Star Bright - Book 3 E-Book

Carla Coxwell

• Herausgeber: Revelry Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Book 3 of the Star Bright New Adult Romance Series

A New Adult Romance Story

While Jenny's career is taking off, her personal life is ripe for tabloid drama.

***Due to sexually graphic content and language that some may find offensive, this book is intended for mature readers only***

Jenny finds herself lost in Hollywood. She has fallen into the clutches of Rich, a man who wants nothing else from her but to ride her coat tails to fame and fortune. With Rich blackmailing her, Jenny feels her grasp on her own life starting to fade.

As she tackles with Rich, she also finds herself battling her feelings for Jon. Unable to let him get in the middle of her mess, Jenny swears him off. In the end, however, is she hurting more than just herself by her proclamation?

Jenny decides this time she is going to fight against her situation, instead of going along with it like she did with Robbs. With that in mind, Jenny jumps down the rabbit hole with both feet, determined to find freedom from Rich. But will Jenny be able to handle what she discovers? And will she be able to overcome her own fears in the process?

Download the story to find out what happens.

Leseprobe

WARNING

This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. It may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults ONLY.

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Please store your files wisely where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.

Copyright 2016 by Revelry Publishing

All Rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher.

DISCLAIMER

This book is a work of FICTION. It is not to be confused with reality. Neither the author nor the publisher or its associates assume any responsibility for any loss, injury, death or legal consequences resulting from acting on the contents in this book. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Every character in this book is over 18 years of age. The author’s opinions are not to be construed as the opinions of the publisher. The material in this book is for entertainment purposes ONLY. Enjoy.

Other Books by Carla Coxwell:

Fifty Recipes For Disaster New Adult Romance Series (This series precedes “Star Bright New Adult Romance Series”)

Trying to win a competition for best chef is cut-throat business. Kiara Sands has just won the opportunity of a lifetime. When she arrives at Fission, she has no idea just how much her life is going to change. She’s immediately introduced to Jenny Foster and Robbs Martin, her competitors in the cut throat competition. The only thing Kiara finds more distracting than Robbs’ hateful attitude is the handsome executive chef, Paul Weston. It doesn’t help matters that Paul is quite taken by Kiara, and showers her with more attention than he gives her competitors.

Torrid Exposure New Adult Romance Series

April is finished with school and ready to build a career. Coming from a well-to-do family, she has decided to reboot her life completely. With family scars too deep to mend, April craves a fresh start. But the past is harder to shake than April ever would have imagined. At the center of it all is Bennett, an old family friend who is the heir to a billionaire media mogul company. Bennett and April haven’t been able to stand each other since they were kids. But as the world shifts, the two of them discover the past might be the key to their future.

Devil's Advocate BBW MC New Adult Romance Series

When Kristie comes home from college, the last thing she is expecting is her world to be turned upside down by the appearance of her step-brother, Gray. Gray is rash, impulsive and breaks the law. Kristie’s mom asks if she can try to befriend Gray, in hopes to get him on the straight and narrow. The plan backfires, however, as Kristie finds herself falling for Gray. Is it possible he feels the same way? The connection between them threatens to tear down everything Kristie has ever held dear.

Obsessed Bounty Hunter Romance Series

Jacqui Schneider couldn't help it. Every time the memories of her family's brutal murder haunted her, she had to escape. The only thing that could replace her sorrow was sex... and lots of it. Depressed and with no goal in sight, Jacqui continued on with her self-deprecating lifestyle until it all changed one day. Uncle Max, an old family friend, appeared unannounced. Jacqui was astonished when Uncle Max revealed a secret to her about her father. From those few words, Jacqui's world turned completely upside down. She really didn't know her own father. In fact, she didn't even know much about Uncle Max, except that he visited them for a few days at a time over the years.

Get the latest update on new releases from the author at:

https://www.carlacoxwell.com/newsletter

This book is Part Three of the “Star Bright New Adult Romance Series”

Book 1

Torn between her feelings for her agent, Jon, and Rich, a charming bad boy who has ties in the movie industry, Jenny finds herself working through her own past to try to get a grip on her present. As she struggles to learn the lesson that in Hollywood not everyone is what they appear to be, Jenny tries to become a person that she can be proud of. Will she be able to find love and success in Hollywood? Or will she be dragged down by her past forever?

