For most of the day, I tried to make myself scarce as Patricia, the interior designer who had been sent over, and her team took over my rental house. It had only taken about ten minutes of questioning for Patricia to declare, “Got it! I know exactly what to do!” and usher me away.
Not that I had anywhere to go. The last thing I wanted to do was venture into the main streets and shops of Aspen Valley. Not only because I hated shopping, but I had nothing to shop for. And the idea of smiling for fan selfies and signing autographs wasn’t very appealing after having done just that for the last few months on the press circuit. I loved my fans. After all, they were responsible for my success. Without them buying movie tickets, there was no way the Lethal Mission franchise would exist. We certainly wouldn’t be in negotiations with the studio for yet another sequel. Still, as much as I loved and appreciated my fans, I needed some downtime. Which meant, there were only two quiet places in my house to retreat to.
First, the gym. Where I stayed long enough to do one of my prescribed downtime workouts my trainer assigned when I wasn’t actively getting in shape for a role, followed by a long, relaxing session in the sauna—one of the very best features of my new abode—and finally an equally long shower in the attached bathroom. After that, the only place Patricia said she wasn’t going to touch was the study. Mostly because I liked the wood-lined room with the oversized desk, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and tufted brown leather couch. It was a manly room and, for some reason, it reminded me of my grandfather. I wasn’t a smoker, but every time I set foot inside, I had the distinct urge to smoke a cigar.
Sheila had sent me home with four scripts to read over and that didn’t include the ones she’d sent me electronically. We had to make some decisions on my next move career-wise. Lethal Mission had never been hotter. The last movie had exceeded box-office projections and the studio was eager to nail down the details on the next one. I was in a prime negotiating position. A fact that Sheila was very excited about.
I was less excited about it, but not because I didn’t like the role. I did. Every day on the set as Ash Jackson was a new adventure. I was challenged, the crew was great, and the money was…well, it was phenomenal.
Still, I hesitated.
I couldn’t help but think that my hesitation had something more to do with other aspects of my life other than acting, which was part of the reason I’d left the glitz and hype of Los Angeles behind and made the decision for Aspen Valley to be home. Being surrounded by regular people might be just what I needed to reconnect with myself again.
But it wasn’t the only thing. There was one area of my life I’d been neglecting for the last few years. Filming back to back to back movies had kept me a little too busy to focus properly, but now that I had a break…
I flipped open my laptop, typed a couple of searches into Google, and when I couldn’t find what I was looking for, grabbed my cell phone. Sheila answered after the second ring.
“Are you ready to sign the contract? I think there should be time before filming starts to maybe explore one of the other scripts I sent. You can—”
“Where’s the closest addiction treatment program to Aspen Valley?”
“The second script I sent is—what?”
“Addiction program,” I repeated myself. “Where is it? Not the city, I hope. I mean, I’m sure there are a few in the city, but I’m talking about Aspen Valley. The city is over an hour away. Too far. Are there any programs here?”
To Sheila’s credit, she pivoted quickly. It was one of the things I loved about my manager who also acted as an agent, and often my personal assistant. I could hear her fingers flying over her keyboard on the other end of the phone, followed quickly by a sigh. No doubt she’d just run the same search I had and come up with the exact same results.
Nothing.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything in Aspen Valley.” She confirmed what I already knew. “I’ll do a little more digging, but it’s a pretty small town. And a very affluent one, so I—”
“More the reason to have one,” I interrupted her. “Research shows that wealthy children are at higher risk for drug abuse than those with less means.” It was a statistic I knew well. “But it’s not just that,” I continued. “I know this town is all about appearances.” It wasn’t much different than LA in that regard. “But even the shiniest vase has a dull spot. What are the statistics on the homeless population here?”
Once more, the clicking of Sheila’s fingers on the keyboard of her ever-present laptop filled the silence. “There aren’t any exact numbers,” she said after a moment. “But there is a homeless shelter in town.”
That news shouldn’t have surprised me, but I wasn’t wrong when I made my comment about shine. In my experience, the harder someone—or in this case, the town—tried to hide the dull spot, the more likely it existed. And although I didn’t know very much about Aspen Valley yet, from what I’d seen it was a beautiful place with manicured lawns, overflowing pots of flowers lining the main streets of upscale boutiques and cafes, and more shiny luxury sports cars in the country club parking lot than you could count. With the proximity to the city, more and more companies had moved their headquarters to the mountains, where they could attract skilled employees who not only wanted to work in an up-and-coming business, but also wanted quality of life. Aspen Valley definitely offered that.
