Page 111 of Hollywood

I lifted my head to see his teasing eyes. I twisted his nipple in retribution.

“Ow! Damn!” He laughed. “Okay, I love you. Don’t abuse me!”

“You love it.”

“Nah,” he said again, voice warm. “I love you.”

CHAPTER 24

Tex

“Shit shit shit! Noooo.”

Hollywood’s words carried to the bathroom, where I’d just taken a luxurious, uninterrupted shower. Ruby was still at Kelly’s, giving us the morning alone.

I loved the Ruby girl, but waking up beside Hollywood and rolling over to kiss his sleepy smile, touch all that bed-warmed skin, and sink into the bliss of his body was a hell of a way to start the day.

Holly didn’t sound nearly so blissful in the kitchen. I threw on a pair of sweats and went to see why he was cussing a streak.

“What’s wrong, darlin’?”

Hollywood scraped a pan into the trash, his bottom lip pushed out. “I burned the French toast.”

His pout was unbearably cute. But then, lately, everything about Hollywood struck me as adorable. I’d clearly picked up some sort of terrible bug. Hopefully, it was contagious, and hewas fluttering inside like a teenager, too. I’d hate to think I’d turned into a sap alone.

I opened a cabinet over the refrigerator to pull out a box of Cocoa Pebbles. “You can just leave the cooking to me, Holls. I don’t mind.”

Hollywood tossed the pan into the sink with a clatter.

“But you already do so much.” He huffed. “I followed the recipe exactly! I don’t know how it happened.”

I took out two bowls and poured cereal for us. “Well, I love everything I do here.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him. “You gave me quite the treat this morning.”

“Oh, stop.”

I leaned in to kiss him. “And last night was amazing, too. You gave me a heck of a show.”

Both on the stage and off it. Hollywood blushed. It was freaking adorable. Again. Ugh, I had it bad.

His phone chimed, and he took it out of his back pocket to check the screen.

“Is that Kelly?” I asked.

“No. Just a reminder that the rent is due next week.”

Shit. I thought we had one more week before then. Dad still hadn’t paid me back.

Beside me, Hollywood ran water into the sink and added soap. “I hope this pan will come clean.”

I pushed away worries about money. I’d figure it out somehow.

“That thing will have to soak for alooooooongtime,” I teased.

Hollywood snorted. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. Youlooooooveme.”

He rolled his eyes, but a smile played around his lips and some of the tightness around his eyes eased. “Okay, jerk. That’s the last time I try to make you French toast.”