Miami Bodyguard (Kendall Family Book 5)(12)

"Who are you?"

"What were you and Theo Carr fighting about?"

"Is Angelina here?"

"I'm calling the cops," I growl out, slipping my phone from my pocket. "I'd advise you all to get the hell outta here before you're arrested for trespassing."

A photographer standing in the landscape outside the living room windows begins yelling Angie's name, and the others flock to him. Inside, Angie's being rushed deeper into the house by a few other women. Some shirtless guy squares up with his back to the photographers, and flashes his bare ass.

It must take another ten minutes before I'm able to get them to leave without actually calling the cops. Then I storm inside, fire heating my veins as I search for Angie. I find her in a game room, sitting on a pool table with long, toned legs crossed while listening to a friend talk about a stupid purse.

"You all right?" I confirm, raising my eyebrows in her direction.

"I'm fine. Paparazzi doesn't bother me anymore." She motions for me to leave with a flip of her hand. "Go get yourself a drink."

Trying to hold my anger back, I shift my weight and lick my lips. "Can I have a minute with you?"

"Sweetheart, I don't think ‘a minute' would be anything close to enough with a man like you," one of the women sniggers, eyeing me up and down.

A few of the women "oooh" while giggling, and one whispers something into her ear, but Angie's expression draws slack and she nods. I wait for her to come toward me before trailing behind her into the hallway. She leads me into a mostly empty bedroom before closing the door. I head for the windows, checking to make sure there aren't any photographers nearby before drawing the shades. When I turn back to Angie, the urge to wrap her in my arms and kiss her thickens in my throat.                       
       
           



       

"Ash, I already told you being hounded by paparazzi isn't a big deal. It's a part of my job."

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. How much have you had to drink?"

Grimacing, she clenches her jaw. "That's why you dragged me in here?"

"After what happened the night of your premiere, do you think getting drunk is a good idea?"

"I'm not drunk. I've only had a few wine coolers, and those things are like water. I'll walk a damn line if that's what it takes to prove it to you."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I study her beautiful face while taking a deep breath. Though I'd like to tell her about the blonde, I don't want to break her when she already seems fragile. "I wanted to talk to you about Theo. He told me the two of you aren't exclusive. That true?"

"Yeah." Sighing, her eyes slide to the other side of the room. "I told you we're not actually a couple."

"Then why the charade? That guy's not right for you."

"Maybe not, but his status in Hollywood is." Her chest rises as her gaze returns to mine, bright and glossy. Don't know if she's going to cry or what, but it makes me want to hold onto her and assure her everything will be okay.

I cradle her face. "Tell him it's over. I'd take care of you the way you deserve."

"I wish it was that simple." Her little hands wrap around my wrists. Sucking in a shaky breath, she leans down to brush her lips over a few of my knuckles before closing her eyes and leaning into me. "Do you have any idea how cut-throat this industry can be? It's just like all the shit Charlie and Ev went through. The media can be relentless. It's all about keeping up a favorable image. Do I like being with Theo? Not especially. But our fans love the fact that we're together. We're one of the biggest couples in the business right now." Her eyelids flip open as her tongue wets her lips. The way she looks at me with longing would destroy a lessor man. "Maybe somewhere down the road the timing will be right for me to stage a public break-up. Until then, I'm not willing to put my sudden fame on the line. I've busted my ass for years to make it this far."

A lump of desperation hardens in my chest as I hold her stare. I'm not ready to give up on her-at least not yet. She's so damn beautiful, and I can sense her slipping away from the person she once was. If I give up on her, she may lose her sweet, Midwestern ways forever.

"Then I guess you need to do whatever it takes to keep up with the lie. But the drive down here … seeing you with him in that backseat, ignoring me all day like nothing happened … it was almost the fucking death of me." Brushing my thumbs over her cheeks, I lean down until our mouths are a breath apart. Her scent calls to me like a beacon in the dark. "I've wanted you for so damn long, Angelina. Even back in high school I wanted to crack the skull of every guy you ever dated. Now that I've had you, I don't know how to walk away. I don't fucking want to."

Eyes wide, her breath hitches. About the time I think she's going to tell me to fuck off, she wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me. With desperation fueling her tongue and greedy hands, there isn't time to reflect on what I've offered.





7





Angelina





No man has ever kissed me the way Asher does. Like I'm his only chance of survival. Like I'm the most beautiful treasure in the world. Like I'm worthy of something beyond having a pretty face that made me famous.

I straddle him on the guest bed as we consume each other with an intensity that scares the living shit out of me. As much as I hated kicking him out of my apartment after Theo came by, I'm overjoyed for the chance to continue where we left off. Overwhelmed by the scent of his sun-kissed skin, and strength behind his fingers, I'm as useless as a wet noodle. He removes my bikini top and bottoms with two firm tugs before alternating between stroking my breasts and the warmth between my legs like he can't decide which he wants more.

I'll never get enough of his kisses and touches. Whether it's the fact that he reminds me of home or the way he cherishes me, I feel myself falling harder and harder with every touch and needy kiss. My head's spinning as he's nudging his shorts down, and I'm freeing him from his boxer briefs, guiding him inside. Among our kiss we each gasp as he pulls out and enters me again, sending an electric bolt through my already tingling core.

The sex that ensues is hot and rough, like we're both well aware we're together on stolen time. The sensation is so extraordinary that we're equally gasping and panting within minutes. He comes first, filling me with his warm liquid. It's too much too fast-tapping my core and unlocking a side of me that's wanted him for years and years. I come a mere second later, digging my fingernails into his back as he absorbs my cries with his mouth.                       
       
           



       

While I'm enjoying the electricity still shooting through my limbs, his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me down to his side on the mattress. Between pressing kisses against my face and neck, he palms a breast and whispers, "So fucking perfect. Can't believe I finally got the chance to have you."

I blink back a rush of tears, hating myself for taking advantage of him when I'm already broken. "It's not fair of me to ask you to do this. You deserve so much better."

He takes my chin in his fingers with a shake of his head. "You're not asking shit. It's what I want."

Although I doubt he's saying he wants a secret affair, I nod. Because I'm too much of a coward to do anything else.



Things become relatively normal once shooting resumes on Monday, with the exception of Asher escorting me to and from the set. We become insatiable, fucking up any chance we can get in our apartments or anywhere that allows for privacy. I'm amazed by his stamina on the days and nights we go at it for hours. He's a passionate, selfless lover, always ensuring I've come several times before he finishes. I've never wanted sex with a man so badly. I often find myself counting down the hours until the next opportunity for us to be alone.

He's insisted on sticking around the set after the incident that led to William getting fired. I don't see him during filming even though I know he's lurking somewhere in the shadows, stewing over the scenes I film with Brie and Theo.

Allegations of Theo cheating with that ridiculous blonde from the party are overshadowed by questions over why my bodyguard was accosting my "boyfriend." Asher doesn't bring it up, but one morning I catch him reading an article on his laptop, lips drawn in a tight line. Though we don't ever talk about our silent agreement, guilt continues to build with every time we're together. I've come to rely on my secret stash of benzos more than ever.

Theo only stops by my apartment once, a week after our trip to the Keys. Of course he's high as a kite and looking for sex, but I'm able to convince him to sleep it off on the couch. I sneak over to Asher's for a few hours, hoping to prove I'm done sleeping with Theo.

I'm under the false illusion that I can pull off this double life until a week later when there's a disturbance on the set. Theo and I are simulating sex after our characters have a major quarrel when we hear a loud commotion from somewhere in back. I brace myself, expecting Asher to lose his shit over what he's seeing.