by J. J. Scotts
I dragged my eyes upward, trying not to note the denim-clad muscled thighs and ass that seemed to beg a longer look. He wasn’t wearing a belt and the jeans hung a little loose on his trim hips. The plain-looking dress shirt stretched over his wide shoulders, bearing toned biceps that flexed as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. He had the sleeves rolled up exposing his exercised forearms.
Though he was only a few inches taller than me, he seemed to loom above me, his presence bigger than his actual size.
I swallowed hard, lifting my gaze back to that intimidating, handsome face to find one dark brow lifted and that red mouth turned down at the corners. He took a step closer to me, his body heat palpable across the small distance. His scent, too, surrounded me. He smelled of wood, and the slightly mineral tang of old ink.
“Scared?” He didn’t look amused or angry – just curious.
“Wh-what? No.” But my heart was hammering so hard I thought he could probably see the pulse leaping in my throat. I resisted the urge to step back. My hands fisted, hanging by my sides, and I licked my suddenly dry lips.
His eyes flicked quickly to the movement and then away, his own mouth twitching slightly. He turned his attention to Eli and Landon, but he didn’t move away. “How old is he?”
Part of me wanted to assert myself and say, ‘I’m right here,’ but the rest of me was still unaccountably nervous of this fiercely attractive man. I kept quiet.
Eli beamed up at his arrival. “Oh! He’s only a few years older than you. Twenty-seven.”
Wait, this guy was younger than me? No freaking way! Guys younger than me should look like brats – not like that.
“But he’s a bit boyish so he’ll pass just fine,” Eli continued. “It’ll go over well.”
I frowned a little at the ‘boyish’ remark and fought the urge to ask how old I was supposed to be. This guy didn’t look younger than me at all. I studied his face again, noting the bit of dark stubble lining his jaw.
The newcomer shrugged. “What do you think, Landon? Can he pass for twenty-three?” He fired the question like a bullet at Landon.
Landon’s uninterested eyes shifted from him, to me, and back again. He gave a brief nod. “Definitely won’t be a problem.” He then turned to me, all trace of his earlier chilliness gone. Not that his tone grew friendly, but it slid into merely businesslike brusqueness. “Liam Collins, Chase Preston. You can see why we hired you.” His weirdly smooth, long-fingered hand gestured toward Chase’s scarred face.
My brows rose. Both in surprise that Landon would say something like that to Chase’s face, and because it was perfectly clear to me that the scar did little to diminish the man’s good looks. “Not really,” I admitted. “I mean...don’t chicks dig scars?”
“No.” Landon’s answer almost cut off my question, it came so quickly. I flinched. Next to me – still uncomfortably close – Chase frowned. I would have thought it was in response to Landon’s rudeness, but he was directing it at me.
“Ohhhkay.” I sounded as unsure as I felt. Chase snorted softly, shifting his stance so his shoulder brushed mine. Despite the vastness of the living room, I felt crowded. I stepped back, unable to keep myself from the movement. Chase’s lips twitched upward. He must’ve been sizing me up or something. Were we going to fight or something? Was he offended that I was going to be representing him?
“Our research shows that, given the genre of Chase’s books, it would fit him to have a... errr... rather, to be exceptionally easy on the eyes.” Eli picked at a non-existent bit of lint on his pants.
I lifted my chin a bit at that, flattered Eli thought I classified as ‘exceptionally easy on the eyes.’ Not that I was deluding myself into thinking I was anywhere in league with Chase Preston – with or without the scar.
Chase smirked, eyeing me. “Guess you’re the best these guys could get, given the parameters. Though, I suppose the wholesome look is good for the tweens.”
I flushed, not sure if I was angry about the ‘best these guys can get’ comment or embarrassed by the ‘wholesome’ one. I opened my mouth, but closed it again when no words came out. Chase chuckled, clearly amused by my unease.
“We’re lucky that Chase hasn’t been out in public much. He was homeschooled, so we don’t have to worry about classmates or any of that kind of thing. I think we’ll be able to ease you into the public eye with little trouble, Liam.” Eli rubbed his hands together, the palms making a soft rasping sound.
“Are you sure he’s going to be ready for this? He’s barely even said a word. He does know there’s talking involved, right?” Chase addressed this to Eli. Landon motioned his hand toward the writer, and lifted his chin at Eli as if to say ‘See? What did I tell you?’
Again, I wanted to defend myself but the words just wouldn’t materialize. Whenever I looked at Chase’s dark, smirking face, it was as if they all dried up. Ugh! How I wanted to knock this guy to the ground… What was it about this guy that rendered me a mute idiot? It must’ve been the intimidating presence.
“He’ll do fine, Chase. Trust me.” Eli nodded enthusiastically.
Chase’s scorching blue eyes took me in from head to toe in a slow, thorough inspection. His lips pursed, the action pulling the skin of his scar tight. It was impossible to tell what he thought of me from that look. I was suddenly dying to know, but he swung his gaze back to Eli.
