Page 28 of Holy Sinner

I roll my eyes and push his shoulder. “You’re going to give in. I’m not letting this go. I mean it.”

Rafe opens his mouth and I brace for whatever he’s going to say but that’s when I hear the crunch of feet on gravel behind me. Instantly, I duck my head and grab on to Rafe’s shoulder to get off his lap. I’m straddling him with the way he has me, one leg on either side of his hips with my back to whoever is approaching, but when I try to move he grips my hips and keeps me where I am.

“Rafe,” I whisper but he ignores me.

“What is it?” he asks the person behind me. I try to move again and Rafe squeezes my hips in warning. “We don’t hide, shy girl. You want us all in love? Stop trying to hide it. You get me?”

I start to protest, to try and tell him that it’s not about hiding. It’s about the fact that we’re on site and I’m the writer and he’s one of the leading stars and that me straddling him isn’t exactly professional, but I snap my mouth shut when he glares at me and resign myself to being seen where I am. I don’t really feel like paying for it later. I look over my shoulder to see who’s speaking and recognize one of the director’s assistants, Jane, I think. She’s nice, mostly quiet and focused more than the others. I like her.

She looks nervous right now and wrings her hands while she gives us an apologetic look. “I’m sorry for interrupting your down time Mr. Burdock and Ms. Salazar. I, uh, there’s been a development that we thought you should know immediately.”

My heart rate spikes and I break out into a cold sweat. The only thing on my mind is Grant. Oh god, what if something happened to Grant? I want to ask if it’s him but I keep my mouth shut. Rafe is better at thinking on his feet than I am.

He tilts his head to the side and nods at her. “What’s happened that’s so urgent? You know I’m off limits when I’m between takes.”

Jane swallows hard and I jab my elbow into Rafe’s side. “I, ah, there’s been sort of a photo leak,” she says it all in a rush, like if she says it fast enough then Rafe won’t keep mouthing off to her.

I feel bad. I know he’s intimidating. I was scared of him too, the first time I saw him.

“Sort of? How can there be sort of a photo leak and of who?” Rafe asks. I don’t know why he asks. I know who it’s of, even without hearing Jane say it.

“Um, Kit. I mean, Ms. Salazar. They’re all of her.”

I feel sick but I’m glad it’s not about Grant.

“Motherfucker,” Rafe growls and I pat his shoulder blindly before I push myself hard enough that I’m able to turn to face Jane. Rafe keeps an arm around my waist and holds me tight with my back against his chest.

I clear my throat. “It’s okay. I swear it is,” I lie when I feel Rafe shift like he’s about to get up to follow Grant’s example and go on a murdering rampage. Is one photographer a rampage? I give Jane a reassuring smile because she looks like a ghost. Pale and faint.

“It’s okay,” I say again, because Rafe’s energy is going dark. It feels heavy and like he could tear the world apart with one wrong move. Rafe tenses and I know he’s about to move but I can’t let him.

Grant is already out there doing God knows what. I can’t take both of them on the loose. I can only take so much. I’ll lose my shit worrying over both of my boyfriends on a homicidal rampage.

“Was it from last night?” I ask and grab his thigh, pushing down to keep him where he is. I turn my head and whisper, “No murdering,” while Jane clears her throat and shuffles her feet. Poor thing. She looks like she wants to be anywhere but here and I get it. I was just straddling Rafe and now he’s got murder face.

Jane looks up, confused at my question. “Last night?” she asks. “No. I mean, I don’t think so.”

“Were they taken from a restaurant?” I ask, not letting Rafe take over. It’s better that I do the talking. “I would have been wearing a gold dress. Ah, it was strapless.”

Jane shakes her head. “No, it wasn’t from last night but it was from…” her voice trails off and I wince when Rafe barks out, “From where?”

“Here,” Jane tells him and clears her throat. She looks around the lot and then sighs. “Well, not here,” she says and gestures around us with a grimace.

“Where, Jane?”

“I mean, the photos were taken from the production lot and on set. Some of them were from hair and makeup, too. A couple were, um, of you sleeping.”

“Shit,” I whisper.

The only place that I ever sleep is in Rafe’s suite. Grant put up a fuss but the couch in Rafe’s room was like a cloud and it was closer to set, so I fall asleep there often and easily. Whoever took the photos had gotten into Rafe’s suite.

Oh god.

I shake and I hate that I do. I want to be strong. I want to be electric and fierce, the way I was when I had Jasmine on her knees. But as much as I try to reach for that version of myself, there’s no bringing her out. I cower when Rafe looks at me and turns my face into his shoulder.

“I feel sick,” I whisper.

“Are you telling me someone got into my fucking suite? Is that what you’re telling me?” Rafe snarls and I grab his arm when his voice rises. “I was brought here with the understanding that my privacy was not to be compromised and you’re telling me someone is taking photos of my woman?”

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