John didn’t respond. Anna guessed there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot for him to say. Somehow, she’d made an enemy of her ex. It wasn’t uncommon, but it was awkward in the movie business, where the tabloids splashed everyone’s relationships on the front page.  She hated dating in the public eye.

“Don’t tell him we’re friends. You’ll make an enemy you don’t need.”

He furrowed his brow at her. “I’m not scared of him.”

“There’s a reason I don’t have a lot of friends.”

“Can we talk about something other than your ex-husband or movie studios or scripts?”

“That kills most of my conversational topics.”

“You need a hobby.”

“Why don’t you tell me how many girls you’ve sat with in the back of a truck?”

He laughed.

“Come on, you were captain of some team, I’m guessing.”

“Soccer.”

“Of course,” she muttered. “Thighs.”

“What was that?” He leaned closer, grinning.

She scooted next to him and put his arm around her neck. She leaned back as he handed her his beer. She took a sip, and she wished she were tasting his lips.

“One,” he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

It was easy to picture him as the popular guy. Those kinds of guys tended not to hang out with girls who stole equipment from the AV club. “She must have been something special.”

“She is.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

John took the beer from Anna’s hand and set it down. She pressed her palms to the truck bed beneath her. He brought one hand up to cup her cheek, turning her head toward him. “I think she likes me as much as I like her. I also think she might be foolish—”

“Hey.”

“Let me finish.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“We’re both idiots to think we can wait.”

John’s other hand reached for her neck. His hands cradling her face, he stroked her skin gently with his thumbs. He kissed first one cheek, then the other, like a blessing, like a promise. She closed her eyes, wanting to focus on nothing but the feeling of being here with him. He kissed her tenderly on her neck, with lingering kisses, lips dragging on her skin. His teeth grazed the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. She whimpered and felt his chuckle on her skin.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Anna whispered, not liking her breathy voice.

“I’m too busy doing something else.” John kissed the underside of her jaw, moving to the corner of her mouth.