Page 22 of The Singapore Stunt

I pull Kimberly to me, her hand landing on my chest. She glances over her shoulder, a short giggle on her lips as she directs me to the side of a building. I don’t think. I follow. Her blonde hair catches the light from above as we step into the darkness. Her back hits the concrete wall, and her lips part with a quick gasp, which causes my chest to tighten and my pulse to race.

I do the opposite of what every part of me wants to do. I slow down. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, one which I won’t rush. My finger traces the outline of her face. Her smooth, silky skin heated—a temperature that must match mine. The two of us stepping into the inferno together. She puckers her lips and presses them against my finger, a daring move that prompts me to do the same.

I lean forward, our heated breaths mixing. She pants, and my resolve nearly crumbles. The tips of our nose touch, and she lets out a breathy whisper. “Kiss me already.” It’s a desperate plea that pushes me over the edge.

Our lips meet, and I watch the spark in her eyes ignite, a brilliant kaleidoscope of golden light shooting out in every direction. She pulls on the back of my neck, hungry to devour all of me. And I’m all too happy to feed her every desire.

My hand disappears into her golden tresses, a move I’ve been dreaming about since the moment we met. I’m not gentle. I pull on the ends of her hair, forcing her to lift her chin, her collarbone exposed. Peppered kisses are my deceit, a false flag as to what is to come. My mouth opens, and I take a bite along her neck. Her moan is the greatest sound in the world. I want to leave my mark, a mark no amount of makeup will cover. I want her to look in the mirror, see the mess, and relive this moment over and over.

She digs her nails into my shoulder. “Not yet,” she whispers, pulling away. “Filming starts in two days.”

“You should’ve thought of that before you pulled the band off,” I grunt and pinch her earlobe between my teeth.

She closes her eyes and moans. “I knew you were trouble the second I saw you.” Her hands are in my hair again. Her magnificent digits swirl on my scalp, along the base of my neck. She scratches along the back of my neck, marking her territory. She bounces on her toes and hops into my arms, wrapping her legs around me.

I squeeze her incredible ass and spin, my back hitting the concrete wall. “You have no idea,” I whisper warn. My heart pounds in my chest at the realization of this moment. “I want to do very bad things to you.” My right hand runs up from her hip and rests just beneath the outline of her bra. I’m teetering on the edge of a cliff with no regard for how far I will fall.

“If I don’t stop myself right now, we’re both going to get arrested,” I mutter more for my benefit. If we were back in LA, my hand would unbutton the back of her sundress and free roam until I unclasped her fire-red bra. But we’re not in LA. Singapore has a million CCTV cameras and a penalty system not even a powerful Hollywood studio could skirt around.

Her fingers draw small circles at the top of my head, a sexy smirk on her luscious lips. “I see you are always a man of control.”

“I have you pinned to a wall with my hand underneath your dress. What about this scream’s control?”

“The fact that I still have my clothes on or that you haven’t carried me back to your bedroom.”

I press a ghost kiss to her lips, and she slides down my body, her feet back on Mother Earth. “The night is still young.”

I capture her gaze, a twinkle in her eye, a question on her lips. “Is that what this is? A night?” I try to decipher her question, not quite able to interpret her intent. The question isn’t filled with doubt or accusation, but something different. Curiosity. An opening statement to a conversation.

She slips a hand into mine and waits for me to reply. When her eyes roam my face, I realize what she’s looking at. I lower my chin to avoid the look I know that follows. The one I’ve gotten for years whenever a woman gets a good look at my scar. “I’m just a guy you met on set. I’m sure I’m not that special from the last one or the next one.” It kills me to say these words to her, but I have to be true to myself. She’s not interested in what I want. I know that. How could she? She’s Kimberly freaking Conrad. I’m just an out-of-town distraction. I know what role I get to play. I’m the warm, lucky body who struck the proximity lottery. And like a cheap lottery ticket, she’s here for the momentary thrill. Scratch me, enjoy the moment, and then toss me in the garbage.

I don’t blame her. I’ve been guilty of doing the same on a remote shoot a time or two. But this felt different from the beginning, at least for me. I can’t believe I thought, for an instant, that this might be something that it’s not.

She drops my hand, taking with it the heat. “How could you think that?” Her arms cross against her chest, and she takes a step backward. It’s tiny, but I notice. “You think I do this regularly? Did you hear what I said? Every second of my life is logged. If I did what you’ve accused me of doing, don’t you think it would be on TMZ or someplace?”

A snicker escapes from my lips, a reflex action that causes fire to appear in her eyes. And not the good kind. “Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I was wrong about you,” she mutters to herself.

“Me?” I jump to my defense. “Look at us.” I point to the wall behind us. “You didn’t seem too concerned about TMZ a few seconds ago. I’m sure as much as they chase you, you’ve learned a trick or two to avoid them. So don’t look at me as if I’m insane for thinking this thought. You live in a world that’s completely different from mine. Anything you want, you get. Magazine covers, feature films…” My voice cracks as I hear my own words. “Doing your own stunt work… even me.” I can’t believe I cede this much power to her. But it’s the truth. It may have started as a silly joke, but all she needs to do is look me in the eye and tell me a want, and I will walk through a wall of fire to bring it to her.

The flames in her eyes turn tender, a warmth I’ve come to expect returning. “I work hard for everything I get.” She spits the words at me like a fighter. “Everything.” Her hand returns to my chest. Her touch is electric. The charge is unstoppable. “This.” She taps my chest just above my heart. “This is not a game for me, Mattias.”

I hear her. I feel her sincerity. I want to believe. I do. But her history says otherwise. She fooled the entire planet for a year and a half that she was in love with Trace “Mr. Gorgeous” Edwards. You don’t go from Mr. Hollywood to me. There has to be some angle I’m not seeing.

“Look at me.” I don’t point to my face, but I know she knows what I’m talking about. “Tell me, out of all the men in the world chasing after you, you’ve decided on me? Me? This is the face you want next to yours on those tabloids?”

Her hand cups my face, her eyes locked directly on my scar. I want to turn away from her intense stare, but I can’t. I’m locked in a tractor beam, helpless.

“We all have scars,” she whispers. “Yours are on the outside for everyone to see. It doesn’t for a second diminish the beauty I see.” She lifts a finger to touch my face. I steel myself before giving her a short nod. Her finger traces along the ugly scar, and I wish I could read her mind. She’s not shying away like the other women, nor is her face twisted in disgust. She beams at me as if she’s looking at a beautiful sunset.

“Tell me now if you don’t want this.” She cups my face again, her lips inches from mine. “I want this, Mattias. And not just for a night. I want to see what is here. I think it could be special.”

Her words are like a magic potion from a dream I never knew I could own. I bite my tongue to prevent myself from screaming. How do you respond when someone is offering you the greatest treasure in your life, and it’s all yours if you have the courage to say yes?

“Are you sure?” I stall. Three other questions I’m not ready to ask are on the tip of my tongue.

“Are you?” She tosses my lazy question back at me. “I know you don’t know me, but you’ve seen me the last few days. I give my all. In everything. If we’re going to do this…”

She’s right. I’ve watched her every second since she set foot on this island. She’s relentless, hardworking, focused, and all in. It’s everything any person could ever want in a partner.

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