Never Standing Still (The Never Duet #1)(11)

I looked back up, determined to remain professional, and wrapped the tape measure around his waist.

“How does one become a costume designer?” he asked, softly. I was grateful for his question, glad it took my mind off his body in front of me.

“I went to college, got a degree in costume design,” I looked up at him and gave a wink, trying for sassy. He smiled and it felt like a reward, making my stomach flip. I wanted to earn more smiles from him.

“Which college?”

“Art Institute of Seattle. Well, I finished in Seattle. I started in New York.”

“Then you moved in the middle of college? Why?”

I wrote a note on my pad and then moved to measure his inseam, hoping to God he didn’t see or feel my hands trembling. “Circumstances. Can you drop your arms?”

“Well, that’s not vague at all,” he said, flopping his hands back down to the sides of his waist.

“How’d you get started in acting?” I was hoping he’d take the bait and allow the change in subject. Luckily for me, he was agreeable.

“I started as a model actually. It was really kind of stereotypical. I was just at the mall with some of my friends and this woman approached me and asked if I’d ever considered modeling.”

I wrote down his inseam measurement and tried to gracefully get to my feet. He noticed me start to rise and held out a hand. I took it before I could think better of it and my heart thumped rapidly as he pulled me up off the floor effortlessly. I was on my feet in a nanosecond and his impressive strength was just another tally in the “Reasons Riot is Attractive” column.

“I signed with a modeling agent and after a few shows, and a few campaigns in some popular magazines, people started calling asking me to audition for small roles.”

“Sounds exciting,” I said as I put my tape measure away. “What size shoe do you wear?” I asked as my eyes flitted to his feet.

“Fourteen.”

“Oh, my,” I said breathily, then immediately clamped my hand over my mouth.

Riot laughed. “I know, they’re huge.”

I coughed, trying to camouflage my outburst. This man did nothing but fluster me and I had no idea how to make it stop. The last thing I needed was a bad reference because I couldn’t keep my mouth from uttering the most asinine comments about the size of a man’s feet. And thinking about the size of his feet only made me think about the size of his…. Oh, for goodness’ sake! This was enough. I had to get out of there.

“Well, I think I’ve got all I need. We should probably get back to George and Lexi.” I said, not nearly as coolly as I would have liked.

He smiled at me as if he knew I was flustered and he kind of liked it. Yup. Out of there. “All right.”

I packed up my things and walked out of the trailer in a way that would make a bystander think it were on fire. I heard the door close after me, but didn’t stop to see if Riot was following or not. I just kept walking until I was inside the studio and found George and Lexi on the soundstage, almost exactly where we’d left them.

“All finished,” I said, a little too loudly.

George’s eyes met mine and then dashed behind me to where I was sure Riot was standing because I could feel his presence like a heat wave radiating from him, washing over me. It was an unnerving feeling, but also brought a certain warmth I wasn’t necessarily opposed to.

“Great. You both know call time tomorrow’s at seven?”

“Yes, your receptionist gave me the call sheet. I’ll be here.”

“Me too.” I heard his wonderfully warm and low voice from behind me, sending a shiver up my spine.

“Thanks, Riot, for coming on such short notice, we really appreciate it,” George said nicely, but without a smile.

“It’s going to be the best video, I just know it,” Lexi said with her usual enthusiasm.

“I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” Riot replied, with sincerity.

“Okay, we’ll see you both tomorrow then.”

We all walked to the front of the building and I pulled out my phone to call Ella. George and Lexi both climbed into what I assumed was his Audi, and they drove away.

“You need a ride?” Riot’s smooth and dark voice floated through the darkness and I couldn’t help but look up at him. Even in the absence of light his eyes shone, the gold color of them almost glowing in the darkness.

“Um, no, I’ve got a ride. I just need to text her.” I pried my eyes away from his to send that text to Ella.

“Listen, I know we don’t know each other very well, but I’m not about to leave a woman alone, in the dark, in a parking lot, in the middle of the city.”

Ella responded to my text saying she was on her way and would be there in five minutes. I held the phone up to him. “My ride will be here soon. It’s no big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me. I’ll wait with you.”

“Okay,” I managed to squeak out, his protective comments doing nothing to lessen my attraction to him.

“So,” he said as he leaned back against the brick wall of the building, propping one foot up, hands in his pocket, completely unaware that he was embodying every high school fantasy any girl ever had. “How long have you been doing this?”

“Almost ten years. I started right out of college at twenty-one.”