Beautifully Stolen
Candied Crush #4
Charity Parkerson
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
About the Author
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—Warning: This book is intended for readers over the age of 18.
Copyright © 2020 Charity Parkerson
Editor: BZ Hercules & Consultants
ISBN: 978-1-946099-74-7
All rights reserved.
Created with Vellum
Introduction
Roman is tired of games. Brett is certain they are playing. One of them is in for a huge surprise.
From the first moment Brett met Roman, he had the man’s number. Roman is beautiful, flirtatious, and completely incapable of being loyal to anyone but himself. Everything about Roman is an act. Under normal circumstances, Brett would find a way to make money from Roman’s natural ability to charm anyone. This one time, he won’t, because there’s just something about Roman that gets under his skin. Brett can’t explain it. He simply knows Roman is trouble. Brett can’t let himself fall for the game.
Roman wants Brett. That’s the truth of things. Since the first time he set eyes on the eccentric ball of energy, Roman has pulled out every weapon in his arsenal to try to win him. Brett isn’t into him at all. That’s a first for Roman. He can’t stop coming back for more of Brett’s special brand of rejection. It’s too sexy to resist.
When Brett invites Roman to be his date for a wedding, Roman knows the invitation is too good to be true. He just can’t figure out Brett’s new angle. That doesn’t mean he intends to miss his chance to get shot down again. After all, he might finally win. Little does Roman know, Brett needs him way more than he could have dreamed, and they’ll both be less if he can’t win.
One
The cream-colored envelope came special delivery. Brett stared at the expensive stationery for much longer than necessary. He knew what was inside. With nothing else for it, Brett opened the card. Even knowing what was inside didn’t lessen the impact while reading the words.
As part of their chosen family
Izaak ‘Wrecker’ Lewis
and
Johnny Wayne Savage
Request the honor of your presence as they tie the knot Saturday the eighth day of August at two o’clock in the afternoon
The Back Porch
Main Park
Los Angeles, California
Brett read the invitation three times. He felt... something. Brett just wasn’t sure what. On the down low, Brett had been dating Wrecker before Wrecker fell in love with Johnny. Actually, “dating” might be too strong of a word. They had been sleeping together. While they had been more than fuck buddies, they had been less than a couple. Brett didn’t know if what they had been had a label exactly, but he had cared about Wrecker. Johnny was Brett’s client. Brett considered him a friend. This wedding put Brett in an awkward position, to say the least.
Xavier strolled into the room. His hard, tan body almost distracted Brett from his depression. Beautiful men were his biggest weakness and he loved to watch.
Brett forced a smile to his lips. “Hello, sexy. Would you like to attend a wedding with me?”
Xavier’s gray eyes had a cool edge to them, showing his true nature. “No. I can’t think of anything I would like to do less than attend a wedding. With anyone. It’s nothing personal.”
Brett got it. He didn’t like weddings either, but he didn’t feel like this one was one he could skip. There was one person he could call. Everything inside Brett cringed at the idea, but he knew one guy who would look ridiculously sexy next to him. One of Brett’s first clients, Falcon, had gotten married almost a year ago. Falcon’s husband Mason had a best friend who would do just about anything for the right price. Since Roman was otherworldly beautiful, people often threw money and gifts his way, hoping for a second of Roman’s time. Brett had lots of money. He could afford to keep things impersonal while not looking pitiful at Wrecker’s wedding. No doubt everyone who frequented The Back Porch would be there. Brett couldn’t go while looking forlorn. Everyone there would be watching his every move, looking for any cracks to whisper about behind their hands.
Before Brett could change his mind, he quickly found Roman’s number and dialed. When Roman hadn’t answered by the fourth ring, Brett almost hung up. Then Roman’s sexy voice caressed Brett’s ear. “Hello?”
Brett had to take a steadying breath. He could already picture Roman’s perfect body and long blond hair. “This is Brett. I have a proposition for you.”
“Mhmm.” The sexy hum had Brett’s eyes falling closed. “Have you come around and seen the error of your ways? Have you finally decided to share my bed?”
A snort escaped Brett. He didn’t want to enjoy Roman’s constant flirting and ridiculousness, but Roman was irresistible. “Not that type of proposition.” Xavier chuckled as he passed. Brett ignored him, as much as anyone could ignore Xavier’s naked perfection. “How would you like another free trip to California? I need a date to Wrecker and Johnny’s wedding.”
“Interesting. Are you asking me on a date or bribing me?”
“I’m trying to hire your services.” Brett was determined to keep this professional.
A sexy and evil-sounding chuckle caressed Brett’s ear. “I’ll hear your offer.”
Brett gave a sharp nod, even though Roman couldn’t see him. He felt certain they could come to terms. “Five grand and you can choose your hotel for the weekend.”
“Three and I’ll stay with you.”
