The energy at the premiere was electric—flashing cameras, a sea of reporters, fans pressed against the barriers, shouting names into the night. The carpet shimmered under the glare of lights, and the air buzzed with that intoxicating mix of chaos and celebration.

You stood near the edge of it all, smile carefully in place, but your stomach twisted with nerves. It was your first big premiere, the kind that made headlines, and the weight of so many eyes on you made your hands tighten just a little too much around the clutch you carried.

Luckily, you weren’t alone.

Joe stood at your side, impossibly handsome in his tailored suit, his dark curls tamed just enough to look deliberate but still boyishly unruly. He carried himself with the same easy charm that had won over everyone on set—and, if you were honest, had been winning you over since the first table read.

He glanced at you then, catching the tension in your jaw, the way you shifted under the camera flashes. Without hesitation, his arm slid around your waist, tugging you closer until his warmth settled against your side.

Leaning down, his lips brushed the edge of your ear as he murmured, low enough for only you to hear, “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll be by your side all night.”

The reassurance made your shoulders loosen, just a little. You tilted your head up at him, caught off guard by that devastating smile he wore—the one that made your pulse skip a beat no matter how hard you tried to ignore it.

“You always know what to say,” you whispered back, smirking faintly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way your cheeks had warmed under the lights.

“Perks of the job,” he teased, voice smooth, eyes glinting with that mix of mischief and sincerity only he could pull off. He gave your waist a small squeeze, guiding you forward as the photographers shouted for a pose.

And suddenly, the lights weren’t as blinding. The noise wasn’t as overwhelming. Because with him pressed against you like this, all you could focus on was the steady thrum of his heartbeat and the thought that maybe—just maybe—the line between on-screen chemistry and something more was starting to blur.