Famous Page 6

  Me: This is Cami. I was upset waking up without you. Thought we shared something special, but I get it—I truly do. I hope you have a great week, and we will see you Saturday. Good night.

  It wouldn’t be a text from me without an emoji, and the only one that was appropriate was the sleepy emoji. Hitting send, I hoped my trust in him was not misplaced.

  11

  Miles

  Though I had been back at my penthouse apartment for hours, sleep still evaded me. Son of a bitch. I thought I’d done the right thing by giving them a chance to let things go in case they had second thoughts. What surprised me more was that I wasn’t willing to do so. No, the second I crossed the threshold of the door, I regretted leaving them to wake on their own.

  I’d stared at my phone, beckoning them to text me, but they didn’t. In the very shitty plan, I hadn’t given any thought to asking for their phone numbers. If I called Haven, she’d laugh at me. She organized many events but was very hush-hush about personal information.

  My huge bed seemed very empty after the night of chemistry we’d shared. I hadn’t had this sort of connection since Shawn and Lance. What was worse, they were still on the television each week. It seemed no matter when I turned the TV on, their shitty faces were right in front of me. Shawn was on the sitcom called My Own Rom Com and had won an Emmy two years in a row. Lance was on his last season of The Resort, a dramady of sorts concerning a family struggling with addiction but finding humor in their dysfunction.

  I hated when my mind was flooded with memories of them. To my knowledge, Shawn and Lance hadn’t had any contact with one another since we all parted ways twenty years ago. Shawn was married to an old girlfriend from high school, and Lance married his partner of many years when same sex marriage was legalized.

  I would not go down the shitshow of our lives, not after the night I had. But my running was a direct result of my interactions with these two men. In all the thoughts about these two and how they’d ruined me from commitment, I was about to let my mind slide to the past, but then a text message brought me back to the present—thank fuck.

  It was after three a.m. My fingers couldn’t grip the phone quick enough, hoping it was Curly Sue or Sexy Lawyer Man. A smile pulled at my lips with the message.

  Unknown Number: This is Cami. I was upset waking up without you. Thought we shared something special, but I get it—I truly do. I hope you have a great week, and we will see you Saturday. Good night.

  I let out a little snicker at her sleepy face emoji. It didn’t surprise me that she was an emoji girl. My secretary in New York couldn’t end a message without some sort of emoji. Most of the time it didn’t make sense, but since it was past three a.m., I got it. And with her little text, I found sleep a little easier to achieve.

  The next morning, I woke to another text, but this time, it was from the male Gregory. I bit my lip, unable to predict his response to my quick exit. His message warmed my heart.

  Unknown number: Morning, Miles. One day maybe you will share how much those fuckers hurt you. Until then, I understood and came to your defense when Cami about spit bullets at your note. I get it. I hope you have a good week. ~Sexy Lawyer Man

  His tenderness squeezed at my heart. The affection, something I refused to grow attached to, seemed within my grasp if I only allowed myself to will my heart to trust again.

  Placing my phone back on the nightstand, I rose with a new release. My music room called me, and maybe it was time to put some final touches on what I coined the one song that could change everything for me.

  Upon moving to New York, the theater always had intrigued me. I’d done a few movies, but my desire was to perform on Broadway. Whenever I was on a hiatus, I’d make my home in Chicago, where I grew up. But starring on Broadway was my dream. The circumstances of the two dipshits led me there, and I’d never been happier in a professional sense. Personally, though, I’d been lonely for some time. Twenty years, to be exact.

  Picking up my music, I sat at my piano, working on a few different keys and chords in this song about a man who found his own way in the world without anyone dictating his happiness. Sure, writing a musical based on my life was so many kinds of cliché, but hell, it was also a way to heal.

  It was the first time in weeks I’d worked on this particular piece, and for some reason, I now had some inspiration.

  12

  Dane

  My week had been hell with the pile of shit that had landed on my desk. But what I anticipated, with an almost fluttering sensation in my stomach, was the first official date we had with Miles this week. Part of me wished it was tonight. But Fridays were pretty exhausting, and I tended to be asleep by nine p.m.

  Walking in the house, both Bridget and Maggie ran to me, donned in their favorite Disney princess outfits. Who would have ever guessed I would be able to name every Disney princess according to the color they wore. But with Maggie in her favorite pink outfit, and Bridget in her signature yellow, I crooned, “Who do we have here?” They both curtsied at me. “Aurora, so happy to see you, my dear,” I said to Maggie. When Bridget cleared her throat, she was waiting for her own greeting. “And, Belle, come here and give your daddy a huge hug.”

  When I picked up her light body, she started to giggle as I tossed her in the air. “Guess what? Mom-o said we could order pizza tonight.” This surprised me just as it had with Maggie’s excitement in her words. Cami insisted on cooking almost every single night. McDonald’s was something I seldom treated the girls to if I wanted to stay in the good graces of my wife.

  “Where’s Mom-o?” I asked.

  “Mom-o laying on couch,” Bridget explained, attempting to stay up with Maggie’s information system. Maggie had to tell me everything in her day, and I mean, everything there was to share. The girl’s word count had to rival the chattiest person I’d ever met in my life.

