Page 1 of Notorious (Hollywood Heartthrobs #2)

CONNOR

T he script I’d received from my agent before I boarded the flight lay in my lap, untouched, as I tried to find the energy to read another shallow part playing the leading man in an unintelligent and boring action romantic comedy.

On top of my frustration of where my career was heading, the beautiful flight attendant with curves in the right places who’d flirted with me when I boarded earlier left me alone with the promise of a drink, but I hadn’t seen her in the last fifteen minutes.

I stopped myself from pressing the call button when her excited voice grew louder as she drew closer to the front of the plane, cooing at someone.

Curious, I turned back in time to see the divider pushed aside and a nervous, fidgety kid hesitated when she displayed the open seat next to me.

I appreciated beauty in all forms, and this man held my immediate fascination with his cherub-like face along with his cute, nerd glasses.

An anthesis of the typical age of someone I went for, but something about the innocence of him drew me.

With medium length, wild dark brown hair curled on the top of his head, along with his button nose, and his wide, lush mouth, excitement sizzled under my skin at the prospect of debauching him.

His skinner frame and legs that went for miles brought up images of them wrapped around my waist as I fucked him against a wall.

Wholesome, that was the word that came to mind as I pictured all the ways his body could use mine for his pleasure, and when I glanced back at his face, my heart jumped when noticed the freckles along his cheeks.

The dream died as quickly as it formed when I noticed him clutching his backpack to his chest like a lifeline, looking freaked.

When they stopped next to the aisle, my gaze hadn’t moved away from Mr. Innocent, as I realized he wasn’t a kid.

Fuck!

She started speaking, and I caught the last half of her question. “So, can he sit next to you, Mr. Blake?”

My head nodded before I’d even made the conscious decision to do so, and yet I huffed in annoyance when the guy made no advance to move into the window seat next to me. I raised my brow in question.

The man who captured my fascination said, “That’s okay, I don’t need an upgrade. Besides, he’s settled in already. I can go to my seat at the back of the plane. I don’t want to be a bother.”

With a stroke of luck, I caught the gasp wanting to escape my throat at the deep voice coming from him. I cleared it, but the moment he turned his azure eyes my way, I almost moaned at having his full attention.

His eyes widened as his gaze moved over my face.

The perusal almost like a caress, before he snapped them back up to stare into my eyes.

But there was no recognition as he blinked at me before skimming lower, blushing when he caught himself, as I stared right back at him.

His skin turned a lovely shade of peach and I had to find out.

“Am I familiar to you?”

Without breaking eye contact, he said, “I’m sorry, but no.” His brows drew down as he stared at me. And it was true. There was no recognition in his eyes.

I smiled and asked, “Window or aisle?”

At the question, he glanced back toward economy before he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but said, “Aisle, please. If you don’t mind, I mean.”

Never breaking away from his expressive eyes and impressed by his over the top manners were cute, I slid over to the other seat.

“Um, thank you. It was kind of you to move after you had already settled in.”

He lowered himself into the seat next to me, brushing my arm as his scent of pine and lavender drifted over to me.

But before I opened my mouth and asked all the questions, his movements became jerky and quick as he fastened his seat belt, tightening it with a yank.

I winced, thinking about all the circulation he’d cut off from his lower half.

When I made no move to copy him, he stared into my lap for longer than polite and then back up to my face.

My body heated with his motions that weren’t sexual, but seemed like a stroke of his warm, deft hands up my legs and torso. I found myself unable to pull away when his eyes pierced me, his brows furrowed, and a concerned expression morphed on his face.

“What?” I asked.

He cleared his throat before he asked, “May I please ask you to fasten your seat belt?”

A smile I couldn’t hold back broke free at the concern from the younger man.

Thinking back, other than my mom and siblings, no one cared about my safety.

They wanted my money or the fame they garnered from being on my arm at the parties and events I was required to attend, but someone other than family, considering my well-being, was new.

Inquisitive beyond reason, I held out my hand and when the younger man placed his sizable palm against mine, awareness bolted up my arm and settled into my chest. I opened my mouth and croaked. Clearing my throat, I tried again.

