WHAT A WEIRD DAY, NATE THOUGHTas he lay in bed, drifting in and out of sleep. He’d turned down drinks with Frankie and the production crew, too tired to socialise. His mind was drained, and bursting, and muddled all at once: his dreamy thoughts flitting all over the place between scenes from the day and ones from his past he’d rather not remember.
All he needed right now was to be alone and sleep. Deeply.
He’d forgotten the intensity of filming. Screen acting felt like slipping on an old pair of shoes that fit, but no longer suited him. Was returning to acting a mistake?
He’d launched into that audition with fake confidence he now regretted. The child-actor’s big return. Huh. More like a desperate attempt to escape his current failing personal life. He shook his head at his past rash decision-making and rolled over, enjoying the softness of the sheets against his bare chest. At least the bed felt comfortable. Nothing much had felt comfortable in his life since he’d caught his ex cheating.
Comfort had been something he’d taken for granted with Samantha. When his work schedule allowed, he would stay at the gorgeous London apartment they’d bought together a year ago. The minute he saw the apartment listing, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, polished concrete floors, and fantastic views from the balcony, he knew it was perfect. He loved sitting out there with a glass of wine, just taking in the hustle and bustle of the city below. All his hard work, paying off.
Samantha kept it nice while he was gone, too. And he was gone a lot. She was an interior designer and enjoyed her luxuries: silk sheets and plush leather furniture, great coffee and even better food. There was a comfort in knowing she was there for him after a long week at work. His job was often uncomfortable and draining, in a different way to acting, and it was nice to know he had someone to go home to. To know he had her curves to snuggle up against, her soft sweet hair to bury his face into, her sparkling laugh, intelligent conversation…no, he couldn’t let himself go there. Rage boiled up, consuming the sadness below it. Samantha was gone and—
The sound of a door opening and closing again caught Nate mid-thought. Was that the neighbour? He sat up and listened, muscles tense. No, someone was definitely moving around the house. Before Nate could clear his head enough to take action, the bedroom door opened and light flooded into the room around a very familiar silhouette.
4
“SAMANTHA? WHAT THE—”The woman in the doorway froze. He’d recognise those curves anywhere. Nate’s half-awake mind raced. Was she here to apologise?
He took in her bare feminine shoulders, swept his eyes over her full breasts and hips covered by skimpy lace underwear.
Was she here to convince him to come home?
Nate’s body reacted automatically. His shoulders tensed, ready for an argument and, annoyingly, the urgent heat of attraction radiated deep within. But he wasn’t interested in anything that woman had to say or do. There were no excuses. Even if there were, he didn’t want to hear them.
All the pain and regret and betrayal he’d been pushing down rushed into his chest and charged at his heart, daggers ready.
“Get out!” he yelled. “Just get out!”
With a squeal, the woman disappeared into the hallway, leaving Nate sitting up in bed shaking with adrenaline. What just happened? How could—
Idiot.Realisation hit him and drained the fight from his limbs. There was no way Samantha could have followed him from London to rural New Zealand. The middle of nowhere.He hadn’t even told his parents where he was. He barely knew where he was.
His sleep-drugged mind cleared and Nate slowly pieced together a more likely scenario. Could the silhouette be the midwife from the show...what was her name? She was so similar to his ex, he hadn’t even been able to look at her on set. He was sure Samantha even owned the exact same little black dress. The close resemblance had completely shaken him, and he knew he’d come across as rude when Laney introduced them. And now, if that was her, he’d screamed at a complete stranger.Good one.
But what on earth was she doing in his room, and in black lacey underwear, no less?
Nate propped himself up on the edge of the bed until his limbs stopped shaking and his pulse calmed. He pulled on the jeans he’d left next to the bed and made his way to the lounge, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.
JESS THREW HER SUITCASE DOWN AND RUMMAGEDthrough it for a pair of pyjamas, her heart pounding. What was that pompous Hollywood doctor doing in her bed? Her face flushed, but more from rage than embarrassment. Obviously there’d been a mixup, but it would have to behim,wouldn’t it?
At the creak of the hallway door opening behind her, she stood to her full height, and—hands on her lace-covered hips—turned to confront Nate.
On seeing her still in her bra and panties, he shielded his eyes with his hand and stared at the ground.
“Sorry, I mean...I didn’t…Can I ask what you’re doing here?” he stuttered.
“This is the accommodation I was given, so I guess I should be asking you that question.” It thrilled her a little to see him looking so uncomfortable.
“Your accommodation?! I’ve been here for—”
“I don’t care how long you’ve been staying in my cottage,” she bit back.
Nate sighed, his hand still covering his eyes.
He could try to come across as the perfect gentleman all he wanted, but there was no way she’d buy it.
“This is the address Tom sent me to.” She let her gaze drift down Nate’s bare chest to his narrow hips and back up again, measuring him up. “It was next to my name on the list. And to be honest, I’m far too tired to be dealing with you right now.”
With his toned shoulders and sculpted abs, he certainly fit the actor stereotype. The familiar pull tugged in her stomach. She knew just what it felt like to be pressed up against a body like that, but these hot guys were clones of each other, with personalities to match. You knew one; you knew them all. And she’d known enough of them to stay well away.
