Jackie still couldn’t believe their luck. “Good thing you had your camera with you.”
Payton’s sea blue eyes met hers. “It goes everywhere with me.”
Chapter Eleven
Payton stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor, breathing out a sigh of relief as she leaned her head back against the cold metal. She’d done it. She’d photographed the wedding, and as far as she could tell, it had gone really well. She wouldn’t know until she got back to Benalmadena and could upload the photos to her laptop.
She let her camera hang around her neck as she rolled up the sleeves on her black blazer. She’d borrowed it from Angela and wore a pair of her own black skinny pants, her dress still hanging up in her hotel room. There was no point in changing now. It was almost midnight. She’d stayed beyond what had probably been expected of her, getting shots of the band and everyone out on the dance floor.
The elevator doors pinged, and Payton almost collided with whoever was on their way in. “Sorry... Jackie,” she breathed.
Payton was glad to have the distraction of photographing this wedding otherwise she didn’t know how she would have kept her eyes off Jackie today. That suit. With nothing on underneath the blazer.
Jackie’s hand was on Payton’s forearm. “Sorry. That was my fault. Is the camera okay?” she asked with a half-smile. “Not that I don’t care about you.”
Payton smiled. “I’m fine.” Her hand had reflexively shielded her camera. “And this is fine. I’m just bringing it up to my room for safe keeping. No backups. No laptop to upload the photos to.”
Payton hadn’t had a drink yet, but naturally Jackie was tipsy. She’d been drinking all evening. “Precious cargo.”
“Hmm... Having fun?” Payton asked as she stepped out of the elevator.
“Yes. I just came up to fix my hair.” Jackie turned, pointing to her up-do. “I went a bit mad on the dance floor.”
“And I have the evidence,” Payton said with a smirk. “Not just photos either.”
“Noo...”
Payton nodded. “Another reason to make sure this gets back to my room safely,” she said, holding up her camera.
“I’ll walk back with you. Wouldn’t want anything happening to those photos.”
“I hope you’re not thinking of trying to delete anything on here.” Payton found her keycard in her back pocket.
“Definitely not. Imagine if I deleted the wrong photos?”
“Exactly.”
Payton opened the door and Jackie followed her inside while she carefully put her camera into her gear bag and tucked it away in the bottom of the closet, the royal blue fabric of her dress hanging above it.
“I’m sorry that you had to work today,” Jackie said, standing in front of the sliding glass doors that led out onto the balcony. “I invited you so you could have fun, get to know some of the people that Angela and your father were friends with, not work.”
“I loved it,” Payton said with a grin. “Really. I’m actually on such a high right now.” She felt almost giddy. She’d been nervous last night, not sleeping properly, and she’d been a bit of a mess this morning, but once she got into it, she had adrenaline pumping through her veins. It must still be, because Payton couldn’t remember the last time she felt this alive.
“Maybe this is your new career. Wedding photographer.”
Payton shrugged off her blazer and hung it on the back of the chair. “Maybe, but man, was it stressful.”
“That’s just because it was your first time.”
“I guess.” Payton stood in front of the closet. “Should I get changed? I wasn’t going to, but I can’t really go down there looking like this.” She glanced down at her black pants and white shirt. Her hair was tied back in a bun. She didn’t want it bothering her while she was working, especially down at the beach where there’d been a light breeze.
Payton met Jackie’s eyes when she didn’t answer her. Is Jackie checking me out? “Not that there’s anything wrong with a suit,” Payton added. “But you’re rocking that look right now and doing it so much better than I ever could.”
“You look great,” Jackie said softly, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.
“Thanks.” Payton cleared her throat. “I should probably get changed though. This seems like it could be a late one... I think I need help with the zipper though. Angela did it for me the other day when I was trying it on.”
“Sure. Yeah. I’ll be here. Or do you want me to wait outside so you don’t have to go into the bathroom?”
“You can stay there. It won’t take me long. Oh, I just remembered,” she said bending down to open the mini-fridge. “I brought a bottle of white wine. We both did. It was Angela’s idea, but she seems to be having a great time. I think she was nervous about being at an event like this on her own.”
“Every time I saw her she was on the dance floor,” Jackie said, coming over and taking one of the tumblers that Payton had filled. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” Payton said, clinking their glasses together. “It won’t take me long to get dressed.”
“Take you time.”
Payton took another sip and then took her dress down off its hanger and brought it into the bathroom. She stripped out of her clothes and pulled the hair tie out, shaking her blond locks free. She’d have to do something with her hair, too, but for now, she just wanted to get the dress on. She shimmied into it, the smooth fabric clinging to her body. It showed off her curves, coming down to the middle of her thighs.
Payton reached behind her, but the zipper was in the middle of her back, and it was such a snug fit that she couldn’t get it closed herself. Good thing Jackie was here. She stood in front of the mirror, taking a few seconds to touch up her makeup.
