Chapter Four

"Making pretty good change, getting pretty good brains."
-Pretty Ricky

It was too early to be sweating so fucking much.

Riley felt close to dying, running on the treadmill of an exclusive studio in Beverly Hills, struggling to keep his neck up at 4:00 in the goddamn morning.

He brought his knees up to his chin, forcing himself not to wheeze like he had the first time.

His trainer, some big Russian-looking nigga, would just make him start over again.

And that was the last thing he wanted.

Thankfully, the trainer nodded and gave him a rare grunt of approval.

Thank God.

"Aye, bruh." Riley nodded, amazed he even had the strength to hop off the treadmill. "Good looking out. Preciate it."

The trainer ignored him.

"Bitch." He mumbled when he was sure he couldn't hear him.

"Excuse me?" Jazmine's voice cut through his thoughts, teasing and light. "Who you calling a bitch?"

Riley glanced over his shoulder, grinning despite his exhaustion.

"Aye, sexy. If the shoe fits…"

Jazmine's hand darted out and smacked him upside the head.

"You gon' have to cut that shit out, Mariah." Riley grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her. "Use your words and quit hittin' a nigga. You tryna damage the moneymaker before the premiere?"

Jazmine snorted.

"That didn't even hurt, Riley." She rolled her eyes, but Jazmine still took a small step back, her hands falling and staying at her sides

Riley smirked, pleased with her reaction.

"Appreciate the professionalism." He nodded, smirking when he noticed the Russian guard crack a smile too, before turning away with a scowl.

"Aren't you supposed to be gaining ten pounds for this movie, anyways?" He rubbed his temples, shaking his head at Jazmine, who was already starting to stretch. "Why the hell are you up at four in the motherfucking morning?"

"For starters…" She chirped, dropping into a quick lunge, her back arching perfectly. "I like being up early."

"Do you?" Riley muttered, barely able to appreciate the view.

"Yep." She added, switching legs. "Besides, there's a healthy way to gain weight, you know."

Riley's eyes trailed over her form, lingering despite his exhaustion.

"You came here to put on a show for me, J?" He smirked, his voice dropping low. "Cuz if you really wanna go there, sexy…" He stepped closer, letting a finger trail down her neck. "All you gotta do is say the word."

"Riley…" Jazmine hissed, her voice catching in a way that sent heat straight to his dick.

"Not quite what I'm lookin' for." He chuckled, brushing his lips past her ear. "But you know you wanna ask me to hit dat."

The glare she shot him was so fierce he nearly doubled over laughing.

"Why on Earth would I do that?" She snapped, shoving him back. "I'm not into…stuff like that."

"Then what is yo ass into, girl?" He tilted his head, grinning. "Celibacy?"

Jazmine's gaze dropped to the floor.

"You…" Riley's eyes widened. "Yo ass ain't gettin' none?"

"Riley!" She snapped, covering her face with her hands. "Drop it."

"Right now?" He tugged at the waistband of his sweats with a mischievous grin, smirking hard when she blushed. "But forreal though…" He sat down beside her, watching her closely. "What's up with that? You healin' from a bad breakup or sum?"

"No." Jazmine muttered, looking at everything but him. "It's just not something I'm interested in discussing."

"Well damn…" He grunted, standing to his feet. "I won't force yo ass to talk." He shrugged, glancing over to where his duffel bag was sitting. "I was just wondering why nobody is breakin' yo sexy ass off yet."

"Riley…."

"Aight, I'm done, playin'." He nodded, watching her go back to stretching. "How long you plan on doing that?"

"Thirty minutes." She shot him a look. "Why?"

"Because I need help navigatin' Hollywood and all these bullshit workouts." Riley gestured towards the workout equipment before nodding at her. "This movie? This whole acting thing? It could change the game for both of us. You know I can play it, J, but I need you to show me the rulebook."

Jazmine didn't say anything for a minute, too busy breathing in and out while she held a stretch right in the middle.

Damn.

"For starters." Jazmine popped up then leaned left. "These workouts?" She leaned over until she was damn near touching the floor. "They're just gonna get harder. This is just to give the sponsors enough of an idea to officially fund the movie. After that, you'll have stunts to train for, acting coaches, research, table reads, meetings with production and marketing. It's all a well-oiled machine."

"So we gotta sell this to the execs first." Riley leaned back, smirking. "Does that include a chemistry read?"

"Well….probably." Jazmine muttered, contorting herself into another impossible position that made him stiffen immediately. "Why did you grab that duffel bag like that?"

"Just keep talking, sexy." Riley smirked. "What are the chemistry reads normally like?"

"We read the lines, yell at each other, read some of the big scenes the director is excited about." She shrugged. "They'll be looking to feel lost in it, to feel some passion behind us for something like this."

He had a feeling that wouldn't be a problem with Jazmine's fine ass as the lead.

