“You should know by now I can pull offanylook, Gem.”
I decide to test him on that theory, call him out on it—because I’m sure I could findsomethinghe can’t pull off—but get distracted.
Aaron walks forward, toward me, one slow step at a time. As he places each foot in front of the other, I’m forced to move backward, into the countertop directly behind me, and I gulp. Once he’s got my lower body fully pressed against the cabinets, my ass back against the counter and my arms gripping anywhere they can for purchase, he leans in even closer to me. His arms brace me, on either side of my body, and he pulls his right hand up to land on the side of my stomach, where his fingers trace my skin, even through the loose tee I’m wearing, that thumb tracking back and forth. A shiver rolls through me, my stomach drops and my core clenches. I always need this man’s presence close to me, but this level of need is something more intense than I usually let myself give into.
“You don’t think I can be sexy?” he whispers, his face inches from mine, his breath dancing across the delicate skin of my lips.
My eyes widen, running down what I can see of his chest and arms, and I gulp again.
SOS. Mayday. Abort, abort.That mechanical voice sounding in my head is absolutely freaking at me now, and I know I need to act fast.
I bring my arms up and slap his thin biceps. “Maybe if you had some more meat on these things.” My eyes trail down his body to his hips and below. “Or didn’t have chicken legs.”
I smirk at him, the disbelief on his face at me calling him out like that when we both know he’s far from skin and bones. Until his eyes darken, something devilish appearing in them before he speaks again, his lips practically touching my ear.
“Trust me, baby. I’ve gotplentyof what you’d like on my body.”
I can’t help the next wave of shivers that roll across my frame, and it’s his turn to smirk.
Aaron steps back and runs his gaze up and down my body, how my thighs have widened, my legs parted for him, my mouth hanging slightly open, my pulse probably visibly quickened at his words, that tone he used on me.
He shoots me a single wink and takes another step back, before casting me one final glance and turning away, but not before calling out his parting words.
“Thanks for believing in me, Gem. You’re the only one who always does.”
And this is the precise moment I realize all this chemistry I’ve felt between us, hiding in the ether all these years, is very, very real. And I’ll never stop believing in him.
ELEVEN
AARON
The sound of their giggling is so uncharacteristic of those two that it draws my attention from my script and onto their hunched forms. Alex’s ponytail sways and bobs as her head and shoulders shake with quiet laughter. Gemma’s hair looks less messy than usual and more like…Alex’s, I guess. Though physically, the two of them couldn’t look much more different. Gem’s all innocence with wide features and pale coloring, whereas Alex has got darker coloring and features; she looks adventurous and you just know there’s nothing innocent about that chick. But lately it’s like she’s rubbing off on Gemma. They’re spending so much more time together the past month or so, and I’m not sure I like it.
I strain my ears to hear what the fuck they’re laughing about, and Alex’s throaty rumble hits me first.
“I told you he was good.” I can visualize Alex’s smirk from that cat-got-the-canary tone in her voice.
“How did you even know?” Gemma’s voice is softer, sweeter, happier than I’ve heard her in a long while.
“Would you hate me if I said from personal experience?”
Gemma pulls back sharply from Alex and turns to look her dead in the eye with an incredulous expression before they both burst out laughing.
I’ll never understand women.
They bring their heads close together again and it’s a little harder to make out what they’re saying now that it’s through the laughter, but I’m pretty good at picking out Gem’s voice from all the way across a room if I need to, so I manage.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, but he was obviously way too nice for me, it was never going to last.” Another burst of giggles.Since when does Gemgiggle?Or Alex?“Anyway, that was forever ago, when we were in Belfast together. But I’ve been saving him for you for about a year now. Since he got to Atlanta from LA. I knew you guys would be perfect.”
Bile surges up the back of my throat and I’ve had about enough of listening to their girl talk. And people say guys’ locker room talk is bad. Not even close to the shit girls say when they think no one is listening.
I force my attention back onto the script in my hand and begin practicing my upcoming monologue under my breath. I’ve got another two hours before the shot, and technically we’re all on a lunch break right now, but since I’ve been trying to spend a little less one-on-one time with Gem to spare Kayla’s sensitivities, it’s taking me a little longer to learn my lines than I’m used to. A few weeks ago, she would’ve been over here eating with me and helping me run these lines, not over there fucking off.
“How are you feeling?” Alex’s voice breaks through my concentration anyway, and my eyes seek Gemma out automatically, worry filling me.
What’s wrong with Gem? Why is Alex concerned about her?
