Christmas Candy(40)

“Thanks for the input.” My hands fisted but I forced my fingers to relax before grabbing my laptop bag and camera. Showing him my revulsion wasn’t an option, especially since I wanted to get more work from the magazine. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

“Okay then.” He grinned. “Think about what I said.”

I walked away, out of the shade from the tent and into the sun. “Will do,” I called behind me.

The sand was warm on my bare feet. It would have been a nice day at the beach if I’d spent it with Jess. Instead, I was beat and ready to get home to her. I checked my watch. She’d be done at her job in half an hour unless her crusty boss made her work late. Maybe I could make her dinner. I smiled just thinking of how surprised she’d be at a home cooked meal.

“Michael?”

I looked over my shoulder. Sadie was running through the sand to catch up. I slowed and glanced behind her where the editor stood, grinning at me from beneath the tent. Sadie wore a tiny pair of shorts and a white tank top, her nipples still as hard as they were when I was taking her picture.

“What is it, Sadie?”

“Oh, I just um, I just wanted to say thanks for the shoot.” She walked to my elbow and we trudged together toward the parking lot along the scenic drive.

“Sure.”

“Any of them seem like contenders?” She hooked her arm through mine.

I stopped. “Sadie.”

“What?” She lowered her sunglasses and flashed her light amber eyes.

I disentangled my arm from hers. “Sadie, you know I’ve got a girl.”

She pouted and stared at the ground. “I know you do. I just wondered if you think any of my photos were good.”

“Oh.” I pulled the laptop bag strap higher on my shoulder. “I think several were, actually. One from that last set has a lot of promise.”

“For the cover?” She looked up at me.

“Yeah, I think for the cover.”

She squealed and launched herself at me. I caught her in my arms as she pressed a big kiss to my cheek. “Thanks, Michael! You’re the best.”

She dropped to the ground and hurried away to her car. I laughed and followed, slipping my sandals on before following her into the gravel parking lot. Sadie waved as she reversed in her little sports car and got on the road, headed back to the city.

I dropped my equipment in my passenger seat and knocked the rest of the sand from my legs and feet. A burst of movement to my right caught my attention. The familiar flash of sun on a lens told me what was going on. The paparazzi were here.

“So, Michael, you and Sadie together now?” The paparazzo yelled from what he likely considered was a “safe” distance. I wanted to wring his neck. How long had he been spying?

“Get bent, motherfucker.” I flipped him off and took a few menacing steps toward his car. He dropped inside in a hurry, slamming his door.

I snatched up a rock from the lot and tossed it at him. It pinged off the roof of his car as he backed up and sped out onto the highway in a swirl of dust and screeching tires. I wanted to drag him out and crush his camera under my heel, but I couldn’t. Even though I’d changed my ways and hadn’t done anything interesting in years, the paparazzi still shadowed me, especially when I was spending the day with models. And now, thanks to Sadie’s exuberance, they had some ammunition. Fuck.

Stalking to my car, I sank into the driver seat and pounded the steering wheel with my palm. Of all the days for this sort of a fuck up. Just forty-eight hours before our wedding, I would have to explain to Jess that I wasn’t fucking a model.





Jess





I hurried down the hallway. It was already long past five, but the partner I worked for was staying late and expected me to do the same. I’d wanted to leave early and do something special for Michael, especially with all the hectic wedding planning we’d been doing lately, but it wasn’t going to happen. Mr. Avery had exacting standards, and I needed to meet them if I had any chance of a future at his law firm.

The office was empty for the day, most of the staff having already left right at five and the overworked associates leaving soon after. I hoped I wouldn’t have to stay too much later.

The click clack of my heels echoed down the marble hall as I made my way past the cubicles and offices toward the corner where Mr. Avery was located. His dark wooden door was shut, so I knocked.

“Jess?” he called.

“Yes sir.”

“Come in.”

I opened the door and crossed the short distance to his mahogany desk. His office was mostly windows, looking out onto the city from the thirty-third floor. He was one of the firm’s founders, and I was lucky he’d hired me straight out of law school.