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Luca catches my eye when I arrive on set and I give him a shy smile. Abel cuts past me and struts on set. Cocky and arrogant, he mutters a disparaging comment under his breath. My hackles rise and I fumble, dropping a can of hairspray onto the epoxy floor. I race behind the pressurized missile swearing under my breath.
Hailey and Luca put their heads together, speaking in low tones, but they're obviously discussing Abel's ability to work. Or his inability judging by the sour look on Laura's face. When she gets a whiff, her pretty face goes a pukey shade of green. I can't walk off a live set, but I better grab a wastepaper basket in case she needs it.
Hovering in the wings, Kaiden positions himself closer to Luca, listening to their conversation. His face is etched with concern, but Laura settles when she sees him.
Luca pulls Abel aside for a discreet one on one. Abel nods animatedly, reminding me of a bobble head toy before moving to his mark. Luca strides to his place beside a bank of portable monitors. His jaw tightens and he clenches his fists. I'm not the only one who notices how his body language tells the real story.
"Lock it up," Luca says, giving the crew the signal to start rolling. The director of photography nods. Hailey peers into the camera gate and calls, "Roll sound." The sound operator confirms he’s recording and that's when Abel decides to grace us with a ridiculously loud burp.
People groan, but Luca doesn't bat an eyelid. Impatiently tapping his foot, he folds his arms over his chest. "Go again!" he commands. The crew repeat the process, but this time we get as far as the camera rolling, and Luca calls, "Action!"
Laura delivers her lines perfectly, and I breathe a sigh of relief. But when it’s Abel's turn, he blows his cue. Poor Luca. A muscle in his jaw ticks, but he has the patience of a saint. "Go again!" he calls. I wish I could stand close enough to soothe him.
Abel tries pulling Laura into his lap during the scene but misses and falls off his Santa throne. Laura jumps away in time to avoid getting hurt.
"Cut!" There's an edge to Luca's voice, his patience wearing thin, when he confronts the actor. "What the fuck are you playing at?"
"What do you care?" Abel asks. "You've got your tasty bit on the side." Abel tips his chin towards me and I cringe. What an asshole!
Luca shudders and I barely have time to breathe before he delivers a perfect uppercut, smashing the actor's jaw. The sickening sound of bone on bone isn't enough to stop the drunkactor, who lunges at Luca, fists flying. My heart jolts, and I feel like throwing up.
The men tussle, and Abel loses his footing, falling and colliding with Laura. She cries out in surprise, her voice high pitched and panicked. Kaiden's face is a mask of fury. He catches her before she hits the ground. Stunned silence falls over everyone when he announces she is pregnant. I race to Luca's side as Kaiden escorts Laura off set.
Luca's top lip is cut and bleeding, his cheek and eye are already swelling. He’s disheveled, but he’s never looked better. The love of my life is defending me and fighting for what’s right.
Seeing as it’s his workplace too, I should get his permission before making a scene. But I'm done with hiding how we feel about each other. I want him to know I'll fight for him too.
So what if people on set know we are together? What business is it of theirs, anyway? They know us, and we're both established. No-one can accuse him of nepotism, and if they do, it will wash off.
"Oh my god. Are you okay?" I grasp his hand, inspecting the bones, but he only has a few scrapes on his knuckles.
"No broken bones," he says, but winces when he presses his fingers to his lips.
"Come with me. I'll take care of those cuts." I lead him to a quiet corner, threading my arm around his waist for support in case he feels dizzy. Luca slumps in the chair, looking dazed and confused while I race to grab a first aid kit.
Although I've seen this side of Luca before, I'm certain he's never behaved like this at work, or the gossip rags would have reported it. I get the sense he's working through deeper frustration, and a suppressed part of his psyche is beginning to surface.
I wipe disinfectant over the scrapes, carefully avoiding the deepest cut. "You were spoiling for a fight, huh? You really roughed Abel up."
"He had it coming,” Luca says. "You say that like you didn't think I had it in me." The intensity of his stare, coupled with the sensual curve of his mouth, makes me want to kiss him, but there are so many people buzzing around us.
I lean closer and whisper. "I know what you're capable of."
"Watch out baby, there's more to come." Luca glances at me with determination in his eyes. His thigh brushes against mine when he shifts forward and the pulse between my legs begins throbbing. "I'm just warming up."
What does he mean, and why does it sound more like a threat than a promise?
I promised to help my mom prepare food for Christmas lunch after I finished work. Luca trails after me as I walk through the apartment. He has a million questions about who will be there, what's on the menu and more. I feel his eyes on me, observing every move. He won't leave me alone, and while I love having his hands on me, I'll never leave if I don't get moving soon.
"Don't go," he murmurs, looking at me with his sinfully, sexy smirk. He's persistent, so ignoring him is impossible. Plus, he's gorgeous and I'd rather stay home with him than chop onions for Mom any day of the week.
"Luca, I promised Mom and don't want to let her down." I stare, wistfully, wishing I could stay with him and live in a bubble forever. "I have to."
"I'll come with you."
His suggestion is met with a frown. "Luca, we talked about this."
We discussed our game plan moving forward and decided it was best to keep the status quo for the time being. We'll spend Christmas day with our respective families but meet in the evening. We'll let everyone know what's going on, but make it clear we are not asking for permission.
