Page 7 of Ship Wrecked

Beneath the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his forearms were thick, and the LA sun on his skin nearly seared her fingertips. Not for long, though.

Within a heartbeat, he’d shaken off her touch and taken a step away, but at least he turned to face her. At least he made eye contact, however begrudging.

He raised his dark brows. “Do we?”

Such stony displeasure for so little cause. She’d never understand men, at least men who weren’t members of her family.

And upon further reflection, he reallydidn’thave good reason to be pissed at her. She’d offered him a fuck, he’d accepted, and they’d both gotten off safely and repeatedly. What precisely had he expected after one night spent with a stranger? An appointment to choose wedding announcements?

She hadn’t even given him her last name, and if he hadn’t picked up onthatrather obvious clue, she didn’t know what to tell him.

“I think we do.” Hands on her hips, she studied him for a moment. “Is last night going to be a problem? Because if so—”

“Nope.” His tight smile didn’t reach his eyes. “No problem at all.”

In her opinion, an actor of his talent and wide-ranging experience—because yes, she’d used her phone to check out his IMDb page back in her own hotel room that morning—should really be a better liar.

“I see.” She tipped her head to the side, her skepticism obvious. “Then why do you look so unhappy after landing the biggest role of your career?”

With laudable insouciance, he leaned that fantastic ass against the side of his hybrid SUV, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and met her gaze head-on. “You sure you want to know?”

The question was a warning of ugliness to come, but so be it. Better to lance the wound now and give it time to heal before their first day on set as castaway castmates.

And luckily, her knowledge of American cinema provided the perfect response.

“Bring it on,” she told him, her smile wide and full of genuine amusement.

He didn’t ask her twice.

“You’re right. This is the biggest role of my career.” Still leaning against his vehicle, he carelessly slung one foot over the other,the very picture of unflustered composure. “Which is why I’m displeased to be cast opposite a total amateur. One who’s likely to drag down my performance and stop me from getting the recognition I deserve.”

Wow.Wow.

Once more, she’d proven her inability to choose men who weren’t assholes. Which was why, when her friends had asked why she wasn’t dating again months after the breakup or hurrying to move out of her parents’ home, she’d told them men would come and go, but family was forever.

Her brow furrowed in feigned confusion. “I hadn’t realized one could still remain an amateur after years of performing onstage in one of Europe’s most sophisticated cities and earning the most prestigious theater awards offered by her country.”

“Ah.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Out of curiosity, what’s Sweden’s population?”

Oh, she knew where he was going with this. “A little over ten million.”

His chest shook with his laughter. “That’s even less than I thought. Shit, it’s about the same population as Los Angeles County. Still, congratulations on your very prestigious awards. I’m sure your family is extremely proud.”

Her hands on her hips curled into fists, but she bit back the vicious swipe tingling at the tip of her tongue.At least I’ve won acting awards, unlike my new castmate. His roles were never prominent enough to garner that sort of attention.

Instead of lashing out, she told him the simple truth. “They are proud.”

For some reason, that was when his fake little smile died.

“I’m sure Stockholm’s great, honey, but it’s no Broadway.” The endearment was so acidic, it should have stripped the finish fromhis vehicle, his condescension so thick it could choke them both. “And theater experience doesn’t always serve film and television actors well. As I believe you learned during our first go-round today.”

“True.” Her own smile was sweet enough to give him a toothache. “But one thing theater experience teaches you is how to adjust your performance quickly, as needed, so the production can shine. As I believe you learned during our second go-round today.”

He didn’t argue that point, probably because he couldn’t without outright lying. Again.

After one long, slow breath from the depths of her diaphragm, then another, she softened her tone and offered him the best olive branch she could. “I may not have much experience in film or television, but I’m a talented, hardworking actor, and I’m excited about this role. I don’t want to fuck up your career or my own, and I won’t.”

He regarded her silently, his narrowed gaze guarded.

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