by J Darcy
The Golden Boy
An Enemies-to-Lovers Celebrity Romance: The Hollywood Chronicles Book 2
J. Darcy
Copyright © 2020 J. Darcy
The Golden Boy by J. Darcy
An Enemies-to-Lovers Celebrity Romance (The Hollywood Chronicles Book 2)
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:
[email protected]
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Upcoming Books by J. Darcy
Books In This Series
About The Author
Foreword
The Golden Boy can be read as a standalone novel, but Book 1 of the Hollywood Chronicles, The Golden Rule, will give you your first glance into Cade and Kellie's love story!
Make sure to check out The Golden Rule: An Enemies-to-Lovers Office Romance Novella!
Brady Lane is overworked and overwhelmed. As a major executive at a film studio in Hollywood, managing movies from script to screen requires more hours than humanly possible. Thankfully for Brady, he loves his job, even if one woman has made that work difficult.
Elsie Watson is a passionate publicist with an eye for talent and a sassy mouth that is always ready to put Brady in his place. The two of them in the same room are like oil and water—they simply don’t mix.
In fact, their constant bickering and rivalry over the course of six years has made Brady break his one golden rule:
Don’t fight with women.
With Elsie, it’s too easy.
As they prepare for a three-premiere press tour for their latest film, Brady finds their sexual tension too much to handle. When it boils over in the form of a furiously hot kiss, he knows he’s in trouble.
Suddenly, there’s a lot more that he wants to do than fight with Elsie.
Read The Golden Rule here.
Prologue
A YEAR AND A HALF AGO
Cade Campbell was irritable. He should have been celebrating the culmination of nearly four months of shooting his latest movie, Kingdom Creatures. He should have been celebrating an open bar with specialty cocktails named after his spy-action-hero character Bode Bailey. He should have been celebrating the prospect of nearly two months off before he began filming his next movie, A Fiery Heart.
Instead, he was perched at a table away from the cast and crew who helped make Kingdom Creatures a reality, sucking down a Bode Black Russian. What poor production assistant was tasked with tossing character names in front of corresponding cocktails? Would Cade suck it up and have a Bailey Bellini before the evening was over?
At the rate he was going, probably. He downed the rest of the brown liquor in his cup, wincing as the sugary sweet maraschino cherry tickled his tongue, and proceeded to force the glass onto the tray of a passing waiter. As the blur of white and black disappeared from his view, he let his gaze focus on the one thing—the one person—who had captivated his entire evening.
Who was he kidding? It was more like the last four months.
With auburn waves and bright green eyes and a smile that promised to knock the wind out of him, Kellie Allen was a sight to be seen. And given her rise from a relatively unknown theater performer to the hottest young actress in Hollywood, Cade wasn’t the only person practically hypnotized by her too.
Kingdom Creatures was their second film together. She played an agent trainee in the film, with her character learning how to be a spy from Cade’s. Since Bode Bailey was an eternal bachelor, Cade and Kellie didn’t see their characters riding off into the sunset together.
But they had shared a kiss.
That kiss sat heavy in Cade’s mind. It was nearly three weeks since they shot the scene, tucked under an overpass in Budapest, Hungary, dressed in leather and tactical gear. They had just defeated the bad guys. The world could rejoice. But first, Kellie’s character Melody had to lean in and press a delicate kiss on Cade’s lips.
He still kept himself awake, thinking about her small hands on his chest, her soft lips on his. It was fucked up too—it was acting. They were literally paid to do this. Cade had been acting for nearly two decades, starting off as a child actor on one of those cringey teen soap operas. In his entire career, he had never been, well, enchanted by a kiss from a co-star.
It was starting to wreck him. Especially with the knowledge that Kellie would be his co-star in his next film, A Fiery Heart. They were playing lovers separated by wealth and status.
Fuck him. How the hell was he supposed to spend another six months filming and doing a press junket with that beautiful woman? It was surely a recipe for disaster.
Especially since Kellie was new to Hollywood. She started in theater. She had a passion for acting, whether on the stage or in front of the camera. She had yet to be destroyed by her agent, or tabloids, or the brutal behavior of fans on social media.
Cade? Well, Cade would be the proverbial dark cloud over her ray of sunshine. Sure, they were friendly—they had to be after nearly two films together. But even if part of Cade wanted something more, or at least the chance to try it out, he had no business chasing sunshine.
She was simply too fucking good for him.
“You know, I tried the Bailey Bellini, but I think I prefer the Melody Mojito. Definitely better than the Casper Cable Car,” a cheerful voice announced, referring to the cocktail named after the movie’s villain, “But that’s probably because I don’t like spiced rum.”
Cade didn’t like spiced rum either. This woman was perfect.
“Kellie.” He cleared his throat and motioned to one of the empty chairs at his very empty table, “Would you like to join me?”
