“Your
clothes are perfect, Rose. They’re not as modest as he believes. Women will buy
them.”
My words instantly calm her, and she relaxes against me. I
hold her while Scott waves Ben towards us. And then I meet his gaze. “So,” I
say, “you’re moving in.”
It’s a guess.
But it becomes fact as soon as he tosses the duffel bag onto
the floor. “I am.”
Rose balks.
“What did production want this time?” I ask. “A misogynist?
A natural blond?”
“A love triangle,” he deadpans.
Rose’s cheeks concave as if she’s attempting to suck in all
the air from the room. She points her finger at Scott, the red nail polish
threatening and incredibly sexy. “If you try to break up Lily and Loren, I will
gut you from the inside out.”
No, Rose. He wants
you.
His arousal practically swims in his eyes as he watches her
tell him off. “I’m not here to break up anyone. I’ll be introduced in the show
as your ex-boyfriend. We dated for a few years in college but decided to
amicably break up when your fashion line absorbed all your time. I like my
women to be…attentive. We’re still friends, despite your love to harass the
shit out of me.”
I let go of Rose and take a step forward. “We haven’t
formally met,” I say, holding out my hand. “I’m Connor Cobalt. The guy whose
girlfriend you want to fuck. And just so you understand, the odds don’t look
good for you.”
He shakes my hand, and I grip him so tight that he struggles
to hide a wince. “You’re threatened by me,” he states, not breaking eye
contact. “I’m twenty-eight, and you’re—”
I hate ages. “Twenty-four
years smarter than you.” I tilt my head. “And in ten years I’ll be thirty-four
years smarter than you. See how this works?”
Rose steps between us, hands outstretched like she’s
protecting us from each other. But I just want to protect her from him. “All
right. Put your cocks away. I’ve seen enough of them.”
We both look down at her with the same desire.
“You haven’t even seen mine,” Scott says with curved lips.
Is he serious? “I
assure you, you’ve pulled out your cock,” I tell him.
“Stop. Both of you,” she says, her chest rising in her
dress, her breasts more apparent, even with the high neckline. This , interjecting herself in the middle
of a fight, even tame, causes my dick to throb. I struggle not to pull her into
my chest, away from Scott and his lingering gaze. She wouldn’t appreciate me
claiming her. But if he’s going to try to take her from me—there’s only so long
I can withhold from doing so.
Anyway, I don’t think she’d appreciate another girl hitting on me this way. In fact, I’m almost certain
she’d rip her to shreds and grab me.
Rose spins towards Scott. “You’re the executive producer.”
“Yes?”
“So you’re in charge of production. You make the rules. So
you can leave.”
“Yes, but I also have the network breathing down my neck.
GBA expects certain things from Princesses
of Philly when I pitched the showto
them. My placement in the house was a promise I made.”
He’s planned this for that long?
Maybe he’s smarter than I thought.
Rose fumes. “If the network wants you here, then fine. But
the moment I think you’re fucking with my friends and their relationships, even
mine, you’re gone . My company isn’t
worth hurting everyone I care about.”
“Okay,” Scott says evenly. “But I can’t be held accountable
for your feelings, Rose. If you end up liking me, that’s completely out of my
control.”
Well, he’s still the douchebag I thought he was.
Rose snorts and backs up into my chest. It’s intentional.
And I could kiss her for it. Instead, I wrap my arm protectively around her
collar, and she clutches onto me.
“I’d rather burn,” she tells him.
Scott just smiles and motions to Ben who’s filmed the entire
scene. “Get everyone in this fucking living room. We have a psychic segment to
shoot.”
Game