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IVY
Precisely fifty-nine minutes after Ford left the suite, he returns with an angry red patch along his jaw.
“Are you hurt? What happened?” I hurry toward him, brushing my fingers along his chin and the coarse hair on his cheeks.
“He got the message to back off loud and clear,” Ford growls. “Hollywood’s heartthrob got himself a broken nose.”
“Oh, my God! Did you tell Nolan?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. I don’t have the heart to tell him his movie’s done. As soon as he finds out about what Taylor did, he’ll shut down the entire project. He’s going to lose so much money.”
“And I’m out of a job,” I say softly.
Ford’s large hands slide over my cheeks and his fingers thread through my hair, holding me captive with his icy blue gaze. “I’ll get you another one. I’ll help you, Ivy. I promise.”
His lips brush across mine, kissing me so tenderly. Our kiss is so sweet, there is no doubt Ford will move Heaven and Earth to help me succeed.
“Okay,” I whisper.
He moves in for another kiss, but is interrupted by a knock at the door. Correction: by someone pounding on the door.
“Open up, you son of a bitch!”
“Nolan,” Ford breathes out, hanging his head low.
He slowly walks toward the door, waiting a moment before opening it.
Nolan grips Ford’s shirt in both his. “You asshole. You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
Ford holds his hands up in surrender. “Listen, man—”
Nolan has no intention of listening. He cocks his fist back, and it collides with Ford’s face.
Twin screams echo in the space when I realize Andi is standing in the hallway. Her expression must mimic mine, wide eyes and mouth open in shock.
Ford wiggles his jaw, but surprisingly doesn’t look angry. “I deserve that.”
“You deserve a hell of a lot more. What the hell were you thinking?”
“Are you ready to listen?”
Ford’s raspy voice sends shivers over my body. I recognize that tone. He means business, and he won’t take any more shit from Nolan. My eyes travel back to Andi, who’s leaning casually against the door, but her expression is anything but casual. I walk toward her and usher her inside. There’s no use airing our dirty laundry for the entire hotel to see.
“Fine. Start talking.”
Ford walks over to me, sliding a hand around my waist. “You saw the first set of tabloid garbage. That was nothing compared to what happened last night. We were…we were…”
“Fucking?” Andi offers.
Three heads turn in her direction. She just shrugs and gives us all an apologetic smile.
“Yes,” Ford grinds out. “Then suddenly, flashbulbs. Someone was outside, ready with a camera.”
“Fuck, that’s dedication,” Nolan murmurs. “I mean, it’s shitty, but whoever did that is dedicated. How does this lead you to busting my star’s nose?”
Ford explains everything: my run-in with Tracy, meeting Jacob in the stairwell, and what Jasper uncovered. By the time the whole sordid tale has been rehashed, Nolan looks ready to hunt him down and break something more than his nose.
“I’m sure if you’ll dig deeper, you’ll uncover a whole messy closet full of ugly skeletons,” Ford says finally.
