Chapter One
Dominic Walsh had always dreamed of being on a movie set. Growing up, he’d loved action movies with lots of explosions, car chases, and brutal fistfights. He’d sneaked into tons of theaters, the darkness swallowing him up while a bigger, more exciting world flickered on the screen in front of him. It all seemed so much more glamorous and thrilling than anything he would be doing with his life.
The reality, he discovered, was a massive disappointment. This…was boring as fuck.
A major film production company had swept into Cincinnati to film some scenes for a new movie, and Ward Security had been hired to add an extra layer of protection for some of the actors. The local police and a second security company kept the fans and lookie-loos at bay. The situation became particularly dire when the lead actor started receiving death threats from a persistent stalker.
Dom was spending most of his time acting as Trent Elrige’s dark shadow. The guy was putting up an impressive front that he wasn’t scared shitless about the stalker. He had that perfect George Clooney smile, the dreamy Brad Pitt eyes, and the “I’m just a normal kind of guy” personality of Chris Pratt. But there had been a few moments when he’d forgotten that Dom was following him. He’d let his guard down and stared off into space, his hand shaking slightly at his side as if the world were crashing down on him.
Poor fucker.
Did he even know what normal was anymore? He left his trailer to hit the set, and fans would scream his name. He’d travel from the set to his hotel and people would scream, demanding an autograph or a selfie. Ward Security put a hard stop to all selfies until the stalker was caught. They were too dangerous.
So far, Trent was following all their rules, and it was a relief that he was at least taking the threat seriously. Of course, the intense schedule the guy was keeping with the shooting, interviews, and trying to make time for his fans while in addition having some private time, meant that Rowe was keeping them on a strict rotation. No bodyguard was allowed to put in more than eight hours shifts. He wanted his people to stay sharp.
Right now, Dom was on rotation with Sven and Garrett—two of his coworkers at Ward Security—which made him laugh. Somehow Sven had drawn the short stick and was on the third shift. He could imagine Sven’s boyfriend Geoffrey throwing a massive fit. He didn’t have his giant Viking to snuggle with at night, and Sven wasn’t allowed to get any pictures, autographs, or sneak Geoffrey in to meet Trent.
Of course, Sven likely found ways to distract Geoffrey from his poor mood. The sexy elfin blond might not be happy about this job, but his love for Sven would never waver. The two men were made for each other, and Dom couldn’t help but feel a little envious.
He’d done the partying and sleeping around thing for a while. He’d had his fun. Hell, he’d thought he’d be having that kind of fun for a few more years, but then Abe Stephens stepped into his life, and well…plans were meant to be changed.
Maybe.
Abe wasn’t giving him a whole hell of a lot to work with. They’d been texting for months. Met up for dinner a few times. Dom had been careful to keep it all casual and fun. But every time he mentioned maybe something more, Abe would shy away. He gave every sign that he was interested, but something was holding him back. Was it the age thing? Or that he was a guy?
Dom ran a hand over this face. He needed to focus on the job. Every time his mind drifted to something else, it was Abe who was dancing through his brain. If he fucked up this job, Rowe was going to skin him alive. Screw Rowe, he’d never forgive himself. He was good at protection. He just needed to focus.
“Girl trouble?” Trent’s deep voice broke into his thoughts.
Dom looked up at Trent who was standing next to the mini bar, grabbing two bottles of water from the tiny fridge. They were in a conference room on the second floor of a hotel downtown. Trent had been needed for filming for only a few hours in the morning. After a massage and lunch that consisted of a ridiculous amount of protein, they’d retired to the conference room for a series of interviews before Trent had to be back on the set that night.
“More like guy trouble,” Dom corrected him.
Trent stared at him, confused for a second, before understanding hit him like a bolt of lightning. His mouth bobbed once before he finally said, “I couldn’t tell. I mean—oh! No, I mean, that’s cool.”
Dom laughed loudly, rocking back on his heels. The poor guy’s face was so damn red with embarrassment. He’d never seen Trent Elrige fluster. The actor was smooth as silk with everyone he talked to; he made it seem like everything he did was intentional. Dom had just caught him so off guard that he couldn’t cover it.