time in twenty-six years, nothing was off balance.
“The more I look at it, the more I think I’m falling in love with it,” she whispered as the wind began to pick up around us. “It’s just a little worn down. It’s been left to rot for too long. With a lot of TLC, we can turn it around and make it something pretty special. Don’t you think?”
I rested my chin on her head and closed my eyes, enjoying the peace that had taken over my body. “I think you’re capable of saving anything, Jules.” Even me.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Two weeks passed after the night where it all came together, and while the guys were being pretty cool about it, and Julia and I were remaining as professional as we could around them, it was obvious that it wasn’t sitting well with Coops, Big D, and Hawk.
Too many secrets, man. Too many secrets. That’s the vibe I was getting from them.
Jules and I had decided that Dicky shouldn’t know about us yet. Her career was at stake, and I was in no position to mess with that. But every time we were together, the guys of the band would look at me with caution, like they were waiting for the TNT version of Rhett Ryan to wake up, spark alight, and set the whole damn thing on fire.
That wasn’t going to happen.
After showing Jules The Big Blue Money Pit, as we were now affectionately calling it, we’d gone back to her comfortable, more liveable yellow cottage, and we’d screwed the night away. Waking up in her peaceful home was becoming my new favourite thing. The next day, I’d gotten all my things out of my hotel suite, and I’d taken everything back to hers, assuring her it was only for a few days or until she told me to leave.
We weren’t moved in together by any means but, for now, I was where she wanted me to be.
I was where I wanted to be, too.
Waking up in the morning and having sex was better than walking on stage to a packed arena, and even though I loved a drink, I was finding my thoughts were more consumed with her than any of the other stuff. Hell, I even forgot to smoke as much around her. The only air I wanted in my lungs was that addictive sea breeze and the breaths I stole from her kisses.
And now I was getting the woman all to myself for three whole days and two very long nights.
She’d signed me up for a charity gig in LA. A tornado had torn through several states in the US, and a bunch of celebrities were hosting a TV event to raise money for those who had suffered and lost the most. It wasn’t often I got to do something without the rest of the band. Truth be told, I hated being away from them, but Jules had assured all five of us that it was a good thing for me to put my face on an event like this. Not only did it make us look charitable and caring… it would be a great teaser for the next album we’d be set to release in a few months’ time.
“You sure you’re okay to go with this idiot and make sure he stays in line?” Dicky asked Jules in front of us all.
Looks were exchanged around the room, with Presley sitting there with a cocky smirk on his face, while Hawk scratched his neck, Big D held back a laugh, and Coops just frowned.
“Rather me suffer than you, Dicky,” she assured him.
“You’re the only one who seems to get through to him anyway,” he grumbled.
“Through to him. Over him. Under him,” Big D muttered, earning an elbow jab from me that brought Dicky’s attention up to us when Big D grunted from the hit.
“You’d better not fuck this up, Ryan,” Dicky warned.
All I could do was answer with a shrug and a smile.
Jules and I were currently in the back of a cab on the way to our hotel—The Montage, Beverly Hills.
“I don’t know why we have to waste money staying in such fancy places,” I said as we pulled in front of the hotel. The cream, stone water feature to my left caught my eye, and I watched a woman walk beside it, her white skirt barely covering the cheeks of her arse, her legs on display. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, and she hid her eyes behind thick, bug-like glasses that made her cheekbones the main feature of her face. Well, besides the obviously-injected lips she was currently pursing at anyone who would give her a second of their attention.
“Fucking Hollywood,” I sighed.
“What?”
I turned to Jules, who was naturally beautiful and relaxed today, wearing little white pumps with some khaki green cargo pants very few people could carry off. Her tight, white T-shirt made her perfect titties look edible.
“I said you’re fucking stunning.�
�
She smiled shyly, her eyes dropping to my lips. “Who knew so many sweet things could fall from that mouth of yours?”
“I’m full of surprises, baby.”
