Touching the Billionaire - Holly Jaymes Page 0,4

persona. Interestingly, sensual effect and annoyance could sometimes be interchangeable.

“Your pursuers are gone,” said Corrine to let us know to move on in the scene.

I looked up at Theo, expecting him to back off because that was what Nicolette expected at this point. Instead, he looked down at me with a smug expression.

“You can get off now,” I said as Nicolette. He had me pinned in so tightly though, I couldn’t push him away as the script called for. In fact, it felt like he leaned in closer. He had one hand pressing against the wall by the side of my head, while the other hand sat on my hip. He was changing the script slightly – enough that I knew he was testing me. Because I understood what he was doing, I stayed in character in the scene.

“I just saved your life, honey,” Theo’s character said. “You should be thanking me.”

I scoffed. “You put my life in danger. I wouldn’t need to be saved if it weren’t for you.”

“Well, that’s not quite right,” he said, as his hand on my hip slid a little bit lower and behind me, just above my butt. I wanted to knee him in the groin, realizing he was going to be one of those types of actors. Like Rich Kipling.

I stared at him defiantly, just as Nicolette would do. “It’s exactly right.”

Because of his position, I couldn’t easily get my hands on his chest and push him away as the script dictated, but since he was ad-libbing, at least in terms of his actions, I thought I would do the same. After all, Nicolette was a kick-ass woman who wouldn’t let any man, even a sexy, successful man like Theo Wolfe take advantage of her.

I slid my hand between his thighs, bringing it as close to his nuts as his hand was to my ass. His eyes flashed but to his credit, he didn’t break character.

“Careful, honey, I’ve got important things there,” he said, off-script but in character. I had to give him credit for recognizing that I wasn’t intending to give him a hand job.

“Then perhaps you should keep your hands off of me and better protect what you think is so important to you.”

He smirked in amusement as he slowly moved back and away from me.

“Cut,” Corrine called out. “Somebody get a bucket of water and toss it on those two.”

Since the scene was done, I moved out of the corner and turned away from him to take a breath.

Theo came around to stand in front of me with his hands on his hips. “We have a script for a reason. There’s no need to ad-lib.”

“Are you sure? Because I’m pretty sure the script doesn’t call for you to grab my ass.” I knew I was risking my job by confronting him, but he had some nerve calling me out when he started it.

“There are some things you have to do to embody the character,” he said.

“Exactly. Are you telling me that Nicolette Vane wouldn’t bust a man’s balls if he was taking advantage of her?”

Theo jerked back, like I’d slapped him. It was an odd response. Like he didn’t realize he was taking advantage of me.

“I told you she was perfect,” Jon said.

I agreed. I felt I was perfect for this role. But I was pretty sure, after nearly grabbing Theo in the nuts, that I was going to be fired.

“I’ll take a look at the tape,” Theo said. I was surprised he didn’t fire me right there, but perhaps with his director and producer there, he didn’t want to look rash or like he hadn’t given me a fair chance.

I picked up my bag and tossed the strap over my shoulder. I started toward the exit.

“Where are you going?” Corrine asked.

“I’m going to see my sister.” I didn’t wait for their response because I was sure I just lost the job.

As I exited the studio, I walked off my annoyance. I continued up the street and my annoyance turned into anger at myself. This job was going to be the perfect opportunity to relaunch my career and I let my own annoyance get in the way of it. Even as a kid working in the industry, I knew how powerful people could be. How they could act entitled or like they owned me and the others who worked for them. And of course, I heard my mother many times complain about the way she’d been treated or what had