 by Lane Hayes.jpg)
Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Pierce
Welcome to Hollywood, baby! I’m an actor like a lot of other folks here. Perhaps you’ve heard of me. I play Baxter, the adventure-seeking, crime-fighting hero, adored by fans around the world. Nice gig, right? My job has its perks for sure—private jets, a chauffeur, and the best tables at the fanciest restaurants in town. It’s nuts!
Downside—it’s lonely and it’s hard to know who I can trust.
But I trust Lorenzo. He’s funny, sweet, and very real.
Look, I’m not in the market for anything serious but I could use some help figuring out if the old man who claims he’s my cousin is telling the truth. And a short-term distraction with a sexy side arrangement sounds kind of nice.
Lorenzo-
What is happening here? Pierce Allen wants me. No, wait. He wants something from me, like my help and maybe my body. I don’t get it. Men like him don’t go for guys like me. I’m too fabulous and he’s too famous.
I don’t need another broken heart, but I’m too intrigued to walk away. So I’ll play the part of “right hand man” for now and do my best to keep things light and friendly. I can do this.
There’s no way I’ll fall for a movie star, right?
Baxter’s Right-Hand Man is a MM, bisexual romance featuring a lovable movie star and adorable diva who brings him back to reality.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
PIERCE
“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“Pierce! Pierce, look this way, please.”
Cameras flashed like fireworks.
“Pierce, how do you feel about Baxter’s latest adventure?”
Pretty damn good, thank you very much.
“Congratulations on your new film, Pierce. Can I get a second with you for ET?”
Sorry, no.
“What are you wearing tonight, Pierce?”
A tux, for fuck’s sake.
Of course, I didn’t say that aloud. I slid my hands into the pockets of my designer-issue formal wear and smiled big and wide, pausing long enough to give the paparazzi a few quality shots and wave at the fans screaming my name from behind the barricade in front of the hotel. We weren’t even close to the street, which meant they had to have strong-ass binoculars to see me at that distance.
I gave a double thumbs-up and blew a kiss in their general direction. The noise level rose to ear-splitting and borderline uncomfortable, and yeah…I fuckin’ loved it.
Hear that?
Pierce, Pierce, Pierce!
They were chanting my name now. These people loved me. They couldn’t get enough. And wow, it was utterly, unbelievably intoxicating. Like the craziest high I’d ever experienced. So pure and so surreal that for a moment, the world went still.
And everything sparkled and glittered like fairy dust from a magic wand.
I wanted to bottle the sensation, savor this buzz, and bask in the incredible outpouring of love. I’d been around the block long enough to know how jarring the silence was on the flip side. Sure, I had a beautiful babe on my arm, the regard of Hollywood’s finest, and the satisfaction of knowing that win or lose this award tonight, Baxter was number one in the box office…everywhere.
Our latest film in The Baxter Chronicles had exceeded expectations and outperformed some of the highest-grossing pictures with some of the biggest stars in the business. In a twist, movie audiences really fucking liked crime-fighting action-adventure flicks. And for that, I was eternally grateful.
I had big plans to celebrate by partying like a seventies rock god when this ceremony was over. We’re talking…frat-style, anything-goes blowout. We’d started with tequila shots and champagne on the way here. Me and—
I glanced over at my date—a stunning blond with long hair and red lips, wearing a skintight silver beaded dress that accentuated her huge tits. Pretty girl, but I had no idea who she was.
Janet had set this up. As usual. Showing up with the appropriate arm candy at high-profile events was very Hollywood. It was also very expected. Fans worried when I arrived anywhere solo.
Was I okay? Was I working too hard? Or dating someone “inappropriate” on the sly?
The speculation never ended. That part wasn’t so great. In fact, it was exhausting.
Sometimes, it made me wish I wasn’t…me. And that was nuts. I mean, look at my life. Awesome sauce, right?
A pretty girl at my side, an adoring audience, and all of the glitz and glamour of one of Hollywood’s most anticipated evenings. I was arguably the biggest star here, and that wasn’t a brag. It was just…the truth.
My presence on this red carpet and inside that venue sold movie tickets, revved social media algorithms, and moved products ranging from pickup trucks to tampons. Don’t ask for specifics. I wasn’t sure how it all worked. I just knew that the corporate world needed my presence tonight as much as movie fans.
I was grateful. Really.
But I wasn’t…happy.
I wasn’t unhappy, either. It was more that I felt like something was missing.
What? I had no idea. I drunkenly struck Baxter’s signature pose for one of my favorite entertainment rags, then moved to my date’s side when a new round of lights flashed. I hoped she was okay with the attention, ’cause her face was going to be plastered on every social media platform known to mankind within the hour.
“Hey, there. Having fun?”
She beamed at me, linking her arm through mine. “Yes, love. It’s simply marvelous.”
Love?
Uh-oh, was she drunk too? Note to self: no more tequila.
If I didn’t think there were a few dozen people reading our lips, I would have asked her name. I was pretty sure we’d never met, but no one would know that from the way she was gazing at me. Yep, she was probably an actress or a model. She knew her angles, that was for sure. And she undoubtedly knew that having her name associated with mine would throw some limelight her way.
But just in case…
“If you stand too close to me, they’re gonna ask you when we’re getting married,” I singsonged, smiling as I escorted her inside the banquet hall.
“June. I’ve always wanted a June wedding,” she replied decisively.
I barked a laugh. “Sounds good. Let’s do this.”
Do what, you ask?
Believe it or not, I was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama at the Golden Globes for the second consecutive year. I knew I wouldn’t win. Action-adventure flicks didn’t typically do well at hoity-toity award ceremonies, but as I said, the sponsors needed me here more than anyone. And I couldn’t pass up the chance to schmooze with some well-connected movers and shakers, even though my allegiance was firmly with Rourke Studios.