We got out of the car, and before we knew it, our bags were moving ahead of us, and Jules was checking us in. I didn’t think twice about walking beside her, laughing, and making jokes. One of the plus sides of falling for the publicist was that the whole world had seen us together like this a thousand and one times already. Nobody would suspect a thing unless I started pawing her in the middle of the street. Which, I’ll admit, was tempting.
We were in our room in no time, and while Jules made her way into the bathroom, I took the opportunity to go to the gigantic bed in the middle of the room and throw myself on it.
Travelling was a bitch.
I crossed my feet at the ankle, pushed my arms and hands behind my head, and I waited for Jules to come back to me.
When she did, that damn pinching chest of mine started up again. Even watching her do nothing was fucking fascinating. She was still in work mode now. Her mind was on the job and everything she had to take care of.
“Hey,” I said quietly.
She spun around from her spot by the wardrobe. “Hey.” She smiled.
“We have three days together with no one watching.”
“There’s always someone watching.”
“Not right now.” I wiggled my brows. “Think of all the things we can do in the privacy of our three-day home.”
“My imagination is running wild.” Her eyes widened as she kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed and straddled my waist. Her hands pressed down on my chest, and I took the opportunity to take her in.
Jules quirked a brow and smirked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I saw you too damn late. Promised myself I’d make sure I saw you every day from now on.”
She blushed again. I was living for that blush. It was my favourite shade of any colour to ever exist, and against her ivory skin and dark hair, it made me want to bite her cheeks.
The two of us hadn’t exchanged the I Love Yous I’d assured her existed back at BBs.
But now, like this…
Right here, looking up at her...
“Don’t say it, Rhett,” she whispered.
“I wasn’t going to,” I breathed back.
“Good.”
“But you couldn’t stop me if I wanted to.”
“You wanna bet?” She leaned down and dropped a kiss to my lips. Her hands reached up to hold onto my wrists, and she pressed them down into the pillow.
I kept my eyes open as she kissed me, watching as hers closed. I heard that when a girl closes their eyes during a kiss, it means they’re really into it. I didn’t understand that. When I kissed someone like Jules, I wanted to see it all. I wanted to witness her reactions, watch how her face changed when she pressed her lips to mine. I wanted to see the way her cheeks moved, and her nostrils flared when her breath stuttered.
She began to circle her arse against my growing dick. My body wanted her without her even having to touch me, but my mind, right there and then, wanted something more.
Something it could feed the heart.
I pushed back against her and sat up with her in my lap. Her arms wound around my neck, while I curled mine around her waist to hold her tight.
“Don’t… Rhett…” she whispered against my mouth.
“What?” I breathed out, watching her as I ran my fingertips up to her neck and stroked her smooth skin there.
She continued to kiss me, and I saw a single tear creep out from beneath her closed eyelids.
“Jules.” I pulled back to take a good look at her, but she kept her eyes closed and dragged my face back to her so she could kiss me again.
I let her do it.
Her pulse quickened, and her heart raced. I could feel all of it. I could sense every little thing she was experiencing.
Jules was terrified.
My own ego didn’t even consider what that could mean. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was fixing her up until she felt the peace I always felt around her again.
Closing my eyes and joining her, I held her tightly and kissed her slowly. Our tongues met, one massaging the other, and our lips melted into one another’s.
Eventually, when her breathing slowed, and I was confident she’d regained some control, I whispered against her mouth, “I do, though. Just so you know.”
* * *
“Rhett, this is Rhonda Tyson from Good Morning, America.” Julia turned to me, ever the professional, and she flashed her bright white teeth as she introduced me to one of the hosts of the telefon I was to be a part of the next day.
“Hey, Rhonda.” I shook her hand.
“Nice to finally meet you, Rhett. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“It would be a crime if I didn’t.” Her laughter was off. The forced kind that makes you widen your eyes and press your lips together while they rock back and forth to try and sell their lie. When she calmed, she placed a delicate, well-manicured hand on my shoulder, and gave me one of her equally fake Hollywood smiles. “And I must say, you’re even more handsome in reality than I ever could have imagined.”
I glanced at Jules, who simply half-smiled in her own way and held a breath in her chest.
