I settled at the small kitchen table while Aiden warmed up his breakfast. When he carried his plate over to the spot next to me, I noticed the mountain of eggs he’d piled on. “Way to save some for the others. What are they going to eat when they’re done with their workouts?”
Aiden placed his food and cup on the table and sat down before answering me. “Here’s the part you’re not going to like.”
Uh-oh. Since Aiden had done nothing but piss me off, I trusted his ability to know what things I wouldn’t like.
“Tanner and Ford aren’t downstairs. They already went to the set because they’re working on choreographing a new fight scene.”
“They’re gone already?” And I was alone with this arrogant asshole?
“My call time’s not until nine-thirty, so you can ride in with me.”
“How far is it to jog?”
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Maybe fifteen miles?”
“Okay, I’ll be there in two hours.”
“Great. Might want to change your shoes before you start climbing up and down those canyons.”
“Canyons?”
“Well, yes, unless you want to run on the highway itself. Which I’m pretty sure is illegal.” He shoveled a huge spoonful of eggs into his mouth. His Adam’s apple jolted as he swallowed them. “Or you could ride with a man that most women would give anything to sit next to.”
“Trust me, that’s because they haven’t met you.”
“I can be charming.”
“Because you’re an actor.”
“So you admit I can act?”
“How would I know?” I picked up my coffee to take a sip, but then put it down hastily. The temptation to chuck it at his head was too strong. “Here’s an idea—why don’t you try acting like a decent human being? Then I’d be able to judge your acting skills a little better.”
“That’s a boring role. I’d never take something that tame.”
“Too bad.”
Aiden grinned.
“What?”
“You know, anyone listening to us might actually think that we’re brother and sister.”
That was the worst thing he’d said to me yet. “But we’re really, really not.”
Aiden held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Yes, I know. We’re strangers. Except Mac doesn’t want us to be.”
“Mac had better get used to disappointment.”
“And you’d better get used to not biting the hand that feeds you—or at least the hand that offers you a ride to your brand-new job. I’m going to hit the shower. Be ready to leave at nine. And I hope you left enough hot water for me.”
He grabbed two strips of bacon and headed upstairs. I couldn’t quite decide if I liked the view of him departing because he had a great ass or because he was going away. Maybe both?
How dare he say we fought like siblings. Sure, I fought a lot with my real sibling, but we loved each other. We had each other’s backs. Aiden didn’t have anyone’s back but his own.
There was only one thing I was certain of while I rinsed off my dishes, leaving his on the table. I was going to use every last drop of hot water on these dishes—even if I Had to clean them three times.
7
Ronnie
I’d thought the drive last night was bad, but this one was a new level of hell. “Eyes on the road,” I snapped when I caught Aiden looking at me instead of straight ahead—again.
He shrugged but leaned forward over the wheel, his eyes opened wide.
“Thanks for the tip. Otherwise, I might have rear-ended that car a mile and a half ahead of us.”
“It doesn't matter how empty the road is—you have to watch it.”
“Whatever you say, Princess.”
“It’s not what I say, it’s what the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles says.”
“Which I’m sure you’re familiar with.” He rolled his eyes at me, and I pointed back at the road.
Damn, he was annoying. Maybe the best thing to do was to get him talking, and then—possibly—he wouldn’t be such a jerk. Plus I didn’t have to listen, I only had to look as if I were. “So what’s this movie about anyway? Besides car chases.”
Aiden launched eagerly into the topic. Sucker. “It’s about so much more than that. Though those are the fun parts, or they would be if they ever let me drive.”
“Spoiler alert—they’re not going to until you learn how to keep your eyes on the road.”
He ignored me. “It’s really the story of good versus evil. I play Chase Cooper, a conman with a heart of gold and—” He paused and gave me one of his raised eyebrow looks. “Did you sign an NDA?”
For a moment I was confused. Non-disclosure agreements weren’t a regular part of my life. But then I remembered one of the papers Tina had me sign yesterday. “Yes.”
“Okay, good.” And then he was off and running, telling me all about some bank heist that would be filmed later and apparently an epic fight scene that would be done partly by him and partly by Tanner, and a scene where he steals a horse to get away. Aiden sounded as excited as a little boy while he talked about it, which was much better than his usual demeanor.