knew that going in,” said Victoria, referring to Ava’s special talent.
“I hoped I was wrong.”
With a sly look she said, “Well, you were right about Russ.” Instead of using fingers she used her hands to demonstrate ten inches.
“Lucky girl! Oh! Did he give one of those Australian kisses?”
Victoria sang part of the tune she remembered. “Do you come from a land down under? Where the women glow and the men plunder.”
“I want one.” Ava bounced on the tip of her toes like a five-year-old at an ice cream truck. “Does he have any stripper friends?”
Victoria laughed. “Ava, you are—”
A quick rap on the door sounded and Russ’s voice boomed, “What’s going on in there?”
Chapter 16
R uss never liked it when women trekked to the bathroom together. It meant trouble. And not the good, fantasy type of trouble. At least she couldn’t accuse him of eavesdropping again. The door whipped open. Startled, even though he knocked, he took a step back from where he was lounging against the doorframe.
“Am I needed on set?”
He shook his head, peeking over Victoria’s shoulder to see Ava brushing her hair. Looking back to Victoria he said, “No, I just wanted to join the fun.”
He almost laughed when he noticed a jealous flare in her eyes. The woman couldn’t take the fire but she sure did enjoy lighting the match.
Ava turned her gaze from the mirror. “I’m surprised you have any energy left.”
“You told her?” he asked in a half-accusing and half-incredulous manner. Victoria was the one who wanted to keep their relationship hush-hush.
“That you’re a stripper?” Ava now stood behind Victoria. “Yeah, she told me.”
“I’m just filling in.” Damn, sometimes Americans were so uptight.
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” said Ava.
“You two should come to a show. It’s not as sordid as it sounds.”
“Not sordid? Now Russ, that’s just downright disappointing,” said Ava.
Victoria was silent and he wondered what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. He tried to catch Victoria’s gaze but she was staring at the floor.
“Well, I have a meeting. Thanks for the afternoon delight, Victoria.” Ava winked at Russ and flew down the steps.
Victoria looked him in the eyes. “We didn’t—”
“Don’t ruin it for me,” he joked. Though he tried to imagine the two kissing, Russ couldn’t because he still tasted Victoria’s lips on his.
“Typical male.”
He blocked the hallway when she tried to slip by him. “Look who’s talking? You told her all of it, didn’t you? Just like a woman.”
“Ava doesn’t count.” The outspoken vixen turned into a sly fox when cornered with the truth.
He was glad she didn’t lie to him. Still, she wasn’t going to get off the hook that easily. “Hmmm, is that some kind of new American math I’m not aware of?”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m sorry—”
“No worries,” he said as he brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “I’m not the one who cares if anybody knows.”
“It’s not only our jobs. It’s … it’s complicated.”
“I get it.” It was because he stripped. Because she thought he wasn’t good enough for her. Here he was thinking of staying in New York to see what developed between them. Good to find out now how she felt when it was just his ego being bruised and not later with his heart being ripped out.
If she wanted to keep him as her dirty little secret, it was fine with him. He’d enjoy what she was so willing give. When Neil returned, Russ would head out to LA where the women had to be less complicated than Victoria.
“So do you think we fooled them?”
“What? The crew?”
“Yes.”
“They either think we hate each other or were engaging in foreplay.”
“Foreplay?” she squeaked.
“That argument got pretty heated. I was one second away from throwing you over my shoulder.”
“You are a Neanderthal.”
“You had no complaints last
“I hoped I was wrong.”
With a sly look she said, “Well, you were right about Russ.” Instead of using fingers she used her hands to demonstrate ten inches.
“Lucky girl! Oh! Did he give one of those Australian kisses?”
Victoria sang part of the tune she remembered. “Do you come from a land down under? Where the women glow and the men plunder.”
“I want one.” Ava bounced on the tip of her toes like a five-year-old at an ice cream truck. “Does he have any stripper friends?”
Victoria laughed. “Ava, you are—”
A quick rap on the door sounded and Russ’s voice boomed, “What’s going on in there?”
Chapter 16
R uss never liked it when women trekked to the bathroom together. It meant trouble. And not the good, fantasy type of trouble. At least she couldn’t accuse him of eavesdropping again. The door whipped open. Startled, even though he knocked, he took a step back from where he was lounging against the doorframe.
“Am I needed on set?”
He shook his head, peeking over Victoria’s shoulder to see Ava brushing her hair. Looking back to Victoria he said, “No, I just wanted to join the fun.”
He almost laughed when he noticed a jealous flare in her eyes. The woman couldn’t take the fire but she sure did enjoy lighting the match.
Ava turned her gaze from the mirror. “I’m surprised you have any energy left.”
“You told her?” he asked in a half-accusing and half-incredulous manner. Victoria was the one who wanted to keep their relationship hush-hush.
“That you’re a stripper?” Ava now stood behind Victoria. “Yeah, she told me.”
“I’m just filling in.” Damn, sometimes Americans were so uptight.
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” said Ava.
“You two should come to a show. It’s not as sordid as it sounds.”
“Not sordid? Now Russ, that’s just downright disappointing,” said Ava.
Victoria was silent and he wondered what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. He tried to catch Victoria’s gaze but she was staring at the floor.
“Well, I have a meeting. Thanks for the afternoon delight, Victoria.” Ava winked at Russ and flew down the steps.
Victoria looked him in the eyes. “We didn’t—”
“Don’t ruin it for me,” he joked. Though he tried to imagine the two kissing, Russ couldn’t because he still tasted Victoria’s lips on his.
“Typical male.”
He blocked the hallway when she tried to slip by him. “Look who’s talking? You told her all of it, didn’t you? Just like a woman.”
“Ava doesn’t count.” The outspoken vixen turned into a sly fox when cornered with the truth.
He was glad she didn’t lie to him. Still, she wasn’t going to get off the hook that easily. “Hmmm, is that some kind of new American math I’m not aware of?”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m sorry—”
“No worries,” he said as he brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “I’m not the one who cares if anybody knows.”
“It’s not only our jobs. It’s … it’s complicated.”
“I get it.” It was because he stripped. Because she thought he wasn’t good enough for her. Here he was thinking of staying in New York to see what developed between them. Good to find out now how she felt when it was just his ego being bruised and not later with his heart being ripped out.
If she wanted to keep him as her dirty little secret, it was fine with him. He’d enjoy what she was so willing give. When Neil returned, Russ would head out to LA where the women had to be less complicated than Victoria.
“So do you think we fooled them?”
“What? The crew?”
“Yes.”
“They either think we hate each other or were engaging in foreplay.”
“Foreplay?” she squeaked.
“That argument got pretty heated. I was one second away from throwing you over my shoulder.”
“You are a Neanderthal.”
“You had no complaints last
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