Page 33 of By The Book
They jerked back before the kiss could even take place and laughed with embarrassment as the crew cracked up.
“All good,” Oliver said, smiling himself. “That’s why we practice. Try again.”
Claire moved back to her appointed position and pulled in a deep breath, reminding herself of the cushion the extra money would give her. That alone calmed her nerves a bit as she took position.
This time when she started toward Denz and raised her arms, she was careful not to swing the shoes so hard. Denz turned and caught her against his chest, and she pulled his head low, giving him an awkward kiss.
“Cut!”
She broke away, embarrassed by her ineptness, and heard Denz murmur something about the third time being the charm.
“Claire?”
She looked up at him and found his brown eyes warm and welcoming. Comforting?
“Relax. It’s just me, a friend.”
She shook her head, and as though he read her thoughts and realized the importance of her head shake, his gaze widened just a tad.
“Ready?”
Her fangirl crush on Oliver Beck was waning fast.
She took position and looked up to see Denz still watching her. Their gazes locked, and it was a long moment before he turned away to face the ocean once more.
She thought about what Oliver had told her regarding the character she was meant to be. Someone boxed in by responsibilities and expectations, drawn to a man she couldn’t have because of who he was and what he did.
Denz was handsome, kind. Caring. He’d proven so several times in the brief time she’d known him. Under different circumstances, maybe…
She inhaled and took a step. Another and another, the last couple a rush to get to him before it was too late and her chance at this moment was forever lost.
Denz turned and caught her against him, and this time she forgot about the stupid shoes and the buzzing drone and the people watching.
She stared up at him, mouths almost touching but not, until she closed her eyes and closed the distance, pressing an urgent kiss to his mouth born of desperation and fear and desire.
Real and pretend.
Denz’s arms tightened around her, lifting her against him. In that instant, something changed. He cradled her face with his palm as though cherishing the forbidden moment, the intensity and emotion too close and too real for comfort.
She gasped for breath, and the moment her lips parted, Denz changed the angle and the kiss deepened. Definitely not fake.
One kiss blended into another, before they slowly drew apart, forehead to forehead, gazing into each other’s eyes, until Oliver cut the scene and people clapped.
“That was fantastic,” Oliver said.
“Given the significance of the occasion,” Denz murmured, “I thought I ought to do it right.”
And oh, had he ever. Her knees were weak, her entire body trembled, and though she could probably blame her reaction on the nervousness of filming, she knew to do so would be a lie.
“You two sure you’ve never done this before?” Oliver asked as he joined them. “I think you filmed better than the actors.”
“Easy to do with such a beautiful woman,” Denz said.
She managed a weak smile, unsure of how to respond.
“You did a great job today. I expected to be here for hours.”
“Thank you,” she said.
