She seemed to struggle with her response before shaking her head. “I think I met him at one of your father’s premieres last year, but it’s so hard to keep those things straight.”

“Right.” Jaymeson took a swig of beer and smiled.

He smiled as if I hadn’t just descended into the Seventh Circle of Hell.

He smiled like he didn’t know that the last person to spend the night with his mom nak*d…

Had been me.

Chapter Sixteen

Demetri

“Salad’s made!” I announced as I chomped down on a carrot and moaned. I was so hungry I could eat an entire flock of sheep, wool and all.

Alyssa came back into the kitchen and nodded approvingly. “Well done. Maybe next time I’ll let you actually do more than cut the vegetables.”

“Score,” I said dryly. “Where’d Nat go?”

Alyssa shrugged. “She went outside to see what was taking Alec so long with the burgers.”

The camera crew was taping us, but I didn’t care. I pulled Alyssa in for a much needed kiss. Pressing her against the counter, I lifted her up and moaned as she wrapped her legs tightly around me, pulling me firmly against her.

“This apron’s kinda hot,” she murmured against my lips.

“I’m hotter out of it.” My hands dove into her thick dark hair. Groaning, I slipped my tongue into her mouth and tasted her.

“Excuse me — oh, sorry, um…” a voice said from behind us.

We jerked apart.

“Don’t let me interrupt you. I was just looking for the bathroom.” The woman must have been in her mid-thirties and was really striking. She had long blonde hair and an easy smile.

“Just down the hall and to the left,” Alyssa answered while I was still inspecting the woman. I don’t know why, but there was something about her that seemed… off. Call me crazy, but I wasn’t sure I wanted any more new crew members on the show, and she looked like a gold digger.

“Thanks.” The woman smiled and held out her hand. “I’m April, Jaymeson’s step-mom.”

“Ahhh,” Lyss and I said in unison.

April laughed. “He said I should stop by for a little vacation.”

“Right.” I snapped my mouth shut, so I didn’t look like an idiot. “I remember him saying something about that. I think you’re staying at our beach house, right?”

“That’s right.” She stuffed her hands into her jean pockets and swayed on her feet a bit. “Jaymeson said it would be okay if I stopped by to grab the keys and say hi.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just go find Alec and snag the keys from him.”

“Alec,” April repeated, her eyes slowly taking me in. “He’s your brother?”

“Yup. I like to think he’s the lucky bastard to have me as his other half.”

“He is.” She winked and smiled sadly at the ground. I immediately felt Alyssa tense next to me.

As if April just remembered that Alyssa and I had been acting all kinds of inappropriate just a few minutes ago, she blushed and chuckled. “You two carry on. I’ll just…” Her words trailed off as she walked down the hall.

“I don’t know if I like her,” Alyssa whispered once April was out of ear-shot.

I helped her off the counter and sighed. “You have no reason not to like her.”

Alyssa’s eyes narrowed. “She was eyeing you like… I don’t know. Like she wanted to strip you nak*d and lick you.”

“That could be arranged if you feel so inclined.” I grinned.

Alyssa swatted me in the stomach. “Shut up. I’m serious!”

“Babe.” I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. “It’s fine, okay? Besides, she used to be married to one of the biggest producers in Hollywood. I’m sure she’s just used to the attention, okay? Besides, she’s Jaymeson’s step-mom. If anything, she was just putting two and two together, okay?”

“Fine.” Alyssa sucked in her lower lip and grabbed my hand. “But if she makes a move for you, it won’t be just Nat throwing punches.”

“Deal.” I chuckled as we approached Jaymeson and Alec. Whoa. The brooding was officially back. Crap. Now Alec looked like he was ready to murder someone.

“How’s it going?” I directed the question at Jaymeson while anger washed over Alec’s face until I was pretty sure that he was going to start chucking burgers into the air.

“Great.” Jaymeson elbowed Alec. “Anyway, where was I? Oh right, so my father is a maniac. He’s refusing to pay child and spousal support, and I mean, he’s the guy who cheated in the first place! And then had the nerve to ask for a divorce.” He shook his head. “At any rate, I think the stress is really getting to my mom, so thanks for letting her stay at your place.”

“Anytime.” Alec handed me the metal hamburger flipper and stalked off mumbling something about finding Nat.

“He alright?” Jaymeson squinted at Alec’s disappearing form. “I hope the story of my parents didn’t upset him.”

“Nah, he’s just…” I shrugged. “Hormonal.”

Alyssa took the hamburger flipper from my hands and ordered me to move. Apparently I hadn’t graduated to cooking live food yet either.

“Where’s your girl?” I begrudgingly shoved my hands in my pockets and watched my girlfriend cook up a storm.

