Aced (3 page)

Yeah…who’s J.T.?

“All right, see you tomorrow.”

As everyone got to their feet, I leaned over to the young blond guy next to me and asked, “Who’s J.T.?”

“The barber.”

“And why do we have to see the barber?”

His eyes went up to my hair. “That’s gotta go, man.”

What…the fuck.
“You’re serious?” When he nodded, I let out a curse. My agent was going to have a shit fit.

“I’m Russ,” the guy said, and shook my hand. “Not quite as green as you, but I’ve only done some indie stuff up until now. I’ve always wanted to work with Ron.”

“Yeah, he seems like a cool guy.”

“Oh, he’s a hardass, apparently. But a fun hardass.”

“Any hard ass seems like a fun time to me,” I said, grinning.
 

Russ’s pale eyebrows shot up and then his lips curved. “You know, I’ve never had any complaints so far.”

“Never had any complaints about what?” came the voice behind me, and I shot up out of my seat and turned to see…
Fuck me.

As Ace looked at me expectantly, my brain just decided to say screw it. I’d already made a fool out of myself in front of this guy today, and his opinion of me couldn’t get any worse, so the polite filter was coming the hell off.

“We were just talking about Russ’s hard ass, which I’m sure
you
could appreciate.”
 

Russ gaped at me from the corner of my eye, but Ace’s face remained expressionless, his gaze never wavering from mine. Yeah, I’d said it. The elephant in the room. Ace’s newly out sexuality, and I’d just fucking gone there.
 

“Turn around,” Ace said, and then broke our eye contact to look at Russ.
 

“Uh…what?” Russ squeaked.
 

Ace motioned with his hand. “Turn around. You can’t expect me to contribute to this conversation if I don’t see the goods firsthand.”

Russ hesitated and looked at me, and when I shrugged, he slowly faced the opposite direction.
 

Ace rubbed his chin as his eyes traveled from the top of Russ’s head down his broad back and to the ass in question. “What do you think?
Danny
, was it?”

“Dylan.”

“Right, Dylan. So, what do you think about Russ’s ass here?”

What kind of game are you playing at?
“It’s…nice.”

“Nice?” Ace scoffed. “A guy doesn’t want to hear his ass is just
nice
. Try again.”

“Tight. Russ’s got a tight ass.”

“Now
that’s
something I didn’t expect you to know already, having just met.” Ace’s smile grew wider as the back of Russ’s neck turned a darker shade of red. Ace’s eyes flicked to me. “And I’d say…sexy.”

I met his stare head-on as I answered, “Or high and firm. More than a handful.”

“Hard enough to bounce a quarter—”

Russ whipped around so fast he stumbled over the leg of a chair. “Thanks…guys. I’ve got to uh, go see J.T. now, but I appreciate the compliment. Compliments. See you tomorrow.” He grabbed his script from his seat and practically ran out of the soundstage.

Ace let out a deep rumble of laughter. “I think you scared him.”

“Me?” I said. “You’re the one ordering the guy to turn around so we can inspect him like he’s up for auction.”

“Sounds like you know something about that.”

I opened my mouth to refute his claim, but then remembered that one night years ago when I’d dragged Derek onstage so we could net a few thousand dollars for charity.
 

Ace cocked his head to the side as he studied me. “Interesting. You become more intriguing with everything you say. Or don’t say, in this case.”

“I guess I’m just here for your entertainment,” I said flippantly, tucking the script into the back of my jeans.
 

Ace took a couple of steps closer, and though we were about eye level with one another, the sheer size of him made him seem larger than life. He was intimidating and the look in his eye was paralyzing. I was frozen in place as he lowered his voice and said, “Be careful about making promises, Dylan. I just might take you up on them.”

I knew I must’ve looked as stunned as I felt, because Ace’s mouth split into a sensual grin and he kept right on talking, clearly realizing I had no fucking words. Not. Even. One.

“You know, this little game was fun and all, and Russ’s ass isn’t bad. But I bet
you
in a pair of white Calvin Klein briefs and a hot leather jacket would stop fucking traffic.”

