Page 106 of Reputation (Tempt)

When the crew sprang into action, Cat leaned over. “That was amazing. They got it on the first take, though we’ll still have to do a safety take.”

Oh god. Another round?

I wasn’t sure I could put myself through thatagain. Once had been torture enough.

“What’d you think?” Cat asked.

Nate’s performance had definitely provoked a reaction in me, even if I wasn’t happy about it. I smiled, trying not to betray just how flustered I was. “Impressive.”

I mean, Iwasimpressed. I’d been on commercial sets and photo shoots myself, and getting the shot in one take was incredible. And with how demanding this scene was, I could understand why the actors might be motivated to complete it in one take even if they’d still have to shoot a safety.

But I was too preoccupied with my own feelings to process anything else. I unclenched my fists. Told myself to get it together. I was supposed to be happy to see Nate. He was my fiancé, for fuck’s sake.

“Em.” Nate smiled, coming over to give me a hug. All eyes were suddenly focused on us. “Hey.”

When he leaned in to give me a kiss, I turned my head at the last second, giving him my cheek instead. It was an unconscious move, but his expression betrayed surprise. He quickly covered it.

I made a show of looking around. “The location and everything look amazing,” I said, trying to recover before I did something totally stupid like tell him how great his chemistry with his costar was. Howbelievable.

He leaned in, and it probably looked like he was kissing my cheek as he whispered, “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. Nothing. Not a damn thing was wrong except for the fact that I’d allowed my feelings to get mixed up. How could I not when he did things like tattoo my skin with his name. When he claimed my body with power and passion. When…

“Good,” he gritted out. “Because people are watching.”

“Then we better put on one hell of a show.” I forced a smile, hating his unspoken reminder that this was all an act.

It was part of the job, right?

This entire trip, I’d been preoccupied with thoughts of waking up in bed with Nate. With the words he’d said. With the things we’d done. But coming to the set had been a wake-up call.

Nate was a good actor. He had the awards and accolades to prove it. And I’d been kidding myself that whatever we were could be something more.

Wanting more was foolish and destructive. He’d asked me to be his fake fiancée for a reason—Brooklyn. And falling for Nate had never been part of the plan.

Nate introduced me to some of his costars and the crew, and while my body moved on autopilot, my mind had checked out. This was his world, and I was merely visiting. One day, in the not-too-distant future, I’d have to return to reality.

A reality where I wasn’t Nate’s fiancée. Where I’d fallen for someone who would never love me back. And where I’d invested my heart and soul into a family that would never be mine.

With filming done for the day, everyone headed back to their trailers to clean up and rest. Cat ferried Jackson, Nate, and me back to Nate’s trailer. If I weren’t so upset about my realizations, I probably would’ve been flipping out about the fact thatI, Emerson Thorne, was about to enter a swanky-looking trailer with “Nate Crawford” on the door and the man himself at my heels.

Jackson assumed his post at the bottom of the stairs. Nate held the door open for me, waiting until I climbed the stairs to the trailer. The interior looked like something from a design magazine, though I didn’t know why I’d expected anything else. It had a small kitchen and dining area and what looked to be a bed at the back. The windows were tinted. The blinds drawn.

Nate closed the door and then rounded on me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said, wishing he’d leave it alone. My emotions felt too raw. I was too vulnerable. And this conversation had the potential to be too explosive.

“Em,” he growled.

“Look,” I sighed. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to embarrass you in front of your costars and crew.”

He scoffed, backing me up until he was caging me against the wall. My heart was pounding. He bracketed me with his arms, and it was intense. Sexy.

I was such a goner for this man.

Why did he have to look at me that way? Why did he have to make me believe he could possibly feel the same for me?

“You think I give a fuck about their opinion?” He waited for me to respond, react, something. But then he shook his head and dropped his arms, disappointment radiating off him.

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