Center Stage (Bright Lights Billionaire #2)

by Ali Parker

  He could live his life, and I'd live mine.

  "Make sure you take sunscreen." Charlotte got up and walked out of my room. "I have some in the kitchen, in the cabinet above the stove."

  "In the kitchen?" I slipped my feet into my sandals and grabbed my bag. "You know that stuff doesn't keep you from getting burnt while you're cooking, right?"

  I laughed at the look she gave me. She was upset about not going with me on the day trip to Catalina Island with Ethan and the crew, but it wasn't within my control to take her.

  "You're dumb." She pulled the bottle from the cabinet and tossed it to me. "Have you heard from your mom? Did you tell her about signing the papers for the movie?"

  "No. I need to try and call her before we leave for filming in Rio. Her phone wasn't picking up last night when I tried, which of course can't mean anything good." I let out a long sigh and tried to stifle the need to cancel my plans and go in search of her. She was a grown woman and yet was still making decisions like she was a wayward teenager. Without much to live for, she seemed to be searching out situations and people that could pull her from the edge of apathy toward truly living. Somehow it felt like she was on the road to self-destruct, much like my brother Derick had been.

  "I'll be here if she needs something." Charlotte pulled me into a hug. "Have fun, okay, and don't break Ethan's heart."

  "What? Don't be silly. He's got his heart locked into a tiny box somewhere in that big, strong chest of his." I rolled my eyes as I pulled back. "I can assure you that he's quite safe."

  "You think that, but he's just flesh and blood, Riley." She squeezed my shoulders and walked languidly back toward the bedroom. "Have fun and don't do anything that I wouldn't do."

  That left the door open for a whole host of fun things to try...

  *

  "Ethan, you didn't tell me she was stunning." A handsome guy with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes reached for my hand as I walked up to the yacht where some familiar looking people stood around talking.

  "Yes, I believe I did, and if I didn't, there was a reason for it." Ethan moved up beside me and put his arm over my shoulders. "Riley Phillips, meet my devious older brother, Liam Lewis. He's a scoundrel and a half, so watch him very closely."

  Liam shook my hand and rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to a word he says. He's just worried I'll steal his girl, his house and his job."

  "All in the same damn day, no doubt." Ethan released me and walked toward the boat. "Let's go peeps. Time to get this show on the road, or water as it were."

  "Nice to meet you." I gave Liam a shy smile and pulled the strap to my bag up farther on my shoulder as Deza moved in closer and gave me a warm smile.

  "The pleasure is all mine, pretty lady." Liam winked and jogged to catch up with Ethan.

  "Wow. He's hot." I glanced over at Deza.

  "And a total asshole. Keep that in mind." She crossed her arms over her chest.

  "It might run in the family." I laughed and took the hand that Frank offered as we moved up onto the platform that led to the boat.

  "Morning, Riley. You look pretty today." He gave me a warm, fatherly smile.

  "Morning. You do too." I chuckled and moved past him, unable to keep my eyes from moving down and checking out Ethan's ass in his shorts. He had to be the sexiest man I'd ever laid eyes on. I wanted to see under the layers of clothing, and yet to do so would only muddy the already tainted waters between us.

  He hopped down into the boat beside his brother and turned, lifting his hands to offer me help.

  "I got it, but thank you." I moved to the side and hopped down beside him. "I love the water. Thanks for the invite."

  "Of course. We were going to discuss a few scenes from the film, so you had to be here." He winked and offered Deza help too. She took it and thanked him before kicking off her sandals and pulling off her top. Ethan whistled playfully at her, and I couldn’t help but enjoy their relationship. If he and I didn't turn out to be lovers, I had to hope we could at least be really great friends like they were.

  "Look but don't touch." She wagged her finger at him.

  "Damn. I thought I was your type." His lip turned down into a frown.

  "Not even close, Mister. Your skin is far too light for my liking." She shrugged and turned to walk toward the edge of the boat.

