Page 58 of Cast to be Mine

“What did she say?” he asked.

“She thinks I should go along with it.” I leaned against the counter. “Said it’s the kind of exposure money can’t buy.”

Micah’s jaw tightened. He ran a hand through his hair. That familiar gesture I was starting to recognize as his tell for frustration. And I loved how it mussed up his hair and gave him that just-rolled-out-of-bed look. And I knew from personal experience that was exactly what he looked like after a night of hot sex.

“I hate this,” he said quietly.

“I know.”

He rubbed his hands over his face and stared up at the low ceiling. “I really hate this, Grace. The idea that people out there think you’re someone you’re not. They’re going to look at you and see some homewrecker instead of who you actually are.”

I smiled softly. “And who am I, exactly?”

He stopped, turning to face me. His blue eyes were intense, searching my face for any sign I wasn’t on board.

“You’re kind,” he said. “Genuine. Talented as hell.” His voice dropped, rougher now. “Soft. Beautiful.”

My breath caught.

He shook his head, like he was trying to physically dislodge the thoughts. “Get it together, man,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “It was one hookup.”

“Was it?”

The question hung in the air between us. He looked at me, and I could see the war playing out behind his eyes. The same war I was fighting. I’d left his house a couple of hours ago telling myself it was a hookup and wouldn’t happen again anytime soon.

“Grace.”

Dammit. When he does that husky thing, it just strips away any hesitation.

I closed the distance between us. Just two steps, but it felt like crossing an ocean. I reached up and touched his jaw.

“Tell me to stop,” I whispered.

He didn’t.

Instead, his hands found my waist, pulling me against him. His mouth crashed into mine with a desperation that made my knees weak. I kissed him back just as fiercely, my fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer.

His tongue swept against mine, leaving me moaning once again. His hands slid down to my hips, gripping hard enough to leave bruises. I didn’t care. I wanted his marks on me. He ground his pelvis against mine, letting me feel his desire.

He lifted me onto the counter, stepping between my legs. I wrapped them around him, pulling him flush against me. My body responded to his hardness instantly, heat pooling low in my belly.

“Micah,” I breathed against his lips.

He groaned, his mouth trailing down my neck, teeth grazing that sensitive spot below my ear. I arched into him, my fingers clawing at his back.

And then he stopped.

He pulled back, breathing hard, his forehead pressed against mine.

“We can’t,” he said, his voice ragged.

“What?”

“We can’t do this.” He stepped back, putting distance between us. “Not here. Not now.”

“I know,” I whispered.

“Everyone is watching you now. The entire world thinks you’re having an affair with Jack Montana. Every single person on this set is going to be scrutinizing your every move, dying to get more evidence of his infidelity. If we get caught, it’s going to make you look bad. You know how this business works.”