by Wendi Zwaduk
He wanted to tell her that’s not how he’d felt, but he’d have been lying. Back then, yeah, he’d seen her as his reliable pal.
“Did you ever look at me before last night and see a hot woman?” She shook her head. “Last night you saw me as a conquest. I was the one person you fucked but hadn’t fucked with.”
“That’s not fair or true.” He reached for her, but she stepped out of his grasp.
“The first time we had sex—way back in college—you told me it was because you wanted me to get some experience with someone who wasn’t Reyland.” Tears slipped down her cheeks again. “Fuck. I don’t cry this much, but you bring out my overactive hormones.”
“You have a lot of scars that needed ripping open in order to heal, and I needed to have my ass kicked more than eight times over.” He caught Molly and enfolded her in his arms while he caressed her hair. Goddamn it, he’d fucked up.
“I’m not in the mood to have my heart stomped on, okay?”
Her words were muffled against his chest, but he caught everything she’d said. Austin held her and wished he could keep from hurting her. He wished he hadn’t been such an ass all those times he’d wanted to tell her he loved her. He closed his eyes and exhaled. “Babe, you don’t know how I see you, because you never heard me say the words. That’s fucked up on my part and I’m sorry. I’m not good if I have to bare my soul. I’m my best when I’m with you—at CDL and right now. You’ve always grounded me and been my rock.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Bullshit. I will worry about it and you. Christ, I had—have—the most loyal, sweetest, adorable woman by my side and I jacked it all up because I didn’t want to admit I liked you.” There. He’d said the words on his heart.
“What?” She stared up at him and her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“You freaked me out back in college.” The more he talked, the more he needed to be completely honest. “You’ve always been so smart and quick with ideas. You’re confident, too. When you’re on the job, you’re the force to be reckoned with—not me. Guys are scared of you because we know you’ll chew us up and spit us out if we fuck up. I had the added pressure of not wanting to lose you as my friend. I didn’t want to lose out.”
“Oh.”
“Come back to the car with me. I owe you a day down at the lake. Please?” He swiped the tears from her cheeks and rested his forehead against hers. “I like you so much.” And I’m scared it’s love. I’m scared I’ll fuck up and lose you.
“Okay.” She blew out a long breath then wound her arm around his. “Maybe us being together isn’t a mistake. Maybe.”
He fell into step with her again and headed back to the parking lot. He hadn’t noticed the scenery along the way—still hadn’t. The only thing that mattered was Molly. She’d thought their relationship was a mistake? Not a chance. He’d been foolish not to morph what she saw as a problem into a solid partnership. Was he in love?
He nodded. Yeah, he loved her. Always had, but until now he hadn’t been ready to admit that fact, even to himself. His spirits buoyed as Molly accompanied him to the lakeside amusement park.
The park wasn’t much more than a Ferris wheel and a rickety roller coaster surrounded by food stands and games of chance, but he didn’t care. To him, the place was paradise because he had Molly by his side. He bought an elephant ear to split with her.
Molly sat on his lap and nibbled on the sweet treat. He smeared powdered sugar on the tip of his nose and laughed. When she kissed the sugar off his skin, he melted a little bit more. He’d become putty in her hands and she had no idea how much control she held. His heart beat for her.
“Ferris wheel?” She tugged him across the dirt trail to the bottom of the attraction.
Austin bought the tickets and waited with her in line. Molly squealed as she climbed into the car. The paint peeled and the Ferris wheel creaked but seemed stable. He settled on the seat with her and yanked the safety bar across their lap.
“You can see everything from up here.” She gripped the bar. “I’ve only ever been on this ride once before. Remy dared me to ride it.”
“You did and I bet you had fun.” He draped his arm around her. “Wonder if we’ll get stuck at the top.”
“Probably. We’re the only couple on the ride.” She squeezed his thigh as the car stopped at the top of the wheel. “The view is so pretty. You can see forever.”
