A shiver shot down my spine as my fingers moved to hold his jaw of their own volition. I didn’t want him to pull away. I wanted him to stay right there, right in front of me, blurring out the rest of the world as he kissed me breathless and made my mind go fuzzy.
I’d kissed more than my fair share of attractive men, and the occasional beautiful woman, because of my job. Some were better than others, but none was as good as Salinger. Including my ex. Erik kissed like he lived his life: selfish, rushed, and more worried about what was in it for him—rather than focusing on how he was making the person he was with feel. For him, it never mattered if I was in the mood or if I was looking for a kiss as a way of comfort and reassurance. To him, a kiss was either a photo-op or a precursor to sex that was also often unfulfilling and one-sided. There was no in between, and it sucked that it’d taken me years to realize the difference between a kiss that was for show and one that soothed the soul. This wasn’t even a kiss that had tongues tangling and breath mingling. It was a tame touch of lips, but somehow it made my skin tingle and blood buzz. I wasn’t sure if I wanted more or if I wanted to run far, far away.
I felt the tip of Salinger’s tongue touch the seam of my lips, and the damp little flick had me gasp in surprise. My fingernails dug into the side of his face, and I suddenly realized we had a captive audience that no longer included my ex. I pulled back and blinked up into his dark, amused eyes. I pulled my hand away but couldn’t put space between us because his hand was resting on my hip and holding me in place, pressed up against his wide, strong chest. He lifted a hand and rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip and lifted an eyebrow at me. Vaguely, I heard the sound of a woman sigh from somewhere over my shoulder.
My tongue darted out so I could lick my dry lips, and I heard a sound that was something close to a growl rumble from deep within his broad chest. This was not the cute kid who stole the hearts of millions all those years ago. This was a full-grown man who kissed like a pro and could seduce even the most reluctant with the smoldering look in his dark eyes. If he was dangerous when he was a teenager, there wasn’t a word for how much of a threat he could be now.
I pushed on his chest and silently urged him to give me some room. He stepped back, but didn’t fully let go of his hold on me. Realizing we were surrounded by curious eyes, I kept my gaze locked on his, frantically searching for a solution to the predicament I blindly launched myself into.
I wanted to shut Erik up and send him on his way feeling two-feet tall, but I hadn’t taken the time to think about the fall-out from my actions. I thought I’d moved past being someone who acted so recklessly. The young man standing in front of me was the catalyst for my decision to stop and think carefully before I did anything that might blow up in my face. Apparently, he was also the fuse that led to the powder keg of impulsivity.
I closed my eyes and swore under my breath as Salinger chuckled low in my ear. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before your ex comes back or we end up as breaking news.”
I snorted but allowed him to lead me through the crowd by the elbow. He had his phone in his other hand and was rapidly tapping out a message as he effortlessly dodged people who were purposely putting themselves in his path. “Oh, we’re gonna be the top story tomorrow. No question.”
What in the actual hell was I thinking?
Could one claim temporary insanity when it came to a kiss?
Lennon was going to have a field day once she found out about the chaos I’d unleashed this evening. I could see her smirk and hear her mocking tone already. Not that I didn’t deserve a tad bit of shaming. After all, I did try and fire her for ambushing me with the very boy I’d just locked lips with.
It was all a mess.
Once outside of the venue and through a maze of tents and security to protect us from the prying eyes of the press, Salinger led me to a sleek silver limo that was waiting. I was supposed to have my own car service pick me up and drop me back in Malibu, but I really didn’t want to wait around for them. Not only because of the ruckus kissing Salinger caused, but because there was still a chance I might run into Erik, and I’d used up every ounce of patience I had for him already.
Salinger waved off the driver and opened the door for me himself. He purposely placed himself in front of me so that when I slid inside, and the hem of my dress inched up, no one would get an eyeful. It was a surprisingly thoughtful gesture that didn’t track with the immature, thoughtless behavior I associated with him.
Once inside the car, I came face-to-face with another young man who looked downright furious. He was good looking in the same edgy, rebellious way Salinger was. He had very dark hair and very blue eyes that seemed to almost glow iridescent in the dark interior of the car. He wasn’t dressed as formally as Salinger but still looked sharp in a fitted pinstripe suit with a simple t-shirt underneath the jacket. He was tapping his finger on his thigh in a clearly irritated way and glared daggers at Salinger.
“Maren, this is my younger brother, Jeno. Jeno, meet Maren Copeland. We used to work together.” Salinger sounded amused, which only made the dark-haired man look even angrier as the car pulled into an insane amount of traffic.
“Uh, nice to meet you. I didn’t know you had a brother.” I felt like that was something that would’ve stuck in my memory. They didn’t really look anything alike aside from being heavily tattooed and in really good shape.
“I’m his former step-brother and his current business manager.” The guy lifted his dark eyebrows and asked, “Where can we drop you off?”
I didn’t want to have them take me all the way to Malibu since this escape was totally unplanned. I had an office space in downtown LA where I could hide until I called Arrow to come and get me and give me a ride home. I passed on the address and watched as Salinger grinned at his brother’s obvious ire. It was clear that I wasn’t the only one whose skin he liked to get under.
