Forced Proximity (Bluebell House Duet Book 1)
Forced Proximity: Chapter 30

After a few phone calls from Brodie’s manager and the cinema venue where the movie was being shown, we parked in a secluded alleyway around the backside of the building. Two uniformed staff met us at the fire escape beside the dumpsters and Brodie’s bodyguards shadowed us after getting out of their SUV just moments after we parked.

One of the staff chattered nervously as we were escorted through the staff areas of the cinema and popped out right beside the theater, where guests were already drifting in to replace their seats. I recognized several big stars from the film and became totally tongue-tied when Brodie introduced me to the woman who played his love interest in the film.

She was stunning, and I reminded myself mentally that she was an actress. They were acting. It definitely helped that she was attending with her husband, who she smiled at like he hung the very stars in the night sky.

With just a few minutes to spare, Brodie snagged us some popcorn and drinks, and we found our seats. It was one of those fancy upper-class theaters with recliner chairs, but Brodie frowned when he saw the fixed armrest between us.

“Hey,” he stage-whispered to the couple sitting beside me. “Can we switch?”

The older guy shrugged and nodded, grabbing his own popcorn to move seats along with his date. Brodie gestured for me to take one of their places, and when we sat down, he grinned and lifted the armrest.

“Now we can snuggle,” he whispered, snaking an arm around my waist. “No funny business though, babe. This is a work event, after all.”

I snickered because if either of us was planning on any funny business, it was him.

When the opening credits rolled, I felt an absolute blast of pride to see Brodie’s name not just under Bloodstone Sentinel but also as an executive producer. “Executive producer?” I breathed near his ear, shaking my head at the many dimensions of Brodie Keller.

He shrugged. “It’s more of a token title than anything, but I like to add my own flair to the character and storyline after so many years. They indulge me.”

He was underplaying his talents once again, and I marveled at how humble he was with so much success to his name. It was hard to believe, and yet I’d had the evidence presented to me time and time again.

“How are you so down-to-earth?” I whispered, not sure if I wanted him to hear or not.

He did, though, his expression serious as he stared into my eyes. “I wasn’t always this way, Evie babe. Something happened to me that changed my entire perspective on life, and I’m a better man for it.”

I almost asked him what happened, but the movie was kicking off, and the last thing I wanted to do was talk through his movie premiere. There’d be plenty of time to learn everything about each other in the future.

The opening scene was Brodie in the middle of a warzone, facing off against his archnemesis, and I recognized this as the final scenes of the last movie. This was where he’d been attacked with a special weapon developed in an alternate Earth and containing the crystal of Tartarus—the only stone that could pierce through the bloodstone’s power.

I’d forgotten until this moment that he’d been shot and presumed dead, and as I watched Brodie get blasted to the ground by Sycophant Demonaide, a dark entity from alternate Earth, my heart clenched in my chest. When the light died in Bloodstone’s eyes, heat burned behind my own eyes, and I barely managed not to cry.

Pressing closer to Brodie, I slipped my hand up to his chest, the solid beat of his heart an assurance that he was alive and well. Brodie reached out and wrapped his big palm over mine, the heat of his skin pressing into me, while his other hand flicked away a tear that had escaped.

The scene abruptly changed as his love interest in the movie shot up in her bed, sobbing and screaming, as it had all been a dream about when her love was torn from her.

Fuck, this was so much harder with Brodie’s familiar face reflecting in the photo she grasped and cried against, and now I was actually crying, my damn makeup that I’d taken an hour to apply running down my face.

Brodie chuckled under his breath, and I gasp-sobbed as he half lifted me out of my seat and into his lap. This startled me from my empathizing with the beautiful actress on the screen, who was mourning her love.

My love. Okay, that was a little far, but he was certainly my like at the moment, and seeing his death on a massive screen was too much.

Brodie turned me toward him and rubbed my back soothingly. “I’m right here, Evie babe. I’m not going anywhere.” He whispered it over and over, and no doubt we were drawing attention from those around us, but I was so busy burying my face against his suit to care. Eventually I calmed down and went to get off his lap, but he kept me solidly pressed against him, his arms wrapped around me, one hand caressing up and down my thigh. Getting far too close to my lace underwear for how near our neighbors were.

Under my ass, his hard length remained for the entire two hours, all the while he stroked my bare thigh. By the time the final credits rolled around, I was a desperate, dripping, needy woman.

“Not fair,” I growled, as the lights came on and noise erupted as everyone cheered and gave a standing ovation for the movie. “Teasing me through the whole⁠—”

Brodie stood with me in his arms, and I had no idea how he’d managed it, but it did shut me up.

As he set me on my feet, he spun me to face him, leaning down to press his lips to mine, mouth opening as he devoured me. “Longest and best two hours of my life,” he murmured against my lips. “You’re driving me crazy, babe.”

Okay, so the teasing hadn’t just been one sided, which I’d already been aware of. But I liked him pointing it out.

Pressing up on my toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You were so amazing. That’s my favorite one of the franchise so far, minus the part where you were dead for twenty minutes.”

