Kiss and Confess (Love Unscripted Book 1) (14 page)

“My mom says not to say that,” Will contributed.

Judgment everywhere she turned. “Sorry,” Charley mumbled while holding her breath. She wondered which child she could send over to the roll of paper towels she spied on a counter across the room.

Audrey reached into the bag and pulled out a container of wipes. “My mom uses these on our baby.”

“Thanks.” Charley began to let the air out of her mouth, in short breaths, keeping her nostrils out of it altogether. She pulled out a wipe, held the child’s feet up and got to work. It took six of them to clean everything, including the folds of baby skin. Johnston watched her suspiciously, apparently clued in to her amateur status.

She’d just scooted the dirty diaper out from under him and slid the clean one, which Audrey had helpfully spread open for her, under him, when urine shot up at her in a free-flowing yellow arc. “Aaack!” She tried to duck, but there wasn’t much she could do and still hold on to Johnston’s feet.

When he’d finished, the front of her top had a large, warm wet spot on it. Charley didn’t look at the camera crew, but from the corner of her eye, she could see shoulders shaking and hear the silent laughter.

Audrey sniffed. “Our baby doesn’t do that.”

“Is your baby a girl?”

A grave nod.

Get used to it, Audrey. Boys do all kinds of things girls don’t.
“Could you get me another diaper?” Johnston had managed to hit the fresh diaper and the teacher’s desk, as well. At least he finally looked happy.

Audrey fetched the new diaper and then left to find the twins. Will looked over the collateral damage and also walked away. Charley sighed. Deserted by her troops.

Marc appeared at her side to give a low whistle. “He got you good.”

“It’s okay,” she lied. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“I believe that.” He reached for the soiled diapers. “I’ll get rid of these.”

“Thanks.”

Possibly hearing the relief in her voice that she would not have to touch the used diapers again, he gave her a broad wink. Then he lowered his voice and said in her ear, “Even soaked in pee, you’re sexy.”

The tension that had built up in her released. “I might love you for that,” came out in one breath. She snapped her mouth shut as soon as she heard the words. She’d meant it as a joke, but wasn’t sure Marc would take it that way. All he did, though, was laugh and gather up the diapers.

A few minutes later, she had Johnston in a fresh diaper and his pants back on. She set him on the floor, where he happily toddled off, and wondered if she also had pee in her hair. Was this what mothers did all day long? She shuddered.

The camera crew had moved to focusing on Marc, who had managed to talk most of the kids into sitting in a circle on the reading rug Tex had retreated to. Even Julio was there, though he still had his eyes fixed on his computer game.

Someone came up behind Charley to begin wiping off the teacher’s desk with the paper towels. She turned. Luke. Silently, he offered her a clean, damp rag and, with a sympathetic look, motioned that she could use it on her top. “Thank you,” she mouthed. She pulled the fabric out away from her skin and began scrubbing.

When she had done as much as she could, Luke took the rag from her and gave her hand a light squeeze. “You did good,” he said in a low whisper.

The door creaked open and Rose the parent volunteer entered the room, bearing a tray of milk cartons and cookies. Charley’s body sagged in relief. A grown-up.

The children abandoned Marc immediately, flocking to the door in a jumble of arms, legs, and excited voices. Rose carried the tray to one of the desks. “Everyone sit down now,” she instructed, “and be sure to take a napkin and a straw.”

They did.

Half of Rose’s hair had slipped from its knot and she had a smudge on her cheek, making Charley wonder what was going on in other babysitting rooms. “It looks as though all is going well,” Rose said to Charley and Marc.

They looked at each other. “Sure,” Charley said.

“Absolutely,” Marc added.

As the children dove into the cookies, happiness spread across the faces of the littler ones as quickly as the chocolate did. The older kids proved to be more serious about the snack, chewing with intent.

Charley washed her hands at a small sink in the corner of the room, dried them off, and then followed Rose’s lead for the younger kids by opening up the mini milk cartons and inserting a straw in each. Marc chose a cookie and winked at Charley as he took a bite.

She straightened her shoulders and told herself she could do this. Even if there might be, and probably was, pee in her hair. She made her way to Marc’s circle of kids and separated the Bens, who were giving each other punches in the arm, by sitting between them, cross-legged.

To her surprise, Johnston sauntered over to plop down in her lap, thumb stuck in his mouth and his eyes on Marc, who was reading a book. She brushed the soft blond hair at the top of Johnston’s head with her fingers. Surviving a diaper change at her hands must have translated to a grudging sense of trust from the two-year-old.

She smiled down at him, feeling a bit guilty that she’d just decided she didn’t want to be a parent. She was pretty sure she couldn’t make it through that many wardrobe changes.

On the van ride back to the house, Charley sat next to Luke. Marc tossed her a puzzled look when he saw her heading toward the back, but didn’t ask anything. He just sat next to their cameraman, Pete, and started a conversation.

Once their driver had started the van, darkness within the vehicle gave Charley the chance to brave a look at Luke. “If you want me to move, I will.”

He continued to look out the window. “I’m fine with where you are.”

“I smell like pee. And oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Not a great combination, so I would understand.”

He chuckled. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but now that you mention it…”

“Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You could have said you didn’t smell anything but flowers and sunshine.”

“Does that sound like something I would say?”

“Not at all.”

