Humbling the Spoiled Billionaire

by Stephanie Street

  He caved, however, as soon as she asked about the apartment and now his pulse pounded at the idea of being her neighbor as well as her co-star. Her co-star. Something that still hadn’t quite sunk in. He’d have to be on his guard.

  “What’s to talk about?” he asked, just to be difficult.

  “Are you going to do it?”

  Carter hesitated again. He’d spent the better part of the evening going over the contract the studio’s legal team had emailed him. He forwarded a copy to his own lawyer, but Carter knew enough about contracts to look through it himself. There hadn’t been any surprises. He’d signed it and set it aside.

  The only thing holding him back was the fact he hadn’t had a chance to discuss the matter with his father or his brother. He parked in Chris’s driveway about five minutes into his conversation with Harley. When Chris poked his head out the garage door a few minutes later, Carter held up a finger before gesturing to the phone in his hand. Chris scowled, but went back inside. There was no getting out of it now, he’d have to talk to his brother.

  “Yes.”

  Harley exhaled loudly. “I can’t believe this. Stephen’s impulsive and a bit unorthodox, but this? This is crazy.”

  “I spoke with him earlier. He sent me a contract and I signed it.”

  “Brent was furious,” she murmured.

  Not surprising. But the thought of her having to deal with a furious Brent gave Carter pause.

  “Did he give you a hard time about it?”

  Harley snorted. “Yes. He blamed me for everything. Said if I were a better actor this would never have happened.”

  Carter heard the hurt in her voice. “Maybe if he was a better actor. Or a better person. I wouldn’t worry about Brent. Stephen has a lot of faith in you, Harley. And Brent will get over it.” Professionally, the man had no choice, but personally, Carter wondered.

  The thought of Brent taking his frustrations out on Harley made him glad he’d offered her the apartment. Not only would Carter be able to keep an eye on her on set, but after hours, too. He wanted to ask her if she was okay, if she was safe, but he worried she’d be offended. Should he care? If she was in danger, what difference did it make if she got angry with him?

  “It wasn’t just him, though. Missy accused me of trying to ruin her.”

  That was weird. Why would her mother be worried about Brent? Harley hadn’t lost her starring role, just switched co-stars.

  “I’m sorry this has been so difficult for you. I had no idea this would happen when I walked out there this morning.”

  “I know. I’m not upset with you.”

  “Do you want to talk about Brent’s behavior today? That wasn’t the first time I’ve seen him handle you harshly.”

  Harley paused and Carter wondered if he’d made her angry. He almost didn’t care. She didn’t deserve for anyone to treat her the way Brent had.

  “I told you, it’s complicated,” she finally whispered.

  “It’s not complicated, Harley. He shouldn’t touch you like that.” And why would you let him? he wanted to ask.

  “I should let you go,” she said.

  Carter swore under his breath and sighed.

  “Got any pointers for me before tomorrow?” he asked knowing their conversation about Brent was finished. For now.

  “Nope. I think we already established you’re a natural.”

  “What about lines? I haven’t seen a single page of script.” He wouldn’t tell her, but he was nervous about that part. Acting possessive and protective of Harley came as naturally as breathing. Spouting lines? He wasn’t so sure.

  “Don’t worry about that. As long as you’re in the ball park, no one will care. And as of tomorrow, we all have to learn the new scenes, so you won’t be alone in not knowing what you’re doing.”

  “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.”

  Harley laughed. “I really should go. We both have a big day tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. I’ll try not to embarrass you.” He was being funny. Mostly.

  “You won’t embarrass me.”

  They were both silent after that. Carter felt reluctant to end their conversation. But unless she confided in him what was really going on between her and Brent, all he could do was be her friend.

  “Goodnight, Harley.”

  “Wait.”

  “Yeah?”

  She didn’t say anything right away. When she finally did, Carter felt stunned by her question.

  “Why didn’t you ask Chris for my number? You could have called.” The words were rushed as though she’d debated asking them, and then forced them passed her lips before she lost her nerve.

  Carter knew what she asked. Why didn’t he try harder? She turned him down after the most amazing kiss he’d ever experienced and he just let her. It wasn’t like him. He could have done any number of things to try and woo her. Flowers. Candy. He had the resources to employ every lavish gesture he could think of, but he hadn’t.

  Why?

  He wondered himself. He’d thought about it almost constantly for months after. A woman had never consumed him so thoroughly. Harley, though, was unforgettable. Maybe that was the problem. He felt too much. Carter didn’t like admitting he was afraid of anything, but the emotions he’d felt that night with Harley scared the daylights out of him. In some ways, he’d been relieved she rejected him, but his heart knew better. It ached for her.

  So, he told her.

  “My heart couldn’t withstand being rejected by you one more time,” he paused, surprised at his own honesty. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Carter disconnected the call before she could respond. He shouldn’t have admitted that to her, but he didn’t regret it. She should know the truth.

  A fist pounded on his window making Carter jump. He gave his brother a dirty look before opening his door.

  “Dude, what is your problem?”

