Method(53)

“Forgiven,” I reply shifting in his lap to straddle him. “Now tell me why you’re acting like an ass.”

“Just…tired.”

“We can go back,” I offer running my fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. “You can get some decent sleep tonight.”

“No, I’m good here.”

“You sure?”

He nods.

Chest rattling with indecision, I move to give him space just as he cups my neck and brings me closer, so our foreheads touch.

“Mila,” he rasps out just before capturing my lips to assault me with a soul-stealing kiss. His tongue delves into every corner of my mouth before setting a languid pace. Breath stolen, I moan into his eager mouth as he erases the existence of time, the idea of space, and the need to measure either. There is nothing but us, our connection, our creation. Stunned when he pulls away my breath stutters against his lips and I realize we’re both shaking with the loss of gravity.

Pushing the hair away from my face with gentle hands, he searches my eyes and finds satisfaction somewhere inside them. “I’m going to tell you something, and I want you to believe me.”

“I’ll try.”

“There is nowhere and no one else I’d rather be with than you. I promise you. This isn’t the end of us.”

“If you say so, Hollywood.”

“Just got to have a little faith, Dame.”

“Dame?”

“My Dame,” he whispers before crushing his mouth to mine.





The first week I get back we’ve spoken every day, making plans for after the movie wraps. Some days he can only talk for mere minutes, but I greedily take them. Other days I miss his call due to the seven-hour time difference. Even with my phone set to blast, I sleep through a few. It’s like an out of control first crush all over again.

“Mila, I’ve been dreaming about you,” he says when I manage to catch a call.

“Have you?”

“Yes. I miss you.” He says it so effortlessly it scares me, but I allow it because it feels amazing too. The kind of amazing that has me daydreaming about possibilities.

“It’s so hot here. I don’t remember it being this hot when you were here.”

“It was.”

“Maybe you made it more bearable. I just had a camel slap me upside the head with half a bucket of spit. I threw up for twenty minutes.”

Uncontrollable laughter pours out of me as he goes on.

“I should warn you now, I have a horrible, and I mean horrible, track record with animals.”

“All animals?”

“Yes, goldfish included. Blake says it’s because they can sense evil. But I think that applies to kids.”

“It applies to both kids and animals.”

“Of course, you’d know that,” he smarts. “Kids are okay, but I’m afraid it’s a hard no on pets.”

“Are we having kids already?”

“Whatever we want it to be,” he murmurs.

“Right. Cart before the camel, Lucas.”

“Hey, I’m not proposing.”

“Good, I’m not accepting.”

“Marry me.” I can hear his smile over the line.

“Hell, no.”

“Smart lady. Wait until I start earning the real paychecks.”

“I’d take your paycheck over mine any day, Walker.”

His reply is instant. “Do you need money?”

“Jesus, did you really just ask me that? No, of course not.”

There’s a long pause over the line. “I didn’t…I didn’t mean it the way it came out, not to insult you. Not at all.” Not for one second do I think he meant it that way. “I just want you to be okay. That’s all.”

“I’m fine. But honestly, Lucas, I could never take a dime from you. That’s not how I’m built.”

“Okay, I just want you to be good.”

“I’m more than good.”

“Happy?”

“Yes.”

“God, lady, as mean as you are, you move me.”

I can’t even pretend not to be caught up in the sincerity in his voice. “The feeling is mutual, I assure you.”

Another pause.

“I really feel good about this,” he whispers.

“Me too.”

“Shit’s the same on set, so tell me what’s going on with you.”

“Just working hard. Trying to reel in some clients.”

“You’ll get there.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but have you drunk any wine lately?”

His answering silence has me laughing.

“Oh my God, do I really want to give my heart to a guy who hates my passion?” I say it with a laugh but get silence in response.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I pull the phone away from my ear and see we’re still connected. “Lucas, are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here, Dame.”

“The more you call me that, the more I like it.”

“Well, it’s all yours. They’re calling me to set, baby.” My heart explodes with his sentiment. “I’ll call you soon.”