Catch a Tiger by the Tail

By Gabbi Grey

Thomas Walsh knows the number one rule in the film industry. Don't get involved with the talent. But resisting the urge to take the big screen to the bedroom can be hell when the lead actor on the set looks good enough to eat...one slow lick at a time.

Peter Erickson's latest role as a gay man hits a little too close to home. He's still in the closet and secretly grieving the death of his lover. Then an enchanting production assistant catches his eye, and he's surprised by the instant attraction that stirs more than his wounded soul.

When the two men are caught on camera in a very intimate pose, both Thomas and Peter are afraid they've caught a tiger by the tail.

• Language: Unknown
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Jun 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781509232031

Gabbi Grey

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

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You

Catch a Tiger by the Tail

One Scoop or Two

by

Gabbi Grey

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product 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.

Catch a Tiger by the Tail

COPYRIGHT © 2020 by Gabbi Grey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Diana Carlile

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2020

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-3203-1

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To my editor Josette who believes in me and to the writers I admire who continue to inspire me—Lucy, N.R., Kaje, Riley, and so many others.

PRAISE FOR AUTHOR

Gabbi Grey

AND MY PAST, YOUR FUTURE

"My Past, Your Future is a gem…I hope all authors take note—this is how a happily ever after should be done. I highly recommend this sweet story."

~Valerie, Love Bytes

~*~

I really am a fan of this book and recommend it highly if you like ghost/paranormal romance.

~Wendy, Rainbow Gold Reviews

Chapter One

Thomas, are you sure you can’t make it home? It’s Sarah’s birthday.

Guilt. My dad was good at piling on guilt. I saw you guys three months ago at Easter, Dad. Sarah won’t even notice I’m not there. I’ll send a nice gift, I promise.

And I would, because it’d been a good year in the business. Work had been steady, and I was pulling in a good paycheck. Thank God for the union. And streaming services. Everyone wanted new content, and Vancouver was the place they were all coming to shoot their series. I was five hundred miles from where I grew up with no intentions of ever returning for more than an occasional visit. Sarah stuck to our hometown like glue with no intention of ever coming south. My parents were near retirement, and no inducement would bring them to the big city either. I swore it was also because they wanted to be near Luke’s grave.

Wrong thought.

Larry waved at me, pointing at his watch. As if I could forget the time. I waved back. Look, Dad, I have to go. Give Sarah my love, and I’ll send her something special, okay?

No, Thomas, it’s not okay. Your mother misses you, and your sister thinks you don’t love her.

Oh, for Christ’s sake.

Gotta run, Dad. Later. I hung up before he could continue. Okay, must find something extra special for Sarah. Money never impressed her, so it’d have to be something exceptional. Maybe one of the artisan shops in Gastown would have a unique piece of jewellery or something. Baubles and trinkets had never turned her fancy either. Eminently practical, she’d choose a good pair of hiking boots over high heels any day. I’d always liked that about her, but sometimes I wished she’d lighten up. Luke’s death had hit her hard, depriving her of her last few years of childhood. He’d died, I left, and she stayed behind to help my parents pick up the pieces.

You could have stayed.

You should have stayed.

Picking up my stainless-steel water bottle, I then headed back into the sound stage. A new actor was arriving, and my job was to get him settled before he was due to start shooting. As a production assistant I spent a lot of time getting the talent settled.

Peter Erickson was one of the biggest names in the industry these days. He’d done three blockbuster movies back to back, each bigger than the last. Superhero movies had dominated the summer box office, but his films had been right up there. He had both a solid reputation and a rabid following. Security had held a meeting on how to deal with fans, should they show up.

I’d always liked Vancouver because it tended to be low key. Tons of people counted on the industry to bring in business, so locals were inclined to leave the talent alone. Did they lookie-loo when they saw a shoot? Yes. Did they bottleneck? Rarely.

Our production was shooting for two days in the downtown core. It’d be a long holiday weekend, so disruptions would be minimal, but I wasn’t looking forward to two days outside in the heat. The plan after that was four days up in the mountains near Whistler. Now that I was looking forward to.

Janine waved me over as I stepped out of the sun. I tucked my sunglasses into my pocket and headed her way. The brunette was short, compact, and the most ruthlessly efficient person I’d ever met. Her hair was always pulled into a severe ponytail, emphasizing her high cheekbones and bright brown eyes. She turned away from me, tapped some guy on the shoulder, and returned her attention to me. The guy turned, and my world stopped.

