Page 16 of Rocks You Like a Cabernet

Again, all I do is nod like a mute fool.

Oh yeah. I’m more than good sleeping wrapped up in those muscular arms of his.

Chapter Eight

Henrik

“Idon’t know how they did it, but we’re making headlines. Again.” Bryn appears in the kitchen doorway right as I’m taking a large gulp of my mid-morning coffee. She looks radiant and happy as she makes her way to me–something she hasn’t been in my presence before.

I’m loving the change in our relationship since last night. Seeing her this comfortable and open with me makes my chest feel tight. And not in the medical emergency way. In the oh shit I might be seriously falling for this girl kind of way.

Which was dangerous. I liked a little danger. But I didn’t want to jeopardize what Bryn was starting to rebuild. Her last co-star did wrong by her. Used her name and celebrity for his own gain. That was the last thing I wanted to do.

Coming right to me and making herself comfortable at my side, Bryn holds up her phone.

“Look.”

I’m so stunned at how easily she came to me that I don’t catch on to what she’s showing me right away. My eyes adjust to the image on her phone. It’s a picture of her and me when we got out of the car to make our way to the cabin.

The rain was only a light mist at the time so we don’t look like drowned rats–yet. We’re not in an embrace or anything physical like that but we are close. And looking at each other in such a way that someone–or everyone–could think it’s intimate.

“Wait. How the hell are you getting service here?”

“That’s what you’re curious about? Cell service? Not that we were obviously followed and set up by Cameron.”

“I’m not indifferent to it,” I tell her, passing over my mug to her so I can get a closer look at her phone. Bryn doesn’t hesitate in taking a sip. My chest does that weird palpitations again. “I just figured Cameron would find more than one way to spin this story and make it bigger.”

“He’s such a jackass,” she mutters from behind the rim of the mug. Handing it back and plucking her phone from my light grip, I watch in fascination as Bryn walks backwards out of the room. “He’d do anything to make us look like we actually like each other.” Her voice is full of sass and the teasing smile on her face has me grinning too.

“I thought after last night we were friends.”

“You’re okay,” she laughs. “Not my most loathed acquaintance anymore. You’re maybe even in my top thirty most liked people.”

“Top thirty. Wow. What a genuine honor. Am I blushing?”

“Careful, you could be moved.” Her eyebrows dance at her joke. “I’m going to take a shower. Want to run some lines when I’m done since there’s nothing else to do with this rain? Now that I know you’re not the spawn of Satan I might be able to actually act like I like you.”

I can’t see her anymore but I can still hear her through the small cabin.

“I’m number one in Princess Adelina’s eyes.”

“No you’re not. Her dog is number one.”

Shit. I can’t fight that logic.

I go to take a sip of my coffee and find the mug empty. I throw my head back on a laugh. Yeah, this woman was dangerous and I lived for the thrill of it all.

***

Watching Bryn work was pure magic.

In all the time we’d worked together back on set, I’d never seen her so focused. So attuned to her character and breathing every word as if it was air.

I could see it now. Why they’d chosen her for the part. As if there could be anyone else to play Adelina. Bryn brought the beloved character to life, right off the pages of the book.

She was currently biting the end of her pen, going over something in her head and I was standing here like a love lost fool watching. It was amazing to watch a professional at work. And if she ever called an end to this rehearsal we had going on, I’d tell her that. She was too in the zone to stop now though.

“I think,” she starts, surprising me out of my musings, “that there needs to be more push-and-pull in this scene. More than what is already written here. Does that make sense? Every time I’m about to turn or walk away you need to reach out. Your hand should always be reaching for me and I should always be trying to avoid…but not really avoid. Right?” She whispers the last part to herself before scribbling something down.

---