Page 12

COLE

C ole waited on the stretch of highway he was meant to drive down with Heather handcuffed in the passenger seat.

The director wanted a reshoot, but Heather was a few minutes late.

For the first time since the day they met, Cole felt excited to see her and work with her again.

He was determined to find that balance between making her comfortable and having fun with her.

When she finally showed up, she was wearing a smile and a brace on her arm. “Little wardrobe malfunction,” she said with a bashful laugh.

He nodded down at the brace she wore. “Broken?”

She shook her head. “Nope. You were right. But they recommended I brace it anyway just to let it heal better.”

He squinted at her wrist. “There’s no way handcuffs will fit around that thing.”

“I know,” she said, and she started to remove it. “I’ll just have it on between stunts.”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“It’s what I have to do,” she said with a shrug.

The film crew came to handcuff her and put her into position in the car, and Cole had to stop himself from wringing his hands at the sight of it.

They were cuffing her by her injured wrist. He had known, of course, that was going to happen, having shot this scene before, but just seeing it filled him with a protective instinct he didn’t even know he had.

He got into the car and glanced over at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she said, but he didn’t entirely believe her.

The director said, “Action!” and Cole started to drive.

Normally, he would have gunned it, speeding faster and faster until he reached the end of his run.

But he couldn’t stop glancing over at Heather’s poor wrist in handcuffs.

To make sure that there would be no chance this stunt could reinjure her, he drove slowly and carefully.

He drove the way he’d been trained to drive at the speed he was supposed to go.

At one point, Heather glanced over to him as if to ask him, Are you sure?

He just winked in response, and the smile that brought out in her gave his heart something to beat about.

She was brilliant and beautiful, and he was ready to give her the benefit of every doubt in every situation.

The drive itself was exhilarating, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the look she gave him when it was over.

“Thank you,” she said as the crew helped to remove her handcuffs and replace the brace. “I know that wasn’t how you wanted to do it.”

He dismissed her thanks with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I am capable of compromise sometimes, you know.”

“I didn’t, actually. You seemed pretty uncompromising before.” She elbowed him as they walked to the bus that would transport them back to the set.

“Don’t you go thinking it was all about you, though. I just don’t want to have to work with someone new. It’s exhausting to teach a new partner, and I’ve just gotten used to you.” He helped her into the bus and followed her to her chosen seat. “May I?” he asked before sitting down beside her.

She nodded. “You don’t have to ask or anything. It’s cool.”

When they were back at the set, they ate lunch together in the courtyard.

Everyone else on the set seemed to watch them with caution, as though they expected them to break out into an argument at any moment.

Cole couldn’t blame them if that’s what they thought.

The two of them had not gotten along terribly well when they first started working together.

He remembered the first lunch they had shared together.

This time she offered him a mini quiche off her plate.

“Try this one — it’s really good,” she said, handing it to him.

The difference was remarkable. He could hardly believe one weekend at a couple’s boot camp could have such a huge effect, but it had.

For this result, he could almost forgive the director for insisting on such a ridiculous plan. If it worked, it worked.

After lunch Heather and Cole were sent to rehearse a sparring scene.

They couldn’t film it because she had to wear a brace for anything with such a high level of risk.

It was one thing to ride in a car wearing handcuffs.

It was another thing to film a climactic fight scene in which she was supposed to take several falls.

They were in a room with blue mats on the floors and walls.

Fluorescent lights washed out most of the colors and should have been the most unflattering lighting possible.

But Heather still looked like a dream to Cole.

It didn’t hurt that she was still wearing her all-leather costume.

They stood apart and readied themselves.

There would be no metronome this time, so Cole was going to count aloud to mark their moves.

Heather rushed him on cue, and he blocked her, grabbed her, and swung her until her back was against his chest. She pretended to twist out of his grip and kick him.

He took the hit and threw her down, but he did so gently, guiding her like a dancer to the mat.

He still wasn’t willing to risk injuring her further.

“Oh, come on!” she said when she was down. “You can do so much better than that.”

“Not with your wrist injured, I can’t.”

She shook her head, clearly disappointed with him. “I’m wearing my brace, and I know how to take this fall. It’s not like my fall in the obstacle course. This one is practiced. I have it memorized. Just guide me down in the right direction.”

Cole stood opposite from her again and narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s go!” she shouted, and she rushed him again.

This time he let her down a little harder, but he still guided her fall too much.

