Hot Bastard Next Door: A Boy Next Door, Second Chance Romance Read online

  “No, I haven’t seen anyone else. I don’t have time for men.” I glanced up to see Jeffery giving me the lifted brow stare again. I wasn’t about to go into things and have him overhear about my virginity, though Shauna knew damned well I’d never slept with anyone. She often remarked that I was the oldest virgin in the world, when she wanted to pressure me into going out with someone.

  “Well, anyway, I wanted to say hi and see how you’re doing. I’m sure we’ll talk soon.”

  There was something in her voice that made me feel like she was up to something but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it could be. Was there something about this job or perhaps the producer that she wasn’t warning me about? I decided to let it go, especially since Jeffery was still giving me the eye.

  “Talk soon, friend. Take care.” I hung up the phone and passed it back to Jeffery who took it and put it in the pocket of his loose pants.

  “Why don’t you date? I think you need a man and I don’t believe I’m the only one making that suggestion,” he said, tapping my phone in his pocket.

  “I had my heart broken once, and I’m not ready to move on yet.” I lifted a shoulder casually and then glanced back down to the paper before me.

  “How long ago was that? Because if memory serves me, you haven’t been with anyone in the two years I’ve known you.” He straightened the cuff of his sleeve and then tapped his pen.

  “So, what? I haven’t dated anyone in years, and you’ve been with more men than I have, it’s not the end of the world.” I let out a long breath and decided not to give him a specific answer. He didn’t need one. “I’ve got to get through this list and have everything ready for Brock.”

  “Mm, Brock. Speaking of dating, I think our sexy-ass producer has a crush on you.” Jeffery smiled but never took his eyes off his own work.

  “Mind your own business and get back to work.” I tried to act tough but the corners of my mouth played upward and once he peeked he let out loose a soft giggle.

  I loved my friends for caring.

  But my dating life or lack thereof, was my own damn business.

  CHAPTER THREE - DUNCAN

  Now there’s a sexy ass I wouldn’t mind snuggling up with.

  I held the door open for a gorgeous blonde as I headed up to see Harris Connor. I wasn’t too thrilled to see the man again, but at least he had the promise of a decent job, or so my sister thought. She’s gotten together with the joker about six months after our mother passed and since we didn’t have our father in our lives either, it was my job to bust his balls.

  How this prissy son of a bitch was with my sister was beyond me. Shauna could have any man she wanted, though I guess none would ever be good enough for her in my book. I shook my head. I watched the blonde as she walked away and tucked her number into my pocket. It had only taken six floors to score that one, and as I landed on the ninth where Harris Connor’s office was and saw his secretary, a smoking hot brunette, I wondered if I should try to score another one. She stood up and walked to the front as I approached her.

  “You’re Mr. Kelley? Mr. Connor is expecting you.” She walked to the door after I gave her a nod and then that gleaming diamond on her ring finger gave out its warning as she opened the door. I wouldn’t be scoring a second number, but maybe this job would make up for it.

  The door swung wide as she stepped aside and I entered finding Harris sitting behind his desk. He stood and came around to shake my hand.

  “How’s the brother of the love of my life doing today?” He gave me a cheery smile and a pat on the back. If he was intimidated by me, he sure didn’t show it. At least until I shook his hand and gave him the death grip on his loose little paw.

  “I’m good. Shauna tells me that you’ve got an opportunity for me. I hope it doesn’t involve kids of any nature.” I had my mind made up about that after the last occasion involved me chaperoning rich kids at a petting zoo, dodging elephant shit.

  He pulled his hand away and wiggled his fingers. “No, no. Your sister warned me about that, something about you hating glitter?” He straightened his tie and let loose a quiet, nervous chuckle and walked around behind his desk offering me a seat with a gesture.

  I took one of the chairs in front of his desk and forced a smile at his humor. “Yeah, that was a nightmare, though I do appreciate you considering me.”

  “Well, this one is a bit different. You’ll be working as set security on the production of Star Summers’ latest video. She’s got her own personal security, but it’s nice to have someone on the production side to work as a mediator of sorts. You will mostly be on set, but there might be a time that you have to escort the pop princess back to her hotel or keep an eye out for her when she goes to lunch. Nothing too personal and the hours will be varied. You’ll need to coordinate with the set producer as well since you’ll be starting well before the final production is under way.”

  I’d never heard of Star Summers, but by the way his expression had changed, it indicated that she was a big deal. I gave two shits about celebrities’ other than the size of the checks they came with. A job was a job.

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’re saying the set designers need security too?”

  He nodded his head and opened up his planner. “They’ll be the first team arriving Thursday in the back-lot location, and yes, these pop stars’ crazy fans try to sneak in on early production. As soon as they get wind of a project, they’re all over it. I always set up security early.”

  “Sounds good.” I’d wanted something with a nice change of pace, and this was just the thing. I’d make a lot of money and have an easy time dealing with whatever little punks and screaming fans came out of the woodwork for this Star Summers person. I’d Google her later to know what I was dealing with.

