"Heathen?" I repeated with a smirk. "Isn't that the part I'm playing? I thought Demetri was hot for Nat, so doesn't that mean I need to be hot for your wife? Your very…" I glanced at Pris. "… lovely wife?"
"Bastard. I should never have cast you!"
I burst out laughing. "Jay, you know I'm messing with you. I'm professional. That's why you cast me, because in a sea of Hollywood heathens, I'm the only one who wouldn't make a pass at your wife."
He shrugged. "True. Also you may be passable in the whole looks department, or so I've been told by numerous people on set."
"Jealous?"
"Hardly." He rolled his eyes. "I'm Jamie Jaymeson. Women tattoo my name on their asses and ask me to sign their boobs."
"You signed whose boobs?" Pris asked, sneaking up on our conversation.
"My grandma's," I blurted. "She's such—" I wrapped an arm around Jaymeson and squeezed. "—a huge fan."
"Right." Jaymeson coughed. "It's always such a thrill, signing elderly ladies tits. Hey, you think I should do a nursing home tour?"
"Yeah, man." I nodded. "Dream big."
"Well, then." Pris shook her head in amusement. "On that creepy note, I'm ready." She walked off to her spot on the beach.
I nodded and started to follow, when Jaymeson gripped my arm and tugged me back. "Remember, one take."
"When was the last time you did a kissing scene in one take, man? Seriously. Ever think that if I do it in one take it means we have chemistry?"
He frowned.
I nodded and jerked free. "Exactly. Hell, you should be happy if we're here all day trying to get this scene right. I may be kissing your wife, but I'm going to be thinking of someone else entirely."
"Demetri." Jaymeson nodded. "He does it for lots of dudes."
"You're an ass. You know that, right?"
"He made me a shirt that says ASS with a donkey on it, so yeah, I'm well aware."
"Good talk." I saluted him and met Pris on the blanket. She lay down on the sand while I straddled her and playfully leaned forward.
"And action," Jaymeson said in a short, angry tone.
"So, Seaside?" she asked, leaning up on her elbows.
"Seaside," I repeated, trying to stare more at her mouth than her eyes, so I really could conjure up some sort of romantic feelings or lust — anything, really.
"Did I get the real story?"
"No," I whispered. My eyes fixated on her mouth as I leaned down while she arched up. Our lips met and then, somehow, for the first time since I didn't know when, I experienced my first awkward kiss — I hit her teeth. Her freaking teeth.
The clang that could be heard around the world.
She burst out laughing.
"Shit!" I hissed, my teeth a bit jarred from impact. "Are you okay?"
Pris rubbed her mouth and gave me an amused nod.
"Cut," Jaymeson yelled then marched over. "I hate to be the one to ask this, but did you have a kissing double in your other movies? Because that was absolute crap."
I leaned back on my haunches, the chilly seaside wind biting into the back of my calves. "Sorry, sand in my eye?"
"Sand, my ass." Jaymeson grumbled. "Lips meet, do a little sliding action, tongue stays inside the mouth at all times, toss in a few groans, possibly a breathy moan." He pointed to Pris. "That's on you, love…" He rubbed his hands together. "… and things should be great. Think you can handle that, Linc?"
"Yeah." Beads of nervous sweat broke out all over my skin and threatened to freeze there as the cold wind struck me. Just wonderful. On my first day I'd managed to physically assault my co-star. "No problem."
"Great." He walked back to his spot.
I hovered over Pris again.
"Take two."
The scene was slated again. Nerves attacked every cell in my body as I managed to steal a glance at everyone on set. Already they looked irritated, from the sound tech to the makeup artist. The worst possible thing was shooting a scene in weather, either freezing your ass off or burning to death, only to have the actor forget every damn line.
"So, Seaside?" Pris asked more gentle this time, her soft brown eyes danced with humor.
"Seaside." I leaned down, like I was going to kiss her, not part of the script, but I was trying to get myself in the right state of mind, which, to me was always the breaking point before the kiss, where you're thinking about it and the person you want to kiss knows you're thinking about it — anticipation was the best part.
"Do I get the real story?"
I hesitated purposefully. Eyelids heavy, I focused on her lips, licking my own slowly, methodically.
And I felt it.
Not the lust.
But her.
Dani.
I don't know how the hell I felt her, maybe I really was losing my mind at twenty-two. Out of the corner of my eye, her grey Converse flashed next to Jaymeson's flip flops.
"No." I leaned down, my lips rubbing against Pris's. As promised, I kept my tongue in my mouth but nibbled her bottom lip like it was the sweetest delicacy I'd ever tasted in my entire existence. My tongue swiped along the seam of her lips as I dug my hands into her hair and deepened the kiss, tugging her body upward. Her hand pressed against my chest. I grabbed it then shoved it away. The kiss was supposed to be aggressive, elusive, then suddenly angry.