Or I would slip out of bed if it weren’t for the muscled and incredibly strong forearm locked around my waist. I pull gently at first, but he doesn’t give even an inch. Rotating to face him, I give him my best I-hate-Grayson-fucking-West glare. “Excuse me. Some of us have to be at work at a normal hour this morning.”
He flashes me a sleepy grin, eyes barely open. “I’m not ready to let you go yet.”
“You will literally see me in two hours.” I try to wiggle out of his embrace, but he only clenches me tighter.
“You’re not sneaking out of this bed without kissing me first.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Can I at least brush my teeth?”
His eyes flutter open. “No.” And he presses his lips to mine.
I fight it for point one second before I give in and sink into his kiss, morning breath be damned.
Grayson presses his hips to mine, the hard length of him teasing me. “Sure you have to leave right now?”
I groan into his mouth. “Yes.” Forcing myself to break the kiss, I finally slip out of bed and head to the bathroom for a quick shower and toothbrushing. Grayson is asleep when I emerge, so I don’t bother him, slipping quietly out of the room and shutting the door silently behind me.
“Last day!” Sam trills when I push into the makeup room.
We’re shooting at the inn today, which means I had a short commute and managed to make it to the chair on time. And it isn’t until Sam says the words that they really start to sink in. Today is our last day of filming. It’s been a long time since I felt like an actual member of production, so that feeling of loss when a project wraps is somewhat foreign. Normally, I get to send off my baby to production and I’m not really involved from that point on, but it’s been a new—and rewarding—experience to help shepherd her into her final stages.
But my heart is heavy at the thought of packing up tomorrow and heading home. I’ll miss Linda and the inn, and early mornings with Amanda and Sam. I’ll miss working with my best friend, and the new friends I made among the cast and crew. I’ll miss my huge bed and the roaring fires. And I’ll miss this magical bubble I created with Grayson.
Definitely won’t miss the snow, though.
And thankfully, I won’t really have to miss Grayson either. We’re both based out of LA, close enough in the citythat even a rush-hour commute won’t take more than a half hour.
Yet I know things will be different. And different doesn’t mean bad, necessarily. Just different.
“Don’t you start crying on me,” Sam scolds, waving his hand in front of my eyes.
I didn’t even notice the welling of tears, but I blink rapidly to keep them from falling. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Happens all the time on last days.” Sam swipes mascara onto my eyelashes and then shoos me over into Amanda’s chair. “I’d cry, too, if I knew I wasn’t going to see me every day.”
I laugh, settling in in front of Amanda. “I am going to miss you guys.”
Amanda winks at me in the mirror. “We’ll miss you, too.”
She’s finishing up my so-casual-they-took-an-hour-to-style loose waves when the door opens and Grayson walks in. Our eyes meet in the mirror, and when he smiles, my heart grows three sizes.
Amanda gives me a final spritz of hairspray and sends me back to Sam for final touches.
“Did you do her lips yet?” Grayson asks, striding over to my chair.
“Does it look like I did her lips yet?” Sam gives me an incredulous look, offended that Grayson can’t seem to tell the difference.
I purse said lips to hold in my laughter. “No, he hasn’t.”
“Good.” Grayson leans down, planting a long, lingering kiss on my naked mouth. “Now that we’ve both brushedour teeth,” he whispers, before hopping into Amanda’s chair.
My cheeks flame, and I really hope no one else heard that. When I finally bring myself to look at Sam, his gleeful smirk makes it clear he most definitely did.
“Shut up,” I mumble to him under my breath.
“I didn’t say anything.” He lines my lips and fills them in with a berry-colored stain.
I wait until he’s done so the words come out clearly. “I know what you’re thinking.”
