Page 26 of Enchanted

I studied Sam out of the corner of my eye. He didn’t strike me as a member of the gentry, but maybe his partner was. Or maybe I was reading too much into it. It was a terrible habit of mine. Dave constantly told me so.

“You have a lovely home,” I said eventually. Understatement of the year.

Sam chuckled as he came to a stop beside a flight of marble steps leading to the front door. “It’s okay, I felt the same the first time I saw it. I think my exact thoughts were about how it was as big as the entire street where I lived at the time.”

Thank god it wasn’t just me. “Yeah, this isn’t like anything you normally see in these parts, unless it’s a royal palace. Even in California, the real estate wasn’t this…impressive.”

We got out of the car, and Sam joined me by the boot. “You lived in California?”

I nodded, lifting my gear out. Sam reached in to help but I shrugged him off with a smile. “For a few years. Moved back several months ago.”

Sam eyed the grey clouds above us. “Let me guess—you missed the weather.”

I laughed, relieved that he hadn’t asked me the real reason. That wasn’t something I wanted to talk about in a professional setting. Or anywhere, as a matter of fact. “Something like that.”

“Hopefully it’ll clear up for the outdoor shots,” Sam said, although he sounded doubtful.

“It’s okay if it doesn’t,” I reassured him. “My lighting rig will help, and I can play with the brightness during editing.”

“Amazing. We’ll start indoors anyway.”

“Is the model here?” I glanced up at the door, wondering why we hadn’t gone in yet. Was it just me, or was Sam hesitating?

I shook myself internally. There I went, reading too much into things again.

“He is,” Sam said, clearing his throat. “He lives here too.”

Huh. “Is he your partner?”

Sam barked out a laugh. “Zeke? Fuck no. Don’t get me wrong, he’s hotter than most models, but posing in front of a camera? That’s not his bag.”

I was even more confused now. “So is the model, like, related to him or something?”

I didn’t know why I was bothered, let alone questioning Sam. It was hardly appropriate given I was here for work. But I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know what I was walking into.

“No. I mean, they’re family, but not blood related. It’s not just the two of them either, there’s a lot of…people living here.” Was it just me, or had Sam paused there? “I wanted to give you a heads-up before we go in. They’re all lovely, and bizarrely hot, but a tad overbearing.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Is it going to affect the shoot?”

“Not if they know what’s good for them,” Sam said pleasantly. “Don’t worry, they’re all busy today. And if they come back early, they’ll have to get through Zeke. Don’t worry, you and Rami won’t be interrupted.”

A bell rang in the recesses of my mind. Why was that name familiar? I hadn’t met anyone with it before. “Rami?”

“The model.” Sam finally headed for the front door. “He’s your man.”

I chuckled. “You mean, my model.”

“Sure,” Sam squeaked, his voice sliding an octave higher as he nodded enthusiastically. “That’s what I said.”

My brows knitted together. It definitely hadn’t been, but whatever.

I sucked in a breath as I followed Sam into the elaborate foyer. An ornate chandelier illuminated the grand artwork adorning every wall. A large marble table sat in the centre, topped with a stunning floral arrangement. Chairs were strategically dotted here and there, making me wonder if people used this space to socialise. Or perhaps they were just to give plebs like me somewhere to sit while waiting for the lord of the manor to appear.

“This is gorgeous,” I said to Sam, my mind already framing various shots. “Is this one of the locations for today?”

“Not today, but we can always set you up in here next time.” His voice carried back to me, making me realise I’d come to a stop.

I hurried to catch up to him. “Next time? I was under the impression from your email that the model has a tight schedule.”