Page 71 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

“No, Loki! Those are for the movie!”

Jane had been prepared for such a moment. Opening her bag, she took out one of the shoes Loki had already been using as a chew toy.

“You don’t want that one, Loki. You want this tasty shoe that you’ve already started on.” She waved it at him in a tantalizing manner, causing him to drool at the sight. He bounded to her, snatched the shoe out of her hand, then promptly went to work demolishing it, the other shoes completely forgotten.

“It worked.” No one was more shocked than she was.

A giant smile of welcome spread over Logan’s lips.

“Perfect timing. You always know what to do with him. How was your ride, Darling?”

He strode toward her covering the distance in three quick strides. Taking her hands in his, he kissed the tops of each before entwining his fingers with hers.

Jane blinked, shell-shocked by the greeting, unprepared for how happy he was to see her. Her mouth curved into an answering smile as she bathed under the warmness of his gaze.

“It was… uneventful.”

Turning so his back was to Federic, Logan’s smile dropped, eyes turning down with apology. It took a moment for her to understand, but then it became clear.

This was what she was being paid to do.

This act, their contracted “relationship,” it would all be beginning now.

As if to confirm her thoughts, Logan’s eyes flicked briefly, but pointedly, to his hairstylist, before returning to her. In that small motion, he had made it very clear that this was their coming out, and that his stylist would likely be a terrible gossip.

Forced to match his familiarity, Jane stepped into him. “How has your day been so far?”

She almost flinched from her bad acting. She’d have to do much better if they were going to pull this off, particularly with Federic side-eyeing them so closely.

“Much better now that you’re here.”

His arms slid around her, drawing her so close that her nose almost touched his.

Even though Jane knew — just like the set — that none of this was real, that he was an actor, she couldn’t help the sudden rush of pleasure that went through her body. Under his intense gaze, she lost herself.

His smile grew wider. Electricity cackled between them until she had the irrational thought that he was going to kiss her.

And yet… she didn’t pull away.

She raised her face so close to him that she could smell whatever heavenly product his hairdresser had put in his hair. Heat spread from Logan, his eyes turned smoky with desire until the world was quickly forgotten.

With her face tilted up at him like that, those bow-like lips quivering with anticipation, it was all Logan could do not to taste them. Drawing on every inch of professional power, he forced himself not to act on what he was feeling, knowing that it wasn’t real, and more importantly, it wasn’t the right thing to do.

Jane was vulnerable, a victim. She’d been thrown into his world and dragged into this sham of a publicity stunt. She didn’t understand how this all worked, and he couldn’t complicate matters by crossing the line, no matter how much fun the two might have in the process.

She wasn’t like the other women he’d dated.

She had gone through a terrible, and very recent, trauma. There were so many unanswered questions, he couldn’t take advantage of her. He came back to his senses, and a wall came down.

The door to the trailer blew open as Adele, towering on a pair of leopard print platform shoes, came thundering in. The two of them jumped apart, leaving Jane startled by the moment that had come between them.

“Jane, you’re here? Well, it’s nice to see the new lovebirds, right Federic?” She aimed the question at the hairdresser who looked startled at being caught openly staring. Federic ran a hand through his streaked blue hair.

“Yes, it is. You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone,” he chided in an affronted voice.

“Didn’t know I had to,” Logan replied smoothly.

As if he ever told him anything.

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