He’d barely gotten to taste her, to lose himself in the wonder of her warm lips, before her palms landed on his chest and shoved. Hard.

Her delicate stature was no match for his muscled frame, but he pulled away, as horribly painful as it was to do so.

She slapped him.

“What the f**k do you think you’re doing?” Her eyes were dark with fury.

Well, he deserved that.

He brought his hand up to rub the sting from his cheek but was startled from the action when Heather grabbed fistfuls of his T-shirt and pulled him back to her. Back to her sweet mouth.

He was so astonished that it took him half a beat to react to the rough sweep of her tongue. Then he did react, with plunging strokes of his own, sucking her lip deep into his mouth, his fingers winding tightly into her ponytail. He couldn’t get close enough to her, couldn’t get deep enough inside her.

Her fingers dug into his chest as he pushed closer, and he groaned. She met it with a low, needy moan, the sound vibrating through Seth so completely he could feel it in his balls. He increased the depth of the kiss, stealing her breath until they were both panting as his hand circled her plump breast and squeezed. She cried out softly against his lips, spurring him on, driving him further into her embrace.

He pulled the cup of her bikini down to expose her nipple and lowered his head to take it into his mouth. He bit and sucked, letting out the aggression he’d felt toward her over the past two days. He was rough and abrasive and from the sweet gasps that escaped her mouth, she loved it.

Damn, could she be any sexier?

Pure lust enveloped him and he knew nothing could tear him from her—not her attitude, not his past experience with Erica, not his conscience telling him he knew better. Nothing.

Except the sound of her name being called from the stage behind them.

“Goddammit,” she hissed, pulling up her swimsuit. She brushed past him, not giving him a second look as she retrieved the drill and headed toward the stage.

Whether she’d been pissed about their encounter, about missing her cue, or about being interrupted he didn’t know. What he did know was that the snotty princess had gotten under his skin. Big time.

Yep. Goddammit was right.

Heather went through the rest of rehearsal on autopilot. If she let herself think at all her mind would journey right back to the heated moment backstage with Seth—the brusque way he’d thrown her to the wall, his rough mouth on her breast, his c**k pressed hard against her. And those thoughts were not ones she could grapple with easily.

Particularly difficult to digest was her reaction to him—she’d wanted him so damn much. More than she’d wanted a man in a long while. His lips on her had ignited such an intense blaze of wet desire, she was certain everyone could tell through her skimpy bikini bottoms. She would have given him all of her if they hadn’t been interrupted.

Thank God they were interrupted.

Because what she would have done and what she should have done were so not the same. Even if she could get over all that he was and represented in her life, she still detested the man. Why she was so turned on by someone so insolent and mean was a question for her therapist and she had no appointments set for the near future.

Lunch followed her cast’s stage time, bringing relief. The concentration it had taken to remain in character had given her a headache which she hoped food and downtime would ease.

But, having her mind free of lines and blocking, she now had to face what had occurred with Seth. It weighed on her as she made herself a plate from the catered buffet and then looked for a place to sit among the tables the crew had set up in the docking area.

Seth’s work area.

Just being among his tools and unfinished set pieces made her heartbeat pick-up. Where was he, anyway? She pretended not to look for him as she navigated her way to a table of actors and sat down.

Only half aware of her peers’ conversation as they commented and compared their scripts and rehearsals, Heather said little, focusing instead on chewing and swallowing her fruit salad. Those were appropriate things to do with her mouth. Not kissing and nibbling and licking the salty skin of the tasty carpenter.

She went hot, thinking again about Seth’s demanding mouth.

As if summoned by her thoughts, he was standing in the doorway when she glanced up. Their eyes locked and her blush increased. Jesus, just seeing him across the room turned her on.

And the gleam in his eyes said he knew exactly what he did to her.

Dammit.

She had to squash this now. She closed her eyes to break the contact. When she opened them again, he was at the buffet table. Alone. Now was her chance.

She stood and pulled down the cover-up she had donned over her bikini costume.

“Finished already?” Matt asked.

“No, I just want some more…” She looked down at her barely eaten food. “A bottle of water.” Yeah, that was good. “I’ll be right back.”

She hurried over to the buffet and stepped as close to Seth as she dared. Even inches away, she felt heat emanating from him, causing her hairs to stand on end. She reached past him for a roll she wouldn’t be caught dead eating—refined carbs…not a chance—and ignored the way her ni**les perked up at the brush of her arm against his. Leaning into him, she lowered her voice and said, “Before never happened, okay?”

Seth didn’t look at her. Didn’t even acknowledge her.

He moved farther down the buffet table. She put the roll back and scooted after him. “Did you hear me?” she asked a little louder this time.

He lifted his head up. “Are you talking to me? Cast and crew aren’t supposed to fraternize.”

“No, the crew isn’t supposed to…” Oh. He was mocking her. She narrowed her eyes. Of course he wouldn’t make this easy. Irritation ran through her veins which, oddly enough, increased the ache of desire in her lower belly. “God, you never quit, do you? Such an ass**le.”

“You keep saying that. But you also plunged your tongue into my mouth. You know how they say actions speak louder than words—”

Mouth gaping, she pulled at his arm and dragged him through the doorway and around the corner to the security area.

His lips curled up in a half-smile. “What? Round two already?”

“Keep it down!”

The smile disappeared. “I see. You’re worried about your precious reputation. Whatever, princess. Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.”

He turned to leave.

“Wait.” The request was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.