He knew it was too much as soon as he saw her expression when she hit the mats.

Her disappointment was obvious. “First you’re angry that I’m careless, and now you want me to be less careful,” he said to her as he helped her to her feet again. “Make up your mind, will you?”

“It’s a balancing act,” she said, “a huge part of the job, and you know it.”

“More like a tightrope.” He laughed.

“So walk it,” she challenged him with an irresistible expression on her face.

Her eyes were practically sparkling with mischief.

That look reminded him why he’d gotten into the business in the first place.

He had wanted to have fun, and right now Heather looked like a blast and a half.

The way she challenged him, the way she winked at him, drove him absolutely crazy.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s do this.” He just had to trust her to know her own profession, which was exactly what he’d wanted from her. The least he could do was reciprocate.

This time, when she rushed him, he performed the block and drop exactly the way he had rehearsed it with his other partner.

This one was, of course, a lot more pleasant for reasons he was only barely admitting to himself.

Heather went down hard, but landed exactly the way she should have, and she spared her wrist.

Once down, Cole rolled his body over hers and looked down at her with a high degree of smolder.

This wasn’t strictly part of their specific roles, but it was in the script, and Cole decided it was worth tacking on, if only to get a good look at her beautiful green eyes.

Her skin was flushed from the exercise, but his pride convinced him it was his proximity.

Maybe it was, anyway. He dropped his head an inch, close enough that he could kiss her.

But he didn’t. It wouldn’t be right, though he had every intention of trying again later, when the time was right.

Her body against his was so warm that he hated to get up, but again, he did, and he helped her to her feet as well. “That was an impressive fall,” he admitted.

Heather smiled and blushed, but she quickly put on her mask and looked like the compliment hadn’t affected her half as much as he could tell it had. “Thanks, I guess.”

“I mean it, you know,” he said. “I should have known I didn’t have to go easy on you.”

“Well, I’m grateful that you did anyway. It was an overcorrection, maybe, but at least it was a correction.” She stuck her tongue out, and he grinned at her.

As they walked through the set, more people gave them looks.

Heather didn’t seem to notice, but Cole did.

They looked relieved, and Cole had to admit, they were right to be.

There was no chance he and Heather were not going to be able to work together now.

They were a well-oiled machine as far as he was concerned.

“You know what might help us to bond even better than a boot camp?” he said to her when they were more or less alone.

Heather had just gathered her things from a dressing room and was now walking back to the parking lot.

She looked far more casual outside her usual leather costume.

She wore a short dress and leather boots, and to his surprise, she actually wore a short cut jean jacket.

She looked ready for a date, and so he meant to ask her to go on one with him.

“Huh?” she said, barely paying attention.

“You were supposed to guess,” he said. “What would help us bond more than boot camp?”

Without even looking at him, she answered, “More rehearsals?”

Cole sighed and shook his head. Outside, the sun was just above the horizon, and all the shadows were long. It was a beautiful evening, and he was fumbling this attempt.

When Heather got to her car, Cole tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to face him. “Why did you follow me to my car?” she said indignantly. “That’s a little creepy, don’t you think?”

“If I have to be creepy to get your attention, then I guess that’s what I have to do.” He moved closer until she was leaning against the door of her car. “I’m trying to ask you out, and you just keep on acting oblivious.”

“Out?” She squinted up at him. “Like on a date?”

He smiled at her. “Yes, on a date. Did you have plans tonight? I know of a great little bar on the boardwalk. The view is to die for and so is the food. Do you want to join me?”

She glanced down at herself with a judgmental expression. “I’m hardly dressed for a date,” she said.

“Are you kidding?” He pulled her away from her car and gave her an obvious visual appraisal.

“You look amazing! Better than any date I’ve ever had before anyway.

You know, dressed up but not too formal, not too stuffy.

You look like you’re ready to have a good time, and that’s what I’d like to do with you if you’ll let me.

Come on, Heather. Let’s get out of here and have some real fun together. ”

She let out a low chuckle. “Sounds like you’re asking for something else, honestly. And that , I’m not up for tonight. I like to take my time about that. But if you’re really just talking dinner and a drink, then sure. I’ll go out with you.”

“Do you trust me to drive?” he asked.

“If you had asked me that before today, I would have said absolutely not.” She laughed and put her keys back in her purse. “But you won me over this afternoon. And, as long as you promise not to take any corners like a race car driver, I’ll take that chance.”