Laurelin Paige - Take Two

“Didn’t you totally get it on with him at our graduation party?” she’d said.

So much for Bree being too drunk to realize what was going on.

Maddie had spilled the details—all the details—how he made her body sing, how she hadn’t known his full name, how he hadn’t called afterward. Bree knew full well that Maddie would have wanted to know he’d be on this shoot.

Maddie’s text said it all. Micah freakin Preston???!!!??? You are so dead…

She dropped her phone onto her lap and leaned against the passenger door, leaving as much space as possible between her and the spot where Micah would sit. She watched him out her peripheral vision as he slid into the backseat next to her, his thigh muscles bulging through his tight pants. God, he was positively scrumptious. No wonder half the women in America had a crush on him.

“Okay, I’m getting in the car now so I’ve gotta go, Mom,” Micah said, wrapping up his phone call. “Uh-huh. Bye.”

Damn. Now she might actually have to talk to him. At least she no longer had to wonder who was on the other side of his phone call. Not because she was envious, just curious.

Pathetic, Maddie. Real pathetic.

Micah pocketed his phone and stretched out, his limbs landing only a few inches from her own body. She felt the warmth exuding off him and somehow the backseat felt ten times more cramped than it had a minute before. Hopefully it would be a short trip to the hotel. “How long is the drive?”

“About an hour,” Sam replied, starting the car.

Maddie let out a slow breath. A whole hour. Maybe she could pretend to sleep. She leaned her head against the window. A sudden buzzing in her lap made her jump.

She felt Micah’s eyes on her as she read her text. If I told you, it wouldn’t have been as fun right now.

It’s not at all fun right now!

Bree’s next text came almost instantly. Why????

He doesn’t remember me. She paused, looking at the words before she pushed send. Did he really forget her? Did he have no inkling of familiarity?

She risked a full glance at him and found he was still staring at her. At her look, he perched his sunglasses on top of his head. “So, who are you?”

Yeah, he really didn’t remember her. Why should he? She was a nobody. She wondered if she would have remembered him if he hadn’t become Mr. Superstar.

Yes, she would. He was totally unforgettable. And he knew how cool he was. He’d gotten cocky. A lot of the famous actors did. Too bad.

She hit send on her phone as she answered him. “Uh…Maddie.”

“Right. Maddie-not-Madalyn-Bauers. Got that. I meant what are you doing on the show? I don’t remember seeing you on the set in L.A.” He scanned her bedraggled body. “And, believe me, I would have noticed.”

“Oh.” Maddie blushed. Cocky, but still had the charm. Self-conscious, she tugged on her tank top. “No, I wasn’t in L.A. I’m taking over as first camera assistant.”

“Cool. You’re much better-looking than Carson. What happened to him anyway?”

Sam answered for her. “Carson got here a day before shoot started and broke his tailbone trying to do some fancy dirt biking.”

“Ha, that totally sounds like him,” Fudge said. “That crazy motherfucker.”

Sam made eye contact with Maddie in his rearview mirror. “Maddie’s supposed to be an amazing camera assistant. Adam requested her. Had nothing but good things to say.”

She felt warm from the praise. “I’m right here, you know. Don’t need to talk about me in third person.” She reluctantly slid her own sunglasses off and faced Micah. “I’m Adam’s usual assistant. He has to say nice things about me.”

She studied him. In the years since she’d last seen him he’d changed his look often, depending on his film roles. Now he sported the scruffy Micah look, sexy stubble covered his face and his hair was longer and unkempt in a totally hot way. Her fingers curled into the upholstery as she imagined how they’d feel running through his tresses.

Micah furrowed his brow. “How come you weren’t here from the beginning?”

“I had some personal issues with…someone…working on the show.” In this business, you couldn’t bad mouth anyone without serious repercussions.

He leaned toward her. “Did those issues resolve somehow?”

Her body turned on from his close proximity. Stupid female hormones. Beaumont seemed much less of a problem now that she had Micah to cope with. She simultaneously wanted to scoot nearer and shrink into the car’s interior. She did neither. “I’m learning to deal.”

He looked at her carefully, then reached over and casually pushed aside a stray hair from her face, his finger brushing her cheek. “Hmm, let me know how that goes.”

Maddie shivered under his touch. “Thanks,” she managed to whisper. Was he hitting on her? Maybe he hit on all girls the minute he met them. He did have a reputation. Or maybe she was just wishing he was hitting on her.

No, she wasn’t wishing he was hitting on her. That would be trouble. He was just so attractive it was hard to remember why she wasn’t interested in him.

She needed a distraction. “What exactly is this movie about, anyway? I didn’t get a chance to read a script.”

“It’s great,” Sam said. “You’ll love it. It’s a heist movie—”

“It’s a romance,” Micah interrupted, his eyes never leaving Maddie. “There’s kissing.”

“And a romance,” Sam conceded. “A bunch of friends take on a small mountain gambling town then have to hide in the great outdoors.”

Fudge looked up from whatever he was doing on his iPhone. “It’s like The Town meets the West.”

Micah shook his head. “It is not.”

“Whatever, dude.” Fudge pulled a set of earphones out of his jeans pockets and stuck them into his phone. “I’m gonna nap. Is that cool?”

“I’m sure we’ll be safe on the ride from DIA to Golden.” Micah bent his leg and Maddie realized if she relaxed just a little, their knees would bump. “Besides, the windows are tinted. No one can see in.”

She couldn’t help herself; she relaxed, silently gasping at the light contact.

Then, did he respond by moving his leg against hers? No, he’d only bumped her as he bent over to fiddle with his bag. The brush sent tingles through her lower belly. She had to close her eyes to regain focus.

Unaware of the desire running rampant in the backseat, Sam continued with his lowdown of the film. “Most of the cast already arrived. Heather Wainwright. And Pierce Bartlett and Bray Morgan. And Josh Gibbs plays the cop.”

Maddie couldn’t pass up the opportunity to turn Micah’s earlier question back on him. “So who are you?”

He smiled. “Touché. I’m the love interest, of course.” He tapped his finger on her knee as he said “of course”. Even through her sweatpants, Maddie felt the electricity of his touch.

“Of course.” Maddie’s traitor face returned the smile. The glimmer in his eye made her warm between her thighs. She blinked and looked away, hoping her flush didn’t give away her indecent thoughts.

What the crap was she doing? Even if he wasn’t flirting, she was and she shouldn’t be. She couldn’t get sucked into Micah again, even though the idea of sucking and Micah fit deliciously together in her mind.

She tried to stay on topic. “Good cast,” she said, though she couldn’t even recall who Sam had mentioned. Focus, focus.

“They’re excellent.” Sam‘s upbeat attitude seemed to be his signature trait. “Great cast, awesome script. They shot all the interiors in L.A. and now we’re doing the exteriors in Golden. It’s beautiful up there.” Sam met her eyes again in the rearview mirror. “Not the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all day, but still pretty breathtaking.”