I had known Peter Erickson was gorgeous. Having watched all his movies—some several times—I had an excellent idea of how fucking attractive he was. Unbelievable as it sounded, the camera didn’t do him justice.

His dark hair was clipped short with unmistakable gray threaded through it. His beard also had liberal gray. And his eyes. Green didn’t quite describe them. Deep green? Sea green? Something other than just plain green. He smiled, his teeth perfect, symmetrical, and white.

Something in those eyes twinkled, and I mentally kicked myself. Rookie mistake to the first degree. Never gawk at the talent.

I caught Janine’s eye, and she scowled, likely to hide a smile. She knew. Hell, she knew everything.

Mr. Erickson, this is Thomas Walsh, one of our production assistants. Thomas, this is—

Peter.

He said the name with quiet surety. Of course he did—it was his own name, after all. He had every right to own his name. And even his name was sexy. He held out his hand, and I shook it. Strong shake, to be sure. And if it lingered just a little longer than was socially acceptable, that was my imagination, right?

Right.

Breathe.

He was just a gorgeous man. I’d dealt with plenty of them over the past ten years. And most, despite the stereotype, were super nice and considerate guys.

Peter had a reputation of being easy-going and friendly. Hard worker, never pulled any prima donna shit, and treated everyone with respect. He’d been up two summers ago shooting one of his blockbusters. I’d been working on a sci-fi series, so our paths hadn’t crossed.

My friend Tamia had been a PA on that project and had nothing but great things to say about the entire experience. She was old hat at this, so for her to be so effusive was unusual. Looking into Peter’s eyes, I now understood some of her giddiness.

This knapsack’s getting heavy. Maybe you can show me where I can put it?

Janine’s eyes widened. We don’t have a trailer for you yet. I’m so sorry. Tomorrow, to be sure.

If she could’ve procured one out of thin air, she would have. Of that I had no doubt.

Wasn’t worried about that. I’m meeting with Lisette later today and didn’t want to be dragging this around. A corner will be fine. It’ll be safe around here, yeah?

Of course it would. Every single person here treasured their jobs. Stealing wasn’t just beneath them—it wasn’t worth the risk. No, we valued our positions way too much. I can do you one better. We can tuck it away in the production office. Mine was there, so adding his was no big deal. He nodded, and I indicated the way.

Thank you for your help, Janine. I hope I will see you again.

Okay, did she preen? Must’ve been my imagination.

I walked next to him, guiding him through two sound stages before we stepped outside.

He took in a sharp breath of air. This town is thirteen hundred miles north of Los Angeles. You’d think it’d be cooler.

Not being an expert in LA weather, I couldn’t offer a coherent response. Today’s the worst it’s been all season. I opened the door to the next building and held it for him. But we’re about to get hotter.

God, was there anything more banal than talking about the weather? I had an A-list celebrity actor who’d been nominated for two Academy Awards, and we were discussing a heat wave. That was…pathetic.

We’re shooting in the city, right? Any chance it’s cooler than…?

Nope. I offered a cocky grin. There might be a cool breeze off the Georgia Strait, but usually the air doesn’t move. Trapped in all that concrete and asphalt, it’s just a soup of humidity and heat. I don’t even think there will be a cloud in the sky. Now I didn’t actually know if that was true or not, but I figured better to give him the unvarnished and honest truth rather than sugar-coating things. But your trailer has A/C.

So, unlike us schleps, between takes he could relax in a nice cool environment.

He squinted.

Shit, had I said something wrong?

I rarely use trailers.

What?

Now he shifted from one foot to another.

I guess my stare didn’t help his discomfort.

Unless they’re plugged into the power grid and the grid has clean energy, they aren’t environmentally friendly.

Well, didn’t that just beat all. I’d known he was a champion of the environment, but most people drew the line at creature comforts. I pondered alternate arrangements for tomorrow. We’ll have the craft services tent set up, and I think one of the office towers is letting us use their lobby as a cooling center. Not the same as a trailer, but still offering more relief than sitting in the hot sun.

A heat advisory had been issued for the city, and that was significant.

The temperature didn’t get that high often because of the temperate