Page 18 of Where the Little Birds Go (Little Bird Duet 1)

It’s Liv who says, “You don’t have to defend some guy you don’t even know just because you share the same German sausage, Callum. You don’t understand the crap women get put through just to try getting a guy who knows what a clit is and how to work it.”

“And girls aren’t honest about if it hurts or if they like something.” My eyebrow quirks and I try not looking at Kinley but fail. “I’m just saying, not all men are total assholes in the bedroom.”

Olivia shoves my shoulder. “Take many virgins to bed, huh? Listen, don’t get your panties in a twist. We’re just pointing out that men have it better than women when it comes to sex.”

Kinley clears her throat. “I don’t really have notes for you guys about the scene. If you read the book, you know there’s something unspoken between Ryker and Beck. Like everything between them is wrong but…”

“Effortless,” I finish quietly.

Kinley whispers, “Yeah.”

Olivia nudges me. “If that’s your way of saying you read the book, then maybe I have some hope for your species about how to give a girl an orgasm.”

She pats my shoulder before shooting Kinley a wink and walking off to whoever is calling her name.

“Kinley—”

She steps back. “Please don’t.” Her voice is barely audible, which makes my jaw tick. “Not here. Not now.”

Buchannan chooses then to give us a five-minute warning to take our places. I see Kinley visibly ease, and hear the softest breath escape her flushed lips. She’s relieved.

Unfortunately for her, I’m not letting it go that easily. “Beck admits to Ryker that she wishes she could go back and change everything. You trying to tell me that you don’t find some truth in that, Little Bird?”

Her nose twitches. “I’m not her.”

I back up, hands raising. “Aren’t you?”

Kinley is getting ready to leave when I jog over to the car she’s heading for and stop the backdoor from opening. It shouldn’t surprise me that she opted not to wait for me while I finished the final scene of the day. She's avoided me at all costs, disappeared during the lunchbreak, and barely made eye contact with me for more than two seconds.

The only time she paid me any attention was when Olivia or Buchannan was around to get her feedback on what she’d seen during the day. I could tell Liv wanted her approval of the sex scene, which Kinley undoubtedly gave us. It was the way she looked at us after Buchannan called cut that made me realize we nailed it exactly how she wanted—the softest glaze of tears, the slightest lip part. She loved it, even if she didn’t want to.

“We need to talk,” I say, keeping my palm against the side of the car so she’s not tempted to try diving into the back.

“No, we don’t.”

Sighing, I reach behind me and pull the package of Twizzlers out from my pocket that she gave back to me this morning. Holding them out to her, I watch as she stares unblinkingly at the candy.

I shake it. “They’re not poisoned. I can’t guarantee they’re not stale though since they stayed open all day. Plus, I got them from the vending machine, so who knows when the expiration is even good on them.”

Slowly, her fingers wrap around them as she draws them to her side. “You got me candy from a vending machine?”

“Would have gotten them from a store, but I didn’t have a lot of time between takes. Had someone bring them over to the hotel to deliver with dinner since you left early that day,” I answer easily, giving her a small smile.

She wets her lips. “Thanks.”

I tap the car. “So … talk?”

“We are talking.”

I all but growl. “You know damn well this isn’t the kind of conversation I’ve been waiting to have all day. In case you’ve forgotten, you gave my ego a little beat down earlier.”

“I didn’t—”

“Did you write about us?”

She blinks.

I blink back.

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