Chapter 14 #3
His mouth curved into a sweet, boyish smile, relief hovering at the edges. Beneath the cover of the blanket, he ran his thumb along the underside of my breast, slowly and deliberately, and my breath hitched, heat pooling low in my belly.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to my ear. “You already have me,” he breathed, and my blood went molten. “Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
I closed my eyes again, overwhelmed by emotion and sensations. I was tumbling around in rough surf, dissolving like dew in the summer sun.
He pulled back and studied my face, his gaze searing my skin like a melting candle dripping hot wax. From the smoldering look in his eyes, I knew we’d be re-creating this scene later, cocooned in his forest-fresh sheets.
A private smile tugged at his lips. “Ready to go again?”
I nodded, too overcome to speak. I’ve never wanted anything more.
And just like that, we were done pretending.
Whatever polite distance we’d been straining to maintain evaporated like steam in a shower.
Ryder continued adjusting the blanket to preserve my modesty, then took quiet liberties beneath it—stroking a finger down my navel, palming the curve of my butt cheek, tracing the swell of my breast. I arched against him, tangled my legs in his, dragged my toe up his calf.
It felt like a dare, a secret game to see how far we could push each other without breaking character.
We slipped up once or twice. When I scraped my nails down his abs and “accidentally” grazed his athletic cup, Ryder groaned out a tortured “Fuck, Scarlett” into my ear, then froze.
“Sorry, guys,” he said with a sheepish chuckle.
“I meant Melody.” Another time, when his wandering hands dipped inside the elastic waistband of my thong, I let out a very real and involuntary gasp.
Nate’s head popped up from behind the camera. “Everything okay?” he called.
“Um, yeah,” I managed to croak, practically incinerating with embarrassment, while Ryder turned his head away from the camera, shaking with silent laughter. “Sorry. I just…yep. All good.”
But it wasn’t just the intense, never-ending foreplay that threatened to undo me.
It was the emotional intimacy—the lingering looks, the teasing endearments he whispered into my ear, the tenderness in his touch, the unspoken promises in his eyes.
The way he instinctively recognized my vulnerabilities before I could voice them.
His quiet vow that this would be the last “first” we shared with the cameras.
I felt safe in his arms, his protectiveness allowing me to let my guard down.
He was steady and calm, even in a situation as unconventional as this one.
But it was after we’d wrapped for the day, when he tucked me tight into his chest and swore to finish what we’d started, vowing this was only the beginning, that sent me hurtling past lust and straight into love.
Once I was back in my trailer and showered off, I got a text from Ryder that said simply: I’m waiting for you. I grinned, giddy energy bubbling inside me like fizzy carbonation.
A knock sounded on my trailer door. “Scarlett?” Lainey called. “Nate wants to see you and Ryder before you head home.”
Home, I echoed to myself, the word putting a funny little twinge in my chest. I guess Seafolly was starting to feel like home. Ryder was starting to feel like home.
I told her I’d be out in a couple minutes, and once I’d thrown on some clothes and run a comb through my wet hair, we headed over to Nate’s trailer, linking up with Ryder and his assistant on the way.
His hair was also wet, brushed back off his face, the tips of his cheekbones tinged pink.
I wondered if his lips felt as chafed as mine, his skin as sensitized.
We kept a safe, professional distance between us as we walked, but snuck coy, furtive glances at each other like two teenagers who’d been busted under the bleachers.
Nate greeted us with a wide grin, ping-ponging a look between the two of us as we stood before him expectantly.
“I wanted to tell you both again how fantastic you did today. You went above and beyond, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
I had my doubts about the two of you getting through this shoot, but it seems you’ve found a way to bury the hatchet.
” He met both of our eyes meaningfully. “I appreciate your professionalism.”
Ryder and I exchanged a cautious look, thanking him for the positive feedback. Is it “professional” to spend all day fantasizing about banging your costar? Not so sure.
Speaking of, I was seriously turned on right now. Standing this close to Ryder without being able to touch him suddenly seemed unnatural. The small distance between us felt like a yawning canyon.
“Just one more thing,” Nate said, and crossed his arms over his chest, regarding us seriously. “Do not let whatever’s happening here”—he pointed a finger at Ryder, then slid it over to me—“ruin my movie.”
I froze like a mannequin in a department store window. “What do you mean?” I squeaked at the same time Ryder said, “We won’t.”
Oh, shit. Heat blasted my face like I’d opened a dishwasher mid-cycle. I was so discombobulated, I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, confess, or double down.
Nate raised an eyebrow at me. “This isn’t my first rodeo, okay?
I know what I’m seeing.” His eyes bounced between the two of us, and yep, my face was melting off.
RIP me. “You’re both adults and it’s none of my business, but I’ll remind you that we still have eight weeks left on this shoot.
You will not let this affect production. Are we understood?”
Ryder jumped in to answer, which was good, since I’d lost the ability to speak. “Completely. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Great.” Nate stifled a smile. “I’ll see you both on Monday, bright and early. Enjoy your weekend,” he said pointedly, and I blushed redder than Melody’s crimson dress.
I stayed in a near-catatonic state for the entire ride home, much to Ryder’s amusement, only recovering my voice once we arrived back at Riverview.
“I can’t believe you blew our cover,” I fumed as we rode up to our floor. “You could have at least been vague!”
“I hate to break it to you, but we blew our cover,” he said, tugging me out of the elevator by my belt loop. “There isn’t a soul on that set who missed what was happening between us today.”
That stopped me in my tracks. “Are you serious?” I gasped, cringing so hard I might disintegrate.
Ryder smirked, leaning forward to place a brief kiss on my lips—then bent down, grabbed me around the thighs, and threw me over his shoulder.
“Ryder! Someone could see us,” I yelped as he waltzed right past my door to his own. I wriggled and thrashed as he fumbled with the lock one-handed, and he smacked my ass triumphantly when the door finally swung open.
“Red line!” I squealed, and he laughed huskily as he kicked the door shut behind us.