That sly voice inside me whispered, you should be thinking it would be different if it was Edward.
But Edward wouldn’t be able to relax in front of a camera and I knew that.
Flynn could. I suspected he even had. And Flynn could probably make me forget the camera was there. The guilt would choke me when it was done, but right now, I was too aware of the camera, and too aware of the fact that the man with his hand dangerously close to my crotch was a virtual stranger, family to be or not.
Flynn had kept telling me to relax, but it was almost impossible.
“I suck at this,” I said, groaning.
“No, you don’t.” Cody gave me a brotherly pat on the shoulder with the hand that wasn’t intimately placed. “You’re just nervous. It'll pass.”
“Let’s take a break,” Flynn said abruptly.
It had only been twenty minutes since we’d started, but it felt like hours and I happily untangled myself from Cody and all but ran for the cardigan I’d left hanging by the front door. Wrapped in it, I came back into the main area of the studio to find Flynn and Cody leaning against the tall stools and sipping water.
“You still seeing that fitness guru wannabe, Jake, something. What was his last name?” Flynn asked.
I blinked and looked over at Cody.
Cody made a face. “He called himself a physical wellness counselor, and no.” He tipped his water toward Flynn and added, “You asshole. You called it. The dickhead was looking at me to bankroll his life guidance centers. 'Fitness centers that feed the mind, body and soul.'”
“You’re gay.” The words popped out of me and immediately heat scalded my face. I really hadn't meant it to come out like that.
“And you’re straight.” Amused, Cody grinned at me. “At least I hope you are since you're marrying my big brother. Don’t look so embarrassed. Yeah, I’m gay. It's not a secret.”
Flynn stared at me.
There was a look of almost challenge in his eyes.
I stared right back at him. Hell, I didn’t care if his brother was gay. Actually, it made it a lot easier. Maybe it was stupid, but I could relax better having a gay guy put his hands all over me for some pictures versus a straight guy.
A faint smile curled his lips and he tipped his head at me.
I looked back at Cody and grimaced. “I’m sorry, that sounded really rude. I’ve got this really bad problem. My friend Kendra says I have no filter and everything that comes into my head usually just comes right out of my mouth.”
“Wow. I bet our mom just loves you.”
“No.” I sighed. “She really doesn’t.”
Cody got up from his stool and came to pat me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Gabs.” He paused then asked, “Or do you only go by Gabriella?”
“Kendra calls me Gabs.” I found myself relaxing by the second.
“Cool. Don’t worry about my mom. Edward and Edward’s father are really the only ones who ever earned her complete approval.”
He and Flynn shared a strained look that told me exactly what it was that bound these two half-brothers together. I felt a sudden pang of homesickness at the thought of my own family. We'd never had anywhere close to the money these guys had growing up, but at least I knew my parents loved me, unconditionally.
Flynn capped his water. “Let’s get back to work.”
It got easier from there. Knowing that the hand on my butt or near my crotch or lying along the outer curve of my breast had absolutely no sexual interest in me made it easier to fall back into that state I’d been in earlier. It was a weird feeling, a sort of high, I thought, something I could get used to and when it was done, I was both drained and energized.
I wanted to collapse, but at the same time, I knew I’d never sleep. Not any time soon at least.
“How about dinner?” Cody came up and slung his arm around my neck, kissing my temple. I’d already figured he was an affectionate sort. He hugged Flynn—which had shocked the hell out of me—and several times during the shoot, he'd embraced me too. The easy affection was almost soothing. My family was like that and I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it until now.
Glancing over at Flynn, I went to say no. But he shrugged. “Why not?”
Why not? The tension from earlier was gone and really, wasn’t it better if I found a way to get along with Flynn? Maybe even just to level things out and be friends?
“Sure.”
That was how we ended up at a crazy little Latin restaurant with amazing sangria, fantastic food and music that made my feet itch. As if sensing it, after we’d placed our order, Cody tugged me out onto the dance floor and we spent the next twenty minutes dancing.
By the time the night was over, I was somewhat relaxed and I felt more accomplished than I had in a very long time. I had money in my pocket. Money I’d worked damn hard for and Flynn had told me it was possible another job might come up that would work for me. He’d keep me in mind.
Better than that, Cody and I had hit it off. I'd been worried it wouldn't last outside the studio, but no, he really liked me and I liked him. It was almost like I'd known him my whole life. That, more than anything else, felt amazing.
At least I’d have one friend in this family.
Chapter 5
Edward eyed the Latin décor with exasperation and fondness as we climbed out of the car. “Cody, we won’t be able to hear ourselves think,” he said, shaking his head.
Cody shot us a wide grin. “I don’t come here to think, Edward. I come here to dance, to eat and to drink.” He winked and hooked his arms through mine and Kendra’s, dragging us inside, leaving Edward to trail along.
I shot him a look and saw that he was smiling. As I'd found often happened when Cody smiled, I found myself smiling back.
We were shown a table on the uppermost level, which turned out to be the quietest and the most private in the place.
“Well, we won’t find any naan here,” Edward said, leaning over to whisper in my ear. “But it should be fun. It looks like you and Cody are getting along.”