Not on his end, at least.

"So we need to make it seem like we would fuck if they weren't there?"

"Vulgar, much?" She frowned. "But yeah, that's pretty much the key. The more convinced they are, the better the funding will be."

"Which will give me money-makin leverage." Riley smirked. "I got it."

"I don't think you do." Jazmine frowned. "The film industry can be dark, Ri. Darker than all the rap drama you had to run from." She help her hand up, glaring at him. "And I'm not saying it was a bad decision to step back, either." She nodded. "I'm saying that I want you safe." She said seriously. "A billion is plenty, Riley. Promise me you won't do the most."

He couldn't tell her he wasn't gonna go after some extra money, not with her pretty-ass looking at him like that.

But he could do something else to calm her down.

"Damn, J, you act like I'm finna start a Ponzi scheme or some shit." His hands found her shoulders like it was second nature. " I ain't doin' nothin' crazy, just tryna get what's mine."

Jazmine sucked in a large breath immediately, falling against his chest.

"Riii…" Jazmine let out a little sigh without even thinking about it. "This isn't….appropriate."

"Fuck appropriate." He snorted, slowly dragging his thumb down the curve of her neck. "Your jittery ass needs this shit." He smirked, grinning wider. "You can't tell me this don't feel good."

Jazmine sighed when his fingers kneaded deeper. "I…ooooohhhhh."

Music to his ears.

"Why you so tense?" He asked her, going crazy just holding her again after all this time. "You nervous about the role?" He let his voice drop lower, gripping her just firm enough that she'd feel wrapped in him. "Nervous about me?"

"N-ooooohhh." She let out another breathy sigh when he rubbed out a clear problem spot, right underneath her neck. "I just…fuck."

He chuckled and let his hands drop down to her hips and then back around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

"I can't do that to you in here, girl." He murmured, nuzzling the crook of her neck before releasing her. "You already loud enough as it is."

He snickered.

"I'd hate to see you if I was working sum real magic on you."

Jazmine stood to her feet, the spell broken.

"Whatever, Riley." She rolled her eyes. "All women know that the men who talk the most, work with the least in bed."

"Maybe the other niggas you dealt with." He shot her a look before standing to his feet, leaning in close. "I ain't ever left a woman unsatisfied, J." He said in a cocky, panty-droppin' whisper. "My hands ain't the only thing that can get a women goin'." He smirked. "I'd have you straight feenin' if you ever said the word, and you know I ain't lying about that, J."

"Whatever." She grumbled, squatting down to get her things. "I gotta go."

"You ain't gotta go no damn where." He pulled her back to her feet, stepping closer with his eyes on her lips. "How long you gon' pretend you don't want me? Don't wanna at least get a lil taste?" He leaned closer, letting his hands creep around her waist. "I can prove how good it could be right now. I ain't even gotta strip you to please you."

Jazmine gasped and snatched away, damn near falling over herself to get to the door.

"I'm not pretending." She held up her chin, glaring. "I just need some air."

He nodded, not stopping her when she headed for the door.

"Well get some air and come back." He shrugged, confident she'd see for her damn self soon enough. "We still got a playbook to make, girl!"

And so did he.

Because holding her and ignoring the tension wasn't gon' help.

He wanted Jazmine in his bed, in his life, forever.

And he was for damn sure gonna get her there.

ASAP.

Jazmine didn't even have to look at the script. It was just better than listening to Riley butcher his lines.

They'd been at her house for almost an hour, going through what he'd need to master before the meeting with the execs next week.

"Read that again." She said for the umpteenth time, leaning back against her couch cushions. "Remember you're playing a character. Make me believe you're Mr. Smith, not Riley." She bit back a groan. "Because right now, I'm not convinced."

Riley smirked, nodding at her from across the room.

"Aight." He glanced down at the paper, turning serious. "I gotcha."

"Thank you." She threw up her hands. "Try again."

He nodded, standing up straight.

"Damn! You know how to hold a shotgun?"

"No!" Jazmine slammed the script down, at her wits end . "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Making shit interesting." He scowled at the script. "This character is corny as hell!"

"Because he's supposed to be right now!" Jazmine got up, snatching the script from his hands. "It's an arc! He pretends to be the ideal husband and the perfect man, just like she pretends to be the perfect wife! They're not fully present because they don't know each other that well!"

"My bad." His nostrils flared, but she could see him force it down. "I'll fix it, aight?"

Jazmine just nodded, looking away for a second.

It wasn't technically his fault she was antsy.

She just wanted him.

Bad.

Especially after he'd held her in his arms this morning and massaged her.

She glanced back at him and pressed her lips together.

