Cassius smiles like he’s keeping a delicious secret. “Well, if you must know, I’m going to take ecstasy and masturbate by the pool, then maybe go for a swim.” The three of them laugh so I figure he must be kidding, but then Cassius turns to me and says, “Care to join me, Beautiful Adam?”
I stop laughing and stare at him, getting lost in the smolder of his eyes. “Um…”
“Unless you’re otherwise occupied?”
“I’m not,” I assure him.
“Do you enjoy psychoactive drugs and skinny dipping?”
I’ve never done either before, but the idea of doing it with him sounds exciting and fun and a little bit dangerous. “I mean, sure.”
“How did you arrive here?” he asks.
“I took a Lyft.”
“Then you can ride home with me.”
He stands and offers his hand. I’m about to tell him I don’t have a swimsuit, then remember I don’t exactly need one. “Shouldn’t we pay for our drinks?”
“It’s been handled,” Cassius says smoothly. The others are all watching as he helps me to my feet, drawing me so close that we’re practically hugging.
“You and I are going to have so much fun together,” he says softly, warm breath tickling my ear. He picks a piece of lint from my coat—his coat—and his fingers brush against the back of my neck, making my skin tingle and my hair stand on end. “I can hardly wait.”
Chapter3
Cassius
Igave him a choice. He could have declined my invitation and walked out of my life forever. I wouldn’t have pursued him. He’s beautiful, yes, and wonderfully uncorrupted, but I don’thaveto have him. There are other men, other prospects.
But Adam saidyes.He walked with me out into the blinding sunshine and stood with me at the curb while we waited for the valet to bring the car around. He climbed into my Malibu when I held the door open for him and now, at least for the evening, he belongs to me.
“This is a fantastic car,” he says, running his hands over the ivory interior, which I’ve had restored to its original luster. I like beautiful things and consider myself something of a collector, like my mother. The top is down at present, and the wind teases Adam’s golden curls, making them dance in the orange light of the setting sun. The blue of his eyes is brilliant.
“What year is it?” he asks.
“1966. I inherited it from my mother.”
“She has great taste.”
“Had,” I gently correct. “She passed away almost ten years ago. Percocet and vodka.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Adam says and draws his hand to his chest as if it were bad form to touch one of my late mother’s possessions.
“It was very difficult for me. And so sudden. I had a lot of grief and anger over her passing. Lucia helped me through the worst of it.” That and copious amounts of cocaine and indiscriminate sex.
“My mother died giving birth to me,” he says a little forlornly. “From hemorrhaging. They couldn’t stop the bleeding. I never knew her. Isn’t that terrible? I, like, killed her.”
I search his face to see where the loss might have left its mark on his effervescent spirit. “You were an infant at the time, so I wouldn’t feel too bad about it. Did your father ever remarry?”
“Not until recently. It was just my dad, my brother, and me for a long time. They kind of spoiled me, especially my brother. I think they felt guilty about me not having a mom.”
A beautiful, spoiled boy. The baby of the family and someone who’s used to being taken care of. I can work with that.
“It’s unfortunate you never got to know her,” I tell him. “My mother and I were very close.” So close we were practically codependent.
“What about your father?”
I tilt my head. “That is one of Hollywood’s great mysteries.”