“Yeah, I guess, E. You know your business.” Chase finally, thankfully, moved. I let out an inaudible sigh. He crossed in front of Landon to sprawl in the far corner of the couch. “So, Mr. Pretty Boy, can you pretend to be me?”
I think I can pull it off pretty well, thanks, you arrogant smug prick. What a condescending ass-wipe! As irritating and intimidating as Chase was, I really needed this job. And pissing off the main guy wasn’t the way to go about keeping it. So, I mustered up the strength to say a very flat, “Sure.”
One of those sweeping brows rose. “Have you even read any of my books?”
I suddenly realized I was the only one still standing and hurriedly sat back in the low chair. I pressed my sweaty palms against the chair arms and hoped no one noticed. I could feel the heat rise up my throat and tried to will it away. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think so? Maybe you just don’t think.” Chase rolled his eyes. “You guys got this guy off a farm, right? Does he know how to read?” He looked leisurely over to Landon and Eli.
I was fucking fed up with this shit. “Look, I’ve never heard of you. Ever. Are you really some famous author or someone who just thinks he’s famous?” To hell with the job! There was no way I was putting up with this jerk.
Chase cupped one of his ears with his hand. “What was that? The sound of your balls dropping?”
I bit my lip, my anger rising. I was one step away from unleashing myself on this asshole. All my past manual labor had helped me build the strength to throw a very powerful punch. It would’ve loved a spot on that goddamn face. I opened my mouth to utter my comeback.
“Cut it out.” Landon sliced into the conversion. “Liam, you’re going to have to become really familiar with the books in the series to sell this, you know.” Landon relaxed back on the couch a little. Not nearly as much as he had before Chase’s arrival, though. It was interesting to see. Obviously I wasn’t the only one intimidated by Chase Preston. The fact that the icy Landon felt a healthy dose of unease in his employer’s presence made me smile a little. Just a little.
His words also meant that I still had the job despite snapping at Chase. I remembered that I still needed this job. “I understand. That’s not a problem. I like to read.” I directed that last sentence at Chase. He looked disinterested.
“I’m sure you do,” Landon responded, borderline sarcastic.
I tried not to grit my teeth. I’d been right about his opinion of my IQ. “I like straight-up mysteries, actually. What do you write?” I looked at Chase with as neutral a look as possible.
Chase slid his gaze to Landon. Landon sho
ok his head. Eli rubbed his palm against his cheek. “Have you heard of The Dreieck Series?” he piped in.
The name sparked immediate recognition. I remembered hearing about it on the news several times in the last few months. The books had gained a huge fan following – especially among young women – and there’d even been some chatter about a movie deal.
I gaped at the three other men. I wasn’t sure what was more surprising...the idea that I was supposed to impersonate an author who really was famous, or that the almost scary, yet gorgeous and outright cocky Chase Preston wrote books for young adults.
“That’s the one about the teenage spy?” I knew there was more to it than that, but as was quickly becoming the norm around Chase, my usual eloquence seemed to have evaporated.
Chase had pulled out his iPhone and was scrolling through something, no longer even paying attention to the conversation.
Eli nodded eagerly. “That’s the one. It’s YA, edging toward NA.”
I paused. “What does that mean?” Such a simple question reminded me of how stupid I looked.
“YA is young adult. NA is new adult.” Landon looked at me with a very serious expression. “You need to know this stuff.”
“YA covers teenagers. NA is early twenties. Brett is twenty-two in the first book, and Violet’s turning twenty in the next one,” Chase replied without looking up from his phone.
I recognized the name, Violet, as the main character of the series, but I wasn’t sure who Brett was. For a moment, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the process of getting to know these books and characters well enough to convince avid fans that I was their creator.
“Chase has worked up a sort of behind-the-scenes Cliffs Notes for you on the series, Liam,” Eli said comfortingly. “And we’ve got copies of all the books for you, of course. Study material.”
“Nothing is scheduled for you too soon, appearance-wise, so you should have sufficient time to work up your persona,” Landon added flatly.
“A lot of time, I hope,” grumbled Chase.
I clenched my fists. “That’s fine. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I wasn’t sure at all. As if sensing that, Eli’s grin grew blinding, like perhaps he could reassure me through sheer will.
“Of course it will! I’m sure you two will get along just fine.”
Chase lifted one shoulder, scowling down at his phone. “Whatever. As long as he doesn’t get in my way when I’m writing.”
My eyes widened. Wait just a second here. “You’re going to be living here too?”
“I already live here.” Chase scoffed. “This is my apartment. Did you think they’d set up a place like this just for you? A nobody?”
I clenched my teeth so hard the muscle in my jaw jumped. “We’re going to be living together?” The electric panic that had flared to life when Landon first ripped up my paperwork returned. I couldn’t live in the same apartment as this guy! As nice as it was – and it was really nice – there was no way I could live in such close proximity to such an ass.
“You’ll have your own room.” Chase rolled his eyes again. “We’re not going to snuggle.”
I felt fresh heat in my face as my mind immediately conjured an image of Chase’s big body curled up in bed, eyes closed and sleepy, hair tousled. Landon smiled at the corner of his mouth.
