Never Been Ready (Ready #2)(55)

I'd even felt confident to leave her for a few minutes, stepping away so I could talk to a director I'd been hoping to get a word with. Those few minutes had paid off, and I thought I had my chance to get a very important foot in the door. As I'd returned, Leah might not have noticed that I had seen her putting my costar Melody in place, but I had. I'd worked with Melody for a few weeks, so I knew her various faces and moods, and I knew when she was pissed. I didn't know why Leah hadn't wanted to share her run-in, but from the smile on her face, I could only guess that she had been the victor, which didn't surprise me. Leah could hold her own —I had no doubt about that.

With my arm on the small of her back, I ushered her to our seats just before the lights dimmed. I was nervous. I hated seeing myself in films. It was weird, and I constantly criticized every move, action, and word, wondering if I could have done it better, different. It was maddening. Plus, this film included my first sex scene, and to add to that, I'd brought the woman I loved.

God, I was an idiot. I should just go now.

"You okay, Hotshot?" Leah whispered as the opening credits began.

I nodded, but she leaned in further.

"You're nervous." It wasn't a question.

She weaved her fingers through mine, and I savored the warmth of her delicate skin. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself as the movie began.

I was a secondary character, and I didn't come into the storyline until about midway, so watching up until that part was easy. My foot bounced in anticipation, knowing my scenes were coming up soon.

When Melody's character went to her next door neighbor's door and knocked, I appeared, and I wanted to throw up. Fuck, I needed to leave. This was why I usually ducked out when the movie started or why I wouldn't show up at all. Maybe this was a sign that I hadn't been made for acting. When I couldn't even sit in the same theater and watch my own film, hating every word I said, every gesture I gave, perhaps it was a clue that I was meant for something else.

Her eyes never leaving the movie screen, Leah's hand ran down my thigh as she whispered in my ear, "You look so f**king sexy."

It was exactly what I needed to hear to break the tension running through my body. Her voice was the calm that helped me come back down from my epic freak-out. Relaxing, I countered, "Yeah, how sexy?"

"So sexy, I'm wondering why we've never watched one of your movies before. That could be fun."

"We'll put that on the schedule, babe."

Watching the movie with Leah as she whispered in my ear and ran her hand down my thigh made the minutes go by quickly, and before I knew it, we were at the part I had been dreading. I recognized it immediately when Leah's entire body tensed. Her fingernails dug into the fabric of my pants, and she gasped. Just as Melody and I were about to go at it, Leah's eyes darted down from the screen, and her breathing increased. It wasn't a warm, gentle love scene. I was the side road the heroine took on her way to true love. We f**ked, and for everyone in the theater, I was sure it was hot. For the two of us though, it was torture.

Leah was shutting down, and I didn't blame her. Movies today did a very good job of making love scenes look real, and in her mind, all she could picture was what was on that screen and how authentic it appeared.

"Hey."

No answer.

"Leah, look at me," I whispered.

She blinked, looking at me finally.

"Close your eyes, and shut it out," I said gently. "Focus on my voice, and on the feel of my hands. I'm here with you, no one else."

Eyes still closed, she nodded and took a steady deep breath.

"You are the only woman I want. You and I are real. I could do a hundred scenes like this, and none of them would ever change the way I feel about you. You're it for me. I love you, Leah —only and always you."

She opened her eyes, finally catching my gaze, no longer focused on the movie. Everything else disappeared —the theater, the people around us. It was just her as she said the four words I would spend the rest of my life making her never regret.

"I love you, too."

Chapter Eighteen

~Leah~

We skipped the after-party, taking our leave shortly after the ending credits. I thought we'd both had enough socializing for the evening.

Seeing Declan on the big screen wasn't a new experience for me. I'd seen every movie he'd done. But that had been all before I actually knew him, before he'd walked into that bar so many months ago and completely changed my life.

Seeing him act now was completely different. I knew his mannerisms, his smile, and his laugh now. I knew every expression he displayed, and now, when I saw his movies, I could tell he was acting. It was Declan in the movie, but it wasn't him. Because of this, while watching him on the big screen now, I'd felt an overwhelming sense of pride. I could see the talent and power he had when he acted, knowing he wasn't just regurgitating lines but actually taking on his character. It was completely engrossing, and I'd gotten swept away when watching him.

Until the sex scene. I had been so invested in my sexy conversation with Declan and watching his character on the screen, that the love scene had completely blindsided me. I didn't know why. It wasn't like it had come out of left field. It had quite the normal buildup.

God, it had been awful. It had felt like walking in on my boyfriend doing it with another woman, except I'd gotten to see it in twelve different angles with perfect lighting as it was set to music. It had been a horrid experience.