by A. M. Myers
“Yes, I was. We talked about this.”
He grins and leans back against the wall, gazing down at me in amusement. “You talked about it, and I said no. Besides, this is a make-up dinner for the bag of food we stepped on.”
“Then what was the pizza?”
He shrugs. “My apology for Bear.”
“You seem to have a lot of excuses.”
He pushes off the wall and steps closer to me, one arm snaking around my waist as he pulls me into his body. “You could just stop fighting me.”
“You could just let me buy,” I whisper as I savor the feeling of being pressed up against him. I love the way his arm wraps around my waist and the way he pulls me into him like I belong there. My eyes close, and I press my hand to his chest, just feeling him.
“No.”
My eyes pop open, and I glare up at him. “What do you mean, no?”
“It’s a pretty universal word, Sweetheart,” he says, his voice dropping lower as he leans in closer. My breath catches, and my eyes stay locked on his as he moves toward me. “It’s got two letters – N and O. It means over my dead fucking body.”
I let out a huff and push him away from me as he laughs.
“Fucking Neanderthal,” I grumble, and his laughter stops immediately. He sets the bag of food down on the entry table, and his eyes take on a predatory quality that has me taking a step back and holding up my hand.
“Oh, no,” I tell him, and he just grins in response, taking a deliberate step toward me, and I back up again. He lunges, and I scream as I take off running down the hallway. I turn the corner and sigh when I see the light from the kitchen at the end of the hallway. If I can make it there, I have many more options for escape.
His arms wrap around my waist, and I scream again as he hoists me in the air and spins me in his arms so I’m facing him before pinning me to the wall. His heavy breaths hit my face and I meet his eyes in the dark hallway, gasping at the desire that rushes over me from just one look.
“What was that you said, Baby?”
“Nothing,” I whisper, unable to pull my eyes away. His gray gaze hypnotizes me, and I’d do anything he told me to right now.
“Nothing?” he asks again, and I shake my head, biting down on my lip. His gaze drops to my mouth, and he reaches out, tugging my lip free with his thumb before he lightly brushes it over the spot where my teeth were. My whole body quivers in response, and I let out a soft moan.
He attacks my mouth. His hand slides into my hair, and he holds me close as his lips devour me with a need that rocks me to my core. It’s validation. I’m not the only one feeling all these crazy things, and there is definitely something between us, no matter how hard we both fight it. He pulls away, and I gasp for breath, seeking out his eyes again. He stares back at me and shakes his head.
“Why do I always end up back here with you?” he asks, almost like he’s not expecting an answer from me. I open my mouth to say something but Bear barks, and he kisses me again before letting me down without another word.
“Let’s go get that food.”
He turns and takes off down the hallway, and I sigh as I follow behind him. Grabbing the bag of food, he turns to me and holds it up. “Where do you want to eat?”
I point to the dining room table at the end of the hall, and he nods, stomping toward the kitchen as I follow behind once again. I watch him closely, trying to figure out what it is that causes his sudden changes of mood but I can’t for the life of me, see anything.
When the food is laid out on the table, I sit down and pull my knee up to my chest as I grab a few fries and stuff them in my mouth. He smirks, watching me as he sits down with a couple of beers and hands one to me before take a sip of his own. “So, you gonna tell me about this crazy day?”
“Oh, Man,” I sigh, having completely forgotten about that. “Well, my first article apparently went viral.”
“What? The one you told me about the other day? About those terrible dates?”
I nod, grabbing a few more fries. “Yep, that’s the one.”
“Is that a bad thing?” he asks, studying me, and once again I feel warm all over that he’s actually listening to me and interested in what I have to say. He’s so damn confusing.
“I don’t know. I guess, technically, it’s not a bad thing for the blog, and Mercedes is already trying to capitalize on it but it’s weird for me. I mean, three point five million people and counting have read my words.”
