Page 60 of Broken Romeo

He laughs and shakes his head. “I’m telling you I’ve slept with directors in the past. And it never ends well. I don’t know what’s going on with you and Holden, but it’s clear something is happening.”

His confession warms me, and when he grabs my hand, my heart squeezes. Nolan is handsome. And sweet. And… kind of a goober. But liking him—dating him—would be so much easier than anything with Holden.

I return his smile. “Holden and I went to the same college.” I shrug, trying to brush off our history as mere college kids. “That’s all. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and we had a show together. We didn’t get along back then. And I think it’s pretty clear we still don’t.”

It’s not even a lie. An omission of truth, sure. But not a lie.

We’re still holding hands, only now Nolan’s thumb is drawing gentle figure eights along my knuckles. “Just be careful. Okay? And hey, if you really need to burn off some sexual energy and sleep with someone…” He leans back and gestures at himself with his free hand that isn’t stroking me. “I’m always here for you, babe.”

“Haven’t you heard the theory that as soon as actors sleep together in real life, they lose all their chemistry on the stage?”

He snorts and shakes his head. “Total bullshit.”

“And you would know?”

He bellows a laugh. “You know, Kate, you’re making it really hard to woo you by bringing up my past indiscretions.”

In a most unsettling way, my throat bottoms out to my stomach. “You’re trying to woo me?”

Instead of laughing and pulling away from me as I expect him to do, he drags my knuckles to his lips, brushing a kiss across them. “If you can’t tell, then I guess I need to up my game.”

A gasping breath grinds in my throat. I can’t sleep with Nolan. I wish I could. My life would be so much easier if that whole get over someone by getting under someone else thing worked for me. But it doesn’t. I’ve tried and I usually end up sobbing in the shower after, wishing for a man I’d sworn off five years ago.

Nolan peers at me from over my hand through a web of long, black lashes.

“Nolan—” My tone comes out much sharper than I intend, and I sound like a schoolteacher rather than a young woman who was just propositioned for sex. I have to let him down. I have to put an end to this. I’m a lot of things, but a tease isn’t one.

“Uh-oh. I know that tone.”

Holden stands over us, out of nowhere. “Can we get you two on your fucking marks, please? It’s ten-minutes into rehearsal and there’s no rehearsing happening.”

The ten-minute delay wasn’t our fault. Holden had spent the first part of rehearsal figuring out the costumes and set dressings with the designers and we were asked to wait in the wings.

Holden pivots away from us, stalking across the stage and yelling at a couple of stagehands bringing in the set piece for the day.

I gulp. Not just any set piece.

The bed.

Today of all days, we’re blocking the sex scene.

Fuck my life.

With a scowl that reeks of intimidation and superiority, Holden marches back to me. He grabs my arm—not hard or violently, but with an authority that I have no doubt he thinks is untouchable. He guides me away from Nolan. Far away to the other end of the stage.

Indignation spikes in my body as I wrench my arm from his hold. “You could have just asked me to join you over here. There’s no need to manhandle me.”

“Manhandle.” He snorts the word. There’s an unnerving gleam in his eyes. “Funny use of that word since I just saw Nolan sucking your fingers.”

I roll my eyes. “He kissed my hand, Holden. That’s hardly the pornographic display you’re making it out to be. Besides, maybe we’re just getting into character for the scene.”

A muscle twitches in his jaw as I lean in and whisper, “You know, like you and I used to warm up before a performance.”

Okay, maybe that was mean. And unnecessary. Then again, the look on his face is priceless.

Darkness swirls in his eyes and they narrow onto me.

I should be celebrating the small win. It’s so rare when I can burrow under his skin like this. But instead, my pulse leaps, slamming into the base of my throat as his already sour mood turns even more bitter.

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