Book 2

Jenny finally feels that she is able to focus firmly on her future until a ghost from her past returns to ruin her present. Things are not always what they appear when dealing with rising fame. Jenny discovers love doesn’t always work out the way that she plans and friends aren’t always the people she thinks they are. With the walls closing in around her, will Jenny be able to face the fear head on, or will she merely sink and drown under the waves?

Book 3

Jenny finds herself lost in Hollywood, her personal life open to tabloid drama. She has fallen into the clutches of Rich, a man who wants nothing else from her but to ride her coat tails to fame and fortune. With Rich blackmailing her, Jenny feels her grasp on her own life fading.

Book 4

Time is running out for Jenny's chance of getting rid of Rich, her blackmailer. While working out a plan to escape his clutch, she uncovers details of his past that explain why Rich is the man that he is today. As she navigates her life and strives to leave her fear in the past, will she lose everything she has worked hard to achieve? Will Rich forever have control over her or will Jenny break free and come into her own?

A New Adult Romance Series

Star Bright

Book Three

By Carla Coxwell

Copyright Revelry Publishing 2016

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Other Books by Carla Coxwell

About the Author - Carla Coxwell

Connect with Carla Coxwell

Chapter One

“JENNY, CAN you smile a little wider? You look like you are at school picture day.”

“Uh, yes, I’m sorry. Sorry,” I say, giving a small wave of my hand, as if it will banish my dark thoughts.

The photographer nods and ducks back behind her camera, asking Kane Lucky to look “fatherly” toward me. It’s been a week since the film premiere for Fear Recoil and the movie opens this Friday. A popular movie magazine is having the cast on the cover for this week’s issue. Normally I would have been thrilled. But with everything that has unfolded over the last week, all I want to do is take a tub of cookie dough, curl up in bed and watch bad movies until the end of time.

Instead, I plaster a smile on my face that hopefully looks enchanting and stare at the camera. Kane Lucky tries to look fatherly, although I doubt he knows how, judging by the age of his dating history. Behind me, Marina is assisting the cast to get ready to move outside for the rest of the shots. I know it means I will be taken off to hair and makeup yet again. Photo shoots are exhausting.

“Okay, perfect. Let’s take a twenty-minute break and then get everyone ready for the second round of photos.”

I nod and everyone wanders off. I see one of my co-stars, Libby Montant, sneak outside to have a cigarette. I had been planning to sneak outside as well but Libby constantly acts as if her shit doesn’t stink and I don’t feel like being around that right now.

So instead I dart through the people working on the shoot, hoping to avoid any conversations and duck inside the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I exhale a little, my head throbbing. I was supposed to be enjoying this. This was my big break. My career was going to explode after this movie. Or at least that is what everyone is telling me. Filming on Beloved is almost complete. My small role on a slasher film will start soon after. I have people calling Jon for auditions instead of the other way around. I was on the brink of really becoming someone.

My phone, which I had snatched right as break was announced, gives out a soft ping. I unlock it and look at the screen, knowing I honestly needed to turn off Google Alerts for my name. But as much as I want to, I can’t. Not when my boyfriend is the one feeding the rumor mill. This time the alert was simply for an article asking if I was the next big thing or simply a girl with a leaked sex tape.

I let out a sigh of frustration, wishing I could call them up and tell them off. First off, I am a woman, not a girl, and secondly, I am talented and more than just a leaked sex tape.

Yet the small voice in the back of my head began to taunt me – are you really, Jenny? I try to ignore it. The last thing I need right now is to feed into it. That is just what it wants. But the voice becomes louder. You only got the role on Beloved because Robbs and Rich leaked the sex tape of you...

“I am not listening to this right now,” I say out loud to my reflection.

I half expect my reflection to reply but there is nothing forthcoming from it. My phone vibrates, and I look down to see Rich has texted me. A sour feeling grows in my stomach as I open it.

You done soon? Remember we have dinner tonight with some investors.

I don’t reply. I know he will be furious with me for not replying but I am feeling rebellious. How can I be civil to him when I wouldn’t mind bashing his face in with my own fists? I close my eyes and tell myself to calm down. Rage won’t suit me. I need to focus on how I will keep my career as well as get away from Rich.