  “I’m glad you’re pleased. I did hope you’d agree to take this one. I want someone good on it. The director and producer is Brock Reed. Have you heard of him?” I shrugged and mentally added another name onto my list of Google searches. The name sounded about as familiar as Star Summers. Who came up with these prissy ass names?

  “Anyway, he’s pretty hot right now, and I was hoping things would go smoothly, and I’d get a full contract with him, so this is pretty important. I’m pulling out all my best connections.”

  The guy gave me the crinkled forehead look that almost said, ‘don’t screw this up for me’, but then he fidgeted with his collar and tie again and cleared his throat.

  “Sounds like a cut and dry kind of job. I don’t see why there would be any problems.”

  He shifted his eyes a bit and I had a feeling his nervousness was a bit more than him being intimidated by me. But then he met me square in the eye and played it off like he agreed with my statement.

  I then promised to meet the set producer on Thursday, and then left. I hadn’t made it all the way out of the building when my sister called me.

  “Did you take the job?”

  “Hello to you, too, sister dearest, and yes, I took the job. I appreciate the hook-up.” I reached into my pocket and slipped the woman from the elevator’s card into my wallet.

  “You were nice to Harris too, weren’t you?” she asked with a hopeful tone.

  “Yes, I let him live. For now.” I chuckled. I loved tormenting her with the hard-ass older brother role, but she knew the depths of my love for her.

  The two of us had been orphaned two years earlier when our mother had died, and I’d decided then not to reenlist. It had been a hard decision leaving the Special Forces, but I’d seen enough, done enough, and regretted enough. Besides, my little sis needed me.

  “You like him, don’t you?” Her voice was taking on a serious tone.

  “Do you love him, Shauna?”

  “I do, Duncan. I really do. But I want you to like him.”

  The guy wasn’t much of a man’s man as, but he was okay. I could tell my approval meant a lot to her, and probably more especially now.

  “Then I like him too. He’s a good guy
. I just wish the two of you would get married already. It would make my job as your protector that much easier.”

  “You’ll always be that, big bro. Promise you’ll always love me?”

  There was that sly tone again. I’d been trained to be observant. Trained as a killer to notice every little detail.

  “Did you do something that I’m not going to like?” I asked darkly.

  Her hesitation was followed by a nervous giggle.

  “No. Of course not. What could I do that you wouldn’t like?” She was protesting too much, but I didn’t let her know I noticed. I was also trained in knowing when to show your hand and when not to. “Call me when you get done on Thursday.”

  I didn’t ask her what she and Harris were up to, but for her to know the job started on Thursday, they’d most definitely discussed things. “Will do. Take care, sis.”

  I hung up the phone and headed out to my Mustang which I’d buffed to a high shine after Katherine left on Sunday. Round two with her over breakfast had been even better than the night before, but I still didn’t see her being anything steady. A repeat, maybe, but with the blonde’s card burning a hole in my pocket, I had a feeling I’d have other plans for the weekend.

  This was my routine. One night stand after one night stand. Meaningless relationships, that provided distraction to the fucking emptiness inside.

  In the military, I’d been infamous among my brothers for breaking hearts, but there was only one I deeply regretted breaking. I had my reasons, but I’d been a worthless fucking coward in how I’d done it.

  CHAPTER FOUR - RACHEL

  “Jeffery!” I called out to my assistant to give me his opinion. He came from across the room and folded one hand across him with his other hand to his chin. I let out a long breath. “It’s too big. We’re going to have to cut it down. I don’t think it will be in the shot.”

  Something about that morning had me nervous as hell. I didn’t know what the hell was going on with me but I was already at my wits end and usually that wouldn’t happen until at least later in the afternoon. Maybe I was PMS’ing?

  “I think you should just push it back a bit. It might help, and you’d do better trying before taking a saw to it,” Jeffrey noted.

  “That’s not going to give me enough. Get the specs list and let’s see if we missed anything else. I’m not about to present this to Brock until it’s absolutely perfect.”

  We took the list and right away I saw the issue. I pointed my finger on the sheet. “That’s supposed to be five feet instead of eight. My messy handwriting strikes again.” I took a deep breath and turned to my carpenters who stood against a counter I’d been using as a makeshift desk. “This has to lose three feet, let’s make it happen, please.”

  They gave me some murmurs, and two of them took to the mock up stage and pulled the board down and carried it out while the other four stood around trying to look useful.

  I turned my head to Jeffery. “Remind me why we need all of them?”

  “Well, it certainly isn’t because they’re nice to look at.” He made a sour face to the crew who looked about as good as they smelled. They were a cranky bunch. Jeffrey pulled me into his arms to console me. It had been a rough day already and it didn’t seem like it was ever going to end.

  I broke away from him and turned around glancing over my shoulder. “Okay, that should put us on track, I’m just going to—”

  I slammed right into a solid wall of chest. The pleasant scent of his cologne hit my nose with a dose of nostalgia, and I lifted my head to his gorgeous hazel eyes which were just how I remembered them, and left me just as breathless.

  “Duncan Kelley.” The name rolled from my lips before I could even stop it. Even though he nodded, I didn’t think it was real. “What are you doing here?” My heart twisted like someone gripped it with razor sharp teeth and all the old feelings came rushing back to me; the love and the pain.

