Page 27 of Hollywood Crush

“Nadia’s joining us for some weekend and evening work. I thought Tudor might have told you?”

No. He hadn’t. And I felt bad that we’d seen each other so little in recent weeks. Patrick and I had dominated the media when the guy I really wanted to see was relegated to one side. I shook myself, realising I’d zoned out right in front of two people, one of whom I’d never met.

“Do you live here in the village?” I asked.

“Yes, my mum runs the flower shop. She said you’d visited?”

“Samara? Yes, I did. Reminds me actually, I needto call her about some flowers…” I had sent some to Tudor early on, but I wanted to again. “Right, I’ll see you both around. Is Tudor still working?”

“He went to the gym about half an hour ago.” Clare’s look was knowing, and I realised I had never even asked how much she knew about us. Did she approve? Like me? Think we were being completely unprofessional arseholes? I had no idea.

“Thank you. I hope you enjoy your shift Nadia.”

I hurried down the hallway to the gym. Even our schedules there had been completely different in recent weeks, so we hadn’t worked out together. The thought of Tudor when I first saw him in the gym, topless and sweaty, made me shiver. There was something about the raw energy of him in exercise and in sex that made me want to submit to him completely.

I tensed as my hand touched the door handle. Would things be as easy as they had been before? Could we talk like we had? Two weeks of pretending to be something with Patrick made it hard to take the mask off sometimes.

I opened the door. Unfortunately, Tudor wasn’t shirtless this time, but he was punching the bag in the corner like it had personally offended him. Sweat soaked into the front of his vest and his arms rippled with more muscle than he’s had when I first met him.

He stopped and turned almost immediately at the sound of the door.

“Close the door,” he said. I did so. “Now lock it.”

I did as I was told, already feeling my cock start to rise at his commanding tone. He had a wry smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and I started to understand what he had meant by myHollywood smile.

“Are we OK?” I asked, and he nodded. He took a step closer to me, then another. He shucked the boxing gloves, took one further step in to get him within reaching distance, then pulled me into a sweaty, bone-crushing hug.

“Missed you,” he said quietly. So quietly I wasn’t sure I was even meant to have heard. He pulled back as quickly as he had hugged me, “Sorry, sorry. I’m all sweaty and gross. Shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, it’s fine. Everything OK?”

“Yes, yes, fine.” Tudor’s smile was still not reaching his eyes and I didn’t like it.

“You’re lying to me. I’ve been in enough films to know when someone is acting at me, Tudor.”

“Well I’m not, OK? I’m fine now. Now you’re here.” Tudor sat down on the weights bench and looked up at me. His phone was face up on the bench, screen still on. And there was an article about me and Patrick right there on the screen.Danny and Patrick: A Match Made in Heaven?

“Were you punching the bag and imagining Patrick’s face by any chance?” I gestured to the phone behind him.

“No, uh…yes. Sorry.”

“No apology necessary. I understand jealousy. It’s not always rational.”

“It’s just…I don’t even know what I’m feeling jealous of,” said Tudor. “I know it’s all for show. I know we’re only temporary. I know I don’t have any kind of claim to you. But I just…I want you to myself, for now. And I was fine with us sneaking around because you couldn’t confirm anything. I was fine with not being able to hold your hand in public, I’m just…I’m less fine with someone else doing it. I don’t like that you get to be that person of your authentic self with someone in public, another part of it with me in private.”

I took a couple of steps toward him and perched on the edge of the bench. I threaded my fingers through his sweat-damp blonde hair and pulled him in toward me, but he moved back and stood up.

“I’m all sweaty, gross,” he protested weakly. I stood up to meet him and hugged him from behind, my head resting against his neck and hands clasped over his stomach.

“I don’t mind. I want you to know I want you all the time. There’s not a part of my relationship with Patrick that’s authentic. And if you want…” the next decision I hadn’t even considered until this second, but I immediately knew it was the right thing. “…I’ll tell Patrick that this publicity stunt has run its course. That we can keep a professional distance from now on. I’ve only got a week of filming left at most, I’d rather it not depress you.”

“You don’t have to do that for me,” said Tudor. He gently untangled my hands so he could turn to face me, and pulled me back into the hug. “It’s a lovely gesture but your career comes first.”

“Usually, yes. But this time, I want to put you first.” I moved my head up to kiss him, but he pulled away slightly again.

“Still sweaty,” he said. “We can go back to my room? Let me shower before we do any of this?”

“How about no,” I replied. I pulled off my t-shirt and shorts, feeling very exposed as I did so but making my statement. “The door is locked, I personally happen to like it a little rough from you and you in your exercise gear has very much turned me on.”

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