But it wasn’t just the uber-wealthy who made up the population. Sure, they made up a very visible segment, but it was still a minority population. This meant, of course, there were lots of middle-class residents as well as those who were struggling. It made sense that there was a homeless shelter. I just hadn’t seen it.
“Tell me everything you can find out about it,” I told Sheila. “And if you could reach out to whoever is in charge, let them know I’d like to get involved. But don’t use my name,” I added quickly. “Not yet.”
“Of course not.”
I could practically see Sheila rolling her eyes.
“I’m not new, Blaze. I’ll let you know when I find something.”
I ended the call and only moments later, there was a knock on the door. “Mr. Barron?” The designer’s voice reached me. “We’re all finished out here.”
“Blaze, the place is great.”
“It really is. I love all the plants.”
Trent Thomas and his wife, Brittany, were the first to arrive at the impromptu housewarming party. Ultimately, it didn’t matter whether I was on board for it to happen so soon or not. I knew once Trent and his equally take-charge wife were involved, it would be like trying to stop a boulder shook loose by an earthquake from hurtling down the mountainside. Still, I did give one prerequisite: that Darla Diamond was invited—and encouraged (although I didn’t outright say that)—to come to the party.
Secretly, I’d hoped she would arrive with Trent and Britt, but they’d arrived alone. And early. They looked around my newly decorated space and were visibly impressed. At least Trent was. Brittany, I knew, preferred the clean, uncluttered look I’d had before. I was positive she was only being polite. But I didn’t care. Patricia had done a great job with the place, especially considering she’d only had a few hours.
The stiff, white leather couch had been replaced by a huge, gray sectional made from some super soft fabric. I hadn’t had a chance to sit on it yet, but I looked forward to sinking deep into the cushions to watch a movie the first chance I got.
The doorbell rang, pulling my gaze away from the couch. Relaxing would have to wait. It was time to be social. Which was exactly what I needed, I reminded myself as I made my way to the front door. With any luck, Darla would be in the next group of arrivals.
It was hard to say what it was exactly that drew me to the woman. Obviously, she was gorgeous, but in a very different way than anyone I’d ever dated. Darla hardly wore any makeup, which was in sharp contrast to the overdone women in Hollywood. She had an effortless beauty that radiated from her when she was in the room. And when she smiled…damn.
Now if only I could get her to aim that smile in my direction a little more often.
For whatever reason, whenever I tried to flirt with her, I could see her holding back. Not that I expected her to throw herself at me because of my fame, but I did hope that maybe my charms would have at least a little effect on her. Enough to agree to a date at least. Sure, she’d told me once that she didn’t date celebrities, but I was pretty sure she was just saying that. As soon as she realized there was a person behind the name, no doubt she’d agree to go out.
“Welcome to Aspen Valley.” Sandy Clark greeted me with a warm smile the moment I opened the door to reveal both her and Dylan Scott. They were the two I probably knew the least—not including Darla—but only because at the last few functions we’d all been in attendance together, both of which happened to be screenings of my movie, the two of them had been preoccupied with each other in what turned out to be the best possible way because they were now a very happy couple. Although I couldn’t help but think the tall, serious cowboy was the exact opposite of the petite mother of two with the bubbly personality. Still, they seemed to work together.
“It’s so nice to see you both.” I ushered them inside and was just about to close the door when Abby and Phillip arrived with Shane and Jessie. I greeted both couples warmly, accepted their offers of bottles of wine, and sent them all inside as well.
This time, before I moved to close the door, I scanned the front drive and let my gaze travel down the road toward the gate I’d left open for a brief period so my guests wouldn’t have to buzz in. Not that I was going to mention that detail to Sheila. She’d lose her shit if she knew I was opening myself up to paparazzi or rabid fans so easily. Especially considering she’d gone to so much trouble to find me a gated rental house in the first place. But I wasn’t worried. No one knew I was in town yet, and even when they did, Aspen Valley was known to be pretty laid-back when it came to celebrities. I didn’t expect too much trouble.