“How should I know?” Jaymeson snorted. “I can’t even lie. I’m trying, man, really trying to be nice to her, but she’s—”

“Insane,” Alyssa grumbled. Clearly she was still upset over the whole I-slept-with-the-devil thing.

“There’s that.” Jaymeson nodded. “But she’s always on her damn phone. On top of that, it’s like she’s plotting something. I don’t know. Maybe I’m paranoid. But I don’t trust her.”

“World domination.” Alyssa piped up. “She’s going to take over the world.”

“One text at a time,” I agreed.

“Jaymeson!”

“Speak of the devil.” I grinned and slapped Jaymeson on the back. “I think Angelica needs you.”

Angelica rounded the corner in platform heels, a mini skirt, and a midriff shirt that really shouldn’t be called a shirt.

It was smaller than a scarf and strategically wrapped around her body in such a way that I wasn’t sure if I should gape or avert my eyes. Alyssa made the decision for me when she pulled my head to hers and kissed me firmly across the mouth.

Hmm. I could get used to such distractions.

“Lose your clothes again, Angelica?” Jaymeson asked from behind me.

“Ha ha, you’re hilarious. And no. I was just hot, so I decided to put something on that would cool me off.”

The camera crew filtered into the backyard, as they always did when Angelica decided to put on a strip tease. She fanned her face with her hand and stretched. Seriously, they were going to have to censor every scene with that girl.

“Angelica.” Ruben cleared his throat. “You said we needed to have a chat?”

“Off camera,” she demanded.

I rolled my eyes.

“Fine.” He directed her toward the corner of the yard.

“Hey, Ruben.” Jaymeson sneered. “If I promise to take off all my clothes can I have a few minutes without cameras too?”

Ruben ignored him and followed Angelica to the fence, leaning against it as she talked in hushed tones.

“Plotting.” My eyes narrowed. “I would sell Jaymeson to learn what that girl was saying right about now.”

“Thanks man.”

“Anytime.” I slapped him on the back and kissed Alyssa’s cheek. “Can we eat now?”

She flipped all the burgers over and checked them. “They look fine, why don’t you go find Alec and Nat so we can eat?”

“I’ll do it!” Jaymeson offered, running off toward the garage.

I shrugged and looked back to Ruben and Angelica, she was showing him something on her phone and he looked like he was about two minutes away from shitting his pants.

“He looks way too happy to be talking to her right now.” Alyssa pointed out.

“Right? I was thinking the same thing.”

Ruben clapped his hands together and then hugged Angelica like a long lost daughter.

Alyssa dropped the hamburger flipper in the grass and cursed. “You’ve got to be kidding me! He hates her just as much as we do!”

“Cameras.” I coughed as the cameraman zoomed in on Alyssa. Her little nostrils flared just slightly before she grabbed my body and pulled me against her.

“It’s hard for them to hear when we whisper.” She nipped my ear and then licked my neck. “Can we get closer to the action, you think?”

“Action?” I repeated, my body strumming with heat as her hand dipped underneath my shirt.

Alyssa lightly slapped me across the face with her free hand. “Focus, Demetri! We’re going to find out what’s going on.”

“Right. Focusing.” I exhaled through tightly clenched teeth as her smooth hands caressed my abs and wrapped around my back as she walked me backward toward the corner of the yard where Ruben and Angelica were standing. “Damn, that feels good.”

“Demetri.” Alyssa moaned and then pinched me in the side. “This isn’t for you. This is so we can find out what the devil’s planning.

Yeah, I’m not gonna lie. I caught like one word from that last sentence. It was like I blacked out as her nails scratched my back and her lips found my ear. Right. I’m going to be absolutely no help for this little spying mission if she keeps playing around like that.

“Just a little farther,” Alyssa whispered in my ear.

I was officially embarrassed as I started counting backward from one hundred to keep myself from taking off my clothes and ravishing her against the picket fence. A little farther? Did the woman have no concern for my mental health? I was going to die. Well, at least I’d die with a smile on my face.

“…are you sure about all of this?” Ruben clicked through the pictures on the phone. “I mean, this is pretty big, Angelica.”

“I’m positive.”

“You do know what this will do?”

“Of course,” came Angelicas shrill voice. “I just think people need to know the truth. Nat needs to know the truth. I mean, she’s such a sweetheart, and look at what he’s doing behind her back!”

“They weren’t together during these pictures,” Ruben pointed out. “I was at that premiere.”

Angelica laughed. “Does it really matter? Once a whore, always a whore. Once a cheater… well, you get what I mean. Besides, once you add it with that other little piece of information, you have media gold.”

I tensed against Alyssa. She shook her head and kissed my lips, probably to keep me from making a complete fool out of myself.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Great.” Angelica sighed. “I think it will really help our ratings.”