“Because it’s actually closer to strawberries, lemons, sun beating down on the ocean, and what the taste of something sweet and salty does to your tongue.”

She stared at him, open-mouthed.

He turned to look at her and then quickly looked away, back to staring out the window.

“That’s what I
smell
like?”

“Pretty much.”

They rode in silence for a few miles while Charley processed. Something primal stirred. She shifted in her seat, wondering if anyone else could tell.

Around them, others were talking, snoozing, or like Luke, gazing out the window, lost in their own thoughts. No one was looking at her.

Charley let her gaze rest on Marc, and studied the back of his head. He said something that made Pete the cameraman laugh.

Marc was supportive and easy to be around, simultaneously unflappable and ready for anything. She liked the competitive streak she’d seen in him, especially because, when the competition was over, he was over it. He’d minded losing the hunt challenge to Brittany and Michael for about five minutes and then he’d moved on.

He’d probably be a great husband and dad. If you were into that kind of thing, which the babysitting session might have cured her of for forever.

But when he’d taken her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly after tonight’s challenge had ended and they’d returned the right kids to the right parents, she’d felt pleasantly contented, like she did after watching a good movie. She’d been tempted to give him a thumbs-up and say, “Nice job. Good lip action. See you later.”

When Luke kissed her, she had the sensation of being on a ride she never wanted to get off. A thousand tiny sparklers burned inside her, each hotter than the last.

“I don’t get it,” she said, and then started when she realized she’d said it aloud.

Luke turned. “What don’t you get?”

Her throat went dry. She shouldn’t say it. Bad idea. So against the rules. She said it anyway. “How you can make me feel things no one else can.”

The words hung between them, bumping along with the tires navigating scars in the highway.

He didn’t respond, instead reaching to close his hand over hers and move it to his knee. Which, dammit, sent a shiver up her spine.

CHAPTER SIX

Make Me a Match

Episode Eight

Exes and Oh No’s

Executive producer Jonathan Sims pinned Luke to the wall with a single, penetrating gaze. He had the kind of eyes that could do that—unreadable and intensely focused. The rest of him was pretty ordinary—middle-aged, paunchy, and balding. But when he zeroed in on a person with that stare, the person paid attention.

Luke rubbed his forearms, waiting.

“I’ve been hearing stuff,” Jonathan said. “Stuff I don’t like hearing.”

Luke flinched. This couldn’t be good.

“You getting too close to one of the contestants?”

“Too close? I don’t understand.” But he did. His palms began to sweat. “I just—know her.”

“It had fucking well better not be in the biblical sense.” Spittle formed in the corner of Jonathan’s mouth. “Though I don’t see what the attraction would be, personally.”

Luke sat up tall in the chair, his chin high and his hands closing into fists. This asshole had better not say anything bad about Charley or he’d regret it.

“Shit, I’ll bet she’s a drill sergeant in the sack. Probably has a whistle and a timer.”

Hold on. “You’re talking about…?”

“Brittany. Who the hell else would I be talking about?”

Relief washed over Luke. Relief he wasn’t proud of. “I don’t have anything going on with Brittany,” he assured the producer. “Jen asked me to talk with her a couple of times, that’s all. She’s been giving Jen a pretty hard time.”

Jonathan’s eyes narrowed. “Straight up?”

“Straight up.”

“All right. I’ll take your word for it. But if I find out any differently—”

“There is nothing going on between me and Brittany.” Luke’s hands sliced the air. “Nothing.”

“Good. I don’t want to have to fire your ass, but I will. In a heartbeat. You’re already on your second chance.”

Luke didn’t need reminding that this wasn’t an industry for third chances. Luke wasn’t about to risk his job.

Except that he already had.
Fuck
.

“You can go,” Jonathan said, his eyes already back to his laptop. “You’re doing a great job and all that crap, so keep it up. Ratings are good so far.”

Why in the hell had he ever gotten into this business, Luke asked himself as he left the room. He should have finished college.

For more than one reason.

The contestants sat in three pairs on the sofas in the spacious living room. As the décor was largely mid-century modern, the sofas weren’t particularly comfortable, but then, neither were the contestants. They awaited Rob Smiley, who was to explain today’s challenge, the last one before they would all fly home to Seattle for the final episode.

“Did you hear the kids from the babysitting challenge were child actors?” Brittany said. “I don’t think Jen was supposed to say anything, but she told us.”

Trevor nodded with a rueful grin while Jason high-fived him. “I knew it,” Jason said.

Marc shook his head. “I didn’t even suspect, but now it makes sense.” He looked down at Charley. “Would it make you feel better if the kid was peeing on you on cue?”

“Uh…no.” She rolled her eyes. “I think it was one of those
magical
reality TV moments that people rewind to see again. And again.” She laughed and the others joined in.

Hopefully, this was the only wrench they’d see.

They all fell silent again, waiting.

There was a different vibe in the air. Usually, when they were off doing their challenges, everyone seemed to take the silliness of it in stride and have fun. Today, the producers and crew seemed to have a pent-up sense of anticipation that she hadn’t felt with the previous episodes. She’d wanted to get Luke alone and ask him about it, but he’d been studiously avoiding her.

Last night, she’d heard Marc lock and then unlock his side of the adjoining door. She’d lain in bed, motionless, not even daring to breathe, waiting until at last she heard him walk away.