The Sweetest Mistake

by Layla Valentine

  “We’ll call it at the invitation back to the cave,” Edward said as he looked at his stack of papers. “I mean, we pretty much have to since we don’t have a cave yet.”

  Dominic grinned. “Someday, baby girl,” he promised Juliette. “I will find you the nicest cave in Mexico, don’t you worry.”

  Juliette laughed out loud, pressing her hand to her mouth to muffle the sound. In their week of professional conversations, she’d forgotten how funny he could be.

  The laughter eased her nerves, and she was able to get into the scene effortlessly. The fact that she really wanted to kiss him probably helped, but she didn’t think too deeply about that. It wouldn't lead anywhere that wasn’t incredibly frustrating.

  “Get your hands off of me,” she ordered, letting anger wash through her as she looked up at him.

  “Every single time I take my hands off of you, you do something crazy!” he snapped back. “I’m tempted to drag you back to that cave and—”

  She raised her chin. “And what?” she demanded. “Just what do you want, Jake?”

  Dominic’s jaw clenched, and he yanked her against him, dragging her up on her tiptoes as his mouth crashed down over hers. Their lips parted on the next breath and her hands clenched in his shirt as she tried to keep her balance. His hands slid down her arms and around to her lower back, keeping her steady as the kiss went deeper.

  “Come with me,” he said when he finally pulled back, leaving her gasping.

  She took a breath and then yanked his head back down. This time his tongue slipped in, teasing hers. Her back arched as she pressed herself into his chest and his hand cupped the back of her head.

  Juliette met his kiss with growing desperation and felt his arm tighten across her lower back as he pulled her even closer, letting her feel the muscles in his chest and stomach flex as he moved.

  Just as it had that night a week ago in his apartment, heat suffused her body even as she shivered. She’d never been kissed this way before. She’d never lost herself in the sensations the way she could with him. She gripped the front of his shirt, pulling back only long enough to draw a breath before they dove back into each other.

  The sudden slam of the door had them jerking apart. When Juliette leaned around Dominic, she saw that Albert Price had returned. He did not look thrilled to find them locked in an embrace.

  “Relax, Albert,” Edward said from his seat near the back wall. “It’s in the script.”

  “I’m sure,” Albert said, but his eyes were cold. “It’s time to wrap it up for today though, isn’t it? I needed to speak to you, Edward.”

  “Yes, that was the last scene,” Edward said as he stood up. “We can talk whenever you want.”

  “We’ll go into my office,” Albert said. “When you’re ready, you can find me there.”

  He turned and walked back out, his eyes moving over the two of them once more. Juliette snuck a glance at Dominic once she was sure that the producer wouldn’t see it.

  Dominic was watching Edward gather his papers. His hands were in his pockets, his posture loose. He looked completely unaffected by the kiss. That is, until she saw how hard he was trying not to gulp in a breath. So he hadn’t forgotten the intensity that they were capable of. Or if he had, he’d just had a strong reminder. She was glad that she wasn’t the only one who was feeling the pain of pulling back when she really wanted to press forward.

  “Great job today, you two,” Edward said as he pushed the papers into the messenger bag he carried everywhere and prepared to follow Albert down the hall. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

  Juliette wasn’t sure that her heart could take it, but she plastered on a big smile and nodded. She hoped she had managed to look somewhat professional instead of incredibly desperate.

  Dominic still hadn’t moved from his position in the center of the room, and Juliette wondered if he felt as off-kilter as she did. Maybe she shouldn’t have let the kiss get so deep. Maybe that was what Albert wanted to talk to Edward about. But why should he complain about their on-screen chemistry? Wasn’t it literally what they got paid for? Wasn’t it their job to look like a believable couple?

  Realizing that she was beginning to think irrationally, she shook her head to snap out of it. There was no point in going around and around. She’d been hired. She wasn’t breaking the contract. Albert couldn’t complain about them making the movie look good.

  At least, he couldn’t make a legitimate complaint about it. Edward might be the most nonconfrontational man to walk the planet, but he really wanted both Dominic and Juliette in his movie. If Albert said anything, Edward Ainsworth was one of the few people who could settle him down.

  “See you tomorrow, then,” Juliette said resolved not to worry as she walked away on still shaky legs.

  Chapter 9

  At six o’clock that Friday afternoon, the second that rehearsals were done and Dominic had walked away down the hall and out of her sight, Juliette pulled her phone out of her bag.

  I am slowly losing my mind! she typed.

  Let me guess, more kissing scenes? Tami texted back almost immediately.

  Yes! We had two just today and we had to do multiple takes of each of them! Oh, God, why does he have to smell so good?

  He gets paid to smell good, Tami replied. It’s in the fine print.

  Juliette frowned at the smiley face that came after the message. You’re not taking me seriously. He is perfection walking and I have to make out with him and then go home all by myself!

  Look on the bright side, her friend replied. At least it’s Friday.

  That was a good point, Juliette had to admit. They had the whole weekend off. Actually, they had a long weekend because the crew was leaving on Tuesday for the island where most of the filming would take place. She still had to pack, so she didn’t mind having the extra time. Anything that kept her from throwing herself at Dominic was welcome at this point.

