Page 145 of From Rivals to I Do

“It’s just until five o’clock. If it’s a good marriage, we can last until five o’clock,” Leonard says, reading right off the paper this time.

He leans down and puts his cheek against mine to simulate the cheek kiss in the play.

“Was that a kiss?” I say, my tone incredulous and hurt all at once.

Leonard fakes a sigh and nearly breaks his character with a smile, but manages to contain himself. “Would you get back inside? It’s a nice hotel.”

“Answer me, Paul, was that a kiss? Because if that’s what kisses are going to be like from now on, don’t even bother coming back at five,” I say, turning my

back to him and walking into the living room.

Leonard follows me with a sigh, just like I asked him to, and grabs my shoulder to turn me around. “Listen, I can’t kiss you anymore. My lips are numb. Now

will you go back inside,” he exclaims, not even looking at the script. I wonder if he remembers the scene from the movie.

“If you don’t give me a real kiss right now,” I say, my voice raised to scold him. I look around the room and down at my outfit where I pretend to unbutton a

top. “I’m going to take off your pajamas!”

“Just wait a minute,” he pleads, watching me pretend to unbutton more looking around to keep other invisible eyes from watching. “Connie, wait!”

We had planned the scene to end there since it is just an audition after all, and they will not need me to kiss the person I am auditioning with. But Leonard

swoops in and grabs me in his arms, leaning down to kiss me.

He catches me off guard and my body tenses for a moment, but when I fully realize what is happening, I relax and wrap my arms around his neck, fully

enjoying our kiss.

Chapter eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

I’ve felt something special about Rayne since I first met her, and now she is in my arms and kissing me. It feels perfect, like everything has aligned and

brought us together for this moment. Every reason I had for not being with her weeks ago when I first realized I wanted to cease to exist in my mind. I want her

and only her.

We eventually pull away from each other, both completely shocked by what just happened. Rayne looks down at the script in her hands and then all

around the room. I can’t read her expression exactly, but she looks ashamed or guilty – like she regrets the kiss already.

I back away from her and shake my head.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, nearly speechless.

I finally kiss the one woman I want to be with, and she hates it.

“It’s fine,” she whispers, backing away from me, her face flushed.

“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have done that,” I admit. “I was just caught up in the lines.”

“I was, too. That’s really all it was,” she says, trying to ease the situation.

“Yeah, but I’m your boss, and it was very inappropriate.” My voice shakes when I speak, not from sadness but from the anger I have with myself for getting so carried away. “I should go.”

I grab my jacket and keys and leave the house without saying another word. I knew there was a reason I should not have been around her, but I persisted

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