Book one | Alexa Harvey, a celebrated actress known for her fierce independence and uncompromising nature, has always steered clear of the sports world. But when her latest film role requires her to shadow Jude Bellingham, a rising football star wit...
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The rest of the party was a blur of music, laughter, and faces that all blended together as the night went on. Alexa found herself drifting between conversations, her thoughts never straying far from Jude.
She could still feel the imprint of his hand on her waist, the lingering warmth of his breath against her skin, and the taste of his kiss from earlier in the night.
But despite the flirty banter and the undeniable chemistry between them, she couldn't shake the unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach.
The reality of her lost job weighed heavily on her, and the uncertainty of what would come next was a constant, gnawing presence in the back of her mind.
Jude had returned to his friends at the pool table, but she could feel his eyes on her every now and then, catching her gaze across the room with a look that sent her pulse racing. It was like a game, this back-and-forth between them, each stolen glance a reminder of what had transpired outside and what could have happened had they not been interrupted.
As the party began to wind down, Alexa found herself standing near the bar again, nursing the last of her drink. She was half-tempted to leave, to slip away before she got caught up in something she wasn't sure she could handle. But as she glanced around the room, her eyes met Jude's once more, and the decision to stay was made for her.
He was leaning casually against the pool table, his focus ostensibly on the game, but she could see the way his gaze flicked back to her, his attention divided. When he caught her looking, he raised an eyebrow in a silent invitation.
Before she could overthink it, Alexa pushed away from the bar and made her way over to him.
The room seemed to quiet as she approached, the buzz of the party fading into the background until it was just the two of them again, standing close enough to touch but not quite.
"Did you win?" she asked, nodding toward the pool table where a few of his teammates were still playing.
Jude smirked, his eyes never leaving hers. "Always do."
"Confident," she said, a teasing note in her voice.
"You'll have to play me sometime," he replied, a challenge in his tone. "See if you can break my winning streak."
Alexa leaned in slightly, her smile turning mischievous. "I might just surprise you."
"I'm counting on it," he said, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate register.
For a moment, they just stood there, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. It was as if the entire party had faded away, leaving only them in their own little bubble of flirtation and unspoken desire.
Then, as if reading each other's minds, they both moved at the same time, stepping away from the pool table and into the relative quiet of a corner of the room. Alexa could feel the weight of Jude's gaze on her as they walked, the air around them crackling with anticipation.
