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“Sounds good.”
So we dove in. Just like on stage, Bennett’s performance inspired me to be even better at my role. When he pushed, I pulled. When he went down in tempo, I went up. When his character threw a fit about the eccentric neighbor Mr. Velasco, I soothed him as only a good wife could.
The balance we’d found together would be magical on stage, especially with an audience. There was an intangible energy you couldn’t define or explain when performing for a live audience. I couldn’t wait to experience that with a superior actor like Bennett.
We’d wound down Act Three, and Bennett had gone silent. I was still waiting for his final lines. When I glanced up, I realized that I’d reached out and touched him as I would on stage, my hand cupping the muscular ball of his shoulder.
Bennett wasn’t looking at his script. He was focused entirely on me. His chest rose and fell quicker than normal, his lips parted, his gaze on my mouth.
“What?” I asked in a whisper, dropping my hand to my lap.
Clearing his throat, he rumbled, “You have some chocolate right here.”
He touched the corner of his mouth, dragging my attention to his sensuous lips.
“Oh.” I wiped frantically and glanced back up. “Is it gone?”
Shaking his head, he leaned forward and reached up with his hand. I froze, mesmerized at his slow movement.
He cupped my jaw gently and swiped his thumb along the opposite corner of my mouth. “Other side.”
That woodsy masculine scent of his filled my space, mixed with red wine and lustful thoughts. His thumb dragged slowly from the corner of my mouth and along my lower lip, his pupils blown full-black.
I barely breathed when he finally blinked and dropped his hand, his expression shifting to one of surprise and...pain?
“I should go.” He stood with his script in hand, clearing his throat. “I need to be at the store early tomorrow.”
“Oh.” I stood with him, feeling awkward. “Okay,” I murmured, my voice rusty.
He nodded and swallowed hard, his throat working as he stared at me with feral intensity. Then he turned abruptly and strode for the door, strangling his script in both hands as he went.
“Thank you for the cake,” I said as he walked out onto my doorstep and turned. “And the wine,” I added with a nervous smile.
The tension was still there in the stiffness of his stance and the wildness of his eyes. “My pleasure,” his voice rumbled, gaze flicking to my mouth one more time. “See you at rehearsal, Betty.”
Then he was striding away like his house was on fire.
I wasn’t stupid. I’d felt the magnetic pull between us too. I thought he was going to kiss me. Was pretty damn sure of it. Then he didn’t.
I pondered what had just happened as I shut and locked the door.
He’d invited himself over with cake and the intent to rehearse lines. I wasn’t mad about it. But maybe he thought I was annoyed or something?
Then came that sizzling moment where I wanted to know what his mouth tasted like, what his tongue felt like. I was imagining it quite clearly when he jumped off the sofa and fled my house.
He obviously wanted to kiss me, but I hadn’t moved. Hadn’t given him any signals. I’d wanted it too. So he’d backed off quickly like the gentleman I was beginning to understand that he was before doing something impulsive like rip off my clothes and have his wicked way with me.
Sighing to the ceiling, I realized I needed to screw my head on straight and focus on the play, not all the reasons I wanted to lick Bennett from head to toe.
Chapter Eight
~BENNETT~
Trish and Peterwere arguing over some part of the staging in the “shama, shama” scene, as Betty was calling it. This was the part of the play where Paul, Corie, Ethyl, and Mr. Velasco come back after drinking lots of ouzo at a Greek restaurant, and Corie is tipsy, dancing seductively around and on top of her husband, Paul.
Today was a rehearsal just for Betty and me. Peter scheduled some rehearsal days where we worked on just our scenes since we had so many.
I was still stifling my laughter at Betty’s first attempt. Peter had me sitting in the club chair. Betty’s character was supposed to parade around me, singing the “Shama, Shama” song while doing a sexy dance in a drunken state.
