Every muscle in my body locks down hard against the urge to pull her closer.
"Oh, that's good." Delaney's voice drops lower as cade starts clicking the shutter. "Oh yeah… Right there. Hold that. Colt, angle your chin down. Zoey, tilt your face toward the camera. Yes.Yes. Oh! That's hot."
Cade makes a choking sound. "Delaney, are you... directing a photo shoot or a porno?"
"Shut up and take the picture, Jensen."
Zoey giggles and shifts her weight. Her hand lands on my chest for balance, and through the thin cotton of my shirt, I can feel the tremble in her fingers.
Cade's camera clicks, but all I can do issmellher.
I'm supposed to be smiling for the shot, but I can't stop.
"Perfect," Paige murmurs. "Hold that."
Every nerve ending in my body is screaming at me to forget the camera, forget the audience. To just pick her up and carry her somewhere private.
What the hell?
I've had women throw themselves at me. I've had one-night stands that meant nothing and casual hookups that I forgot by morning. I've charmed my way into beds and out of them without ever feeling like I was leaving anything behind.
But I've never felt likethis.
Possessive. Protective.Desperate.
Like I want to worship her and wreck her in equal measure. Like I want to drop to my knees right here and show her exactly what my mouth is good for until she forgets every man who came before me.
This is different.
She'sdifferent.
"Got it." Cade lowers the camera, grinning. "That's going to blow up on socials. You two look like you're about to either kill each other or make out."
Zoey pulls away from me without warning, leaving an empty space beneath my arm.
"Alright. Are we done here?" she asks, untying her apron. "I need to grab supplies before Morgan gets home."
The crew starts packing up while Delaney starts scrolling through the photos. Paige is typing furiously on her phone when Samuel catches my eye from across the bakery.
His expression is dry as dust as he moves over to me and bumps my shoulder with his.
"You good man?" he asks, following my gaze.
I tear my eyes away from Zoey. "Yeah. Fine."
"Well, don't hurt yourself thinking too hard." He shoulders the promotional bag. "You're recovering from a concussion.Whatever brain you've got left might shrink if you try using it too much."
I open my mouth to bite back, but Zoey is already herding everyone toward the door.
"Alright,out. All of you. I have errands to run and a daughter to pick up and approximately zero patience left for Snow Leopards chaos today."
The crew files out, leaving a sudden silence in their wake. Zoey grabs her jacket from the hook by the register, shrugging into it while giving me a look that shrivels anywarmthI might have just felt away.
"You coming or what?" She spits out. "I need coffee before I deal with the supply run. And you're apparently my shadow for the next two weeks, so…"
So, I fall into step beside her as we head out onto the Chilmore streets.
The cobblestones of Main Street crunch under our boots, dusted with the first frost of the night. Our breath puffs white in the cold air, mingling together before dissolving into nothing.
