everyone give Patrick Lyons everything he asked for; she especially noticed the female crew members bending over backward to make him happy. It disgusted her to watch it but she knew how easy it was to slip into that behavior. Every now and then, she caught herself wanting to do just that as well.
But, Grayson was right, this was not who she was. This was not how she behaved. She barely recognized herself when she was around Patrick. She knew there was a happy medium between being nice and allowing people to walk all over her. She’d survived in Hollywood in that gray area. Her behavior around Patrick was not in that gray area. She wasn’t even sure where it fit on the color scale, but she didn’t like the person she became whenever she was around him.
She waited for him to leave her and return to the living room, but he silently remained by her side. The steady rhythm of his breathing was oddly soothing. She turned to find his attention still focused on the back of Grayson’s head.
“You’re not revolting,” she whispered.
“That’s good to know.” He didn’t smile. He didn’t even look at her. “My ego was about to take a hit.”
She was suddenly bothered by his inattention. “And I don’t date,” she added.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His eyes shifted to his feet.
“Don’t be.” She took a sip of her now too warm, too sweet margarita. “I’m not.”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly before he took a sip of his water. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, fascinated by the movement. “I’m sure some man is to blame for that.”
She froze.
Her mouth was suddenly dry and she swallowed a couple of times, hoping to loosen her words as she moistened her mouth. Suddenly, discussing Patrick’s faults didn’t seem like the worst conversation in the world.
It would be better than talking about Tim.
“Ah,” he sighed. “I was teasing, but I guess I hit closer to home than I meant to.”
She tried to look away but he gently grabbed her chin. Her face tingled where his fingers rested but, for once, she didn’t fight the contact.
“I’m sorry.” He brought his nose closer to hers. “I’m not trying to pry.” He dropped his hand from her face as he continued to hold her with his eyes. She wanted to swim in their depths. “I just want you to know that we men are not all alike and I think that whoever he is and whatever he did, he’s an idiot for letting you go.”
She tilted her head, caught off guard by what sounded like a compliment. “Are you flirting with me?” she whispered, attempting to chastise him but failing miserably.
“Maybe.” The corners of his mouth stretched across his face as he drew nearer to her. “Are you enjoying it?”
“No more than usual.” She glanced at his lips and was almost overcome with the desire to feel them on hers. What had gotten into her? In the past few weeks, she’d worked so hard not to give in to the temptation that was Patrick Lyons, and now she felt almost willing to throw all of it away for just one kiss.
“What’re you doing in here?” Grayson whispered as he peeked over Kelsey’s shoulder.
She gasped and quickly pulled back. Her shoulder hit Grayson in the stomach, producing a grunt from him. She gave him an innocent smile and he raised an eyebrow.
“Why aren’t you watching my movie?”
“It was making me queasy,” Kelsey confessed as Grayson rose from his knees and offered her his hand.
“You’re kidding, right?” Grayson chuckled as she stood, then glanced at Patrick and quickly stopped.
“Why’s that so funny?” Patrick asked as Grayson regained his composure. Kelsey slowly turned to Patrick. He dodged her glance as he left the room and Kelsey followed him with her eyes. When he was seated on the couch again she looked at Grayson.
“Excuses, excuses,” he whispered.
“I really was feeling sick,” Kelsey argued, offended that he would think otherwise.
He smirked. “The movie ended
But, Grayson was right, this was not who she was. This was not how she behaved. She barely recognized herself when she was around Patrick. She knew there was a happy medium between being nice and allowing people to walk all over her. She’d survived in Hollywood in that gray area. Her behavior around Patrick was not in that gray area. She wasn’t even sure where it fit on the color scale, but she didn’t like the person she became whenever she was around him.
She waited for him to leave her and return to the living room, but he silently remained by her side. The steady rhythm of his breathing was oddly soothing. She turned to find his attention still focused on the back of Grayson’s head.
“You’re not revolting,” she whispered.
“That’s good to know.” He didn’t smile. He didn’t even look at her. “My ego was about to take a hit.”
She was suddenly bothered by his inattention. “And I don’t date,” she added.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His eyes shifted to his feet.
“Don’t be.” She took a sip of her now too warm, too sweet margarita. “I’m not.”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly before he took a sip of his water. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, fascinated by the movement. “I’m sure some man is to blame for that.”
She froze.
Her mouth was suddenly dry and she swallowed a couple of times, hoping to loosen her words as she moistened her mouth. Suddenly, discussing Patrick’s faults didn’t seem like the worst conversation in the world.
It would be better than talking about Tim.
“Ah,” he sighed. “I was teasing, but I guess I hit closer to home than I meant to.”
She tried to look away but he gently grabbed her chin. Her face tingled where his fingers rested but, for once, she didn’t fight the contact.
“I’m sorry.” He brought his nose closer to hers. “I’m not trying to pry.” He dropped his hand from her face as he continued to hold her with his eyes. She wanted to swim in their depths. “I just want you to know that we men are not all alike and I think that whoever he is and whatever he did, he’s an idiot for letting you go.”
She tilted her head, caught off guard by what sounded like a compliment. “Are you flirting with me?” she whispered, attempting to chastise him but failing miserably.
“Maybe.” The corners of his mouth stretched across his face as he drew nearer to her. “Are you enjoying it?”
“No more than usual.” She glanced at his lips and was almost overcome with the desire to feel them on hers. What had gotten into her? In the past few weeks, she’d worked so hard not to give in to the temptation that was Patrick Lyons, and now she felt almost willing to throw all of it away for just one kiss.
“What’re you doing in here?” Grayson whispered as he peeked over Kelsey’s shoulder.
She gasped and quickly pulled back. Her shoulder hit Grayson in the stomach, producing a grunt from him. She gave him an innocent smile and he raised an eyebrow.
“Why aren’t you watching my movie?”
“It was making me queasy,” Kelsey confessed as Grayson rose from his knees and offered her his hand.
“You’re kidding, right?” Grayson chuckled as she stood, then glanced at Patrick and quickly stopped.
“Why’s that so funny?” Patrick asked as Grayson regained his composure. Kelsey slowly turned to Patrick. He dodged her glance as he left the room and Kelsey followed him with her eyes. When he was seated on the couch again she looked at Grayson.
“Excuses, excuses,” he whispered.
“I really was feeling sick,” Kelsey argued, offended that he would think otherwise.
He smirked. “The movie ended
Similar Books
