Page 112 of Dirty Rock

“Okay, so according to the schedule, you’re up next,” Julia said, bringing my attention away from Ryan Reynolds who walked past me, offering a nod of acknowledgement. Fucking Deadpool knew who I was, and that wasn’t lost on the unknown teenage version of me who had stared up at the pair of tits on his bedroom ceiling to get himself off.

“Am I recording alone?” I moved to stand by her side and gazed over her shoulder down at the clipboard with the list of celebrity names on there.

“No.” Jules pointed to my scheduling. “According to this, you’re doing two segments. A short intro spot with Liv Tyler—”

“Nice.” I whistled, only to laugh when Jules elbowed me directly in the gut and gave me her bestDon’t fuck with meside-eye stare. “Sorry.” I rubbed my rib and looked down the list. “Then what?”

“Oh shit.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” I scanned down the list to see my name next to someone else’s I was more than familiar with. I was about to open my mouth to protest when a voice screaming my name made mine and Julia’s head snap up in her direction.

“Rhett Motherfucking Ryan!” JJ Jones cried out, walking towards me on legs like stilts, with her long, blonde hair flowing around her as she held her arms out for me to embrace.

I didn’t have time to back away, breathe, or even react. I was caught up in JJ’s familiar hold and scent before I could blink. Her long nails clawed into my back as she held on tight, curling herself around me like she belonged there.

God, she smelled good. JJ always did. But her irritating, over-girly voice negated the intoxicating cloud she caught me up in, and while she shrieked about how much she missed me and how long it had been—not that long—I found enough clarity to grip the top of her arms and slowly peel myself away.

When I saw her perfectly made-up face, I swallowed, desperate not to feel a damn thing but, fuck, JJ was stunning. She always had been. The woman had made a career out of it, and it took me a moment too long to be able to remember whoIwas, too.

“Baby,” she said with a sigh, her blue eyes softening and her cherry pink lips pursing as she took me in. “Goddamn, I forgot how hot you were.”

“Not so bad yourself.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I… erm…” I heard Jules clear her throat beside me, and when I glanced her way, she was staring down at her clipboard again, her chin to her chest.

Fuck.

I let my hands fall from JJ’s arms, and I took a step back. But JJ was a force of model nature, and you couldn’t help but see her when she was in front of you. She wasn’t someone you could pretend wasn’t there. You couldn’t help but look at her toned legs, her fantastic figure, and… damn…

I took another step back, reached up to scratch the back of my neck, and I did my best to create some distance.

“Rhett?” JJ made my name sound like a question. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I shook my head and looked up, strapping on a smile. “Just… didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“It’s a nice surprise, right?” She beamed, tilting her head to the side. “I told the producers I didn’t want you or your team to know I was doing this. Truth is, I wasn’t. Not until I heard you’d signed up.”

Jules turned her back on the two of us and pulled out her phone. I knew she was pretending to check messages that probably weren’t there, and it gave me a minute to get my shit together. I couldn’t believe I was acting like this. Jules was who I wanted. Jules. Not…

“So, I hear we’re recording a segment together today?” JJ said, swirling a lock of hair around her finger.

“That’s what Julia tells me.”

“Julia?” JJ glanced to the side and locked eyes on Jules. “Oh. Right. Of course... Julia. I remember you. Hey!”

My girl muttered a weakHeyback at JJ but concentrated on her phone like it was her lifeline.

“The other guys aren’t here?” JJ asked.

“Just me.”

“Big, bad Rhett, all alone in America.”

“Not alone. I have Jules.”

“Right.” JJ giggled.

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