Hopefully no one watching the movie was breaking the rules and taking photos of us right now, or we’d be all over the tabloids tomorrow.

Brodie’s smirk kicked in hard. “You have to admit, I looked good for a dead guy, though.”

He’d get no argument from me, even if I would have to fast-forward through those opening scenes whenever I rewatched this movie. Which would be a lot.

“Come on, let’s get out of here before they all demand my time and attention,” Brodie said, linking our fingers together and leading me down the aisle and to the stairs.

Part of me knew I should protest, because he was surely here to socialize with the other famous people, but a larger part was remembering the hard length of his cock under my ass for two hours, and it was going to be the winner here tonight.

Sorry, famous people. Brodie Keller and I had to get back to Bluebell House and finish what he’d started when he stroked my thigh all night.

We ended up using the same entrance way as before, but unfortunately, this time the way wasn’t exactly clear. Brodie cursed as flashes blinded us when we stepped out, and he lifted his hand to shield my face the best he could as his security rushed to ensure that no one touched or stopped us as we headed for the car.

“Evelyn! What are you doing here with Brodie? How do you two know each other?”

Questions shot out from multiple places, and I was too freaked out to do more than squeak, keep my head down, and put one heeled foot in front of the other.

“Does Mr. Keller know about the shooting?”

I stumbled, but Brodie had me, getting me into the back of the SUV security had been in before. I would guess that it wasn’t safe for him to drive himself from here, now that the paparazzi had found us.

“What the fuck?” Brodie snarled, ripping off his jacket as soon as we were inside and moving. “How’d they replace out?”

On the inside, I was freaking out because they’d mentioned the shooting. They had mentioned the shooting. Which meant my cover was blown. But I couldn’t lose it until I was alone; security didn’t need to see my freak out.

“Theatre tipped them off,” the driver said. There was another man in the passenger seat, who turned to face us. He was huge, with closely cropped black hair, dark brown eyes, and a no-nonsense expression on his face. He had to be a decade or two older than us, and as he leaned in, I could see a gun under his coat.

Tendrils of unease filtered into me, but I forced myself to look away, because there was no time for a panic attack. “And we might have another issue, sir.”

Brodie just sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Why am I not surprised? This is fucking Ethan’s fault. He’s been sending bad vibes to ruin our date, I’m sure of it.”

That almost got a laugh out of my internally freaking-out self.

“We received word of a massive pileup on the motorway. It’ll be hours before they clear it. We can head there and wait, but with all the extra traffic, it might be a better idea to grab a couple of rooms for the night and leave again in the morning.”

“What do you want to do, Evie?” Brodie turned his whole body toward me, gaze resting on my face as he took in my every expression.

I liked that he wanted my opinion, even if I was more consumed by whether my entire life as I knew it was over. “A room for the night is good with me,” I whispered. “I don’t particularly want to sit in traffic for hours.”

“I’ll make some calls,” the dangerous-looking guy in the passenger seat said, pulling out his phone.

Brodie threaded his fingers through mine, raising my hand and kissing my knuckles. “I’m so sorry, Evie babe. I should have known this might happen.”

So should I, come to think of it. Brodie wasn’t some D-list wannabe celeb—he was the real deal. Tabloids went mental to get pics of him, especially since he was rarely seen out partying anymore. Which, I now realized, was because he was at college with me in Meadowridge.

“It’s not your fault,” I told him with a weak smile. “Someone tipped them off, but it’s more than that. Someone asked about the shooting…which means they know who I am.” I shivered, and Brodie reached out to turn the heat up.

“You’re still safe with us at Meadowridge,” Brodie murmured. “Even without the anonymity of a fake last name, no one can touch you there. It’s why Andrew’s mom is okay with him living on campus and why Haze never leaves. It’s the safest place in the country right now, largely thanks to the Sullivans.”

I swallowed hard, digesting that information. He was right, though. If it was safe enough for the president’s son, it was safe enough for me. Tonight was another matter, though.

“Sir,” the guy in the front said, interrupting my melancholy thoughts. “All the big hotels in Arrowville are at full capacity due to the film festival and accident, but my contacts have two rooms available at a motel in Cessnock. I’m inclined to say it’s a good option, since no one will be looking for a movie star in a drive-through town off the highway.”

Brodie tipped his head to me, giving me the power to decide.

Wetting my lips, I nodded. “Yes, good thinking. They’d be waiting for you at the Covington or Palazzo right now. And Cessnock is on the way back to Meadowridge anyway, right?”

“Yes, ma’am, it is,” the guy agreed. “Once they clear the accident, we’re only an hour away from Meadowridge.”

I nodded more firmly. “Then let’s do that.”

The guy returned his phone to his ear while typing the address into the GPS for our driver. Meanwhile Brodie shot me a sly smile and stroked his thumb over my wrist teasingly.

“Fuck, I hope our room only has one bed,” he whispered, almost too quiet for me to even hear. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”

Heat flushed through me and I squirmed in my seat, remembering how worked up he’d gotten me during the movie. I, too, quietly hoped we’d be faced with only one bed.