“Were you waiting for me?”
I spun on my heel, and instantly my lips pulled up into a wide smile at the sight of Darla Diamond. She wore a long, flowy, boho style skirt, with a cropped top that showed her toned midriff and her bare shoulders. The white fabric laced in the middle of her chest between her two full breasts. Her long, sandy-blonde hair fell in waves down her back. Her lips shone with just a touch of pink gloss, making them look extremely kissable. Never mind the host of other, much more indecent things that raced through my mind when the tip of her tongue slipped from between them to trace her full bottom lip.
I shook my head with a chuckle. She might be the exact opposite of the typical seductress, but there was no doubt Darla Diamond knew exactly what she was doing when it came to her sexuality. And I was completely on board with it.
“I was, actually,” I answered her honestly. “I wasn’t sure you would come.” I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek in greeting. My senses filled with the scent of her, and I was momentarily dumbstruck. My hand rested on her low back, and my skin on hers sparked an electrical charge that shot directly to my groin.
Thankfully, I caught myself before the kiss lingered beyond decent manners, and I pulled back.
I didn’t miss the desire that flashed in her eyes.
Yes. There was definitely a connection between us, and I, for one, couldn’t wait to explore it further.
“Why wouldn’t I come?” She cocked her hip, and I had to work hard to keep from staring at the smooth skin exposed on her midline. “After all, you’re new to town and a friend of Trent and Britt’s, which means it looks as if you’re part of the gang by default.”
“Default?” Interesting choice of words.
She nodded.
“Is there another way to gain admittance to this exclusive circle?”
I was flirting, and I knew by experience that once I turned on the charm, I was almost impossible to resist. I watched as her eyes flashed again. Was that the flicker of a smile I saw?
“Yes.” She tossed her hair back over one bare shoulder. “But the only other way I know of is to sleep with one of us. And unfortunately for you, that’s not really an option.” She winked and sashayed past me, leaving the lingering scent of vanilla and lemon in her wake, along with more questions than I was likely to get answers for.
Sleep with one of us.
Was that a challenge or an invitation?
Not really an option.
Oh, it was definitely a challenge. One I was completely up for. Darla Diamond was fascinating, with her push and pull. One minute, I was certain she was just as into me, and the next…damn.
I turned to watch her walk confidently through the entry of my house toward the group gathered in the kitchen. Her hips rolled side to side with every step, and her hair teased the edge of the bare skin on her back. But that wasn’t the only thing she was teasing. My cock grew painfully hard in my jeans just watching her.
Like a magnet, I was drawn to her, but before I could follow the pull, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
The message was from Sheila.
Reached out to the local shelter on your behalf. The managing director shut me down. You’ll have to go in personally. She wasn’t impressed with my reaching out on my “client’s” behalf.
I typed my response quickly. I had no issue with that, because that was my plan all along. I wanted to get involved and make a difference. If Aspen Valley didn’t have the programs in place for addiction treatment, I was the man to put them in place. It was important.
No problem. Did you get her name?
Sheila’s message came immediately.
Darla Diamond.
“I need a drink.”
There was probably a smoother, or at least, a more polite way to ask Shane, who was currently standing at the bar that had been set up in the corner of the living room, to pour me a whiskey. But if there was, I didn’t have time to sort it out. I needed something to douse the flames inside me that had ignited into a full-blown inferno when Blaze leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.
I was absolutely positive that if I looked in the mirror, I would see the scorch marks his lips had left on me because I sure as hell felt it in every single cell of my body. And it had only been a friendly kiss. A greeting. No doubt he’d said hello to Brittany, Jessie, Abby, and Sandy all the same way.
It was different.
Of course it was different! Everything about the man was different. But mostly in the way he made me feel, with absolutely zero effort. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. But—
“Tough day?” Shane handed me a glass of whiskey without even asking what I was drinking. Definitely the sign of a good man that he knew his woman’s best friend’s drink of choice.
“Thanks.” I accepted the drink with a nod and took a generous sip. The heat of the liquor warmed my throat and instantly soothed my nerves. Or maybe it was just that my back was to the door—and the man responsible for my current state—that I felt like I could breathe again. “Not a tough day,” I answered after a moment. “But I have a feeling that it could be an interesting night.”
