Hollywood Rebel by Misti Murphy

Chapter Twenty-Three

 

Summer

Owen: Happy birthday, Little! The big two-three!

Burke: Happy birthday, Little! There’s a slice of cake here with your name on it. Literally.

Burke sends through a picture of a cake with my name on it.

Burke: Now, since you’re not here, we’re going to fight over who eats your piece of cake!

Jett: Happy birthday, Little. I checked out that band. L.A. Riot. Awesome. You’ll come to a concert with me? The cake is mine!

Storm: Happy birthday, Little. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Kale: Happy birthday, Sis.

Kale: Burke, I spat on the cake.

Henry: Why was she born so beautiful? Why was she born at all? Happy birthday, troublemaker.

Me: Thanks, guys.

Me: Henry, don’t pretend like we don’t all know who the troublemaker is here.

Henry: Yeah, Kale.

Me: Jett, of course! Can’t wait.

Storm: Why does Jett always get all the love??

Owen: No one gets the extra slice. Ernie stuck his weenis in it. Enjoy your birthday, Little.

 

“Which brother was that?” Jennie asks from across the café table at Donuts Gone Wild while we hang out over pastries that resemble naughty body parts.

“All of them.”

“They miss you. It’s cute.”

“I miss them too.” I need to plan a trip home soon. Once everything is settled with Rebel, and Bernadette signs off on my permanent position with Knightly PR, which shouldn’t be too long now. Then I can go back to Devil’s Bend with my accomplishments and my career and prove to everyone that I’m doing great on my own. “I just wish they’d treat me like I’m grown and don’t need to be monitored all the damn time.”

“You’re lucky, Sum,” Jennie says. “I haven’t talked to my brother in six months. He never checks in. He barely answers the phone.”

“I know I am.” But that doesn’t change the fact that I feel like I’m still that sixteen-year-old who couldn’t protect herself.

When no more messages pop onto the screen I put my phone down and pick up my tasty birthday treat. The dick on a stick is covered in chocolate and sprinkles, and thick cream squishes out the top of the giant cock donut when I bite a chunk from the side.

Jennie wrinkles her nose in amusement and gestures at my cleavage. “You dropped a little cream.”

“This is awkward.” I laugh as I wipe away the sugary dairy from where it dropped on the exposed skin above the collar of my tank top.

“But it’s fun.” She pops the head of her donut dick between her teeth. The white glaze the guy behind the counter poured on it runs down the length of the pastry.

I shake my head. “I can’t believe you talked me into taking a day off to come here with you.”

“Uh, correction.” Jennie fakes offense. “I brought you here because it’s your birthday. And you took the day off because you haven’t taken a single day off in weeks. I’m all for you working to achieve your goals, but you’re going to burn yourself out.”

“That’s not exactly…” I draw in a breath. I haven’t told her about Rebel and me, about how we’ve crossed the line between professional and personal. It’s only been a couple of weeks. And it’s not like we’re together. We’re just having the sex. All of the sex. Or we were until I realized how far out of my own lane Rebel has me with that stunt in the church. I don’t even know how to broach this subject with my best friend.

She narrows her gaze on me, her brows drawing tight. “Is there something going on? Is he being an asshole? Is he making you uncomfortable?”

“No.” I dart my attention to the napkin in front of me. Curl the edge with my fidgety fingers. She might not know the details of my horror story, but she isn’t my best friend because she can’t make heads or tails of my tells. She knows men can make me uncomfortable and that my brothers are overprotective. She knows enough to ask the questions I don’t want her to ask, but she never does, because she knows I don’t want her to. “Actually it’s almost the opposite.”

Her eyes widen. “You make him uncomfortable?”

“No.” I exhale. “You can’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t.”

“You really can’t.” I lean across the table. “I mean it. No one.”

“I promise,” she says.

“I’m sleeping with him,” I blurt. “Well, not so much sleeping.”

I can see the whites of her eyes as she takes in what I’ve just said and try to make sense of it. “You’re…doing…him?”

“Yes.”

“But you said…” Her brow furrows in concentration. “That night at the club you kept insisting nothing was going on.”

“Nothing was going on,” I admit. “Not then anyway. Things have… changed.”

