A flash made me blink.
“They’ve found us,” he said.
And that’s when I noticed how wrong I’d been about the cameras in my neck of the woods. Because I saw a few men with cameras. They weren’t even trying to hide. Guess they really wanted that perfect shot.
“Do we ignore the cameras?” I asked. “Over to the left. Because they’re watching us intensely.”
He winked. “Then we better give them a good show.”
“You mean like the best goodnight kiss ever?”
“Let’s make it sizzling hot. I mean, we have to convince them, right?”
I parted my mouth in invitation.
His gaze bore into mine as our faces inched closer. “We so have to make them believe it.”
He pulled me ever so close, brushing his lips against mine in a powerful, intense kiss. I loved how his soft lips moved over my mouth, his taste addictive. I tilted my head and the kiss deepened. His touch warmed every inch of my skin as our tongues danced in perfect harmony.
I knew I was supposed to be acting. But this didn’t feel like acting. It felt like something more. He never said we had to kiss. Just act. I had so crossed the line. But then again, so had he. Or was he really trying to sell this story? What the hell was I doing? I can’t fall for this guy. He’ll just break my heart. This was an acting gig and nothing more. But why was I enjoying this kiss far too much?
His tongue slid over mine in a sensuous dance, every stroke sending me into overdrive. It was like he was breathing life into my empty soul. My body shivered with pleasure, every cell on fire. I ran my hands through his soft locks. We now kissed in a slow, erotic rhythm. It was the most perfect, passionate kiss, and I felt the sparks all the way down to my toes.
“Goodnight, Rebecca,” he said.
“Goodnight,” I responded.
I scarcely remembered the walk back up to my apartment—my heels somehow sensed my distraction and vowed to behave. I floated past Hamburg’s door, wondering vaguely why he didn’t pounce on me again about my eviction; choking on the heavy scent of Mrs. Wakowski’s curry wafting through the air; and pulled open the door to my apartment.
The lights were off, and I took a silent moment as I leaned back against the door, replaying certain scenes from the night in my head. I couldn’t tell you what exactly had changed over the course of the evening, but things with Marcus were not how they started this morning.
They were...different, somehow.
Then the lights snapped on, and I shrieked aloud.
Amanda was sitting on the couch, stroking Deevus and watching me with narrowed eyes. I flushed guiltily in my new dress, clutching my chest as my heart cautiously slowed to normal. My nervous smile went unreturned as she continued stroking the cat like a grade-A villain.
“Oh yeah,” she said, shining a spotlight on my nerves. “I saw the show outside the window. Why don’t you fill me in on the gorgeous hunk you’re secretly dating? Because he sure looks a lot like the billionaire, Marcus Taylor, to me.”
“I’m not dating Marcus Taylor. I took t
he job he offered me,” I said. “He’s giving me twenty thousand dollars.”
“That’s awesome!”
“I knew I needed the money. I’ll take care of the rent.”
Her jaw dropped. “Thanks, girl.”
“It’s a great acting gig. And I couldn’t say no.”
“You get paid to pucker up to a gorgeous guy like Marcus? Wow! Great perks come along with your job package.” She cocked her head. “But that lip-lock out there, it didn’t look like acting.”
I winked. “Now you know what a damn good actress I truly am.”
“Damn straight!”
Chapter 14