“Yes.” I nodded as I focused on the menu.
When Edward had begun to make introductions at the beginning of the evening, Cody had grabbed my hand and kissed it. “Gabs!” he’d exclaimed, his eyes wide in false surprise. “How did this happen?” Then he'd looked at Edward and, without blinking, had said, “I don’t believe it…you’re stealing my girl.”
He’d laughed at the look on Edward's face, then hugged me, telling Edward that we’d bumped into each other at some point and had been introduced, by a photographer, he'd thought. It had been tossed out casually and when Edward had glanced at me for further explanation, I’d just smiled and shrugged.
Cody had quickly shifted subjects by grabbing Kendra and kissing her lavishly on the mouth. “I always knew you would hit it big, gorgeous. Now look at you! How much longer before Bouvier springs and has your face out on Times Square for the whole world to see?”
Kendra had glowed at the idea of it. The kiss hadn't hurt either. Cody may have been gay, but he was smoking hot.
The restaurant wasn’t conducive to quiet chatter, but we managed to talk somewhat and laugh through the meal. After we ate, we went down to the dance floor. Edward bowed out before we did and Kendra, Cody and I danced together until we were all exhausted. It was nice to be able to dance without any expectation or worry that someone would try to pick me up. Cody was a great deterrent against would-be suitors, better even than the ring shining under the club lights.
Collapsing into a vacant booth in the shadows at the back, we ordered a pitcher of sangrias and tried to catch our breath. Kendra was halfway through her glass when somebody emerged from the knot of bodies and she straightened up.
I recognized him. His name was Jordan and he and Kendra had dated off and on, with a lot of off, lately.
She shot me a look.
I rolled my eyes.
When he bent down and whispered in her ear, she shrugged. He straightened and she took
a casual drink of her sangria, pretending to think. He said something else to her and she sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically and then pointed to me.
I gave a look of mock confusion. Sure. Blame whatever on me. It wasn't the first time I'd played the bad guy so she could either get some, or deny some, depending on her mood. This kept up for a more minutes and then eventually, she leaned over to me.
“We’re going to dance for a while. He wants me to go home with him. Shake your head and act like you don’t me to go.”
“I don’t care!” I shouted over the din.
“I know that! But you should…he won’t quit the hot and cold!” She made a face at me.
“That’s because you string him along, you tease.” I made a face at her. Then as she straightened, I caught her hand and shook my head, giving her my best sad face.
She shot Jordan a look. Damn, the girl should have gone into acting. Even from here, I could see his jaw clenching and I watched as he turned his head, staring off into the crowd. When Kendra bent back to me, I said, “You’ve made him suffer enough. The guy really likes you. Either let him go or do something about it.”
She shrugged. “He’s fun, but…I don’t know. I think I’ll go home with him tonight.”
She waggled her fingers with me as she walked away. I almost felt bad for the guy. She made my head spin and I was just her wing-man. Or would it be wing-woman? Whatever I was, I didn't know what the hell she wanted.
Before the night was over, Cody ended up hooking with somebody, too, so it was just me and Edward as we left the club. I slid into the back seat and he followed. I barely waited for him to close the door before I moved closer.
“My place is only a couple minutes from here,” I said, half sitting on his lap as I kissed him.
It had been way too long since I’d kissed him, touched him.
I could feel the rising heat in his body, but he eased me over to the side and gave me a pained look, nodding toward Paul on the other side of the privacy glass. “We can be at my house in just over thirty minutes. Not much traffic in the city once we’re through this crush.”
“But…” I trailed my fingers over his cheek. “Kendra went home with Jordan. We’d have the place to ourselves.”
He caught my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “It’s a studio. What if she ends up back there at three in the morning because things don’t work out? That’s not much of a place for any kind of privacy.” He was still holding my hand and now, he looked at me over it, his gaze pinning me in place as he sank his teeth into the fleshy part of my palm.
It sent a shiver through me.
His voice was low as he spoke, a rough edge to his words. “The things I want to do to you demand complete privacy, Gabriella. I plan to make you cry out my name long and loud, and I don’t want to risk your roommate coming home or having to worry about nosy neighbors listening in.”
He tucked me under his arm and hit the intercom button. “Home, Paul.”
I sank against him, sighing.
I guess I could see why neighbors overhearing us would get to him. I’d been kinda thrown the first time I'd heard the bed-frame from the apartment above rattling. But Kendra wasn’t likely to stumble in at three in the morning. Not when she was with Jordan.
It wasn’t a big deal though.
Not really.
***
I reached for his head and his voice, low and rough, said again, “Keep hold of the headboard, Gabriella.”
Swearing, I closed my hands around the carved wood and tried to lift my hips, needing more. More friction. More of him. But, he licked me slowly, his tongue circling around and around my clit.
He’d kept me hovering on the edge of orgasm for so long, I thought I’d go insane. Now I was sure of it.
“Please,” I moaned, desperate.
And this time, he answered, bringing his hand around and pushing two fingers inside me, curling them at just the right moment.
I came hard and fast, calling out his name. I felt like I was on fire, as if the climax was burning through me and would leave me nothing but ash. But it was worth it.
