JUST AS I settled into the back of the Sprinter and rattled off an address for my driver, Scotty, the door slid open and East cocked his head.
“Going somewhere?” he said.
“Yeah. To your mom’s.”
“Punk-ass. Where you really going?”
“I’ve got a shoot in Newport. Wanna come?”
East’s lips curled in distaste. “Jersey? Why the fuck?”
“Does it matter? You in or you out?”
“Out,” he said, but hopped in the van anyway, followed by Preston. “Scotty can drop us off on the way there.”
“You mean on the way back. I can’t be late.”
East let out a dramatic sigh as he sat down and kicked his feet up on the seat. “Fiiine,” he drawled, running his hand over the cardigan tied over the shoulders of his striped button-up. “I need a nap anyway.”
At seven thirty in the morning on a Saturday? I couldn’t believe his ass was up and at ’em in the first place.
“I’m the first stop. Then these fuckers,” I called up to Scotty before turning toward Preston. He wore a lightweight cream sweater over his collared shirt and was busy rolling the sleeves up his forearm. “So what trouble are you guys getting up to?”
“None, unfortunately,” East muttered, and Preston rolled his eyes.
“I got roped into helping out at Elysium for their event next week.”
“Bullshit you got roped into it,” East said. “More like volunteered. Damn do-gooder.”
Preston’s eyes met mine. “My father requested my presence and told me to bring a friend.”
“And you thought East was the right person for the job?” I couldn’t help but laugh. I couldn’t imagine East lifting a finger to decorate or pitch in, or whatever it was they’d be doing. He only knew how to be a bossy shit. Was there a position for that?
“Everyone else was busy.” Preston smirked, and that told me he wasn’t telling the entire truth. Most likely he thought it would be fun to see East get his hands dirty. Couldn’t blame him there. Hopefully he’d take a few blackmail photos.
“What did you have to promise him? I know he didn’t agree without a fight.”
“You’re right. I didn’t.” East adjusted the gold luxury watch on his wrist as his mouth curled up on one side. “I get a two-hour spot with Raúl.”
I frowned. “Who the hell is Raúl?”
“My massage therapist,” Preston explained. “He’s the best-kept secret in the city—”
“That Preston keeps selfishly all to himself.” East shot him a glare, and Preston shook his head.
“Because with East on his client list, I’ll never get a damn appointment again.”
“How come I’ve never heard of this guy?” I said. “I could use a massage.”
My entire body—especially the more private areas—was still a bit sore from the outdoor scene with Kelly a couple days ago, though really, I would prefer his hands rubbing me down.
“I bet you could.” East’s gaze fell to my hands. “What’d you do, bust your ass on the pavement?”
Nope, Kelly busted my ass. In two.
I turned my palms up and gently traced over the scrapes that still decorated my skin. I hadn’t even noticed until I’d gotten home Thursday night that bracing myself on the rough brick while Kelly pounded into me from behind had cut up my hands. The high that had followed me back to my apartment lasted until the heat of my shower stung the shit out of the raw wounds.
It had been worth it, though. I didn’t even care that my agent would bitch me out when she saw them.
“Uh…yeah,” I said, dropping my hands. “Something like that.”
Was I still hiding Kelly—or Sin, as they still knew him—from my friends? Damn right I was. If they knew we were fucking they’d want details, and they had the resources to pry until they found out what I’d been doing in my spare time.
And my fellow Park Avenue Princes knowing my secret?
Not happening.
Changing the subject, I bullshitted with the guys for the next half-hour, grateful that Scotty had managed to get me to the shoot location on time. The early hour meant traffic hadn’t been too bad, but I had a feeling Preston and East would run into a few standstills on their way back in.
Not my problem.
As Scotty drove off, I shrugged my bag over my shoulder and headed down the Hudson Riverfront Walkway. I could see the huge white sculpture from here, the one I’d be shooting in front of called Water’s Soul. It faced the New York City skyline and depicted the head of a woman holding her finger up to her lips.
Several white tents were set up nearby for catering, wardrobe, hair, and makeup, and also to keep the models out of the sun during breaks. As I stepped under one and pushed my sunglasses on top of my head, I immediately spotted my agent, Mira. She didn’t usually accompany me to shoots, but she’d wanted to see the sculpture up close and had never made the time to do so before.
“Good morning,” she said, giving me a double air kiss that I returned, bending over to reach her barely five-foot frame. She took a step back and ran her eyes over me, scrutinizing every detail. “Hmm. What’s different?”
I looked down at myself, didn’t see anything out of place, and shrugged. “You realize I’m now an eleven on a scale of one to ten?”
She shook her head even as amusement played on her dark, berry-colored lips. “Smartass. Something’s different, though. I don’t know what it is. Did you go on vacation?”
“Not since summer.” I didn’t want to explain that maybe all the orgasms Kelly had been giving me had probably given me a nice, healthy glow. Sex could do that. At least, I thought it could.
“Well, anyway. They’re not quite ready for you in hair and makeup. Want a coffee?”
When I nodded, she headed to the makeshift beverage station under the catering tent. When she handed me a paper cup and I reached for it, I saw her eyes widen, and she grabbed my wrist, tugging me forward. The cup fell to the ground.
“Van, what the hell is this?”
Well, shit. Of course she’d noticed the scrapes on my hands. I knew she would, because nothing got by her, and it was just my luck she’d shown up here today.
“I fell,” I said, starting to pull my hands away, but her grasp on me was tight for such a tiny woman.
Her dark eyes narrowed as they met mine. “You did not fall.”
“Were you there?”
“Where?”
“When I fell.”
“Where did you fall?”
I shrugged. “On campus.”
“Where on campus?”
“In the courtyard.”
“In the courtyard in front of all your friends and peers?”
