“Hell, no. They get my stage kiss.”

“Show me your stage kiss, then.” I don’t know whether she’s being bold like this to distract from how she can’t seem to let go of me, or whether she truly possesses a playful side.

I keep my hands where they are and kiss her the way I’d do it in a local theater production. Glancing. Unsexy. It’s meant to be seen from the back row, not to be enjoyed.

“And when I’m in the movies, I count to five.”

“What?” Emily’s bewildered, but it’s better than watching her pace the room, scared out of her mind.

“I count to five. They don’t usually use more than a few seconds of any given kiss, so I count to five. Some actresses are decent kissers, but if it goes on for too long, it starts to become unbearably strange.”

“Stranger than pretending to be another person for a job?”

“Yes. Much.”

Emily looks into my eyes. The lamplight in her living room illuminates the wariness in her eyes. This isn’t how her life is, in general. She doesn’t let me stand in her living room and hug her. She doesn’t let me protect her. She doesn’t let anyone do anything, since Rhys.

A minute or two of silence passes.

“Show me the real version again,” she demands. I’ve accepted the sensation of holding her. Accepted how it feels when she breathes. I know those patterns. It’s the rhythm of a person who has recently been afraid, and who’s not anymore.

Don’t catch feelings for Emily Rochester, a voice in my head warns. She should be equally wary. It’s not good to get attached to a movie star.

We’re not bad people, but we can’t stay in one place too long. Production happens all over the world. The schedule is hell, if you’re good enough. You have to be willing to risk your family to succeed.

That’s not an exaggeration. I’ve seen more than one marriage crumble under the stress of a demanding shooting schedule. I don’t want that for Emily.

What I do want is to make her wish come true. I pull her in again and kiss her like she’s the only woman I’ve ever wanted.

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

Beau Rochester

Sunlight breaks across a large clock tower.

It dominates the campus, overlooking miles of buildings, libraries, and dorms.

Students mill around, carrying backpacks and joking with friends. The sound of laughter fills the large, stately courtyard. It’s a busy day here. The campus tours have drawn a large crowd.