"Just…" She breathed, wondering how the hell she would get through this without jumping his bones. "Say the lines, okay?" She tried again, fighting to keep her cool. "You can pause, you can have some swagger in your demeanor…." She told him, changing her stance as an example. "But the last thing we want is people seeing you in the trailer. They need to get lost in you and see your character."

She slammed the script against his chest.

"Try again."

He pulled her back to him, rolling up the script and putting it in her hands.

"What are you-" She froze when he swung one arm around her, laughing and pointing at an invisible carnival operator before leaning forward like he was about to kiss her.

"Riley…"

He smiled at her then nodded at the script in her hand, his voice sexy, easily captivating, and nothing like what he normally sounded like.

Somehow, it was even sexier.

Lord help her.

"You know how to hold it?" He looked down at her, somehow making the cheese-factor of the scene lessen by holding her as she held the gun.

"Yeah." She gripped the gun off-handedly, remembering her character was supposed to want him to help her.

She pretended to shoot a few bad shots, grinning at him like they were in love.

"Yeah?" He smirked gently, smiling then playfully elbowing her out of the way to mess her up.

"Yeah." She nodded, pretending to lift the "gun" again then laughing when her character missed on purpose.

"You gotta aim it." He leaned back, still in character as he hardened just slightly, his suave act dropping just like it was supposed to, the lean in his stance giving way to something…cool.

She gave him a tight smile back. "I am."

Blinking, he snatched the "gun" from her and snatched a pillow to hand to her as a prize, then again when she lifted her hand.

"I'm going again."

She made a show of leaning forward and bending over, delighted when he nearly broke character but kept his smirk light and checked her out, acting amused by it all.

Gotcha.

Jazmine turned to smile innocently at him, still bent over and thrilled to see he was the one being rattled for a change.

Satisfied, she stood up straight, holding the "gun" properly then taking a few good shots.

Riley stayed in character, acting surprised when she picked up a throw pillow and smiled at him, before wrapping his arm around her and walking towards her kitchen.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?" He shook his head, giving her a weird-looking smile.

Perfect.

She shrugged, grinning.

"Beginner's luck."

All too soon, the scene ended and Riley released her.

And as much as she hated to admit it, she wished he hadn't so soon.

It felt good being in his arms.

"Much better." She tried to keep her voice normal, reminding herself this was an extremely bad idea. "You handled that like a seasoned actor." She shook her head. "Seriously, Ri. You did good."

Riley chuckled and placed his hands on her white quartz countertops.

"Of course, I did, sexy." He smirked. "As long as you keep on bendin' over for me like that, imma be just fine on chemistry read day in two weeks." He leaned against the island in her kitchen, then turned serious. "Forreal though." He nodded. "You're good at this shit, J. Why aren't you producing?" He gestured to her living room, now a makeshift carnival. "You 've clearly got an eye for it."

Jazmine shrugged, frowning. "I'm not good at it in real-time. Now-"

"Be real." He shook his head. "We have too much to history not to be honest with each other. So why ain't you producing?"

She gulped, sighing.

"Because it doesn't come all that easy to me." Jazmine shook her head. "I like to be directed. And being the director is too hard." She shrugged. "I never know what people want, what they need...it's too much."

Riley just stared at her like she was stupid.

"So explain what just happened just with my ass, then." He folded his arms, frowning. "You really gon' tell me you can't do that?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, exasperated. "Decision-making is terrifying to me, Riley! I'm not a natural boss like you are!"

"Nobody is." He shrugged, nodding at her. "But yo ass got more boss in you than you think." He smiled at her. "You just gotta learn when to take shit to hell, how to take what niggas do and flip it to your advantage."

"Flip it how?" She blinked.

"By realizing that no is still an opportunity for a business to say yes to something else." He slumped down in one of her barstools. "Or…in the words of my nigga Denzel, 'I'm leavin' here with something.' "

Jazmine craned her neck back and laughed.

"Okay." She smiled, feeling relaxed now that things were lighter between them. "Maybe you have a point, Biggie."

"Oh, word?" Riley cracked up. "That's what we doing? Who introduced yo ass to Biggie in the first place?"

"Caesar." Jazmine grinned, laughing at his eyeroll. "Can you believe he finally married Cindy? I thought they'd never make it down the aisle."

"Shit's really crazy when you think about it." Riley snickered. "I ain't think she was actually gon' wear him down like she did."

Jazmine couldn't help but laugh at that.

She knew exactly what he meant.

"You know how she gets when she wants something, sometimes." Jazmine laughed again, heading over to the fridge. "You want something to drink?" She asked him. "Water? Scotch? Bourbon?" She tweaked a mischievous brow at him. "Or are you still downing Incredible Hulks like it's 2012?"

She could've sworn she heard him mutter 'I'd rather drink you' under his breath, but for her sanity and his she decided it was better not to acknowledge it.

"If you got some Jameson, I'll take that." He shrugged, watching her. "Otherwise, Incredible Hulk a nigga. I need something with a little bite to it."