“Are you negotiating down with me?” Even Brett heard the confusion in his voice. He couldn’t understand why Roman would ask for less money and give up his chance to stay at any of the world’s most gorgeous locations.
Roman sighed. “I’d do it for free, if you asked properly, but since you didn’t...”
A growl rose in Brett’s throat. He refused to let it fly and give Roman the satisfaction of knowing he burrowed under Brett’s skin. “This isn’t a date. It’s a job. Will you take it? Yes or no?”
“Six hundred dollars. I stay with you and I get to kiss you three times at any time of my choosing.”
Brett’s eyes fell closed. Roman was impossible. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Fine.”
Roman hummed again—like satisfied. “Now, tell me everything. How would you like me to dress? When is this happening?”
Without thought, Brett laughed. The craziness of his current situation struck him. He didn’t understand how he always seemed to end up in the most fucked-up situations. “I didn’t realize I hadn’t told you a date or anything. Yet you still accepted.”
“I told you all you had to do was ask properly and I would’ve said yes for fre
e. Whatever you need. It’s nothing for me to rearrange my schedule for you.”
Brett heard the smile in Roman’s voice. He found himself forgetting he spoke to a serial seducer. Roman was an exotic dancer by trade. Everything he did, he did to tantalize. His long blond hair and hard body. His practiced smile and seductive glances. Everything about Roman was a show. Brett always tried to stay immune. He simply wasn’t sure anyone was truly insusceptible. Still, Brett didn’t have to let Roman know he tempted Brett. “The wedding is Saturday, August eighth. I thought maybe I could fly you in Friday night and back home on Monday. That way, you can enjoy your trip and not spend the entire weekend traveling or attending the wedding of people you barely know.”
Roman turned serious. “That’s fine. I can’t wait to see you. How are you holding up with this whole wedding thing?”
It was funny. Even though they hadn’t been technically dating, lots of people had known Brett had been sleeping with Wrecker for a long time. Yet not one mutual friend had asked how Brett felt. The one person Brett expected to care the least—the one who didn’t even know about Brett’s time with Wrecker—was the one asking about his feelings. “I’m fine. They’re in love and all that mess. We should all be happy, right?”
“It’s a bit sickening, isn’t it? The way everyone’s getting married all of a sudden. I mean, I never thought Mason would take that plunge. Yet, here we are. He’s married and barely speaks to me any longer. But—like I said—I can’t wait to see you. That makes a wedding worthwhile. Not to mention, I bet you look sexy as hell all decked out in your finest.”
Brett felt the same way about Roman. No doubt, every eye would be turned his way. The jealousy in the room would be thick. The thing was, Brett would know he paid Roman to be there. The pride he felt with Roman at his side would be tainted by that knowledge. Everyone would be looking at Brett, thinking he had landed this sexy-as-hell man, but Brett would know the truth. “I would very much like for you to go as my date. Properly, that is. If you have time for me?” Brett held his breath. He had no idea what drove him to do such a horrifying thing. This had not been his intention in any way, shape, or form when he called Roman. Roman would eat him for breakfast.
“I would be honored.” If Roman had sounded smug at all, Brett might have taken back the question. Instead, Roman truly sounded every bit as honored as he claimed.
Roman’s tone had Brett scrambling in other ways. “I’ll still pay for your flight and you can still stay with me and all that.”
“Don’t worry. I can afford a plane ticket. You’re worth it to me.”
For a moment, Brett couldn’t find his voice. He recognized that Roman was full of shit and this desire to spend time with Brett was an act. Still, Roman made it very easy to suspend reality and believe. Brett imagined Roman made a lot of money at his job. He charmed people with such ease. “Text me your flight info and I’ll pick you from the airport.”
“I accept your sacrifice. No one likes going to LAX.”
A smile snapped to Brett’s lips. Roman was a breath of fresh air. Most people didn’t admit to hating it when their friends got married and picking people up from the airport. Roman said those things with no fear. “I’ll look for your text.”
“I’ll look for your fine ass in the airport,” Roman retorted.
Brett shook his head and ended their call without saying goodbye. He bit his bottom lip, trying to stop smiling. He was such an idiot. There had always been something irresistible about Roman, but seriously, Brett had really gone off the deep end this time. The phone vibrated in his hand. Brett dropped his gaze.
Roman: I’ll overlook the fact that you hung up on me and simply say it was good to hear your voice.
With a chuckle, Brett covered his eyes. He could not let this man-child get underneath his skin. People were never nice for no reason. With Brett, people usually hoped to use him to get famous, since that was his forte. Brett could film a houseplant and find a way to market it all the way to acclaim. He didn’t know why he was this way. Brett had simply always been good at putting the perfect spin on things and placing it on display in the exact spot it belonged. He could find an audience for anything. While doing what he loved brought him immense satisfaction, it also brought fake people into his life in droves. Men rarely met him accidentally and they were genuine with him even fewer times than that. He supposed that was why he had enjoyed Wrecker’s company so much. Wrecker was already famous and had never wanted anything from him beyond the carnal. It was a catch twenty-two, to be honest. While Wrecker had only wanted sex and nothing more, Brett wanted to be wanted for more than what he could do for someone’s career. There was no in between. No one who wanted nothing from him wanted him for him.