I’d had my warning on the way over to the studio. The one begging me to behave, go along with the process, not complain too much, and play nice. What she really meant to say was Just for one day, Rhett, be as fake as all the other arseholes around here.
Since making Jules happy had somehow become my new favourite pastime, I did as I was told and flirted back with Rhonda for a few minutes. By the time she walked away, she was putty in my hands. I watched her leave—her oversized silk blouse billowing behind her—before I turned back to Jules and thumbed over my shoulder.
“She really believes she’s got a chance at sucking my dick, doesn’t she?”
“You sell yourself well.”
“Maybe I should go into acting.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Jules sighed, her face falling as she looked down at something that was written on a little clipboard she held onto.
I laughed and pushed my hands into the pockets of my jeans as I took a look around the familiar faces floating around in the recording studios.
“Okay, so according to the schedule, you’re up next,” Julia said, bringing my attention away from Ryan Reynolds who walked past me, offering a nod of acknowledgement. Fucking Deadpool knew who I was, and that wasn’t lost on the unknown teenage version of me who had stared up at the pair of tits on his bedroom ceiling to get himself off.
“Am I recording alone?” I moved to stand by her side and gazed over her shoulder down at the clipboard with the list of celebrity names on there.
“No.” Jules pointed to my scheduling. “According to this, you’re doing two segments. A short intro spot with Liv Tyler—”
“Nice.” I whistled, only to laugh when Jules elbowed me directly in the gut and gave me her best Don’t fuck with me side-eye stare. “Sorry.” I rubbed my rib and looked down the list. “Then what?”
“Oh shit.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” I scanned down the list to see my name next to someone else’s I was more than familiar with. I was about to open my mouth to protest when a voice screaming my name made mine and Julia’s head snap up in her direction.
“Rhett Motherfucking Ryan!” JJ Jones cried out, walking towards me on legs like stilts, with her long, blonde hair flowing around her as she held her arms out for me to embrace.
I didn’t have time to back away, breathe, or even react. I was caught up in JJ’s familiar hold and scent before I could blink. Her long nails clawed into my back as she held on tight, curling herself around me like she belonged there.
God, she smelled good. JJ always did. But her irritating, over-girly voice negated the intoxicating
cloud she caught me up in, and while she shrieked about how much she missed me and how long it had been—not that long—I found enough clarity to grip the top of her arms and slowly peel myself away.
When I saw her perfectly made-up face, I swallowed, desperate not to feel a damn thing but, fuck, JJ was stunning. She always had been. The woman had made a career out of it, and it took me a moment too long to be able to remember who I was, too.
“Baby,” she said with a sigh, her blue eyes softening and her cherry pink lips pursing as she took me in. “Goddamn, I forgot how hot you were.”
“Not so bad yourself.”
“I’ve missed you.”
“I… erm…” I heard Jules clear her throat beside me, and when I glanced her way, she was staring down at her clipboard again, her chin to her chest.
Fuck.
I let my hands fall from JJ’s arms, and I took a step back. But JJ was a force of model nature, and you couldn’t help but see her when she was in front of you. She wasn’t someone you could pretend wasn’t there. You couldn’t help but look at her toned legs, her fantastic figure, and… damn…
I took another step back, reached up to scratch the back of my neck, and I did my best to create some distance.
“Rhett?” JJ made my name sound like a question. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head and looked up, strapping on a smile. “Just… didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“It’s a nice surprise, right?” She beamed, tilting her head to the side. “I told the producers I didn’t want you or your team to know I was doing this. Truth is, I wasn’t. Not until I heard you’d signed up.”
Jules turned her back on the two of us and pulled out her phone. I knew she was pretending to check messages that probably weren’t there, and it gave me a minute to get my shit together. I couldn’t believe I was acting like this. Jules was who I wanted. Jules. Not…
“So, I hear we’re recording a segment together today?” JJ said, swirling a lock of hair around her finger.
“That’s what Julia tells me.”
“Julia?” JJ glanced to the side and locked eyes on Jules. “Oh. Right. Of course... Julia. I remember you. Hey!”