He nods as he finishes chewing a bite of his burger. “How is this Mercedes person capitalizing on it?”
“Mercedes is my boss, and she wants me to do a photo shoot and radio interviews. She tried to get me to do TV appearances but I put my foot down on that.”
He smirks, and Bear lies down at my feet. “That was your limit, huh?”
“It was. I’m nervous enough about the radio interview. I don’t need to be freaking out about being on TV.”
“You shouldn’t be nervous. I’m sure you’ll do great.”
Warmth spreads through me, and I smile. “Well, thank you but enough about my day. How was yours?”
Sighing, he folds a couple fries in half and shoves them in his mouth, taking a sip of beer before he answers me. “It was a rough one.”
“Tell me about it?” I ask, finishing up my food and resting my chin on my knee.
“We had a transfer today…”
“What’s that?” I ask, shooting him an apologetic look as I cut him off.
“It’s when we get a battered woman out of her home and take her somewhere safe.”
I nod. “Okay, continue.”
“Anyway, it’s a complicated process, and there are lots of moving parts. We usually have someone watching the piece of shit that she’s running from just in case he decides to come home and we need to get her out of there faster, and we’ve got a safe house to take them to.”
“Is that why it’s rough?”
He shakes his head. “No. Today, the girl we picked up, she’s pregnant, and she started crying in the car, thanking us for saving their lives, and it just hit me. It does that. Sometimes I forget what we’re really doing. I get used to the routine and forget that these women’s lives depend on us.”
“I think you’re kind of amazing,” I whisper. “The fact that you don’t see what you’re doing as amazing makes you even more amazing. What made you get involved with this?”
His eyes darken, and he looks away from me. “Personal experience.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to…”
His chair slides back, scraping against the floor, cutting me off, and I look up at him. He doesn’t even look at me. “I should get going.”
Without even a glance in my direction, he stomps out of my house with Bear on his heels, and I wonder what the hell I said this time to upset him.
* * * *
I suck in a nervous breath as I climb out of my car and lock it before walking toward the warehouse that Mercedes directed me to. What is with people sending me to places that look like a possible murder scene lately? Maybe I need to rethink the company I keep. My stomach rolls as I think about what’s waiting for me on the other side of the rolling barn door. I stop and lean up against the building, taking a couple of deep breaths, still trying to let this sink in. It’s surreal that millions of people know my name and read my article. I’m not sure that I like it.
Mercedes wanted to strike fast, and it’s still only been two days since I found out about the article going viral. I feel like I haven’t really gotten a chance to stop and consider all the ways my life is going to change in the very near future. Mercedes is determined to make me into a mini star and make the blog even more successful than it already is, and I want that, too, but I’m just not sure I’m ready for anything that comes with that. My phone rings, and I pull it out of my bag, smiling at the caller ID.
“Hey, Gorgeous,” he says as soon as I answer, his deep raspy voice coating me like caramel.
“Hi,” I s
igh. Two nights ago, he walked away but he came back last night, and it was like nothing happened. He was sweet and charming, and we had a great time. I could over analyze this but I’ve just decided to go with it.
“Is that how you’re going to greet me every time?”
“Maybe. Are you complaining?”
He laughs, and I can just picture the way his face lights up when he smiles. “No. You may not like what it’s doing to my ego though. Where are you?”
I look over my shoulder at the door and scowl. “This photo shoot. I’m not sure that I’m ready.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. It still just seems so surreal, and I hate being the center of attention. This photographer is supposed to be one of the best though.”
“Who is it?” he asks.
“Fernando something. I don’t know. He’s friends with Mercedes, and he made room in his schedule for her.”
He doesn’t respond, and I’m just about to ask him if he’s okay when someone taps me on the shoulder.
“Are you Miss James?” the woman asks, and I nod. “We’re ready for you.”
I nod and motion for her to give me a minute before turning away again. “Hey, so I guess I gotta go but I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, Baby. I’ll stop by.”
