Hollywood Playboy (Hollywood Royalty 1)

We walk the red carpet. I’m on the arm of Jonathan, Kendall’s on Peter’s arm, and Autumn’s with Jim. Jake groans when he has to walk the carpet with Evelyn and Erin. Ella is all over Tyler as if they are really a couple, her hand never letting go of his arm. I try not to roll my eyes. Instead, I walk in, ask for directions to the bar, and decide that tonight, I’m going to have a drink or maybe two. After the second glass of champagne, I decide it’s a good idea to drink until my nose starts to itch. Yeah, that’s a thing.

The seven of us, minus the triplets, sit at a table in the middle of the bar laughing and joking. “I have to pee,” I whisper to Autumn, who nods her head. I get up and start walking toward the bathroom. I zigzag through the hundreds of people who have come out, looking up to see if there are any signs to the bathroom.

I finally see a sign and walk toward it. At the entrance to the hallway, a girl comes walking from there and sees me. “I wouldn’t use that one. There is someone fucking in the women’s bathroom,” she says to me, and I turn to watch her walk away.

My head turns to look down the hallway when I see the bathroom door open, and someone steps out. My feet feel like they are buried in cement shoes. I can’t move when he finally walks a touch toward me, and I see it’s Tyler. I watch him tuck his shirt into his pants and then adjust his tie. He doesn’t see me right away, but when he finally looks up and sees me, his mouth opens but nothing comes out. My eyes dart behind him where the door of the women’s bathroom opens, and I see Ella step out, pulling down her dress and fixing her hair. She walks right past him and smiles at me. I look at her and then see that Tyler is now in front of me. “Jessica,” he says softly, “it isn’t what it looks like.” I close my eyes, trying to hide the pain that I’m feeling in my chest, a pain that feels like it has ripped through my insides. I fake a laugh and then shake my head, hoping the tears burning at the corners aren’t there. “Jessica,” he says again, and this time, I look him straight in the eye, his eyes sad.

I swallow down and utter the only thing that I can get out without crying. “Your fly is open,” I say to him and turn to walk away from him, hoping like fuck no one stops me before I’m in the comfort of my room.

Chapter Fifteen

Tyler

This reality star is hiding a small baby bump. Sources say she’s thrilled about it, but her family is not.

I’ve never wanted someone more in my life. I’ve never wanted to just grab someone and devour them like I do Jessica. After she kissed my cheek, my heart sank. Friends peck each other on the cheek, and I felt she completely put me in the friend zone with that kiss. I respected it because I wasn’t going to force her to like me. That would have been a bit creepy.

Things with us had been going amazing; we went running in the morning and ate with each other, literally as two friends, but then I about lost my shit when the sweater she had on slid down a bit and showed me her perfect tan skin. My cock was so hard it was hurting me, and to make matters worse, the blood wasn’t exactly flowing from my brain to my mouth. By the time I realized what I’d said to her, she was storming away from me. I had no idea what the fuck to do or how to fucking say I’m sorry, so I stormed away like a two-year-old. I was over it five seconds later and willing to go tell her I was sorry, but well, I’m a man and a stubborn ass obviously. I spent the night in my suite with my finger hovering over her number. Then I went into my secret file, the one with our pictures in it. I looked at them and gathered the balls to finally call her, but then Ryan called me. We got to talking, and by the time I got rid of him, it was close to midnight.

I set the alarm to get up and work out the next morning, but she never showed, and when I walked into that room today, she was all smiles as if she had no worries in the world, so cue Tyler the actor, the aloof jerk who is all business.

The whole day was a clusterfuck. I wanted it over, and then I had the premiere. I was getting ready to go downstairs when there was a knock on the door. Hoping it would be her, I opened and saw it was Ella. “There he is, my date for the night.” She smiled and came in, her finger running over me while she walked in. I stepped away from her, and thankfully, Cassie came to my rescue. I felt my skin crawling from just being alone in the same room with this one. Walking into the room, I scanned it, looking for her, and just seeing her back made my chest feel better. Even though Ella and I walked the red carpet, I was finally able to get a good look at Jessica in that fucking hot-as-sin dress. She was beautiful and classy and everything this chick on my arm wasn’t. She didn’t have to try to be classy and elegant because it was already in her. I tried to pry Ella’s hand from my arm, and I swear to God there will be bruises tomorrow from her fingertips. That’s how hard she held me.