Web of Lies: A Brook Brothers Novel

by Delaney, Tracie

  Dex dragged her gaze away from Nate to glance back at Bernard, tensed for an explosion when she caught his expression. Bernard’s forehead was scored with a deep scowl.

  “I can’t see you today, Nate. I’m busy, and we don’t have an appointment.”

  Nate stepped into the room. Right next to her. The sleeve of his shirt brushed her bare arm. A rash of goosebumps appeared, from pleasure rather than a chill. His fingers touched hers so lightly, she might have imagined it.

  “I’m not here to see you. I’ve come to take your assistant to lunch.”

  “You have?” She quickly slammed down on the spike of hope. It was probably so he could let her down gently. Tell her he’d made a mistake about New York and put an end to their relationship.

  Relationship? Pah. A weekend of hot fucking more like.

  He pushed his sunglasses on top of his head. “Yep.”

  “She’s too busy,” Bernard interjected, even though his eyes narrowed with curiosity. “Hasn’t done half the stuff I asked for this week which, considering she’s costing me fifteen percent more, I should get fifteen percent more output.”

  “She’s entitled to a lunch break.” Nate’s smooth voice brooked no argument. “I’ll have her back by two-fifteen.”

  Bernard grunted. “She’d better be.”

  Nate’s warm hand pressed against the small of her back, and he eased her from Bernard’s office.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered as Nate closed the door with a quiet click. At least he didn’t slam it, although that wasn’t Nate’s style. He was more the silent assassin type.

  “Um, taking you to lunch?” He grinned. “Didn’t I just say that?”

  Dex planted her hands on her hips. “I haven’t seen you all week, and then you turn up here. I’m on the edge with Bernard, Nate. You know how important this job is to me.”

  His hand curved around the back of her neck, and he bent his head, stealing a quick kiss. “Missed you, too, Titch. Now can we go?”

  She refused to show any humorous reaction, even though she wanted to jump in the air. He’s missed me.

  “You are an annoying little shit.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “After last weekend, you know there’s nothing little about me.” He grabbed her purse, handed it to her, and slung a casual arm around her shoulder. “How about Thai? There’s a half-decent place right around the corner. They’re fast, too, which considering we only have,” he checked his watch, “fifty-six minutes, we’d better get a move on.”

  Dex found herself being propelled toward the elevator, her short legs struggling to keep up with Nate’s loping strides. As they spilled outside into the bright sunshine, he dropped his sunglasses back in place. Hiding his eyes gave him a more enigmatic appearance. On the short walk to the restaurant, her hand inside his, she must have counted at least ten women giving him the eye. Jealousy surged through her, like a swollen river following a torrential downpour. Oh, she was so screwed. If innocent looks from passersby garnered such a strong reaction, how would she feel when Nate moved on—because he would. Nate Brook was a player, a guy who liked to eat from a buffet. He was all about new and exciting and variety. The minute she became old and dull, he’d be gone

  Nate secured them a table in a quiet part of the restaurant. He’d been recognized, although no one approached them. The area surrounding her office was full of casting agencies and scouts, and so seeing actors in the vicinity wasn’t an unusual occurrence.

  They ordered lunch—the two-course special that their server assured them was part of the fifteen-minute guarantee—and a bottle of water, because, well… work. Dex would have preferred to slug back a large glass of wine, but given Bernard’s mood, and her tenuous position, water was the safer option.

  “Bernard’s still being a dick, I see,” Nate said with a carefree grin.

  Dex shrugged. “I can handle Bernard.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

  Silence fell between them. Dex fiddled with the tablecloth as Nate’s keen gaze raked her face.

  “What’s the matter, Titch?”

  She shouldn’t have said anything. She should have kept her mouth shut, like a good little girl, smiled, and told him she was fine. Fine was a good word, right? Especially to a man. The male of the species was comfortable with fine.

  But she didn’t. Instead, she made a complete and utter fool of herself with a diatribe she couldn’t have remembered afterward, even if someone put a gun to her head.

