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I shake my head vigorously. “Sorry. I spaced out for a second.”
“Stay with me.” He cups my cheek. “I’m not a big fan of enclosed spaces either.”
Unwittingly, I lean into his palm. “I’ll try.”
We sit in silence for a few moments staring at each other. His hand remains against my face until he lowers it and rests it on his jean-clad thigh. His gaze drifts to the doors of the elevator like he’s thinking hard about something then returns his attention back to me. “You’re nothing like I thought you’d be.”
“What?” I’m surprised. Also a bit confused. Did he know who I was? How? I’ve been away from the public spotlight for years.
“That came out wrong.” He leans back and extends his legs in front of him. Crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re obviously beautiful. It’s no secret I’m attracted to you. It’s just…when I realized you were an actress this morning. Well, I guess I had a preconceived notion…”
I roll my eyes, though inwardly I’m squeeing because he just admitted he digs me. “Oh, I’ve heard it all. Trust me.”
“No. Not like that. I didn’t think you’d give a guy like me a second look.” He reaches over and encircles my wrist lightly. Squeezes. “That’s what I meant.”
As flattering as that is, I consider what to say. There’s a fine line between flirting and honesty. Although, being stuck in an elevator catapults us up a few levels, so I go for truth. “I don’t date much. I got divorced last year. Let’s just say all wasn’t what I thought it was in my marriage. I was blindsided by—so much. I’ve become a little protective of my heart.”
“Oh?” I could swear his face lights up.
I’m over Harrison, but I’m still reeling from the betrayal in our marriage. His business. Everything. I hate that I’ve become so skeptical. Closed off. I’m working through it in therapy, but it’s hard. I’d love to be carefree and open again.
Maybe I’ll give it a test drive tonight.
“When Ronni offered me this role, it couldn’t have come at a better time. I hadn’t acted in over a decade. I was ready to make a comeback. It was time to take my life back after…everything.” I finish my thought out loud.
He nudges me with his shoulder. “Ronni Miller, huh? So, she’s cool.”
Aaaaand…test drive over.
“Very.” I narrow my eyes. Look away. Move my arm to release the grip he has on my wrist.
“Hey. Hey…I didn’t mean anything, Clover. I don’t give a shit about celebrity stuff. But, you’d have to live under a rock not to know her.” He cocks his head. Seems sincere. From the tone of his voice at least.
It’s true. Ronni Miller is and always will be America’s sweetheart. I may be skittish, but he’s got a point. I decide to take his word for it, though I keep my gaze pointed at the elevator doors. “Fair enough. She’s definitely cool. One of the fiercest women I know. She’s also smart, talented, and I’m lucky she gave me this job. I don’t know where I’d be without her.”
He doesn’t respond. We sit in silence for a bit, giving me time to think.
Lord. Overreaction much? My freak-out certainly killed the mood. Any chance I had with this guy is dunzo. Probably for the best. One second I have myself convinced we’re soul mates, the next I’m sure he’s got ulterior motives. Time to slow my roll. I might be catching feelings, but I’m not about to make another stupid mistake.
“I hope I didn’t fuck things up.” JJ’s words shock me. It’s like he read my thoughts and he was having the same worries.
I roll my head toward him to find he’s watching me. “Well, we don’t know each other. There’s not much to fuck up, is there?”
He dips his chin. Shakes his head. “I disagree. We’re getting to know each other. Tell me what happened with your husband.”
“Well…” I think of how to say what I want to say. Inadvertently, I scrunch my nose. Decide to just tell it like it is. “I found a video of him screwing my best friend. Divorced him. Learned a lot more about shady things he was involved in. Ran like hell. End of story.”
“Huh. That sucks.” JJ purses his lips and stares straight ahead. Like he’s thinking hard about something.
A few minutes pass. Finally, I nudge him with my shoulder. “What?”
“You’re not over him.” He raises an eyebrow in question. “Did I nail it?”
I narrow my eyes in frustration. “No! You’re not even close. He’s an asshole on so many levels. I didn’t realize how much I wouldn’t miss him until all of this happened. My ex-BFF on the other hand? That was a bitter pill. You expect bad behavior from powerful men like Harrison. I did not expect it from a girlfriend. Did I mention that she was the one who texted me the video?”
“God. I’m sorry.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his. Looks at our clasped hands and up at me. “This okay?”
“How long have you been a carpenter?” I answer his question with a question but make no move to pull away. His soft, warm grip feels too good. No one’s touched me this way in…forever.
