8
I LIKE BIG BUOYS AND I CANNOT LIE
“YOU KNOW, AS much as I love looking at you without any clothes, there’s something about you in a suit that just has me…” Dylan leaned back into the leather seat of the Town Car and gave me a slow perusal. His teeth tugged on his lower lip as his gaze drifted back up the length of my body, and then he said, “Mmm. Wanting to tell the driver to turn this car around and head back to your place.”
“And miss your first wrap party? Why, Mr. Prescott, you wouldn’t dare deny me the opportunity to have you on my arm at our first public event.”
“Wouldn’t I?” The wolfish grin he gave me made me laugh. There was no way I was letting him off the hook that easy.
“Yeah, okay, you would. And as much as I’d like nothing more than to strip you naked and fuck you on every surface of my house, I promised the girls I’d introduce you.”
Dylan pretended to pout, but his eyes were sparkling. “Looking forward to later, but I’m excited to meet your friends.”
“And taste the best boozy shakes you’ve ever had in your life.”
“What the hell are boozy shakes?”
“My weakness. They’re basically gourmet alcoholic milkshakes. Just wait.”
“Do they come with pink umbrellas and shit?”
“Sometimes.”
He laughed. “And you’re going to carry that around the party proudly, aren’t you?”
“Damn right I am.”
As the car pulled up to the curb of Licked and the After Dark, where the wrap party for Insurrection 2 was being held, the gaggle of paparazzi on the sidewalk turned in our direction, the flashes from their cameras immediate and nonstop.
“You ready?” I asked, meaning more than just are you ready to get out of the car? I needed to know that he was not only ready to face the onslaught we were about to step into, but ready for every little move we made to be dissected in the tabloids. But Dylan’s handsome face was calm and sure, so when he nodded, I smiled in return. “Then let’s do it.”
Our driver opened the back door and I stepped out first, keeping that smile in place as I gave the cameras a wave, and the shouts that filled my ears were immediate.
“Ace, did you bring your boyfriend?”
“Is it true you and Dylan are moving in together?”
I wasn’t about to answer or even acknowledge any questions tonight, or any time in the foreseeable future, so I ignored the shouts and moved to the side so Dylan could exit the car.
And what a fucking exit it was. As he stepped out, the paparazzi crowded in closer, wanting those money shots of the gorgeous man standing next to me, reaching for my hand.
“Dylan, look this way!”
“Can we get a shot of you two kissing?”
When Dylan threaded his fingers through mine, I gave them a gentle squeeze. Then I pushed us through the horde, keeping my eyes forward and my mouth shut, even as I heard:
“What do you have to say about sources who claim there was tension on the set because of your relationship?”
“Ace, did you get Dylan the part in Insurrection 2?”
“Dylan, how does Ace measure up in bed?”
At that last comment, I halted and Dylan came to a stop behind me. Then I turned on my heel in the direction of the photographer who’d shouted the out-of-line question, and when he saw that my gaze had landed on him, he lowered his camera a fraction.
But as much as I wanted to give the invasive asshole a piece of my mind, years of experience outweighed what was on the tip of my tongue, so I merely raised an eyebrow as he snapped away at me, and then we were gone. Moving quickly past the flashes that felt as though someone had put a strobe light spotlight on us, we were soon ushered inside Licked, and I could hear Dylan let out an exhale of relief that matched my own.
“Ace Locke,” Ryleigh, decked out in a swing-style dress straight out of the fifties, said as she sauntered toward us.
“Ryleigh,” I said as I let go of Dylan’s hand to embrace my friend and the woman who owned Licked and the After Dark. “I can’t thank you enough for letting us hold the party here. And for putting up with the chaos that came along with that.”
She laughed as she kissed my cheek and then took a step back. “Are you kidding me? That’s free press, baby.”
“Damn right it is,” a familiar voice piped up, and when I looked past Ryleigh’s shoulder I saw Paige, my event planner/giver of keycards to Syn, who was bent over slightly at the window to peer out the curtains. “They’re going nuts out there,” the brassy blonde said as she straightened and rounded on us, and then she started across the black and white floors in her tailored cigarette pants and crop top. When she stopped beside Ryleigh, she gave Dylan and me a thorough once-over, and then held her hand out to him. “And I can see why. Hi, we haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Paige Iris Traynor-Ashcroft.”
Dylan chuckled, and my heart pounded when his dimples appeared.
“That’s quite a mouthful,” he said, taking Paige’s hand to shake, and, bold as ever, she looked my way and pursed her lips.
“He say that with those dimples the first time you dropped trou?” she asked me. “If so, I can see why you’re willing to brave the hordes of paparazzi out there.” When she returned her attention to Dylan, she stated matter-of-factly, “You’re sexy.”
