Chapter 46
forty-six
Despite knowing Javier is as gay as can be, it still has my skin itching a little in annoyance knowing another man’s hands were all over Lizzy. What makes it even sillier is that I’ve known Javier for a few years and he’s become a pretty good friend. I trust him.
“Is it just me, or has this thing with you and Lizzy come out of nowhere?”
I shoot him a glance over my shoulder as I shove the leftover pizza into the fridge and grab a couple of beers.
“Not really,” I shrug, sliding one across the counter. “I’ve known her since we were kids. We grew up together.”
Javier raises one eyebrow as he leans against the counter. “You know that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about the crazy intensity between you two. The way you look at her...”
“That obvious, huh?” I ask, rubbing the back of my neck.
“Only to everyone with functioning eyeballs,” he laughs, reaching for his bottle. “You’ve never brought a woman home before. At least not one you weren’t actively filming with, just running lines.”
He’s right. I’ve kept this place as my sanctuary, my escape from all the Hollywood bullshit. Even when I was dating someone, I preferred going to their place or meeting up at hotels. Other than Carrie, having another woman in my space always felt… wrong.
Until Lizzy.
“She’s different,” I admit with a sigh. “Always has been.”
“Well, that much is clear,” Javier says with a knowing smile. “Just be careful, okay? When you look at her—like she’s a motherfucking reservoir and you’re dying of thirst—it makes it hard to believe all this is just for show. At least to those of us who know you and what’s really going on.”
I tense up. “What do you mean?”
“Dude,” he says gently. “Have you not checked the tabloids the last couple of days? People are talking about how your relationship is fake. Ava told me on the way over.”
“Fuck.” I drag a hand down my face, giving him a look that has him standing up straight.
“It’s not, is it?”
“Yes and no,” I say, dropping my voice. “It was supposed to be a publicity stunt, but now...”
I trail off, not sure how to explain the tangled mess of feelings I have for Lizzy. How do I tell him I’ve loved her ever since I can remember? Maybe even my whole life? That I’ve spent years trying to get over her, only to realize the moment I saw her again that I never would?
“Now it’s real.” His expression softens as he finishes for me. “At least for you.”
Unable to deny it, I nod. “Yeah.”
“Does she know how you feel?”
“I think she’s starting to,” I admit.
He lets out a low whistle and grins. “Man, you’re in deep.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter, taking a long draw of my beer.
“Well,” he says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I think she feels the same way. The sparks between you two could power a small city.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “You think?”
“Oh, yeah,” he nods emphatically. “Trust me, I know chemistry when I see it. That woman is just as gone for you as you are for her.”
Not wanting to overthink that little tidbit, I gesture with my beer. “Wanna go hang out while the girls do their thing? I don’t need to start getting ready for a couple of hours.”
“Sure.”
We sit and make small talk, TV on low in the background while I send emails and text my assistant to make sure the limo is all set for tonight.
A little over an hour before we have to leave, I head up to my room to shower and get ready while Javier goes to check on the girls.
Welcoming the hot spray against my skin, I try to clear my head. Tonight is important—not just for the gallery, but for me and Lizzy. There’s something shifting between us, and I don’t want to fuck it up.
After washing away the time spent in the pool, I towel off and start getting dressed.
My suit guy sent over a custom Tom Ford before I left for Lakeside—charcoal gray with subtle blue undertones that bring out my eyes.
I pair it with a crisp white shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone for a more relaxed look.
Running product through my damp hair, I style it into my usual disheveled look, which takes a lot longer than it should. The irony of spending twenty minutes to make it look like I just rolled out of bed has me mentally shaking my head.
As I’m adjusting my cufflinks, there’s a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I call, expecting Javier.
Instead, Ava pokes her head in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “You ready for this?”
“Ready for what?” I ask, suddenly wary.
“To see your girl,” she says, stepping into the room. “I’ve outdone myself, darling. She looks absolutely stunning.”
My heart rate kicks up a notch. “Is she ready?”
“Almost.” Reaching up, she adjusts my collar. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. She’s nervous. And I don’t think she realizes how absolutely gorgeous she looks.”
My pulse quickens.
“Side note: You might want to focus on keeping your jaw off the floor when you see her,” Ava winks.
After she leaves, I take one last look in the mirror. The man I’ve become is so different from the kid who left his hometown to chase a dream. Tonight feels pivotal, like everything is about to veer into a whole other direction.
Pulse hammering in my throat, I head downstairs to find Javier in the library, sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace, nursing a scotch.
“Looking sharp,” he nods approvingly. “The chauffeur just called. He’s about five minutes out.”
“Thanks,” I mutter.
Too distracted to make small talk, my eyes keep darting to the staircase, waiting for a glimpse of Lizzy all dressed up.
Finally, I hear the sound of clicking heels on the marble floor above and my entire body goes still.
I look up to see Leeza with a satisfied smile on her face. Then Ava, who gives me a cheeky grin, pausing for much too long for my heart to take before stepping aside.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
My breath catches in my throat when Lizzy appears.
Wearing an emerald green dress that hugs every curve, her hair is swept up in an elegant twist with a few tendrils framing her face.
The dress has a plunging neckline that showcases her collarbones and a plunging depth of cleavage that makes my dick twitch to attention.
Slowly, I walk out of the library and over to the stairs. As soon as Lizzy reaches the bottom, Ava’s voice cuts through my daze when she orders Lizzy to spin.
The turn reveals the back dipping low, exposing the smooth expanse of her luscious skin all the way down to her waist.
“Wow,” I breathe. Unable to tear my eyes away, my brain barely registers Javier’s low chuckle coming from somewhere behind me.
She looks like a goddamn dream. The color of her dress makes her eyes sparkle like shimmering emeralds. Smoky eye makeup makes them appear even more striking against her dusky skin. She looks elegant and sexy as hell—like she belongs on a red carpet.
Her lips curve into a shy smile that makes my heart do a weird flip-flop when she finally looks up at me.
“Well?” she asks, her voice a little breathless.
For a moment, I can’t speak. All I can do is stand frozen in place, gawping like an idiot while my brain short-circuits.
“You look...” A search for the right words comes up empty. “Fucking incredible doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
A blush spreads across her cheeks as she fiddles with the small clutch in her hands. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“Visitor requesting entry at main gate.”
“Looks like your limo has arrived,” Ava says, bustling around us as she shoos us toward the front door. “You two kids have fun. When you get home, it’ll be like we were never here.”
Lizzy spins and wraps her arms around Ava and then Leeza. “Thank you.”
Not one to accept a hug so readily, Ava waves her hand in the air, a light blush on her cheeks. “No thanks needed, darling. Now go, or else you’ll be late.”