  “Hey, Juliette.”

  She looked up and nearly dropped her phone. Dominic was standing by the car that the studio had ordered for her to ride home in today—she’d let Tami borrow the truck to go pick up some nursery furniture one of the guys from her studio had found a really good deal on.

  When Juliette had mentioned taking a cab back home, Albert had said that he could have a car waiting for her after work. That was all well and good. In fact, it had made her feel very much like a “real” actress when she’d heard it. It was just that Albert hadn’t mentioned Dominic at all.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked in complete confusion.

  He gave her that megawatt smile. “They screwed up the booking. You and I are sharing because it would take an hour for someone else to be free.”

  “Where’s your car?” she asked. He normally drove himself to the lot in something low-slung, silver, and fancy. She had no idea what it was, but Dominic was pretty proud of it.

  She still couldn’t quite understand how this had all happened. She’d loaned out her truck, he didn't have his car, and the booking had been screwed up? All in one day? She felt like fate was teasing her and she didn’t appreciate it.

  “In the shop,” Dominic said, holding the door open for her and standing back so that she could get into the car. “It was time for an oil change and a tire rotation. And I don’t exactly have the time to do it when I’m on set.”

  Juliette slid into the back seat and took a deep breath, giving herself a quick pep talk. She could do this. It wasn’t like she was a teenager struggling to control her hormones, for God’s sake! It was just a car ride. She could be casual. She could be professional.

  “You change your own oil?” she asked as he slid in after her and closed the door. There was probably no safer subject than car repairs, and she was glad that he’d mentioned it.

  “Yep,” Dominic said as he buckled his seat belt and the car pulled out of the parking space. “I can fix a serpentine belt, too. Just in case you weren’t impressed with me enough already.
”

  Juliette reached out and pressed the button to roll the window down as the car picked up speed. The cool evening air blew over her cheeks, and she prayed that it would be enough to keep her from blushing too hard. Maybe auto repair wasn’t a safe subject. She was picturing it now, Dominic in low slung jeans with grease on his hands.

  When had her mind turned into a porn generator? And why hadn’t she just ordered another car and saved herself the agony of close proximity? She could have ordered from a different company. Surely someone would have been able to get out there reasonably quickly.

  Had he thought of ordering from another company? Surely he had. So why hadn’t he done it? Because he wanted to be alone with her? God, she wanted to be alone with him too. It was all she’d been able to think of all week.

  No. Remember the contract. Remember what it might mean for your career!

  She cleared her throat and then looked down at her hands. “Are you excited about Mexico?” she asked, since car repairs were way too sexy, apparently. It was a lame question, but at least it wasn’t sexual in any way.

  “Yeah, I like Mexico,” Dominic said, leaning over her to roll her window up just a little bit.

  The scent of his cologne washed over her. She knew what it was because she’d seen it in his medicine cabinet the morning after their hookup. It had surprised her to see the bottle because it wasn’t exactly expensive or luxurious. Nothing like what she had thought that a man like him would wear. Which didn’t mean that it wasn’t amazing.

  He wore Drakkar Noir. Forty bucks a bottle. She’d expected some eight-hundred-dollar scent. On him, it sure as hell smelled like one.

  It was all she could do not to bury her face in the side of his neck when he leaned over her. She felt her breath catch as she pressed herself back in the seat, trying to get out of his way. The last thing her overstimulated senses needed was the sensation of his skin against hers.

  “Sorry, I could hardly hear you with the window that far down,” Dominic explained as he settled back into his own seat, turning slightly to make sure that he was facing her.

  “That’s okay,” she said, looking down at her lap. “You were saying?”

  “Was I?”

  She wasn’t imagining it. He had moved a little closer. If he still wanted her the way that she wanted him, how was she supposed to resist making an idiotic mistake? She was counting on him to stop making moves her way.

  “About Mexico,” Juliette prompted desperately. “You said that you liked it.” If she kept talking, maybe they’d make it to his place without doing anything stupid. He didn’t live that far from the studio. She could manage this for a few more minutes.

  “Oh, right,” he said easily. “It’s a beautiful place; I’ve been to a few parts of it. Price managed to get us a whole island to ourselves for the movie, so that will be fun.”

  Juliette’s lips parted. Was that what the producer had been lining up this whole time? “Really? The whole thing is ours?”

  “Yeah,” Dominic said, unable to repress his own smile. “It’s tiny, just off Isla del Carmen. There won’t be anyone on it but our crew. Pretty amazing, right?”

  “For a girl who hadn’t even left North Carolina until a year ago, yeah,” Juliette agreed. She always hoped that she’d see places like Mexico, but she’d never really thought that she’d be filming on a private island at any point in her life. Yet, it was actually happening.

  “This will be your first time out of the country?” he asked.

  Other people on set had asked her an approximation of that question over the past week. None of them had sounded as judgment-free as Dominic had. They’d all been very surprised that she hadn’t. It really would have blown their minds to know how few states she’d been to, but she hadn’t added any fuel to the fire.

  Juliette nodded, deciding to be honest with him and see how he reacted. “I just got my passport last week.”

