Fame Read online

  “That was AWESOME!” She pushes me against the side of the pool and kisses me hard, murmuring, “And one way to get rid of them.”

  I wrap my arms around her, enjoying the excitement of kissing someone new, particularly someone new and half naked. Jennifer and I didn’t do much last night. We just made out.

  It was refreshing.

  And I realize I miss the companionship. Just being able to hang out with someone without worrying I’m giving them the wrong impression.

  Like Shelby. She called me on the way here and wanted to know why I hadn’t called. I told her I didn’t want to see her anymore. She asked if the article she saw about me and Jennifer was true then had a little meltdown.

  Actually, meltdown is a bit of an understatement.

  She called me every name in the book. A few I’ve never been called before.

  Then, thankfully, she hung up on me.

  One less thing to worry about.

  Especially now when Jennifer’s lips are on mine.

  I float us out to the middle of the pool, wrapping her legs around me, still kissing her.

  “Dude, they’re totally going to do it,” I hear from behind us.

  Jennifer must have heard them too, because she stops kissing me. “We aren’t going to do it. Grow up. We’re just kissing. And I changed my mind. Get the hell out of my house.”

  She gets out of the pool as they grab their things. She locks the door behind them then sits on the edge of the pool, dangling her long legs in the water. I’m ready to pull her back in with me and kiss her boobs. They are on the smaller side. Most girls would want bigger ones, but she’d be a fool. They are cute and perky.

  And her nipples are the prettiest pale pink color.

  I want one in my mouth.

  Now.

  “So, sexy, I have some plans for us today.”

  “What kind of plans. Besides us not doing it?”

  She laughs loudly. “Oh gosh, did I crush that monumentally big ego of yours?”

  “I think you heard the gossip wrong. They were talking about my monumentally big dick.”

  She giggles and blushes. Although she curses like a sailor, I realize I’ve never heard her use words like that referring to sex.

  “You’re funny. I like it,” she says.

  This girl is going to need the hard sell. And by hard, for once, I’m not talking about my dick.

  I hop out of the pool, immediately choosing to follow her lead. “I haven’t had lunch yet. Is it included in your plans?”

  “Yes, I’m starving! Let’s go across the street. Have you ever had their Mahi tacos?”

  “I have. They also have the best martinis in town.”

  She grabs a string bikini top off a chaise and holds it up in front of her chest. “Will you tie this for me?”

  “Sure.” I glide my hand across her soft, bronzed shoulder. “You’re beautiful,” I whisper.

  “Are you putting the moves on me? You’re the big shot movie producer, shouldn’t I be trying to sleep with you?”

  “You slept with me last night,” I tease as I slowly touch her back, while tying the bottom string. “This too tight?”

  “No, it’s perfect. Riley, I don’t date people I work with. And I’d never have sex with someone to get a role.”

  “Hold your hair up,” I tell her, as I tie the string around her neck. Then I turn her around to face me. “I don’t date anyone I work with either. And, although I may have a well-deserved reputation for sleeping around, I’ve never hired someone I’ve slept with.”

  She smooshes up her nose. “Really?”

  “Really,” I state, kissing it.

  “You’re too cute,” she says, causing my frozen heart to melt a little. She grabs my hand and leads me out the door. The lust I wish she felt for me fills her eyes when she sees my car again. She pretends to pet it although, thankfully, her hand never touches the paint.

  “Oh, baby, I’ve missed you,” she says to my car.

  I lean her against the side of the car, wanting nothing more right now than to forget about the paint and do her on the hood. This girl has my blood running hot. Probably, because she acts like she’s not interested.

  The last time I wasn’t sure a girl wasn’t interested in me was . . .

  Shit.

  I shake my head. I’m not thinking about Ariela today.

  I give Jennifer a rough kiss. She grabs my neck and shoves her tongue in my mouth like Ariela did at Keatyn’s.

  Fuck!

  Stop. Fucking. Thinking. About. Her!

  I kiss Jennifer back, using my skillful tongue, but trying to play it cool. I even stop the kiss before she’s ready for it to end. When I pull my lips away, it takes her a few moments to open her eyes and look at me.

  “Damn,” she says. “You might cause me to rethink my rules.”

  “I’ve already been rethinking mine. In fact, if you sign a contract to do Daddy’s Angel, I’ll let you drive my car. No girl has ever driven her.”

  “Oh, now you’re just fucking with me,” she laughs, grabs my hand, and leads me toward the restaurant.

  After the short walk there, we make ourselves comfortable in the bar and order drinks and lunch.

  She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me. “Are you serious?”

  “About which part?”

  “The car part, silly.”

  “You mean, you really don’t want to sleep with me?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. Look, I know I’m kinda crazy. A little wild. But I love life. I’m having a blast. I’m making amazing money doing something I love. But that doesn’t mean I sleep around.”

  “You kissed every man standing at the last Academy Awards afterparty.”

  “Yeah, because I fucking won. I still can’t fucking believe that. I was drunk, happy, and high on life. I’m affectionate. I kissed some girls too, by the way.”

