Playing the Perfect Boyfriend (Gone Hollywood) (13 page)

Everything he did was still pushing her toward another orgasm. Her body responding to his touch as it always did, wanting more, driving higher and higher to encourage him to give her everything he had in him. But this time, when she tumbled over the edge of that cliff, he came soon after, grunting his release.

Dean caught himself on stiff arms before he collapsed on top of her. Giving a smile, he leaned in and kissed her, deep and sexy, but without the passionate hunger she’d grown used to from him. When he broke the connection, he pecked her nose and drew his length from inside her. “I should probably hop in the shower and get cleaned up.”

And, like that, he was gone.

What the hell just happened?

Jade lay there, blinking at the ceiling. He’d said he was going to do all the work, which he had. He’d said he was going to go easy on her, which he definitely had. It wasn’t that the sex had been
bad
, either. It was just… Their first time together, she’d joked about ten orgasms, and over the course of the night, he’d made sure to give her a few extras “just in case they’d miscounted.”

Today they’d talked about three.

And he’d stopped at two.

She knew it was a selfish and stupid thing to dwell on, but every fiber in her being was screaming that this was more than a rush to get to work. It was more than worry over her being sick earlier in the week.

Something with Dean had changed while she’d been ill, and it went beyond the sex and the confession about his past. She didn’t know how far beyond…or how she was supposed to find a way to follow and bring him back.

Chapter Thirteen

Dean didn’t know how the hell this happened, but he was finally going to meet Jade’s best friend Vicky. However, he would have been happier had it
been someplace o
ther than at a party, with not only Vicky’s husband but also her brother and his wife, and a bunch of other Hollywood A-Listers. Which meant they ran the risk of seeing Alfredsson.

There hadn’t been nearly enough time for him to woo Jade with his husband-material plan, and if he didn’t think of something fast, today could be the day she decided to stage the dramatic end to their charade. After all, they were rapidly approaching the countdown to Air Sweden.

“Why do you look so nervous?”

Damn it, he was an actor. He should have been better at this. It was only that, up until a few days ago, around Jade was the one time he could drop the act. Now he was on-duty all the time. He’d forgotten how exhausting that could be. “A lot on my mind. Work mostly.”

“Really? I thought filming was finally going well.”

He hadn’t really been thinking about work, but there was truth at the ready to fit into that particular lie. “It is. That couldn’t be going smoother. There’s the potential of more work on the horizon is all.” At her arched brow, he continued, confident that the announcement would force her to think about where they stood with each other. She wouldn’t be the only one with a time limit now. “I got a call from my agent yesterday. He finally received word about a rom-com I read for a while back. They confirmed filming would take place while I was on break from
Providence Academy
, and they want me for the male lead.”

As soon as he parked, Jade climbed out. He found her staring at him over the hood of his car. “That’s an intense schedule. Are you sure you want to be that busy?”

He shrugged, making his shoulders sag a little extra on the down swing. “When I read for it, I was all about cramming in as much work as possible—getting my name out there with quality projects so I could cement my future. I mean, it isn’t like the guys and I were going to spend my break hitting all the beaches in Hawaii or anything. I’d be here…waiting for the new season of
Providence Academy
to start filming.” Pause, just long enough for that to sink in. “I have a little while to decide. If there’s something awesome keeping me otherwise occupied, I’ll pass on the project.”

“Oh.”

Not the effusive
please, don’t take it—I want you to spend the time with me
he’d been hoping for, but it hadn’t been the opposite, either. He strode around to the passenger side and cocked his elbow for her to take. “Shall we?”

She tucked her hand against his biceps and they walked inside together—the picture-perfect happy couple.

The hall was decorated with elaborate ice sculptures and a damned portable waterfall that let off steam as it hit what must have been dry ice in the bottom. The entire place looked like a frozen wonderland.

“Vicky’s handiwork?” Dean asked.

Jade nodded, smiling proudly. “She’s become one of the premier party planners in town. Oh, there’s Marcus. I should say hello.”

Releasing him, she walked right over to a short, scruffy-bearded guy with a shaved head and embraced him, planting kisses on both his cheeks. “Happy birthday!”

The man beamed at her. “Thank you. I’m so glad you recommended Inferno Party and Entertainment to me at the cast shoot. Vicky was a dream to work with.”

“If you’re happy, I’m happy.” When he looked over her shoulder, Jade must have realized her gaffe. “I’m so sorry. Marcus Nightbridge, Dean Hartley. Dean, Marcus.”