With a smile and nod, Kellie sat in the chair beside her, her soft pink dress dancing across her legs as she adjusted herself. Once comfortable, she looked at him, both her eyes and her lips smiling. “Why are you sitting by yourself? This is the wrap party, you know. It’s where we all hold hands and reminisce about our time together.”
Around her, he probably wouldn’t admit it, but Cade was a loner. He was far more content to sit on his own, watching the party happen, than to socialize with anyone attending. Plus, he had spent four months with these people. Wasn’t that enough?
Apparently, he vocalized that sentiment, because he managed to make Kellie laugh. “Well, fair enough, but there’s music and food and alcohol. All the ingredients needed to throw an excellent party.”
Cade motioned to the plastic plate in front of him, a few shrimp tails and half of some crostini thing remaining. “I indulged. I had some food. Had a far too sweet Black Russian.” He shook his head and laughed, “We all made the movie. Why would they think a Black Russian is the best drink to give my character?”
Kellie shrugged, a grin splayed across her pink lips. “I’m sure it was just the alliteration.” She paused, suddenly thoughtful, before asking: “What do you think his signature drink would be?”
“Well, he’s a spy, so maybe something Bond-like. A
martini. Or something low maintenance. Like… a gin and tonic. Or a whiskey sour. An old-fashioned.”
She giggled, apparently taken by his suggestions. “I see. So, anything that screams ‘I’m a man’, right?” When he nodded, she continued, “I think Bode had a soft side. Like maybe a nice sangria would do it. A daiquiri, maybe.”
“Do you like frozen drinks?” He had no idea why he was asking her that. Except for storing the information away in his brain, so he could happily dig it out in the future to make her smile or laugh or even just look at him.
“I do. I love all things icy. My dessert of choice as a child was popsicles.”
He just laughed. “Seriously? Over the other options? Cake, ice cream, brownies…You picked popsicles?”
Kellie shrugged. “I grew up in Florida. It was hot.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, before Cade found himself unable to control his mouth. Because he had a thought, and suddenly, he was speaking it.
“Should we go find some popsicles?”
If he were a betting man, he would have sworn that Kellie would laugh at him, politely brush him off, and then rejoin their other co-stars to enjoy the wrap party.
He never would have guessed that she would instead smile and nod.
◆◆◆
As they walked along the London street, he found himself eternally thankful that their final two weeks of filming had been on a soundstage in London, instead of on the busy streets of Budapest. While the city was beautiful, everything was in Hungarian, and he imagined that locating a popsicle would have been far more difficult without the aid of the English language.
Cade couldn’t help but look at her as they walked along the historical streets, her pink dress dancing with every step she took. Bits of auburn hair had escaped her updo, but she still looked remarkably put together even in the late evening hours.
The next two months of break would be good. It would give him a chance to get over whatever silly crush or infatuation he had on this woman. And, considering their next film together had them playing lovers, setting some boundaries for his treacherous heart was absolutely necessary.
“What are you doing?” He found himself saying. When she glanced over to him, clearly confused by the question, he followed with, “You know, before we start shooting.”
Kellie’s already happy face transformed into a smile. Evidently, whatever she was doing had her excited. “Well, I’m going on a month-long yoga retreat to Bali. I’m taking my mom and my sister. It’s going to be so much fun.”
A month of yoga? Well, if Cade needed any further proof of why he was bad for this woman, it was exactly that. His idea of a good workout was destroying a punching bag and flipping a tire until his thighs burned. But Kellie…
Well, she liked to meditate and think peaceful thoughts.
“That sounds fun.” He said instead, still watching her, “Both the trip and the family time.”
“It is! I’m actually flying from here.” She hummed and held her phone to her stomach. “Then, when I get back to New York, I’ll take the month to catch up on some reading and personal goals.”
Ah, the reasons kept piling. She lived in New York. He lived in LA. She liked to read. He… read summaries on Netflix before starting a new show.
As if he needed more reasons for why this separation was good.
Especially since he left a party with an open bar to get her a fucking popsicle.
“Well, I hope you have an amazing time,” He suggested, as they approached the brightly lit façade of a convenience store, “And I really hope this place sells popsicles.”
Kellie just grinned at him, her eyes alight with mischief. “I guess we’ll just have to find out.”
They entered the shop like a pair of Tasmanian devils, grabbing whatever caught their attention. Cade gladly accepted packages of snacks and candies and a four-pack of some local brew from Kellie’s quick hands, following her down every aisle she skipped along. Finally, once they reached the freezers, Kellie looked at the plastic tubes of icy goodness and turned to him, her smile devastatingly bright.
“No shortage of popsicles. What flavor?”
Cade glanced into the freezer, his eyes skirting across the rainbow of options. “I like blue.”
