Page 49 of #Starstruck

It ended with his character being the only survivor and deciding to go to college to pursue his dreams, after all, since so many of his friends and family members had permanently lost their chance to do more with their lives.

He paused the credits, and I tried to wipe away tears with my free hand before he noticed.

“Hashtag better thanOctavius?” he teased.

“Definitely hashtag better thanOctavius. You were amazing.”

He squeezed my hand. “That means more to me than any professional review.” He kept the room in the dark, and I wondered if he wanted us to watch another movie. It would have to be something lighter, though. I had been fighting off sobs for the past hour. “Do you regret today?”

What? “Are you kidding me? Today was ... incredible.” I wanted to say more, but I stopped. Until it occurred to me that maybe the reason he was holding back was because I held back. Maybe it was time to break the cycle. “It was easily one of the best days of my life.”

He looked surprised. “Even with the crowd chasing us?”

“Even then.” Probably because I’d been with him.

“Some women haven’t ... liked that about me.”

It wasn’t like it was his fault people were crazy. “Everybody’s got something, right? Some guys go out to a bar every night. Others play golf all day Saturday. Or have to watch ‘the game’ all the time. Or participate inFight Club. This is your thing. Being mauled by random strangers.”

That got me a half smile. “I was really worried about you getting hurt today.”

“I was worried about you. With good reason.”

“I think I might have been scratched.” He turned the lights on and let go of my hand to yank off his shirt. He turned his back toward me. “Do you see anything?”

Did I see anything? Only the most masculine and magnificent display of broad shoulders and back muscles known to womankind. I reminded myself that I was supposed to be looking for injuries, not fantasizing about leaning forward to press kisses against his tanned skin. I noticed some freckles and a couple of scars but nothing recent. “All clear. Nobody drew blood.” My voice sounded small.

He put his shirt back on, and I wanted to pout with disappointment. He grabbed my hand again, like he hadn’t wanted to let go in the first place.

“Speaking of today, I realized I did make one mistake. When you asked me where my favorite place was, I should have said London. Or Paris.” He was playing with my fingers, sliding his own between them, making my stomach clench and my skin feel too tight.

“Let’s go home and get your passport. We’ll go right now.”

Thing was, he didn’t sound like he was teasing. Like if I said yes, I’d be on a private jet in a couple of hours on my way to Europe. “I don’t have a passport. I’ve never really traveled anywhere.”

“We’ll have to rectify that. After you get your passport.”

First thing to do Monday morning: get my freaking passport. Even though I could never let him spend that kind of money and fly me to England or France.

Could I?

There was definitely a part of me that considered it. I kept surprising myself with my reactions to him and the things he said.

“Speaking of travel, I have some not-so-great news. I have to go to Ireland for about three weeks.”

“What? Why?” I whined like Zelda did when somebody told her she couldn’t have chocolate.

“We have to do some location reshoots. They decided to change a couple of things about the script. Too bad about that passport or you could have come with me.”

Little thrill pangs surged through me at the thought of being with him in a place as beautiful as Ireland. Until reality set in. “Even if I had one, I couldn’t just ... I have school. And my family. And I had to start a new job since my last boss was an egomaniacal celebrity unfamiliar with sexual harassment law.”

And I’m still not sleeping with you.I kept that last bit to myself.

He grinned and pulled my hand up to his mouth. He kissed the back of it. The contact was brief, but it made my knees melt. I was glad I was sitting down.

“Just promise me you won’t go falling in love with some other guy while I’m gone.” He said it in a playful tone, but I sensed some seriousness behind it.

“I don’t know how that would be possible, given that you basically ruined my last date.” I hadn’t meant to say that, especially once I saw the wicked gleam in his eyes.

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