  Chris had advised her that she should do that a few months before. She was very glad now that she’d listened to her agent and filed the papers. It had taken forever to get everything done.

  “You’ll love it in Mexico,” he said. “The water is so clear that you won’t believe what you’re seeing. You swim, right?” Juliette nodded, and he went on. “Good. We’ll go snorkeling one night.”

  “One night?” she questioned. “Shouldn’t we go during the day?”

  “Everything’s better under the stars,” he said, shaking his head. “But we can do whatever you want.”

  He’d moved a little closer again. His leg brushed against hers as he extended one arm over the back of the seat. She bit her lip and saw him swallow hard.

  “Aren’t we near your house yet?” she asked desperately as she glanced out the window. She’d been too distracted to pay attention to their surroundings before. What she saw didn’t look like West Hollywood.

  “Oh, I’m not going home,” Dominic said. “At least, not yet. It’s Friday night, or didn’t you know?”

  Oh, God. How much longer was this ride going to take?

  “Where are you going?” she asked, ignoring the bait. Weekends didn’t make much difference to her. Every day was work, eat, sleep, repeat lately.

  “I gave the driver a big tip,” he said with a shrug. “It’s a little outside of his normal route, but he’s going to drop me at B-Street.”

  Juliette only stared at him blankly. He grinned and shook his head. “You really don’t follow my career, do you? I can’t tell if it’s refreshing or if I should be having some kind of crisis about not being relevant anymore.”

  “I—what?” Juliette asked in confusion. She scrambled frantically through her mind for something about Dominic and a club, but nothing came to the surface. It was true that she didn’t read too many gossip magazines, but she knew the highlights of his career. She’d admired him as an actor for a while.

  “I used to dance there for quick cash back when I was a teenager,” he said. “I haven’t done it in years, but I was kind of in the mood to see how the place was doing without me. Friday night was my night there.”

  “You used to…dance for money?” When she said it, she thought that a tidbit of an article came back to her, but there was nothing concrete. “What kind of dancing?”

  “You’ve never been to a male strip show?”

  “Oh. I—um…”

  Dominic lost the battle and laughed. “Breakdancing,” he said. “I used to breakdance.”

  “Really?” She eyed him. He’d teased her, she was going to return the favor. In spades. “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  “It’s just that I can’t really picture that. Or rather, I can’t picture you doing that.”

  Under the rapidly passing streetlights, she could tell that he looked insulted. “You don’t think I’ve got moves?”

  “Well—I mean, maybe.” She rubbed her chin, still looking at him speculatively. “That is, I’m sure that you did—”

  “I did?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Before I got old, you mean?”

  Juliette cleared her throat. “I’m not saying you’re old.”

  “Okay, that’s it. You’re coming in with me when we get there,” Dominic said firmly.

  “I can’t do that!” Juliette said. Maybe texting about work was fine. Sharing a company car home could probably also be forgiven. But being in a dance club together on a Friday night was over the line, and there would be no arguing it.

  “The hell you can’t,” Dominic said. “I’ve got something to prove to you now.”

  “But what if Mr. Price—”

  “Do you really think that Albert Price knows people in this part of town?”

  Juliette looked around her as the car rolled to a stop and Dominic opened the door. The place looked like a dive. The music was so loud that she could hear it from where she sat. Dominic slid over and got out. Then he leaned back down.

  “Come with me, Juliette.”

  Damn. T
here was no way that she could say no to that. Maybe they could stretch the limits of credibility and say that they ran into each other there. They were both actors. Maybe they could sell it.

  She followed him out of the car. He closed the door behind her and escorted her to the front of the club. The bouncer gave them a cursory glance and then a much longer one. Disbelief crossed his face and then a smile broke over it.

  “Dominic?” he asked after a moment.

  “Yep,” Dominic said, holding his hand out. “How’s it going, Marcus?”

  “I got no complaints.” Marcus slapped Dominic’s hand and said, “I didn’t think that there was a chance in hell I was gonna catch you back this way.”

  Dominic shrugged, looking up at the neon sign. “How could I stay away? It was practically home for a long damn time.”

  Marcus grinned. “I don’t know, man, I would have thought you’d have better things to do with your time and money now.”

  “Not tonight,” Dominic said easily.

  The bouncer nodded his head toward the door. “Go on in. It’s good to have you back, man.” As they walked toward the door, Juliette heard the bouncer call, “Cash prize is five hundred tonight!”

  Dominic’s laugh was drowned out when they walked into the club. “Cash prize for what?” Juliette shouted as they made their way to the bar.

  He pointed up, and she followed his finger to the small stage that sat to their right. Just as she looked, a man stepped onto it. The music stopped, and he began to speak.

  “I have a feeling that I know why the house is packed tonight,” he said cheerfully. “I think it might have just a little bit to do with a cash prize of five hundred dollars!”

  The crowd cheered so loudly and enthusiastically that it hurt Juliette’s ears. Dominic leaned down, his lips brushing Juliette's ear as he said, “Back when I was competing, that would have been grocery money for two months.”

  She turned her head and caught a glimpse of him. He was watching the stage with a careful expression. Then he glanced back at her.