He cleared his throat. “Do you want some more?”
She nodded eagerly. His eyes flickered away as she ate another one.
“I thought you had work. Why are you here…” Her eyes found his casual attire after chewing. “Dressed down like this?” She took in his clothing; loose black slacks and a white dress shirt.
“I took the day off and hung out with some friends of mine. We went to our usual boxing gym.”
“Youbox? And why haven’t you mentioned these friends of yours?”
“Yes, Ibox,” he mirrored her way of stressing the word. “And maybe because I haven’t been seeing them as often? I don’t know.” His shoulders moved up and down lightly.
“We’ve been friends since college, but with everyone’s jobs, it’s been difficult to make time. Doesn’t help that Chase has been out of the country for the past two years. You’ve probably heard of them. Chase owns Carva & Co., a luxurybrand line. And Ethan is a bestselling author and screenwriter for many films.”
Emily stiffened.“You’re not…” She released a shaky breath. “You’re not talking about Chase Carvalho and Ethan Yuen, are you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, you know them?”
The smallest yelp left her before she took a deep breath, regaining her composure. “DoIknowthem? I’m pretty sureeveryoneknows them.”
Nicolas’s eyes took in every twitch of her facial muscles. “Now there’s a part of me that wishes youdidn’t, Em. You seem way too starstruck for someone of your stature. Who is it? Chase? Ethan? Or worse…both?”
She smacked his arm. “Shut up! I’m not starstruck. It’s just that I’ve always wanted to work with Ethan. He’s a genius. Full stop. You don’t understand howprecioushis scripts are.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she practically vibrated with excitement. “Really? They’d better be, considering how he hibernates for half a year like a damn animal while writing.”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, they are! Actors have multiple rounds of auditions just to land a role.Anyrole.”
Suddenly her expression clouded. “The problem though is that he specializes only in adult books and films.”
Nicolas froze for a second, then his hand reached out and squeezed her own. “I heard about your disagreement with F&G.”
Her gaze held his at the mention of the entertainment firm, realizing that was the reason for his reaction. “Yeah, I don’t particularly like the idea of being nude on camera. I know some actors find it empowering or artistic, and Irespect that completely, but it’s just…not for me. Something about eyes on me in my most vulnerable state makes me feel…somewhat ill.”
His touch transitioned into a massage up the length of her arm. “I’m sorry you had to be pressured into something like that.”
“It’s alright, I’ve had to deal with more unpleasant situations.” He let out a huff at that which made her grin. “But if the opposite were the case, would you be fine with me acting in an R-rated film?”
Her eyes assessed him, her heart thudding.
His lips pursed. “It’s not that I’d be fine, per se. Of course, I’d be a bit jealous that others would see you in a way only I want to, but if it’s something you want to pursue for your career…I can’t exactly deny you that, can I?”
She grasped him by the cheeks. “Why are you so adorable?”
“Emily,” he sighed. “What have we discussed about that word?”
“That you want me to call you it?”
He fought back a smile, lips folding but his eyes danced with amusement. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”
“Funny, ‘cause that’s exactly what I thought about you in Montecito.”
“As if you were such a ray of sunshine.”
“Others tend to think that,” she declared, tossing her hair with an exaggerated flair.
He hummed deeply in a mix of defeat and approval. “I’d say I can make it happen for you to work with Ethan on a project, but I know you wouldn’t take well to that.”
“You know me too well, husband.” She patted his cheek before leaning back.