“Not that it matters now, but Piper showed up at the last minute and went looking for you.” Jeno shook his dark head and scowled at his older brother. “Guess I don’t have to tell you she didn’t love what she found. You really couldn’t have waited until her team sent the contract back before fucking up in such a public way?”
Salinger chuckled and slouched down in the leather seat. His gaze flickered over me and then shot back to his brother. The blond seemed totally relaxed while the dark-haired man was giving off murderous vibes. It was really uncomfortable to be caught between the two, yet oddly fascinating to watch.
They were clearly very close. I’d never seen anyone hold Salinger accountable before. Instead of throwing a fit and pushing back, he appeared slightly contrite, but not entirely apologetic, as he told his brother, “I know you put a lot of work into selling her on the project, but if she walked away because she saw me kissing someone, then it wasn’t the role she was interested in from the start. I have complete faith in your ability to find someone else, someone better for the part.”
I stiffened reflexively where I was perched on the edge of the seat next to Salinger. My hands twisted together as a tickle of something that felt like excitement pricked at my insides. “I thought you already had Piper attached as the lead.”
“We were this close. There were just a couple of details left to hammer out, but now she pretty much told me she’s out. You better hope that all the investors she brought along don’t walk with her, asshole.” He pointed a tattooed finger in Salinger’s direction. “You aren’t the only one with everything riding on this project, big brother.”
Big brother? How old was this guy? They were just kids but sounded like hardened Hollywood professionals. It was mind-boggling. Even when I’d been in my early twenties, I hadn’t had half the awareness these guys did or been through a third of life’s trials.
I made a noise and shifted uneasily, looking at my phone screen and hoping that I hadn’t woken Arrow up. She tended to be a night owl and was used to keeping odd hours to cater to whatever might pop up, but I wasn’t the type who t
ypically asked her after hours to do anything that wasn’t previously planned.
“It’s a really good script. I agree with Salinger. You shouldn’t have a problem finding someone as good, if not better, than Piper.” I still thought she was too young and too polished for the role, but I wasn’t about to admit that while Salinger was within earshot.
Jeno snorted and slumped back in the seat, crossing his brawny arms over his chest. He didn’t look like a businessman. He looked like a professional athlete, or maybe the lead singer of a rock band. I would bet good money that he was a hit on social media, but since I didn’t have an account on any platform, there was no way to creep on him. I’d have to ask Arrow to check it out for me like I had her do with anything that caught my attention.
“Easy for you to say. You liked the script, the part was specifically written for you, yet you still turned it down. Don’t tell me you’re suddenly having FOMO.”
I blinked and looked at Salinger, but his head was turned, and he was looking out the darkly tinted window. It seemed like he had tuned the entire conversation out, so I couldn’t rely on him to translate the millennial-speak for me. Even though I was technically one, I was woefully out of the loop since I spent close to zero time online or on social media.
“What exactly is FOMO?” I was pretty sure I’d heard the phrase before, but I’d never stopped to think about the context.
“Fear of missing out. Are you regretting turning down the role?” The dark-haired guy was very straightforward and honestly a little bit intimidating.
I opened my mouth to tell him I absolutely didn’t regret it, but what came out was, “You’re right. I do regret turning it down.”
Because, like my father noted, it had been a very long time since I’d been excited by much of anything. I’d gotten comfortable sleepwalking my way through the mundane, safe, and predictable days because that was the only way I knew how to keep myself from experiencing any more hurt. I was certain my heart couldn’t take another hit, so I’d stopped letting myself care about anything.
Salinger’s head whipped around, and even in the dim light of the car, I could see the way his dark eyes glimmered. “What did you just say?”
I blew out a long breath and pressed my palms together tightly. “I love the script, just like you said. I also love the part, and I’m touched that the character was written for me.” No one had ever done that before. “I turned it down because I honestly felt like that was my only option, but I’m starting to wonder if I was shortsighted.”
Salinger turned his body slightly in my direction and his brother leaned forward with his hands on his knees. I should’ve felt like they were closing in on me. Instead, I felt oddly secure and protected. It’d been a long time since I had anyone watch me with such unguarded excitement and hope.
I looked at Salinger and cocked my head to the side, considering him seriously as the city whizzed by outside. “Someone I trust completely pointed out to me that, over time, I’ve given a pass to pretty much everyone else who screwed me over back when I was blacklisted because of you. For some reason, I managed to accept their actions and move on but was still stubbornly holding you, a kid, accountable. You were just as much of a victim as I was back then, but I was too caught up in my own issues to realize it. I don’t want to be the type of person who doesn’t grow and evolve as I learn new life lessons. I don’t want to be someone who is stuck in a place where I’m constantly allowing myself to be hurt by memories and the mistakes I made. I want to believe people can change for the better, so I do feel sorry that I shut down the idea of working with you ever again before really giving it careful consideration. I think it would physically pain me to see another actress play that role.”
“So, are you telling me you want to reconsider?” Salinger’s voice lifted like he was carefully optimistic.