As his words registered in my head, I ran over them. Once. Twice. And then my eyes widened.
There is no way he’s talking about—

“It’s almost a shame your hair’s gonna have to go. That’s always how I pictured you in my mind whenever I got off to that cocktease of a billboard you’re plastered on on Hollywood and Highland.” He paused and then stepped around me, and just as our shoulders brushed he whispered, “See you tomorrow, Dylan.”

* * *

THERE’S SOMETHING TO be said for speaking your mind,
I thought as I sauntered out of the soundstage feeling better than I had in months.
 

Fucking A
, who would’ve thought Marky Mark would end up being in my upcoming film? It was almost like kismet or some shit. Whatever the hell it was, I wasn’t about to question it because
Jesus
, Dylan was even more attractive in person. He was…breathtaking.
 

I’d always wondered what color eyes he had whenever I’d shamelessly slowed my car to a crawl and passed by his billboard, but wow, I never would’ve come close. They were a gorgeous shade of sea green that was so unusual you couldn’t help but stare at them, and his hair… It really was a shame that was gonna go, because it was the kind of hair you wanted to grab on to and use it to control where his mouth went.
And speaking of mouths…
I thought as I popped the locks of my car and opened the door. Dylan had a hell of a bold one that I wanted to shut up with my own, despite being surrounded by a cast I didn’t know and peers that I did. He was going to be trouble. In the short time we’d been in each other’s presence, he’d made me careless. Which meant one thing—I was fucked.

I slid into my car seat, and as my door lowered, Dylan stepped out of the soundstage and pinned me with a curious look. I could feel my cock respond under his perusal, and for the first time in a long time I felt self-conscious of what someone thought of me. I wanted to know exactly what he was thinking in that moment.
 

Was he impressed by my car? Did he think I was hot? Did he like my movies…
Really? What am I, a twelve-year-old girl?

I started the car, and as the music blasted out of the speakers, I saw Dylan roll his eyes. Yeah, okay, this guy was going to take some winning over. Wait a second…win him over? When had I ever cared what someone thought about me? I pressed the button for my window, and as it lowered, Dylan headed in my direction. When he got to the side of the car, he stopped and bent at the waist so he was peering inside. Then he raised an eyebrow as if completely unimpressed.

“Try not to hit me on the way out, huh? It would be a shame to run over me in the same car you’ve jacked off to me in, wouldn’t you agree?”

Bold
was exactly the right word for Dylan, because I couldn’t think of another fucking soul who would have the balls to say that only inches from my face. And hell, that only made me want him more. I zeroed in on that smartassed mouth and nodded. “I would.”

Dylan’s lips twitched and he straightened, running his fingers along the edge of the door as he walked on by, and I could’ve sworn I heard him say, “Especially since I’m wearing your favorite Calvins… See you tomorrow, hotshot.”

LATER THAT AFTERNOON I headed over to Temescal Canyon Park to meet up with Kenny, my friend and trainer. With the demanding action scenes for
Insurrection 2
, it was imperative that I keep in the best shape I could, which meant extra hours in the gym and, this afternoon, a hike up the canyon. I’d swung by my house to quickly change and switch out the vehicles, and when I pulled my black Range Rover into the spot beside Kenny’s Jeep, I saw him leaning against the trunk with his arms and ankles crossed, waiting for me.

As I climbed out of the car, Kenny said, “’Bout time you showed up. I was starting to think I’d been stood up.”

I walked around the back of the car, and when he held his hand out, I slapped at it, pulling him in for a friendly hug and clap on the back. “Quit complaining. You know traffic’s a bitch at this time of the day.”

“Traffic’s a bitch any time of the day here.”
 

Wasn’t that the truth. I swear, each year it got worse. It always felt as though every single person who resided in Los Angeles was on the road whenever you were in a hurry to get from point A to point B, and today had been no different.

“Aww, but you got a chance to enjoy the sunshine and nature.”

“It’s a fucking scorcher out here. We haven’t moved more than three steps and I’m sweating like I’ve run five miles,” Kenny said.

Five miles, what a joke.
If we were running anywhere it would likely be between eight to ten, but that wasn’t what he had in store for us today. We were going to climb a mountain, and not just climb it. This fucker was going to have me stop every half-mile and do some kind of intense brand of torture he’d cooked up in his evil little brain.
 