I was still shuddering when he flipped me over onto my belly and lifted me onto my knees. He shoved into me with one long, slow push and by the time he was done stretching me, I was keening and ready to come all over again. I could barely breathe with the intensity of my need.
“More.” I rolled my hips back against him and sighed out his name. “More, Edward, please.”
And he gave it to me. Slow, deep lazy strokes that brought me to a slow, lazy orgasm. If the first had been fire, this was a slow smolder, like liquid coating my skin, filling me until my climax washed over me.
He waited until I came before he started to thrust deeper, harder, faster. Each stroke was more than the one before, reaching far into me, joining us so intimately that I couldn't distinguish his body from mine. I felt him come, his cock jerking inside me, the hot spill of it adding to the sensations coursing through me and nearly making me come again. When he pulled out, a shudder did go through me, a mini-orgasm that made me whimper.
He chuckled, that manly sort of laugh that said he knew he'd done a good job. He pulled me back against him and wrapped his arms around me as our hearts slowed and our blood cooled.
“I’ve missed you this week,” Edward murmured against my temple. “I love you.”
“Hmmm…” I knew there was something I should say in return, but I was already drifting to sleep.
Chapter 6
“A party?” Terror seized my heart as I sat next to Edward. We were at our favorite restaurant and my belly was full of lovely wine, naan and curry, but now I thought I just might lose it all on Edward’s lovely suit. Fear did terrible things to me and I was actually petrified. “Um, I’m sorry. Did you say a party? At your mother’s home?”
“It’s a family affair.” He smiled at me and brushed my hair back behind my ear. “Cody will be there. Flynn too, but you two didn't seem to get along too well last time. Don't worry about it though. Flynn's not easy to get along with.”
I grabbed my water and guzzled it as much to give myself time to think. “I don’t know...”
“Gabriella.” Edward took the water from my clutching hands, gently prying it away. “You’re going to be my wife. There are certain functions I have to attend, duties I need to...I want you to be there with me. Please say you’ll do this for me.”
How could I say no? Those beautiful blue eyes watched me so steadily. And he gave me so much. The least I could do would be this.
“Okay.” I nodded.
He leaned over and kissed me. I tasted the spice from the food we’d eaten on his kiss, and some of the nerves untangled. I could do this, right? It was a party, not something scary. He’d be there with me. Cody would be there too. I refused to think about Flynn, because really, that wasn’t going to help.
We spent the rest of the evening feeding each other dessert and sipping wine and I was able to relax, forget about the party. It was a week away. I could procrastinate with the best of them. Why worry about something so far in the future when it wouldn't do me any good?
But after we’d settled into the car, Edward handed me something that made my worries about the party surface.
I looked at it, confused. Right up until I saw the credit card with his name...and mine on it. “What’s…?” I swallowed. “What’s this?”
“You’ll need a dress,” he said softly. “For the party. Since you’re attending as a favor to me, it’s only right that I pay for the dress. Please don’t say no.”
I tightened my grip on the card. I wanted to give it back. I had some money in my account thanks to the two modeling jobs, but I still had to buy a wedding dress and the ones I’d been looking at, the ones that would hold up for a society wedding were going to cost a lot. I couldn't expect my family to pay for much of anything for the wedding. I was the middle of six kids from a lower middle-class family. I needed to save every penny I could and buying
a dress suitable for a Bouvier party would definitely cut into the little I had. I thought of the looks I’d been given at the country club and I knew nothing I could find in my closet would cut it.
“Okay.” I nodded. My pride wasn’t going to get in the way of doing something for the man I loved. I smiled at him. “Okay.”
***
“Thanks for coming,” I told Cody as he breezed inside the apartment. He stopped and looked around before turning back to me. “Kendra has a shoot and Edward…well…”
“Big brother is busy running the fashion industry.” Cody gave me that charming, boyish grin and shrugged. “It’s not a problem. Trust me, I know exactly what kind of threads you need for the party with the sharks next weekend.”
“Sharks.” I swallowed. “Lovely.”
It had been three days since I’d committed to going. It was now Sunday and I’d put off shopping until the weekend because I’d thought Edward could go with me to help pick something appropriate. My plans were dashed when, on Friday, he’d announced he had to go to London for some sort of meeting.
I'd understood, of course, but I couldn’t do this alone. Now, thanks to my charming soon to be brother, I didn’t have to.
“This place is fantastic,” Cody said, moving over to the window seat and leaning forward to look out. “I love it.”
“Really?” I laughed sourly. “Your brother doesn’t think so.” Immediately, I regretted the bitter tone. I was just pissy because I missed Edward. He'd never said a bad word about my place. Not really. Then again, he hadn't exactly seen it either.
He snorted. “If it doesn’t come with maid service, linen service and turn down service, Edward isn’t going to think much of it. He’s not as rigid as Mom, but he’s still got a bit of a stick up his ass.”
“He does not!” I glared at him.
“Oh?” Cody straightened and looked at me, a dare in his eyes. Arms folded across his chest, he asked, “So when was the last time you two spent a night here? Ordered in take out from the local Chinese place…?”
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