Rich – my boyfriend, officially, only because I am not sure how to get away from him with my dignity intact and my career still blooming. Rich – a slime ball I escaped from once before and then stupidly believed had turned over a new leaf. All he really wants to do is attach himself to my rising star and use me for money and fame. A fame leech - one of the worst kind. Rich wants me all to himself and he will destroy me if I don’t give him what he wants.

I scowl and turn away from the mirror, trying to push Rich from my thoughts. He’s just a new version of Robbs, and this came to fruition all because I had been too much of a coward to tell Robbs to fuck off in the first place when he slinked back into my life to blackmail me.

I leave the bathroom, getting ready to head back into makeup and put on a new outfit. This is my first real magazine shoot and while I like being all dolled up in pretty dresses, it isn’t nearly as glamorous as it appears to the general public. For one thing, most of the outfits don’t actually fit. Sure, it looks gorgeous in the photos, but the back of the dress is a mess of clothespins pinning the dress in just the right angles. Not as completely glamorous as I had assumed growing up.

Soon the cast is outside in a large field. We are using a mansion on the outskirts of Hollywood for the photo shoot. I don’t know who the house actually belongs to, but it looks old fashioned. I wish I had more time to explore it. But as the sun is at the perfect height, we are all ushered out by the pool for more photographs. Libby is grumbling next to me about what the sun will do to her fair skin. She is awfully pale, which I suppose is part of her appeal. Lucky, who has more experience in photo shoots than the rest of us put together, is hitting on one of the young assistants. It would be funny if it weren’t so gross.

As the photos are taken of us, either together or separate, I try to focus. The cast is about ten people, both major and minor roles, and we try to look natural, as if we all have chemistry with each other.

But my mind is far off. It feels as if it is full to bursting. I cannot enjoy anything anymore and I am not sure if I am ever going to be able to.

Chapter Two

“I hope you are calling me because you are heading back here,” Rich says over the phone.

“Yes, I am. I couldn’t have my phone with me on set. You know that.”

“I don’t want to be late to this dinner, Jenny. You know that if I can get these investors interested, they’ll help me start my own production company. That means more roles for you, too.” His voice is curt and cold, the way it has been since I found out what he was doing to me behind my back.

“Yes, we’ve been over this. I know. I’ll get ready and meet you there at the restaurant, okay? I won’t be able to meet you at your house.”

“Fine,” Rich replies and hangs up.

His tone hasn’t been warm or inviting since I discovered how he worked with Robbs to leak my sex tape to the public. Since I stole his Nokia phone and discovered the truth the night of the movie premiere, Rich treats me like a business transaction instead of anyone he cares about. And why would he? Rich does not care about me. He wants fame and fortune, although he already has fortune. Why does he need me?

The production company idea had been announced to me earlier in the week. Rich apparently is no longer content to play as a casting director. Now that he has found me, he wants to aim higher. If he can have his own production company, then all projects will go through him. If it is successful, not only will he make money but he will be rubbing elbows with the Hollywood elite.

By the time I get home to my new apartment, I am in a foul mood. The idea of playing nice to some would-be investors and using my fledging star power to get Rich what he wants makes me sick. Not for the first time, I fight down the urge to cry. How stupid am I that I am always getting myself in these fucked up situations? I never listen to my gut feeling over men. I ignore it and look where it gets me.

I flop down on my couch, knowing I am supposed to be getting ready. But my limbs feel like they are each fifty pounds and all I want to do is fall asleep. My phone goes off, the ringtone breaking the silence that has settled over my apartment and I glance at it.

Jon.

My throat seizes up tightly. Jon, who I have feelings for, who declared his feelings for me and broke up with my old roommate, Kathy. Yet like two ships passing in the night, life gets in the way and I keep losing my chance to be with him. First Robbs and the sex tape. And now Rich.

Once again, I find myself pressing the ignore button on his call. If it is about audition or casting business, Jon will leave a voicemail. He is still professional toward me, even if our personal relationship is constantly in the shitter. The phone stops ringing and I wait to see if he’s left a voicemail message. Nothing. So it was personal then.

I know I should talk to Jon. I want to tell him everything going on. I want to tell him how Rich has been spying on me, leaking information about me to gossip magazines for some quick cash and how he demands I date him or he will make things worse for me. But then Jon will ask how Rich will make things worse and I don’t have the heart to tell him what Rich has over me.