  “Do you remember kissing me?”

  “I kissed you?”

  “Yep. Right in front of my mother. Tongue and everything.”

  She covers her face with her hand. “Oh shit. I’m so embarrassed.”

  I smirk, but try to hide it by taking a drink.

  “Aww, you’re fucking with me again.” She shakes a finger at me. “Riley Johnson, what am I going to do with you? Tell me the truth. Did I kiss you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was your mother there?”

  “No.”

  “You’re bad. Good thing. I wouldn’t want to have to be embarrassed when I meet her.”

  “You’re planning to meet my mother?”

  “Sure, I’ll drive your car there.”

  “My parents live in the Hamptons.”

  “Shit! That’s awesome. That’d be so fun. Let’s do it!”

  “Wait. Do what?”

  “Drive your car there. Road trip!”

  “It’d kill the car’s value if I put too many miles on it.”

  “Oh, come on, Riley. It will be fun. That’s how we’ll celebrate. We’ll go tomorrow morning to talk to Keatyn about the role. You can bring your attorneys or whatever and I’ll sign. My agent will kill me because I won’t ask for enough money, but if the show does well, you’ll promise to pay me more for the next season.”

  “If only all contracts were that easy,” I laugh, knowing how Dallas goes over every minute detail to protect us.

  “It can be for this. Seriously, Riley, when’s the last time you had a vacation?”

  “I visited my family this summer.”

  She looks up at the ceiling and bites her lip, trying to come up with a different excuse to talk me into it.

  “I’ll tell you what,” I say. “If we have a done deal by Friday, we’ll go somewhere to celebrate.”

  She gives me a broad smile, leans across the table, grabs my shirt, and kisses me.

  Bar Marmont - Hollywood

  DAWSON

  We swam, drank, freshened up, and now we’re finishing dinner. Vanessa is wearing what might b
e the sexiest dress I have ever seen. It has a halter neck, barely covers the sides of her breasts, and is backless. The skirt flows around her curves.

  She obviously isn’t wearing a bra and I have to purposely not look down, so I don’t look like a middle school boy who’s hoping to get a peek of her boob.

  I shouldn’t be thinking any of this.

  I came here for a new beginning. A new job. The last thing I need to do is drag down a smart, beautiful woman like her. I overheard my aunt tell someone that it would be hard for me to find someone new to love. That I have too much baggage.

  And she’s probably right.

  Two little girls, who are staying with my parents so they can keep going to their school, while I figure out if this will work. If I should move them to California and take them away from everyone they know.

  On the plus side, it will mean not having to deal with Whitney’s family.

  They never treated her well when she was here. It kills me when they pretend to miss her now that she’s gone.

  And I don’t want them to influence my daughters.

  I haven’t had an inkling of a desire to date anyone or sleep with anyone since it happened.

  My oldest brother, Camden, even resorted to taking me to Atlantic City and trying to buy me a couple hookers.

  A fresh start in California means working with Keatyn and Riley, sunshine all the time, and getting away from all the reminders of Whitney.

  Never once in the last month, while I contemplated Keatyn’s offer, did I think I would come out here and want to be with a woman again.

  Especially not on my first day.

  But I do.

  And I feel both incredibly relieved and incredibly guilty.

  Vanessa sets her champagne down and licks her bottom lip.

  And I’m jealous of her tongue.

  I try not to stare, but I can’t help it.

  We’ve been flirting all night.

  Yes, I’ve been flirting with her.

  Although, she probably thinks I’m bipolar. I know I’m giving off all sorts of mixed messages.

  Camden drove me to the airport, slapped me on the back, handed me a bag full of condoms and told me to use them.

  I threw them in the first trashcan I walked by.

  That wasn’t even on my radar.

  But, now, my radar is being jammed by a gorgeous, stealth temptress in a shimmering black dress, whose red lips I’m dying to kiss.

  She leans in closer, resting her chin on her palm, and purrs, “It’s getting noisy in here. Why don’t we take our champagne back to our room so we can discuss your ideas further?”

  “Sounds great,” I say, wondering what the hell I’ve been saying. Oh yeah, something about the all-American designer I used to work for who I think would make a great marketing sponsor for Daddy’s Angel.

  I put my hand across the small of her back, guiding her out of the room, and based on the male eyes following us, I’m hoping I don’t have to get in a fight to do it.

  A fight.

  Would I fight to go back to the room with her?

  Hell yeah.

  Maybe it’s because we just met and have a million things to talk about but I don’t think we’ll ever run out of things to say. She’s stimulating both my mind and my cock in ways I haven’t felt since . . .

  Since that night we met. We talked for hours. Danced for hours. Made out for hours.

  Then, I went home.

  I thought about her a lot my freshman year in college.

  Jake Worth, my roommate at NYU, and I certainly fucked our fair share of coeds.

  But none of them wanted to talk. They were just horny. And that was fine, for a while.

  I realize now, looking back, that Whitney and I weren’t well suited. My brothers urged me not to marry her when she got pregnant. We weren’t dating seriously at the time.