  "I can get it dyed. I'm sure Nancy has something that would help us out. No need to let our love only go skin deep, Deza." He glanced over at me as his lip rose in a sexy smirk. "You like black men too, Riley?"

  "Who doesn't?" I dropped my bag and purse on the boat beside me and kicked off my sandals. "They have incredible packages they usually bring to the relationship."

  "Amen to that, sister." Deza glanced over her shoulder and laughed loudly as Ethan's expression changed with his emotion.

  "I have a great package, thank you very much." He put his hands on his hips as Frank laughed and walked to join us at the edge of the boat.

  "You need one for someone to put up with your personality." He patted Ethan on the back and moved to the other side of me as we laughed.

  "You guys love me, and hate that it's keeping you up at night. I know jealousy when I see it." The sound of his voice rolled over me as I pressed my forearms to the railing and let my eyes move across the turbulent sea. It was beautiful and breathtaking, much like the handsome man behind me.

  "All right beautiful people." I turned as Liam stopped beside Ethan and smiled. "Just a few rules on the boat today. No jumping off the side while we're moving, and no pushing Ethan off either. He's my retirement plan and if you harm him, I'll be forced to work until I'm at least forty. That's not happening, so behave."

  We laughed as Ethan rolled his eyes and glanced over to his brother. To say Liam was handsome would have been an understatement. He was as good looking as his little brother and seemed to have a great personality, much like Ethan did as well. I wanted to know more about him seeing that he was the only person in Ethan's life from what Charlotte had told me.

  "He's all of our retirement plans. No one is hurting the goods," Frank added his two cents.

  "Keep it up, and I'll make sure to act a fucking fool in Rio." Ethan shrugged and gave us an adorable grin like only he could.

  "Something tells me that you're going to do that no matter what we do." Deza moved over to him and pulled him into a hug from the side. "You've yet to grow up."

  "Grow up? Who said anything about growing up?" His eyes moved over my face as he smiled. "Riley can be the grown up on the crew. She'll help you guys keep me in line."

  "We don't have the funding to pay her to put up with you." Deza squeezed him as he groaned loudly. "I say we throw him overboard. Who's with me?"

  I laughed and turned my back to them, enjoying the comradery, but feeling a little like I was on the outside looking in. It would take some time to get used to working with a close-knit group, but I'd get it down eventually.

  "So Ethan tells me that you're a film student at UCLA." Liam moved up beside me and leaned against the railing, but left a comfortable distance between us.

  "I am. I should graduate in May if I can work with my professors to help me out during these trips we're taking. They're all pretty excited for me, but rules are still rules." I smiled at him. "What do you do for a living?"

  "I own an advertising agency that caters to women." He clasped his hands together and turned a little more toward me. "We have more female CEOs in Cali than anywhere else in the world. It just made sense to set up shop after college and cater to them, you know?"

  "Brilliant targeted marketing. I love it." I glanced back out at the water. "And you never wanted to be an actor like Ethan is?"

  "Hell no." He chuckled. "No offense, but having people pretend to love you in the business world is hard enough. I can't imagine having to do that shit on the big screen. Everyone thinks they know you, but they don't."

  "Right." I glanced back to see Deza, Frank and Ethan laughing about something. The happiness on Ethan's fac
e as he interacted with the other two members of our intimate-sized team warmed me. There was so much more to him than he was giving me access to. Maybe time would help forge a bond between us.

  "He thinks you're quite special." Liam slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'd say he just might be right."

  "Oh yeah?" I stood up and tilted my head to the side, studying Ethan's older brother closely. "And how would you know? You've just met me. It would seem that you, Mr. Lewis, are as much of a playboy as your younger brother."

  "She's figuring us out, Liam. I told you she was beautiful and dangerous." Ethan moved up beside me as he tugged his polo over his head.

  "Stop showing off." Liam popped him in the stomach and walked back toward the center of the boat.

  "I'm not showing off. I just want some sun on my chest." He licked at the side of his mouth and turned his gaze onto me. "Was that showing off?"

