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And he is close. Like right up in my personal space, making it difficult to concentrate on anything but his masculine scent. Even out here in the open, it circles around me, and I sigh into it.
“Everything okay down there?” Paxton’s humor-filled voice has me snapping back to the present.
Good Lord . . . did I just sniff him?
“Mm-hmm. All good.”
I look over my shoulder, and the moment I do, I regret the move.
One thing is for sure, he’s a handsome man in his white-collared shirt and navy shorts. Too bad he’s such a douche.
“Good morning, Natasha. Bill.” He nods to the pervy man, who is, in fact, a cameraman named Bill, apparently.
They all offer warm smiles and their own greetings.
Why can’t he treat me like he treats everyone else?
Then I could have an ally.
A hot ally at that.
I like a little man candy every now and then, and he’s just that.
“Something wrong?” His question has me shaking my head. I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“Your cheeks.” He smirks. “Are you getting sick? You’re looking a little flushed.”
Ugh. Of course, he’d notice that I’m blushing. I’m flushed because I couldn’t resist ogling the enemy and got caught red-handed.
Great. Just great.
“I’m just warm.”
“I’d imagine, wearing that getup. You’re on an island. Nobody would fault you for wearing weather-appropriate clothes.”
I look down at my black slacks and grimace.
Paxton turns his attention back to the set, ignoring me.
They have Teagan in the water, pretending to tread. In this scene, she almost drowns, and Brad runs to save her. Too bad the man’s anything but a knight in shining armor. If anything, the woman should wear armor around him. He’s the villain, not the savior.
When action is called, Teagan jumps into her role. For a second, as she floats in the ocean, I can see the fear in her eyes, even from a distance. They’re enlarged, and her lips are pulled taut.
I feel the fear.
I’m transported to the water with her.
I’m drowning beside her.
It looks so damn real that I want to yell out for someone to save her.
As if summoned by my unspoken panic, Brad comes running in and pulls her to safety. Teagan’s body begins to shake as she cries in his arms, and I have to wonder if that’s contrived or real. I have never seen anything like this.
The way Stefan holds the small camera in his hand as he hovers right behind Brad, the viewer will watch Teagan through Brad’s eyes.
It’s truly profound.
For all the critics complaining about his tactics, it makes sense why he’s considered the best. He goes to extremes, and in return, he gets extreme results.
“It’s good, right?” Paxton says, and I turn to look over my shoulder. I had forgotten he was there.
I’d been so mesmerized by the events playing out in front of me that, for a moment, I forgot about all my issues.
“It is. Truly incredible.”
“He’s a genius. If they can pull it off . . .”
I nod. “It could be life-changing for everyone.”
“For fuck’s sake. What now?” Paxton groans, and I turn to see Teagan’s mom stalking toward Stefan.
Somehow, she manages to rope him into an argument, bickering loudly for all to hear. Stephan doesn’t back down when the intimidating woman screams at him about how he has the angle all wrong.
“What the hell does she know about that?” Paxton mumbles, and I have to agree.
Theresa knows nothing. She was a cocktail server before her daughter landed her first gig.
Yet somehow, she thinks she has a say on the position Teagan should be in when she’s retrieved from the ocean.
“Dammit,” I say, rushing toward the argument, determined to get Theresa in check before she gets herself kicked off the set.
Paxton is right on my heels, and I’m not sure why, but knowing he’s going to be there with me when I go toe-to-toe with the woman gives me more confidence.
Which makes absolutely zero sense, considering he’s my biggest critic.
I’m almost to them when a piercing crack rings through the area. I stop in my tracks, swinging around to find the source of the noise.
“Holy fuck,” Paxton says from beside me.
Before I can figure out what’s happening, Paxton is taking off toward a wobbling dock.
Another crash and I stand in shock as Theresa and the director fall into the ocean.
The dock broke, and they were the casualties.
Oh. My. God.
I have to cover my mouth to smother the laughter as I watch Theresa splashing around in knee-high water, yelling curses. Stefan, however, is in the deeper part, and completely fine, albeit soaking wet with a likely ruined camera.
Paxton rushes in after Theresa, helping to calm her down and realize she can stand.
This is priceless . . . but also a nightmare.
Who knows what setback this will result in. A delay that none of us can afford. Time is money in this industry, and the longer we’re on this set, the longer before Teagan’s next role and my next paycheck.