  It was an accident.

  And I wouldn’t change it for anything. My daughter, Ava, is the light of my life and we went on to have another beautiful baby girl, Harlow, a few years later.

  I haven’t told Vanessa about my baggage. I haven’t told her that my wife hated life so much that she killed herself.

  It’s not really something you want to blurt out when fate hands you a gift.

  I’m still trying to figure out if I should make a move as we enter the room. The bed is turned back, soft music is playing, and the lights from the pool are shimmering outside.

  Vanessa sets the champagne bottle down, saunters toward me, and grabs my tie, pulling me closer.

  “The answer is yes,” she says softly. “I think we could top it. I think if we kiss now, it will be better than our first kiss.”

  That’s all the encouragement I need. I wrap one arm around her waist and slide the other behind her neck. Just like I did more than ten years ago. Our lips touch.

  And then it’s not about seeing if it’s good.

  It’s about need.

  She parts her lips and my tongue darts inside, exploring and intertwining with hers.

  She’s pulling my tie off and unbuttoning my shirt while I kiss down her neck.

  I push away slightly as I untie the strings holding up the front of her dress then watch as the top slides down exposing her beautiful breasts. I immediately strike, taking one nipple into my mouth, kissing it and circling it with my tongue, while caressing the other with my fingers.

  And I’m harder than a fucking rock.

  When she makes a little moan, I move us to the bed, supporting my weight above her, while still kissing her and sliding the dress down further.

  Her hands are in my hair, my name on her breath, she’s unzipping my pants, and sliding her hand inside.

  God, it feels so good.

  Her soft hand is running down my shaft.

  I push her dress up, strip off her panties, and remember I don’t have a condom.

  All I want in this moment is to get inside her, but I stop.

  And stand up.

  Wondering what the hell I’m doing.

  Fucking someone I have to work with on my first day?

  Fucking someone, I think I could care about, because I’m horny as shit and it’s been so long?

  “Uh, um, we better stop,” I say, kicking myself the second the words leave my lips.

  But the damage is done.

  Beach - Malibu

  RILEY

  After a long late lunch with lots of drinks, Jennifer and I walk to the beach. It’s starting to get dark and we’re both a bit tipsy.

  She leads me in the opposite direction of her house and toward the pier.

  She runs through the water, under the pier, swinging around the supports. She’s laughing and splashing water at me.

  It takes me back to a clear, warm summer night with Ariela.

  Jennifer waves her hand in front of my face.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing,” I lie.

  She leans in to kiss me and I back away slightly. “Am I too young?”

  “What? No. You know I like you. I’ve been kissing you all day.”

  “Then what are you thinking about? Some girl break your heart?”

  I sigh and nod my head.

  “Ahh, now we're getting somewhere.”

  She sits down in the sand cross-legged in front of me. “Tell me what happened.”

  “We dated for two years in high school and were supposed to attend USC together. Her dad talked her out of it. She told me after our graduation ceremony. Then she left. That’s the last I had heard from her until this week.”

  “What happened this week?”

  “She came to dinner at Keatyn's house.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Almost twenty nine.”

  “So that all happened more than a decade ago? A third of your life ago?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “That's a long time to be sad, Riley. Have you had any relationships since then?”

  “I recently
had four dates with a girl before I cut her loose. And that was three dates too many.”

  “Wow, she must have done a number on you. You still love her?”

  I shake my head. “I don't think I could ever forgive her.”

  “Stand up. Hold my hand. Run with me, Riley. Be free.”

  She pulls my hand, but I pull back. “You remind me of Keatyn.”

  She smiles at me. “That's a big compliment. She's kinda my idol. I've only met her once briefly at an awards show. I asked her to take a selfie with me. I’m so uncool. What made you say I remind you of her?”

  “She's positive, free spirited, creative. And she believes in luck, fate, and endless possibilities.”

  “And you?”

  “I stopped believing in those things a long time ago.”

  Jennifer holds my hand as we both stare out into the darkness over the water.

  “She came to L.A. with me the summer before our senior year.” I mutter.

  “When you filmed A Day at the Lake 2? How fun was it making a movie with a bunch of your friends?”

  “It was a lot of fun. I learned a ton. We used to walk on this beach at night. She ran under the piers and would make me find her.”

  “And when you did?”

  “She'd give me a kiss. We even had sex up against one of those piers late one night.”

  “Oh, that sounds fun. And probably illegal. We need to get your ass off this beach. Too many memories. I heard you bought a new plane. Wanna go to Vegas tonight?”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, seriously. Why the fuck not?”

  “I have to work tomorrow. I have meetings. You have a meeting with Keatyn.”

  “Shit, that’s right,” she says. “Let's go back to my house, get high, and play video games.”

  I smile at her and take off running. Then I tell her, “You might just be the best date I've ever had.”

  Vanessa’s Estate - Holmby Hills

  VANESSA

  Dawson drives me home, gives me an awkward goodbye, then pulls off in that fucking red Ferrari.

  What is it with a red Ferrari that makes a man . . .