There were beach waves in her hair after having it tied up all day, so she used that to her advantage. She slid a few bobby pins into it, styling her hair in a half up, half down look. She took one last glance in the mirror before she left the bathroom. It would do for the hour or two that she’d be downstairs at the reception.
Payton opened her mouth to ask Jackie how she looked but the room was empty. She picked up her glass and took a drink, her eyes falling on the open sliding door. Payton slipped her feet into her heels and went out onto the balcony.
Jackie turned as Payton stepped outside. Their gazes locked, and for the second time tonight, Payton could swear that Jackie was attracted to her. The way she was looking at her right now sent a chill through Payton’s body.
“Wow,” Jackie whispered.
“Thanks. So, it turns out I do really need help with the zipper.” Payton came all the way outside, turning her back to Jackie.
The sound of the waves crashing into the shore below and the faint beat of the band’s music were the only things Payton could hear as Jackie’s fingers grazed her skin as she eased the zipper up, one tooth at a time until it was secured at the base of her neck.
Payton swallowed as she turned. “Thank you. So, we should probably head back downstairs.”
“We probably should.”
But neither of them moved, and Payton couldn’t stop herself from glancing at Jackie’s lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them.
Chapter Twelve
Jackie took a step back as Payton turned to face her again.
“Thank you,” Payton said in just above a whisper. “So, we should probably head back downstairs.”
“We probably should.” Jackie didn’t move though and neither did Payton.
What had she been thinking coming back here? All day, Jackie had struggled to take her eyes off her. Payton had been so absorbed in her work that hopefully she hadn’t noticed. Jackie could blame the alcohol. She’d been steadily drinking all day, but she still knew what she was doing, and right now, all she wanted to do was take a step towards Payton and close the gap between them.
She wanted to know what Payton’s lips tasted like, and Jackie didn’t know where t
his was coming from. Yes, she thought they’d had a few flirtatious moments over the last couple of weeks, but today, it was all Jackie could think about.
Jackie knew she shouldn’t do it. Payton wasn’t staying in Spain, and as a rule, Jackie had never been one for flings or one-night stands, so why was she even thinking about this?
But it’s just a kiss. Jackie wasn’t even thinking beyond the next few minutes.
They should really go downstairs, and then she could forget about this before she did something stupid.
Payton surged forward, her hand on Jackie’s cheek as she pressed her lips against Jackie’s. It took her a second to recover from the shock, but when she did, Jackie kissed her back, her hands on the silky fabric of Payton’s dress just above her hips.
There was an urgency to the kiss, a hint of aggression, and maybe, Payton had a similar debate in her head before starting this, because she was kissing Jackie like this was her only shot at this.
Jackie sighed into the kiss, deepening it. She parted her lips, finding Payton’s tongue, causing her to moan softly, sending a hum of desire through Jackie’s body.
Payton’s hand was on her neck now, her arm resting on Jackie’s shoulder as Payton’s fingers played with the hair at the nape of Jackie’s neck, and the kiss slowed, the shock of it wearing off as they both gave in to their desire.
Payton’s lips were warm against hers. And soft. So incredibly soft. Jackie wanted to forget about the rest of the reception. She wanted Payton. She wanted to pull that zipper back down, to let her hands roam across her back…
Payton broke the kiss, and just as quickly as it had started it was over. “I’m sorry,” Payton breathed. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Don’t apologize.” Jackie dropped her hands.
“I can’t even blame the alcohol. I’m completely sober.”
“Payton, it’s fine. If you hadn’t done it, I would have,” Jackie admitted as she caught her breath.
“Really?”
“Yes. I knew I shouldn’t, but I was still going to.”
“Why shouldn’t you have?” Payton asked.
“Because, I’m your neighbor. Your father’s friend. You’re leaving. I’m at least ten years older than you...”
“That’s quite the list, but the only thing that I think could matter is the thing about me leaving. I don’t know what I’m doing. The rest is irrelevant.”
“So, I’m ten years older than you?” Jackie asked with a smile tugging at her lips.
“I don’t know. I’m twenty-five.”
“I’m thirty-seven.”
“Still not a big deal.”
“Hmmm. I beg to differ.”
“Past experience?”
Jackie sighed. “Yes, and I know I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it does.”
“Alright,” Payton said, her hand finding Jackie’s. “Why don’t we go back downstairs before we miss the rest of this wedding and talk about it tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.”
“Okay.” Jackie gave Payton’s hand a squeeze and let her lead the way back into the hotel room. Jackie pulled the sliding door closed behind her, not caring that her eyes were drifting lower as Payton walked in front of her. She looked amazing in that dress, the way it hugged her hips...
“Angela?”
Payton stood in the doorway, and Jackie nearly collided into her.
“Hey,” Angela said. “I was just coming up to check on you. You did great, by the way. You were everywhere, and you kept going,” she chuckled. “I hope there weren’t too many embarrassing shots of me on the dance floor,” she joked. Her eyes met Jackie’s, who couldn’t stay hidden behind Payton forever. “Jackie?”
“Hi.” Why did she feel like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar?