  “Have you changed your mind about New York? If you have, then we need to sort out how the fuck I’m going to pay you back. Jennifer called me. She’s the manager of the home, in case you didn’t know. She told me my arrears have been cleared. So if New York is off, then A, you should have had the courtesy to tell me and you didn’t, which makes you a bastard, and B, I need to pay you back. And before you say a word, I know I said pay you back twice. I know, okay, but, well, fuck… And I know last weekend probably didn’t mean a thing to you, but I’m not in the habit of jumping into bed with strangers, pouring out all my troubles because of their superior sexing skills, and then have them come up with some sort of a… a… an indecent proposal that they then don’t allow one party to pay their half.”

  She gulped in some air, damned sure all those words had come out on one single breath. Where was the water? Her mouth was dry as a cracker. She looked around for their server while shredding a napkin that she couldn’t remember picking up.

  “Dex.”

  She couldn’t face him. Didn’t want to hear the truth spill from those delicious lips that had touched every single inch of her. Wouldn’t allow him to shatter her hopes for something more between them.

  “Dex. Either fucking look at me or I’m gonna do something that’ll embarrass you a whole lot more.”

  She snapped her eyes to his. Nate didn’t have the embarrassment gene, so she had no doubt he’d follow through on his threat. The details of what it could entail was anyone’s guess, but she wasn’t about to test him.

  “I haven’t changed my mind about New York.”

  “You haven’t?” Her voice came out more like a squeak.

  “No.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’ve been pulling sixteen-hour days. We’re up against a deadline to get the latest episode of my show in the can. I haven’t had time to do anything except work, sleep, and eat.”

  Her face burned. “Oh.” She dropped the ribbons of paper that used to be a napkin onto the table and stared at her now-empty hands.

  “That’s partly why I called round today, actually.” A pause. A sigh. A curse. “Will you fucking look at me.”

  She slowly lifted her chin.

  “What on earth is wrong with you?”

  Nothing. Apart from the fact I’m falling too deep, too fast, and I’m going to bear the scars for a lifetime.

  “I’m sorry. For ranting. It’s been a stressful week.”

  Nate leaned forward and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “It’s all good, Titch.”

  Their soup arrived, preventing her from reacting to the tender moment. The server also set down a jug of water Dex had needed five minutes ago. The minute her glass was full, she downed it in one.

  “Thirsty?” Nate asked with an eyebrow arch and an amused smirk.

  She ignored him and instead dug into her soup. The flavor hit her taste buds, and she made an appreciative noise. Best. Soup. Ever.

  “Stop taunting me. It’s mean.”

  “I like taunting you, though.”

  She stuck out her tongue. His eyes flared.

  “Point that in my direction again and I’m sucking on it.”

  A sound came out of her that was a cross between a gasp and a snort. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  He bent his head to the left and licked his top lip. “Oh, Titch.”

  Desire curled in the pit of her stomach. There was something so decadent about Nate, and she couldn’t get enough. He would corru
pt her. That wasn’t in doubt. Up for question was to what extent.

  She cleared her throat. “So, you were saying, about why you came by.”

  He laughed. “Was I?”

  Dex pouted. “Stop it.”

  He nodded at her bowl. “Eat your soup.”

  She growled, which had him laughing harder. She almost inhaled the rest of her appetizer. Dropping her spoon, she gestured with a flourish. “Ta-da.”

  Nate finished at a much more leisurely pace. By the time he pushed his bowl to one side, she was almost fizzing with anticipation and a healthy dose of annoyance.

  “Enough, already. What’s going on, Nate?”

  He gave her an innocent stare. “What, I can’t take you out for lunch?”

  “You’re playing games.”

