Johnny & I
Book One - The Island
D A R I A M P A U S
Copyright © 2020 by Daria M Paus.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
The characters and events in this book are entirely fictional.
Any resemblance to actual places, events and persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN: 978-91-986433-0-5
Contents
Johnny—Two weeks earlier.
Bree — Present time—The island
1—Starstruck
2—Broken
3—Hot Mess
4—Coffee & Conversation
5—The storm
6—Baby can I hold you?
7—Fangirl Glasses
8—Intimacy
9—Hot & Cold
10—Head over Heels
11—Up close & Personal
12—Crash & Burn
13—Let me love you
14—Defenseless
15—Trapped
16—The Creeps
17—The Fight
18—Blood Sweat & Bruises
19—Bree’s Game
20—Emotions
21—Drunk Decisions
22—Johnny’s Truth
23—Fever
24—Demons
25—Johnny’s Team
26—Harsh Reality
27—Please Remember
28—Goodbyes
Two months later
Bree—Home
Johnny—With or without you
Two weeks earlier
Johnny
The bright California sun burned my shoulders as I walked along the shoreline. The gulls were chirping, and the mesmerizing rays hit the water at just the right angle that I almost didn’t notice I wasn’t alone.
"This is my lucky day," the leggy blonde said as she approached, invading my space with her thong bikini and sparkling eyes.
I couldn’t deny that her perfectly sculpted body caught my attention.
I raised an eyebrow, still stunned to find her on my stretch of sand. "Why is that?"
"You’re here," she giggled playfully. The fact that it was a private beach didn’t seem to bother her.
I couldn't help but scoff at her fake innocence. "I live here.”
I was sure the fact was no news to her. The two-story white mansion that towered over the ocean, one sandy path, and a few winding stairs just past the dunes had been on the cover of all the popular magazines. There was no one in Hollywood who didn’t know where to find me.
"I have to ask you to leave, this is private property."
She just grinned back, shamelessly admitting to trespassing on my privacy. I didn't know whether to call the guards or enjoy her flirting.
"Johnny Grey." Her eyes traveled over my body. "You look even better in real life." She inched closer, blinking her impossibly long eyelashes as she gazed up at me.
"I'm your biggest fan," she said. "Would you do me a favor?"
I took a step away from her, trying to look anywhere but at her half-naked body.
She didn't wait for my reply. "I made a bet with my sister." She licked her lips, closing the space between us.
I gulped, taking another step back. "Sorry," I said. “You should go."
"Is that really what you want me to do?"
Before I had a chance to react, she grabbed my shirt with one hand and pulled me toward her. I felt her other hand on my crotch just seconds before her lips pressed against mine. For a moment I was too shocked to do anything, feeling my body respond to her kiss. My mind caught up and I shoved her away.
"What the fuck?"
She leaned closer. "You liked that, didn't you?"
She was attractive, but so were most of the women here. Attractive, shallow, and fake. If it wasn’t their bodies made up of silicone and botox, it was their superficial minds. That was the type I seemed to attract—when all I’d ever wanted was the opposite. Someone who’d want to date me, and not the characters I’d played. Someone who’d see me as something more than a free ticket to fame, or a chance to make the tabloids.
I turned away from her, watching the ocean. "I’ll call the guards if you don't go.”
"Are you sure about that?" Her arms snaked around me from behind. Hands explored their way up and down my body and I froze, torn between wanting to give in to my body’s desires and the aching need for human contact—and the urge to rip her hands off of me.
"What's going on here?" The voice made me snap out of it and her hands were gone in a flash. We both turned to watch Marc as he strode up to us. "Am I interrupting something?"
The blonde flinched and took a few steps back. I tried to not look pleased. Marc wasn’t as cold hearted as he looked, but he was rough, straight to the point, and never bothered with formalities.
"No," I said. I looked at her. "Uh—she was just leaving."
The woman gave me a wink, then started walking. I tried not to watch, but Marc did, and it was clear he liked the view.
When she was gone, Marc turned his attention back to me. "What the fuck?" His steel eyes demanded answers.
The tone of his voice made me cringe and I felt like a teenage boy caught with his pants down. Hell, I didn't need to explain anything to him. I was a man of thirty-five, and Marc was paid to keep crazy fans out of my face. Still, I felt myself shrink beneath his gaze. "She came out of nowhere," I explained. "I don't know what happened."
"I swear to God,” Marc scoffed. “I leave you for one minute . . .”
I looked away, knowing there was a pretty big amount of truth in that statement. My typical bad luck. Why Marc had stayed with me during all the shit I’d managed to land myself in over the years was still a mystery. But I was grateful. Even though it was strictly business, I was sure he knew that he was more than just a bodyguard. Hell, I’d even go as far as to call him a friend.
I sighed, eyeing the now empty beach. The woman had seemed innocent enough, in a sexy, pushy way. I was sure she was no real threat, but that didn’t make what she’d done as acceptable.
∞∞∞
The evening air was warm and the light rain on my bare arms felt good
