Nico laughs, pulling my eyes back to the screen. “I love the Wilkes brothers. They write the funniest scripts in Hollywood.”
“Burke reps them,” I choke out. “Everyone at the office was talking about Date Fail.”
He laughs, his eyes on the screen.
“Have you ever thought about doing a romantic comedy?”
Nico’s eyes meet mine. “Nah. Comedy requires too much timing. And I laugh too much.”
“You’d make the perfect rom-com love interest.”
He gives me one of his movie-star smiles.
Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous?
Be still heart…
People are laughing on the screen, but all I can think about is how my skin tingles from his touch. Nico stretches his long legs across the couch, his face in the pillow as he stares at the flat-screen. He taps his fingers on the couch, moving to the beat of the music.
I lean forward to grab a nacho, desperate for something to do other than think about Nico. Ash complained about his drinking, but I have a hard time believing he drank that much. Not with a body like that.
And why isn’t he wearing a shirt?
He moves his hand, and his fingers touch the tips of mine. A rush of electricity floods my veins. Distracted by Nico and his fingers that are still touching mine, I can’t process a single thing happening on the screen. I suck in a sharp breath. Nico shifts his weight, now on his side, as he covers my hand with his.
His fingers weave between mine. Okay, now we’re holding hands. What the hell is he doing? It’s bad enough we crossed the line the other day.
Does it count if it’s work-related?
But we’re not working right now…
Feeling his eyes on me, I glance down at our joined hands. He breathes heavier, and when I get the nerve to look at Nico, he’s watching me and my body’s response. Nico devours me with those beautiful blue eyes. His mouth grazes my knuckles, the heat from his breath, sending a chill down my spine. Men like Nico are aware of the effect they have on women. And he doesn’t miss a beat.
“I need a drink.” I jump off the couch, instantly missing his touch. “Do you want anything?”
He seems disappointed but quickly recovers. “Iced tea.”
Without another word, I walk out of the living room, unable to catch my breath until I’m in the kitchen. I grip the edge of the marble island. What the hell is going on with me? My pulse pounds like a jackhammer, my heart pumping so fast my ears are ringing.
Allowing myself a few minutes to recover, I wait until my head is clear before heading back into the living room with two glasses of iced tea. I hand the cup to Nico, and his fingers brush mine. He keeps touching me, weakening my defenses.
He’s your client! And a movie star.
I have to keep reminding myself that Nico isn’t a normal roommate. Our situation is temporary until I find him a higher paying job. There’s one problem. I have missed Harley, now that she’s living in Philly with her husband, and I enjoy having a roommate again. It’s nice having Nico around the house. He deals with groceries and most of our meals. I love coming home to dinner on the table and a man who makes me feel safe.
Nico sits up to sip his tea, his thigh so close to mine, his heat radiating off him. He gulps down his drink, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. We pretend to watch the movie, an impossible task with the sexual tension between us. His free hand finds my thigh, and he sets his glass on the table, testing the waters.
My mind races with incoherent thoughts, scrambled fragments that make it hard for me to concentrate. I should put a stop to this. But as Nico’s hand slides up my thigh, I part my legs for him. He leans into me, shoving his free hand through my hair. And then he kisses me. His lips brush against mine, a small peck to tease me. To see if I will push him away.
“You know we can’t do this.”
“Our relationship is unconventional,” he mutters.
“We shouldn’t have kissed.”
His breath warms my bottom lip. “That kiss doesn’t count.”
“You don’t have feelings for me. One kiss means nothing.”
“I do… and it did. When I’m with you…”
“You think you like me because I’m helping you with your career.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s more than that. You’re the first person to believe in me without expecting something in return.”
“I expect a paycheck,” I point out.
Nico cups the side of my face. “You took a risk on me, knowing my reputation could ruin your career.”
“I’m not special, Nico. Plenty of agents would have done the same thing.”
“You’re not like other agents in this town. They only care about money. But not you…”