Jazmine walked over to her coffee table and pushed a button.

"Great minds think a lot, I guess." She grinned. "I love Jameson."

"You might have some taste, after all then!" He smirked, glancing at her custom Drinkmaker 5000 coffee table. "I got the same table at my crib."

"It's a lifesaver." She took a sip of her drink, furrowing her brow. "Where is your place, anyway?"

"About twenty minutes from you, out in Calabasas." He told her. "I had no clue you stayed out in Brentwood Heights, these days. Kinda shocked ian' run into you at the celebrity grocery store."

Jazmine nodded.

"That's because it's new." Jazmine smiled. "I was staying in a condo before I moved to New York. When I moved back, I felt like putting down roots." She sighed, glancing out the window. "It sounds weird, but there's no place else I'd rather be."

"Yeah." Riley nodded after a moment. "I feel that, J. Once you move out here…. it's like things feel so right you wouldn't dream of living anywhere else."

"Exactly." Jazmine took another swig of her drink, raising a brow. "Speaking of that, I know your Granddad is still in Maryland, but Huey made his way back to Chicago with his wife and the girls a few years ago, right?"

"On the next thang smokin'." Riley chuckled. "Remember, Airielle is from here and just as crazy as my brother." He chuckled. "She wasn't tryna hear shit until Huey dropped the girls at my place one weekend." He shook his head, grinning. "He bought a shit ton of weed, that good shit too. Could smell it outside his car, it was that strong." He smirked. Next thing I know…her ass was high as shit, too." He snickered. "And not off the weed, either!"

She flopped her head back on the couch, stunned.

"No." Jazmine gasped. "Not zero to a thousand ass Huey!" She laughed, thinking about it. "I'm shocked he even knows how to seduce someone." She shook her head, wondering about it. "I thought…" She shook her head, laughing again. "Hell, I don't know what the hell I was thinking. It's just hard to imagine him any other way than that ten year old conspiracy theorist."

Riley laughed right along with her.

"McHater will always be crazy as shit, forreal." He snickered. "But his ass clearly laid down somethin' that night." He snickered, nodding. "Not no law or nothing like that…" He shook his head, laughing harder. "But he definitely handled business and drove his point home."

He paused and smirked at Jazmine.

"Literally."

Jazmine thought her cheeks would set on fire she was laughing so hard.

"Riley, please!" She howled, laughing into her hand. "No more innuendos, please!"

Riley turned serious immediately, nodding.

"Aight." He got quiet for a minute, pausing to look at her. "You know I haven't even talked to Huey in months?"

He shook his head, downing the rest of his Jameson.

"I know we're different, but damn." He muttered. "I never thought we'd end up not talking this long."

It truly hurt Jazmine to hear that.

More than he knew.

"Whatever it is." She moved over to sit next to him on the couch. "Riley, you know he'll eventually come back around." She nodded, grimacing. "Is it about…your lifestyle? Huey not wanting to risk his family, the girls?"

"That's part of it." Riley shrugged. "I said some shit, he said some shit….and the next thing I knew, we were fighting…really fighting, J." He sighed, ashamed. "It was bad, Jazmine….to the point he told me I could die the next day and he'd miss my funeral just so he wouldn't have to see my ass again."

Jazmine blinked.

"Whatever happened must've really hurt him, then."

Riley frowned, his eyes on the floor.

"Yeah, J." He shook his head. "It did."

He got up abruptly.

"Aye, I'm sorry to leave you hangin', but-"

"You're gonna run this time and avoid the tough shit?" She teased, trying to make it light.

When Riley stiffened, clearly not in the mood to discuss much else about it, so she pivoted, reaching out to him.

"Hey." She whispered, trying not to freeze up when he lingered close. "I was just trying to cheer you up before you headed home." She nodded. "My bad. I thought I was helping."

He shook his head.

"Don't even start with all that, J." He left a slow, deliberate kiss on her cheek, something she should've stopped, but damn…it felt too good to resist.

And it felt too damn good to be wrong.

"I know you ain't mean no harm." He shrugged, smiling at her. "We're good, sexy. Trust."

She blushed hard, that hot, needy feeling spreading through her again.

"Okay, then." She nodded, ready to walk him over to the door. "Good night, Riley."

He leaned down and hugged her tight, murmuring in her ear.

"Okay, sexy." He whispered, his breath tickling her neck. "Sweet dreams."

"Yeah." She managed. "You too."

Riley looked at her one last time before releasing her and heading for his G-Wagon.

Jazmine waved from the front door once he got inside, waiting until his car pulled off and she could no longer see it where was standing.

Yawning, she closed the door and headed for the shower.

Jazmine was excited for everything but sweet dreams, tonight.

Truthfully, she was hoping they'd be naughty.