Chapter 8
8
RYAN
I don’t know why he left so abruptly, but it annoyed the hell out of me. He dismissed me instantly, throwing a jab about my name and not giving me the chance to explain. I’m not sure if he just didn’t care or if he was really mad.
My gut tells me by the look in his eyes it was the latter.
I hang out with Ellie and her friends for a little longer and even help explain my use of both names to the men of the group. I truly enjoying my time with them. They’re great people, all several years older than I am, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. And they all respected my privacy enough not to ask questions the entire time. Except Hallie. She snuck in a few inquiries every now and again but steered clear of the major land mines involving Vaughn and the reality show. She asked about my dad and living in Hollywood and what some of my favorite places to travel to are. Even though she is clearly a superfan, she was respectful and polite.
Plus, she let me hold her baby.
No one has ever let me hold a baby before, honest to God’s truth. All my friends are more interested in keeping their perfect bodies and being photographed with the right people. None of them are looking at long-term families yet. It’s all about who’s who and who’s fucking who in Hollywood.
“I’m going to head back to my cabin,” I tell Ellie after she passes baby Wrenlee back to Blair.
“I’m so glad you came,” she insists happily, pulling me into a hug.
I tense immediately, not used to such forward, touchy feely gestures. The people I’m always with do air kisses to show affection or greeting, not crush you against their chest hugs.
But I don’t hate it…
I just don’t know how to reciprocate.
Sure, my parents hugged me, especially when I was little, but not like this. Dad always places both hands on my shoulders, gives them a gentle squeeze, which is like a hug, and kisses me on the forehead. And my mom, well, the former beauty queen is the queen of air kisses. I don’t think they’ve pulled me into their arms and given me a suffocating hug since I was ten and was suddenly too cool for it.
I realize I’m standing awkwardly, Ellie’s arms wrapped firmly around me, so I mimic the gesture. The hug doesn’t last very long, fortunately, and she pulls back and smiles. “I hope we haven’t scared you too badly, and maybe we can all hang out again soon.”
This is the point where I’d tell her I’d call her, knowing full well I won’t, but that’s not what I say. “I’d like that.” And I would. I just attended my first cookout, sitting around a campfire, and I didn’t hate it. In fact, quite the opposite. It was way more relaxing and comfortable than I ever expected, and I’m so glad I came.
“Great! I’m sure I’ll see you around,” she says, squeezing my hand.
“Of course,” I reply, feeling only mildly overwhelmed by the offered friendship. Usually, where I come from friendships have strings.
I take a few minutes and say goodbye to the rest of the group, receiving hugs from the other three women and Annabelle. TD offers to help me carry my bowl to my SUV, which I decline, since it’s one bowl and I had no issues carrying it to the party myself. The fact he was just being polite is still a foreign concept to me. Where I come from, everyone has ulterior motives.
When I pull out of the driveway, heading back the way I came, I realize I have a smile on my face—a genuine one, not the one I give the cameras—and it feels good. Great, actually. I almost forgot what it felt like to offer a real smile.
As I pull onto the dirt path that takes me to my rental cabin, the smile falls from my face. What the hell is up with Marcus? Why is he always so grumpy and rude? His tone carries a hint of superiority that doesn’t match his appearance, and judging by the way he is with his friends, he’s not like that with anyone else.
Apparently, he saves that side just for me.
“Stupid jerk,” I grumble, the path that leads to his cabin coming into view.
Without giving it a second thought, I whip to the right, turning onto his lane. I’ve never gone up to his cabin and have no idea what I’m about to drive up on, so when I reach the clearing and find a gorgeous cabin with large windows and a huge wraparound porch, I’m pleasantly surprised. It lacks color or landscaping, but this place has so much potential.
I park my SUV beside the tow truck, which is backed into place in front of the garage. I don’t see his old truck, the one he brought me home in the night my tire went flat, but maybe it’s in the garage. I don’t know, but I’m not here to worry about that.
I climb from the vehicle, ire from his brush-off swirling through my veins. I stomp toward the front of his house, keeping my focus on where it needs to be. The jerk inside.
Just as I reach the steps, the front door opens and Marcus emerges. He stands on the threshold, reaching up and grabbing the top of the doorframe. His ball cap is turned around and his T-shirt stretches tautly across his chest and arms in a way that makes my mouth go dry and my panties a touch damp.
It’s probably just the heat.