  They both followed me on my way to check on Cami. “Baby?” I asked, knowing she wasn’t asleep. There was no telling what the crazy girls would get into without constant supervision when their eyes were open.

  “Hon.” With a cold compress on her forehead, we were in for a couple of days while her migraine worked its way out of her body.

  Cami was light, so it wasn’t difficult to pick her up in my arms and carry her to the other side of the living room to our bed. “Get some sleep, and I’ll be in here to check on you soon.”

  I’d pulled the door behind me when she called out, “Don’t cancel for tomorrow night, not yet.”

  It wasn’t even a blip on my radar, but with her pleading, I understood how important it was to see Miles again. And as I shut the door, I realized it was important to me, too.

  Pizza was delivered, and with the excitement of delivery and the movie I let the girls watch during dinner, they went to bed almost too easily. I’d walked down the staircase, leading to the main floor, and turned the corner to the living space. I wasn’t quite ready for bed and sent a message to Miles, letting him know we might have to cancel.

  Me: Hey, I hate to tell you this, but Cami has a migraine. She’s most likely out for a couple of days.

  I grabbed for the remote, switching it off of the Disney Channel, which seemed to play more than any other channel in my house. I was surfing, looking for something to catch my fancy, when I left it on MTV, one of the few times I caught it actually playing music.

  I didn’t receive a return text, and I was humming along with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” as I was sorting the mail Cami had left on the end table. Whoever thought being an adult was cool was so fucking wrong.

  I was calculating—or attempting to, that was—our water bill and the reason for the higher than normal amount when a beep alerted me a text had come through.

  Miles: Oh, no problem, man.

  I didn’t like the reply, but I couldn’t blame him. After all, I’d wager to guess, he was thinking we were going to return the favor by blowing him off as payback.

  Me: I’m not lying, dude.

  I wasn’t sure why he’d take my word for it, and I knew I was right with the return text.

  Miles: Sure, I get it.

  The bottom line was all three of us had been hurt so deeply, it made us all a bit needy. The betrayal had more than rocked us to the core, it had redirected our future.

  I picked up my phone and sent him a FaceTime request, waiting for him to pick up.

  “Mr. Famous, I’m not lying. We were looking forward to tomorrow,” I started, hoping it was enough explanation.

  He was looking over my shoulder, not at me. I turned my head, back to the wall he was staring at. “Are those your kids?” he asked.

  Nothing filled me with more joy than talking about my kids. I stood, walking over to several pictures on the wall. “Yeah, Maggie looks more like her mom where Bridget looks like me.”

  In the conversation, and sharing a little about our kids, the air had been lifted between us, and I’d hoped he understood how much we wanted him to be more than a casual bed partner.

  13

  Miles

  They were at my door—truly at my door—when I turned to the screen above it and simply watched her beautiful face along with his handsome features. I implored or more like demanded that Apollo, my security manager, allow them upstairs without his interference. Apollo was good to me, but I didn’t want all six feet seven inches of him to scare them off.

  I was watching them—he adjusted his belt on his dark denim jeans as she began smoothing down her skirt, which was showing quite a bit of her lean legs. Deciding to stop my stalking, I opened the door to them quickly because honestly, I was excited to see them. I’d barely heard from them all week until Dane texted me late last night. The second he’d told me they would most likely have to cancel due to Cami’s migr
aine, my disappointment turned to doubt. But shortly after one p.m., she texted me, explaining the headache had subsided. Thank the heavens above. I wanted to see them. Not to fuck them … well, not solely to fuck them if truth be told.

  Dane’s protective arms were around Cami while she searched the floor toward me. I pulled her hand, bringing her attention to me. “I’m sorry if I hurt you last week.”

  If I had to wager a guess, it would have been she was fighting a smile forming on her full and beautiful lips. The smile finally won, and her stance relaxed a little. With the change in his wife, Dane stepped forward, pulling me into a large embrace. “I’ve missed your asshole comments all week.” And when his words and actions didn’t surprise me, giving me a sweet kiss sure as hell had.

  I realized at that moment with both of them, I was the biggest douche for walking away last weekend. When I turned to pull Cami back into my space, she was rotating her body around the entire penthouse.

  The main living space was only a small glimpse into my home. The large open living room and kitchen was two stories. On either side of the living space were doors leading to various areas. I had a whole guest wing to the right of the house and meeting rooms to the left of the house, where staff could live. But for now, those were empty. I had a hard time trusting people after what happened twenty years ago. But it was nice to have the space for business meetings, especially as I continued to meet with possible producers about my next major project.

  She pointed at the large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Sears Tower. Making her way over to the large steel staircase, leading to an open catwalk, she craned her head toward the level, studying the beautiful artwork I had on display. To the right of the open walkway was the beginning of a wall, leading to my private space in my house.

  “Oh, Curly Sue, if you’re lucky, maybe I’ll take you on a tour.” Dane was behind me when he laughed his signature low-pitched chuckle.

  “There’s the asshole we sort of like, Cam.” I spun around, and Dane was in my face.