Marcus Nightbridge—the mind behind the multibillion dollar
Time Phantom
franchise that had made Vicky’s brother, Evan, a movie star. Dean put on his best I’m-an-actor-who-would-love-to-work-with-you-someday smile and reached out a hand. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Taking Dean’s hand in both of his, Marcus shook. “Pleasure’s mine. It’s nice to see someone has finally tamed this wildcat.” He winked at Jade. “Pardon me, but Spielberg just walked in. Can’t leave that man waiting.”

As soon as he walked away, Dean turned to Jade. “You boned Nightbridge?”

She laughed, the sound full and light—he hadn’t heard it like that in a while. “Technically, it would have been him boning me, but no. For starters, he’s very gay. But beyond that, he’s one of those rare men who just gets me.”

“And here I thought I was the only guy who understood you.”

Something in those words made the light fade from her eyes a little. “Nope. Let’s…go find Vicky and Dante.”

What had he said?

…

And here I thought I was the only guy who understood you.

She’d never thought Dean had been the only one who got her. But not so long ago, she’d been certain he understood her better than anyone else. No
w she wasn’t so sure. The weird sex and the perfunctory kisses and…something was wrong, and she had no clue how to make it right again. Especially not when it seemed as if Dean was doing his best to come across as Mr. Perfect.

Of course, the guys adored him. Stasia did, too. Which was fantastic. The only problem was their attention had made it so Jade had barely managed to get a word alone with Vicky—and she needed to talk about all this with her best friend like she couldn’t believe.

Unfortunately, the moment she caught Vicky’s eye and said she had to go to the restroom—clear girl-code for
I need to talk to you
—Stasia stood up and said she’d join them.

Jade had met Vicky’s sister-in-law a few times, and it wasn’t that she thought the woman would blab, but…she wasn’t inner circle. She wasn’t Vicky.
Time for small talk. Great.
“Enjoying the party, Stasia?”

“Enjoying the breather from being a mom all the time, more like.” She tipped her head toward Vicky’s still-flat belly. “I strongly suggest you have a plan for
after
the baby is born as much as you have one for the hospital. Evan and I still get in arguments over the littlest things about child rearing. He’d probably give me a lecture if he knew I’d snuck off with the two of you so I could call the sitter and check on Maya.”

That explained why she’d been so eager to join their excursion to the ladies room, but it didn’t solve Jade’s dilemma. As soon as she hit the bathroom stall, she pulled out her phone and sent Vicky a text.

Really need to talk. Thought I’d be able to here, but that seems to be a big no. Help?

The snort of laughter from the next stall made her want to bang on the wall between them, but her phone buzzed a few seconds later.

Lunch Tuesday? It’s the best I’ve got.

Jade breathed a sigh of relief. She could hold off that long.

Sounds good.

A frowning Stasia was just hanging up her own phone when Jade came out to wash her hands. “Baby okay?”

“Yeah. I’m well aware it’s overprotective of me to worry, but I know my sitters back in Detroit. Here it’s almost always strangers. Highly recommended strangers, but strangers—and sadly, money is our only connection to them.”

“I understand.” She really didn’t. Granted, she didn’t remember many babysitters from when she’d been little, but Mom from Jade’s teen years seemed like the kind who would have been fine with strangers—recommended or not. Vicky would probably be a mom like Stasia, though—her kid would be loved like nobody’s business. Jade herself… It was probably better that she never try to find out—cycles repeating and all that.

“Speaking of strangers… From the sounds of it, you and Dean are a pretty new thing.”

“Huh?” Thoughts of childhood and babies disappeared as she tried to remember how long they’d “officially” been together. “A couple months now.”

“Don’t make it sound like that’s nothing, or I’ll feel like a total loser.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m surprised Vicky didn’t tell you the whole sordid tale.”

A toilet flushed and a shout came from the other stall. “I don’t spill secrets.”

Jade shook her head, confused. They were likely talking about Evan and Stasia’s relationship, but she had none of the details. “I know about the paparazzi mess you and Evan dealt with, but honestly, I try not to pay attention to tabloid gossip. It really isn’t good for business.”

“Fair enough. Short version: we met during a press junket, faked a relationship for a week, got caught doing the deed by a guy with a great camera, broke up…and then were back together by the end of the week. Here we are, not even two years later, married, with a baby.” She dipped her head as her cheeks flushed. “I guess all I’m saying is if it’s good, don’t worry about it being too new. From what I can tell, he’s a great guy and really into you.”

“Thanks. I appreciate the advice.” Too bad he seemed to have been
more
into her a week or two ago. Now he was acting like they’d been together forever and he was getting…bored. She’d
never
bored a guy before. No, she didn’t give a rat’s ass about the newness of things. Her worry was that the honeymoon was over and from here on out…this was as good as it was going to get.