  He rested back in his chair and dropped his napkin beside his bowl. “I wanted to see you. I needed to eat. It seemed like a good idea to do both things simultaneously. Plus…” He shifted in his chair. Jesus, Nate Brook actually looked uncomfortable. Her skin prickled. “We’re doing a night shoot tonight. It’ll probably finish about two a.m. I wondered if you wanted to swing by the set, and maybe after, we could grab a bite to eat and you could come back to my place.”

  Her mouth fell open. Actually dropped almost to the table, like a scene from a cartoon. “You want me to come… to come…”

  He beckoned to her and whispered, “Yes, I want you to come and come and come, but not until I’ve finished work.”

  Intense heat almost burned the skin off her face. Nate was so comfortable with dirty talk. She had some serious catching up to do.

  “I’ll text you the details of where you need to go. Security will direct you when you get there, and then I’ll come fetch you. Deal?”

  Railroaded yet thrilled, she nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  Chapter 11

  Dex stopped the car at the security gate. She gave her name to the guard, who checked down a list, nodded, then gave her directions where to park. The red-and-white striped barrier lifted, allowing her access onto the set. It felt odd being there, especially as she’d done her best to avoid all things Hollywood since coming to Los Angeles in search of a better life for Mom.

  She turned left at the end of the road. A yellow sign with large black lettering that read ‘Visitors’ told her she was in the right place.

  Where was Nate? He said he’d be there to greet her, but apart from a few people hanging about with clipboards and various filming paraphernalia, she couldn’t see him.

  Cutting the engine, she sat for a moment and took a deep breath. Being invited here by Nate felt like a shift in their relationship, as if the tectonic plates were grinding together, and she wasn’t sure whether the earth moving beneath her feet was something to cling to or run from.

  A tap on her window startled her. Nate’s winter-blue eyes and white-toothed grin peered through the glass, drawing a happy smile from her. He opened the door.

  “Come on, Titch. I’ll show you around.”

  She took her keys out of the ignition and then climbed out of the car. Locking it behind her, she slipped her hand inside Nate’s.

  “I’ve never been on a set before.”

  Nate began walking toward a huge building that resembled an aircraft hangar. “It’s not nearly as glamorous as you might think. This job is ninety-five percent hanging around and five percent acting.”

  He pushed open a door and gestured for her to go ahead. “Let’s get some caffeine in you, and then I’ll take you through to where we’re shooting tonight’s scene.” He strode to the far side of the building, waved at a couple technicians who were unwinding an enormous reel of cable, and then opened another door that led into a kitchen.

  A few people were sitting at a table drinking coffee and chatting. One of them Dex recognized as Nate’s co-star. She racked her brains trying to remember her name but came up empty. She rarely watched TV, and had only tuned into Nate’s show because, well, Nate was in it. If asked to recall the storylines, or who the other actors were would result in an epic fail.

  “This is Dex,” Nate said. “You fuckers—be nice. She’s coming on set tonight for the shoot.”

  “Hey, Dex,” his co-star said. “I’m Sharla. Sadly for me, I have to work with this prick five, sometimes six days per week.”

  Nate threw a sugar sachet at Sharla, hitting her square on the side of her head. She laughed and threw it back, her aim not nearly as true.

  “Ignore her,” Nate said, flinging one arm around Dex’s shoulder while pouring coffee into two paper cups with his free hand. “She loves me really.”

  Sharla snorted, but her eyes twinkled. Dex took to her immediately.

  They finished their coffee, and Nate got to his feet. “Come on, Titch.” He pointed his finger at Sharla. “Don’t be late. I want to be out of here by two at the latest.”

  She gestured dismissively. “Yeah, yeah.”

  Nate led her around the back of the building, and she was almost blinded by the number of lights. Although it was dark, it might as well have been daytime. And so many people wandering about with cameras, microphones, cables. It was like a community all of its own.

  Nate grabbed her a chair and set it up against a false wall. It wasn’t long before he was called away, so after a final check she was okay, he wandered over to the director.