I cross my arms over my chest. I tell myself it’s to make myself look intimidating, tougher, but in all honestly, it’s to hide the fact my nipples are getting hard.
Silence hangs between us as we engage in a stare down.
“What can I do for you, Princess?”
I blink and give my head a slight shake, dislodging the image of his arms from my brain. “I have something to say to you,” I start, straightening my spine.
A single eyebrow raises in question. “Well?”
“You were rude and wouldn’t let me explain,” I insist, lifting my chin.
Marcus sighs. “I don’t care.” Releasing his hold on the doorframe and stepping out, the screen door slamming behind him.
I hear the sound of the dog’s nails on the hardwood floor, and even though I want to open the door and pet the dog, I can’t. I have a point to make.
“Well, you’re going to hear it anyway, buster,” I state firmly, sticking out my finger and digging my nail into his hard pec.
He glances down, the hint of a smile toying with his lips as he looks at the spot where my finger jabs into him. “Proceed,” he encourages, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Clearing my throat, I rip my finger off his body and continue. “My name is Ryan.”
Barely finishing my sentence, he asks, “So who is Jade?”
Getting frustrated, I reply, “Me.”
He closes his eyes for a moment and exhales. “Okay, you can see where I might be a little confused here, right?”
I let out a growl in frustration. “You are maddening. Let me finish!”
Propping his hands on his hips, he stands there casually, waiting.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes for a second to calm my heartbeat and say, “My name is Ryan, but my middle name is Jade. I use it when I want to…blend in.”
His eyes fill with questions, but he doesn’t interrupt.
“Do you know who Douglas Marcotte is?” I finally ask.
Marcus slowly shakes his head no. “Should I?”
“He’s a movie producer in Los Angeles.”
He shrugs his shoulders, as if the name still means nothing.
“Just,” I start, realizing this isn’t going as well as I thought it would, “trust me. He’s a big deal, and…he’s my dad.”
“Okay,” he says, still not quite understanding.
“My dad is a major name in Hollywood, and my mom is Jade Holmes, the former Miss California, Miss USA, Miss Universe, model, and the face of Feeding Young America, a charity that helps children who face food insecurity. They’re pretty much a big deal where I’m from, and because of that, I’m incredibly recognizable.”
I leave out the part about my reality show, including the eruption that took place on national television less than a week ago.
None of this seems to ring any bells with him, which is so wild to me, because last I saw, my life was still trending. But then again, this is why I picked Nowhere, Wisconsin. I’m able to blend in easier and hide away in my little cabin.
“Listen, all I’m saying is people know me, and at times, I like to have some anonymity. In order to do that, I go by my middle name. I used it yesterday at the diner when I met Ellie, but the moment Hallie spotted me, the jig was up. She recognized me from my show, but they were so cool about it. They promised to keep my identity to themselves. That’s why they called me Jade.”
Those rich, hazel eyes bore into my soul. After a few second, he asks, “Show? What show?”
I kick at a rock on the porch in front of me. “I have my own reality show.”
To that, he rolls his eyes. “Of course you do.”
Instantly, my nerves are heckled. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing, Princess,” he replies with a cheesy grin.
I huff out a sharp breath and shake my head. “You’re unbelievable. Are you always this big of a jerk? I’m a little surprised you have friends,” I tell him.
He just lifts his shoulders. “You seem to bring out the best in me.”
“Why are you even mad? Who cares if I gave you a different name than I gave someone else?”
“I’m not mad,” he insists.
“Clearly,” I sass. “You just left because it was time to head home and give your dog a bath, right? It had nothing to do with finding out your friends were calling me by a different name. Well, buster, I hate to tell you this, but your face gave you away. I could tell you were pissed, but since you didn’t hang around long enough for me to explain, you’re hearing it now. So, quit being a jackass.”
A single eyebrow shoots toward the heavens. “A jackass?” The corner of his mouth curls up.
“Yes, a jackass! You’re totally being a grumpy butthole, and I’m over it. So…stop it!” I’m breathing harder by the time I’m finished ranting. I don’t know why this man gets under my skin so easily. He makes me want to punch him in his condescending, smug face.
I’m about to tell him exactly that, since I’m on a roll, but my ability is stripped away when his mouth presses firmly against mine. One minute, I’m about to tear into this infuriating man, and the next, he’s kissing me like I’m the oxygen he needs to survive. His hands frame my face as he coaxes open my mouth with his tongue. He plunders, claims, owns me with his mouth, rendering me speechless and helpless with the slide of his tongue.