  Chris stood with his arms crossed over his chest. For once, he wasn’t envious of his older brother’s superior stature. Over the last year, by leaps and bounds, he’d finally caught up to Chris in the muscle department. He didn’t feel inferior physically because now he had muscles of his own.

  “My problem is my brother camping out in my driveway. The curiosity’s been killing me, you big jerk.”

  Carter leaned back against the car door and rolled his eyes. “Marriage has turned you into a girl.”

  Chris’s lips twitched. “It’s not Oakley. It’s Oakley and Cam. All they do is talk. And watch reality shows. They’ve got me streaming The Bachelor, for crying out loud.”

  Carter shook his head with feigned disappointment and held out his hand. “Hand it over right now.”

  Chris frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your man card. I’m afraid I’m going to have to confiscate it.”

  Chris smacked Carter’s hand away, hitting him hard enough it stung, but Carter just laughed. “It’s not funny, man. I’ve been watching reruns of old games just to keep producing testosterone.”

  “You are so gone over that girl it isn’t even funny.”

  Chris grunted, but he didn’t deny Carter’s words. “Come on, what’s going on? You never just stop by in the middle of the week.”

  “Sure, I do.” He didn’t.

  Chris leveled him with a look that was all too familiar between brothers, one that said I’m going to pound you in point two seconds if you don’t start talking.

  “Okay, okay. Jeez.” The trouble was Carter had no idea where to start. He’d had an idea earlier, one he figured would ensure his brother wouldn’t wait the point two seconds to flatten him, but he didn’t know what else to do.

  “Stephen Berg offered me a role in Brave and Bold today.” Might as well just cut to the chase.

  Chris blinked. “A role. Like a bit part?”

  Carter shook his head. “No. The lead.”

  Chris blinked again. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m hearing you correctly. Did you just say Stephen Berg o
ffered you the lead in his movie? The one he came to Denver to film?”

  Carter nodded.

  “Isn’t that part being played by Brent James?”

  “Not anymore.”

  Chris dropped his arms to his side. “You’re kidding me.”

  Carter shook his head. “I am not.”

  “But you aren’t an actor.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” Carter said, throwing his hands wide. “I’m not even sure how it happened. One minute I’m punching Brent James in the face and the next Stephen’s calling for an entire rewrite of the script and sending contracts to my email.”

  Chris’s eyes widened. “Whoa, whoa. You punched Brent in the face? On set? Are you crazy?”

  Carter ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. The whole thing was crazy. I don’t even understand it myself.”

  “You better start at the beginning.”

  And so that’s exactly what Carter did for the next ten minutes. He told Chris everything that happened.

  “Why would Stephen do that? The Brave and Bound movies are some of the highest grossing movies worldwide. Why would he take a chance like that on someone with absolutely no acting experience?”

  All Carter could do was shrug. It didn’t make any sense to him, either. At least not from a financial standpoint. Casting him was a huge risk. As a businessman, Carter thought Stephen Berg was completely off his rocker.

  But then he thought back to the conversation he’d had with Stephen earlier. When he remembered the fire and energy and excitement burning in Stephen’s eyes, Carter understood. Sort of. Enough at least to be willing to take a chance with the crazy director and see if they could do something kind of awesome.

  “Are you going to do it?” Chris asked.

  Every time Carter got asked that question, the conviction he was doing the right thing grew.

  “Yeah. I’m going to do it.”

  Chris exhaled loudly. “Wow. What about Bragg? Dad? He’s going to have a fit.”

  Things were about to get sticky. “Yeah, well, that’s where you come in.”

  “What? No. No, no, no.” Chris shook his head until even Carter was dizzy. “Absolutely not.”

  “I’ve already drafted the document requesting a leave of absence. You and I will deliver it to Dad tomorrow evening. I want to wait until I’ve had a day on set to figure out if this is really happening. You still own your share of Bragg Enterprises. Your position has remained, it’s just been vacant. All you have to do is show up. Claire’s looking for an assistant for you as we speak, but she’ll be available herself if you need anything. She can do my job with her hands tied behind her back. I’m basically a figurehead.” That wasn’t entirely true, but close enough.

  “Carter, I’m not doing it.”

  Carter stared into the face of his older brother. As far as people went, Chris was his favorite. He’d never looked up to or respected anyone the way he respected Chris. He’d tried to never resent the fact that he’d had to be the one to carry on the family name at Bragg Enterprises because Chris wanted to play football, but the fact remained that’s exactly what he’d done, taken the pressure off Chris allowing his older brother to pursue his dreams.

  “Chris, I’m asking you. I’ve never asked you for anything, but I am this time. Please.”

  Chris held his gaze for a long time. Carter watched his brother fight an internal battle he could only imagine. It had been Chris’s life mission to never get sucked into Bragg Enterprises. Chris never believed himself capable, calling himself a dumb jock, always telling everyone Carter was the smart brother.

  Carter never believed it. Chris had everything it took except the desire.

  “Oakley’s pregnant.”

  Carter grinned. He knew his brother wouldn’t let him down. “She has three more months. I’m not going to Timbuktu. I’ll still be here, in Denver. I have clients I’ll have to deal with. Look, you do this and it’ll take the heat off me with Dad. He’s been chomping at the bit for twenty years to get you off the football field and into the office.”

