“My mom’s a curly redhead. That’s where I get this mess. And the color, I guess it’s from her Mom or my dad’s Mom. Both have brown hair. Who knows. I got the green eyes, though. Darker, but still green. My brother Caden’s still pissed he got Mom’s brown eyes. I’ve always loved her eyes, so don’t get any ideas.” I point at Natalie. “Yours are beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her frown deepens. “So you just want to do this film for you. No other reason.”
“That’s the only reason I care about. I want to tell this story.”
“Why?”
“I explained all that.”
“There has to be more.”
Resting against the counter I cross my arms. “I want to understand.” Natalie tilts her head, wanting more. Sighing I confess, “I don’t understand how someone as strong as my dad could almost lose everything over this girl.”
“And this was not your mother.”
“No, this was before her. The only other woman he ever loved…until he didn’t anymore. I want to explore it because it feels like the one side of him I’ve never known. He’s in this great marriage—my parents love each other to this day—but once upon a time he chased an addict around and sat in his car outside while she had sex for money so she could buy more coke. He did that just to make sure she was safe and had someone she could trust to turn to. Do you know how much that must have hurt him?”
Natalie nods, thoughtful, quiet. Setting the water down, her fingers linger on it for a second then release. She walks around the island and stands fully clothed before me. Her eyelashes don’t flutter as she stares into my eyes for a few silent moments. “Now I really want to make this film with you. I have a lot of respect for everything you just told me. And don’t worry, I’ve seen some big names come through the clubs. I don’t get starstruck. I won’t try and talk you into using your famous cousins or anything like that, I promise. I couldn’t care less about that. This film of yours, that I care about. Let’s make it happen.”
“It’s not going to be easy.”
“Nothing good ever is.”
I try to cup her head and bring her close for a kiss, but her hands land on my naked chest, locking the distance. “Platonic from here on out.” Glancing down she points at my groin. “But I see you like what I just told you.”
“What, him? He’s always ready. Remember that.”
She laughs and heads for the door, “I’m going to forget it!”
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will,” she grins, swinging her keys. “This was fun. I’m going home now to do more research.”
Leaning on the open doorframe I watch my sexy producer stroll into the parking lot that is my front yard, and was my father’s before me.
“Nobody ever made sweats look so good, Natalie,” I call after her. Shaking her head, she doesn’t look back until I add, “Hey, I thought you had to be somewhere? You’re just going home.”
“If I’m to produce a feature film for the first time in my life, I have to be somewhere.” She points to my cock. “Away from that! Go inside before you get arrested!”
“I have an uncle who could get me out of jail,” I smirk. “If I touched myself that might be bad, but this is just a man in his own home saying goodbye to his business partner.” I wiggle my fingers and her throaty laugh muffles with the closing BMW door.
“Hmm,” I mutter to myself. “Nice ride. Bookkeeping must pay well.”
She locks eyes with me through the sleek windshield one last time and shakes her head, grinning.
“For someone who hijacked my interviews, you sure do smile a lot now,” I say under my breath as I watch her go until those flashy taillights disappear.
Feeling pretty damn good I lock my door, bare feet in no hurry to get anywhere fast.
But then the phone rings.
It’s my sister’s ringtone.
Dashing over I answer it.
“Finally! Who the hell is Brad?”
CHAPTER 10
M AX
We had a family dinner planned at Mom and Dad’s tonight, for months. Yesterday Lexi told me it’s over with her and Brad, during our phone call after Natalie left. I believed her but second-guessed myself when I realized my head probably wasn’t screwed on right after the fun I’d just had.
Now I’ve got sneaky Alexis Cocker cornered in the living room where we grew up. “Look into my eyes and tell me it’s really over with you and this Brad guy.”
She pushes past me, vanilla perfume in her wake. “You’re my brother not my keeper.”
“I’m both!”
Flipping me off she heads into the kitchen.
Samantha tries to follow but I grab her arm and whip her back to face me so fast that she squeaks. “Is she lying to throw me off the scent?”
“Are you a dog now?”
“You want me to bite you and find out?”
“Okay, calm down! She ditched him. It’s fine. Why are you acting so weird about it?”
Lowering my volume to match hers I explain, “If she’s telling Mom about him before me and Caden, he’s bad news.”
“Why is that bad?”
“Because it’s gathering the troops before battle. Gets Mom on her side, then we’re outnumbered.”
“Not if you include me,” Dad says, long legs walking down the stairs in a leisurely fashion.
I straighten up. “I thought you were out back.”
“I am all places,” he smirks, pale green eyes crinkling with humor. “And you need to give your sisters some wiggle room, Max. I know you’re their big brother. Believe me, I get it.”
“No you don’t. You never had a sister.”
“I have two daughters. You think I don’t watch over my girls?”
“Dad, hate to break it to you because the majority of civilization already knows this, but parents usually have no clue what their kids are really doing.”
Dad’s lips go tight. He can’t argue with me. We’ve heard some stories
