Page 35 of Nathan

A growl sounds in my throat that makes him laugh harder. I almost inhale the rest of my appetizer.

Dropping my spoon, I gesture with a flourish. “Ta-Da.”

Nate finishes at a much more leisurely pace. By the time he pushes his bowl to one side, I’m almost fizzing with anticipation and a healthy dose of annoyance.

“Enough, already.”

He gives me an innocent stare. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You’re playing games.”

He rests back in his chair and drops his napkin beside his bowl. “I wanted to see you. I needed to eat. It seemed like a good idea to do both things simultaneously. Plus…” He shifts in his chair. Jesus, Nate O’Reilly actually looks uncomfortable. My skin tickles in anticipation. “We’re doing a night shoot tonight. It’ll probably finish about two a.m. I wondered if you wanted to swing by the set, and maybe after, we could grab a bite to eat, and you could come back to my place.”

My mouth falls open. Actually drops almost to the table like a scene from a cartoon. Okay, not exactly like that, but I’m entitled to overexaggerate. I’m in shock over here. “You want me to come… to come…”

He beckons to me and whispers, “Yes, I want you to come and come and come. On my tongue, my cock, in my mouth. Over and over. But not until I’ve finished work.”

Heat almost burns the skin off my face. Nate is so comfortable with dirty talk, whereas I have some serious catching up to do.

“I’ll text you the details of where you need to go. Security will direct you when you get there, then I’ll come fetch you. Deal?”

Railroaded yet thrilled, I nod. “I’ll be there.”

Chapter 14

Dex

I stop the car at the security gate, roll down my window, and give my name to the guard. He checks down a list, nods, then gives me directions on where to park. The red-and-white striped barrier lifts, allowing me access onto the set. It feels odd being here, especially as I’ve done my best to avoid all things Hollywood since moving to Los Angeles in search of a better life for Mom, and for us to be closer to my sister.

I turn left at the end of the road. A yellow sign with large black lettering that reads ‘Visitors’ tells me I’m in the right place.

Where is Nate, though? He said he’d be here to greet me, but there are only a few people hanging about with clipboards and various filming paraphernalia. Cutting the engine, I sit for a moment and take a few deep breaths. Being invited here by Nate feels like a shift in our relationship, as if the tectonic plates are grinding together, and I’m not sure whether the earth moving beneath my feet is something to cling to or run from.

A tap on my window startles me. Nate’s winter-blue eyes and white-toothed grin peer through the glass before he opens the door.

“Come on, Titch. I’ll show you around.”

I take my keys out of the ignition and climb out of the car. Locking it behind me, I slip my hand inside Nate’s outstretched one. “I’ve never been on a set before.”

Nate begins walking toward a huge building that resembles an aircraft hangar. “It’s not nearly as glamorous as you might think. This job is ninety-five percent hanging around, and five percent acting.”

He pushes open a door and gestures for me to go in first. “Let’s get some caffeine in you and then I’ll take you through to where we’re shooting tonight’s scene.” He strides to the far side of the building, waves at a couple technicians unwinding an enormous reel of cable, then opens another door that leads into a kitchen.

A few people are sitting at a table drinking coffee and chatting. One of them I recognize as Nate’s co-star. I rack my brains trying to remember her name but come up empty. I rarely watch TV and have only tuned into Nate’s show because, well, Nate is in it. If anyone asks me to recall the storylines or who the other actors are, I couldn’t tell them.

“This is Dex,” Nate says. “You fuckers… be nice. She’s coming on set tonight for the shoot.”

“Hey, Dex,” his co-star says. “I’m Sharla. Sadly for me, I have to work with this prick five, sometimes six days a week.”

Nate throws a sugar sachet at Sharla, hitting her on the side of her head. She laughs and throws it back, her aim not nearly as true.

“Ignore her.” Nate flings an arm around my shoulder while pouring coffee into two paper cups with his free hand. “She loves me really.”

Sharla snorts, but her eyes twinkle. I take to her immediately.

I drink my coffee in silence while Nate, Sharla, and the rest of the crew banter back and forth. Once we’ve finished, Nate gets to his feet. “Come on, Titch.” He points his finger at Sharla. “Don’t be late. I want to be out of here by two at the latest.”

She gestures dismissively. “Yeah, yeah.”

---