I glanced up at the sun overhead and then shook my head. Kenny was a hard taskmaster when it came to my exercise regimen. Not that I could fault the guy, since he’d kept me in peak physical condition for the past five years. Something that was required to be at the top of my profession.

“When did you turn into such a baby, Kenny? Anyone would think I was the one riding your ass out here.”

Kenny’s brow went up and he flashed a grin my way. “Really, Ace. Now isn’t the time for flirting.”

“No? I think there should always be some kind of pleasantries before I’m about to get fucked.”

Kenny laughed at that and nodded. “You’re right, and you know me. I don’t plan to go easy on you. Get your ass moving, stud.”

I flicked him off, but then we both headed toward the beginning of the trail. Although it was steaming out today, there were still several cars parked by ours, so I made sure to pull my ball cap down as low as I could, and I had my usual Aviators in place. The constant surveillance I was always subjected to was never far from my mind, so I was wary even though this wasn’t a place the paps typically staked out.
 

Ahh, the life of a celebrity. So glamorous.
Who wouldn’t love someone watching your every move, at any given hour? I loved my job, but sometimes I wanted to go to In-N-Out at one a.m. and get a cheeseburger without everyone wondering if I was overeating to put on weight for a role or eating my feelings after having my heart broken. Seriously, sometimes I just wanted a cheeseburger.

“So how was the read-through this morning? You think it’s gonna be as epic as the first? You know what they say about sequels…”

“Hey, shut it, asshole. I don’t need your bad juju out there in the universe. Plus, I wouldn’t have signed on if I didn’t think it was gonna kick some ass.”

“Touché,” Kenny said with a laugh. “Speaking of ass kicking, drop and give me twenty burpees.”

Coming to a halt, I glared at him and said, “I hate you. Just thought you should know that.” Then I dropped to the ground, yeah, right there on the dusty, steep trail, and did the combination of jumps and push-ups that was the bane of every exerciser’s existence. After twenty, I hopped to my feet and dusted my hands off on my pants.

“Dick,” I muttered as I started walking up the trail, and Kenny chuckled behind me.
 

“Water?” he asked, holding out a bottle toward me. I grabbed it and, after taking a small sip, held it sideways in front of my dick for him to take. The guy wasn’t my type, or even gay, for that matter, but if he was intent on taking every opportunity to torment me, then I’d do everything in my power to make him even the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Kenny rolled his eyes and snatched the bottle back. “I’m sure the paps would’ve loved that shot. ‘Ace gets serviced by new boyfriend at Temescal Canyon.’”

“Catchy. Remind me to tip those guys off to our location next time we do this.”

“I’d rather
not
be your first, but thanks anyway,” Kenny said, and then he cut his eyes at me. “Are there, uh…any potentials on that list?”

“List?”
 

“Oh come on, Ace. We’re friends; we can talk about that shit. You haven’t dated anyone since that whole publicity stunt with Shayne, and I just figured since you’re out now, you’d be…you know…”

“Fucking every guy I can get my hands on?”

“That’s what most in your shoes would do.”

“How do you know I’m not doing that already in private?”

Kenny slowed his pace and stared at me. “For real?”

“Just because you haven’t read about it in the papers doesn’t mean it’s not true. But no, that’s not really my thing.” I looked back over my shoulder to where he was eating my dust. “You gonna push me today or do I have to climb this shit on my own?”

With a shake of his head, Kenny jogged back up beside me and nudged me with his elbow. “All right, who is he?”

“Who’s who?”

“You’re not out being a manwhore, though you sure as fuck should be, so that means you’re a relationship kinda guy. And from the way you look like you want to cut my dick off for even saying that, I’m guessing you’ve at least got your eye on someone.”

Fuck having friends that can see the hell through you. Next time, I’m walking alone.

When I didn’t answer, Kenny said, “Spill, man. Or you can drop and give me fifty this time.”

“Jesus.” Wiping the sweat from my brow, I contemplated what the hell to even say.
Yeah, there’s this guy I pass every day and fuck myself to, oh, and he showed up at work today, and now I’m trying to decide how not to have him in my bed by the end of the first day of shooting.
 

Maybe the burpees would’ve been easier.