“Yeah.” Jesus, she was relentless, and the lies flew out of my mouth easily.
She pursed her lips and dropped her hold on me. “You’re such a bad liar, Van. I know what rough sex looks like.”
“It wasn’t— Wait, how do you know?” Actually, on second thought, I didn’t want that bit of personal information at all, but I’d rather have the focus on her naughty deeds than mine.
Mira turned back to the stainless-steel coffee urns and held a cup under the dispenser.
“Never mind that,” she said. “What have I told you?”
“Don’t be a clumsy ass and fall on pavement?”
“If you were vertically challenged in the slightest, you wouldn’t be a client.” She left her coffee black and popped the lid on as I poured a cup of my own. “The rule is, you mark others, you don’t let them mark you.”
I sighed, knowing she was right, but there wasn’t much I could do about it right now. I’d enjoyed myself a little too much in the moment, and I’d have to be more careful.
Not that it was happening again…right? I hadn’t actually been propositioned, and I wasn’t sure if it was a smart idea to keep it going. It was a sexy idea, and part of me wanted a round three, but a selfish part of me wanted that to happen away from the cameras this time.
“You’re right,” I admitted, ignoring the sting in my hands from the heat of the coffee.
“I know I’m right. No sex marks. You need to be flawless for all the big things coming your way.”
I choked out a laugh at that comment, because all I could think of right then was, well…Kelly’s massive dick coating my face in his release and—
Nope. I couldn’t follow that train of thought right now. I blew on my coffee and took a sip, shoving the visuals of Kelly to the back of my mind for later. But something Mira said had snagged, and I asked, “What do you mean by big things? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Her eyes darted elsewhere as she lifted a shoulder. “I can neither confirm nor deny until we’ve got an offer, but there is…talk.”
“Of?”
“I can’t say—”
“You mean you won’t.”
“Fine, I won’t say, but what I can tell you is that you need to stay in peak condition, and that includes your skin. Got me?”
“Yeah, yeah. I got you.”
“Gonna make a household name out of you yet,” she said, patting my cheek, and then her attention moved past me. “Oh look, they’re ready for you. Off you go.”
I finished off my coffee and headed to the makeup chair. There were several other models I’d worked with before lined up along the tent, each of them at a separate workstation.
The next half-hour was spent getting my eyes painted in black liner that Travis would be proud of, and they’d slicked my hair back to keep the focus on my face. A pair of loose-fitting pants and a structured jacket completed the look. I barely recognized myself, but that was part of what I liked about the job—disappearing into someone else for the day.
“You look perfect,” the photographer said when he stopped by to say hello. He checked his watch. “We’ll start in twenty.”
As he moved down the line, I pulled my phone out of my bag hanging on the back of the director’s chair. I had a feeling Kelly would get a kick out of this look. Maybe it’d inspire him for an upcoming scene, because I could only imagine that he’d look fucking amazing with slicked-back hair and dark eyes.
The line rang…and rang…and then finally the video chat connected.
“Hey there,” I said, grinning as he came into view.
Fuck me, that was…a seriously sexy visual. Kelly’s eyes were half open, his blond hair loose and spread across the white of his pillow. He was still in bed. I forgot that not everyone woke up early on the weekend.
I couldn’t stop myself from taking a screenshot of what a hot picture he made half-asleep and shirtless.
“Donovan?” He rubbed his eyes. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s my new look. What do you think?”
“I think my dick just woke all the way up.”
I grinned. “Oh, this does it for you, huh?”
“I’m beginning to think if it has to do with you, it does it for me. You look fucking amazing.” Kelly ran his fingers through his hair and rested his head on his arm. “Where’s your shoot?”
“Why? Wanna watch me?”
“I wish I could. I’ve got some interviews for the studio in a couple of hours.”
I hadn’t called to ask him to come down here, but for some reason his answer still disappointed.
What the hell was that reaction about?
“Nah, if you were here you’d probably only get me in trouble again.”
He picked up on my teasing tone. “Again? When did I get you in trouble the first time?”
I lifted my hand, showing him the scrapes across my palm. “Turns out my agent isn’t a fan of sex marks.”
“Shit.” He sat up, and all that gorgeous hair fell around his face. “I did that?”
“Well, technically the brick wall you fucked me against did that.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Not at all.”
The concern that he’d hurt me melted into a more curious expression. “Let me see it again.” When I held up my hand, he ran his tongue along his lower lip. “Not gonna lie, that’s hot as hell.”
“It’s a reminder of a good time, that’s for damn sure.”
“Then is it bad I’m not even sorry?”
“Yes. But I like that.” I lowered my voice in case Mira was roaming around nearby. “Next time you’ll have to mark me somewhere a little more…private.”
He cursed, falling back against his headboard. “That sounds like a challenge.”
“Only if you’re up for it.”
His lips twitched. “Already told you I was.”
God, that was the last thing I needed. To think of him naked and hard right before I had a high-def lens aimed my way.
“When can I see you again?” he said.
I didn’t bother hiding my smile. “Whenever you like.”
“I mean outside of work.”
“Even better.” Someone called my name from the other side of the tent, and I looked up to see the assistant motioning for all of us to join him. I nodded and held up a finger before returning my attention to the screen. “Sorry, they’re ready to start.”
“No problem. Do you have plans later?”
I vaguely remembered the guys mentioning something about tonight, but whatever it was, they’d have to do without me. “Look at that, my schedule just cleared.”
Kelly’s slow, sexy smile and the fact I’d get to see him in a few hours had my pulse speeding up. “Glad to hear it.”
“Why don’t we meet at my place? Go from there.” Like we’d really be going anywhere once that happened. “I’ll text you the address.”
“Looking forward to it.” He gave me a wink, and I ended the call before the assistant could make his way over here to snatch the phone out of my hands.
