LOGINApparently almost getting caught hadn't taught us anything.That became clear the next afternoon when Danny walked past me backstage and dragged one finger across my palm without looking back.I smiled anyway.Yesterday, we'd nearly gotten caught kissing ten feet from where I was currently standing. We'd agreed to be more careful, but apparently Danny's definition of careful was don't kiss Tessa while someone is actively looking at you. Mine wasn't much better.By the time rehearsal ended, I was exhausted. People disappeared quickly once we were released, but I stayed behind. Again. That should've been my first clue that I had learned absolutely nothing.I was shoving my script into my bag when Danny appeared. “Dinner?”I looked up. “Tonight?”“No. Three weeks from Thursday.”“Smartass.”“You asked.” He leaned against the wall. “Where? My place.”“That isn't dinner.”“There'll be food. I'll order something.”“Still doesn't count.”“You're difficult.”“I have standards,” I said. “I've
I was standing onstage pretending to listen to notes while Danny stood six feet away pretending he hadn't spent most of last night kissing me.Apparently, forbidden relationships got easier with practice.“Tessa?”I blinked. Our director was looking at me.“Sorry.”A few people laughed.“Want to join us?”“I'd love to.”“Wonderful. From the top of the scene.”I moved back to my mark. Danny was already waiting, looking completely normal, professional, and annoyingly focused.The music started, and I crossed toward him on cue. The scene had been awkward the first few times we'd rehearsed it—there were too many technical marks to hit, lines to deliver, and exact spots where Danny needed to touch me.Today it felt easy.Danny caught my hand, and I looked up at him. For one second, I forgot there were twenty people watching us.Then he said his line. I remembered mine, and we moved through the rest of the scene without stopping.“Good,” the director called when we finished. “Much better. W
Danny opened the door before I had a chance to knock twice.“You took your time.”I stepped past him. “I was busy.”“With Jay?”I looked over my shoulder. “Mini golf.”Danny shut the door. “Of course.”“And a movie.”“At his place?”“Mine.”Something flickered across his face. Interesting.I turned to face him. “Are you jealous?”“No.”“That was very fast.”“Because the answer was easy.”“Sure.”Danny rolled his eyes and headed toward the kitchen. I followed him.“He's my friend.”“I know.”“And I told him we're friends.”“I know that too.”“Good.”Danny opened the refrigerator. “Drink?”“Absolutely.”That was apparently the end of it. Good. I didn't particularly want to spend the evening explaining Jay. Jay was easy; there was nothing to explain.Danny handed me a drink and nodded toward the balcony. “Come on.”I followed. His stupid, superior apartment even had a nice view. Of course it did.I settled into one of the chairs and stretched my legs out in front of me. “I still hate you
“You cheated,” he accused. “I won.” “You moved the ball.” “With my club.” “With your foot.”I stared at Jay across the miniature golf course.“That is a serious accusation.” “I watched you do it.” “Do you have witnesses?”Jay looked around. A family with two little kids was arguing over a blue golf ball, and an older couple was three holes ahead of us. Nobody was paying attention.He looked back at me. “You're unbelievable.”“You're losing.” “Because you're cheating.”I leaned on my putter. “Sounds like something a loser would say.”Jay shook his head and walked toward his ball.We'd left rehearsal less than an hour ago, and apparently tomorrow had turned into miniature golf. Jay claimed he'd chosen it because I'd said grocery shopping wasn't an activity and he wanted to make sure today's plans met my standards. I suspected he'd chosen it because he thought he could beat me.He was wrong—mostly because I was cheating.Jay lined up his shot. “Are you going to stand there?”“Yes.” “Can
I woke up because my entire body had filed a formal complaint.For several seconds, I didn't move. I stared at an unfamiliar ceiling and tried to figure out why my bed felt different.Then I moved one leg.Oh.I moved the other.Oh.Memories of last night returned with impressive efficiency: Danny's bedroom, Danny's hands, Danny's mouth, and Danny making it very clear that when he'd said he wasn't done with me yet, he'd meant it.I smiled at the ceiling. Worth it.I turned my head. Danny was asleep beside me, facedown, one arm shoved beneath his pillow. His dark hair was a mess. For once, he looked less polished. Less like Danny the Professional Actor Who Negotiated His Housing and more like a normal guy who'd stayed awake far too late.A very attractive normal guy.I reached for my phone on the nightstand.6:18."Shit." I sat up too quickly, and my body immediately objected. "Jesus."Danny stirred. "What?""Nothing."He opened one eye while I was already searching the floor for my un
I stepped into the bedroom first. Danny closed the door behind us with a quiet click, and the second the latch caught he was on me again.No more checking. No more questions. His mouth crushed against mine, harder than before, one hand already fisting in my hair to tip my head back so he could take what he wanted. The other hand went straight under the hem of my top, palm flat and hot against my stomach, fingers spreading like he was claiming the skin.“Been thinking about this since last night,” he muttered against my mouth. “You stopping me.” His teeth scraped my lower lip. “Not happening again.”I made a sound that wasn’t quite a word. He took it as agreement and walked me backward until the backs of my thighs hit the edge of his bed. One shove and I sat. Danny didn’t follow me down. He stood between my knees and pulled his shirt over his head in one motion, tossing it somewhere behind him.Jesus. I’d seen him without a shirt in fittings, but not like this, not with his chest risin