“Oh guacamole,” she whispers. “That’s…”

“Stupid.” Guaranteed to end badly. Only, right now things are going so well. For his career. And mine. And being with him feels so good. Dirty, sweaty good. Multiple freaking orgasms good.

All that adds up to my inability to make myself care that whatever we are doing is a train wreck in the making.

“Amazing,” she says. “But what about Bray?”

“How long has it been since I’ve seen you?” A part of me yearns at the sound of his name. We were friends for so long and I can’t just get over it with the click of my fingers. I think about him a lot. I run all the scenarios. Ones where I gave in and dated him. Ones where we’re still friends. But I can’t change what happened, and even if I could, I wouldn’t want to. Rebel means something to me. I just have yet to figure out what. “We’ve both been busy, but come on, we live in the same apartment. I told you we’re no longer friends, didn’t I?”

“I thought maybe it was a spat.” She stares at her plate. “Especially since he messaged me this morning to see what we were doing for your birthday.”

“What?” I gape at her.

“Hey Summer,” Bray says from behind me.

“You didn’t,” I whisper.

“Sorry.” Her face contorts with remorse and the fact that this is going to be awkward.

With one hand on the back of my seat and one on the table Bray leans in to kiss me on the cheek. “Happy birthday.”

I bristle at his closeness. Wipe the imprint of his lips from my skin. The last time I saw him he insulted my judgement and told me he no longer wanted to be my friend because I didn’t want to date him. Now he’s acting like that didn’t happen? “What are you doing here?” 

He looks hurt for a second as he pulls away. “I deserve that, I guess.”

“You guess?” I glare at him while he borrows a chair from another table, turns it backwards and sits down with his arms crossed over the back.

“Come on, Summer,” he says. “You know I’m sorry. I was just frustrated and I overreacted. I know you wouldn’t really be dumb enough to get involved with that guy. It’s just your job. And I know how important that is to you.”

What kind of apology is that? I blink at Jennie at the same time my phone starts to ring.

All three of us glance at the device to see Rebel’s name on the lit screen, before I snatch it off the table. Talk about timing. “Rebel?”

“Where are you, Red?”

“With Jennie at Donuts Gone Wild,” I say.

“Isn’t that the place with the cock donuts?”

“Mmhmm.” I wipe at my lips and find a stray trace of cream in the corner. I lick it off my thumb. “It is.”

“Hope you took a photo for me,” he says. “Although I prefer it when it’s my cock you have your lips wrapped around.”

“Rebel, do you need something?” I deflect despite the warmth that washes through me. “I’m not working today, remember?”

“I’m aware.” I can hear the sultry warmth in his voice and it makes my heart skip a beat.

Jennie points to my face and indicates my expression gives away my feelings for the man on the phone. Bray’s jaw is so tense he looks like he’s bitten off a lump of C-4, chewed it, and realized that one more movement will blow his head off. But at this point I don’t have much sympathy for him. He’s refusing to get a message that has been made loud and clear.

I stand and step away from the table. Maybe I am dumb for getting mixed up with Rebel Maddox, but with the way he makes me feel, I don’t ever want to stop. Or at least not as long as I can keep these feelings under control. “Then why are you calling?”

“Because it’s your birthday,” he says as a flash of movement catches the corner of my eye. “And I want you to go home and get dressed in something pretty. I’m picking you up in an hour.”

I turn in an attempt to see what caught my attention in time to catch a guy taking photos. For a second I think he’s actually taking photos of me. “That’s weird.”

“What?” Rebel asks.

The photographer moves on to other subjects, including the building behind him. Maybe he’s a property photographer or something. “Nothing. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he says. “Bring Jennie too.”

“Okay.” I lower the phone when he disconnects.

“You’re dating him, aren’t you?” Bray asks right by my ear, causing me to jump out of my skin.

“I’m not dating him, no.” My voice comes out sharper than I mean for it to.

“But you’re screwing him,” he says.

“It’s none of your business,” I say. “We’re not friends, remember? You made it very clear where you stood.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe I was wrong.” His gaze is serious and apologetic. “I miss you, Summer. Do you think we could go back to the way things used to be?”

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“Can you at least think about it?” he pleads. “We were good friends, weren’t we?”

“I’ll think about it,” I promise as I collect my purse from the table. It’s all I can offer. “Jennie, we need to go home and get ready. We’re going out tonight.”