“Uhh…” Dylan tried to speak, and failed.
“This is Dylan, and how ’bout you be on your best behavior tonight and let go of his hand?” I said.
“How ’bout you try and make me,” Paige said with a good luck with that grin.
“You do remember he’s gay, right, Paige?” Ryleigh reminded her friend, and my soon-to-be ex-employee.
Paige acted as though she were thinking that over, and then nodded. “I do seem to remember that, but you never know—”
“I don’t mean to insult you because you seem really…well, intimidating,” Dylan finally said as he drew back his hand and cast his attention my way. “But trust me when I say that I like men. In particular, this man. I have since the first time I saw him, and that was years before we met.”
“Ouch. Shot down, P.I.T.A.,” Hunter Morgan, Ryleigh’s boyfriend, said as he arrived behind his woman. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple, and then he grinned at the two of us. “Hey, guys, don’t mind Paige. She’s a pain in everyone’s ass.”
“I never do,” I said, throwing a good-natured smile her way.
“Huge turnout tonight,” Hunter said, indicating the open doors that led through to the After Dark area where the party was taking place. There was no denying that Hunter was a good-looking guy, and as his dark hair fell away from his eyes I could see the appeal he held for Ryleigh—as could Dylan, apparently, who’d turned his head to smile at the man who’d just greeted us.
“Yeah, I have a feeling that’s going to be the norm for us for some time,” I said, placing a hand on Dylan’s back just to connect myself with him.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Ryleigh said. “It was crazy enough last year after you and Shay—” She squeaked off her final word as Hunter hugged her gently, and aimed a what look at her guy.
Dylan was the one to speak up. “It’s okay. I know all about Shayne and Ace.” He looked around. “Is she going to be here? I never did get to thank her for sending me upstairs the night of your birthday.”
As that hot memory hit, and transported me back to my bedroom and Dylan on his knees with—huh, his mouth full—I kissed his ear and said, “I never got to thank her either.”
“She’ll be here,” Ryleigh said, stepping away from Hunter and heading over behind a long counter with a glass case that housed tubs of colorful, and unusually named, ice creams. “She called to tell me that her and Nate were running a little late, which usually means…”
“She was banging her young man before they had to make an appearance and behave themselves,” Paige interjected as we all made our way to the counter.
“Yes, something like that,” Ryleigh said. “I swear, that girl needs better time management.”
“Hmm, yes. She should plan to leave at least an extra forty minutes before she has to go anywhere. Isn’t that right, Miss Phillips?” Hunter asked, as he passed behind his lady and kissed her on the side of her neck. When Ryleigh’s cheeks turned a sweet pink color, he looked at the three of us, grinned like a devil, and then turned to the back to get some glassware.
“So what’s it gonna be tonight, Ace? A Master Baiter shake or a Boatload of Seamen shake?”
Dylan sputtered next to me, and then burst out laughing. “That’s the name of the drinks?”
“I told you,” I said, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “These are adult alcoholic milkshakes.”
“You didn’t tell me they had filthy names,” Dylan said, leaning in to kiss my lips lightly. “No wonder you like them so much.”
“Mhmm,” I agreed against his mouth, until Paige began an elaborate coughing fit off to the side.
“Get a room, you two.” She paused and picked up a maraschino cherry from a small bowl in front of Ryleigh, and then chomped down on it. “Oh, that’s right, you already did. It’s all over the news.”
I rolled my eyes and flipped her off as she twirled the stem of the eaten cherry between her fingers. “I’ll have a Boatload of Seamen, and I think Dylan would like the Master Baiter tonight.”
“Is that a hint?” Dylan asked.
I flirted my lips across the shell of his ear and whispered, “Or an invitation.”
“Okay, okay, you two. You’re even worse than the practically married couple over there,” Paige said, nodding to Ryleigh and Hunter as she walked around to insinuate herself in between the two of us. She looped her arms through the crooks of our elbows and looked up at Dylan first, and then me. “So…tell me the truth. You two doing okay with all of that? The press? I know they can be nuts, and that night I dropped off some clothes when you got back from Vegas they were camped out in front of Ace’s gates like a pack of hungry hyenas.”
“It’s been intense,” Dylan admitted, but then his eyes found mine and softened. “But totally worth it.”
“Oh God,” Paige said. “Don’t you even start, Locke. All this sappy shit is seriously starting to kill any residual horniness that may, or may not, have been aroused when you two were kissing.”
And that was Paige. Blunt and offering no apologies for her lack of filter.
“Well, all I’m saying is if you need someone to kick some ass, to distract, run interference, play beard to either of you hot, hot men—”
“Paige,” Ryleigh said as she slid two drinks across the counter to us decorated with, what do you know, pink umbrellas and all.
