Page 26 of Notorious (Hollywood Heartthrobs #2)

OLLIE

I stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom I shared with my boyfriend, a notion that brought a blush to my face as I studied myself in the mirror.

The simple slim fit cornflower blue button-down shirt with black jeans and the black sneakers seemed both casual and dressy.

I’d rolled the sleeves up my forearms and brushed my riot of hair, before giving up with one last sigh.

Connor scheduled a fitting with his tailor a week after we wrapped filming on Happy to Let You Go .

The touching story on the page turned out to be an emotional, mature look at forgiveness, and I loved how it turned out.

Kaid and Addie worked well together, and after another month of filming after the upheaval of the tabloids, the film was in postproduction.

As I started, I was sure I’d mess up at the new position of script supervisor, yet it appealed to my organizational instincts, and I had a blast.

Along with it, came other changes I was unprepared for.

I’d never considered myself a man who would need custom tailored clothes, but then I met Anton.

A whirlwind of tape measures and a discussion about color preferences, among so many other questions I couldn’t remember, and I was the proud owner of several suits in a smattering of colors, along with about a dozen button-down shirts.

But instead of being finished for the day after choosing the suits, Connor pushed an armful of clothes into my arms with a demand to try them on.

He laughed at my expression as I stared at the pile of clothing in my arms before he walked back into the changing room, directing me with a hand on the small of my back. In complete honesty, I would have gone anywhere he wanted from a simple touch.

We arrived in the changing room bigger than an average sized apartment.

He closed the door behind us before holding up the shirts he pulled from the racks against my chest, and staring at me with a critical eye, directing which shirt matched which pant and I slipped out of the tee and jeans I wore to the appointment.

With the last button on the dress slacks secured, I examined myself and found each item accentuated my frame.

“But… beautiful. There are few opportunities I have to wear this. Why would we stock up now?” I asked as I smoothed down the invisible wrinkles on the navy blazer I wore over the slate gray knit shirt that felt like velvet against my skin.

He paused with an eggplant v-neck sweater held onto the tips of his fingers before he draped it over the chair and strode forward to cup my face.

“Am I getting carried away?”

Rather than waffle about what I wanted to say, I decided being direct was the best form of communication between the two of us.

“No, you’re not. I’m not used to these prices.

I’m more of a grab anything that’s cheap and covers me, but some of these,” I leaned close and whispered, “the cost… it’s outrageous.

As much as this feels like heaven against my skin and makes me look fantastic, it’s not worth, well, close to a thousand dollars.

The suits I understand, but I can’t justify spending this much money on a cardigan. ”

Then it hit me, and the words were out before I could stop them.

“Oh… is it embarrassing for you to be seen with me because of the way I dress? I guess I should have thought about that?—”

I gasped when his mouth slammed down on mine and for several minutes, my brain turned to mush as I held on, kissing him back. My entire body melted when his thumbs ran up and down my jaw, the caress causing a shiver to overwhelm me, and I leaned closer, giving him everything he wanted.

“Fucking hell, Ollie. You drive me insane whenever I have you in my arms. But to answer your question. No, carino mío , you do not and have never embarrassed me. This isn’t about changing you.

I wanted to treat you, and I suppose since it’s natural to get anything I want, whenever I want it, I expected you’d like it just as much. ”

As I swallowed the lump in my throat, I admitted, “I adore the clothes.”

“But?”

“Um, because we’re in a relationship, it’s important to me we are equal?—”

My words stuttered to a stop when his eyes fluttered closed.

“Ollie, my love. You are my equal, my obsession, my everything,” he paused and opened his eyes, his stare intense, before continuing, “and no amount of money or fame would sway me to change my feelings for you. Just like with my family, I want you to have every single thing you want in life. And if I can provide it, I will. You’re not taking advantage of anything, since I’m willing to give you the world. ”

And with those words, the fight left me. If Connor wanted to spoil me, I’d let him. But I’d also find ways of spoiling him right back.

With the near constant smile etched on my face from the time we admitted our feelings, I hadn’t predicted my life would turn out quite this way when I’d set off for Los Angeles all those months ago.

