Page 21 of The Movie Star and the Spy

“Don’t understand why I want to be called by my actual name while you’re seducing me?” she challenged.

“What are you talking about?” He glanced back to the floor, where her script had fallen. “Diana is the lead character. Why are you breaking from the script?”

Cheyenne froze. “The script?” she whispered.

“Yeah, the script.” His eyes widened. “You do realize I’ve been acting this whole time?”

Acting this whole time?

Acting the whole time?

Acting this whole time?!

Cheyenne calmly recited every curse word ever created. Twice. Then again just to be sure. She turned to Julian and plastered a calm smile on her face, “Of course.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Of course?”

“Of course.”

He remained silent.

“I mean obviously,” she mustered out. “Clearly. Most definitely. Obviously.”

“You said obviously twice.”

“That’s because it’s so damn obvious!”

His smile told her how obvious it was.

There was simply no way out of this. “Didn’t you see how I kept up with the dialogue?”

His expression saidnice try. “You didn’t say a single word from the script. I was going along so we could get to the physical part. Now that you did perfectly.”

First came the blush. Then, the anger. Anger at herself for letting him unsettle her, anger at him for unsettling her and anger at the criminal for putting her in this position. “Well, it’s your fault for affecting me so much!”

“I affect you?” His movements stilled. In contrast to her, he was clearly pleased, satisfied even, by her words.

“No,” she hissed. “I mean how much I obviously affect you.”

She waited… and waited… and waited. He didn’t respond, instead just stared at her with a slightly pensive look. Did that mean she actually affected him? “I think we should move on,” she said quickly.

“Good idea.” He still seemed distracted. But he nodded.

“I’ll get the script.” She moved to bend down, but he stopped her with a hand on the arm. She froze at darkened eyes.

“Actually, the next part requires no script.”

“Of course.” She adopted a calm mask, faced him like the hardened law enforcer she was. “What should I do?”

“Just go along with it.”

That’s when the lighthearted levity left, when sizzling, sensual heat took over. “I’m going to begin now.” Julian timbre deepened. “Acting. So there’s no confusion.”

“No, no confusion.” She licked her lips.

His eyes darted to them. “I know you haven’t memorized the script, but don’t worry. There’s not a lot of talking in this part.”

Of course not. There was touching. Caressing. Exploring.

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