“Is that right?” Jessie chose that moment to join us. She nudged me with her elbow and wiggled her eyebrows. “Like how interesting?”
I shook my head and took another sip of my drink. “Not like that.”
“Oh, I think it’s exactly like that.”
“I think it’s time for me to make my exit.” Shane chuckled. He gave Jessie a kiss on the cheek and a little slap on the ass that I probably wasn’t supposed to see before he crossed the room to join Phillip and Trent.
“It’s not what you think,” I said the moment he was gone. “I’ll take the pact seriously.” Of course I would. The ladies knew I’d keep my word. Even if I thought the whole thing was silly. And no matter how much I wanted to grab the man and—
“Oh,” Jessie interrupted my thoughts. “I know you will.” Her grin lit up her face. “And I think that’s the part that will be interesting. You like him.”
“Only in the sense that if I hadn’t sworn a stupid oath to you guys that I would very much like him in my bed, then yes. I like him.”
“No.” She shook her head, the smile still on her face. “You like him like him.”
“He aggravates me.” It wasn’t totally untrue. He did aggravate me. Despite the fact that he was incredibly sexy and could make my panties wet with only a look, he was still a celebrity who wanted a committed relationship. That was very aggravating. And that’s exactly what I needed to focus on if I had any hope at all in not breaking my word to the girls.
Jessie tipped her head in question and put her hand on her hip.
“He does!”
“How?” she pushed. “By being sexy? Because...” She leaned in to whisper. “Blaze Barron is dead sexy. Not my type, of course,” she added quickly. “I like them big, rough, and—”
“Okay, okay.” I held my hand up before the conversation took a turn.
“But really,” Jessie continued. “According to the media, he’s the second sexiest man on the planet.”
My eyes popped open. Not because I disagreed, but because I hadn’t heard that particular news.
“You hadn’t heard? It was just announced. I mean, he lost out to that guy from the Marvel movies, but…”
“Second?” I shook my head. It was another reminder of just how famous the man really was. Yes, pact or no pact, I didn’t need that kind of attention in my life.
“Seriously,” Jessie was obviously unwilling to let the subject go.
I took another deep sip of whiskey.
“You don’t really have an issue with him, do you? I mean, Blaze is a nice guy, and you did say you’d get to know him.”
“No.” I twirled and held up a finger. “I said I wouldn’t sleep with him. Not that I’d date him. Big difference. Huge difference. And I definitely did not say anything about getting to know him. You said that. But I think that maybe it’s best if—”
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
My spine stiffened while simultaneously my insides flipped and a rush of heat flooded my cheeks.
“Not at all,” Jessie said. “In fact, I was just about to head outside and join the others.”
I took a step without turning around. “Oh, I’ll join—”
“No. No.” Jessie put a hand on my arm, holding me in place. “You stay. Get to know Blaze a little. After all, he’s new in town. It’s the polite thing to do.”
I was going to kill her. No matter what I’d just said, most of which was bullshit, Jessie wasn’t an idiot. She could see how attracted I was to him. I was starting to think my friends just wanted to torture me.
I glared at her, but she kept her bright smile on her face, turned, and left me alone with him.
“I didn’t mean to keep you from something.”
His voice flowed over me like warm caramel. I swallowed hard, put my sweetest smile on, and turned around.
“What could you possibly be keeping me from? It’s your party, after all.”
His eyes were the brightest shade of blue I’d ever seen. Almost a royal blue, but brighter. His long, dark eyelashes only made them seem brighter in contrast. Every time he blinked, I was completely mesmerized, in an almost hypnotic way. And his jawline. Was it even natural to look so chiseled and yet so warm and friendly all at the same time? As if he were just the regular supermodel next door.
I was so totally lost in tracing the planes of his face with my eyes that it took me a moment to realize I’d completely missed what he’d said.
“Sorry, I was…distracted.” I stumbled over my words. “What were you saying?”
He chuckled, which had the effect of making him look even more approachable and untouchable all at the same time. There was a reason he’d been voted the second sexiest man alive. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how deadly number one was.
“I was just saying that I wouldn’t really call this a party.” He waved a hand around his kitchen. “It’s more of a get-together of friends and people I hope will become friends.” He looked straight into my eyes. “Since that seems to be how I get to be part of the gang.”
Mischief flashed across his face as he used my words against me.