“I’m just offering my services.”
“Sure you are. Let them head into the party. That is what they’re here for, remember?”
“Fine, fine. But remember. If you two need anything, call me.”
I smiled at her, knowing she truly meant what she’d just said as she moved out of the way, allowing me to put my hand on Dylan’s lower back where I’d had it earlier. “Thanks, Paige. We appreciate it, really.”
“You better,” she said, snatching up the drink Ryleigh had put in place for her. “I don’t offer myself to just anyone.”
“Now that’s way too easy,” Hunter quipped, and took a chug of the beer he’d just taken the cap off. “Where’s Dawson when you need him?”
And as I steered Dylan away from the three of them with a wave, I thought I heard Paige say, “No doubt off somewhere being a dirty dick.”
I shuddered at the thought of her and Richard Dawson’s volatile run-ins the handful of times I’d seen them, and didn’t envy that guy what he would have to go through to soften her up.
“So…you ready?” I asked, and watched as Dylan’s smile faded and he nodded like a man fated to an unwanted destiny. Right now, I knew exactly how he felt. But this wasn’t going to be over until it began. So it was time to face the music.
* * *
AS ACE’S HAND smoothed down to rest at the curve of my lower back, we headed in the direction of the open doors Hunter had indicated earlier. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this nervous, but the idea of stepping through those doors and into a party full of people who no doubt would be waiting for Ace’s arrival had my pulse racing.
But that’s stupid, I told myself. All of these people had worked on set with us for weeks. It wasn’t like this relationship was new to them, so we had nothing to worry about…right?
I swallowed back my nerves, trying to hang on to the relaxed feeling that Ryleigh and her friends had managed to instill in me, and just when I was starting to feel a modicum of calm, Ron walked out in front of us.
“Ace,” he said, stopping to look up at my date.
Ace came to a halt beside me and his shoulders stiffened much like mine had. Damn it, oh well, at least we could say we’d had fun for the first five minutes of the night with his friends.
“Ron,” Ace said in a clipped tone.
“Look… I… Uhh…” Ron glanced in my direction, probably waiting for me to excuse myself, but that wasn’t going to happen—not tonight. I wasn’t on set anymore, and this guy didn’t own my actions when I wasn’t working for him, so if Ace was happy to keep his arm around me while they talked, then I was more than happy to stay.
When it became clear he would need to keep speaking or leave without saying anything at all, Ron faced Ace once more and started again. “I owe you an apology.”
Well, how do you like that? I tried to keep my mouth from falling open, but it was hard because never in a million years had I expected that to come out of Ron King’s mouth.
“I shouldn’t have taken my frustration over certain situations out on you. And I apologize for that.”
As far as apologies went it was fairly half-assed, but considering it was a shock to be hearing one at all, I wasn’t surprised when Ace held his hand out to the older man.
“I appreciate that, Ron. I’ve always enjoyed working with you.”
“And I you, Ace,” Ron said, and then his eyes drifted to mine. “You aren’t bad either, when you’re not busy ogling the lead.”
Ace’s laugh made my eyes fly to his, and the slight nod he gave had me turning a smile of my own toward Ron. “Well, it’s a compliment to you, really. Just means you have a magnetic leading man.”
“Yeah, he sure is a draw at the box office. People love him. Make sure he remembers that, okay, kid?” When Ron held his hand out to me, I felt a deep swell of pride in my chest, because Ron was right: Ace was a huge draw all over the world, and the fact that he wanted to be with me was still somewhat shocking. “For your first movie you did pretty good, all things considered.”
“Ha,” I said, shaking his hand. “I don’t think movies is the life for me, but I thank you for that slight boost in my fragile confidence.”
As the pressure of Ace’s hand increased slightly, I looked his way and saw a healthy dose of the same emotion I’d been feeling, pride, shining back at me.
“Okay, then. I won’t hold you two up any longer. I just wanted to clear the air.”
“It’s much appreciated, Ron,” Ace said as the director headed off inside the club, leaving Ace and me still several steps from the main entrance.
“Wow,” I said with a disbelieving shake of my head. “I did not see that coming.”
“I kinda did. Ron’s not a bad guy. He’s just a hothead, and our relationship brought up a lot of questions in the press about the movie he didn’t want to deal with in the last few weeks.”
I guess I could understand that. “Yeah, when you put it like that.”
“You ready to face the rest of them?”
I scrunched my nose up. “Sure we can’t slip out the front door of Licked?”
“I wish. But we should make an appearance.”
“Okay, you’re right. I’m sure it won’t be that bad anyway. It’s not like we’re news to them.”
“I guess we’ll soon find out,” Ace said, and we took the several steps needed to put us through the open doors and into the After Dark, and as if time stood still, all music, dancing, and conversation ceased.