No doubt Roman was no different. Brett hadn’t quite deciphered Roman’s game yet, but he would. Since meeting Roman nearly a year ago, the guy hadn’t stopped flirting. At Johnny’s first and only live event, Roman had point blank confessed he intended to fuck Brett. In truth, if Brett thought for a second that was all there was to it, he would hop in Roman’s bed so fast, it would make the man’s head spin, but something didn’t feel right. There was something else in Roman’s eyes when he looked at Brett. Almost a greediness. Brett didn’t want to find out Roman’s secrets the hard way. So he kept the guy at arm’s length. A weekend together might finally solve the mystery of Roman, and Brett looked forward to the challenge. It wasn’t like he had anything better holding his attention. He had time for this.
Two
California had its good points. In fact, Roman had lived here once upon a time. In his early twenties, he had moved to L.A. for six months and did a stint on a soap opera. His character had only been temporary. He had known from the beginning they intended to kill off his character in the show. That six months had broken him from any more dreams of making it big. While he knew selling the sight of his body wasn’t something he could do forever, at least he got to be himself when he wasn’t working. In those six months of acting, Roman had been on stage twenty-four seven. No matter where he went or what he did, he had to be someone else. He had to mind his reputation every second. Roman lived with a fake smile permanently etched on his face. By the time he moved back to Aspen, he was so tired of smiling that he hadn’t done it again for nearly a year. It was like the life had been sapped from him. The first time he had smiled again for real, he had sworn to himself that he would never fake it again. If he was unhappy, Roman changed his circumstances. He refused to feel that way even one more time. Maybe that was why he was so obsessed with Brett.
Everyone knew Brett Sanders in L.A. Yet, no one did. His ability to turn everything he touched to gold was envied by all. People practically spoke about him in whispers. Brett was small but fierce. He dressed like a supervillain and stood out everywhere he went. The guy had the most beautiful dark blue eyes Roman had ever seen. They were also the saddest. Brett was exactly like Roman had been in L.A.—fucking miserable. Maybe no one else saw it, or hell, maybe it was just that no one else cared. Either way, Roman saw, and he couldn’t stop finding excuses to be near him. This time, though, Brett had called him. Roman could be thick sometimes, but he wasn’t dumb. Only a stupid man would miss his chance at a weekend with Brett.
At the airport, Roman fully expected Brett to back down and only send a car. In fact, once he grabbed his luggage, he started searching for a sign with his name. He had zero expectations of seeing Brett’s face waiting.
“You cut off all your hair.”
Roman spun at the yelled words behind him. Brett stood waiting. Unlike usual, he wasn’t boldly dressed. Instead of the wild makeup and even wilder colors he came to expect from Brett, Brett wore jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was still a stylish mess, but the rest of him was subdued.
Roman had never possessed an ounce of chill. Happiness roared through him at the sight of Brett. Without thought, he lifted Brett off his feet in a bear hug. “It’s so good to see you. I didn’t really think you’d come.”
; “You cut off all your hair,” Brett calmly repeated like Roman didn’t have him squashed against his chest and dangling a foot off the ground.
Roman set Brett back on his feet. “Yeah. I’ve been wanting to do it for a while. This wedding gave me the perfect excuse. Now I can look like someone who belongs at your side.”
Brett’s forehead furrowed. His expression screamed annoyance. “You’ve always looked that way. You shouldn’t care what other people think. People are dumb.”
He found Brett delightful. Brett was too serious and fucking adorable. “You’re incredibly sexy when you’re scowling at me. Obviously, I think you’re gorgeous all the time, but you’re especially irresistible when you’re irritated with me.”
Brett’s expression cleared. He shook his head. “I always forget how completely ridiculous you are.”
Roman couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s mind-boggling. I know.”
Brett released a heavy sigh. “Are you ready to get out of here? This place is fucking packed.”
“Ready to rush me to bed already, are you? Let’s go, then.”
For a moment, Brett’s eyes fell closed—like Roman made him tired. Roman’s smile grew. Brett needed someone under his skin. Roman truly believed, if Brett was honest with himself, he would admit that was the real reason he had asked Roman to join him this weekend. After all, there was no way Brett didn’t have a thousand men in California lined up to date him. Yet, he had called Roman. He had called the right person. Roman leaned in and kissed Brett. It was a quick brush of lips on lips. Just enough to get Brett’s attention.
Beautifully Stolen (Candied Crush Book 4) Page 1