Wicked Heart (Starcrossed #3)(22)

“Liam, this is my first professional gig, and I can’t screw it up. Please don’t make things hard.” I take the outside seam of his legs, then try to keep my cool as I kneel in front of his crotch to take his inseam.

He moves his feet apart, but when my hand grazes his inner thigh, he blows out a tight breath. “I can’t make things hard, but you can? Doesn’t seem fair.” When I stand and glare, he shoves his hands in his pockets. “FYI, glaring at me also makes things hard. You’re sexy as hell when you’re angry.”

I give up trying to reason with him. “Shoe size?”

“Twelve.”

“Head?”

His eyebrows pull down. “Uh . . . are you offering, or—”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What’s your hat size?”

He shrugs. “Big?”

I scribble “large” on the form, and then hand him a folder of information and his script. He caresses my fingers as he takes the documents, but I step away.

“Elissa, come on. . . .”

“We’re done here.”

“This is crazy. I like you. You like me. Can’t we go somewhere and talk about this?”

“No point. It won’t change our situation. I’ll see you back here Monday night at six to read with our Juliets. Any questions?”

He stares at me for a few seconds. I stare back as impassively as I can.

“So, this is how it’s going to be between us now?”

“Yes. Is there anything else, Mr. Quinn?”

He gives me a bitter smile. “No, ma’am. You’ve explained everything very clearly.” He grabs his gear from the chair, but before I can walk away, he steps in front of me. He’s so close, I feel the heat of him in every inch of my skin. “Just so you know, I’m going to respect your work ethic and keep my distance while this show is happening, because I agree that working and romancing aren’t the best mix. But in two months, when this production is over, all bets are off, and then . . .” He licks his lips. “Well, by then I’m sure we’re both going to have so much sexual frustration, we’ll be begging for relief. And I intend to relieve you, Liss. Over and over again. You can trust me on that.”

When he strides out and the door closes behind him, I collapse into a chair. I don’t know if I’m trembling from disappointment or relief. But I do know Liam Quinn isn’t going to give me up without a fight, and that thrills me way more than it should.





FIVE


GETTING CLOSER


Two Weeks Later

Twelfth Night Theater

New York City

The ladder wobbles as I stretch up on my toes to grasp the power cable that hangs from the lighting bar. When I shove the plug into the socket, I breathe a sigh of relief and grip the top of the ladder with both hands. Being a short-ass and rigging lights don’t really go hand in hand, but experience has taught me that stage managers on low-budget shows need to be Jacks-of-all-trades. Or Jills, as the case may be. The first week of rehearsals may almost be over, but the hard work for me and my crew has just begun.

I pause when I hear a noise backstage. I listen for a few seconds, and try to ignore the sudden thundering of my heart.

“Hello?”

Silence greets me.

Great. I love being stuck in a dark theater by myself with creepy sounds. Not freaking me out at all.

I’m halfway down the ladder when large hands close around my hips and make me scream.

“Ahhh! Get off me, creeper! I know karate!”

I immediately flail, and kick the ladder over in the process. Strong arms lift me away as the ladder topples noisily onto the stage.

“Hey! Chill, Daniel-san. It’s me.”

The arms tighten around me, and the familiar smell of all things Liam invades my senses. I grip his hands and exhale as he lowers me to the floor. “You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing?”

When I push away and turn to face him, he looks way too amused for my liking.

“Sorry,” he says, not looking at all apologetic. “Didn’t mean to freak you out. I thought you heard me behind you.”

“Well, I didn’t. And if you sneak up on me like that again, I’m going to make you wear a collar and bell.” I brush my hair away from my face and try to calm my hammering heart. “Why are you even here? Everyone else went home hours ago.”

He wanders over to the ladder and sets it upright. “I think I left my keys in the dressing room. At least, I hope I did, otherwise I’m sleeping on the street tonight. Why are you here? Isn’t rigging lights Sean’s job?”

“His wife went into labor and we need these specials for tomorrow’s rehearsal. Figured I’d just do it before I left.”

He stops in front of me, a little too close for comfort. In the low light, the shadows define the hard line of his jaw, as well as the soft curve of his lips. He’s so damn attractive, it’s frustrating. True to his prediction, being around each other every day and ignoring our insistent attraction is putting us both on edge.

“So, you’re here alone?” he asks quietly. “No Josh?”

I shake my head. “It was his gammy’s eightieth tonight. Every Kane in the tristate area is at the Four Seasons for her birthday dinner.”