  “I didn’t invite you over here to seduce you, though I won’t deny how incredible the other night was,” I stated plainly. He caressed my cheek, and before I understood what was going on, his mouth met mine, and unlike last week, his tongue took control, and I allowed it. He had come in swinging when I saw him again at Haven’s estate. But now, I surrendered control to him at the moment. His mouth was everything until his arms circled my waist, bringing me close to him. Cami’s sweetness encompassed me when her hands stroked the outline of my cock. I wasn’t expecting this, but I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Hell, I relaxed in their grasp. Dane’s arms pulled me toward the couch when Cami followed suit.

  She released me, and the second she did, I missed her warmth. And with Dane, as quick as his mouth was on mine, he was off me with a little grin pulling at his lips. He pushed me back on the couch, and they both started laughing.

  Turning toward his wife, he began, “Do you think we made our point, Cam?”

  “By showing him what he’d miss if he ever disappeared on us after fucking us senseless? Yeah.” Cami smirked.

  Oh, those assholes, but they got me good. I leaned back, interlocking my hands over my head. “Was this my punishment? To get me all hard and wanting more, then leave me hurting?”

  They high-fived one another as though they were eight years old, but in their interaction, I could sense how they were truly a team. It made my heart ache for more. It hurt so much to understand what I’d missed all those years ago. Not with them, but what I could have had if the hurt wasn’t so intense, which changed my course altogether.

  “You two got me good, I’ll admit.” An out-and-out smile appeared on my face, and I could sense how long it had been since I allowed two people to make me happy. “You both are assholes for doing this to me, but I guess I deserved it.”

  They both bowed in front of me. “Are you going to feed me? I’m starving.” It was Cami, and her little smirk was sexy. “I haven’t eaten in almost two days, so sustenance is what I need.” Before she was able to get out of my reach, I pulled her onto my lap.

  “Tell me, Curly Sue, why haven’t you eaten?” My protectiveness for this woman came out in full force.

  Dane took a seat next to me and placed his hand on his wife’s thigh.

  “I can’t eat with migraines. Food will make me vomit.”

  Kissing her delicate ivory neck, I replied, “Well, I guess I’ll let that slide then.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, Cami isn’t afraid to eat,” Dane explained.

  This was the kind of woman I was attracted to, one who didn’t care about the outside world and made her own happiness. It didn’t surprise me about Cami, or Dane for that reason.

  I stood, and they both followed me closely. In my open kitchen set on the same wall as my front door, the table to the left was all set for dinner. “Who did this, Mr. Famous?” Dane was back with the nickname. Though it was meant to rib me at first, I loved that I was important enough to him that he bestowed one on me.

  “I never claimed to be helpless. I can cook, and quite honestly, I can make most anything.” With my dinner on display, I said, “It’s my specialty, garlic chicken lasagna roll-ups.”

  Cami was in her seat when I turned around and carried the goodness of pasta in my hands. Dane and I brought everything over to the table. She was rubbing her hands, a precious expression, as though I was watching a younger version of the beauty in front of me. “You weren’t kidding, Curly Sue, you are hungry.”

  My intention was to romance them, and I already had the best wine I could find from the little Italian eatery I frequented. It was one of the few places I could go, and they kept my visit to themselves.

  With the wine on the table, I hurried to Dane’s seat, pulling it back for him. “You beat me to the punch, Curly Sue. I wanted to wine and dine you.” The idea was to pull her seat out, both Dane and hers.

  Dane wrapped his hands around my neck, bringing me to his mouth.

  There were no words, but a small whine behind us, which was Cami. I didn’t interrupt Dane’s kiss, and he had to have felt my reaction to him against his abdomen. He pulled his mouth back from me but wrapped me tighter in his embrace. “You’re trying to butter us up, right?”

  It was true, but not for the reason he’d probably figured with my arousal so evident between us. But all of this was a way to apologize for my fucked-up departure the other night. I didn’t want to remind them of this, though. I moved back, pointing at the chair. “If we don’t feed your pretty wife, she may just wither away.”

  With a small caress of his hand to my cheek, he gave me a warm smile. He sat in his chair, then turned to Cami. I stood next to Dane and watched him. Something seemed so very different with these two than the last ones I gave my heart to.

  I was stacking the dishes in my sink. My housekeeper would be up in the morning to clean. I had to fight Cami, who had insisted on washing the dishes. In the end, Dane had picked her up, hoisted her over his shoulders, and threw her on the couch.

  As I watched them, Cami stood and sauntered over to me. Pulling a handful of my shirt and yanking me toward her, she continued, “So how about the tour you promised us?” The little minx was sexy as hell, but she was more. She was a sexual and sensual being. She had no problem owning it, and it was only one little thing about her that drew me to Cami Gregory.

  “Oh, yeah, that’s right. Come, follow me.” Both were behind me as I climbed the staircase, walking the little catwalk to the hallway leading to my wing of my home. The first door was my music studio and office. Turning the knob, I waited for the automatic lights to illuminate the room. Cami stood in the doorway, her jaw slacked.

  “You play?” It was her simple question.