Page 71 of Never To Be Mine

I led her toward the back corner of the sound stage, far enough away that we wouldn’t be overheard. The equipment created a little pocket of privacy. I wasn’t nervous. Or maybe I was, just a little. This was unfamiliar territory for me.

I realized I had no idea what to say. All the speeches I’d rehearsed in my head evaporated the moment I was standing this close to her.

She finally looked up at me. God, those eyes. Maybe I should just kiss her. We were good at the kissing. It was the talking that always got us in trouble.

“I don’t want you to feel weird around me,” I said. “That was never my intention.”

“I made my own choices that day, Hollis. You didn’t force me into anything.”

“I know that. But still, I wanted to make sure we’re okay.”

She bit her lower lip, and I had to force myself not to stare at her mouth. She’d put on a shiny gloss with a touch of pink. I wanted to taste it.

Was she about to tell me that we needed to end the partnership?

“Do you regret it?” I asked before I could stop myself.

She paused and my heart stopped beating for way too long. I couldn’t read her expression, couldn’t tell if that pause meant yes or no or something in between.

“No. Actually, I don’t regret it.”

Relief flooded through me so fast I felt dizzy. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” A small smile played on her lips. “It is, however, a shame we’re working together.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because if anyone ever found out I slept with a potential acquisition, people would lose respect for me.” Her eyes crinkled in a slight smile. “And I’m just barely recovering my reputation as the rat piss lady.”

I laughed. Couldn’t help it. The tension that had been coiled in my stomach finally released. Not completely but enough that I could breathe again. “That’s fair.”

“So we keep it professional from here on out,” she said, but there was something in her voice that didn’t quite match the words, like she was trying to convince herself as much as me.

And I wasn’t a complete idiot. She had never put on lip gloss like that in all the other times I’d seen her. That had to be for me, right?

“Professional,” I repeated. “Not a problem at all.”

We stood there for another moment. God, I wanted to touch her. Kiss her. All the things. But I didn’t. I stepped back to put some distance between us. “You ready to see whatever insanity Micah has planned?”

“When he says talent…” Juno’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t think he hired a chimp or something?”

I barked out a laugh, surprised. “I hadn’t considered that possibility. But he’s crazy enough to do it.”

We walked back toward the main area of the sound stage. Micah was still directing the crew, pointing at different lighting setups and conferring with the camera operators. Toby had arrived at some point and was already filming behind-the-scenes footage.

I was about to ask Micah again what the hell we were waiting for when I heard it—a commotion at the entrance. Voices. People scrambling.

An entourage poured in. Assistants, security, people with headsets and clipboards. And at the center of it all, surrounded by the organized chaos, was Jack Montana.

Jack fucking Montana.

International action star. Box office king. The guy whose movies grossed billions worldwide. The guy with a smile that had launched a thousand endorsement deals.

Juno went still beside me. I glanced down at her and saw the shock written all over her face. Her mouth had fallen open slightly, her eyes wide.

If I had a handkerchief, I would have given it to her to mop up the drool. Whatever. He wasn’t that hot.

But I couldn’t lie. The guy had aura and Micah had somehow convinced him to be in my commercial.