A grin stretches across my face when he calls me baby, and a blush rises to my cheeks. “Okay. See you later, then.”
We hang up, and I turn back around, smiling. “Sorry about that.”
She grins and shakes her head, directing me to follow her. “Don’t even worry about it. You’ve got that new relationship glow. I’m a little envious.”
“Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m Candace, Nando’s assistant, so I’ll be glued to your side all day. First off we need to get you to hair and make-up, and then we’ll pop over to wardrobe. Sound good?”
I nod dumbly. “Sure.”
She laughs and stops walking to place a hand on my shoulder. “I know it’s kind of overwhelming but just try to relax. Nando really is the best, and he’ll capture who you are if you let him.”
“I’ll give it a try.”
She puts her hand on the side of her mouth like she’s about to tell me a big secret and whispers, “And we also have some champagne in the back if that’ll help.”
I laugh again, feeling more at ease already. “A glass might be good.”
“Perfect. I’ll have someone fetch it for you.”
I nod, and she makes small talk as we walk to hair and make-up. When we get to the room, she directs me to sit in the chair in front of the mirrors just as another woman walks into the room. She’s a little older than me, and her dark hair is piled on top of her head.
“Hi, Sweetie, I’m Bailey, and don’t let this unkempt hair deter you from trusting me with your beautiful locks.”
I laugh and nod. “All right, I won’t. I’m Ali, nice to meet you.”
“Lovely to meet you, too. Now, has anyone gone over the two concepts we’re working on today?” she asks, and I shake my head. Candace looks up from her phone.
“Oh, my bad. Forgot all about that part. Okay, so look one, we want something down to earth. You know, your best friend, the person you can tell your deepest darkest secrets to. They’re going to dress you in a sweater and jeans, I think, and have you posing on a couch. Super relatable. But it’s still a little sexy.”
“Okay,” I agree, nodding. I can do relatable.
“The second look is a little sexier. You in a pencil skirt and button up shirt posing on or behind a desk. Still try and look like people can tell you their secrets but just do it in a sexy way. Maybe with some glasses, too. Let me text Nando and see what he thinks.”
She starts typing away on her phone, and I’m tired from just being around her. She moves in hyper speed, and I can’t imagine doing that all day.
“Nando likes the glasses,” she says, hopping up from the couch. “Let me go look in wardrobe and see if we’ve got something that’ll work.”
She practically bounces out of the room, and I turn to Bailey as she starts parting my hair. “What if they don’t have any that will work?”
She shrugs. “They get new ones delivered. Nando is a stickler for details, and if it’s in his mind you’re wearing glasses, then he’ll make it happen.”
I try to breathe as she starts on my hair but it’s difficult. This is all so crazy, and it’s hard to imagine a photo of me being up on billboards and all over the Internet soon. I guess I should get used to the idea though. If Mercedes’s plan works, a lot of people will know who I am and read my advice.
I would be so much more comfortable if it was just people reading my words. That, I can handle but people seeing my face and now Mercedes is talking about doing a few appearances if things take off. It’s all so much, and I think she’s getting way ahead of herself. I mean, I’m an advice columnist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for Christ’s sake, not some big movie star. Maybe nothing will come of it. Maybe we’ll do all this and no one will really care. Honestly, now that I think about it, I don’t know which one is worse.
“Good news! We’ve got the perfect black rimmed glasses over in wardrobe,” Candace exclaims, bouncing back into the room, and I smile at her. She plops back down on the couch and goes back to texting as Bailey continues on my hair, curling it.
I lean back in my chair and just try to relax as she works on me, and before I know it, Candace is handing me a glass of champagne and guiding me to wardrobe. I down the last of the alcohol just before the woman in wardrobe shoves me behind a partition and hands me a gorgeous white sweater that doesn’t even reach my belly button and a pair of jeans.
“How are your toes?” a woman asks, peeking her head around the partition without waiting for my answer.
