Page 43 of How to Kiss a Movie Star
I nod and unbuckle my seatbelt. It’s now or never, I guess.
He opens the door for me, offering his hand, and I slip my fingers into his, letting him help me out of my truck.
“Wow,” he says, as he looks me up and down. “You look amazing.”
“Oh.” I look down at my clothes. “I—honestly, my sisters made me wear it. I wanted to come in the Speedo I swim laps in and a pair of sweats, but they refused to let me out of the house.”
“You looked great in sweats the last time I saw you. But this is nice too,” he says smoothly. He moves toward the front door, talking as he goes. “Thanks again for doing this. Joni and I have been talking about the best way to grab a few photos.” He opens the door, holding it open while I cross inside. “I’ve got a few ideas, but please remember you have full veto power. Anything that makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to do. And of course, you’ll see every shot before I post anything publicly.”
I nod as I follow him through the kitchen and toward the back door that leads onto the patio. “Is there really a point to keeping my face hidden? If I attend the premiere with you, everyone will see me then anyway, right?”
“Yes. But we want the element of surprise on our side. If your face is visible now, before the premiere, odds are pretty good that someone will figure out who you arebeforehand.Then we risk people showing up at your house or your lab, following you to the grocery store. I’d rather spare you that drama as long as possible.”
“So, wait. Those things will happenafterthe premiere?”
He grimaces. “Probably. But we’ll be prepared for it. As long as we both stay isolated for a few days, interest should die down.”
“Stay isolated. What does that mean?” I ask.
He shrugs. “The easiest thing would be for you to stay here for a few days. That way you won’t have to deal with people knocking on your door. And you’d be close to your squirrels so you could keep working.”
My heart grows the tiniest bit when he refers to them asmy squirrels.But also, he thinks I’ll just stay here? At his house? With him?
Flint lets out an easy chuckle. “It’s a big house, Audrey,” he says. “I’ve got plenty of guest rooms. You can be on the opposite side of the house from me if you want.”
I press my lips together.
Am I really so transparent? Or is this man just really good at reading me? “No, I know. I wasn’t worried,” I lie. “I’d be happy to stay here. You know. For the squirrels. But I’m sure we can figure it all out then.”
He gives his head the tiniest shake, like he can’t quite make sense of me, but then his easy smile is back, and he’s tilting his head toward the pool. “So we’re thinking something candid,” he says, steering the conversation back to the here-and-now of what we’re trying to accomplish. “Maybe we’re in the water, your arms around me, the mountain view visible behind us, and I take a selfie that shows my face, but only the back of your head.”
He’s talking like he’s reading a list of bullet points, which goes a long way toward keeping me calm.
“Whatever you think,” I say.
He nods. “Then maybe one of just you—another shot from the back—of you leaning on the edge of the pool, looking off into the distance—” His words cut off, and his cheeks turn the lightest shade of pink before he shrugs. “I don’t know. It sounds cheesy when I say it out loud, but I can see it in my head. If you’re game, we can take a few different shots and see what happens.”
“Okay. I trust you. Whatever you need, I’m happy to help.”
I follow him onto the pool deck and drop my bag onto a chair. The pool sparkles in the sunshine, the water a deep, mesmerizing blue. At one end, the pool has no visible edge; instead, it cascades over a hidden rim, giving the impression that the water goes on forever, blending right into the horizon. Whoever designed this place knew what they were doing. The water in the pool, whether because of the deep blue tiles lining the deck or just sheer magic, is the exact same shade as the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.
“Did you do that on purpose?” I say, pointing at the horizon. “You color-matched your pool to the mountains?”
Flint grins, then tugs his shirt off before dropping it onto a nearby chair. “I wish I were that good, Audrey. But that’s just luck. And a trick of the light.”
For a moment, I don’t have words. I caught a glimpse of Flint’s stomach that day he found me hiding in the bushes. And the internet has shown memanyviews of his physique, including a shot of his bare butt I possibly scrolled past four dozen times. But seeing him here, in person, only feet from me. He doesn’t even lookreal.
I swallow against the lump in my throat and force my eyes onto Flint’s face. His eyebrows are raised, his expression saying he’s fully aware I was just checking him out, but he doesn’t tease me about it. He steps toward the water. “Are you coming?”
The words sound like a challenge, and I’m not about to back down even if it means taking off this stupid sundress while I’m wearing this stupid tiny bikini.
I reach for the hem of my dress.
I’m not ready for this. Not even a little bit.
But there’s no going back now.
Chapter Twelve
