Free Center Stage (Bright Lights Billionaire #2) by Ali Parker Page A

and got up. "Come on. We're going to be late. I know your King-I-Shit, but it's rude to waste other people's time."
    "Agreed." I got up and pulled a pair of jeans over my legs as she stopped by the doorway and turned to watch me.
    "Do you think I should give him another try?"
    "If you think what you're feeling is love, then yes. I don't think it comes around very often. Seeing that you've not been with anyone since we've been together as a team, I'd say that you need to figure out if it's because of him or not." I pulled a shirt over my head and tucked it in. "What? Why the funny look?"
    "Because you never cease to amaze me. You're so unbelievably dickish most days of the week, and yet there is a side to you that I don't believe anyone gets to see."
    "It's the side where the sun don't shine." I turned and twerked.
    The sound of her laughing as she walked down the hall warmed me. For the first time in my life, I wanted to protect her, to find out who Darren was and make sure he was on the up and up before D gave her heart to the bastard again only to have him give it back.
    "Weird." I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. My eyes moved across my face, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't look like a zombie. I wasn't sleeping too well at night, but the rest of the time was spent thinking about Riley or making love to myself. Something about it was working for me.
    I moved back and reached down into my jeans to readjust myself, hoping to make my shit look less obvious. I turned to the side and shook my head and tried again. Nope.
    "What are you doing?" She glanced into the bathroom and lifted her eyebrow at me.
    "Trying to make my dick lay down. You wanna help?"
    "Why are we always on this subject?" She walked in and glanced down. "It looks fine. What are you worried about?"
    "It's taking center stage. Look how badly it pokes out."
    "No one would believe this crazy shit, not even if I videoed it." She walked out of the bathroom. "Get your stuff put in your suitcase and let’s go. I'm leaving in three minutes. With or without you."
    "Lies," I muttered and pressed my hand to the front of my pants as I walked back in the room, as if I had the ability to force the fucker to lay down. What was a blessing to most was a huge curse to me. Somehow being around Riley and having the bastard grow to its full potential should have horrified me, and yet it felt comfortable, right. Maybe it was because she promised to protect me, and had done a pretty damn good job of it so far. And we were only getting started.
    I grabbed my stuff and walked to the front door as Deza opened it and walked out.
    "You were serious? You were going to leave me?" I closed the door, locked it and muscled my bag out to the curb where the limo waited.
    "Yep. I told you I was." She greeted the driver as I got into the back of the car and sunk down into the plush leather.
    "Did you guys rent out a villa in Rio? You know I hate the thought of staying in a hotel where people can paw at me every time I leave my damn room." I tried to stifle the concern that Deza wouldn't have taken care of all of it. I'd never known her not to be at the top of her game where I was concerned.
    "Of course we took care of it. We're in a seven-bedroom condo on the water. The scenes we're shooting over the next week and a half are all within a three-mile radius. We got a chef, a few maids and some other miscellaneous help. No one should bother you unless the bar you choose to go to has other tourists there. That's all on you."
    "Not happening." I ran my fingers through my hair and contemplated talking to Deza about Riley. I knew how strict she'd been thus far about me and my pretty co-star not getting too cozy, but my proposition to Riley for us to be fuck-buddies was different. It was a safe way to live a little and yet not have to hide the evidence of simply being young, dumb and human.
    "What are you thinking about? I can see your mind spinning over there." She crossed her