Page 35 of Romance Is Dead

“Wait, you thought I was leaving to sleep with her?” For a moment, Teddy looked horrified. “She’s a friend—she needed a ride home because her creepy ex was there and he wouldn’t leave her alone.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say as I struggled to make sense of this new information.

“So you didn’t leave because you didn’t want to. . .?”

“No.” Teddy’s voice was resolute. “I really, really wanted to.”

The walk up to the hotel was charged. Energy crackled between us, an invisible thread that seemed to connect us as we crossed the lot and climbed the steps. He placed his hand on the small of my back as he opened the door and guided me through, sending a warm flush straight to my belly. I was hyperaware of his movement as we made our way to the elevator, and neither of us said a word on the ride to the third floor.

We arrived at my room first. I fumbled through my bag, grasping desperately for my key card. It took me a moment to find it—I couldn’t focus on locating the card with Teddy staring at me, not moving a single muscle toward his room down the hall.

Finally, I grabbed it.

Before sliding it in the lock, I lifted my gaze to Teddy’s face. “Well. Goodnight.”

For a moment, he said nothing. My eyes fell to his mouth, my center clenching as his tongue ran ever so lightly along his bottom lip. I imagined grabbing his shoulder and pulling him into my room after me, the two of us twining around each other before falling into bed.

As I stared, Teddy’s lips dropped into a frown. “Are we saying goodnight already?” He reached out, cradling my neck in his hand as his thumb lingered on my cheekbone, the pressure soothing. I leaned into his hand, savoring his touch as he studied my face, looking at me like he was trying to memorize each freckle and feature.

“Quinn!”

A voice shattered the silence. We both jerked away, looking for the source. Chloe and Mara—arm in arm—were stumbling down the hall.

I swore under my breath. What on earth was Mara doing up this late? It was nearly three hours past her bedtime.

“We’ve been looking for you all night!” Chloe looked—and sounded—like she was more than a few drinks in, and Mara seemed not far behind. “Where have you been?”

“Seriously, you can’t keep bailing on me like this.” Mara stuck out her lip in an exaggerated pout. “I’ve barely seen you since filming began.”

My heart sank. I really had been a terrible friend. I was about to apologize and make an excuse when I realized they had just seen Teddy and me outside my room and dangerously close to kissing—something Mara had surely picked up on.

Indeed, a smirk spread across her face. “Hey, were you guys about to—”

“No!” I yelped. I slipped my key card into the lock and yanked the door handle. “I was just going to bed. Alone.”

“Are you sure?” Mara poked my shoulder. “You two look awfully cozy.”

“Mara, please. . .”

Chloe’s eyes flickered from Mara to me and back again. “Come on, if she says there’s nothing going on, I’m sure there’s nothing going on.” She gave me a covert wink. “Right?”

“Right. Exactly.” I breathed out in relief, making a note to thank Chloe later. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

Waving goodnight to Mara and Chloe, I slipped into my room and let go of the door. As it slowly fell back into place, I could see Teddy, his jaw tense, his eyes still smoldering as they bore into mine. I finished slamming the door closed before I could change my mind and pull him in after me.

Chapter Twelve

I waited for the feeling to dissipate, for the desire I’d felt the night before to somehow dissolve by the time I woke up.

It didn’t.

I caught myself replaying moments from the night before in my head as I showered and brushed my teeth—the way Teddy had called me fierce, like it was something he admired. The way I felt comfortable enough to sing in front of him, even though I have a terrible voice. The way a simple hand on the small of my back had almost driven me to yank him into my room, and how I couldn’t stop wondering what would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted.

Driving to set, I imagined the whole thing—from Teddy stripping off my clothes and having his way with me over the arm of the sofa to us collapsing in a heap afterward. It was like I’d opened Pandora’s box, except the only thing escaping were horny thoughts and fantasies.

I chided myself as I parked and made my way through base camp. Not only did he have supermodels in his DMs, but he was very much involved with other people. Even if he wasn’t the type for a relationship, I didn’t want to be the one complicating things for other women. It was for the best that nothing had happened.

If nothing ever happened.

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