Free A Midsummer Night's Fling (Much Ado about Love #1) by Eliza Walker Page A

Nicola laughed at his antics, and he shot her a mischievous glance through his lashes.
    Max shifted in her peripheral vision, and she had to stiffen her muscles to stop herself from peeking at him.
    Again . How was she even supposed to get through a scene with him like this? And with herself like this: hyperaware, half-turned on, only managing not to think about that stupid kiss through sheer stubbornness.
    “Lachlan, we’re going to take you dark. Black hair with some colored highlights. Purple, green, blue. And you’ll have to shave the goatee.” As Tierney was speaking, she dug out her sketches and laid them on the worktable. Lachlan uncurled from the floor and leaned over to gaze at his Puck costume.
    Max pushed from the wall and loomed over Nicola’s shoulder to see his own sketch. She caught a hint of soap and clean male skin, Max’s spicy cologne, and mint from his mouth. For a moment, she was too distracted to do anything except breathe.
    “Maxim, my love,” Rita said. “No bleach, I promise, but for you, we want to take your hair a shade or two lighter.”
    “Shit,” he said behind Nicola, his voice like a boom of thunder before the lightning comes.
    Tierney poked his shoulder. “Blonds have the most fun, Max.”
    Lachlan waggled his eyebrows. “That’s because there aren’t enough gingers to go around.”
    “And, Max,” Tierney said, “we want you to keep growing the beard out.”
    “Yes,” Rita put in, a sour expression on her face. “So often in Midsummer productions, they make all the fairies androgynous. Nothing but spandex and leaves.” She made a frustrated gesture toward her lap and clucked her tongue in disapproval. “Not in my play. We will have manly fairies. Strong. Handsome.” She squeezed Max’s bicep, giggling. “Big.”
    Max good-naturedly flexed his arm for Rita. Nicola rolled her eyes but her mouth went dry, watching those taut muscles move beneath his golden skin. Rita did have a point about the appeal of more “manly” fairies.
    Tierney shuffled through more of her sketches. “So. Costumes…”
    Nicola could only be grateful as they turned to talk of fabrics, fit, and silhouettes. With Lachlan determined to flirt with her on one hand, and Max all up in her awareness just by standing in the same room, Nicola had more than a little trouble holding up her end of the conversation.
    She was disappointed, though, when the discussion turned to her character but Tierney had no sketch to show.
    The costumer gave an apologetic shrug. “I decided to do something different with Titania after we cast you. Give me a few days. For now, same instructions as the others: don’t cut your hair.” Tierney narrowed her eyes, gazing with intent at Nicola’s hair, her mind obviously clicking through ideas. “I have plans for that hair.”
    Nicola wet her lips. “Um, Judith mentioned…she thought I should lose a little weight.”
    Rita scoffed. “So you can blow over in the middle of performances? No , mija.”
    “Judith’s crazy,” Lachlan muttered.
    Max rumbled his assent too.
    Nicola smiled. “Okay.” So she wasn’t deluded about her own figure. Judith just had a mean streak. Good to know .
    Nicola shook her head, sliding off her stool as the meeting broke up, suddenly nervous again. Rehearsal was about to start. Her first rehearsal. With Max. Her foot caught on the bottom rung of the stool, and she bobbled forward.
    Max caught her arm and held her close. “Nic, we need to talk. Alone.”
    She swallowed. Oh Lord . A talk. Max never talked. Why did they need to talk? What was there to talk about? Talking could only end badly. And alone talking was a recipe for total disaster. She realized how sharply she was shaking her head as a heavy lock of her hair slipped free from her bun. Max’s eyebrows climbed upward while he watched her.
    “No. We’re fine, Max.” She tugged free of his hold and skittered toward the door, shadowing Rita closely, almost stepping on the back of the