“Connor Blake.”

Again, no recognition of my name registered on his face, and the tension released from my body in a relieved sigh.

“Oliver Bright. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Connor.”

“It’s a joy to meet you, too, Ollie. You don’t mind if I call you Ollie, do you? It’s only that Oliver is so formal and stuffy.”

As if drawn to every movement, I watched in fascination as his cheeks washed in a gorgeous peach blush.

“My parents were nothing but formal, so if I can put as much distance between them and who I used to pretend to be, the better. So, yeah, Ollie, I like it.”

“No one else calls you that?”

Ollie shrugged and said, “My parents raised me in a small town which had little imagination, so I suppose no one ever considered anything but my formal name.”

The plane backed from the gate and I watched as Ollie’s knuckles grew white when he gripped the seat rests. His eyes darted from the flight deck, out the window to his left, before skimming over the other seats in first class, looking for what I could guess was the nearest exit.

My fascination with this man, which defied any explanation in my mind, had me offering him comfort or at least a distraction him from his fear.

“Is this your first time on a plane?”

“Yeah,” he shook his head then, “No, well, technically, it’s my second. I flew from Ohio to New York two days ago. But I was so tired, the nice flight attendant woke me when it was time to disembark the plane.”

Something about Ollie, being alone and so tired on a plane in a strange city, brought out protective instincts which laid dormant for years.

The resourcefulness of the triplets as they grew meant I hadn’t needed to watch out for them for a long time.

My sisters were both fierce and independent, and mama was safe at home.

Besides, it was Sam, our eldest brother, who took on the role as protector in the family, so they were unfamiliar, as I continued to be drawn to Ollie.

“Where did you stay in New York?”

“Um, I think it was called the Radisson Hotel. All I know it was next to the airport. I was grateful there was a shuttle, because as soon as I got into my room, I slept for a day and a half and before I went back to the airport to catch this flight.”

“And how did you get upgraded?”

“I… have no clue. As I boarded and searched for my seat number, Amy reached for my arm and said there was a spot for me up here. I tried to beg off, but she insisted.”

“It’s because at first, you come across as a lost kid.”

“At first?”

“Then you speak and that deep voice is unmistakable. Are you eighteen?”

Ollie shook his head, leaving his gorgeous, soft-looking hair to flop around. “I’m twenty-two. Last week, I graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in creative writing.” He paused before he swallowed. “Sorry, I offer more information than asked of me, and I’m working on stopping myself, but…”

He trailed off and shrugged.

Four years, he’s only four fucking years younger than me.

I pushed aside the appealing thought for another concern and I asked, “Why were you so exhausted when you arrived in New York?”

The silent pause made me worried I might have overstepped when he looked torn between an explanation and telling me to fuck off. Based on how nice Ollie was, the latter didn’t even come to mind.

“Because we’ve only met, I understand your reticence about trusting me with your confidences, but I would never betray your secrets.”

A soft sigh escaped him, and he nodded.

“I’m relieved to tell someone, to be honest. My parents aren’t open-minded.

Cheryl is a religious studies professor and Robert teaches ethics.

And four days ago, they found out I’m gay and kicked me out.

I had time to grab a bag I’d already packed and my wallet, but Robert smashed my cell, reminding me he paid for it.

Such a waste of money, because I don’t mind not having a phone, but they could’ve traded it in or donated it.

Anyway, they pushed me out and told me never to come back.

The parting shot from Cheryl was that she’ll be contacting her lawyer to remove me from all legal documentation. ”

I listened to the entire story with my mouth hanging open, and still noticed the lack of emotion from Ollie, which worried me.

“Why do you call them Cheryl and Robert instead of mom and dad?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s because when I learned to speak, they never taught me mom and dad. It was their first names only.”

“You seem…”

“Just fine with getting kicked out of the only home I’ve had without a way to contact anyone and a place to stay?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“When you grow up with parents who never bothered with the child they brought into this world, you learn to fend for yourself. I think I’ve known most of my life I was gay, but after hearing their opinion of the subject of equal rights, I formed a plan to remove myself from the situation.”