“Do I know you?” she asks, her eyes narrowing. I study her face, her perplexed expression, and I’m instantly aware the second recognition hits by the way her body stiffens, and those soft blue eyes go wide.
“Oh My God, you’re Tyler Owens. The Hammer.”
“The one and only.” I dip my head, my lips once again inches from hers. “And you are?”
“Um…”
“You’re Haven!” Stacey shrieks after setting the last beer on the table. “Haven Roberts.”
I nod, as all the pieces fall into place. Haven Roberts. Sister of my MMA nemesis, Rock Roberts. I should have known it the second I saw her, considering how much Rock talks about her, and admires her acting abilities—and defends her when people call her a diva.
Movie trailers have been rolling down Main Street all week, a Hollywood cast and crew taking up residency in our small town to film some summer blockbuster. You’d think I would have put two and two together and figured out who she was. I guess I’m kind of stunned like that, and really, I never really paid much attention to the excitement in the air or the endless chatter about the movie.
No, these days I keep my head down; my only goal is to work hard and save harder. My plan is to save enough money to afford my own building and purchase top notch equipment for the kids who take my martial arts training classes. The one I’m in now could be taken right out from underneath us, leaving us high and dry.
Still, I should have recognized her. I guess the fear in her eyes, combined with that heated kiss, messed a little with my ability for any rational thought. I stiffen, suddenly remembering the fear in her eyes. Was it my brother who rattled this famous movie star, or something else?
Haven’s smile is a bit shaky as she turns to Stacey, her shoulders not quite as tight as they were when she entered Winchester’s, but still tense. “That’s right. I’m here for the movie shoot. Nice to meet you all.” She jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “I should get going.”
She slowly inches away, but I capture her elbow. Her gaze flies to mine. “Are you okay?” I ask.
Her lashes flutter, and her body relaxes even more under my touch, and dammit if I don’t like that.
“Sorry about that,” she says. “It was a dare. It’s ah…” she rolls her eyes. “A stupid game we play when we reach a new location shoot. You know, pick the biggest, hottest guy in town and kiss him.”
Now why is it I don’t believe a word coming from her mouth? Her big as fuck, mean-ass brother is nothing but a liar, too. Well, not really. We all played the name calling game before a fight. We’d hurl shit against our opponents to excite our fans and build hype. The feud between Rock and me was legendary. We both could have won an Oscar for our out-of-ring performances. When we were in the ring, there was no acting, however. Nope, we were both playing to win, but in the end the motherfucker stole my title.
Instead of calling her on her lie, I say. “You think I’m the biggest, hottest guy in Blue Bay?”
Jared snorts. “She must have lost her glasses on her way in here.”
I kick my brother’s boot and he’s about to stand when our oldest brother Sean raises his hand. “Don’t you two start.”
“I…I should go,” Haven says again.
I nod toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”
“No need. Everything is fine. It’s not like anything bad ever happens in Blue Bay, right?” She gives a nervous little laugh. “No kidnappings or stalkers.” Her eyes go wide again, and she shuts her mouth like she’s said too much. For a girl who acts for a living, she’s not great at sticking to the script, because everything in me tells me she regrets everything that just spilled from her lips.
“Right, but I’ll walk you anyway,” I say, thinking back to the time Sean’s wife Summer was run off the road by her ex. Blue Bay is a small coastal town, but that doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen.
She puts her hand on my chest, and the heat from her touch sizzles through me. She tugs it away, and from the shocked look on her face, I can’t help but think it set off fireworks inside her, too. “No, it’s fine, really.”
I stand there, rocking on my feet for a second and she backs up, like she’s afraid I’m going to follow her. She grips the door and tugs it open. I glance past her shoulder to look for something, anything that might raise alarm bells in me, but she lets the door go and bolts.
“What the hell was that all about?” Sean asks.
I shake my head and tug on my hair. “Beats the hell out of me.” My boots pound the floor as I walk to the door, and pull it open. I catch a flash of her hair as she hurries down the sidewalk. Most of the trailers for the cast and crew are parked at the edge of town, not too far from the old homestead where we all live with Grandma Nellie. Except for Sean and Jamie. They have places on the water with their families.
That strange sense of longing is back in my gut as I think about settling down and marriage, but I swallow it, not wanting another inquisition from Jared…or Sean. They’d never in a million years believe I was getting played out.
“I’m taking you off the Sanderson place,” Sean says to Jared when I sit back down at the table.
“Yeah, why?”
“Just returned from a meeting and I need you to erect sets for the movie.”
Jared grins. “That should be fun, especially if I get to hang around Haven.” He shakes his hand like it’s on fire. “That girl is hot.”
A fierce tug of possessiveness races through me and I try to hide it. Haven is nothing to me. We shared a joke of a kiss. If my brother wants to hit on her, no fucking problem—as long as it’s through my dead body.
What the hell am I saying?
“Even prettier in person, don’t you think, Ty?” Jared adds.
“Yeah, I guess.” I give a nonchalant shrug, but these two assholes can read me far too well.
I drink my beer and try to ignore my annoying brother, but he continues with, “Maybe I’ll build a nice cozy bed on set. You know for after the shoot.” He arches his brow and I work to keep my temper in check.
“You don’t have a problem with that do you, Tyler?” Jared asks.
I shrug. “Why would I?”
“You have something you want to say, Tyler?” Sean asks, and tips his bottle to his lips.
I go back to peeling the label on my bottle. “Nope.”
“Good, I’m reassigning you, too.”
I’m about to protest—I don’t want to work on some dumb-ass movie set that will get torn down when it’s no longer needed—but can’t bring myself to do it. Oh, and why is that? Because there is more going on with Haven than she’s admitting, and I have this strange, innate need to watch over her, and keep my brother far away.
And no, it has nothing at all to do with my cock wanting her. I mean, come on, just five minutes ago I said I was played out, and this is a woman with a reputation for falling for her leading men. But that fucking kiss. My stupid dick twitches, and if the bastard could speak, he’d call me out so fast my head would spin—the one on my shoulders. Okay so yeah, maybe I do want her, but I am also worried about her safety. I’m kind of a nice guy like that.