Page 69 of Reckless Dare

She told herself the kiss should not mean nothing and that it was part of the act. “I’m tired of this. I don’t want to do this anymore.” The words felt so apt for what she was feeling.

“Don’t say that. I cannot be without you.” His tone was sincere and she knew he was following the script to the T.

“I hate it all.” She let out a sob. “Do you really love me?”

He took slow deliberate steps towards her, raising the intensity of the scene. “How can you ever doubt it?”

A shudder passed through her in response to the look in his eyes. How was he such a good actor? “I don’t know,” she whispered, turning away.

Moments passed and she winced when she felt his fingers graze over her elbow before trailing down her arm, to lace their fingers together. Energy snapped through her and she pulled her hand away on impulse. “Sorry, give me a minute.”

He took a step away from her and went back to the original position. “From the beginning?”

She nodded but couldn't get herself to look into his eyes. The beating of her heart was deafening as she tried to process the way his touch reached her heart.

“Have you done a scene like this before?” he asked. “Maybe you should ask the director to change the scene if you can’t handle it.”

Annoyance replaced her discomfort. She looked up at him in defiance. “I can handle it.”

The ‘it’ being the kiss. Her nerves were raw at the idea of playing the character that initiates the kiss. She could not let him know she was nervous at the idea. “It’s no big deal. I’ve kissed guys before. And this is just pretense.”

Liar.

He looked amused as though he knew she had never kissed a guy before. She thought he would call her bluff, but he only nodded. “Great. I guess it's like any of those other kisses then. Let's get started.”

They went through the first few dialogues again, and this time when he came close to her and squeezed her hand, she ignored the way electricity charged through her body and leaned into him, her back going towards his broad chest.

She grabbed his hand as per the script and pulled his arm to wrap around her. “I want to believe you but every time you go away, I’m left heartbroken.” Her voice wobbled but she didn’t stop. She turned to face him, her chin tilted up to look into his eyes. This is the closest she had been to him. Closer than they were at the dance.

She tried to stay still as he ran his palm over her back. But the heat of his palm and the intense look in his eyes made her shiver. She held his gaze while she raised her slightly trembling hand up his chest and wrapped around his neck. If there was a dialogue she was supposed to say, she had forgotten. She simply forged through the scene.

She pulled his head forward while she went up on her toes. And then, she brushed her trembling lips against his. Her eyes fell shut while a shudder passed through her.

She heard the harsh inhale of his breath and felt the coiled tension of his body. For her tormentor, it must have been simply acting, but she was truly lost in the intensity of the moment. Her breasts tingled, the tips becoming hard while her stomach fluttered crazily. Electricity coursed through every nerve end at the brush of their lips.

Her knees weakened and nearly wobbled. Just when she thought she might collapse, he pulled her closer against his hard body. Fire ignited deep inside and she felt a strange quiver between her legs.

Oh God.

She pulled away, her breathing coming fast. She saw that her tormentor was equally affected and his breaths were heavy like hers.

The script said a passionate kiss and she felt every moment of passion with her tormentor. Her body was buzzing with electrical charge.

Shaking away the passionate haze that had settled over her, she stepped away. “I-I think we got it. There’s no need to practice again. Let’s wait for everyone to get here.”

With those words she grabbed the printed sheets of the script and speed walked toward the ladies room. She was out of breath by the time she made it to the restroom, her heart banging away against her ribcage. She let out a frustrated cry and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her cheeks were flushed and her lips trembled as she slowly took her fingers to them. She felt a shiver pass through her when she realized how lightheaded she was feeling. The way her every nerve hummed with awareness and a strange longing she had never felt. The most shocking thing was the quiver between her legs.

Oh God.

How did he have that effect on her?

She took deep breaths. It’s just acting. It means nothing.

Repeating those words a few times and splashing cold water on her heated face, she headed back to the auditorium.

The rest of the cast, including the director, had assembled and were going through the new scripts and scenes. She walked up the stage and gathered by the small group who were practicing their lines. She knew where her tormentor was but refused to look in his direction.

---