Double Take: A Leading Man Romance by Harley Rayne Read Free Book Online Page B

he recognizes me. I keep my eyes on his through the mirror, like one animal challenging another, and he finally looks away.
    Melanie scoots closer and lays her head against my shoulder, looking up at me. She pushes my hair back and her fingers stay in it, twirling.
    “Yessyoo do. Mmtalking ‘bout… fucking… like, fucking cameras.” She giggles. “Onnit. Like, on cameras.”
    My shoulders stiffen and I sit up a little higher, trying to make it uncomfortable for her without an outright refusal. “It’s like acting. You do it every day.”
    “Yeah…” Our driver weaves and dodges through traffic and the swerve of it sends her forehead into my neck. She leaves it there. “Sounsfun.”
    “It’s a blast. Here.” I press her upper arm so she’s forced to sit up. “Up.”
    “You… you wanna kiss me?” Melanie rubs her eyes, and though she still smells like vanilla, there’s a distinct vodka aroma that permeates her breath. No. I don’t want to kiss her.
    “I’ve already kissed you,” I say, and cross my arms tightly, turning towards the window to block her from me completely. “On set today.”
    “Yeah, but, like… for real for real.”
    “You’re drunk.”
    “So?”
    “So drunk isn’t my thing.”
    “What izzzz your thing?”
    “Consent.”
    “I’m… mmmgiving that.”
    “Mel, no. You aren’t.” I feel almost bad for her, and I wonder if she’s done this with someone else.
    Her hand reaches out to rub my beard, her nude manicured nails scratching my jaw. “Ssss’nice. You’re… you’re nice .”
    “Okay.” Once more, I pluck her hand from me and press it away. She sinks down against me again, but this time she’s asleep. Frankly, I’m relieved.
    I give the driver five stars and a ten dollar tip when we arrive, even though I’m sure this isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened in his car. I carry her to her front stoop, nudging her a little to wake her enough so she can stand and I can fish out her keys.
    The process wakes her up a bit, and she winds up stumbling inside, one bare foot after the other, like she’s shuffling through mud instead of hardwood.
    She lives in an apartment complex on the bottom floor, and the two-story place is relatively nice. It’s well-kept, sprinkled with wood carvings and abstract art. It seems like something from Better Homes .
    “Where’s your coffee?” I ask, heading to the kitchen to try and find it. I root through cabinets as she mutters something and flops onto her couch. She has an entire shelf devoted to tea and I search for something with caffeine, but I don’t know shit from shinola as far as this is concerned. I abandon the hunt for a glass of water instead.
    I fill it from the filter she has sitting next to her sink and take it to her, sitting on the couch and handing it off. “Drink.”
    “Bossy.” She manages to push herself up until she’s sitting, and takes the glass with two hands to drink from it. “Sssss’good.”
    “Yeah, enjoy it, drunky.”
    She snorts a laugh, and some of the water splashes onto her shirt. I tug a blanket from the back of the couch and slide it over her legs. She pulls it up instinctively.
    “You gonna be okay?” Melanie nods, and I give her shoulder a little squeeze. “Okay. I’m gonna get going then. Where’s your phone?”
    She hands it off to me easily, and I take her hand to press her thumb to the home screen. I set a few alarms for her so she’ll be on set on time, and set it on the coffee table. “Get some rest, Mel.”
    The last thing I want to give is the impression of impropriety, so I get up before she tries to ask me to stay. I make sure the front door will lock behind me and I leave, pulling it firmly behind.
    It’s a thirty minute walk home, but I’m not interested in apping another Uber and I need to clear my mind. Besides, regardless of the fact that it’s past midnight, no one in their right mind would fuck with me. I look intimidating, and even if I didn’t, I