“Good, well, Kate has given you the rundown. We’ll try to stop only when you say. You and Sebastian run the show. Let’s start with some simple kissing.”
Sebastian came over, and my brain and nerves went into overdrive. What was he wearing under it? Was he naked, like me? Butterflies fluttered in my belly. I ran my eyes down his frame, and as I brought them back up, they caught his piercing, hungry gaze.
With little direction from Dante, Sebastian grabbed my waist and pulled me in, his lips crashing down on mine with the most lustful, needy force I’d ever experienced in a kiss. His tongue was searching for mine in seconds, and I found myself too stunned to reciprocate. I pulled back and pushed his hands away.
“What?” Sebastian frowned.
“That was a lot at once.” I grimaced.
“Okay, Sebastian, take it slow,” Dante ordered.
Sebastian’s chest rose in a huff, but he came back, this time kissing me slower, softer. I closed my eyes and forced myself to focus on the act—here, today. Not on the memories this kiss was trying to force up and out.
Don’t let yourself get distracted. Stay focused on why you came back. You need your revenge.
I repeated the words over and over, and it helped me stay grounded in the handsome man’s embrace. However, remaining grounded turned into downright distracted. His hands began to roam up and down. He reached for my ass, and I flinched. He stopped, and we started again. And again. Every time he tried to do something other than chaste kissing, I froze, and we had to stop. After an hour, Dante finally called for a break.
“Let’s take thirty to consider what we’ve tried thus far and how to proceed, hmm?” he said.
I hurried off set and rushed into my trailer, where I paced, trying to settle my heart. Why was I struggling so much?
I’d known when I was offered the role that we’d be doing this. And I’d told myself once every one of those men who had taken part in my mom’s murder were dead, it’d be worth it. But thinking of Sebastian and being here with him in real life were two different things.
I couldn’t let myself fall. But, I had to sell that I was to Dante and the other bigwigs in order to land the part that would give me daily access to the studio in which all these men worked.
Having spent the morning trying to do it, I wasn’t quite sure I could.
I was no Lita Reyes.
A moment later, there was a knock on my door, and I called for them to come in. Dante entered, an awkward smile on his face.
“Hey. Do you have time to talk?”
“Sure. What’s up? I know that wasn’t great. Skye warned me that her test was bad, so I think I got in my head.” I sat on the couch, and he came to sit on the other side, a distance away.
“Definitely. So…I just got an email from one of our producers.He wants us to consider a rewrite, where you’re not a lead character at all. You just make a cameo.”
“What? No!” I shot to my feet. I needed to be on set for longer. A cameo didn’t give me enough time, enough excuses, to be near everyone. This role was my in to places I might not have access to otherwise.
“I know. I replied backthat the change wasn’t ideal. I love the scripts we have. If it weren’t for Sebastian’s little ego trip the other day, we would have already picked you as the lead. They know taking him out of the movie is impossible without fan backlash, but they couldn’t let him have his way just to prove a point. That’s why the execs are making us do this bullshit. This new email tells me they are not happy with us.”
“What can we do?” I stopped pacing and turned to him.
Dante lifted his shoulders. “Show them they’re wrong about dropping you from the cast.” He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Evie, you and Sebastian looked like siblings kissing out there. We need chemistry.”
I stared at him blankly, and he continued.
“Give him a chance. Stop pushing him away. Get to know adult Sebastian.” He stood. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. He’s not always the jackass celebrity he pretends to be.”
“I don’t know if I can believe that.” I rolled my eyes.
“Why don’t we leave you two on set alone for a while? You can get used to each other in private, and we’ll come back and see if we can run some of the scenes.”
He left, and when I returned to set thirty minutes later, I found only Sebastian. He was standing awkwardly, his hands in the pockets of his robe.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to come in so hot.”
I soaked him in, admiring the earnest look in his eyes. “It’s okay. It was kind of cute. I’m sorry I’ve been giving you frostbite.”