“You can.” He noticed the expansive view around them but he also saw so many things much clearer. He and Molly had fun together. They laughed and the sex was off the charts. She outsmarted him but was his equal. He should’ve admitted the attraction long before. He’d wasted too much time.
Austin kissed her. He wasn’t about to lose any more time. He tangled his tongue with hers and smoothed his palm across her belly. He was the luckiest man alive because he’d found the love of his life—even if he’d taken an eternity to figure that fact out.
Molly whimpered and eased back from him a bit. “This is fun.” She bumped noses with him. “Private, but public, too. People could see us.”
“Who cares?” He wanted to tug her onto his lap and make love to her in the Ferris wheel carriage. “There’s no one else I want to be stuck up here with. I’ve never been this relaxed or happy in my life.”
“Me too.” Molly rested her head on his shoulder. “Austin?”
“Right here.” Everything was perfect. If he had a ring, he would’ve proposed to her. Yeah, he wanted her forever. Now that he’d had a taste of Molly and knew what he wanted from his life, he refused to look back. No regrets and no more mistakes.
“Your pocket is buzzing.” She patted his thigh. “Your phone. You’d better answer it.”
“Fuck it. I’m here with you. Work or whoever wants me can wait.” He kept his arm around her as the carriage moved around the wheel and until it stopped. He didn’t bother to check the phone, but it buzzed in his pocket again. He reached into the side pocket of his jeans and silenced the device.
“Molls, would you ever get married again?” He needed to know. No point in getting his hopes up if she wasn’t interested.
“Why? Are you offering?” Her voice was wistful, almost as if she wasn’t taking him seriously. Why should she? He only got serious at work.
“You never know.” There. He’d volleyed the possibility. Would she take the bait? “Would you?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to have the right guy come along. The job is vacant and I’m accepting applications—if you’re interested.” She tipped her head to meet his gaze. “But only serious applicants are being taken into consideration.”
“I’m serious.” He slid his phone from his pocket and checked the screen. He didn’t recognize the number and put the device away.
Molly snuggled against him. “Just answer it.” She clutched his shirt. “Want me to? If it’s someone from CDL, they’ll get one hell of a surprise.”
“It’s not work.” The people at CDL liked their days off as much as he did. “I don’t know who it is.”
“What if that’s your mom? Or Dylan?”
He shook his head but slid his phone from his pocket. He doubted his mother would call and knew better than to expect Dylan on the other end of the line.
“Well?” Her eyes sparkled and the blush infused on her cheeks added to her beauty. “I’ll be over at the railing if you want to answer.” She pulled away from him and glanced over her shoulder as she strolled to the boardwalk.
He gritted his teeth and checked the screen again. Twenty-seven missed calls. He didn’t recognize the number and he knew the last four digits of Iris’s personal cell. Fuck. Who in the hell wanted him that badly?
“Austin?”
He looked up from the phone, expecting Molly. His blood ran cold. Iris Sommerville stood before him. She folded her arms and tapped her foot on the sidewalk. How’d she know he’d be at the park? She’d had him followed. Well, fuck.
Chapter Eight
&n
bsp; Molly breathed in the cool lake breeze and gripped the railing. The wind whipped her hair and the sunshine sparkled on the water. The moment couldn’t have been more perfect—except to have Austin holding her. She snorted. That man and his phone. The thing should’ve been surgically attached to his head.
He’d been so sweet to her and so un-Austin. As if he cared about her as more than a friend. His question came to mind. Would she ever get married again? What a loaded thing to ask. After Linc, she hadn’t thought anyone would want to marry her. Austin certainly made her rethink her anti-marriage stance. He’d been her perfect vision of the man she’d spend the rest of her life with, but did she really want perfect? She wasn’t without her flaws. Her lack of self-esteem and her self-effacing tendency weren’t fun, but he seemed to see past her problems.
She chuckled. He’d always been her Prince Charming, even when he hadn’t been so charming. He’d hinted about marriage and her. He claimed he was serious. She wanted to believe him, but the same niggling worries came to mind. He wasn’t the type of man who settled down.
