Bootycall 2 - J. D. Hawkins Page 0,12

myself in his expression, and it’s as if all the sorrow he’s ever felt has risen to the surface and displayed itself in the clench of his jaw and the brooding darkness of his eyes. I gaze back into them like they’re an abyss, feeling like I’m being overwhelmed by the two galaxies, until I’m just a speck of dust falling deeper into Dylan than anybody’s ever gone.

Something smashes, and I come hurtling back to reality so hard I jerk backwards.

“Shit!” I say, looking down at my feet, where a thousand jigsaw pieces which once formed a plate have arranged themselves.

“It’s ok, I’ll sweep it,” Dylan says, handing me the sponge. “Here, you wash.”

“The broom is next to the refrigerator,” I say, and he moves instantly to grab it.

I focus on the washing, recovering from the void that our momentary connection has left inside of me. Dylan diligently crouches next to me, sweeping up the broken plate. I try to use the respite to gather my senses.

I can’t do this. I can’t start developing real feelings for Dylan. Lust was one thing. What I’m feeling now is a whole other ball game. As nice and as sweet as he seems, as good with my father and as caring as he’s been today, he’s still Dylan. Still the guy who left me trembling with nerves in the Vegas hotel, still the guy who abandoned me at a biker bar, who did everything he could to jeopardize my career. Even if I forgive him, there’s the very real fact that Dylan is a self-absorbed, irresponsible playboy who treats fucking like it’s a part of his workout routine. Falling for a guy like that would be the worst relationship decision I could ever make - and I’ve already made plenty of bad ones. I need to let this go.

I try to calm myself, putting all of my mind onto the task of scrubbing the plates. Dylan finishes off the sweeping then stands up beside me so quickly it makes me jump. When I spin around to look at him, he’s smiling mischievously, with that glint in his eye that always indicates something unexpected is about to happen.

“What?” I ask, slowly and cautiously.

“I have an idea.”

“Hold that idea until the shoot is over. M’kay?” I’m not sure if I’m telling him or myself.

Dylan shrugs. “You can have a raincheck, then. But just know, you’re not getting out of this.” His smile tells me this is far from over, and if I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that whatever it is, I can’t wait.

Chapter 5

Dylan

“What are you looking at?” I say as I pull away the tablet that Gemma was staring at while standing in the middle of the lot.

She smiles in that guarded way that makes her pretty little face even cuter, the kind of smile that makes me want to shake her up a little.

“Your schedule.” She mock rolls her eyes at me.

“So then you know that now is the perfect time for a break. I’ve got the afternoon off. No more scenes for me ‘til tomorrow.”

“I know,” she says, nodding, “but I figured you would use the time to work on the script or speak with the director.”

“Or,” I say, “We could go somewhere together and enjoy a break that we both deserve for all our hard work.”

“Or, not,” she says, her hand slowly reaching out for the tablet.

I decide to ignore her. “Let’s go then,” I say, taking her hand and leading her to where my bike’s parked. I notice the grin she’s trying to hide and realize I made the right choice in forcing her to take a little vacation from work for the rest of the day. She picks up the spare helmet and tucks it under her arm, quirking an eyebrow at me before moving to put it on.

“So are you going to tell me where you’re taking me? Or is this a mystery ride?”

“We’re going shopping,” I tell her, enjoying the combination of surprise and excitement that lights up in her.

In a few minutes we’re riding full throttle towards Rodeo Drive, only this time Gemma isn’t digging her nails into my chest like she’s trying to rip my ribcage apart, this time she leans her head against my back softly. I make sure I brake slowly so I can enjoy the way her body presses up against mine, her legs squeezing my own.

Something’s happening. I don’t know what it is, but something’s definitely happening. I