Page 73 of How Jenna Became My Dilemma

His head angles toward me so it’s more in the center of the bed. “That’s better.” Blue eyes flip to me. “What about you? Can you see?”

For some reason, I copy his position, angling my head toward him. We’re like two sides of a triangle, our touching heads the point of intersection. “Uh, yeah. That’s better.”

We lie in silence, listening to the beautiful music and watching the rolling scenery as the opening credits flash onto the screen one at a time. Our hands are both clasped together, resting on each of our stomachs. A forklift could transfer me to a coffin, and I wouldn’t have to move a muscle.

“This is a pretty song,” Cody says.

“Yeah, they did a good job. Great use of instruments.”

Great use of instruments?

If anyone else heard us, we’d lose all street cred for being Hollywood’s biggest playboy and the sexiest woman alive. We’re vanilla and not even the good-tasting kind. The bland vanilla that nobody likes.

“Are you nervous to see yourself?” I feel his head shift slightly, like he’s trying to look at me, so I shift mine. Our eyes are millimeters apart, hot breaths mingling together between us.

“A little. Are you nervous?”

“A little.”

We stare a second longer but turn our heads forward when the credits end and the opening scene begins.

The show starts with Cody storming through the castle to the training field. He removes his tie and jacket, looking for someone to fight him, until Teague steps in. They move back and forth and fall to the ground, wrestling.

I remember watching them film this scene. I learned a lot, paying attention to how they carried out fight choreography and movement. But what I don’t remember about this scene is how dang good Cody looked in it. Because right now, all I can think about is his messed-up hair and heaving chest muscles.

“I feel stupid,” he says, cutting into my daydream of how handsome and manly he is. His head shifts to me again. “It’s awkward watching this together, isn’t it?”

“It’s not awkward.” I gesture to the screen. “I was just thinking you did amazing in that scene.” More like I thought you looked amazing. “There’s no reason to feel awkward.”

“Yeah, okay.”

We keep watching, and now it’s my turn to feel stupid. I’m with my maid getting ready for the welcome dinner that night, and all I want to do is cringe each time the camera zooms in on my face.

“Are we sure I’m a model? Because these up-close shots are brutal. You’re right.” I sigh. “It is awkward.”

Both our heads turn toward each other at the same time. My gaze scans his handsome face, noting how trimmed and neat his short beard is. I’ve never dated a man with a beard before—stubble, yes, but a full beard is new for me. Not that Cody and I are dating…for real. I maintain that men like him have no place in my life, but that doesn’t stop me from studying the dark-blue rim around his eyes.

“I don’t know why it’s awkward,” Cody finally says.

“I don’t know why either.”

The talking in the background stops, and we glance at the screen. The show is stuck, buffering. But instead of pausing on some random thing, it’s paused on my face mid-sentence. My eyes are big and wild, and some kind of double chin thing is happening. It’s horrific—really, really ugly stuff.

I leap up, grasping for the computer, but two hands pull my waist, stopping my momentum. I yelp in surprise as I fall back onto the mattress, just as Cody dives forward. There’s no way I’m letting him get control of that laptop and my ugly pause face, so I tackle him, wrapping my arms and legs around his body, trying to stop him.

“You really think you can take me?” he asks over his shoulder.

“My brother is a professional football player,” I grunt as I hold him back. “I know a thing or two about wrestling.”

“So do I.” Cody is 6’2” and a million times stronger than me, so it’s no surprise when he effortlessly flips me around and pins me on my back. He’s not straddling me or even leaning over me closely—a shame, really—but we are in a playful stare-down as he holds my wrists on either side of me.

So much for not touching.

His beard frames his smile. “This feels a lot like episode one when we filmed Trev and Renna having a grass fight.”

“Except, back then, we didn’t know each other.”

“How well do we really know each other now? I mean, you’re some whiz kid accountant, and I didn’t know that.”

---