Playing the Part Read Online Free PDF

shirt, feeling the tattoo of his own racing heartbeat. Her thighs clenched together under the table, the pressure increasing the sharp pleasure building in her sex.
    “Can I get you a refill, Mr. Blackwell?”
    They broke apart with a gasp on her part and a muffled swear on his. Piper shook her head, the bustle of the restaurant suddenly loud and disorienting in her ears. She glanced around them, watching as people sat with phones raised, obviously taking pictures of the two of them.
    Chagrin shot through her. God. What made her so unable to behave in public? Had she learned nothing from her post-Antonio fiasco? She resisted the urge to put her hand up to her face and block the shots.
    Mick recovered quickly, making small talk with the waitress. Piper touched her lips with her fingers, the physical imprint of his lips on hers the way a hint of her lip gloss clung to his. The waitress walked away with a little smirk tossed over her shoulder as Mick turned back to Piper. No doubt or regret reflected in his expression.
    Piper wasn’t conflicted about the kiss, either. She wanted him. She ached to have him kiss her again, to take her to bed. But they hadn’t even gotten out of the restaurant before she’d broken her own rule. What the hell was she doing?
    Panic rose in her belly, its tight grip and violent butterflies making it impossible for her to think clearly. Across the table, Mick quirked an eyebrow at her, opening his mouth to speak—and she freaked out, doing the first thing that came to mind.
    She ran like a girl.
    …
    Five minutes later, still sitting alone at the restaurant table, Mick started to wonder if Piper had shimmied out the restroom window. Though he briefly considered following her, he eventually decided against it. She apparently needed a moment to pull herself together, and he couldn’t blame her. Hell, he was sitting down and seriously doubted whether he could walk a straight line with the leftover arousal coursing through his muscles.
    Mick licked his lower lip, the spicy taste of Piper’s mouth and cocoa-flavored lip gloss a perfect complement to the coffee. He’d kissed lots of women, on screen and off, but Piper’s touch had lit him up like the pyrotechnics they used on his movies. He surreptitiously adjusted his jeans at the memory of how she melted into him, the silk of her hair sliding against the back of his hand, the velvet of her tongue as it chased his own. He wanted more.
    But the stubborn tilt of her chin and the panic in her eyes right before she bolted into her impromptu fifty-yard dash told him he was on shaky ground. He needed to remember that in addition to wanting her in his bed, he needed her good opinion to get Charlie off his back until he could fix the problem at work. That meant he needed to get “little Mick” under control and keep his naughty librarian fantasies to himself—at least until she gave him the green light. If he played this right, he’d nail his performance in the movie and get to nail his hotter-than-fuck consultant over and over again.
    “Hey.”
    Mick was surprised to see Piper standing in front of him. Her expression was more composed, but her quick glances around the room revealed the tension still remaining. He stood to pull out her chair.
    “I should go,” she said, moving around him and heading toward the door.
    “Wait.” Mick followed her, caught up with her at the hostess station, lightly grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn and look up at him. He didn’t like the shuttered look in her eyes on so many levels—personally, sexually, professionally. The easy chemistry between them was fractured, and he wanted it back.
    “I’m sorry about the kiss.”
    “I’m not.” She maintained her gaze for a moment, then dropped her eyes as her cheeks tinted pink. When she lifted her head, her expression was fierce, her voice low and firm. “I want to do it again.”
    Hell. He really didn’t need to hear that right this moment. Not with her