Chapter 12: Losing the Upper Hand
596 Words
Lena wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep playing this game with Noah.
She told herself she was done thinking about him. That the kiss on set had been nothing more than good acting. That the tension between them was just the result of being forced to work together.
But no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, he was always there.
Watching. Smirking. Testing her.
And tonight, at the wrap party, was no exception.
After their brief exchange, Lena had made a beeline for the bar, hoping a drink would help settle her nerves.
“Something strong,” she muttered to the bartender, who chuckled before sliding her a cocktail.
She took a sip and exhaled. You’ve got this, Lena. You’re fine.
But then she felt it—him.
Noah had moved across the room, but his presence was still impossible to ignore.
He was laughing at something Ava said, his body language relaxed, his hand gesturing animatedly as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
And then, just as if he knew she was watching, he turned his head—just slightly—meeting her gaze across the crowded room.
Lena’s breath caught.
Because this time, he wasn’t smirking.
No teasing. No playful arrogance.
Just… something unreadable. Something that made her chest tighten.
She was the first to look away.
Damn him.
“Are you okay?”
Lena turned to see Jake, another actor from their cast, giving her a curious look.
“Yeah,” she said quickly. “Just tired.”
Jake nodded. “Makes sense. It’s been a long shoot.” Then, after a pause, he grinned. “Come dance with me. You need to loosen up.”
Lena hesitated.
Not because she didn’t want to dance, but because she could feel Noah’s eyes on her.
And she knew—knew—that if she said yes, it would be a mistake.
But maybe that was exactly why she did it.
“Sure,” she said, smiling at Jake.
He took her hand, leading her onto the small dance floor. The music was upbeat, the bass thrumming beneath her feet. She forced herself to focus on the moment, to laugh when Jake spun her, to pretend she wasn’t hyper-aware of the fact that Noah Sinclair was still watching her.
And then—
A warm hand slid around her waist.
Not Jake’s.
Lena stiffened, turning her head just as Noah leaned in close. His voice was low, just for her.
“Having fun, rookie?”
Jake, completely oblivious, kept dancing. But Lena’s heart was in her throat.
She swallowed. “What are you doing?”
Noah’s lips brushed close to her ear, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. “Stopping you from making bad decisions.”
Lena pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze. “Excuse me?”
His grip on her waist tightened—just for a second, just enough to make her dizzy. “You don’t want him, Lena.”
Her pulse pounded. “And you think I want you?”
His eyes darkened. “I know you do.”
It was the arrogance in his voice that snapped her back to reality.
Lena exhaled sharply and shoved him back, ignoring the way her skin burned where he’d touched her.
“You don’t know anything, Sinclair.”
Then, before he could say another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Because if she stayed any longer, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t do something stupid.
Like kiss him again.
- Writer