  "I don't think so, but maybe your brother knows something we don't." I laughed and reached down, pulling my dress off and tossing it toward the pile of stuff that belonged to me. I glanced down and fixed my bikini top to make sure I had full coverage.

  Chapter 7

  Ethan

  Damn.

  I wasn't sure she could be any more fine than she was. The small white triangles that covered her nipples left plenty of creamy flesh on display for everyone to ogle over. The protective side of me wanted to bark at her to put her dress back on, while the alpha in me wanted to demand that she take off her shorts too. I wanted to see the bottoms almost more than I wanted my next breath.

  "Like what you see?" She gave me a cocky smile.

  "Yep. I sure do." I licked at my lips again and glanced up to see Liam talking with Deza. "My brother was supposed to bring a girl with him today. I'm wondering if she canceled or he did."

  I followed his line of sight. "Is he dating someone?"

  "He's dating everyone. He's a whore, but I love him for it." I ran my hands down my chest and took the opportunity to sneak another look at her. "He's the big shit in his world, but somehow he balances his life a little better than I balance mine."

  "How so?" She turned her big blue eyes my way, and my heart fluttered in my chest. It was almost comical.

  "He goes with the flow, and is honestly upbeat most of the time. I haven't seen Liam down or depressed more than three times in our lives, and each of them were in moments of great loss where you would expect to see it."

  "So you guys are close?" She ran her fingers over the strap of her bathing suit as she glanced down and tugged at the fabric.

  "Yeah, he's my best friend outside of D." I reached out and pulled her hand down. "You look amazing. Stop dicking with that."

  "Thanks." She dropped her hands to the side and let out a sigh. "I just want to make sure I don't look too slutty."

  "Too slutty? You need to stop worrying what anyone else thinks before we get into a situation where every-fucking-body has an opinion. Just dress like you wanna dress, live like you wanna live and Deza will chew your ass for the rest."

  Deza walked up beside us. "I thought I heard my name."

  "You did. I was talking about the best sex I've ever had." I wagged my eyebrows only to catch a backhand in the stomach.

  "Get real." She rolled her eyes. "Riley, come up here and let's look at a few parts of the contract you signed and then we'll gather up and go over the overall plot for the movie and look at some of the first scenes that we'll be shooting next week."

  My pretty co-star nodded and walked off with Deza as Frank joined me.

  "You happy with our ultimate choice?" He leaned against the railing of the boat and crossed his arms over his large chest.

  "Very. She's incredibly talented and beautiful to boot." I brushed my fingers by my lips. "Now if I could just figure out how to get her to do a lap dance for me."

  "No, no and no." He laughed and sat down on the bench beside him. "She's going to hopefully be able to stay with us through the next three films. Having her early in her career leaves me to believe that we'll get to hold on to her for a little while before other producers come knocking on her door."

  "She needs a new agent. Darren isn't doing anything for her career." I couldn't seem to pull my eyes off of her. She stood near the front of the boat, talking with Deza and laughing, and I was almost jealous. I wanted more of her time.

  "This is true. Make sure you tell her that. Breaking off the relationship she has with Darren is key in moving her career forward. I think Deza spoke with her about coming over to the dark side and letting Deza represent her, but in all the madness, I guess it hasn’t happened just yet." Frank shrugged as I turned my attention back to him.

  "Is it weird that I want her career to go farther than mine has?" I hated the way my heart fluttered at the sight of her, but maybe I was moving beyond my own self-centered need to feel wanted.

  Liam moved up to stand in front of me and gave me that smile. "Is it weird that for the first time in our lives, I want to steal the girl of your dreams from you and make her moan?"

  "Fuck you, nugget head." I popped him in the chest.

  "She's hands off for both of you." Frank stood up and stretched. "No tainting the pretty thing to think all men are the dicks that you two are."

  "That hurts me, Frank." I grabbed my chest. "That hurts me real bad."

  He laughed and walked over toward Deza and Riley.

