Caught in the Act (The Davenports) by Kim Law

see him with Cat. It was none of their business whom he associated with.
    He glanced at her as she suddenly smiled brightly and shifted her focus back to the crowd, no doubt aware of the cameras as well. His gaze clung to her lips as she talked.
    And it was no one’s business whom he kissed.
    Or didn’t kiss.
    But he still stepped back out of the shot. This was her show.

    “I’m sorry your friend canceled.” Cat’s soft words registered as the lights went up in the theater. “It was a terrific play.”
    Brody looked to his side, where she stood smiling hesitantly up at him, her hair once again swept up and behind her head, but this time into a looser, sexier knot. It made her look years younger than she was. Everyone was on their feet clapping, the actors were taking their final bow. He forced the tension in his jaw to relax.
    “No big deal,” he said, trying hard not to let his irritation seep into his voice. And it hadn’t been a friend who’d canceled, but the producer he’d been working on since January. Though Cat didn’t realize that. “But thanks.”
    At this point, he had no doubt Cat was lying through her teeth about the play. Nothing about it had been terrific. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong had.
    At the last minute, the producer—actually, the assistant to the producer’s assistant —had e-mailed, saying Mr. Searcy was sorry that he wouldn’t be able to make it tonight after all. Then there had been the emergency call from Clyde. Their lead actress would be in tonight’s play, but she’d just found out about a family emergency back home. In Iowa. A sickness that would keep her out the remainder of the summer.
    And they didn’t have a backup.
    Of course, with the girl worrying about what she’d find when she got home, and frustrated that there was no flight out until the next day, the actress’s mind had been on everything but the play.
    Then his mom had caught sight of him sitting in the crowd with Cat and had missed her cue. She had eight lines in the whole damned play, and she’d missed her cue. Twice.
    He felt his jaw clench again, and this time left it that way. What a night.
    “Thank you for inviting me,” Cat said. He could hear the note of trepidation in her voice. She had no clue what to say to make it better.
    He didn’t either.
    “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pick you up,” he said. Yet one more thing that had gone wrong. His mother’s car wouldn’t start so he’d had to make the hour drive to her house to get her, only to arrive and find that her neighbor had just finished fixing it.
    The alternator had gone out.
    “It’s not like this was a date or anything.” Cat laughed lightly, which only set him more on edge. She bit her lip as she watched him.
    No, it wasn’t a date.
    She’d been perfectly “friendly” all evening. Clearly, since going up on her toes the other night—her mouth inching toward his—she’d had second thoughts. As had he. And third thoughts. And fourth thoughts.
    He should not kiss her. He knew that.
    Yet when he’d seen her walk into the playhouse tonight wearing a sundress covered in bright red cherries, along with her sexy, strappy heels, he’d wanted to rush to her side and finish what they’d started.
    He’d wanted it to be a date.
    She reached up and touched his hair, smoothing her fingers across it, then a shocked expression popped onto her face. “I’m sorry.” She snatched her hand back. “It was standing up. You kept running your hands through it tonight.”
    Brody caught her hand in his as she flushed with embarrassment.
    “You must have been nervous,” she whispered.
    He nodded. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Yeah. Silly, huh?”
    “Not silly.” The cool blue of her gaze heated. “It means a lot to you. I remember the play you wrote that summer. What was it called? Much Ado about Dyersport ?” Her light laughter pinged through his body, hitting all the hot spots. “You had it bound, but the