Page 49 of Behind the Scenes
Yet somehow all of that meant nothing the following day.
Or maybe it means too much.
Maybe this was Laura’s way of trying to put some realphysicalseparation between us. Because she couldn’t in that beautiful head of hers.
That giddy feeling that sprouted in me the night before wascoming back full force. Sheneeded some distance. She’d probably been nonstop thinking about what we did the night before.
It was a good sign. Great, even.And it was something I could give her.
“Deadly serious,” she deadpanned. The computer light was reflected in her glasses along with the mountain of text she was writing.
My worry for her never ceased. No matter how ecstatic I was at what happened, Laura was overworking. She hadn’t gotten up that much later than I had, judging from the time my message was delivered, meaning she hadn’t gotten enough sleep to be working as hard as she was.
That and the sun and heat would have done a number on her. There was a slight flush to her skin, but nothing overly burned.
At least there’s that.
“You got it, my love. If that’s what makes you comfortable,” I replied in a feigned nonchalance.
She only looked up when I started to take off my clothes. Like a moth to a flame. I remembered those same hungry eyes the night before. Remembered how they looked at me when she saw just how much she affected me.
“I’m not falling for?—”
“I’m going to take a shower,” I said and pushed off my pants and underwear in one go, kicking it to the side. “Feel free to stay there or join me. Your call.”
Her eyes drifted to the hair between my legs before letting out a huff and going back to her work. The slight redness creeping up the back of her neck caused a chuckle to escape from my lips.
I see you, Laura. Even if you don’t want me to.
But that was okay. I didn’t mind the cat-and-mouse game she wanted to play. I would win in the end.That much I knew.
So I let her sit there and stew while I treated myself to a nice long shower. I didn’t want to admit just how much the travel and the night with her, followed by a full day of filming, had worn me out.
I liked to keep a modicum of control. I needed my mask and a nice image. But I couldn’t keep it up if I was this tired. I was sadly only human after all.
The hot water relaxed my muscles and allowed me to reset my mind enough for the following day. I ran through the lines over and over again in my mind, but there were a few of them coming up blank.
I’ll have to study before tomorrow.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t just spend all my time obsessing over Laura. I needed to make money. Needed to make sure we both had the luxury of doing whatever we wanted. And that started and ended with being the best actor I could be.
When I finished my shower and opened the bathroom door, I was shocked to see Laura still on the bed where I left her, but this time she was on her computer.
My phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I walked over to pick it up, Laura ignoring me completely.
That bitch
It’s a woman. Trying to find her identity now.
Attached were pictures of a woman in a dark hoodie, mask, and sunglasses. Beyond suspicious in a Hawaiian resort.
“That bitch,” as I liked to call her, was actually an informant I met back in New York. She was really good at what she did, even if she charged an arm and a leg for it.
She was also extremely annoying, but I would do anything to make sure Laura was safe.
My eyes flitted to Laura, who was looking at me with a frown, but when our eyes met, she quickly shifted back to her computer.
Let’s play this up a little, hm?