***

“Holy shit, kitten. You look so damn good,” Rebel whispers in my ear for the fourth time since he picked me and Jennie up from our apartment. I’d watched his jaw drop as I walked out to meet him, glimpsed the heat in his eyes as he’d surreptitiously adjusted himself through the fabric of his vintage jeans.

He’d said it again when he’d helped me into the back of a town car. Apparently tonight neither of us is driving.

And again when he’d handed me out in front of Stone Lodge before he explained that the Stone in question is his friend Ethan Stone so we never actually broke in the night we went skinny dipping.

It was all smoke and mirrors. And to be honest looking back I’m not surprised. It could have been a mess. Trusting him. Being alone with him. But it wasn’t. That evening feels so pivotal. It was the moment we started to connect. And maybe we didn’t break any real rules, but it’s an experience I will never forget because he made me feel like I was taking a risk, but not on him.

The elevator doors slide open. Rogue stands inside the metal box. Grins when he sees us. His gaze drops to take in my sequined black dress with long sleeves and no back. “Looking sweet, birthday girl.”

“Thanks.” I smile at him and take a step to join him.

“We’ll hang back.” Rebel tugs me to a stop. His thick fingers brand my wrist.

Rogue nods. Turns his affable grin Jennie’s way. “Jennie, you gorgeous fox. Join me?”

“Absolutely.” She takes the hand he offers and steps into the elevator. The doors slide closed, leaving me and Rebel alone to wait for the next one.

“I know tonight isn’t about work,” he says. “But I thought you should know I got a script today.”

“Oh.” It might be work, but this is exactly the kind of work news that I’ve hoped for.

“It’s been a long while since I’ve been asked to read,” he says. “And this opportunity is because of you. So thank you.”

“That’s awesome. Congratulations. It’s well deserved.”

“You did it, Red. You pushed me to give them a reason to consider me. You should be proud.” He takes my hand and pulls me closer. Rubs his thumb to and fro over my knuckles, like he’s nervous and needs to calm himself. “There’s something else too.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been invited to a party at James Bilson’s house. I don’t know if you made that happen, but I want you to come with me. As my date.”

“Is that wise?” I ask, even as my heart jumps.

“I’m not going without you.” The second elevator comes to a stop and this time when the doors open to an empty box, he leads me inside.

“Then okay.”

“Good.” His chest to my back, he wraps an arm around my neck while we wait for the box to rise. The floors tick over. One. Two. Three. Four. “About what happened at the church.”

“Can we not talk about it tonight?” I twist my head to the side. My cheek brushes his chest.

“We’re not.” His lips press to my ear. “Except to say that I know what happened made you uncomfortable, and I never want you to feel that way with me. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“It wasn’t you,” I admit. I don’t know how to handle these burgeoning feelings I have for him. Not when he’s being so caring and considerate. I feel like the ground is shaky underneath me, and it isn’t just that little shift in gravity as the elevator comes to a stop.

“We’ll talk about it more, later,” he says as the doors start to part and a small crowd of people yell “surprise!”

“What?” I cover my mouth with my hands as I take in the people surrounding the rooftop pool.

“It’s your birthday party.” He guides me forward. Rogue and Riot and Jennie are here, obviously. So is Ethan and Luc and a few other big names I know are Rebel’s friends.

Riot’s band and Kelsey are here too. Posey and my friends from college wave and grin.

“How?” I step out and take in the intimate and romantic atmosphere. Tiki torches and tiny white bulbs light up the night. The band has set up at one end of the pool. String lights mark out a dance floor.

“Everyone helped. Ethan had the space. Riot’s band agreed to do a set. Linc and Rogue and I spent the day making sure everything was perfect. Jennie distracted you.” Rebel squeezes my hand. “I hope this is alright. I found as many of your friends via Jennie’s Instagram as I could, but I guess you were too busy planning world domination to have much of a social life?”

“I got out of Devil’s Bend to make my mark on the world. It takes a lot of preparation.” I turn around and slip my arms around his neck. Press my mouth to his in a lingering kiss. “The party is perfect. And now I can get to know your friends better.”

“That might not be the best.” He chuckles. His Adam’s apple moves when he swallows.