Payton cleared her throat. “Jackie was just helping me with my dress. The zipper,” she said, pointing over her shoulder. “But we’re heading back down now.”
Angela looked like she was trying to hide a smile. “Alright. I’ll see you both down there. I need to get out of these heels and into some flats.”
“See you down there,” Jackie said as she let Payton’s door close behind her, and Angela kept going down the hall to her room.
“She totally thinks we’re sleeping together.” Payton pressed the button for the lift. “Not that it matters.”
Jackie caught her reflection in the mirror on the side wall of the lift. Her cheeks were flushed, but her makeup and hair were still okay.
They took the elevator down to the lobby in silence with Payton on the opposite side of the lift. Jackie knew she didn’t trust herself, and Payton must have felt the same, staying as far away from Jackie as possible. She just hoped this didn’t make things awkward between them, that they would actually talk about this tomorrow.
Jackie’s lips still tingled, and she lightly pressed her fingers against them as Payton stepped out ahead of her. That was the first time in more than a year that she’d actually felt something, that she wanted someone.
Why did it have to be Payton?
She was lovely, but she wasn’t staying, and Jackie definitely wasn’t interested in a long-distance relationship. Never again. There was also their age difference. Payton had practically scoffed at Jackie’s concern, but twelve years was significant.
Alvaro waved Jackie over as she crossed the lobby, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. “There you are,” he said with a grin. He was well on his way to being smashed. “So... You and Payton?”
“What about me and Payton?”
“You two have been eyeing each other up all night. Did you finally make a move?”
“What?”
“When Payton was between shots... She was always looking for you. Oliver was the one who noticed and after that,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I couldn’t unsee it.”
“Okay. Okay. Someone’s exaggerating.” Jackie’s hands were on her waist. “Nothing’s going on between us. We’re friends. Neighbors. That’s it.”
“Alright.” Alvaro’s hands were up in mock surrender. “But you know what,” he said, pointing his finger at her, his Spanish accent getting stronger the more he drank.
“What?”
“It’s time for shots. To the bar!”
Jackie had to laugh. Alvaro was so serious when he was working at the restaurant, but he was letting loose tonight, and why not? He’d just married the love of his life.
Chapter 13
Payton fell back onto her bed the next evening. Her shoulders and back ached, probably from the stress of photographing a wedding and being on her feet all day, but it was all worth it. The photos were safely on her laptop and backed up. Not only that, they were fucking amazing.
She’d spent the last few hours going through them, editing some of them, and she couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy, this proud of herself. She’d practically danced around the living room when she realized that she’d done it. She hadn’t let Oliver and Alvaro down.
On top of that, she was still riding the high of kissing Jackie, although that wasn’t as straight-forward. Payton knew she had to talk to her today. With Angela in the car with them for the trip back, they couldn’t talk about it.
She should ask Jackie over tonight. Angela was spending a few days in Seville before flying back to London from there.
Part of her couldn’t wait to have that conversation, to pick up where they left off, because the way Jackie had kissed her back, her soft lips against hers, her tongue sliding across her own... Wow. But Payton knew that Jackie had her reservations, and why wouldn’t she after what happened with her ex?
So, Payton was trying to prepare herself for rejection. There was every chance that Jackie would say that it wasn’t going to happen again, that there was no point pursuing something when Payton was leaving, and she got that. She did, but whatever was going on between them was intense. Payton didn’t even know how it happened. She’d been drawn to her from
the start, but in the last few days... Maybe it was seeing her in that suit.
Payton didn’t know when it had happened, but it was definitely happening. She still couldn’t believe that she’d kissed Jackie last night. And that Jackie had kissed her back. That had to count for something, right? She stared up at the white ceiling. She didn’t know what to think.
Payton poured herself a glass of wine. She hadn’t woken up with a hangover today, because she’d only had three drinks at the wedding, and right now, she needed a drink. Jackie would be here any minute.
Payton had sent her a text about an hour ago, asking her if she wanted to come over. She could have crossed the hall and knocked on her door, but she didn’t want to ambush Jackie. This seemed like the safer option.
She’d gotten changed three times. She’d swapped her comfy cotton shorts that she’d worn while she was going through the photos for a pair of jeans. They were fine, but the white tank top she’d started with was gone. That was too casual. Then she put on a navy top, but after wearing it for a half hour, she decided it was too dressy, that it would look like she was trying too hard.
Now, she was wearing a black tank top that was somewhere in between. Not overly casual, but she still thought she looked good in it. A light knock on the door meant that it would have to do. She left her wine glass on the coffee table and padded over to the door.
“Hey,” she said with a smile as she pulled the door open.
Jackie ran a hand through her hair as she came in. “Hi.”
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“Water would be great.”
“Still suffering?” Payton asked as she went into the kitchen to take a bottle out of the fridge and handed it to her.
“Thanks. Yeah. It’s tiredness more than anything else. I was up at six this morning, and I think I went to bed around three, so...”
“I can never sleep in when I’ve been drinking.” Payton topped up her glass. “Do you want to go outside?”
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