‘You were taking too long.’ He sounded petulant. ‘And I wanted to see you.’

She frowned. ‘And I want to see you, too. But not right now.’ More spittle found its way out. ‘Just go outside for a minute, let me finish up in here.’

Sam threw his hands up as if in surrender. ‘Hey, don’t blame me if you brush your teeth like a two-year-old.’

She picked up her toothbrush and held it in front of her, wielding it as if it was a weapon. ‘Get out!’

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, teeth cleaned and face scrubbed, Sam was sitting on her bed, thumbing through a book on writing he’d found on her table. Cesca felt strangely naked. It wasn’t the fact she was wearing sleep shorts and a vest top, nor the fact she was make-up free. No, it was her soul that felt exposed and vulnerable.

‘Hey.’ He looked up as she walked in, a smile on his face. ‘You look pretty.’

Cesca frowned. ‘Liar.’

‘Why do girls always doubt a guy when he says that? What’s not to like when you’ve washed off your make-up and put your hair in a bun? It’s cute, it’s sexy. It’s real.’ He reached out for her. ‘And when you do that funny little twisty thing with your mouth, it’s even sexier.’

‘What funny little twisty thing?’ She allowed herself to be pulled to the bed, grimacing.

‘That one.’ He reached out to touch her lips. ‘It’s cute.’

‘I thought we’d talked about cute. I hate that word.’

Sam placed the briefest of kisses on her lips. ‘It doesn’t mean the same in America as it does in England. It’s a compliment.’

‘If you say so.’

‘I do.’ He brushed the hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck. ‘Cute means wholesome yet sexy. The kind of girl you want to take home to your mom just as soon as you can bear for her to get dressed.’

Cesca coughed out a laugh. ‘At least you don’t take them to meet your mum naked.’

‘I’ve never taken a girl to meet my mom.’ The expression on his face told her he was serious. ‘Never wanted to.’

‘What about that girl . . . oh God, I can’t remember her name. The one who plays the shop girl in Summer Breeze?’

‘Katya? We were never an item.’

‘But the newspapers said you were,’ Cesca said. Then, noticing his incredulous expression, she hastily added, ‘And I know you shouldn’t believe everything you read, but it seemed like a done deal, if you know what I mean.’

‘I thought you avoided all mention of me for six years. Anyway, I try to avoid getting too close to anybody in the business.’ His voice was thick. ‘Most of the girls over there only want you for one thing.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘One thing?’

‘You’ve got a dirty mind.’ He laughed, though it sounded hollow. ‘No, they want you to help their careers. Everybody in Hollywood is a user. It’s almost impossible to have a normal relationship there.’

Her face fell. ‘Not everybody. My sister’s there, remember?’

‘But she’s not an actress, right?’

She shook her head. ‘No.’

‘Then maybe she’s different.’ He smiled. ‘Like you.’

Sam’s eyes flashed as he stared at her, his pupils dilating. He blinked twice, his long lashes sweeping down, and Cesca’s chest started to ache from holding her breath.

‘You’re very beautiful, Cesca Shakespeare.’

‘I am?’ Her breath, once released from her lungs, came out in short puffs. She felt like an old wreck of a car stop-starting down the street.

‘You really are.’ Sam cradled her face between his hands. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting his touch consume her. Then his breath was warming her lips, his mouth barely touching hers. This time his kiss was soft, gentle, the tip of his tongue dancing along the seam of her mouth, and Cesca found herself rising to it, kissing him back, inviting him for more.

Tags: Carrie Elks The Shakespeare Sisters Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net