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So there’d be no more heart-to-hearts, no more delving into her past, no more trying to figure out her psyche. That had been a dumb idea.
From now on he’d be keeping a choke-hold on his curiosity and keeping things strictly sexual—with chocolate sauce on top.
Chapter Twelve
JUNO’S hormones did their usual happy dance as she slipped her sunglasses off her nose and watched Mac stroll across the pool terrace. Returning from his regular morning jog, he looked damp and delicious, his T-shirt and shorts moulded to that mouth-watering physique like a second skin.
Juno swallowed down the boulder of lust lodged in her throat as he walked towards her. After eight days as Mac’s house guest, she’d begun to crave that tanned, muscular body and the amazing things it could do to her with an intensity she wasn’t sure was entirely healthy.
The last week had been an exhilarating voyage of sexual discovery. Mac wasn’t just a skilled lover. He was a master. And she’d been an eager student, lapping up every new experience like a woman who had been dying of thirst.
But he hadn’t just proved to be an excellent host in the bedroom. Instead of disappearing for most of the day to do whatever movie stars did, he’d hardly left her side. They’d lounged by the pool, checked out the local art galleries, had quiet meals on the terrace and frolicked in the sea like a couple of kids—nearly drowning each other the day before when he decided to teach her how to surf—as well as making love every chance they got.
That moment of connection on the beach their first day had never been repeated, and she knew she should be grateful for that. Keeping things simple and living every moment to the hilt made sense. She couldn’t afford to get involved any more than he could.
Mac lived in a fantasy world, in which beautiful people did beautiful things in impossibly beautiful places. She didn’t; she lived in the real world. And once this fabulous voyage came to its inevitable conclusion, she wanted to be able to go back to it without a single regret. She could only do that if she didn’t complicate things—or start wishing for things she couldn’t possibly have. But it was proving harder and harder as each day passed to keep everything in perspective.
He picked up her glass of lemonade from the arm of her sun lounger. ‘So what’s Miss Juno been up to?’
‘I’ve been chatting to Daisy,’ she said, trying not to obsess over the way his Adam’s apple glistened in the sun as he took a thirsty swallow of the icy drink. ‘Ronan’s cutting his first tooth and she and Connor were up half the night with him.’
He paused before putting the glass down with a click.
‘That’s tough.’ He braced his hands on the sun-lounger, leant over and kissed her, leaving the bittersweet taste of lemonade and longing on her lips. ‘You want to join me in the shower?’
He’d avoided the subject, as he always did whenever she mentioned Connor and his family. She tried not to let it upset her. ‘I’ve already had a shower.’
‘So have another,’ he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. ‘I’ll scrub your back.’
More than sunlight warmed her cheeks as she recalled how inventive he’d been yesterday morning when she’d taken him up on a similar offer.
‘I better not,’ she said with considerable reluctance while her hormones did the hula. ‘Daisy’s ringing me back in a minute. I wouldn’t want to get sidetracked.’
‘Oh, wouldn’t you, now?’ he murmured. His teeth nipped her bottom lip. ‘That’s a crying shame. Because I’m definitely in the mood…’ he paused deliberately ‘…to get sidetracked.’
‘You’re always in the mood,’ she replied saucily as she gave him a playful shove and acknowledged the delicious spark that always accompanied their banter.
Mac hadn’t just opened up a whole new world of sexual discovery for her in the past week. He’d also shown her how to flirt. Teasing and tantalising her until she couldn’t resist doing it back. And like his lovemaking, the more she flirted with him, the more addictive it became.
He tapped his finger on her nose. ‘Only where you’re concerned, darlin’,’ he said as he straightened. The endearment had a familiar band tightening across her chest.
She chewed on her bottom lip. She still hadn’t quite cured her bad habit of taking his casual compliments to heart. The man was a born charmer and she mustn’t forget that.
‘How would you feel about doing a read-through on a script with me in a bit?’ he asked, stretching his neck from side to side. ‘I need to start taking character notes before we go into rehearsal next week and, as you’re the main reason I haven’t, I figure you owe me.’
She shot upright on the lounger, excited at the prospect. He’d talked about his work last night over their meal when she’d badgered him about it, but when she’d asked if they could watch one of his movies together, he’d refused—giving the strange excuse that seeing himself on screen made him self-conscious. She’d tried not to take the obvious lie to heart.
‘You want me to read a script with you? I’d love to.’
‘Don’t get too excited,’ he said, an indulgent smile curving his lips. ‘You’ll probably be bored to death after about ten minutes.’
‘No, I won’t,’ she replied and she knew she wouldn’t be. From the little he’d said last night she knew he was passionate about his work. Watching him start to create his next character would be fascinating.
‘All right, then,’ he said. ‘But don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
She clasped her arms round her bare legs and watched him walk away. The loud ringing of the phone on the poolside table interrupted her perusal of his very nice butt in the damp jogging shorts.
Mac stopped by the pho