She peeked over her shoulder. If he was still on the phone, she didn’t want to interrupt, but she did want to ask a few questions.
Where’d he go? Molly left the railing and crossed the boardwalk. The moment she stepped onto the concrete, she wished she hadn’t gone hunting for him.
Austin stood locked in deep conversation with Iris Sommerville. What in the hell did Iris want? Probably Austin in her bed. Molly shored up her courage and eased up to Austin.
“Molly.” Austin eased his arm around her shoulders. “Iris is here.”
“I can see that.” Molly offered her hand to Iris, only to get a dirty look in return. “Nice of you to join us.”
“Austin, have you explained the deal to her?” Iris folded her arms. Her blazer accentuated her narrow frame and her high heels served to make the woman seem to tower over everyone.
“I haven’t.” Austin bowed his head. “Sorry.”
Molly glared at Iris then stared at Austin. Where was this shift in attitude coming from? He was normally such a strong, confident man. “What’s going on? What should I know about?”
“I talked to your partner about a business proposition.” Iris waggled her fingernails and the bright red sparkled in the sunshine. Her sunglasses concealed her eyes, but the venom in her voice was evident. “He must not have mentioned anything to you.”
Molly looked at Austin for a split second before turning her attention back to Iris. “Go on.”
“Aura and I liked the photos you created for the intimate wear campaign. We’d like to bring you on—on a temporary basis—to finish the photography for that line. The models you spoke with last night are the ones you’ll be capturing.” Iris smiled. “I’ll have you take a few shots of Mr. Dean as well. That was one of his requirements before he’d agree to pose for me. The particulars are being emailed to you as we speak. You’ll find the reservation number, your passcodes and anything else you need in that email.”
“I see.” She wanted to sock him in the arm. Why hadn’t he mentioned any of this? Especially if he already knew he was thinking about doing the campaign.
“I’ve already spoken with Roscoe Lee. He’s more than happy to loan the both of you out for this project. I’d like to start tomorrow. Ms. Neff, I have the suite at the Seven downtown booked for the session. I expect you there tomorrow morning at five.” Iris brushed past Molly and grabbed Austin by the arm. “Now you.” She dropped her voice to a whisper.
Molly didn’t hear everything that was said, but she caught enough bits and pieces. Something about being naked, caressing him and making love to Austin all afternoon. She’d have her driver take Molly home, but Austin was all Iris’ for the duration. What the hell? Molly blew out a long breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. The opportunity to photograph the models was huge. Hell, she’d never planned on taking her hobby to the next level, unless she had Austin involved, but something about the whole situation didn’t feel right. Besides, Austin wasn’t acting like himself.
A man in a business suit and sunglasses strode up to her. “Ms. Neff? Ms. Sommerville asked me to take you home.”
“Just a moment.” Molly crossed over to Austin and touched his arm. “I need to talk to you real quick.” She didn’t give him a chance to protest, or for Iris to intervene. Molly yanked him from her and ducked with Austin behind a food stand.
“Molls.” The muscle in Austin’s jaw tensed and he shook his head. “I meant to tell you. I wanted to—but things happened too fast.”
“Okay.” She dragged a deep breath into her lungs and let it out slowly. “What exactly is going on?”
“At the party, Iris demanded I be in more of her company’s photos. I was flattered. Hell, you know me. I like to show off. I wanted to do it—but I swore to her I needed you to do the pictures. Without you, I can’t.” Austin scrubbed both hands over his face. “She assumed I was in and that I’d get you onboard. What she didn’t expect was for you and I to get close.”
“Oh, I think she saw that coming.” Molly folded her arms and rocked on her heels. She needed to think fast. On one hand, she wanted to do the photography session. The offer was a great one. On the other hand, she could see Iris pulling Austin in her direction. He had always wanted fame somehow. He liked being the center of attention.
“Molls.” He dropped his hands. “I—I’m sorry. I wanted this to be more of a team effort.”