But tonight, I planned a special surprise for Connor.

His birthday was Saturday, but he’d been busy with edits, working twelve to sixteen-hour days, and mama wanted to plan a party for that day. So tonight was for us.

I found a cute outdoor patio restaurant for dinner, asking for a corner with a view and after, well, that was a surprise I hoped Connor would love.

“Ollie?” Connor called from the bathroom.

With a smile on my face, I strode around the corner and stopped dead in my tracks. The love of my life stood there with a towel wrapped around his waist showing off his broad chest, along with all those delicious muscles, and a growl of pure need escaped.

The corner of his mouth tipped up. It happened whenever my control was close to snapping and I wanted him to take me apart until he became the center of my universe.

“What should I wear? Since you won’t tell me where we are going, I think it’s only fair you should pick.”

Closing the distance between us, I pressed my palms against his stomach and slid them up. The smooth skin sent a shiver down my spine and when I leaned closer, he closed the distance as the chaste kiss soon bloomed into more.

Several minutes later, we pulled back, both of us heaving in deep breaths as my gaze never wavered from his face.

The soft expression as he looked at me meant everything.

There was no need to mask his emotions around me, and I’ve learned to savor all the nuances, from the sparkle in his eyes to the dazed need as he met my gaze.

With one last peck on his lips, I turned toward the closet and picked out a white silk slim fit shirt.

The white against his olive skin made the man irresistible and being paired with dark denim jeans emphasized Connor’s slim waist and killer thighs.

And to complete the ensemble, his favorite dark blue laced canvas shoes.

I hung up the shirt and dug into the drawer where he kept his underwear, and matching the blue theme, pulled out tight navy boxer briefs.

Turning, I handed him the boxers, watching in avid fascination as he dropped his towel.

“Are you appreciating the view?”

“The day I don’t find you sexy as all get out is the day you bury me. It’s not my fault you’re gorgeous, funny, loving, and generous. When they said the clothes make the man, it’s because they had someone like you in mind.”

He paused with his briefs halfway up his legs and blinked at me, the shy smile on his face punching me right in the chest. He then shook his head before he finished dressing. I let out a sigh as he reached for my hand and pulled me close for a kiss.

“You are good for me, good for my heart.”

I laced our fingers together and gave him a small squeeze. “Ready for your pre-birthday night out?”

He nodded, and as we headed out, I listened to how the edits were going and what next project Connor had his sights on.

Before long, we arrived at the restaurant I picked, an Italian eatery with an outdoor rooftop dining area.

When I called for a reservation, I asked for a corner table with a view without telling them about Connor.

Because we had plans for after our early dinner, I picked a time where we were unlikely to have a swarm of people surround him.

“Welcome to Mattia. I’m Aria. How may I help you?”

“Hi, Aria, thank you. Reservation for two under the name Oliver Bright.”

Connor kept out of sight behind me, his arms draped around my waist as the hostess tapped at the screen a few times, before she smiled and said, “Yes, right this way.”

She grabbed two menus and led us to a perfect table with a magnificent view, and a planter with lush greenery blocked us from the rest of the space, giving us the privacy I hoped for.

“Here you are…” She turned and spotted Connor for the first time. “Oh, good evening, Mr. Blake. Thank you for dining with us.”

Connor beamed at her and leaned in closer to whisper. “If you and the staff would like pictures after dinner, I would be happy to oblige.”

She nodded with a smile and said, “Thank you. Please enjoy.”

We sat, and I stared at Connor in confusion. As I considered this was our first true outing in public without Thomas to keep people away from Connor, the effect my boyfriend had on others shouldn’t have surprised me.

“What was that about?” I asked.

He reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. “The staff at restaurants around L.A. are accommodating to actors. They want business but don’t want to deal with crowd control, so after dinner, I’ll take pictures with them and they’ll post them on their social media at the end of the night.”

“Oh, smart. Have you been here before?”

He took a moment to glance around and then shook his head. “I love Italian food, but this is my first time here. How did you find this place?”

“Luck and a lot of research. Plus, it’s close to the next place we’re going to.”

“Thank you for this.”