Page 56 of Bad Reputation

“Maybe because it’s your calling.”

Certainly Drew wouldn’t say that. Drew would say ... well, Cole honestly didn’t know. For all that he treated Drew’s advice like gospel, Cole didn’t necessarily understand how or why his agent did what he did. The man’s image was so finely polished, Cole had no idea what was underneath it.

Maggie hopped off the stool. “I’m going to check with Kevin, see what the estimated filming time is. But”—she set a hand lightly on his forearm—“are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little quiet.”

Just that tiny bit of warmth from Maggie’s hand soaking through his linen shirt helped melt the last bit of chill that his conversation with Drew had left behind.

Cole wrapped his fingers around her wrist. Her skin was smooth and alive, and her pulse under his fingertips was racing—like his own. “I was getting in my head a bit. But this—this shook me out of my funk. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Cole didn’t want to contemplate how much he wanted that to be true.

Chapter 14

INT. BARN HAYLOFT

“I’d like to do this in a bed at some point,” Cole deadpanned to Zoya.

They were standing in the actual hayloft of an actual ancient barn somewhere in the Scottish Highlands about to film the first Geordie-Effie love scene. Outside the weather was gray and misty, but thanks to the magic of Hollywood, it was a lovely spring afternoon inside. The crew had arranged for diffused light to pour in, making everything golden and romantic.

The crew had been small the night they’d filmed the Geordie-Madge love scene, but today, it was even more sparse. Maggie had ensured that.

“I mean, I’ve heard about the birds and the bees,” Cole was saying, “but I don’t want to see them while getting it on.”

Maggie had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

Zoya was clearly having the same reaction. After the director had smothered her grin, she gestured to the romantic spread Geordie was supposed to have arranged for the seduction. “It’s going to be iconic.” The quilt over the straw, the flowers, and the basket with food. Alas, someone had had to convince the set decorator that lanterns were a bad idea, what with all the straw.

Cole wasn’t convinced. “It’s giving me nineties-country-music-video vibes.”

“Cottagecore is why the show is a hit. You’re going to get tagged in a million barn-inspired-boudoir photo shoots on Instagram.”

“I’m certain my assistant will thank you.”

Cole caught Maggie’s gaze and rolled his eyes, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was:That Geordie, what a charmer.

Knowing she was blushing, Maggie made herself check her clipboard.

“Now pout.” A tech was doing a final touch of Tasha’s makeup, which was pointless because Cole was about to kiss all that lipstick off.

“Do you have any last-minute questions?” Maggie asked Tasha quietly. “Any concerns?”

“Nope.”

Tasha didn’t seem nervous. With the crew around, the actress went quiet, deadly focused. Maggie had had trouble imagining how she’d filmed all those action movies, because with Cole, she was chatty, profane, and even silly. But Maggie could see it now. Honestly, she’d believe Tasha was an actual CIA assassin and that acting was her cover.

The tech stepped back from Tasha with a firm nod. “You’re all set.”

Tasha fluffed the skirt of her soon-to-be-cosplayed-to-death blue gown. Despite the careful details that were meant to make it looked lived in—the faux mended hem and mismatched buttons on the bodice—it was too nice a dress for a Scottish farm girl in the early eighteenth century. The sprigged-muslin petticoat and the full draped skirt over false hips wouldnotbe practical while milking goats or mucking the barn.

But that wasn’t the point. The show was a fantasy, and everything about the scene they were about to film was drool worthy: from the beautiful actors in it to the rich colors of their costumes to the shine on the heirloom apples and the crust on the artisanal sourdough in the basket.

And especially the multiorgasmic sex they were about to fake.

“How do I look?” Tasha asked Maggie.

There was no response but to say “Perfect.”

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