  Dex took out her phone and sent her sister a text, along with a picture of the set. Not that it would be exciting for Elva. She’d visited sets in the past. Still, it was nice to share this moment with her. She needed to tell her that their money worries were fixed, too—at least for now—although Dex was determined to pay Nate back. Accompanying him on a trip to New York—that he was insisting on paying for—did not make them equal. Whatever he thought.

  She slipped her phone into her pocket and tried to spot Nate. She couldn’t see him, though. Nate hadn’t been joking when he’d said there was a lot of hanging around. And then an excited buzz went around as people started moving into position. A tall, thin guy ambled toward a car, holding a huge boom. It looked heavier than him, although he wielded it like a pro.

  And then Nate appeared, his arm wrapped around Sharla’s waist. She was looking up at him, her face lit with desire. Nate drew to a halt. His lips moved, but she couldn’t hear his lines from this far away. The director gesticulated, and Nate bent his head, taking Sharla’s mouth in a passionate kiss.

  Jealousy slammed into her, and her stomach hardened. It didn’t matter that what they were doing was only make believe. She couldn’t help it. He was like a book she’d loaned from the library. Hers to thumb through, to hold, to pore over, but eventually, her time would be up, and she’d have to return him.

  She wanted to turn away but found herself staring, almost like watching an accident about to happen. It was impossible to tear her gaze away. Then she heard a faint voice yell “Cut”. Nate broke away from Sharla, and the two co-stars shared a few words.

  And it was then she heard someone mention Nate. Coming from behind the false wall. A guy speaking. She held her breath, her ears on high alert.

  “Did you see that girl with Nate? Talk about deviating from his usual fuck.”

  A snort, followed by, “Understatement of the century,” from a second guy.

  “Poor cow. I bet she hasn’t got a clue.”

  “Yeah, although I bet it brought Sharla to heel. She might be more willing to spread her legs for him now.”

  Laughs. Lots of laughs. At her expense.

  Dex dug her fingernails into her palms. Pure rage had black and white dots appearing in her vision. She barely heard the rest of their conversation because one line kept playing on repeat.

  I bet it brought Sharla to heel.

  No wonder that kiss had looked so real. It was fucking real, at least from Nate’s perspective. It seemed as though her part in this little charade was to make his co-star jealous. She must be resisting him, and so Nate decided to up the ante.

  A painful tightn
ess constricted her throat, her breath coming in shallow little gulps. She scrambled to her feet. For one brief moment, she considered storming over to where the director was setting up the next shoot and kneeing Nate right in the balls. And maybe stomp on them for good measure. She’d bet he wouldn’t be able to fuck Sharla—or anyone—for quite a while after that.

  Instead, she quietly slipped away. Five minutes later, she reached her car. Relieved she hadn’t gotten lost on the way, she climbed inside, took a few moments to rest her head against the steering wheel while she waited for her tears to recede, and then quietly pulled out of the car lot.

  Chapter 12

  “Cut.”

  Nate broke away from Sharla and gave her a reproachful frown. “Garlic again? You’re such a bitch.”

  She laughed. “I can’t stay away from the things I like to eat, Nate. Even if I do adore you.”

  Nate grinned. “Remember, two can play at that game.”

  She spread her arms wide. “Bring it.”

  “When you least expect it, sweetheart.”

  She laughed again, linking her arm through his as they walked over to their next marker. “So, Dex is the special one then?”

  Nate frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Sure you do. I’ve been working with you for two years, Nate. You’ve never brought a woman to set. Not once.”

  He shrugged. “She’s different. Fun. I like her.”

  “Then try not to fuck it up.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he said, his voice dripping sarcasm as he sought out where he’d left Dex. Except she wasn’t there. He scanned around, but he couldn’t see her.

  “Where the hell is she?” he said, more to himself than Sharla. He poked his head behind the fake wall she’d been sitting in front of. No sign.

  “Relax,” Sharla said. “Maybe she’s gone to the restroom.”

  “How long do we have before shooting the next scene?”

  “Five seconds,” Jonathan, their director said, appearing by Nate’s shoulder.