However, his face fell, and he looked heartbroken when a moment later I muttered, “No, I don’t want to reconsider.” His brother swore loudly on the other side of the car, and Salinger practically wilted in the seat next to me. I put a hand up and told them, “I want to do it. I want to take the role, and I want to be an investor in the project.”
I’d already thrown caution to the wind when I kissed him, might as well go all in while I was acting totally against my normal conduct. If I was going to ride the crazy train, I might as well take it all the way to the station.
“Are you serious?” The question came from both guys nearly in unison. Salinger looked like he’d just won the lottery. Jeno looked highly suspicious and doubtful. I could see he was worried I was just playing with his brother, so I rushed to assure them both. “I want to do it, but I have to tell you in advance: I’m going to have a million-and-one stipulations in the contract.” I looked Salinger dead in the eyes. “You’re going to have to sign your life away, Dolan. I won’t do it unless there is an ironclad agreement on your end that this project isn’t going to go off the rails if you do.”
Salinger opened his mouth to immediately agree, but his younger brother was quick to interject before he could give his soul away so thoughtlessly. “We don’t mind stipulations, as long as they are reasonable and don’t infringe on any of my brother’s other obligations. And as long as you understand we may have one or two of our own.”
This guy was slick. He might be young, but in no way was he untried when it came to word games or negotiations. I was glad Salinger had someone like him in his corner. I wish I’d been as lucky when I was his age. I would’ve saved myself a lot of hurt and betrayal.
I stuck my hand out for the dark-haired man to shake. “As ridiculous as it sounds, have your people call my people. We’ll get the paperwork in place and start working on a press release.”
Just as Jeno was reaching out to return the handshake, rolling his eyes at my cliché comment, I was suddenly caught up in a very strong pair of arms and hugged tightly enough that a little squeak of surprise slipped out of me. Maybe I was feeling a little grateful that he’d played along in front of my ex, or because he didn’t gloat when I gave into my obvious desire to play the character he wrote for me, but whatever I was feeling prevented me from pushing Salinger away. He hugged me in a way that was so warm and comforting, I almost forgot why I hated him for so long.
Luckily the limo finally pulled up in front of my office, and I was able to escape before I had to put too much thought into why I’d acted so out of character all evening… or rather, since he’d crashed back into my life with all the finesse of a hurricane.
Salinger
“ARE YOU REALLY willing to sign your life away just to have Maren and her money attached to this movie?”
Jeno asked the question with a frown as I finished flipping through the contract we’d finally received from Lennon. My pen hovered over the last page that needed my signature. I’d signed everything before the final page without much thought, but Jeno’s words gave me a moment of pause. There were close to a hundred stipulations added on to the already thick, complex legal document, all of them centering on the serious consequences I’d personally face if I fucked up this project in any way. Maren wasn’t messing around. The restrictions she required were even stricter than some of the ones I’d faced while I was locked away and disconnected from the rest of the world at rehab. If I slipped up in the slightest way, not only would the financial loss be nearly impossible to come back from, but everything I’d worked to get back would be gone. If I got busted breaking the law, or caused the production to be delayed for any reason tied to my behavior, Maren was going to become the majority shareholder of my new company. There were pages and pages listing what was considered appropriate behavior while we were working together, and if I went against any of her rules, there was an astronomical fine.
I really was signing away most of my freedom and agreeing to act in a way that I was totally unfamiliar with, but I was willing to go the distance in order to get Maren to agree to work with me. After she blurted out she wanted the part, I waited anxiously for
her to take her words back. It wasn’t like her to speak so rashly. But then again, she’d also kissed me breathless the same night, so maybe I didn’t really know her as well as I thought I did. I would have sworn hell would freeze over before I would get the chance to know what it was like to be kissed by her.
As expected, the news of that kiss had broken the Internet the next day. There were fuzzy pictures of us together on every celebrity news page, and unverified sources claimed we’d been dating for months or that we’d hooked up that night because we’d been in love since we were younger and were both finally single. The stories were outrageous, and the scope only grew bigger and more exaggerated as weeks went by and news of us working together again started to make the rounds. I was used to being in the limelight and having my business out there for the world to dissect. But this was a whole new level of intensity.
My security company had busted three different paparazzi trying to get over the gates that surrounded my property in order to take pictures. Apparently, anyone who snagged a clear photo of Maren and me together was guaranteed a small fortune, and that number went up significantly if we were caught in any kind of compromising position. It didn’t help matters that Maren’s ex had put his foot in his mouth when asked about his former wife’s association with me. He still referred to me as a pool boy whom she was using as a rebound because she was obviously not over him, and his clueless statements had gone viral and made him a national laughingstock. The rest of the world cruelly informed him exactly who I was. Being a hot topic wasn’t a terrible thing when you were trying to make a movie. But all the attention, along with Maren’s laundry list of demands, was a level of pressure I hadn’t felt since I was a child star. The last time I crumbled under the weight of all that responsibility, and I was slightly terrified I couldn’t stand up to the pressure, even with all my new, healthy coping mechanisms.
A Righteous Man Page 9