Hollywood Playboy (Hollywood Royalty 1)

I craved the time we spent together, craved the normal that we were. After we ate, we would lay in bed watching Dateline. I’d fall asleep wrapped up in her, waking the minute she rolled away, so I went to her.

“Do you want me to set up a dinner for us and your parents?” Cassie says. “I can call Alex, and we could get in a private time.”

“No.” Shaking my head, I say, “I’ll call Alex myself.”

“Well, which day should I block off?” she asks, and I shrug. “I need to know so I can have everything set up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her, tucking my phone inside my jacket pocket. This is going to be the first red carpet event since Dubai. Today, my date is Evelyn, and I told Cassie I’m not to be alone with her ever.

“You haven’t made your own plans in thirteen years.” I look up at her, thankful that we’ve finally gotten to the event so she puts her phone away. She gets out first, followed by Evelyn, and when I climb out, I hear the roar of the crowd. They say you get used to it, but nothing will ever get me used to the thousands of people who gather and call out your name. I walk down the red carpet, trying not to look for her but failing. I spot her right away because my body knows exactly where she is. Her back is to me, her arms crossed over her chest. And right down the middle of her back is a thick gold zipper. Her hair is hanging loose and looked so much better right before I got to her. Now it looks like it went to war with someone’s hands, and it did—mine. The last time I saw her was when I left the interviews, and I made a pit stop at her room using the spare key she gave me. I found her sitting on the counter in the bathroom of her hotel room naked, curling her hair. She turns around, and I see the dress has long sleeves and is high to her neck. Her lips are full and painted pink, the same pink I tried to kiss off, but it wouldn’t smudge. She stands there smiling, and when I pass her, our eyes meet for a minute, and then we turn away.

I walk in the theater and pose for more pictures while the press packs up outside. I look out the window and see Jonathan go over to her and touch her waist, her head going back and laughing. She must feel me looking because she looks over at me and smiles. It’s a different smile than what she gave Jonathan; she gives him one like the smile I give the fans and reporters. I chitchat with a couple of people, waiting for the press to come inside. I’m standing here when they finally come inside. “Since we are in Italy, we have to eat pizza, pasta, and Prosecco, or some combination of the three!” Autumn says, and I nod at them.

“Let’s go,” I tell them, turning to walk out of the theater with Jessica beside me. “Hey.” I look over my shoulder to see how far back everyone else is. “You look beautiful,” I say quietly.

“Thank you,” she says, looking over her shoulder also now as we walk forward and then she stops talking when Cassie jogs to my side.

“Are we going to Nonna’s?” she asks, her whole face lighting up. “I love that place. Remember when you took me there last time?”

Jessica slows her pace as I keep up with Cassie beside me. “Is that our boat?” I ask her, and Cassie nods. Looking over my shoulder, I see that Jessica is now walking beside Autumn and Kendall. I gesture for Cassie to get in the boat first and then wait as everyone slowly climbs in. Jessica is the last one in, followed by me, and I sit next to her as the boat takes off in the direction of the little hole in the wall restaurant.

I’m the first one off, so I hold my hand out for Jessica and let our touch linger, our pinkies the last to let go. We walk down a road so narrow that we can’t even stretch our arms to the side when we recognize the smell of pizza in the air. I duck down, going into the restaurant, and see that the four tables are empty. “Everyone grab a seat,” I say to them and go and sit at a table, Cassie joins me right away. I look around the room for Jessica but don’t see her. She returns five minutes later and takes the last available seat at my table, sitting to my left.

“Sorry, I was in the restroom,” she says and then looks around at the room. A little old lady comes out from the back; she must only stand four-foot-eleven. Her black hair turned a dark gray is pushed back with a black headband. A white apron that has sauce smeared on it is worn over her all-black outfit.