Kiss and Confess (Love Unscripted Book 1) by Jane Lynne Daniels Page A

hand tucked into the crook of Marc’s arm.
    “Something’s bugging him. Do you know what?” Marc whispered, nodding toward Luke.
    “Maybe he’s the moody type,” she replied, not bothering to whisper.
    Marc tossed a questioning look at her.
    Charley dipped her chin and watched the carpet. This time she dropped her voice. “Or he’s just busy. There’s a lot going on with the show.”
    The camera remained on when Marc stopped before the closed door of Charley’s room. He hugged her, his body warm and comforting, before leaning down to press his lips to hers.
    It was a good first date kiss. Warm lips. Soft. No deep tongue diving, but a nice brush against the seam of her mouth. Perfect match? She wasn’t sure yet. But he looked and felt promising.
    After he pulled away, Marc said with a smile, “I had a great time. Looking forward to whatever they have planned for us tomorrow.” She answered with a warm smile of her own.
    “Good night, Charley. For now.”
    “Good night, Marc.” She would have said more, maybe, but was still trying to figure out if what he meant by for now was what she thought he might mean by for now .
    Dating could be confusing. Dating on TV was beyond bewildering.
    She slid her key in the door, making sure all the camera saw was her smile as Marc walked to the room next to hers. She’d been in her room just long enough to close the door and press her back against it when she heard the lock unclick on Marc’s side of the adjoining door.
    So the accountant wasn’t shy. Good to know.
    She didn’t unlock her side.

    Charley swam through a fog of sleep, grasping at the edges of coming awake so she could make sense of the darkness. She heard again what had awakened her—a light tapping on the door that led to the hallway. The clock on the nightstand read 2 a.m.
    She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The tapping came again, still light, but more urgent this time.
    Charley flung the covers aside and tiptoed to the door, hugging herself across the chest of her thin camisole. She opened the door barely an inch and peered out.
    Luke. Rumpled, bleary-eyed, and heart-achingly handsome.
    “What are you doing?” she whispered, opening the door an inch wider. “It’s two in the morning.”
    “I need to talk.” He swayed slightly. Charley caught a whiff of alcohol.
    “Are you crazy? Couldn’t you get in trouble for this?” she hissed at him. Showing up drunk at a contestant’s door in the middle of the night didn’t seem like something the show would be okay with.
    “I need to talk,” he repeated. “To you.”
    Was that a noise in the hall? Charley poked her head out, looking one way and then the other. “Come in before someone sees you.” She pulled at his arm.
    He stumbled into and across her room, dropping hard on the edge of the bed.
    Charley found a shirt in the closet and pulled it over her head, covering the camisole.
    Luke watched. “I like your little shorts,” he said cheerfully. “You’ve always had great legs. Long and…” He closed his eyes. “Sexy as hell.”
    She tugged at the hem of the shorts self-consciously. “I was asleep. This is what people sleep in.”
    He opened his eyes, a smile stealing over his face. “Not me. I don’t sleep in anything.”
    Give me the strength not to picture that. Please. She crossed her arms. “What’s so important you have to talk about it right now?”
    The corners of his mouth turned down. “I was wrong. I should have told you. Back then.”
    “You should have.” If things had been different, if she’d been able to help him figure things out, it all could have ended up differently. Did a drunk admission of guilt count? She polled herself and decided it did. “But you didn’t.”
    “I couldn’t involve you.” He shook his head sadly. “It would have been bad for you. Bad.” His voice rose. “I was protecting you.”
    He was protecting her from his failing grades? That didn’t make sense.
    She darted a nervous glance at the