Now, driving up behind one of the large trucks to park, Brian was still not able to shake the feeling that he really shouldn't be here.
"I can't believe this is where we're filming," Becca whispered in awe as she looked out the window at the massive structure before her, her sentiment mirroring his thoughts exactly.
They both looked out the windshield then turned to each other. Becca's large, blue eyes stared up at him. If he had to venture a guess, he would say that she was pretty close to equal parts terrified and overwhelmed. Every protective instinct in his body sprang into fighting stance, ready to take action.
Reaching out, he placed his hand over hers. Her fingers, her knuckles, her tiny wrist felt so little compared to his. Brian did everything in his power to push down and ignore the caveman way that made him feel.
"You don't have to do this, Beckles. I can get you out of here, take you back home," he offered as he motioned down the road they'd just taken to get up here and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.
Her face flushed and her lips parted as she just sat there, staring at him silently. That was enough of an answer for Brian. The fact that she didn't immediately say that she wanted to stay told him that she wasn't really sure about this.
"Okay." He nodded as he reached for the keys, which were still in the ignition.
"No." Becca's hand wrapped around his forearm, stopping him before he turned the key. She shook her head and the scent of vanilla and citrus filled the cab of his Jeep as she said, "I'm fine. I want to stay."
He looked over at her and could not get a clear read on whether or not she really did want to stay. There were no hints in her eyes. The crystal-blue pools looked stormy with emotion, but before he could pinpoint what was causing the waves, she turned away from him and opened the passenger side door. As her slender, toned legs swung out of the door and her feet stepped on the nerf bar, Brian caught himself staring at her perfect, heart-shaped ass as she exited the vehicle. His heart raced and his palms tingled with desire to touch the firm flesh behind her white shorts.
Shit. He cursed to himself as he pulled his keys out and opened his door. Just from touching her hand, he'd been at half-chub status, and now, after looking at her backside for less than ten seconds, he was at full strength. Brian blew out a breath. He knew that, unless he seriously wanted to embarrass himself, he needed to lock that down. He had to stay vigilant in keeping his eyes and hands to himself when it came to Becca. She turned him into an arousal jack-in-the-box. He never knew how many cranks it would be before he popped out to say hello.
As he stepped out of his red Jeep, the unforgiving sun shone brightly on his face. Brian wiped his brow, where a few beads of sweat were forming, and moved to the back to pull out their luggage. Just as he lifted the hatchback, he heard a female voice behind him.
"You can just leave that there. I need you to follow me."
Turning around, Brian saw a woman wearing a headset with a belt of various supplies around her waist. He'd been on enough sets to know that she was most likely a production assistant. Becca gave him a questioning look, and he shrugged as he shut the door.
"Your names?" the PA asked, pulling out her clipboard as she turned and began walking at a clipped pace.
"Becca Sloan and Brian Scott," Brian answered as he and Becca followed behind her.
"Sloan and Scott are headed your way," the woman announced into her headset.
As they walked down a cobblestone path that looked like it wound around the entire property, Brian automatically rested his hand lightly on Becca's lower back. The moment he did, she jumped beneath his touch. She was obviously on edge, so he applied more pressure, trying to give her assurance and support. His mind knew that what he was doing was totally innocent. His body had other ideas. He felt his blood heading right back down below his belt, but he tried to ignore it. He needed to be strong for Becca.
He felt her head turn up at him, and as he looked down, he got a straight-shot view down her baby-blue, V-neck shirt. His eyes drank in the swells of her ample cleavage, the white, scalloped lace of her bra, and the small, red bow that sat between her full, round breasts.
Snapping his head up from a view that would only get him in trouble, he tried to concentrate on the sound of the leaves crunching beneath their steps. The beauty of the lush, green trees that landscaped the area. The bright sun shining in the blue sky.
Blue. Just like the color of Becca's eyes.
No, he mentally reprimanded himself. He had to stop thinking like that.
"All right." The blond PA turned as they rounded the corner of the stone castle.
Brian took in the sprawling, green grass that went all the way to the edge of the bluff. Beyond that was the deep, blue waters of Whisper Lake. Boats and water skiers dotted the surface of the lake. They looked so tiny from this vantage point.
Opening what looked like some kind of service door, the PA motioned for them to go inside. "Down the hall, fourth door to the left." After quickly spouting off those directions, she was gone.
Brian looked down at Becca, saying, "After you."
"No." Becca shook her head, her eyes wide as she peeked inside the darkened space. "You go first."
Brian smiled down at Becca as she stepped inside right behind him. Unlike the fresh, earthy, warmth outside, the air inside was cold and dense and it smelled musty. The door creaked shut behind them. He wasn't easily spooked-at least he hadn't been since he was a kid-but he had to admit that this place had a serious spook factor. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the narrow hallway they were making their way down, Brian felt Becca's delicate fingers grasp the back of his jeans.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "I feel like we're back in the haunted house, remember?" he turned his head and whispered to her. He wasn't sure why he was whispering other than the fact that it felt wrong to speak loudly, like maybe the walls would crack or the ceiling would fall down.
"Of course I remember. I still can't believe I let you talk me into that. To this day, I have nightmares," Becca whisper-yelled.
"Seriously?" Brian shifted back to face her so he could see if she was kidding. It would kill him to think that she'd really suffered for years just because he'd thought it would be cute to see her scared in the haunted house.
She playfully slapped his chest and shook her head as she smiled and spoke quietly, "No, but you should still feel bad. I did have nightmares for months after."
"Sorry," Brian said as he reached down to kiss Becca on the top of the head like he'd probably done a few hundred times in his life.
This time, though, when his lips pressed against the soft strands of her vanilla-scented hair, Brian felt Becca's fingers tighten in his shirt where her hand still rested after she'd swatted him and heard her breathing grow more labored. He felt the energy shift between them, crackling with electricity. He moved back slightly, unsure of what he expected to see.
Maybe he'd expected to see that she was just scared and that was why she'd fisted her hand in his T-shirt, why her breaths were coming in pants. Maybe he'd expected her to be mad at him for talking her into going inside that haunted house and she was huffing in irritation. What he saw was neither of those things.
Looking up at him through long, inky lashes were Becca's baby blues filled with awareness. She felt exactly what he felt. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and she breathed out his name, "Brian."
He wasn't sure if it was in invitation or in warning, but either way, he felt his head lowering, her lips were drawing him in like he was a moth and she was the flame. Just as he felt her sweet breath against his lips, a bang sounded behind him.
Brian's arm immediately wrapped around Becca to hold her behind him as he turned to see what the noise was. What he found was a tall, thin man sticking his head out the door. His narrow face lit up when he saw Brian.
"There you two are. We thought you got lost. Come on in. Get out of the spider hall."
Uh oh. Did he say ‘spider' hall?
Chapter Ten
"Spiders!" Becca shrieked as she closed her eyes tight and pressed against Brian like white on rice.
"It's okay," she heard him say in his patented soothing voice, his arm wrapped around her back, and she felt them moving. "I got you. It's fine."
She was vaguely aware of more voices as she heard him say to step up. She did what he said, and a door shut.