“I understand.” Not really, but she wasn’t about to argue right now. “Want to tell me why you’re being docile all of a sudden?” She met his gaze. “You like her, don’t you? You saw this was a good experience and one where you’d get to be famous—even if only for a little while—and jumped at it, didn’t you?” She flattened her palm on his chest. “I know you. You’ve always wanted something more and I’m smart enough to know I’m not that person who can give you more. I loved what we had today and last night. Hell, you got me thinking about trying at love again. But I’m not about to stand in your way.”
“Molly.” His voice broke. “I want you there because I can’t do this without you—any of it. I meant what I said. I’ve fallen for you.”
“But getting these pictures done is more important.” She patted his chest. “Go. Have fun with her. I need to see Remy and sort out what I want to do for tomorrow morning, since it seems everyone’s making decisions for me. Call me if you want to talk.” She blinked back tears and left.
“Molly, wait.” Austin stopped her and ducked behind a balloon cart. “Don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what? We’ve been moving at warp speed. I went from lusting after you, to photographing you, to hopping into bed again in a matter of a few hours. My heart wants one thing, but my head is saying to slow down. Maybe this is the slow-down we need. You figure out if you really want all the things you said, or if you want to try something with Iris.” She brushed the tears from her face and kept her head held high. “I love you, Austin Dean, but I’m not going to hold you back.” She turned on her heel and headed away from him again. This time she didn’t stop.
Molly settled on the seat of the luxury car and stared at the front seat leather as the car sped off. “I’m over on Clarendon. The Lakeway condos.”
She didn’t watch the scenery or allow herself to cry. She had a job to do and a day to prepare for. She might not like the job, but fuck it. She’d make the photos look great.
Ten minutes later, the car pulled to a stop in front of her building. She thanked the driver then headed up the walk. She didn’t go to her condo. Instead, she stopped at Remy’s and knocked.
“Hold on to your shit. I’ll be right there.” A moment later, Remy opened the door. He stopped short and his eyes widened. “What? There’s a story.” He ushered her into his condo. “What’s going on?”
“I need your help.” Molly strode past him and collapsed onto the couch. “I’ve got so much to tell you.” She loved her best friend, despite his overly colorful gr
eeting. At the moment, she needed to decompress.
“Dish, dish.” Remy shut the door then joined her. “Where’s Mr. Wonderful?”
“First things first, I got a job offer—for my photography.” She wasn’t ready to talk about Austin just yet. “For Aura Sportswear. They want me to photograph the intimate wear line. I’m still in shock.”
“This is sudden.” Remy stared at her then frowned. “Since when did you decide to become a professional photographer? Not that I don’t think you can do it—you can and will rock it—but you said taking pictures was a hobby. Are you quitting the ad game?”
“Austin sort of forced my hand, but I’m taking it as a positive and no, I’m not quitting CDL.” She held up one finger. “Things are so complicated.”
“Sounds like.” He picked at the fuzzy edge of the pillow he’d tucked onto his lap. “Lay it on me.”
“Long story short, those pictures I took were a hit and Aura wants me to do more work for them. It was even okayed with Mr. Lee—before I could come to terms with what was going on.”
“No shit.” Remy shook his head and sighed. “Bet Austin knew all about it. He’s smooth.”
“Yeah, he is.” Molly kicked out of her running shoes and sagged against the couch. “Tomorrow morning I’m photographing three models—male models—at the Seven.”
“Like the Seven, the downtown chic hotel that you can’t get a room in because they’re booked up for like the next five years?” Remy blurted.
“Yes.” She turned her phone around and flipped through the emails. Sure enough, the one from Melinda pertaining to the Aura photo shoot was there. She skimmed through the email then handed over the phone to Remy. “Read it for yourself.”
He met her gaze then turned his attention to the email. He sank back on the couch. “Holy shit.” Remy looked back at her and snorted. “These guys are like freaking gods. Drool-worthy.”
“I know. That’s why I want you to be my assistant. Me alone in a room with these three is probably not bad, but an assistant is always welcome and you’re the only one I trust.”