Page 28 of The Actor: Harrison

We enter in the pool house with its generous living space with couches, a table, and a small kitchen, and walk straight to a bedroom.

“You can find guest swimsuits in there. Choose what you want, there should be enough sizes to find something that fits you,” he says pointing at a dresser under the window.

Of course he has swimsuits for his guests. I wonder how many women wore them before me. I don’t say it out loud. He’s kind enough to lend me a bikini, I’m not spitting on his offer.

I open the first drawer and take a look at what’s inside. Everything is brand new, with the tags still on, and I feel guilty for assuming I had to wear something other women used before me. I appreciate the fact that there are one-pieces in every size, not assuming every woman feels comfortable in skimpy bikinis. But I choose a skimpy one because it’s way too hot to cover my skin, and because I’ve never had a problem with showing my body.

When I walk out in my red outfit, I find him pushing up from the edge of the swimming pool to get out after taking a dive. The rivulets of water run down his muscular back, disappearing into the waistband of his blue swim trunks. His broad shoulders and trim waist are a vision. I’ve always found him attractive, utterly irritating, but attractive nonetheless. But discovering that he’s not the bad guy I thought he was, and in fact has quite an appealing personality, adds something to the turmoil rising in my stomach. It’s becoming more and more difficult to find reasons to hate him.

He pushes himself up and rubs a hand through his hair to shake off some water. His arms bend, making his biceps bulge. I bite my lip and squeeze my thighs.

Damn! He is drool-worthy. I want to lick every single inch of that glorious body.

As soon as this thought crosses my mind, I recoil. He is Harrison Bates, not someone I should consider sharing bodily fluids with. No matter how drool-worthy he is.

I walk around the swimming pool and reach him at the deck chair.

“The water is amazing, you should try it,” he says, and I don’t miss him checking me out in this red bikini.

I take a sip of the ice tea to try and calm my hormones. His gaze leaves a scorching trail over my naked skin. He bites his lower lip and for a moment I’m tempted to taste his mouth too. Would it be soft, rough, hot? How would it feel on my flesh? And his tongue? It takes me an unnecessary long time to divert my mind from the dirty thoughts my brain is conjuring.

“Are you coming in too?” I ask putting down the glass on the table.

He doesn’t answer, at least not using words. He laces his strong arms around my waist and rushes to the swimming pool, dragging both of us into it. I let out a shriek before closing my eyes and pinching my nose.

I can feel the bubbles tickling my skin and his strong body against mine. I can’t tell what’s up and what’s down and feel the panic kicking in. I frantically try to swim to the surface, but suddenly he’s dragging me up. When I’m finally able to breathe again, I throw my arms around Harrison’s neck, my legs around his waist, and cling to him for dear life. I mold my body to his, my heart beating so fast I’m sure he can feel it trying to jump out of my chest.

I stare at him, wide-eyed, trying to take in more air I can to calm down my racing heart. He’s staring at me with a small perplexed smile and I don’t fail to notice his hands gripping my ass. I don’t know if he realized where he put them. His fingers are scorching hot against my skin.

“You can swim, right?” He chuckles, puzzled.

I tighten my grip on him. “Barely. I’m not comfortable when I don’t know if I can touch the bottom,” I confess, tightening my grip around his waist.

His chest molds perfectly to mine and I’m surprised by how much I like his skin against mine. How his perfect, toned body is quite pleasant to touch.

Damn, he fits perfectly between my thighs! Stop your thoughts there, you pervert!

He laughs and slips his arms around my waist, maybe realizing his grip was a bit inappropriate for the professional relationship we have. Not that my legs clenching around his waist is any better, but I’m the one panicking here! Though I’m not completely sure I’m doing it for safety reasons. The feeling of having him so close is inebriating.

“Sorry about that. I promise you can touch the bottom everywhere in here.” He apologizes and I put a tentative tiptoe on the ground. The water reaches my shoulder and I sigh in relief. Or at least I try, because my arms are still around Harrison’s neck and his are around my waist. His handsomeness is intoxicating.

I find myself staring into his blue eyes and I’m so close I notice a few bits of gold inside the ocean of his irises. His dark blond lashes are long, the pearly drops of water trapped between them making his eyes stand out even more.

I don’t realize I’m staring at him until he clears his throat and walks toward the pool edge, helping me out. When I’m finally on the deck chair again, I sigh in relief.

“Thank you for letting me stay here. I really appreciate your help,” I say taking a sip of the tea.

Harrison studies me for a long moment. “It’s you that have a problem with me, not the other way around. I’ll always be there for someone I’m working with.”

And just like that, Harrison proves he’s not the bad person I made him out to be in my head. I feel guilty for treating him like shit and making his experience on my set a nightmare. Something I promised I would never do.

I lower my gaze, unable to look him in the eye. I feel like a shitty person and I can’t shake this feeling in my chest. “Sorry about that. I don’t have any excuses for how I treated you,” I mumble way too low to sound convincing.

His fingers graze my chin and force me to look him the eye. I can only describe his expression as a mixture of concern and wisdom. Why can’t he just be a pretty-boy star? It would be easy, but I suspect nothing is easy with him.

“Don’t beat you up for that. We got over it. Just enjoy the rest of the filming and put everything you have into this movie,” he says in a serious tone.

I smile. “You really like your job, don’t you?”

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