was she turning this gorgeous man away? She had no idea.
“Rain check, then?” Luke persisted, his eyebrows raised, making his eyes appear vulnerable, almost needy. Elle felt her resolve weakening as he stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. Normally, that would’ve bothered her. But when Luke’s arm brushed gently against hers, Elle was intoxicated rather than uncomfortable. She wanted more.
“Yes, of course.” Elle’s expression softened as she leaned in closer. “I’d like that.”
Luke looked appeased, calm. He must have understood she wasn’t closing that door completely. His fingers grazed her forearm and his eyes locked with hers as a satisfied smile crossed his face. Elle felt naked, exposed, as if Luke could read her mind, see the fantasies brewing in her head. “Good.”
Elle’s skin tingled at his touch. “But I’ll, um, I’ll see you at the read-through.”
“Yes, I’ll get to meet the famous Gina Romano.” His fingers remained on her skin, moving slowly back and forth along her arm, which was covered in goose bumps. Elle resisted the urge to move away from his touch. It seemed brazen and inappropriate, but she didn’t want him to stop. So she swallowed hard, doing her best to ignore the dry, cotton-like feel of her throat. “She’s not so bad. I’m sure you’ll like her.”
“So far, I’ve been nothing but impressed.” Luke narrowed his eyes, his fingers slowly moving to grip Elle’s forearm ever so slightly. His message was clear. With that simple gesture, it was obvious to Elle he was just as drawn to her as she was to him.
How they would handle their attraction was another story. For that, Elle had no answers—only more questions. Questions she couldn’t allow herself to entertain. She had a storyline to develop, a character to create, and a show to save.
Her attraction to Luke Kingston would have to wait.
At least for a day or two.
Never had Elle been so turned on, yet so annoyed in all of her adult years. She watched as Gina and Luke read through the lines of a scene she’d written for David.
“David, what are you doing here?” Gina flipped her jet-black tresses behind her shoulder and toyed with the buttons of her silk top as she delivered her lines. Elle cringed, knowing Gina had quite an effect on nearly every man she met. She didn’t want Luke to succumb to Gina’s charms, but the show runner in her was impressed with Gina’s obvious acting skills. She could only hope Gina wasn’t actually interested in Luke.
Luke’s gaze darted to Gina’s more than ample chest and Elle’s heart rate increased. “I can’t stay long,” the actor recited. “I’m needed back at the casino.” Luke smiled at Gina and instantly Elle was pissed off.
Their chemistry permeated the room. This was a good thing, she attempted to remind herself. It was powerful for the show. Their obvious attraction amped up the scene and she knew it would work. Audiences would buy it. They’d root for David and eventually accept Desmond’s departure. Luke and Gina would be the new faces of Follow the Sun. She saw everything brimming inside her head: success, high Nielsen ratings, bragging rights, possible awards. She saw it all. But she also saw the undeniable spark between the two actors, and it manifested itself in a rush of adrenaline in her gut.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to end the reading. “That’s great, thanks. I think we have all we need.”
Luke nodded, shook Gina’s hand, and paused briefly to look back at Elle. Heat filled her cheeks as his lips turned into a half smile, before he left the room. She didn’t want him to go, but she knew it was necessary in order for her to regain her composure.
“Well, isn’t he a hottie?” Gina said, winking at Elle. Elle pursed her lips and nodded, dismissing the actress from the room.
Elle nodded to Whitney, giving her the all clear to finalize Luke’s offer of a contract.
“You okay?” Whitney tilted her head. “You seem out of sorts.”
“I am.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Is it Mr. Gorgeous?”
Elle smiled begrudgingly. “Maybe. I hate that I barely know him and I’m already feeling like this. It’s why I avoid getting involved! I feel unglued already and we just met.”
“Don’t self-sabotage, Elle. I can tell you want to. You get this look in your eye.”
Whitney was right. Since arriving in California, Elle had sabotaged every relationship she’d begun. Every last one. As much as she tried to decipher her patterns, and as much as