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She eyes me, her voice full of sass, “Don’t you have to work?”
“Nope,” I pop the p. “I’m all yours right now, so put me to work.”
“You might regret that,” she mutters under her breath.
She’s wrong. I’ll never regret anything with her. Even if she doesn’t end up staying. Even if I end up having my heart broken.
CHAPTER 7
BRISTOL
It’s been two days since I woke up after Hayden came to my rescue and Soren arrived in Candy Cane Key. I haven’t gotten to see Hayden much and I kind of hate it. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering we just met a few days ago, but I have this need to be near him all the time.
It’s kind of thrown me for a loop, but then I think about how sure Boone was when he met Melinda and I find myself believing in the idea of love at first sight a little more. Even though Hayden was kind of a jerk when we first met. Even if he can scowl like there’s no tomorrow.
I don’t take his scowls personally anymore because I can see the light in his eyes even behind the grumpy exterior. I have a feeling it’s a side of himself he doesn’t allow the world to see. I think it’s the same as how some people hide behind a mask of being happy go lucky. Same thing, just a different side of the coin.
The important thing is that when I’m around him, Hayden makes me feel seen. He looks at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Who doesn’t want to be looked at like that?
We arrived at the remote part of the island about an hour ago and I’ve been working with a few assistants to make sure everything is ready to go. Svetlana has been in hair and makeup and Soren is wandering around doing whatever it is creatives do. He’s probably thinking about what he wants for dinner.
We’re coming up on that magical lighting time in the afternoon when Soren wants to shoot, and I find myself smiling as I look at the sand bar I can barely see from my spot on the beach. I can feel Hayden’s eyes boring into me and I can’t help but turn and flash him a grin.
He crosses his arms across his chest and gives a nod, but I can see the way his eyes heat as he looks me up and down. Holy yumminess. The man is too fine for his own good and should be the one Soren is shooting on the beach. My man would blanch at the suggestion, but I can’t help but smile while thinking about it.
From the way Hayden’s eyes narrow, I wonder if he can read my mind.
Soren comes bustling up to me, his fingers snapping and opening and closing with grabby hands much like a toddler. I give him a smile and pull his camera out of the bag that’s secured crossways around my body.
“The light is perfect right now,” he’s practically vibrating with excitement and creative energy.
Honestly, I’ve never felt the kind of creativity it seems like is always flowing through Soren. Since arriving in Candy Cane Key, I have a better understanding of what he must be feeling. While I’ve been on the island, I’ve found myself reaching for my camera more often and finding these little pockets of perfect moments I want to capture.
It’s inspiring and it makes me wonder where I belong. I have a feeling it’s not in Denver and it’s not working for Soren.
“I’ll get Svetlana,” I assure him even though I can tell he’s not listening as he starts to direct the other assistants about where to set up his reflectors and where he wants to begin.
When I step into the small tent which has been set up for hair, make-up and wardrobe, Svetlana is pouting. “I wanted to be somewhere truly exotic. They have a Christmas in July Festival here,” she sneers the words and everything in me wants to defend this little slice of heaven I’ve found.
I know it’ll fall on deaf ears and won’t do me any good. The make-up artist nods and swipes more gloss on Svetlana’s lips before trying to placate the model who really should be grateful for being here at all.
“Soren’s ready for you,” I keep my voice even instead of snapping at the woman like I wish I could.
Svetlana rolls her eyes and swats the makeup artist away before standing up and sashaying out of the tent. As I lead her over to where Soren is doing a few test shots for the lighting, she leans toward me. “Do you know if the guy with the boat is single?”
I blink at the woman who is eyeing my man like he’s a steak and she’s starving. I mean, I bet she is starving, but if she could wolf down all the steak he’s offering I would be surprised.
“No, he’s seeing someone,” there’s a bite to my tone, but she doesn’t notice as she bats her eyelashes in Hayden’s direction.
He’s not even looking at her. I know this because he’s staring at me with so much promise in his eyes that I almost trip over my feet and faceplant into the sand. That would not be a good look and I would never hear the end of it if I dropped Soren’s camera bag.
“Ah, the lovely Svetlana,” Soren welcomes her on set like she’s long-lost royalty and he didn’t see her just twenty minutes ago when he had the makeup artist change the whole natural look that he said he wanted at first. Now she’s all sultry and seductive. I roll my eyes, but no one is paying attention to me. “We’ll start here, near this driftwood and then move into the surf for some shots when the sun starts to set,” he directs her.
I step back and watch…something happening in front of me. Normally I would say it’s magic on set, but that is not what is happening right now. She looks awkward as hell and completely unaware of her body positioning while being unable to take any of Soren’s directions.
“No,” Soren’s tone is curt, and I can tell he’s losing his patience, “chin up, darling. Up.”
It’s a train wreck. How the hell is this possible? It’s not her first time in front of the camera, but it feels like it. Hell, this is going to turn out worse than a mall photographer working the Santa booth who doesn’t give a single shit what the photos look like.
