Page 60 of The Love Rematch
Until she stops.
She turns.
She looks at him with an invitation in her eyes and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. Uncertainty flashes alongside her lust.
He steps forward.
Emily doesn’t move, not closer to meet him nor to the side to let him in. They stay where they are and stare at each other with mere inches between them, so close he can feel the heat of her body. It brings a static charge to his skin. The air turns electric. Yet the line feels as impassable as ever, fortified by everything left unspoken. They want each other. They’ve always wanted each other. But will that ever be enough?
A door opens.
Cold air rushes over Jake, shocking him to his senses, and he steps back. It’s the move of a guilty man. When he turns to meet Nina’s gaze, her narrowed eyes are scrutinizing. He swallows and runs his hand through his hair, unable to stop himself even as he knows it makes him look worse, like someone caught in the act.
But what act?
Nothing happened.
As far as Nina is concerned, he’s standing in front of Emily’s door, talking to the lead of their show, about their show—so why is she studying him like that?
“Hey, Nina,” Emily says, her voice perfectly normal, somehow at ease. “Jake took me to the lobby for some coffee. I hope that’s okay? I woke up in desperate need of caffeine and saw him in the hallway, so I pounced. I know you said not to leave my room, but I figured as long as I was with a crew member, it was okay. And itisokay, right?”
Nina glances quickly between them, then slowly says, “Of course it’s okay. Next time, call my room, though. I could’ve used a latte.” She crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe with a friendly smile on her face. “So what’d you talk about? Catch me up.”
“I asked how she feels about the guys,” Jake says after swallowing to loosen his throat.
“And…?”
“Well, Ethan and Cooper are her one and two right now.”
Nina nods. “Good choices.”
“I thought so,” Emily chimes in.
“Kevin is at the bottom of the pack. He still hasn’t recovered from the barfing fiasco, so we’re thinking he should get one of the two one-on-ones this week. Viewers love a redemption story.”
“True. I like it.”
“The other seven guys are all sort of even.”
“So who are we thinking for the second one-on-one?”
Me. Me. Me.
Fire scorches his throat as he physically forces the word back down his throat. It’s painful to talk about this, painful to pretend he doesn’t care. Worse, it’s a pain he brought entirely upon himself.
“Pierre?” Emily suggests.
The sound of another man’s name on her lips is like taking a hot poker to the heart.
Nina shakes her head. “No. Save him for France next week. He’ll shine on his home turf.”
“Frank?” Jake jumps in to stop Emily from giving someone else her favor. Frank’s a nice guy—former college swimmer turned marine biologist, good sense of humor, wore a pink flamingo floatie to greet Emily on the first night. Most importantly, he spends six months out of the year in the middle of the ocean studying fish. There’s no chance Emily will choose him in the end, but he’s good looking and good natured enough to keep viewers entertained. PerfectThe Love Match in Mexicomaterial.
Nina must have the same thought because she meets Jake’s gaze and nods. Mistrust still hides in the corners of her eyes, but they’ve been convincing enough her suspicions seemed cooled.
For now.
“Good. I’ll tell one of the PAs to get the date cards ready. It’s almost time to round everyone up, anyway. It’s an hour and a half drive to the castle for the group date.”
