Page 112 of Men or Paws

I couldn’t find it.

Was he improvising?

Was he talking about us?

The distinction between what was real and what was not was starting to blur for me.

Rocco glanced down at my lips. “Because if you were falling in love with me, you would show me how much you cared. Actions speak louder than words.”

It was almost impossible to rein in my personal feelings and stay in character.

I ran one hand up his chest, even though the script didn’t mention it. “You have to believe me, I’m mad about you.”

Rocco slowly slid his hand from my waist, up the side of my body, until it rested on my cheek. His eyes turned darker as he traced my bottom lip with his thumb, causing a breath to hitch in my throat, and my lips to open slightly. “Show me how much you care about me, Daphne. Prove it to me right now.”

I seriously could not take the torture any longer.

My body quivered in anticipation of our lips touching.

“Is this proof enough for you?” I dropped the script, then reached up and pulled Rocco’s head closer, pressing my mouth into his. I ran my hands through his hair as my body ached from not being able to get close enough.

Rocco read my mind, reciprocating with the kiss, pulling me closer.

I could barely breathe, yet I would die if the kiss ended.

A minute later, I pulled away from Rocco, realizing what I had done.

I touched my lips, then wobbled back a few steps, thinking.

“What’s wrong? Rocco said, completely out of breath.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I don’t know what came over me. You have every right to fire me right now.”

He stared at me as if I were crazy. “What are you talking about? Why on earth would I do that?”

“The contract,” I said. “I broke it.”

A grin grew on Rocco’s face. “You most certainly did.”

I blinked. “Wait a minute . . .” I glanced at the script on the floor that Houdini was now chewing on. “Was this a set-up to get me to kiss you or are you really going to audition for that part?”

Rocco cringed. “Seriously? That has got to be the worst script I have ever read in my entire life. The only reason I didn’t burn it was because of the kissing scene.” He grinned. “How else was I going to get you to kiss me? I was running out of options.”

I shook my finger at him, laughing. “You are so bad.”

Rocco bent over and used his arm to swipe a stack of scripts off the desk and onto the floor, clearing a space. He grabbed me by the waist, hoisted me up, and set me down on the desk in front of him. Then he moved closer, rubbing against my jeans as he slid in between my thighs. He snaked his fingers around to my back, then pulled me against him again.

“I told you,” he said, grinning. “I’m Hollywood’s bad boy.”

I smirked. “There’s nothing bad about this at all.”

Swallowing hard, I ran both of my hands up his ten-pack abs, stopping at his chest, making circular motions with my fingers. “So . . . What exactly is happening with the contract then?”

He glanced down at my lips again. “Screw the contract.”

I smiled. “I was hoping you were going to say that.”

Then Rocco bent down and kissed me.