“Frostbite?” He smiled.
“Cold. Nothing. I’m not a professional actress, and it shows.” I sighed. I’d jumped so fast at this opportunity that I didn’t realize just how hard it was all going to be. Sebastian came over and put his arms around my waist. I stiffened and started to pull back, but Dante’s warning of the recast forced me to push through my nerves and stay in Sebastian’s embrace.
“Don’t think of it as acting. No one’s here to watch and review. Let’s just…”
“Talk?” I suggested, stepping out of his arms. I went to the bed and patted the spot beside me. He joined me. We stared at each other, soaking in the moment.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked.
I stared deep into his jade eyes. Suddenly, the years washed away, and we were back in time, just the two of us.
Everything.
My heart yearned to tell him everything. Every little detail of my life he missed after I left. To pick up right where we left off. To laugh and joke like we were kids. But we weren’t. Dante’s words ran through my mind.
Get to know adult Sebastian.
If I wanted to stay in this movie, I had to make them see chemistry. And chemistry with Sebastian should be easy. It was, at one time. I raised my hand slowly, touching his shaved cheek. Oh, how I wished I hadn’t missed this transition from teenage Sebastian to the man in front of me.
His breathing hitched at my touch, his eyes dipping to where my robe parted, revealing the tops of my breasts.
I leaned in, and this time, our kiss was...good.
Would it be so bad to enjoy my time with him while I had it? Sebastian let me lead, and eventually, I opened up and let our tongues touch. His hands slid up my arms, pulling me closer, not in a forceful way, but a needful way.
“Evie, this feels like a dream. You’re here, about to be my scene partner for the hottest sex scene of my career.”
This was the Sebastian I remembered. The one I’d left behind. We were each other’s firsts, and we’d never gotten the chance to explore that further…
I melted into his arms, shifting so his mouth could find my neck and collarbone.
“You know there’s a thing in the industry called unsimulated sex? Most of the stuff you see is simulated, but it doesn’t have to be if we don’t want it to...”
I moaned and closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy his touch as he continued seducing me with his words.
“Everyone has their favorite Final Girl, Laurie inHalloween, Nancy inNightmare on Elm Street, Ripley inAlien. My personal favorite was Kirsty fromHellraiser, but you top them all, Evie Reyes. You’re the ultimate Final Girl.”
The doors suddenly opened, and we jolted apart as the limited crew came in. Dante’s face lit up when he saw our flushed expressions.
“That looked amazing! Let’s keep that up. Can you do that with a room full of people?” he teased, causing us both to chuckle.
The private time had helped. Or made things worse. While I was confident now that I could kiss him on screen, I wasn’t entirely sure I was acting. I shoved away the nerves, watching with hungry eyes as Sebastian disrobed.
Anthony C. Hopkins.
He was even more…impressive than I’d remembered. Or imagined. I averted my gaze and allowed him his time. He did the same when it was my turn.
Kate taught us how to use body positions and camera angles to make it look like we were having sex. Unless it was a close-up, hardly anything was intimate or arousing. In fact, oftentimes they’d have us trying out positions that didn’t even seem possible. We were essentially playing Twister at times on the bed, but the lack of sensuality in it all often created laughter between Sebastian and me, which helped relax us both. It made the times when we stopped laughing…good.
There were times when the crew was in the room where the lines of acting and reality blurred. Dante had directed me to sit on Sebastian’s lap nude and make out with him. It was clear that Sebastian was struggling as well. His erection had pressed against my body almost all day.
Skye had said she hadn’t felt it once.
“I’d like to play with blocking for a simulated oral sex scene,” Dante said. “Are you comfortable doing that?”
“I’m down for whatever,” Sebastian said cheerfully. He’d been in a pleasant mood all day. It was a stark difference from what I’d been expecting, based on Skye’s experience. I was beginning to believe it may have been an intentional move on Sebastian’s part.
The idea sent nervous butterflies through me, but I quickly forced them away. I wasn’t here for love. And this movie was more than just revisiting my mom’s legacy. It was for avenging her.
