But she’d spent too many years believing just the opposite. The walls she’d have to break down to let someone like Seth in were pretty sturdy.
When she spoke, her voice didn’t sound like her own. The tone was meek and unsure and breathy. “I have to go.”
“Yes, you do.”
He released her and she turned and walked away on unsteady legs. And just like when she’d left her trailer house at sixteen, she didn’t look back.
He was like her past. She didn’t need him. She didn’t want him.
This time, though, the effort to not look was excruciating.
Chapter Four
At nearly one o’clock in the afternoon, Seth was exhausted and grumpy as f**k. He’d been busting ass on set pieces since he first saw the scripts at six-thirty that morning, not even stopping to eat breakfast with the cast and crew. He couldn’t spare the break, but more importantly, he was certain if he saw Heather, his focus would be shattered.
Not that his focus was any good having not seen her. He’d been working with a semi all morning. Every time he reached for his tools, every time he drove in a screw, he couldn’t help but remember his interaction with her the night before. She’d looked so damn sexy with her scarlet red nail polished fingers clutching his drill. How gorgeous her hands would look wrapped around his cock.
His dick leapt just thinking about it.
But her attitude was still not worth it, he reminded himself. There were enough beautiful women in the world. Why he was so hard-up over such a bitch was beyond him.
Seth wiped a layer of sweat off his brow with the back of his arm and placed his sander on the ground. He removed his safety glasses and gloves, then ran his hand across the arm of the wooden deck chair he’d just finished. It was smooth enough. As smooth as it was going to get with no time to varnish, anyway.
His ears perked at the bustle of changing casts on the stage next door. Each of the six shows had only one precious hour onstage, the rest of their rehearsals taking place in outlying rooms, and he’d tried to complete construction for each show as they arrived on stage. The deck chair was for the play scheduled to rehearse now—Heather’s show. He’d likely see her when he delivered it.
He took a deep breath and hefted the chair over his shoulder to carry it out to the stage. One step onto the wing, though, and he nearly dropped the piece. He’d known he’d encounter the bombshell, but there was no way he could have prepared himself for the sight that met him.
Heather, apparently not yet needed onstage, was practicing in the wings. On her knees. Wearing nothing but a skimpy yellow polka-dot bikini. Straddling the drill. His drill.
Fuck, if she wasn’t every man’s wet dream come to life.
His c**k instantly grew from semi to raging.
Realizing she hadn’t noticed him, he adjusted the chair on his shoulder and continued his task. Instead of going around the actress in his pathway, he stepped over her with one long stride.
Yeah, he was asking for trouble. Somehow he couldn’t resist trouble when it took the form of Heather Wainwright.
“Hey!” she screeched as he passed.
Ignoring her, he walked onto the stage and set down the deck chair near the back, careful not to disturb the actors rehearsing.
“Damn, Seth!” Mardi, the director of Heather’s play, exclaimed from the audience. “That’s perfect! Thanks!”
He smiled and nodded toward her.
“Let’s start from the top now that we have the real chair,” Mardi said to her performers as Seth returned back to the wing. Back to Heather.
Again, he didn’t alter his path, but stepped over the actress in one stride.
“Do you mind?”
He turned back to face her. “I should be asking you the same thing. You’re in my space, after all.”
“This is not your space. This is the wing. Where actors wait for their entrances.”
“By all means. Go back to your waiting. Don’t mind me.”
She glared a delicious glare that caused his c**k to pulse. Then she lowered her head and returned to practicing with the drill.
He folded his arms and leaned against the wall to watch her. She recited her lines quietly so he couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, but from her actions, he understood the gist. Heather’s character was attempting to drill into the sand at the beach. For what reason, he could only imagine, though he could tell the bit would be funny as she struggled, with the heavy drill, straddling it to get a better grasp.
It would also be goddamn sexy as hell. Just ask the straining bulge in his pants.
He let out a laugh, disgusted with his body’s reaction.
“What?” Heather’s head snapped toward him.
“None of your beeswax.” He’d be damned if he let her know what she did to him.
“Then can you give me some space here? Remember you’re supposed to leave me alone.”
“You started talking to me first, princess.” He stepped toward her. “And this is my territory.”
She dropped the drill and stood. “Stop calling me that!”
“What? Princess?” He felt the smirk on his face. “I just call things as I see them. Sorry if it hits too close to home.”
Her brown eyes widened. “Why are you such an ass**le?”
“Why are you such a bitch?” A bitch with f**kably pouty lips and soft, luscious curves.
“I’m only responding to my environment. You’re so mean to me. What did I ever do to you?”
What did he do to her? He almost laughed out loud. As if she was completely innocent in their feud.
He couldn’t take it anymore. Forget keeping his reaction to her a secret. She asked and he was so turned on by her that his body moved of its own accord. Grabbing her by the waist, he pushed her into the wall behind them and pressed full against her. Damn, she felt better than he could have ever imagined. Her full br**sts rose and fell with her heavy breaths, her ni**les standing through the flimsy material of her suit, begging him for attention, begging him for more contact.
“That’s what you do to me, princess.” He nearly growled the words as he ground his erection into her pelvis.
She drew in a sharp breath, such a sexy sound he nearly exploded.
His brain screamed at him to stop. He shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be touching her. Not just because she was a snotty bitch, but because of their roles in the showcase. His behavior was incredibly inappropriate.
But he couldn’t help himself. When he registered the desire that mirrored his in her eyes, he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in to take her plump lower lip between his teeth, nibbling softly before thrusting his tongue into her lush mouth.