“Like I said…” I tossed my hair behind my shoulder and took another sip of my drink. “It’s the only way in for you.”
There was no way I could continue looking him in the eye after that, so I made a half turn and pretended to be interested in the redecorating he’d just had done. “Abby said you had her decorator come by this morning.” I walked toward the overstuffed couch. It looked deliciously comfortable and cozy, and not at all what I would expect from a mega-celebrity. In fact, there wasn’t a lot in the room that did look the way I expected.
Blaze moved so he stood next to me. “What do you think?” he asked. “It’s still not really what I would choose for myself, but it’s so much better than the sterile white. I just wanted a pop of color and—”
“A homey feel.” I remembered what Abby said earlier about how Blaze wanted his house decorated. “Interesting.”
“Is it?”
I turned to look at him. “I guess it’s just not what I expected,” I continued. “Most celebrities like the clean, sterile look.”
“You know a lot of celebrities, do you?”
I shook my head and dropped my gaze. I was never bashful. Especially around men. Something about this man put me completely off-kilter. “No,” I admitted. “Not really.”
“Honestly, I really just want a place I can unwind and feel comfortable in,” Blaze said. “Nothing pretentious. Just…comfortable.”
“And massive?” I waved my free hand over my head. “It is a pretty big house for just one person.”
Once more, he turned toward me and looked down into my eyes. I wasn’t a small woman, but I felt petite next to him.
“Are you asking if I’m single?”
I laughed out loud, the sharp sound echoing in the room.
“Was that funny?”
“Sorry.” My hand pressed against my lips to keep from laughing again. “I mean, everyone knows you’re single.”
“Everyone?”
“Everyone who reads the articles about you.”
“Ah. So you read articles about me, do you?” He flashed a goofy grin. “Does that mean you want to know more? Because all you have to do is ask. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. And, unlike the articles, it will be accurate.”
So much for pretending I wasn’t interested in him. “But it is true? You’re single?”
He nodded. “Amelia and I parted ways a few months ago. There aren’t any hard feelings between us. In fact, there are no feelings at all.”
That seemed a little hard to believe. I tilted my head in question, but Blaze only shrugged.
“Relationships end.”
“That does seem to be a side effect of relationships,” I said simply. “Which is one of the reasons why I avoid them.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Which part?” I finished my drink in one last gulp. “The part about relationships ending, or that I avoid them?”
“Both.”
“Well, they do end. You just told me yourself that you’re single.” I turned toward the patio doors, ready to make my escape. “And as far as my stance on relationships, that’s not a secret either.” I caught his eye over my shoulder. “It’s a policy that’s served me well.”
“Are you telling me you’ve never been in a relationship?”
I turned around slowly until I was once more facing him. This time there were only inches between us. I shook my head slowly. “Never. It’s a lot more fun to keep things casual.”
His nostrils flared with my implication, reminding me that I needed to watch my step. I’d promised the girls. And although the pact had seemed silly when we’d discussed it over lunch, it all of a sudden started to feel very, very real. The truth was, I didn’t know how to do relationships. Even if I wanted to, which I didn’t, I wouldn’t know the first thing about getting to know the man on a deeper level. The realization of that slammed into me, knocking me off-balance.
“Aren’t we a little past casual?”
His question confused me. “You and me?” I waved a finger in the small space between us.
“Sorry. I should clarify.” He laughed. “I had plenty of casual when I was younger, but now…well, I guess I’m looking for more.”
Alarm bells rang in my head. But it was the perfect reminder I needed that, with or without the pact, Blaze was off-limits for me. He wanted the exact opposite things out of life than I did. It would serve me well to remember that.
“Not me.” I pushed a lightness into my voice.
Blaze took a step toward me until we were close enough that it would be easier to silence him with a kiss than to continue the conversation. “Is that what you meant earlier?” he asked. “That there was only one way into this group for me? Because I won’t be able to have a relationship with you?”
Relationship?
“I didn’t say anything about a relationship, Blaze.” I gave him my brightest smile. “I said that sleeping with me wasn’t an option for you. A relationship was never on the table.”
With that, I blew him a kiss and retreated to the patio, where everyone else was gathered. There was strength in numbers, and I was going to need all my strength—and a strong avoidance strategy—if I was going to survive Blaze Barron’s presence.