  Chris’s face twisted. He knew Carter had done the same for him. When Chris chose football over going to work with their father, every single time Carter stepped up, donned a shirt and tie and learned the family business.

  “Okay. I’ll do it-”

  “Yes!” Carter punched his fist in the air.

  “Half days and I’m not answering a single phone call or email for two weeks after the baby comes.”

  Carter nodded his agreement. It was more than he could have hoped. Chris had other responsibilities, Homes for Warriors being one of them. His position at Bragg would be mostly ornamental, anyway. Carter wasn’t joking about their father. Chris showing up to work, even for half the day, would make Martin forget Carter was off making a movie.

  “And you’re breaking the news to Oakley.”

  Carter’s grin turned into a scowl. “That’s just mean.”

  “Come on.” Chris started toward the house. “I’m surprised she hasn’t waddled out here yet.”

  “You better not let her hear you talking about her like that. Is Kaden still awake?”

  “Nope. But we do have cheesecake.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Harley arrived on set early after receiving a digital copy of the revised script to her email just before she left the hotel and spent the drive to Carter’s warehouses reading it over. By the time the car stopped, Harley’s cheeks were burning. They’d definitely amped up the romance between her and Carter’s character compared to what it had been with Mila and Damon.

  She found Carter right away standing with some of the stunt crew looking as though he fit right in. And not just physically, although, that was certainly true. They were talking and laughing. She stopped beside her chair and pretended to read through the script as she listened to their conversation.

  “Yeah, man, before last year it had been more than a decade since someone punched me. That first night at the gym, I thought I was going to die,” Carter said. The other guys doubled over with laughter. It didn’t help matters when Carter kept going. “Dude, I’m serious. It hurt so bad. Dom, my trainer, laughed just like you guys are doing right now. I swore up and down I was never going to go back.”

  Jason Mercer, the stunt coordinator, grinned knowingly. “Let me guess, you showed up the very next night?”

  Carter nodded. “Early. He just kept punching me. Made me mad. I promised myself I wouldn’t stop until I could get Dom on the ground.”

  “How long did it take?” one of the other stunt guys, Alec asked.

  Carter smirked. “Still going. Every night.”

  “Oh!” they all exclaimed, laughing.

  “Man, that’s messed up!”

  “Who is this Dom guy, anyway?”

  “Here we thought you were a good fighter!”

  Harley grinned. Carter took their ribbing well, laughing with them instead of getting offended.

  “Dude, Dom is the man. He fought professionally for ten years.”

  Jason’s brow creased. “Dom what? Have we heard of him?”

  “Maybe. His name is Hedges. Dominick Hedges.”

  The stunt guys stopped laughing.

  “Man, are you serious? You train with Dominick ‘The Brick’ Hedges? That guy is a legend.”

  “Yeah, well, his fists are. They don’t call him ‘The Brick’ for nothing.” Carter rubbed his chin for effect.

  Harley couldn’t help but think he’d won these guys over in thirty minutes while Brent still couldn’t remember any of their names. Jason’s lip curled with disgust anytime Brent walked into the room.

  “Oh. Hey, Harley’s here. Let’s get to work.” Jason slapped Carter on the back and the two of them made their way over to her while the rest of the guys stayed where they were still talking and laughing.

  “What’s up, Harls?” Jason held out his fist for knuckles.

  “You’re awful cheerful at seven in the morning.”
r />   Jason pumped his arms over his head like he lifted weights. “Endorphins.”

  Harley shook her head and tried not to stare at Carter. He’d shown up to work in a tight grey t-shirt and jogging pants. His dark blonde hair stuck up in every direction as though he’d just washed it and walked away. Which he probably had since the stylists were going to change everything anyway.

  He looked handsome.

  “What kind of torture do you have planned for us today?” Jason was the one in charge of choreographing all of the action shots. Before they began filming, Harley had worked with him for several hours a day learning each sequence. Now, everything would be different and she dreaded having to do all that work again.

  “Well, Stephen threw a wrench in everything for sure, but the good news is other than giving the part a new name and backstory, Carter’s just taking over Brent’s lines. The scenes are similar enough we can just run through them daily. Carter’s a fighter, so I think he’ll figure it out and for the harder stuff, I’ve let Stephen know how much time we need before filming and they’re figuring out the schedule now. It’ll be cake.”

  It wouldn’t, but Harley appreciated his positive attitude. The next couple of months would be hard, a lot of work. But it could have been worse. She’d begun to fear the lack of chemistry between herself and Brent would ruin the movie. Critics and movie lovers catch on to that sort of thing and rip films to shreds with terrible reviews. If the first movie tanked, it wouldn’t even be worth doing the next two.

  “So, I’ll be in touch and we’ll figure out when we’re going to rehearse and go from there. Okay?”

  Harley and Carter both nodded.

  “Great. I’ll be talking to you guys soon.” Jason walked away with a salute and headed back over to his crew leaving Harley and Carter alone by their directors chairs. She hadn’t been surprised to see he already had a chair with his name embroidered on the fabric. Stephen meant business.

  “Heard from Brent this morning?” Carter asked.