Chapter 5 #2
“Oh, good.” She gave him a smile that could turn winter into spring. “We’ll get it later.”
He followed her inside the trailer, mulling over what she’d just told him. It still wasn’t clear what she’d end up getting in return for her investment.
“Go ahead and have a seat,” she said, gesturing at a row of stools, and then crouched to rifle through a set of plastic drawers.
The stools were adjusted to different heights and faced a wall made up of mirrors. It resembled the beauty shop where his mom got her hair done once a month. He took a sniff. Kind of smelled like it, too.
He glanced around. More mirrors. Lots of them, on the opposite wall, some floor length, and there was even a mobile unit stashed in the corner. A few round handheld mirrors and blow-dryers hung from nearby hooks.
“Finding anything interesting?” Lila asked, an amused lilt to her voice.
“Hollywood people sure like looking at themselves.” He turned, and, momentarily blinded by a glaring white light, ducked his head. “And they want a lot of light while they do.”
Lila grinned. “You’re wrong. They’d prefer next to no light and that high-def be banned forever.”
Yep, there were a lot of light fixtures. They just weren’t turned on. The sheer number of tubes, jars and various other stuff lying around astounded him. Yet somehow everything seemed orderly.
“Ah.” Clint didn’t know what triggered it, but he finally figured out what Lila had to gain from her investment. Oddly, if he was right, he couldn’t say the notion pleased him. “Will you be starring in the sequel?”
Lila looked at him and laughed. “Starring? Try supporting actress.”
“Why?”
“Because no one knows who I am. We need actors the public likes or at least has heard of. Obviously they aren’t big names because we couldn’t afford them.” She rose to her feet, gracefully, just like she did everything else. “Penelope Lane, for instance. You’ve heard of her, right?”
“Nope.”
Lila frowned at him. “Really?”
“Really.”
She turned away and flipped through a folder. “Here,” she said, showing him a picture of a twenty-something blonde. “Now do you recognize her?”
“Sorry.”
“Do you go to the movies at all?”
“Not much.” He hated that she was staring at him like he was a dumb hayseed. No, that was unfair. She just looked surprised.
“Should I ask which movie you saw last?”
“Probably not.”
Grinning, she squeezed his arm. “It’s nice to know someone whose life doesn’t revolve around Hollywood.” She didn’t move her hand, the heat from her palm seeping through the cotton shirt. “By the way, thank you.”
“Just make sure Baxter holds up his end.”
“I meant for fixing the railing after I left.”
“Oh. Yeah.” For some reason, her mentioning it embarrassed him. “It was nothing.”
“And for doing this. What a kind and generous thing.” She started rubbing his forearm with her thumb, then glanced at her hand and pulled away. “I should be ashamed of myself for letting you make that deal with Baxter.”
“No, you shouldn’t. Not when I did it for my own selfish reason.”
Lila blinked at him, looking puzzled at first. And then her eyes filled with dread, as if she expected him to say something she didn’t want to hear.
“Do you have any idea how much pleasure it gives me to do this? And not just because Baxter’s an ass.” Clint winced. “Um, it slipped.”
A smile brightened her face. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
He liked the rosy flush that colored her cheeks and how her eyes sparkled. That same image of her from last night had replayed in his head and kept him up for hours.
“Darn it, Lila, I want to kiss you so bad.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“I didn’t want you to think that I expected—” He faltered when she started to laugh. “Expected anything.”
“Sorry,” she murmured and pressed her lips together. “Me too. I wanted to kiss you, but I didn’t want to give you the impression I felt obligated.”
“Well, aren’t we a pair,” he said, and caught her by the waist, drawing her closer.
“Do I have to lock the door?” she asked, with an impish smile as she came up against his chest.
“You might.”
“I’m supposed to be working.”
“We’ll get to that.”
“Yes, but—”
Her lips were soft and warm. He felt the fast, steady thumping of her heart against his chest, echoing the rhythm of his own. She slid her arms around his neck as he skimmed a hand down her back. Lila was slender, but she still had enough curves to keep a man’s hands itching for more.
She pushed her fingers into his hair, and when he cupped her bottom, she moaned into his mouth.
He angled his head and kissed her deeply.
Her tongue stroked his, fueling the need that had been burning inside him since last night.
Lila moved her hips against him, and he knew there wasn’t a chance she could’ve missed his erection.
It wasn’t easy juggling good sense and desire. Maybe they should lock the door.
Clint thought he heard someone just outside. When Lila stiffened, he knew it hadn’t been his imagination.
“To be continued,” she whispered, and stepped back.
“Yes, ma’am.”
His grin vanished when Baxter opened the door.