A mewl slides from my throat as I grip the front of his T-shirt, holding on for dear life. I’ve never been kissed like this, and the revelation is both intoxicating and infuriating at the same time. His lips are softer than I expected, with the right amount of pressure, and his tongue is pure magic. It makes me wonder what he can do with that tongue on other parts of my body.
But just as suddenly as the kiss began, it ends. Marcus rips his mouth from mine, leaving me dazed and panting. And confused. Very confused. Why did he kiss me, and what’s more concerning, why did I like it so much?
Probably because I’ve never experienced anything like it. No man before has ever kissed me the way he has, leaving me yearning for more and ready to for beg for it. My mind swings to Vaughn, who rarely kissed me with even half the passion I’ve just experienced, and any man before that is severely lacking.
“I don’t know why I did that,” he mutters, his voice gravelly and hoarse.
“I…” What do I say to that?
Do it again?
He pulls back, releasing my face and putting space between my body and his. The coloring of his eyes is darker than his normal hazel green, and the front of his jeans look a little snugger than normal.
“You should get back to your cabin.”
His words are like stepping under an ice-cold shower. “What?” I ask, taking my own step back.
“ Go , Ryan.” His eyes plead as much as his words, and even though I want to demand answers, I realize I’m probably not going to get them.
At least not now.
So, with my head held high, I walk away, down the stairs and to my SUV. I don’t spare him a single glance as I back out of my spot and return the way I came. I keep moving, turning right at the lane and heading to where I need to turn to go to my own cabin. When I park, I climb out, stomping up the steps to the front door. It takes me three tries to key in the code, since my fingers hold a slight tremble.
The moment I step inside, I start to pace, my annoyance strong and powerful. “Who the hell does he think he is? Kissing me like that, and then dismissing me?”
I walk down the hall and into the bedroom, ripping the ball cap off the top of my head and tossing it onto the bed. I pause in front of the dresser mirror and take in my reflection. My swollen lips and flushed cheeks. My eyes are still slightly glassy and dilated with desire. I can’t help but touch my lips, recalling how it felt to be kissed by Marcus.
Marcus the…jerkface.
I narrow my eyes and spin around, refusing to indulge in even one more second of looking in the mirror. The best thing I can do is forget it ever happened. I’m sure he has. The moment I stepped off his porch and drove away, he probably forgot all about it. Hell, it was most likely a normal, everyday thing for him. He just goes around kissing women whenever the hell he wants.
Yet, that doesn’t feel right either.
Something tells me he was just as shocked by what he did as I was, and that’s why he pushed me away. So, there are two ways I can play this. I can be completely indifferent, acting like he doesn’t matter, and the kiss didn’t affect me whatsoever. Honestly, that’s probably what I should do.
The other option is, I can have a little fun. You know, show him what he’s missing out on? It might be a little fun to bring him to his knees, because I’m certain that kiss meant something to him too.
So maybe he needs a little reminder.
A smile spreads across my face.
Not that I plan to turn into a cocktease or anything, but I can definitely do a little extra flirting whenever he’s near. It would serve him right anyway for kissing me the way he did and then casting me aside.
Well, Mr. Marcus Wright, you’ve met your match.
By the time I’m done, he won’t know what hit him.
I quickly change out of my clothes into a pair of pajamas and head to the bathroom to do my nightly ritual of removing my makeup and moisturizing. My makeup line has been slowly moving into more skincare products, and I’m happy to report, I am absolutely loving them so far. After spreading night cream over my skin, I wash my hands and turn off the light.
I make my way to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water. As I sip the cold liquid, I find myself heading back outside. Night has fallen and it’s a bit cooler than it was earlier. The sky is dark and full of stars, yet being surrounded by trees causes the night to feel closer and full of shadows. I can hear slight movement in the trees and a dog bark.
Is that Buddy, Marcus’s dog?
I look in that direction, but the foliage is too thick to see anything. No lights from his cabin, nothing. We’re just far enough away to barely know the other is there.
Probably just how he likes it.
Well, Mr. Wright, you’re in for a rude awakening. You might be alone out in your private little section of the park, but your neighbor is about to remind you of just how close she really is.
I slip back inside, close and lock the door, and head toward the bedroom. Tomorrow, I put my plan into action.
Tomorrow, I show Marcus exactly what’s missing from his life.
Fun.