Kellie laughed and pulled the drawer open, momentarily assaulting both of them with the cool air. She turned back to him, her eyes playful. “Cade, I know actors aren’t usually the smartest bulbs in the box, but blue is a color. Not a flavor.”
He reached over her and grabbed the blue tube. “I take offense to that. Some of us went to Ivy League schools.”
“Did you?”
Cade laughed. “As if. I’m just defending our livelihood.” He watched as Kellie grabbed a few more popsicles from the freezer and added, “Plus, if it’s a sugary treat like a popsicle, color is equal to flavor.”
“So, what’s blue then?” She asked, reading the label but keeping it away from his gaze. “What’s the flavor?”
He pursed his lips. “Well, I’d guess like…Blue raspberry.”
With a smirk, Kellie glanced at the plastic wrapper, before looking back to him. “Nope. Try again.”
He cursed. “Uh…” He ran a hand through his hair, struggling to name another blue favor. “Blueberry?”
Kellie grinned. “Negative.”
“I got nothing.”
She laughed and handed him the popsicle. “Fruit Punch.”
Cade was aghast. “Fruit Punch? Fruit Punch is always red! Not blue!”
Kellie just smirked and strolled towards the cashier. “I guess you should rely on flavor then, not color.”
Instead of arguing, Cade simply paid for all their goods and grabbed the bag. With a wave, they skipped out, like a pair of children ready to feast on whatever sweets they stole from their grandmother’s pantry. Only when they returned to the historic streets of the city did Cade stop and turn to her, one thought heavy on his mind.
“Where should we eat this stuff?”
Kellie stopped her cheerful strides and turned to him, her smile wide. “I don’t know. You don’t want to return to the party?”
It was a humorous thought. “No. Not at all.”
“We could go back to my room?”
The nervous edge to her voice, combined with the meaning of her words, sent butterflies straight to his stomach. He cleared his throat and nodded.
“Yeah. The hotel. Let’s do that.”
◆◆◆
After a quiet taxi ride back to the hotel they had been staying in for the past two weeks, Cade’s head was all over the place. What the hell was he doing? Who did he think he was, playing hooky from his wrap party, following his beautiful co-star around like a lovestruck buffoon?
He had no business staring at her porcelain skin or her emerald eyes or that frustratingly pretty shade of auburn that colored her soft, wavy hair.
But that was nothing compared to watching her laugh. From eagerly chomping away on her popsicle, Kellie’s tongue had turned an unnatural shade of red, one that matched the ridiculousness of the bright shade of blue coloring his own. They had settled on the pair of loveseats in her suite, their goodies from the convenience store spread across an elegant wood coffee table.
Cade had happily ripped into a bag of chips—or crisps, as the British called them—savoring the sweet, cold rush of the popsicle with the salty, crunch of each bite of the snack. Kellie seemed far more interested in the sweets, considering once her popsicle was finished, she reached for some chocolate bar that he had never heard of.
“This was a good choice.” Kellie began, before pausing to chew on the chocolate square, “For a party, there was a huge lack of food around.”
“Not a fan of cocktail shrimp or salmon pâté?” The way she cringed had him smiling like a lunatic, “Or are you the starlet that only eats kale and quinoa?”
Kellie rolled her eyes and made a display of eating her next piece of chocolate. “What do you think?” She retorted, befo
re reaching for one of the bags of chips, “And I’m not a starlet!”
Cade laughed. “Touchy much?” He finished his bag of chips and leaned back, watching her eat her own, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know,” She began, her voice suddenly sounding small, “I just…That implies I just care about fame, you know?” With a shake of her head, she added, “And I don’t. I know it sounds silly and cliché but I’m acting because I love to do it. Not because I have any aspirations to be famous.”
“And you’re good at it.”
“You think I’m good at it?”
He rolled his eyes. “We just finished our second film together. Believe me, if you weren’t, I’d have gotten rid of you long ago.”
At his words, she laughed and leaned forward, pressing her knees to his. “You would have gotten rid of me? Pray, do tell how that would have worked!”
Cade just shrugged, a knowing smirk across his lips. “People listen to me. I’m kind of a big deal.”
Kellie leaned forward, her bright green eyes drawing him in. Only when she was mere inches from his face did she stop moving, a shy smile on her lips. “Well, Mr. Big Deal,” She began, her eyes dropping to his mouth, “Did you know you have a blue tongue?”
Well, fuck him. He wasn’t sure if it was the stupid cocktails he downed at the party, or the tantalizing way her pink lips shined in the moonlight, but for a moment, he thought she was going to kiss him. Maybe that meant he was stupid, or naïve, or just a major dick, but now it was all he could think about.
Those soft, pink lips touching his…
For real, this time. No script supervisor, watching from the sidelines, marking which hand he caressed her cheek with. No director standing by the camera, yelling cut when he was satisfied with their take. No makeup artist on standby, ready to reapply a coat of shiny gloss to her beautifully kissed lips.