Holy hell, his smile was amazing. It struck a balance between sweet and sinful, and his eyes lit up. “Yeah?”
I nodded because there was no telling what ridiculous sound I might make if I tried to speak.
“Nervous?” he asked.
I was. My knees were shaking under my dress, but I was determined not to show it. For months I had stared at the listing and fantasized about taking action, and once I had, more months passed as I completed all the steps necessary to bring me to today. No one knew where I was, except for the people in this room, and it fed into my fantasy. I could be anyone today.
I sucked in a calming breath. “I’m fine. Sort of excited.”
He blinked, stunned. It was a reaction I was used to. I had a deep, smoky voice which didn’t match people’s expectations. They saw a pretty, feminine face with nice boobs and long legs, and assumed I’d have a high-pitched, girly voice to go along with it. It’s not like I sounded like a man, but my alto voice caught people off guard.
“Excited?” His grin somehow widened. “I think we’re gonna have a great time.”
Kimberly rose from the desk. “Either of you want something to drink?”
My mouth was a desert from the realization I was going to be working with Scott. I’d assumed the guy would be decent looking, but not overly attractive. This guy looked delicious.
“Water?” I asked.
“Sure.” Kimberly disappeared down the hall past a row of filing cabinets.
I could feel Scott’s gaze on me like hands exploring my body, studying every curve, but I stared at the back wall. If everything went well, I’d see plenty of him in a few minutes.
The desk groaned softly as he leaned against it, and his shift in position wordlessly demanded my attention. So I turned my gaze to him and the dirty blond hair that curled at the ends beneath his baseball hat.
“What’s a girl like you doing here?”
His gray-blue eyes were full of curiosity, not judgment. “I dunno,” I said. “What’s a girl like you doing here?”
His perfect mouth quirked into a half-smile at my barb. “I asked first, Nina. If that’s your real name.”
I’d gone back and forth, but in the end I decided to use my first name, not caring who knew. “It is my name, and I need the money.” Not just that, I needed a whole new life.
“Yeah? Don’t we all?” He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, which gave an excellent view of his toned form. “Well, you’re fucking hot. You’ll have no problem getting lots of work.”
It was a compliment, but he’d said it like it was fact. Coming from this sexy stranger, it was a huge turn-on. My face flushed with heat and I wavered slightly. “Thank you.”
“Hey, if you get nervous . . . it’s cool. Everyone is their first time.”
So, he’d done this before. Relief passed through me. This was like dancing, and I was glad to have a strong partner to lead. “Were you?”
His expression was amused. “Yeah. I put a lot of pressure on myself and, fuck, I was awful. But don’t worry.” Scott flashed a devious grin. “I’ve gotten less awful since.”
It was unstoppable that my gaze flowed down him. I couldn’t imagine him being awful. No, something told me he’d be much, much better than awful.
Kimberly returned carrying two bottles of water. When she offered them to us, I took mine quickly, not wanting either of them to see my hand was shaking. Scott casually took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and downed a
long sip. He was cool as a cucumber.
“Well,” Kimberly said, glancing up at the clock, “I guess we’ll start without him. Either of you need a minute before we begin?”
“We’re doing it without him?” Scott asked.
I wondered the same thing. Where was the director? We were going to shoot without one?
Kimberly shrugged. “Why not? Everyone else is here. No point wasting—”
The door flew open, and we all turned at the sound.