the room and stopped a few feet from him.
“I see you got what you came for.”
Dash looked up, startled. He glanced down at the notebook in his hands and closed it. He raised guilty eyes to hers.
“It’s not what you think, Sydney. I can explain.”
Her invisible armor came up, creating a force field around her that nothing could penetrate. She’d had a lifetime of practice calling it into play. She wouldn’t get angry. She didn’t want him to think she cared that much.
She would call this asshole out for invading her privacy. For shamelessly using her to further his own career.
“No explanation needed, Dash. You did your usual thing. Slam, bam, thank you, ma’am—only this time you had a bigger payoff at the end. I should’ve known you wouldn’t have been interested in someone like me.”
He shot her a wounded look, as if he were the injured party. “That’s not true and you know it.”
“Do I?” she asked evenly. “I don’t know you. All I know about you is that you love ‘em and leave ‘em. Well, you had your jollies with me last night. I’ll admit that you know what you’re doing. That was the best sex I’ve ever had. You know all the right buttons to punch. Good for you. If I would’ve known the price I was paying for having your undivided attention would be for you to access my storyboards, I would’ve passed. Fast. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it easier for you and left the script out, as well.”
“It wasn’t just sex,” Dash insisted. “When I walked you home last night, it was because I wanted to do that. I wanted to get to know you, Sydney.”
She sniffed. “I’ll give you credit. You’re a really good actor. I actually imagined you were interested in me. And for the record? I believe you would’ve nailed the audition without having seen that.” She indicated the notebook on the table. “But it was a cheap trick talking your way in. Oh, and I love the part about how you had to go move your car because you felt all protective of me.” She gave him a brittle smile. “That was a nice touch.”
He stood and latched on to her arm. Sydney looked down at his tanned fingers wrapped around her pale flesh. She jerked away.
“I want you to leave. Now. Let’s pretend like this never happened.”
“But it did,” he said softly. “I wish you’d listen—”
“I listened plenty last night.” She shook her head. “You really fooled me. Hollywood has no idea what a terrific actor you really are.”
“Sydney.” His blue eyes pierced her to her core.
She wasn’t having it and looked away, refusing to be pinned down by his magnetic stare. “Leave me with a little dignity, okay? It’s hard enough knowing how you used me. Just get out.”
She walked out of the room on rubbery legs and was surprised when they carried her all the way to her bedroom. She shut the door and turned the lock before climbing into bed. She didn’t think he’d come after her but it didn’t hurt to ensure that he’d stay on the other side of the door.
Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Thank goodness she hadn’t cried in front of him. Men saw tears as a sign of weakness. In her case, these were tears of anger. She’d wanted to scream at him. Claw out his eyes. Slap him. But she didn’t want him to know how much he’d affected her. How he’d already claimed a piece of her heart.
She heard a car engine start, revving loudly and then squealing out of the driveway.
He was angry?
Hell, he was the one who’d gotten caught sneaking a peak at her storyboards. He was the one who’d sucked up to her. Blatantly used her to gain access to her work. It appalled her the lengths he’d gone to in order to gain inside information on the role he was up for.
Sydney curled into a ball and buried her face in the pillow. Immediately, she sat up quickly and stared at it in frustration.
The pillow smelled like Dash. It had his essence. She pulled the sheet up to her nose. Same thing. All male. All Dash.
Angrily, she jumped from the bed and yanked the sheets and pillowcases off. She marched to the laundry room and stuffed them into the washer, throwing a laundry gel pack in and setting it on the hottest temperature possible.
If the sheets came out smelling like him after that?
She’d burn