  “Don’t tell me. You’re the set producer?”

  He took a deep breath, and I couldn’t stop taking in the sight of him. His hair was much darker than it had been when he was younger, making those pale, hazel eyes seem like they were glowing in their sockets. There was more of him too, the thick cord of muscle across his chest and down his arms had my fingers twitching to touch him. Then there were the tattoos. I’d never imagined he’d have so many, the black markings enhancing his muscles and made him look like the warrior he was.

  He appeared even more fierce than the day he ripped out my heart. Suddenly, anger ripped through me. He had some nerve showing up at my job. What was he even doing here? “Well?”

  “I’m security.” He glanced over my shoulder at Jeffery. “Don’t let me interrupt you and your boyfriend. I’m supposed to be checking in.” His voice was also a lot deeper than it had been when he was in school like it had weathered with age and experience. Perhaps it had.

  “Jeffery is my assistant and friend.” I folded my arms around my waist and pulled my lips into a tight line. I didn’t owe him an explanation, though my mind went back to the time he’d seen me paying the lawn boy my mother had hired. Duncan had come across the yard so fast that the poor guy had tripped over himself to get away. He’d always been that way until they day he’d decided that he didn’t care anymore.

  He’d come to me talking about the Navy, and I’d always been so supportive. Had I known that he was going to up and leave me with a broken heard, I’d not been so inclined. I even promised to wait for him, to be there when he got out, but a week later, all I’d gotten was a lousy text telling me there was no future for us. He’d told me that I had a whole big life in front of me and he wasn’t getting in the way. He hadn’t even given me a choice, just like my father, he’d made the decision then and there what my life, my future would be. At least my father always had the guts to say it to my face.

  “You can go wait over there by the doorway. I have to make a call.” I walked across the room and stepped behind one of the larger props I’d designed and pulled out my phone. I had a bone to pick with my best friend.

  Her voice was already filled with caution as she said hello. “Please tell me you had nothing to do with this, Shauna.”

  “With what exactly?”

  I could hear the worry in her tone.

  “Don’t play stupid. You’re the smartest woman I know, which leads me to think you were having an off day when you decided to put me and your brother in the same place!” I tried to keep my tone level, to keep it from turning as harsh as Duncan’s natural tone when she began to apologize.

  “I’m sorry, Rachel. It’s just that I felt it was time for the two of you to work things out. He’s not really seeing anyone, and neither are you. You’re both living in the city now, we could all be together again, one big happy family like the old days.”

  Her words were spilling out so fast I could barely wrap my mind around them.

  “He broke my heart, Shauna. He left me, making it perfectly clear where we stood.”

  “You still love him. Don’t lie. You ask me about him at least once every other week and then get mad if I try to discuss him for too long.”

  I had been trying to use restraint and had even made her promise we wouldn’t let the break-up come between us.

  “And how often does he ask about me?” I waited for her response which came after a bit of hesitation.

  “He asked me about you the other day.”

  “Really? And how often does that happen?”

  “Okay, it’s not often, but it’s the way he asks and when he asks. Rachel, he’s never stopped caring, I just know it. Please talk to him.”

  “I have no other choice, do I?” She’d made sure of that. I’d see him every single day until this production was over and as I was thinking of what to tell her next, her phone cut out.

  “Hey, I have another call. I’ll call you back.” She hurried off the phone, and I peeked around the prop, seeing Duncan who was ducking off to the side on his phone. I guess that was the o
ther call Shauna had. He’d called his sister too. I knew the two hadn’t planned this together because Duncan was just as surprised as I had been.

  I stared as he chewed his sister out. God, he was gorgeous. He’d really grown up to be a beautifully fierce man. I tried to ignore the heat building between my legs and quenched the burning with anger as I crossed the room.

  I walked right up to him where he leaned over whispering into the phone and tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around and straightened, becoming a good head taller, and I looked directly into his eyes. “Tell Shauna I’m not done with her.” I crossed my arms and shifted on my feet, as Jeffery waved for my attention over Duncan’s shoulder mouthing ‘are you okay?’.

  “I’ll call you back, Shauna. Neither one of us is done with you.” He hung up the phone and spun around to see Jeffery giving him the eye. I had no doubt that as fierce as Duncan was, Jeffery wouldn’t back down if need be and he wouldn’t let anyone disrespect me.

  Then he turned back to me. “We need to talk.”

  Need to talk? I remembered the night that he broke up with me over a fucking text. He didn’t have the guts to agree to talk then.

  As much as I tried to forget, I’d remembered it like it was yesterday. My eyes were filled with tears trying to make out the harsh words on the screen, while I clinched my phone in my hand. I was sitting in the backyard, under the tree we used to climb, where I got my first skinned knee, and he was the one to comfort me while his sister went to get my father. That dreadful night, I texted him that we just needed to talk it out, but instead he wrote that he had nothing more to say; what was done was done.

  I dropped my hands to my side, balling them into fists as I glared at those damned hazel eyes. “I’ve got nothing more to say to you.”

  As his eyes softened, I turned and stormed away.

  I wasn’t going to give him the chance. He could save it.