“Are you worried about what they might tell me?” I stare at him curiously. He’s always been adamant that he’s not a good guy, but I’ve come to find that’s not quite the case.

“Let’s just say whatever they say might not show me in a favorable light.” He smooths his hand up the back of my spine and into my hair and claims my mouth again. “But you’re welcome to whatever information you want about me. I’d just like to be the one that you ask.”

I consider him for a second. I have a question, but I’m not sure right now is the time to ask it. So I don’t ask him if this feels like what we’re doing could be something more than just sex. I don’t push a topic that I’m not sure I’m ready to answer myself. Instead, I smile as I hear Posey and Jennie calling for me to join them at the bar. “I’m going to go see my friends.”

“I’ll come find you in a couple of minutes.” He holds onto my wrist until we’re pulled apart by distance.  

Jennie beams at me as I reach them. “Girl, you have Rebel Maddox wrapped around your little finger.”

“I don’t know about that.” I chuckle uneasily and then order a wine from the tender. “Professionally perhaps. I did put a lot of work into making sure he’d work with me.”

“I wish a guy who looked like that would look at me like that.” Posey sighs, twirling her blonde hair around her finger.

“I hate to point it out to you,” Jennie says. “But considering you had a one-night stand with his twin brother, you’ve had a guy who looks like that look at you.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Posey sips her drink through a straw. “Look at him watch her. He’s smitten.”

“I don’t think so.” I roll my gaze at them before watching Rebel talk to Ethan and Linc.

“He is,” Jennie agrees with Posey.

He’s drop dead gorgeous, smiling, and laughing while he chats with his friends. He winks at me when he catches me watching. Bites his lip like he’s relaying a secret message with that Skadoosh. It’s hard not to let my imagination run away with the idea that he is my future. This is our future. For as long as it lasts anyway.

He leaves his friends to head in my direction.

The way he moves makes me hot. His swagger and confidence makes my heart crazy. His hand slides against my cheek and his mouth meets mine. When did kissing him become…everything?

I smile against those beautiful, firm lips.

Collective sighs come from Jennie and Posey as I melt into the man who is making it really hard for me to keep my feet on the ground.

“Dance with me, Red.” He offers me his hand.

I stare at it for a heartbeat. I’ve never felt so uncertain of myself as I do when I’m with him. He makes me feel strong, like I can move mountains to achieve my goals. And he makes me feel vulnerable too.

I slip my hand into his. Let him lead me away from my friends. Let him close the distance between us as we move to the music.

His hands circle my waist. His lips brush my cheek. “Are you enjoying your night?”

“So much.” I wrap my hands around his neck. “Thank you for doing this.”

“I want my girl to have everything she deserves,” he says.

Butterflies fill my belly. I bury my nose in his shoulder. Inhale his sexy cologne and that warm spice that is all him.

“What’s on your mind, Red?”

“Your girl, huh?”

“I like to think so,” he says. “I like to think you might want to be here just as much as I do.”

“I don’t know what that means. At this party?” I stare up into his Levi blues.

They’re darker in the twilight created by all the fancy lights. Darker still as he drifts closer. He smiles like he’s cracked my code when I don’t even know what it is. “With me. In my arms. In my bed. I like you. A lot. You know that.”

“I do.” My heart skips a beat. Am I ready to see what this thing between us could be?

He swallows hard. His fingers fidget at my hip. “But do you like me, Red? Enough to trust me and let me in?”

“I…” If I could take a chance on anyone it would be him. I’ve given him my body and he’s given me everything I wanted in return, physically. I’ve put my career in his hands, and he’s put his in mine and together we’re unstoppable, but… my heart…I just don’t know. “I want to.”

“But you need to take it slow,” he says, reading my mind.

“Yeah.” I hate to admit it. When I want something I run full throttle at it. I fight. I conquer. I take no prisoners. And yet here I am, scared of my emotions and the power that might give him.

“Alright.” He tips my chin up as he smiles. “That’s all I need. A shot. A chance. You might not know this about me yet, but I can be the kind of guy you want to date as well as the guy who gives you those screaming orgasms you like so much. I can be the guy you trust with every part of you.”

He kisses me as I fall a little harder, a little deeper, a little faster. I just hope he’s right, because otherwise I have a feeling…

I’ll never recover.