Vicky must have noticed her discomfort with the conversation, because as soon as she’d dried her hands, she grabbed Jade’s elbow and steered her back toward the party. “I don’t know about you two, but I don’t like leaving my husband alone too long at these things. The single women don’t seem to care if he’s married—no matter what he says to ward them off.”

Thinking back to that first meeting in the alley with Dean, Jade’s lips twitched into a smile. He hadn’t been married, or even involved with anyone, when that happened—he just hadn’t wanted all the attention from random women. Her smile drooped. Now it seemed like he was more than willing to give up hers without a fight, too.

Why was it, at the very moment she decided to consider him as more than just a short-term fling in order to get Isak, he became just like Isak? It wasn’t that Dean had ceased being funny or adoring or attentive. He just changed the way he was those things. It was quieter now.

Comfortable
.

She swallowed hard at the thought.
Is that what happens to married people? They get comfortable and bore each other into leaving?
It made her think of Isak and her lack of illusions there. They’d never been about excitement or new-relationship energy; it had always been quiet, safe, predictable.

Dean had, momentarily, shown her there was a possibility of something else—something with more life to it—a level of safe but still exciting, but now it seemed he wanted her to know that type of relationship had an expiration date of six weeks. After that, no matter how great things had been at the start, even they fell into an uncomfortable comfort zone.

Once they rejoined the guys, Stasia said, “I hate to break it to you, honey, but tomorrow is off.”

“What? Why?” Evan sat up straighter, looking every inch the superhero ready to spring into action.

“Sitter cancelled.”

“Damn it. I was really looking forward to Catalina.”

Dean piped up with, “Day trip?”

“Yeah. The four of us were going to go out and just hang for some kid-free family time.” He cast a glance Jade’s way—looking guilty, as if she would have expected an invite, but she never would have. Vicky didn’t get to see her brother very much since he’d moved, and Dante was Evan’s best friend. She’d rather have her one-on-ones with Vicky over invading their four-way.

“What time were you planning to be back?” Dean pressed.

Jade blinked. What was he doing? If he was going to suggest going along, she’d smack him. They were
already
talking about having to cancel the damn trip. Him pushing to add them to the guest list might make the cancellation a done deal.

“No later than nine,” Evan said. “We’re catching the red-eye back to Detroit so Maya will sleep most of the way.”

Dean looked at Jade and grinned. Not the let’s-do-something-really-dirty-tonight grin that she loved, or even the I’m-going-to-suggest-something-stupid grin she’d feared. This was more…more…bad. It was simply a bad-news grin if she’d ever seen one.

“Jade and I would be happy to look after her for the day.”

What?

Evan thumped Dean on the back, smiling like he’d just won the lottery. “Thanks, man! We really appreciate it.”

Stasia got up and hugged them both, apparently oblivious to how stiff Jade’s body was.

As hard as she tried, she couldn’t force a smile. This was so definitely bad news.

…

It didn’t take long for Dean to figure out that Jade had no idea what to do with a baby. Maya had been asleep when Stasia and Evan dropped her off, but she woke up within an hour and started crying.

Dean rolled her stroller into the kitchen, but she was having none of it and started
crying harder. Sighing, he unclipped the belt and lifted her free. “Hey, kitten, why don’t you warm her up a bottle?”

“Of what?” Jade winced as Maya let out a particularly piercing yowl. “Because I’m thinking whiskey might knock her out again.”

“Cute.” He started bouncing Maya on his hip. “I’m pretty sure Stasia left breast milk in the cooler they brought.”

“Uh…” Jade held up the little baggie and stared at it. “Do I put this in the microwave? Won’t the plastic melt?”

Oh boy. Dean took the bag of milk then passed Maya over to Jade. “I’ll get the bottle. You get the baby.”

Jade’s eyes went wide, like a panicked deer. “I…don’t do babies.”

“No one ‘does babies’ their first time. Just hold her, rock her, bounce her. You can even sing to her—and I know you’re good at that. She just needs a distraction for a minute.” Dean nuked a cup of water and then put the baggie inside. While it warmed, he hunted through the diaper bag.

The crying didn’t stop, not even when Jade started crooning…was that Aerosmith? As soon as Dean found the bottle, some jars of baby food, and a container of cereal, he got back to work on Maya’s breakfast. She was probably just hungry—a little food and she’d be perfectly happy. They just had to make it through this first.

“Why won’t she stop?” Jade was holding Maya awkwardly and bouncing her around to no avail. No wonder the screaming hadn’t dissipated, the poor kid was going to get whiplash if Jade’s frantic movements didn’t stop soon. Thank God the kid was old enough to have great head control.