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Besides, I wouldn’t admit it to Finn, and barely even to myself; I didn’t want to disappoint Bennett.
Okay, if I were being totally honest, I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to impress him. To prove that I deserved that lead female role. He hadn’t given me any inclination that I wasn’t suited to it, but Mandy’s backhanded comment at the call-back and my own insecurity at gaining myfirstlead role had me pushing myself even harder.
“Finn!” I screamed, knowing he must be coming up the walkway by now. “Around the side of the house! Help!”
I heard the distinct long strides of someone rounding the side where I was dangling.
“Hold on,” came the deep, rolling timbre of Bennett Broussard.
“Shit,” I muttered. “Bennett?” Though I knew it was him.
“I’ve got you.” Then he had his hands wrapped around the backs of my thighs near my ass.
I didn’t get embarrassed often, but flames of heat flushed my face. All I could think was, thank God I was wearing jeans since the weather had finally turned cool. Otherwise, he’d be getting a nice peek at my ass cheeks hanging out of the tiny shorts I was wearing last time he was here.
“Just let go, Betty. I’ve got you.”
His long fingers and big hands spanned a good bit of my thighs. Suddenly, I wished I had on the short shorts so I could feel those big hands on my naked skin.
“But Gilbert,” I whined, “he’s stuck up here.”
A masculine chuckle came from down below. “I think you’re the one who’s stuck. Just let go, and I’ll catch you. I’ll get Gilbert after.”
“It sounds easier than it is.”
With zero amusement in his voice, his tone having dropped even deeper, softer. “I won’t let you fall, Betty. Trust me. Just let go. I’ll catch you.”
Now not only was my face in flames from humiliation, but my tummy was doing backflips at the tenor of Bennett’s confident promises.
“Okay,” I muttered. “On the count of three.”
“One, two—” His steady voice made me feel sure and safe, so I dropped when he said, “three.”
Strong arms caught me around the thighs and waist, holding my body tight, my back to his front. Air left my lungs, and I gripped his forearms as he let me slide down his body, his breath warm against my ear.
“Thank you,” I whispered, not about to turn my head and look at him this close.
It was already getting too uncomfortable in rehearsal to be near him and maintain my nonchalance. Those husband-and-wife scenes where I had to cuddle and press my cheek to his haunted me already. The roughness of his scruff and the smell of his manly soap or cologne was still on me when I’d gotten home last night. I’d had to pull out my BOB to take care of myself, so I could settle down and sleep.
There, on stage, I had the setting of the play to back up my reaction to him, that it was all an act for the audience.
Here, in my backyard—or side yard, rather—it was more difficult to lie even to myself that my body had a very distinct reaction to this man. The kind that had me conjuring more fantasies, like Bennett and I doing this exact pose…in my bedroom, naked, in front of a mirror.
In front of a mirror?
Dammit. I really needed to get laid. Unfortunately, this was Beauville. The one thing I didn’t like about my hometown was that it was difficult to have casual relationships without every busybody knowing about it. In particular, my mother, who was already hounding me about grandchildren. I was twenty-six, for Pete’s sake.
“Baaa!”
Gilbert peered down at us over the top edge of the roof. That seemed to break the spell. Bennett released me, finally allowing my feet to touch the ground. I hadn’t even realized he’d been holding me aloft in a vise grip against his body. Like I said, I wasn’t complaining. It was the most action I’d gotten in a year. But I did feel awkward all of a sudden.
Bennett grabbed the ladder and righted it, headed up a few steps, grabbed Gilbert with ridiculous ease, and hauled him down like he plucked goats off roofs every day of his life. He made everything look easy. Because he did everything with extreme confidence.
“Your goat, my lady.” He stood right in front of me and set him down.
“Bad Gilbert,” I fussed down at him.
He toddled a step, went stiff-legged, then keeled right over on his side.
