Chapter 8
ALEX
S hellshocked. That was the only term I could think of.
I fought the urge to reach out to Jared.
The thought of this gentle, compassionate man being assaulted and treated like he was the one at fault made me incredibly angry.
But anger would resolve nothing.
If you wanted to outsmart your enemy, you had to anticipate their next move.
Entrap them.
I was going to do everything I could to help Jared, to help Aiden, to ensure that this arsehole Seuter saw the walls closing in, and to ensure he got what was coming to him.
The lawsuit was one thing.
If we could prove that Seuter was the one harassing Jared, maybe we could up the stakes and get a criminal charge brought against him.
Jared had taken a nap, but he was still tired when he met me on deck two hours later, ready to head back to the set. His eyes were red-rimmed.
I wanted to take him in my arms and wrap him up. I wanted to protect him from everything bad in this world.
More than anything, I wanted to tell him that he’d been right.
He was my boss, but he was also my friend. I could pretend that wasn’t the case but living in denial was stupid.
Jared trusted me with his truth. Didn’t he deserve the same?
I knew he was curious about me and I’d all but shut the door in his face, trying to retain my objectivity. My distance.
I didn’t like talking about my life, especially my military service.
Or about losing Ben Locklear, my colleague, my best mate.
The man I’d been secretly in love with but had never told.
Ben had died in the dusty mountains of Afghanistan, and my heart along with him.
And for me, hardened by loss and schooled in regimens and plans, my reaction to Jared had me totally out of my depths.
But since I’d made up my mind that this would be my last trip with him, I saw no harm in letting one chink in my armor loose.
Letting him see a part of the real me.
Starting now.
“Hey,” I whispered to Jared as we headed into town.
“If you ever need to talk, I’m a pretty good listener.
And I’ve dealt with PTSD myself, ever since I came back from Afghanistan.
I was in a terrible place, still am some days.
I’ve got depression and insomnia. I take meds. Anyway, I’m here if you need to talk.”
My awkward rambling was met with silence.
I looked over and Jared was staring at me, mouth open. Considering I had never uttered such words to him in a year and a half, he looked like he was in shock.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Jared finally nodded.
“I just didn’t expect that from you. You’ve always given me the ‘it’s not appropriate’ speech when I ask you a personal question.”
“I know, but we’re past that now. And there’s something else I need to tell you. After this trip, I’m going to resign as your lead bodyguard.”
“No!” Jared shook his head. “I don’t trust anyone else.”
“My firm will still handle your security, and I’ll find you someone who’s top notch, I promise. And think of it this way: you’re gaining a friend, not losing a bodyguard.”
Jared’s golden eyes were cautiously hopeful.
“Do you mean that?”
“Normally, I don’t like talking about my health stuff, but I also know what it’s like to be alone with nothing but dark thoughts. You need to let it out or it festers and takes over. And despite my objectivity speech, I care for your well-being. As a person, not a job.”
Jared nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jared didn’t pepper me with questions like I’d anticipated. I think he was still surprised that I’d opened up to him at all.
Me silencing the ever-curious Jared was strange.
“I forgot all about Dylan!” Jared suddenly exclaimed.
“He headed into town an hour ago while you were asleep.”
“Okay, phew. I thought we’d left him behind. My concentration is all over the place so I guess it’ll be an interesting afternoon on set.”
We pulled into the parking garage, and I escorted him inside.
Dylan was in an intense discussion with Jared’s senior assistant, Haley, and Reed.
“What’s up?” Jared asked.
Reed grimaced. “I had an argument with Tate, and now he’s locked himself in his dressing room. He won’t come out. Dylan tried, Haley tried. We don’t know what else to do.”
“What was the argument about?”
“The writers changed up the second scene,” Reed continued. “Now Tate and I are supposed to kiss, and when he read the revised script, he started freaking out. I don’t know why. It’s not like he hasn’t done scenes like that before.”
“We don’t have time to waste. The two of you finish your makeup. I’m going to talk to Tate,” Jared replied, his director mode on full display.
I followed Jared through the messy set and down the hallway to the office slash dressing room with Tate’s name on it.
Jared knocked on the door but there was no answer.
“Tate, open the door. You have to be on set in ten minutes.”
“I’m not going out there!” Tate yelled from the other side. “No fucking way! Not with him.”
“Open the door and let me talk to you,” Jared pleaded. “I’m counting on you, and so is everyone in this production. Please.”
Finally, the door opened a few inches. Tate stood there in jeans and a t-shirt, his face flushed. “I can’t kiss Reed, Jared. I just can’t do it.”
“It’s acting, Tate. You’ve kissed hundreds of people before, why is this a problem now?”
“I—” Tate licked his lips and looked at me.
“I’ll wait out here, you go inside,” I said to Jared.
Tate finally opened the door enough to let Jared in.
I did what I normally did and stood outside and waited. And waited.
Then the makeup artist arrived, and thankfully he was allowed in the room as well. That was a positive sign.
Fifteen minutes later the makeup artist left, and the director and the actor emerged. Tate didn’t look happy, but he looked calm.
Jared raised his eyebrows at me.
With the drama finished, the real acting got underway.
There were a lot of takes, and the filming was slower than usual.
Until it came time to film that kiss. Tate and Reed cautiously approached each other, but as soon as they touched, they morphed into their respective roles. They got their kiss on the first take, which was unusual.
I tried not to notice how hot the two men looked together, but I couldn’t help it.
