She spoke in a lower, fake, male voice this time. “Shnookums, you know I can’t take off. I just got this job. I don’t have vacation days. And I need the money.” She laughed and then continued. “Someone has to pay for all those shoes you buy while I’m working. Do you shop every day?”
Tuck couldn’t help but chuckle when Jodi switched voices again and pasted on an exaggerated pout. “Tucky, you’re no fun. Don’t you want me to look my best?” Jodi lifted her leg and shook her foot, pretending to be Katia showing off her shoe.
The irony wasn’t lost on Tuck who watched Jodi’s worn old Converse jiggle in front of him. Chances were Katia had never owned a pair of Chucks.
He needed to check his messages and assess the day’s damage. He needed to find out what his next instructions were. He needed to get back to the apartment. Instead, he sat right where he was, lips pursed, holding back full-blown laughter—feeling light and happy and free for the first time in months.
Back to the lower voice. “Kat, you always look your best. No matter what you wear. Even when you wear nothing.” Jodi gave an exaggerated wink and shook the paper, using her normal voice to say. “Seriously. That’s what it says here. That you should wink.”
Tuck laughed out loud.
Jodi continued. “You could wear a gunny sack and people would still swoon.” Jodi giggled so hard she bent at the waist.
Tuck was certain most of that was made up, but God he loved watching Jodi’s performance. It was totally worth every second.
After a fit of giggles, she wiped her eyes and then straightened the papers on her lap. “No wonder you took that gig. Your lines are so creative and riveting,” she teased.
He was still grinning as he said, “You done?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’ll never be done. In fifty years, I’m still going to tease you about this.”
He held her gaze for long moments as he absorbed her words. God, he sure hoped so.
She flattened the page to her chest. “Can I keep these?”
“Not a chance.” He bent grabbed the rest of the loose pages off her lap, shuffling them into a pile and then reaching out a hand for her to give him the ones in her hands.
“Why not? It’s not like you’re going to use these. I’m sure your production company has spent the last few hours rewriting your script.”
He was equally certain she was correct, but no way was he going to leave her with that pile of ammunition. He lurched forward to snatch the pile from her hands.
She fell to the side and rolled over the papers, trapping them under her chest.
He grabbed her by the waist.
She wiggled forward, trying to escape him, laughing harder.
He slid his hands up her sides and reached under her, between her breast and the cushion to get a grip on the pile.
Jodi squirmed, causing her breast to rub against his hand.
Tuck gripped her waist with his other hand and tickled her, making her lean that direction, which gave him the opening he needed to reach under her body. He missed the papers, however, and when she rolled back, she trapped his palm dead center on her breast.
They both froze as she sucked in a sharp breath.
Tuck couldn’t breathe. He also couldn’t stop himself from molding his fingers around her soft flesh and giving her breast a gentle squeeze.
Jodi moaned, which brought him back into himself. He shouldn’t be doing this. Touching her. Teasing her. Enjoying her. He was married to a crazy woman who was suffocating him. He needed this moment. It would fuel him for the next fifteen days.
When he came back into himself, he jerked his hand out from under her. “Sorry.”
She rolled onto her side against the back of the loveseat, still holding the papers. The voice she used this time was husky with arousal. “I’m not.”
He swallowed and ran a hand over his head. “I’m trying to be a decent guy here.”
She sat up, set the papers aside, and grabbed his thighs, tipping her head back to meet his gaze. “I’m super aware that your marriage is a sham and you need to ride this out because you need the money. It’s for your mother’s bills, isn’t it?”
He nodded, keeping his lips tight.
“Tell me one thing, and then I won’t say a word about Cold Feet for the next two weeks until this show is over. I won’t even watch it.”
He took a deep breath.
She continued to stare at him. “Have you had sex with Katia since we met?”
“Jodi, I’ve never had sex with Katia. I’ve never even willingly seen her naked.”
Jodi blew out a breath and nodded. “That’s all I needed to know.”
“Not to say she doesn’t try. She prances around in nearly nothing every day. I think she sees me as a challenge. I don’t think many men have ever turned her down.”
Jodi smiled. “I’ll stop watching.”
He exhaled. “Thank you.” He didn’t deserve her. But she was making it clear without flat out stating so that she was into him and wanted to pursue whatever they might have when his show was done. Thank God.
He just hoped he could survive the next two weeks intact.
Reluctantly, he removed her hands from his thighs, reached to her side, and picked up the script. He added her pile to his and stuffed everything back in the folder. He didn’t want her to have this shit. He wanted to put it behind him and never bring it up again.
“Tucker.” The voice coming from the doorway made Tuck lift his gaze to find Jodi’s dad leaning around the corner.
Tuck felt heat rising to his neck as if he’d been caught making out with the man’s daughter. It was an absurd response, considering the fact that he and Jodi were grown adults, and, more importantly, they hadn’t even kissed. Nevertheless, Tuck stood and
