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Certainly not her. No siree. No matter how flirtatious they got, no matter what her body seemed to want—she had more respect for herself thanthat.

Maddie took one more deep breath, leaned over and flushed the toilet, keeping up the pretense that she’d needed to pee. Then she spritzed her face with cold water. She wasn’t any calmer, but she’d have to fake it. She couldn’t stay in the bathroom all day hiding from the hottie—correction—co-worker in the otherroom.

“Here you go,” Micah said as she returned, handing her the script opened to a page about halfway in. “Top of that page there.” He had resumed leaning against the counter.

Maddie took the script and leaned against the counter opposite him, refusing to pay any attention to his thighs this time. Nope, she would not look. She scanned the page instead. The dialogue seemed harmless enough. She could get through this. No problem.

“You start,” she said when he didn’t begin.

“I know.” A hint of something—longing, maybe—marked histone.

She looked up from the script and found him staring at her. Again. What was he doing? Getting into character? Trying to remember his first line? Whatever he was doing, it made Maddie warm and fuzzy as he ran his eyes up and down her body. Shit. She was a goner.

After what seemed like an eternity, he began. “I thought you’d be out here. Getting ready to take off with our share of theloot?”

Maddie moved her eyes back to the script for her line. “No. I just needed someair.”

“Yeah,” he huffed. “Like I can believe anything that comes out of your mouth.”

“I haven’t lied to you.” Maddie kept her reading stiff. She wasn’t a great actor to begin with, and the last thing she needed was to get lost in this scene.

“Sure, you haven’t.” Micah took a step toward her. Oh for the love of whatever was holy, he was running the scene’s movement too. That meant they were going to get real close, real soon. Certainly he planned to stop before the kiss. Right?

Maddie lost her place on the page, thinking about his lips on hers. Wondering how his scruff would feel against her face. Her voice was weak when she spoke again. “I haven’t. If I’d wanted the money, I would’ve left last night, not in broad daylight. And if you’re really that worried about it, maybe you should just keep track of your share yourself.”

He took another step toward her. Maddie swallowed, wishing the cabin weren’t so narrow. She had nowhere to retreat.

”Maybe I should keep it all. Not toomany—”

Maddie jumped on his mistake. “You forgot, ‘Permanently. Youknow—’”

“Shit. Let me start that again.” He took a step back then walked toward her again as he began the line. “Maybe I should keep it all. Permanently. You know, I’ve been thinking. Not too many people would notice if you weren’t around anymore. It would leave less of a headache to worry about dragging your ass with us across these mountains. And I wouldn’t have to be concerned that you’d whore my brother out of his share.”

“Fuck you.” Yeah, fuck you, she repeated in her head. Fuck you hard and long and—oh no, this was not goingwell.

“Not if you were the last woman on earth.” Micah closed the distance between them and leaned his arm on the cabinet behind her head. Wow, he was so close, so unbelievably… close. Her eyes travelled to his arm propped near her, his perfectly formed bicep tempting her fingers to touchit.

She resisted. Barely. He smelled of coffee and makeup and sweat, and something so entirely Micah, causing the warmth between her legs to heat up another couple of degrees.

Maddie brought the script up to her face as if to place a barricade between them. Her next line came out in a whisper. “I hateyou.”

Micah curled his lip. His oh-so-sexy-lip. “Say that again?”

“I hate you.” Man, these lines were hitting close tohome.

Micah put his other arm up, trapping her. “Again. Say it again.”

“I hate you. I hate you. I. Hate. You.” She lowered the script. Here Micah was supposed to cut her—well Heather, off with a kiss. He didn’t, though.

That’s a good thing, Maddie reminded herself despite the desire pulsing through her veins.

But he also didn’t move away. He kept her ensnared underneath him. His eyes clouded as though he was conflicted, and then they lowered to her mouth, and her heartbeat doubled itspace.

“Uh, that was really good,” she squeaked. “Do you want to run it again?”

“I got what I needed.” His words sounded tight and gruff.

“You did?” The intensity in his eyes, the closeness of his body—Kiss me. Kissme!