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“I love you.”
My head snapped up. Tears burning my eyes, I gulped down the lump in my throat. “I love you too, Dimples.”
She pulled my head back down to rest on her chest, and we stayed like that for a long while, just enjoying the motion of the moving limo, the silence only disturbed by our breathing. Eventually I rolled off her so I didn’t completely crush her, and we both turned on our sides facing each other. She pillowed her head on my shoulder and cuddled against me, her eyes closing sleepily.
I’d instructed the driver to just drive until I told him otherwise before we’d left, so I knew we wouldn’t be stopping until I gave the okay. But it wasn’t him that disturbed us.
It was Shaw’s phone.
Groaning, she rolled over and pulled the noisy thing from her purse. When she saw who it was, she muttered a curse and lifted it to her ear. “Gina?” I stiffened when she said her agent’s name. “I just got back from London,” she complained. “Triple?” She was quiet for a long moment before she finally groaned and gave in. “Yeah, okay. Okay. I’ll do it. But then I want at least a six-week break before I have to do anything else.”
When she hung up, she dropped back down beside me and sank her teeth into her bottom lip. “I have a job in Vancouver. Tomorrow.”
“No.”
Truthfully, I’d never really liked Shaw’s job. I hated that every guy in the world looked at her in those barely there bikinis she usually wore when she was modeling some company’s product or walking down some catwalk for a fashion show. I hated it even more now, and I couldn’t stand the thought of her continuing with the same shit over and over again.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Excuse me?”
“I said no,” I gritted out. “We just made up. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Ever again.”
She sat up and started pulling her clothes on. “Let’s get something straight. We had sex. That doesn’t mean we’re together, and it sure as fuck doesn’t give you the right to tell me what to do.”
I stiffened as her words hit me like a wrecking ball straight to the gut. “Don’t say that. We’re together.” I grabbed her and made her look at me. “Shaw, we’re together.”
“Not if you’re going to react like this every time I have a job.” She pushed my hand from her face and released her hair from its ponytail before redoing it. “If you want to be my boyfriend, fine. But don’t think that means I’m going to stop living my life just to be with you.”
“I just can’t stand the thought of other guys looking at you and using your pictures as spank-bank material.”
“Gross, Jagger. Could you not? I’m aware guys do that, but I don’t want to think about it, okay?” She made a face. “I love my job. I know there are pervs out there who objectify me, but I don’t like thinking about that shit.”
I pulled her onto my lap and pressed my forehead to hers. “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t mean to sound like an asshole. I’m just jealous of every other guy in the world getting to see what should be mine and only mine.”
She touched her lips to mine in a quick kiss. “I get jealous too. But I would never tell you that you can’t do your job.”
“I give you permission to tell me no when it comes to work anytime you want,” I told her, and her mouth lifted in a half smile. “How long will you be gone?”
“Gina said only a few days. I should be done by the weekend.” She pushed my hair back from my forehead. “But I have a fashion show in Vegas next weekend.”
I groaned. “So, I won’t see you until after the tour ends?”
“Jagger, we both have busy careers. I’ve had this show on the books for months. But you heard me tell Gina I want a six-week break afterward.” She scooted off my lap and picked up my jeans before dropping them in my lap. “I need to get back to the hotel and pack. My flight leaves in a few hours.”
I put on my clothes then lowered the partition enough to tell the driver to take us back to the hotel. I couldn’t keep the sulk out of my voice and I knew I was acting like an asshole, but I already missed Shaw and she hadn’t even left me yet.
Both of us remained quiet until we got back to the hotel, and by then, I could feel the tension flooding off Shaw. My gut clenched and I tried to think of a way to smooth things over, but I didn’t know what to say. Mainly because I wanted to beg her to stay. I knew it was a selfish thing to do, so I kept my mouth shut.
In our room, she quickly packed her carry-on then turned to face me. From the set of her beautiful face, I knew whatever she was about to say was either going to hurt or piss me off. Thrusting my hands into my jeans pockets, I waited for her to hit me with what she wanted to say.
“If we’re going to be together, you have to get on board with me continuing my career. I would never give you the silent treatment over your job, Jags. And it hurts that you’ve been doing it to me.” She slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder and wrapped her fingers around the handle of her luggage. “I think you should take the next few weeks to think about what you really want before we go any further.”
“I know what I want,” I told her as I grasped her hips and pulled her against me. “I want you. I want us. Forever.”
“My job is part of who I am.” She leaned into me and cupped my face. “You’ve never acted like this about it before. What’s different now?”
“I’ve always felt this way about your job.” I groaned and shook my head. “No, I’ll be completely honest. I’ve felt like this since that stupid commercial where you had to kiss two guys. I just never had a right to tell you how I felt, so I kept my mouth shut.”
