Prologue: Tara
That filthy, dirty, disgusting animal.
He thinks he can have whatever he wants. He’s a dirty, enormous, muscle-brained brute. He’s arrogant, rude, dangerous, way too famous, and an asshole. I’ve known him since I was a little girl, and he broke my heart a long time ago.
I have a million reasons to hate Jackson Hendricks.
So I’m extra stupid for putting myself in this position. I should never, ever be alone with him. I should never, ever let him touch me.
I definitely shouldn’t watch while he strips off his shirt, revealing his incredible muscular body.
“What are you staring at?” he says, a smirk on his lips. He knows exactly what I’m thinking about. He steps closer to me and I back up, bumping against the wall of his trailer. His grin gets deeper as he pins me there.
He broke my heart. He promised me everything, promised he’d always take care of me, that he’d take my virginity and make me feel special for the rest of my life.
Instead, he joined the military and disappeared.
He was the boy next door. Well, really, he was the man next door. Jackson has always been… well, he’s always been huge. Well over six feet tall and rippling with muscles, everyone assumed he’d become a professional football player or something. Jackson knew he was big and scary, and he always used that to his advantage. He wasn’t afraid of anything, especially not proving exactly how huge he was.
“You know why I took this movie?” he whispers in my ear. “It wasn’t for the money.”
Bastard. I hate him. I moved to LA and got into the movie industry assuming I’d never see him again. I wanted a new start in life. I wanted to forget about my past, including that brute next door. And I thought I was right, I thought he had disappeared for good. I never forgot him, but I moved on.
Until one day, I see him in this huge action film, and I realize that he’s back in my life.
Now we’re working together. And I can’t get away from him. He’s the star of this movie, and I can’t avoid him even if I wanted to.
I feel his heat as he presses closer against me. My heart starts racing. I keep wanting to run away, but I can’t. Jackson’s even bigger than I remember, even filthier, even more… absolutely freaking gorgeous.
“I took this movie to get what I really want,” he says to me, his hands on my hips. “I took this movie to get a taste of what I lost but never stopped needing. It’s been a long time, Tara, but I haven’t forgotten my promise.”
I turn bright red. I’ll never forget that promise, either. I was going to give myself to him.
I gasp when his lips find mine. I moan as his hands strip off my jeans.
He could crush me. I know he’s going to destroy me. I should run away from this man. I can’t let him break my heart a second time.
And yet I know I’m nothing under his enormous hands, and I can’t stop until I’m totally shattered.
1
Jackson
“You gotta take it, Jackson, you just gotta! You’ll be a star!”
I grunt at Mickey and lean back in the chair. I put a fake frown on my face. “I don’t know,” I say. “Brutally Dishonest is an awful title. And that offer?”
“They’re paying way above your minimum, Jackson.” Mickey is starting to sweat and I’m loving it, but I keep my cool.
Mickey Rains in my agent, and he made my career. He took me from a nobody struggling to get work as a stunt double and turned me into a real life action star.
This was not the life I ever thought I’d have. When I retired from the SEALs, I thought I’d go into private security. But a minor knee injury made sure that I’d never be healthy enough to be on my feet for hours at a time, running around and killing guys. That’s probably for the best. And so I started looking into a new industry, and stunt work seemed like a good fit for me. Despite the knee, I’m still a big, healthy guy, and I can do all that shit, no problem.
But Mickey Rains saw more in me, apparently, and he started shopping me around as a real life action hero. I’m an ex-SEAL with real combat experience and the medals to prove it. I’m handsome, I can act a little bit, and I’ll bring real life experience to any movie set.
I booked my first feature-length film after a month of living in Los Angeles. I was playing the supporting role, but the reviews were good, and soon the offers started rolling in. My first real hit, The Alpha Hero, catapulted me into serious stardom.
That all happened just over a year ago. It’s been a crazy time for me, and I’ve made more money and done more than I ever thought possible. But now that I’m established, it’s time to get down to business.