“Thanks for your help on my audition, by the way. It went well, I think. You’re a very committed scene partner.”
Ethan’s face slackened like someone had pulled the power cord on him. He was silent for a long moment, then reached his hand over to her. She flinched, but he was just turning down the radio.
He cleared his throat.
“Listen. Grey.”
She was listening all right, but several more seconds passed in loaded silence before he said anything else.
“What happened the other day…I think we’ve all been there, right? We got a little too into the scene, a little carried away. It happens. I didn’t mean…I mean, we would’ve stopped before…” He paused, then started again. “We just have to keep it professional.”
She couldn’t help herself. He seemed so flustered she had to tease him a little.
“Professional. Right. Like how both of our last relationships were with our costars?”
“And look how well that worked out for us,” he muttered under his breath.
She looked over at him, for real this time, a little surprised at the grimness of his reaction. His mouth was set in a tense line.
Maybe this wasn’t the time to bring up the casual sex idea after all.
They pulled up to The Blue Oasis late in the afternoon. The exterior was still the same impeccably preserved original Spanish colonial revival design from when it had been the ultimate getaway for Hollywood stars of the twenties and thirties. However, over the last five years, the interior had been painstakingly renovated to be the pinnacle of modern convenience. Grey and Ethan were ushered into their villa, which was more like a luxury condo than any hotel room Grey had ever stayed in.
There was a full kitchen, a living room area with an enormous couch and a half bath, a master bedroom with a walk-in closet, and a palatial bathroom with a two-headed rain shower and full-sized Jacuzzi. Outside, a tall fence lined with palm trees provided privacy for their small patio and private pool. The perfect lovers’ getaway.
When Audrey had said “weekend,” Grey had assumed she meant they would be there Friday through Sunday, but apparently her definition had them arriving on Thursday and leaving on Monday. Five days, four nights.
One bed.
“I can take the couch,” Ethan said as soon as the bellhop had deposited their bags in their room. “Looks like it’s a pull-out. Could be worse.”
“Sounds good,” Grey said, scolding herself internally for even thinking for a moment that he might consider sharing the bedwith her. She brought her bags into the bedroom and ducked into the bathroom to freshen up. When she returned to the living room, Ethan was examining the extravagant gift basket that the resort had laid out for them on the coffee table, which included an expensive bottle of champagne and several chocolate-covered strawberries. He picked one up and inspected it.
“Should we go out to the lobby and feed these to each other?”
Grey laughed. “Bring out the champagne, too, so you can shake it up and spray it all over me.”
Ethan looked stricken.
“Um. I meant for the cameras. Never mind.” She shifted her weight, desperate to change the subject. “What time is our dinner reservation? Seven? I think I’m going to explore a little. Want to come?”
She was a little relieved when Ethan shook his head.
“I’m just going to hang out here for now. Maybe take a shower. You go do your thing, though.” He kicked his shoes off and sprawled out on the couch, flinging an arm over his face dramatically. Grey let herself take one long, languorous look at him; the lift of his arm revealed several tempting inches of skin between the bottom of his T-shirt and the top of his waistband. She wondered how he would react if she crossed the room and straddled him, pushing up his shirt and covering the terrain of his torso with her hands and her mouth. Now that she knew how he felt on top of her with the, well,firmevidence of his arousal pressed up against her, the fantasy was more real than it had ever been.
The worst part was, she now knew he wouldn’t push her away. It was whatever would happen afterward that was stopping her. If things got awkward between them on this trip, there was no office for him to retreat to, no home of her own to lie low in for a few days.
Ethan shifted his arm a little bit and peeked at her, catching her red-handed. Red-eyed?
“You’re still here?”
“I, um…I forgot something.” Grey dashed into the bedroom and rifled through her bag, pulling out her sunglasses and a baseball cap. She tossed them on as she came out into the living room. “Gotta go incognito, ya know?”
Ethan nodded gravely. “Naturally. I think I have a fake mustache in my dopp kit, if you need it.”
Grey laughed. “I’m not sure if I’m at that level yet, but I appreciate the offer.”
—
