Rafi Reyes figures going along with a fake-dating stunt is only fair after Julian Gault saves his life. The young actor is famously cold and snotty, and Rafi's rock band is falling apart in the wake of betrayal. A shiny new romance might be just what both their reputations need. It's too bad they don't actually like each other, but they'll both benefit -- a softer public image for Julian, revenge against his ex for Rafi.<br><br>But as they navigate public events, attend red-carpet premieres, and play cat-and-mouse with paparazzi together, Rafi gets to know a different Julian than he expected -- one who defends horses, takes care of his troubled cousin, and has Rafi's back against his dysfunctional family. Rafi starts to hope he and Julian have something real together.<br><br>But Julian has secrets more painful than Rafi can imagine. With Julian's powerful and controlling uncle scheming to turn them against each other, their relationship must become something much deeper if it -- and possibly either of them -- are to survive.

Star Bright

Julian went over the list of them in his head. The father seemed okay, probably, but Carlos was carrying a massive store of resentment and jealousy of his little brother, and if Bo had ever been in love with Rafi, she wasn’t anymore. The stepmother, Minnie, had long had she been in the picture?


Julian frowned. “Your brother’s older than you,” he said. “Your stepmother’s son?”


“Yes,” Rafi said, with a look like he was bracing himself.


“I know I had a lot of zabor, but that doesn’t make sense.”


Rafi sighed. “My mother was Dad’s piece on the side, okay? And then she died, when I was just a baby, and Dad took custody of me. Dad’s always insisted on total equality between me and Carlos, we are equally his sons, but…we’re not equally Minnie’s. Maybe there’s some women that could raise their husband’s bastard without resenting it, but she’s not one of them.”


Chapter 57