Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“Take the advice of an old man,” he goes on. “You can only get really good at something if you’re aware of everything around your craft.”
“I don’t usually walk into stuff,” I tell him.
“Only when you’re obsessed with your art,” he replies proudly. It fills me with so much confidence I’m bursting with it.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” I snap when my camera screen blinks off. “This stupid thing… I only bought it a couple of months ago.”
“Hey, relax…” He walks closer to me, almost touching my shoulder again. I’m not the one who moves this time. He lowers his hand, seeming to come to his senses. “You won’t make it better by stressing about it.”
“Thanks, that’s helpful.”
Now, he moves even closer. He’s staring at me with intensity in his blue, captivating eyes. “Don’t get sarcastic. I mean it. You have a mission. Get the camera working. Getting emotional won’t help. Take a breath. Sort the issue.”
“You’re always calm and collected, are you?”
We’re getting snappy with each other, but something tells me it has nothing to do with the camera. He laughs dryly, his eyebrows raised, seeming to enjoy this even if he shouldn’t. “I do my best,” he says.
Except when we’re kissing…
I take a long, exaggerated breath, shooting him a look. “Happy now?”
“Do you always act this immature?” he asks, but again, he’s smiling, eyebrows raised.
“I think you like me acting immature,” I shoot back.
He leans down. Not as close as he was before when his warm breath painted me, but close enough to get my heart hammering hard. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because then you can feel experienced and mature and in charge.”
“But Sophie…” He spreads his hands, getting just the expression that made me obsess so much during my crushing-hard days. “I am mature and experienced, and I am the boss.”
“Does that mean you’re my boss, huh?”
“I think there’s a thing or two I could teach you.”
My nerves blaze, tingling temptation dancing all over my body. It’s not as if I can tell him he’s wrong. On the experience scale, he’s in the stratosphere compared to me. There’s so much he could help me with, not just with steaminess but with life, careers, and my path in the future.
A lady walks by with her Chihuahua. I think I’ve seen her before, both her and her dog with big poofy hair, the same color too, snow-white. She looks over, then raises her voice when she recognizes us. “The Fame Warriors! Give them hell, y’all!”
I laugh, but Kaleb doesn’t find it funny. Maybe it’s because it reminds him that people can see us. He takes a step back.
“One thing I can teach you is this. When you’ve got a job to do, do it. Think as little as possible. Erase any doubts. Focus solely on that task like a laser and be cold about anything that gets in the way.”
I wonder if he’s talking about us, about staving off our desire. We need to focus on that like a laser.
“Shall we get started?” I ask, fiddling with the camera.
“Sure,” he replies, not looking at me, looking toward the ocean with a dreamy, faraway look. I’d give so much to reach into his thoughts and listen to his dreams.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Kaleb
My woman—goddamn it, Sophie—walks at my side, looking at me through the camera. She told me not to look so anxious, but it’s difficult when half my attention is on her, ensuring she doesn’t fall. She looks so beautiful when she’s working, blowing hair from her face, seeming flustered but capable simultaneously.
“Why don’t you tell me a little about how you and Paul met.”
“We met too young for me to remember that,” I tell her, remembering the kiss, how right it felt to squeeze her against me, feel her curvy body, her perfection. “All I know is Paul has always been there. We were both only children for a long, long time. He didn’t have a sister until he was already twenty years old. We were like brothers.”
I have to say like brothers, or I’ll lose my cool again. I can’t think about the fact that we used to think of ourselves as brothers, not like.
“What do you remember most about him as a child?” she asks.
We walk close to the ocean, the sound of the waves the perfect backdrop. We’re moving far up the beach, away from the busier areas, away from the dog walkers. In short, we’re going to the place where beach lovers might sneak off if they want privacy.
“His bravery,” I say. “No matter what happened, he was always ready to face it. He never backed down. He didn’t have the easiest home life, but he never let it break him. When his little sister did come along, he took up the role of her guardian. He became a parent to her. I always admired him for that.”