Eli coughed. “This place is plenty large enough for the both of you, Liam. You’ll barely even see each other.” I had no idea how Eli could keep that smile on his face.
“But –”
“This is non-negotiable, Mr. Collins. I thought we already made that clear.” Landon’s gaze cut right through me. I slumped a little in the chair. Yet another reminder that I couldn’t do without this job.
“Yeah, yeah, okay.” I let out a heavy sigh. My voice came out sounding churlish, but I didn’t care.
Chase smirked with a crooked twist of his lips, eyes still on his phone.
Chapter 5
Eli popped up from his seat like a Jack-in-the-box and swept his arm toward the hallway behind me. The one Chase had emerged from. “Why don’t I show you your room, Liam?”
Landon had taken out his iPad, and Chase was still looking at his phone. Neither of them looked up as I stood and followed Eli.
The plump little man moved swiftly, talking over his shoulder. “We can send someone to retrieve your things from your apartment.”
I blinked at his back. “What? I mean... I figured I would just go get my things.” Not that I had a lot. Some clothes, a few books, and a picture of my parents. And really, aside from the picture, I wasn’t all that attached to any of it.
How much did Eli and Landon know about me? Was the fact that I was estranged from my home and family a plus for them? I really couldn’t be any more perfect for this position. Landon hadn’t been wrong when he’d said I was a nobody – as annoying as that was.
Eli beckoned for me to keep following him. “Chase’s room is down at the end of the hall. The media room is here.” He indicated the first door on the right, which was open to a room with gleaming wood walls and a huge screen that took up an entire wall. The seats were low and plush and looked like theater seats, only more comfortable. Several framed vintage movie posters graced the walls.
“The library or study, whichever you prefer to call it, is next to your room.” Eli pointed to a door several down on the left. “Then there’s the bathroom. And down across from Chase’s room is the gym, and a door for the stairway up to the roof.”
I marveled at everything around me as Eli took me around. The place was so much bigger than it seemed on the outside. I heard a lot of people talk about how it’s impossible to get a large apartment in this city, but I guess they’d never set foot in a place like this. It was pretty much a house in a building!
“And this is you!” Eli pushed a door open, adding a grand gesture to motion me in.
I stared in disbelief at the room he revealed.
It was easily bigger than my entire apartment, plus the large windows revealed a spectacular view. An enormous four-poster bed of dark wood stood in the center, the focal point of the room. It looked larger than a king-sized bed, but maybe that was just my initial impression. The lush bedcovers conjured another fleeting image of Chase sprawled across the ivory sheets, dark hair resting on the pillow. I shook my head to snap out of my daydreaming. Why was I thinking about that stupid prick?
The comforter was a deep green, the walls a pale, creamy yellow. Two square wood end tables flanked the bed on either side. In the corner was an ornately carved wooden rocking chair. Against the wall across from it were a chest of drawers and a small bookshelf with several paperbacks on it. I glanced at the spines, but they weren’t authored by Chase.
A few landscapes in muted tones were scattered across one wall. The other wall was taken up by two doors. One was closed. I assumed that one led to a closet. The other was open a sliver, but enough to show the pale tile of the attached bathroom. I had my own bathroom in this bedroom!
I gave a low whistle. “Wow.”
“What did I tell you? It’s a fantastic space, Liam!” Eli glowed. He motioned for me to follow him over to the far end of the room, and then turned to me and lowered his voice to a whisper. “So, I know Chase can be a bit of a handful. But, well...” He trailed off, grimacing slightly. I could see the shadow in his dark eyes and assumed he was thinking of Chase’s scar. What had caused that?
Eli shook his head. “Anyway, this is an important job. It may not seem like it but…Chase needs this.”
It made me feel sad to see Eli’s worried face. “Like you said, this place is big enough,” I said. “We should be able to stay out of each other’s hair.” I doubted any amount of space would provide enough room to live with Chase Preston, but having seen just my room, it seemed like maybe it would be alright. The place was huge!
I stepped around the room, smiling reassuringly. A soft meow made me jump, and I turned to one of the luxurious armchairs in the room.
The velvety colo
r was so dark, what I’d thought was a patch of a throw pillow was actually a cat. It uncurled its plump body and stretched, yawning to reveal a rough pink tongue. It was a calico: patches of orange, black, and gray fur mixed over its belly and face. There was even an uneven gray patch on one cheek that looked a bit like Chase’s scar.
I walked over to the cute cat and rubbed its belly. “Aww, who are you, little fella?”
“It’s a she, actually,” Eli commented brightly. “Cosmo is Chase’s, but she loves to nap in this room. Will that bother you? Allergic or anything?”
I ran my hand down the cat’s back, stroking her soft fur. I was a little surprised to find out Chase had a cat. He didn’t strike me as an animal lover. “No. Not allergic. I love cats, actually.” We’d had several when I was growing up. Cats were useful to have on a farm, to keep the rodent population down and out of the feed.