Forgetting Jack Cooper: The Stuntman Edition (Forgetting Jack Cooper)(6)

“Oh, this old thing?” She tapped the golden dildo and shrugged. “It’s just a douche award. I hand them out sometimes.”

The man’s expression was impossible to read. He was like a Greek statue, all stony and sexy and blemish free. Given that bulge in his pants though, he wasn’t all ancient sculpture with a tiny penis. The man had a whole lot going on in that tight suit. She was tempted to reach forward and tickle him right there, just to see how he would react. But even she wasn’t crazy enough to do that to a total stranger.

Toni felt caught off guard, a rare feeling for her. Something about Chance was unnerving. Of course, she realized what it was the second the thought popped in her head. He was insanely good-looking and she was very much aware of his presence as a man. She had been born without the flirt gene and this was the kind of guy who was way out of her league. He made her nervous in the most basic way possible. She wanted to get naked and smoosh bodies with him, but he would never give the little funny girl the time of day. She was the hot guy’s buddy, never his girlfriend, and Chance fell into that category.

Plus he clearly thought she was the world’s strangest creature.

He was looking at her like she was bird poop that had landed on his arm.

“Don’t worry, it’s not meant for you,” she said. “I have a perverse sense of humor in case you hadn’t noticed. But it’s a good career.”

“I have no response to that. But if you don’t get off the ground I’m going to do something I might regret.”

“Such as?”

“Throw you over my shoulder and escort you off the premises.”

Tempting. Very tempting. But while that was sexy in theory, Chance looked like he wanted the power to vaporize her.

“Not necessary. Just give me a hand.” She had to get up if she really was going to kiss him again anyway. “This asphalt is starting to sear my skin off the bone. Why is Burbank so damn hot all the time?”

Chance took her hand and hauled her up with zero effort. “It’s all the hot stars,” he said, with a complete straight face.

Toni got even more nervous. Why did it feel like she was being punked herself? Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous was impossible to get a read on. He was just watching her intently. So when in doubt, be an idiot. That was her motto.

She started patting his chest all over.

“What are you doing?”

“Searching for your mic. Jack had to have set me up. Like this is a reverse joke on my reverse joke.” She found no evidence of a mic on his chest or his lower back, but she continued to feel around, because well, he felt amazing. Not to insult all the men she had dated in the past, but they were all basically marshmallows next to Chance Ashton. Okay, so that was insulting to all her exes, but come on. Chance was a rock. Nothing but muscles.

“I don’t even know what that sentence means.” He laid his hands over hers and stopped her progress down his abs, which was a damn shame. “And to be honest, I don’t care.”

Though she was pushing her luck, she had to admit, she tried to move her hand down further. She was perilously close to his waistband and the glory of what lay below. But he held her firmly in place. Damn it.

Forcing her gaze upwards, she said, “No?” because that was brilliant. Not.

“No. I just think you need to stop touching me like that or we’re going to have a situation.”

“God, I hope so.” Because of course she said that out loud, because she had zero filter. Like none.

“You want me to restrain you again?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up.

And here she had thought he meant a situation as in a boner. But he actually meant that if she didn’t stop he was going to have to make her stop. She was apparently in his personal space.

“Don’t be a tease,” she said breezily. “I know you don’t mean that. So, we’re going to try this again? I approach you and we see what happens?”

She was one hundred percent convinced he would tell her to buzz off at this point. But he didn’t. He just nodded and stepped away. “Do your thing.”

Right. Her thing. Comedy. She turned and found Ned right behind her, as usual. She gestured to him to follow her and marched fifteen feet away.

“Your cheeks are red,” Ned said. “I think you’re blushing.”

Busted. “It’s hotter than Hades out here!” She glared at Ned.

He lowered the camera and grinned at her. “I’ve never seen you flustered. The hottie in the suit has you all discombobulated. Never thought I’d see that.”

Annoyed that he was completely right, Toni glared at Ned. “How old are you? No one says discombobulated under the age of eighty.” Which wasn’t true but she needed to deflect.

She also felt the compelling need to glance over her shoulder at Chance. He was standing there with his back to her, hands in his pockets. It was tempting to lick her lips but she resisted the urge. Instead she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She had a job to do. Make people laugh. Not get distracted by Stonewall Ashton.

“Just do your job,” she told Ned. “I don’t pay you to have opinions.”

It was such a pretentious thing to say and so totally unlike her, Ned burst out laughing. “Holy crap, Toni has a crush.”

“Shut up!” Because that overreaction wasn’t totally confirming Ned’s accusation or anything. Toni took a deep breath and smoothed her palms down the front of her dress. “Let’s have some fun.”