  "Man... she's so fucking hot, Ethan. I'd love to take her below the deck and undo that top with my teeth. I bet she's tight as hell too. Virgin? You think she's a-"

  I popped him again. "Shut it up, dude. Seriously. You're not getting in her panties. I am."

  "Naw, come on, man. That wouldn't work out well for you. You know sleeping with anyone at work is the worst possible thing you could do. You guys have a great night of passion, and then you realize you conquered the chase and it's over. She still wants more, namely because you've got a firehose in your pants, and you're ready to move on. What then? I'll tell you what then... ten months of having to deal with her emotions and your misery. I love you too much to put you through that. Let me just have her."

  I laughed at his stupid antics. "I thought you just told me the other day that you were hiring some dominant chick that you were going to use up and toss to the road. Is she not a co-worker?"

  "No. That's different." He shrugged and turned to watch Riley again. I had to push down the need to throw his ass off the moving boat, thus breaking the rules and my mother's tainted heart. "This chick at work knows what she's coming into and she's not my co-worker. I'm her boss. I'm going to school her ass on how to properly suck a dick. That's our first lesson."

  I laughed loudly. "Don't go near Riley or I'm liable to break your face."

  "Really?" He turned back and pinned me with an inquisitive stare. "You really like this chick enough to get your ass handed to you by your older brother?"

  "Yep." I slipped my hands into my pockets and glanced up to find her watching me. "I'm not sure if like is the right word, but I want her to myself, whether it happens or not. You're not getting near her."

  "Aww... man. You know how good her moans would sound coming up out of the bedroom down there?" He laughed as I turned and moved toward him aggressively. He lifted his hands and laughed. "All right. All right. I was just kidding. I'll lay off, shit. Obviously this girl has magical powers. Just promise me you'll kiss and tell. Just with her. I just gotta know."

  "Go make yourself useful and fall off the front of the boat so the motor will chop your ass up and bring in those pretty great whites that I love to see." I turned to face the water and was almost glad to hear him walking off. The sound of his sardonic laughter would normally have me chuckling too, but for some reason I couldn't muster it.

  Liam might be a total cock, but his idea of taking Riley below deck and making her moan was a delicious one. I let my mind dance along the possibility.

  "Get on the bed." I nodded toward it as she watched me with a need that burned the inside o
f my soul and left me wanting to bend over and pant like I'd run a hundred miles.

  "How do you want me?" She reached up and undid the strap around her neck, letting the top fall down as she worked on the string around her back. Her perky breasts were enticing, her nipples budded and a dark pink. My mouth watered at the sight of her being so innocent, when I knew she wasn't.

  "On your back, baby." I slipped my shorts over my hips and watched her eyes widen a little. She'd seen a little bit of me through various wardrobe mishaps and perhaps in the lining of my shorts when I got aroused around her from time to time, but never naked. Never fully erect and ready to take advantage of the passion that lay between us.

  "Beautiful." She moved toward me and reached out, stroking me once as she pressed her chest to mine. The warmth of her sun-kissed skin was enough to melt me.

  I groaned and slid my hand up her back to her head as I pulled her in for a long, probing kiss. She gripped my side with one of her hands and continued to stroke me with the other. Every muscle in my body was locked into place as heat danced along my pleasure points, licking, teasing, begging me to come.

  "Hey. You look lonely down here." Riley's voice pulled me from my daydream.

  "Hey." I sucked in a deep breath and stood up. "Damn. I got lost in my thoughts."

  She gave me a look that said she could tell.

  I glanced down and grumbled as I readjusted myself and looked for my shirt. "I swear. The curse of being well-endowed. God forbid I have a sensual thought and my body reacts to it. Everyone in the fucking universe will know."

  She bent over and handed me the shirt. "I don't think you should worry about it. It's just us."

  "Yeah, but D will give me hell, and if she fails too, my brother will be standing in line just behind her with pom poms." I laughed and pulled the shirt over my head. I should have been more embarrassed, but Riley's presence was a comfort in ways that didn't make sense.