AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m too busy waiting to see how Gage will respond—if he’ll respond.
One of his hands is holding a beer, but the other lifts…to push her away?
Please push her away.
He sets his palm against Cora’s bare back, pulling her closer, and my stomach drops out for reasons I don’t look at too closely.
I whip my head back around toward Paisley and take a big gulp of my drink.
“Well, guess that answers that question,” Paisl
ey says wryly.
“What question?”
“All the talk about who’s going to kiss him first. Everyone’s been hoping that he’ll make the first move—better bragging rights. But Cora’s way obviously works too.”
Obviously.
“I’m going to grab another drink,” I say, even though my current one’s not empty. “You want anything?”
“No, I’m good, thanks.”
I nod and move toward the bar, relieved that she didn’t try to come with me, relieved that nobody seems to be paying me any attention, because…
Damn it. Why do I feel the strangest urge to cry?
Gage
I’ve spent the entire afternoon counting the hours until I can get off that fucking boat, until the damned cameras turn off, but even when it finally docks, I get zero reprieve.
“Great show today,” Adam says, clamping a hand on my shoulder. “Really good work.”
I grind my teeth to keep from saying that this isn’t a show, it’s my goddamned life, they just happen to be filming it. And as far as the “good work,” it sure as hell doesn’t feel good.
Not ten minutes after Cora planted one on me, Hannah did the same, followed an hour later by an unexpectedly bold Aurora.
And look, it’s not my first time kissing multiple women in one day. It’s not my first time kissing women I barely like, much less want, all for the sake of the camera.
But much as I tell myself that today was just like any other day on set, it feels different, and I know exactly the reason why.
Ellie won’t look at me.
It’s not unusual for her and me to avoid each other when the cameras are rolling, but this is different. I can feel it, and I want to find her, I need to explain…
“Gage, you got a few?” Raven asks, striding over with her ever-present iPad.
“No,” I say, scanning the crowded dock, looking for Ellie.
Raven looks up. “Honey, the question was rhetorical. We need to do an on-camera postmortem of the day.”
“We can do it later,” I say, spotting Ellie standing by the door of the van, hugging her elbows. As usual, she’s got her T-shirt on, this time paired with a short blue skirt and flip-flops. But today she’s alone, with no sign of Paisley.
“Gage—”
I ignore Raven and move toward Ellie, knowing I have about thirty seconds before the other women realize my destination and move to keep me from having alone time with anyone else.
Ellie sees me coming, her eyes going slightly wide when she realizes I’m headed right toward her, then they narrow in warning. Go away.
