“I guess so.”
“Good. Keeps things interesting.”
“Because anyone not kissing the ground you walk on is so novel?” Shit. Fuck. I did not mean to say that out loud. I’m going to get fired.
But Christine just chuckles. “You get it.”
I cast her a wary sidelong glance as loathing curls in my gut. It’s the best possible reaction for my career, and yet…God,she’s insufferable.
“You ready to spar later today?” she asks.
“I’ve been trying to not think about it.” It’s an honest answer. The fighting part is going to be easy. The drowning in alpha stink, not so much. We need to rehearse tonight for one of the ground combat scenes so we have at least some practice working together before we go up in the big rig. Even though that scene’s from the movie’s climax, there’s only a narrow window of time where our permission to shoot at that location and the weather line up. Plus, getting it out of the way ensures it won’t delay finishing the movie later.
“Don’t worry,” Christine says with a cool confidence that I’m sure works on other people. “I’ll go easy on you.”
She aims a light punch at my upper arm, but I’m not expecting it, so it sends me stumbling off-balance. And, okay, maybe I ham it up a little.
I cast a glare back at her, and her brows raise in genuine surprise.
She flexes her hand. “Eh-heh… oops.”
I straighten up and fold my arms, not entirely keeping the smugness out of my voice. “And that’s how a real professional sells the action.”
I want to see her jaw tighten like it did when Melinoë was mocking her; I want the satisfaction of getting under her skin.
But she won’t even give me that. Her surprise shifts to that dumb, wide grin of hers. “Hey, nice. You’ll have to teach me.”
“You’ll have to keep up.”
“Bet.”
I’m spared more of her smugness by Lana calling a wrap on this scene.
Bella finds me again. “Let’s get you back to wardrobe and into the corset. We’ve got some jumps to shoot.”
“You’ve got it.” I head up the gravel road back to the trailers.
“Don’t forget to keep something in the tank for me,” Christine calls.
Instinct takes over and I turn over my shoulder with that same smug,I’d-like-to-see-you-trylook that I pitched her from the boulder.
Christine only smiles.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
MYLO
Three hours later
My ribs achefrom the tight squeeze of the corset harness, made tighter each time it lifts my weight off my feet. Not only do I need to give a convincing leap into the air, but I also need to keep my balance perfect. Any wobble gives away the wires attached to either side, and it’s taken us a million takes (seventeen, to be precise) to nail every detail.
Even fresh, holding the full-body pose is challenging.
Tired and sore? Nearly impossible.
I do it with a smile—just like I know Gabriel and Bella did it with a smile when it was their turn in the harness. The motivation of making them proud is all I need to spring back to my mark, again and again.
