LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER SIX

      LOLA WAS PROUD of herself. She’d managed to spend the rest of the day in avoidance mode. Had eaten dinner with Jake and Cameron, which had passed pleasantly enough with small talk and chit-chat about movies and brain surgery—although, Lola noticed, he hadn’t offered to show Cameron how to do wide-awake surgery with chopsticks, and he was just a little more reserved around the actress.

      Then Lola had taken the dogs for a late-night walk on her own, and had returned to find a quiet lodge. Jake had gone to bed and there’d been no further awkward conversation. She’d fallen asleep after only a couple of hours lying in bed wondering what the hell tomorrow would bring.

      And thinking about his mouth. That body. That smile.

      In the next damned room.

      And how she was going to survive being stuck in close proximity to him?

      After her morning puppy walk she returned to find the interconnecting phone ringing and no Jake in sight. Thank God. ‘Hello!’

      ‘Lola, honey, it’s me.’

      ‘Hi, Cameron! Beautiful day.’

      ‘Sure is. Listen, Alfredo wants to take me on a boat trip to one of the private islands this morning, meet some of his friends. Take care of the babies, will you? They wouldn’t be safe on a boat. I’ll be back after lunch, then we can all go to the set.’

      ‘Of course. Have fun. See you later.’

      ‘Was that Cameron?’ Jake’s voice behind her made her heart bounce to a jerky beat.

      She steadied it before turning to find him dressed in workout gear and slightly out of breath. After yesterday’s staring faux pas she’d promised herself not to look too closely, so settled on trying to get the swanky coffee machine to work. She fiddled with the little shiny plastic capsules, chose a silver one, popped it in. ‘Coffee?’

      ‘Yes, thanks.’

      ‘Been for a run?’

      ‘Working out. There’s a gym in the basement up at the house. I thought I might see Cameron there, but she didn’t appear. What’s the plan?’ He wandered to the cabinet, pulled out a cup. Back in her line of vision. He looked sweaty, arm muscles pumped. Hair dishevelled. All kinds of hot. No. Not looking.

      ‘Cameron probably worked out last night—she prefers to do it in the evenings. She’s going out, back around noon, then we’re to accompany her to the set.’

      Jake was staring at her with a strange look on his face, which he wiped as soon as he realised she was watching him. ‘So we have a free morning?’

      ‘Just Cameron-free. Three hours or so.’ Lola added skimmed milk to her coffee and started making his. Trying not to make eye contact. It felt as if she’d said something wrong, but couldn’t put her finger on anything relevant. Or maybe it was just the kiss hovering between them again. She needed to get out. ‘I have a ton of stuff to do. Actually, I’ll go and make a start.’

      His hand on her wrist stopped her, his heat seeping into her skin and through her body. ‘You haven’t had your coffee, Lola.’

      ‘Thanks. No. Well...I can take it with...’ She couldn’t take her eyes off his hand, long fingers, neat nails. Skilled and powerful, whether holding chopsticks, a scalpel or probes. Hands that had cupped her face so intensely.

      Yes, that kiss was definitely there, the huge elephant in the room. She swallowed deeply.

      He looked down and hurriedly drew his hand away from her wrist. And she wanted to grab his hand and put it right back, but he pulled out some croissants from the bread bin. ‘I’m never going to survive on a skinny actress’s rabbit food. I asked the chef to get something decent for us to eat. You want some? I won’t tell anyone, it’ll be our secret?’

      ‘No, thanks.’

      He watched her. ‘You don’t like them or don’t want them? Two different things.’

      ‘I’m trying to be healthy. There’s some fruit in the fridge, I’ll have that.’ There was also champagne, she’d noted, and wondered if he’d requested that too. She watched as flaky crumbs dropped from his lip onto the plate and her stomach rumbled. God, she wanted a bite. And not just of the croissant.

      As if he could read her mind, he held it out to her. ‘Believe me, if you eat with Cameron every day you’ll be more than healthy but not very happy. Or full. And definitely not satisfied. Besides, the brain is made up of sixty per cent fat—we need it to think, work, be. So come on, just a mouthful. This is delicious. All that butter. So good.’ He bent and rummaged in the bread bin again, pulled out another pastry. ‘Oh, look, here’s one with chocolate. Chocolate for breakfast—sinful. In the Bahamas...in the sunshine. Just a small piece. Come on...I promise not to tell a soul.’

      ‘Oh, go on, then, just a little bit. I have zero will-power.’ She laughed, taking the pain au chocolat and tearing off a piece, which she unashamedly popped into her mouth. It was indeed delicious. ‘So you’re being my enabler now? The chocolate is the gateway drug, then the croissant is the road to hell.’

      He dipped his head to look her directly in the eyes. ‘I’m just trying to be friendly. The way I see it, we have to get along here. We have a small house and we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. Either we try to put the kiss behind us and make a fresh start, or one of us will have to explain to Cameron our predicament and ask to bunk in with her. I can’t see that going down well. But I can’t live with tension and awkwardness here either.’

      Again the direct approach. It was confronting, but also refreshing. She studied him for a moment. Those dark blue eyes weren’t playing her, but actually genuinely trying to reach a solution. She could do this. ‘Okay. Fresh start.’

      ‘Great. Eat. Good?’

      Was it rude to tear it apart with her teeth? ‘Oh, God, yes. Brain food? Just think how much more clever I’ll be after eating it.’

      ‘I didn’t say it would make you more clever. But what the hell...if it makes you eat, genius. Now, if only I had something to drink too...’

      ‘Oh, your coffee...I forgot.’ She put the pastry down for a moment while she found him a purple plastic capsule and set the machine. In a few moments the sounds of gurgling filled the silence.

      Once he’d finished eating he gave her a satisfied smile. ‘I was just talking to Tina up at the house. She says there’s some excellent snorkelling over near Lyford Cay. If we had time we could charter a boat and go further offshore, but we only have a couple hours—there’s still some interesting fish just off the beach. You fancy heading off and having a look? We can take a couple of motor scooters.’

      ‘What? Now?’ Up close and personal with a semi-naked Jake? No way. Once was bad enough. Or, rather, good enough. Too good. That wasn’t her idea of a fresh start. ‘What about Cameron?’

      ‘Well, we’re here to work, but we can’t work if the boss isn’t around, now, can we?’ He shook his head. ‘Have you ever snorkelled in the Bahamas before? Ridden a motor scooter?’

      Sharing a standing-up breakfast was one thing, sharing a half-naked adventure was something altogether different. ‘Snorkelling? Motor scooters? My job isn’t the same as yours, Jake, waiting around until someone gets sick. I have other things to do. Lots of things.’

      ‘Can they wait?’

      ‘Says the self-confessed workaholic.’

      ‘Yes, I am... But Tina said if we do nothing else while we’re here we must do some snorkelling. She has all the gear. And I’m hardly extending my surgical skills sitting around here, am I? What will I do...? Practise my injection technique on an orange?’

      He

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