Taming Hollywood's Baddest Boy - Max Monroe Page 0,50
get the gist.”
It hits me that this woman, this gorgeous, intriguing, little creature, has no idea how damn beautiful she really is or the charming power she holds inside that tiny body of hers.
I grin. “I liked it.”
“She didn’t actually try out for the part,” she adds. “She just happened to be a beautiful woman, laughing her ass off in the middle of a fancy Italian restaurant, and a casting director overheard her and approached her.”
My grin grows, and I stand up to clean our plates. “I think that’s the first Hollywood story I’ve actually liked hearing.”
Bailey sighs, most likely sad that all of the food is finished off, scoots a little closer to the fire, and puts his head in his paws. His eyes fall closed in seconds, and a few soft snores leave his snout.
Billie glances at him and smiles, kneeling down to gently scratch her nails down his back and the dog responds by smacking his sleepy lips together in contentment.
“I think he’s calling it a night,” she says, standing back up and following my lead as we start the process of washing and drying our dishes.
A soft smile crests my lips, and I nod. “When that dog is tired, he’s fucking done.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” She giggles and stacks up our clean dishes. “So, how many miles do we have left tomorrow?”
“Just a little over eight,” I answer, packing everything back up in the main compartment of my backpack and sliding the zipper closed. “If we start early, we should be at Lou’s by two.”
“Sounds good to me.” Her full lips curl into a yawn, and I smile softly.
Looks like Bailey isn’t the only one who needs to call it a night.
“You ready for bed?”
She nods through another yawn. “Definitely.”
“How’s your ankle?”
“It’s so good that you shouldn’t even start in on the ice bullshit tonight.”
A chuckle escapes my throat. “All right. I guess it’s time for bed, then.”
“C’mon, bud.” I whistle for Bailey, and he groans his annoyance but slowly stretches himself to standing and follows my lead.
But when Billie starts to head toward her bright-pink tent, something stirs inside of me and I reach out and stop her by gently gripping her forearm.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, and her eyes go wide with confusion.
“It’s even colder tonight than it was last night,” I say, but this time, I don’t fight to hide the soft smile that wants to slide across my lips. “So, you might as well skip the part of sneaking into my tent in the middle of the night and just start there.”
Billie stands still, unsure of what to do.
“Come on, princess. Let’s go to bed.”
She searches my eyes for a long moment, but then, to my utter surprise, without a million questions or comments, she simply follows me.
My chest grows light and airy with an emotion I don’t understand. It’s like I’m happy about it. Like I want her with me tonight, lying beside me.
Probably because you do…
I shake off the thought, and the three of us head inside my tent and I zip the door closed behind us.
Bailey settles in the corner on his favorite blanket, and Billie and I slip inside my sleeping bag.
She doesn’t hesitate to curl her body into mine, and I don’t hesitate to let her.
I should probably hate how good she feels inside my arms, but I don’t.
Instead, I relax into our snuggled state and shut my eyes.
“Luca?” she asks, her voice a whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For…” She pauses, and I open my eyes to look down at her. It takes my vision a few seconds to adjust to the darkness, but when it does, I find her looking back at me. “A good day,” she whispers. “And for taking such good care of me yesterday.”
“You’re welcome.”
Our gazes stay locked, and I search her eyes while she searches mine.
And then, before I know what’s happening, Billie leans closer and presses her lips against mine.
It’s a soft, gentle kiss, and I wish I could say I take the opportunity and run, but the shock of the moment wins out by a landslide.
Quicker than it started, the kiss is over, and Billie is snuggling back into my chest and shutting her eyes. Soon, her breaths soften, and her body goes lax against me.
And I’m left to lie here, wondering how one innocent little kiss could feel so damn good.
Billie
Mercury is in retrograde, and my stupid ass is in the loony bin. Last night, I kissed Luca.