I noticed Tate’s face flush again when he separated from Reed. Did he have feelings for his former best friend? The guy he’d been fighting with for over a year? I thought Tate was straight. Maybe not?
Christ, I was acting a nosy git. I was starting to sound like my sister, God love her.
My mobile pinged, distracting me from my silly musings.
Aiden: How’s Jared doing?
Alex: He seems okay. Being at work is good for him. But it’s not without drama.
Aiden: What happened?
Alex: Tate refused to come out of his dressing room earlier because he had a kissing scene with his costar and former best friend, Reed. Jared managed to calm him down.
Aiden: What an insane business.
Alex: It’s entertainment on so many levels. We’ll be back around 8.
Aiden: I’ll ask the chef to prepare dinner for your return. I don’t think Jared should be alone for a while. I’ll join you.
The nerves in my belly flickered to life.
Alex: See you then.
I spent the next several hours searching for any information I could find about that café in Brentwood and any possible link to Seuter. I’d forgotten my laptop, and my mobile wasn’t ideal but it was better than nothing.
By the time eight o’clock rolled around I was famished, and Jared looked exhausted.
Better than he had this morning, but still.
He closed his eyes in the car ride back to the marina. We hadn’t left port yet. The swells offshore were high, but George assured us we’d be ready to leave the dock as soon as they calmed.
For now, it suited us.
The port was mainly commercial, and no one paid us any mind. Plus, I had my four-member team on rotation, so someone was always monitoring on deck.
We boarded twenty minutes later, and Jana met us with hot towels and a refreshing glass of mango juice.
“Aiden is waiting for you on the bridge deck aft. Your dinner will be ready shortly,” Jana commented and headed back inside.
“I was going to have dinner in my room.” Jared sighed. “I don’t think I’m good company right now.”
“That’s exactly why you need it. We’ll have a relaxed dinner and then we can go to bed.”
Jared’s eyes widened and I nearly swallowed my tongue at my blunder.
“I mean, you can go to bed, in your room. And I’ll go to my room. Obviously.”
Smooth, Alex. Smooth.
Jared sighed again and walked ahead of me. I had a hard time keeping my eyes upward. They kept sweeping over his taut arse, and then I felt like a tosser for even thinking such thoughts.
Jared didn’t need me lusting after him. He needed a friend.
Aiden was sitting at the table, typing away on his mobile. Dressed in white linen shorts and a t-shirt, he looked far from the brash barrister I recognized.
Aiden looked up and I expected a smart retort, but the words that came out of his mouth surprised me.
“How was your day?” he asked with a smile.
Jared stopped short and looked at him with a furrowed brow.
“Busy. The usual actor tantrums and melodrama.”
“You must be tired and hungry. Dinner is on the way,” Aiden replied as he stood up and held out a chair for Jared.
“Stop it,” Jared said as he took the offered seat. “Don’t act weird.”
“What are you talking about?” Aiden asked.
Before Jared could reply, Jana appeared and began to serve dinner.
Set before us were fancy plates of miso-glazed cod and spicy cucumber salad. It smelled amazing and my stomach rumbled.
Once she’d left us alone, Jared finally spoke up.
“I expect you to greet me with a sarcastic comment about my hair, or my job, or something. You’re being polite, Aiden, and it’s freaking me out.”
Aiden barked out a laugh and then dug into his meal.
“My apologies. I guess this morning short-circuited my snark.”
Jared sighed and shook his head.
“That’s part of the reason I hesitate to tell anyone about what happened to me. Now you’re going to give me sad looks and watch everything you do or say around me. Don’t. I’ve had years of therapy. I have a fulfilling sex life. I’m not broken.”
“I know you’re not,” Aiden replied in a tone so quiet I couldn’t believe it. “I was just attempting to be sensitive.”
“Well, stop it. I need normal.”
“In that case, tell me about what happened on set. I hear your costars are secretly fucking each other,” Aiden replied and winked at me.
I shook my head and kept eating.
Jared let out a laugh.
“Not quite, but they’re not far off.”
“I agree.” Aiden and Jared both looked at me and stopped eating. “What? Even I can tell they have chemistry. Their fights are passionate.”
“Never mind me acting strange,” Aiden pointed at me with his fork. “What’s happened to you? Instead of glaring at us you’re actually conversing.”
I gave him a sneer and my middle finger.
Aiden and Jared both chuckled and everything was normal again.
“Everyone can see Reed and Tate’s chemistry except Reed and Tate,” Jared quipped. “Or Reed. Tate’s figured it out, that’s why he was freaking out in his dressing room. Reed is totally oblivious that his former best friend is in love with him.”
“That’s because he’s a blond Labrador,” Aiden remarked.
“Aiden—” Jared warned.
“What? You wanted me to be me. I met the man yesterday, so I’m saying what I think.”
“By comparing one of my actors to a dog?” Jared quipped.
“What’s wrong with dogs? Labradors are great. They’re loyal, loveable, and completely unaware of the havoc they cause. They’re the canine equivalent of himbos.”
Jared burst out laughing, his eyes lighting up, and I couldn’t help but stare at him.
He was so beautiful that it made everything in my body ache.
The feeling was so intense I looked away, my gaze catching Aiden’s. He gave me a knowing smile, and our stare lingered longer than it should have.
Jared wasn’t the only one who had my attention.
A spark ignited in my blood and my pulse raced out of control.
For the first time in years, I felt more than just a throb in my cock.
It turned out, my heart wasn’t dead.
And I wasn’t sure if I was relieved at that discovery or completely terrified.