out at Ben’s words, was that he was worried for his friend. “She’s a con artist.”
Ben’s hazel eyes hardened. He looped an arm around Josh’s shoulders and tugged him out of the tent, away from the gathering cast and crew. “And you’re an idiot.”
Josh tensed. “What the hell, Ben? You’re the one who compiled the file on her.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Exactly. And apparently I know its contents better than you do. Maybe Emma too.” Ben released Josh and drew a roll of butterscotch candies out of his pocket. He popped one in his mouth and tucked the roll back away without offering Josh one.
Josh snorted a laugh. “You think you know Emma? Based on what? You’ve hardly spoken to her at all.”
“I’ve spent the last several hours in her delightful company, in fact, while you were tied up in the office having completely forgotten to leave me a pass at the front gate.” Josh opened his mouth to protest this, but Ben held up a hand. “Don’t worry, Emma took care of it. Which is sort of a thing she does. You used to know that, before you let your bruised ego walk you around like an arrogant sock puppet. In fact, you took advantage of that trait when you forced her to play your trophy wife.”
Josh gaped at his best friend. “Arrogant sock puppet?”
Ben smirked. “Pretty much, yeah.” Josh scrubbed both hands through his hair and blew out a long breath.
“Fuck.”
“You want to talk about it?” The harshness had faded from his friend’s hazel gaze, replaced with the jovial twinkle Josh was used to.
“I haven’t set out to punish her, Ben. That’s the truth. None of this was ever about getting back at her.” He kicked at a crumpled call sheet. “But I can’t deny that any time she opens her mouth, my first inclination is to disbelieve her.”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. But he wasn’t about to tell Ben what his real first inclination was. Josh wasn’t one of those guys who liked to brag to his buddies about the details of his sex life. He’d talk about sex in general, sure. But specifics? No way.
Ben sucked noisily at his candy for a second and then pushed it over and tucked it into his cheek. “Why?”
Josh blinked at him. “ Why? Did you really just ask me that?”
“Yeah.” Ben shrugged. “Look, I get that the whole Madame Butterfly thing really threw you for a loop. It’s taking you awhile to adjust to that. Understandable. But that was one time. You’ve seen the file. Apart from some pranks when they were kids, Emma’s been on the straight and narrow. Why disregard everything she says?”
“It wasn’t just when they were kids. There was something when she was in college too. Her professor had to get her out of trouble. My father mentioned it.”
Ben’s brows rose. “Couldn’t have been too serious, man. I didn’t turn up anything.”
“Serious enough that Emma was in trouble with the dean.”
“And you think whatever she did is bad enough to be proof of ongoing criminal behavior?” Ben’s mouth twisted into a crooked smirk.
Josh narrowed his eyes. “Maybe. I figured if my dad won’t give me the details, you could poke around at UC Berkeley for me.”
Behind him, Emma sighed. “I took over the campus radio station and broadcasted an orgasm live. There was a bit of a riot.”
Ben’s barked out laughter. Josh spun around, his mouth falling open, to stare at Emma’s pursed lips and flaming cheeks.
Chapter 4 ~ Confessions in the Dark
Josh cut another quick glance at Emma as he pulled up to the house. She sat rigid in the passenger seat, eyes trained out the window, staring into the darkness. It was after midnight. Filming had wrapped a little over an hour ago. He’d stayed briefly to chat with Morse and the Director of Photography, Dennis McClure, about tomorrow’s shooting schedule but now they were finally home. The drive had
Ben’s hazel eyes hardened. He looped an arm around Josh’s shoulders and tugged him out of the tent, away from the gathering cast and crew. “And you’re an idiot.”
Josh tensed. “What the hell, Ben? You’re the one who compiled the file on her.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Exactly. And apparently I know its contents better than you do. Maybe Emma too.” Ben released Josh and drew a roll of butterscotch candies out of his pocket. He popped one in his mouth and tucked the roll back away without offering Josh one.
Josh snorted a laugh. “You think you know Emma? Based on what? You’ve hardly spoken to her at all.”
“I’ve spent the last several hours in her delightful company, in fact, while you were tied up in the office having completely forgotten to leave me a pass at the front gate.” Josh opened his mouth to protest this, but Ben held up a hand. “Don’t worry, Emma took care of it. Which is sort of a thing she does. You used to know that, before you let your bruised ego walk you around like an arrogant sock puppet. In fact, you took advantage of that trait when you forced her to play your trophy wife.”
Josh gaped at his best friend. “Arrogant sock puppet?”
Ben smirked. “Pretty much, yeah.” Josh scrubbed both hands through his hair and blew out a long breath.
“Fuck.”
“You want to talk about it?” The harshness had faded from his friend’s hazel gaze, replaced with the jovial twinkle Josh was used to.
“I haven’t set out to punish her, Ben. That’s the truth. None of this was ever about getting back at her.” He kicked at a crumpled call sheet. “But I can’t deny that any time she opens her mouth, my first inclination is to disbelieve her.”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. But he wasn’t about to tell Ben what his real first inclination was. Josh wasn’t one of those guys who liked to brag to his buddies about the details of his sex life. He’d talk about sex in general, sure. But specifics? No way.
Ben sucked noisily at his candy for a second and then pushed it over and tucked it into his cheek. “Why?”
Josh blinked at him. “ Why? Did you really just ask me that?”
“Yeah.” Ben shrugged. “Look, I get that the whole Madame Butterfly thing really threw you for a loop. It’s taking you awhile to adjust to that. Understandable. But that was one time. You’ve seen the file. Apart from some pranks when they were kids, Emma’s been on the straight and narrow. Why disregard everything she says?”
“It wasn’t just when they were kids. There was something when she was in college too. Her professor had to get her out of trouble. My father mentioned it.”
Ben’s brows rose. “Couldn’t have been too serious, man. I didn’t turn up anything.”
“Serious enough that Emma was in trouble with the dean.”
“And you think whatever she did is bad enough to be proof of ongoing criminal behavior?” Ben’s mouth twisted into a crooked smirk.
Josh narrowed his eyes. “Maybe. I figured if my dad won’t give me the details, you could poke around at UC Berkeley for me.”
Behind him, Emma sighed. “I took over the campus radio station and broadcasted an orgasm live. There was a bit of a riot.”
Ben’s barked out laughter. Josh spun around, his mouth falling open, to stare at Emma’s pursed lips and flaming cheeks.
Chapter 4 ~ Confessions in the Dark
Josh cut another quick glance at Emma as he pulled up to the house. She sat rigid in the passenger seat, eyes trained out the window, staring into the darkness. It was after midnight. Filming had wrapped a little over an hour ago. He’d stayed briefly to chat with Morse and the Director of Photography, Dennis McClure, about tomorrow’s shooting schedule but now they were finally home. The drive had
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