“Can we get polish in here?” she yells out into the room, and everyone starts scurrying around, rushing to get me all put together before I have to go out there. Someone comes back with red nail polish and rolls up my jeans as she kneels in front of me and starts painting my toes. Everything happens in a blur, and then I’m being shoved out into the main room where the sets are built side by side with a wall separating them.
“Ah, here she is. I’m Fernando, Gorgeous. So nice to meet you,” the small man who just introduced himself says as he rushes over to me and grabs my hand, leaning down to kiss it. A growl sounds from the back of the warehouse and everyone turns to look as Storm steps out of the shadows.
“Do not kiss her fucking hand,” he snaps, shooting a glare at Fernando, who is still holding my hand in his. He drops it and looks over to me.
“Who is this, love?”
“Uh…” I say, unsure of what to call him.
“Her man,” Storm answers for me, and I turn to look at him with wide eyes, a slow smile stretching across my face.
“We don’t allow boyfriends,” Fernando says, huffing in annoyance, and Storm doesn’t even glance over at him.
“I’m not leaving.”
Fernando throws his hands up in the air and looks around him for some support but no one says anything. Storm is huge, and there is no one in this warehouse who would even dream of taking him on.
“Fine,” Fernando says, doing his best to level an intimidating glare at Storm but he’s not even fazed. “But do not get in the way.”
“What are you doing here?” I whisper as he steps in front of me. His gaze lingers on my face before dropping down to the hint of cleavage that the sweater shows off. He licks his lips, and I instinctively move closer to him. “Just wanted to see you, Darlin’.”
“I’m glad you did,” I tell him, forgetting about all the other people in this room as I stare up at him. His eyes heat as they roam my face, and he reaches out for me. Candace slaps his hand hard, and he turns a glare to her that would scare most men.
“No touching. She’s perfect, and you’ll mess her up.”
He clears his throat, a pained expression taking over his face for
a second before he pushes it away. He may not be able to touch me but I sure as hell can touch him. I reach out and lay my hand on his arm, letting him know that I’m here for him. His gaze snaps to mine. The fire dancing there is hot enough to consume me.
“I’ll wait for you here,” he says, and I nod before blowing him a kiss. He grins as I start walking backward, not wanting to pull my gaze away just yet.
“Hey, how did you know where I was?” I ask, still backing away from him, and he shrugs.
“I’ve got a guy.”
I laugh and stop, shaking my head at him. “You know that makes you sound like a stalker, right?”
He grins and tips his chin to the scene behind me, telling me to get to work. I wink and spin around, following Candace over to the set where a black leather couch is set up against a brick wall backdrop. The entire set looks like a stylish but homey living room, and I get a little rush of excitement for the first time since this whole thing started.
“Okay, Gorgeous,” Fernando says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he points to the set in front of us. Storm growls again from the back, and Fernando rolls his eyes. “For this first one, I want you to be everyone’s best friend, someone they can confide in. We’ll start with you on the couch and see where it goes from there. Sometimes my best ideas come to me when I start shooting.”
“Sounds good.”
“Now, Darling, I want you to sit on that couch in the corner and curl your legs underneath you. Look sweet but still a little sexy for me, yes?”
Another growl sounds from the back of the warehouse, and I bite down on my lip in an attempt to stifle my laughter. Fernando sighs and flicks an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “And please remind your man that he is not a jungle cat.”
The laughter spills out of me, and I meet Storm’s eye as he shakes his head, a smirk on his face. His gaze is intense, staring at me like I’m the only woman in the room. I know I’m the one under these lights but Candace is right next to him, and she’s gorgeous, but still, he only has eyes for me.
As the make-up artist rushes out to touch up my face, I keep my eyes trained on him, the unmistakable spark between us making my body all tingly as I wait for the photos to start. God, how is he doing this to me? How is one look enough to make me want to strip naked in front of him?