Behind His Lens(64)

But before I can turn to see him, I feel his warm hands engulf my shoulders and a pair of lips press against my shoulder blade. Holy hell. His kiss sends fireworks through me and I know he can feel me tremble beneath his hands. He just kissed me in front of all the girls, and as expected, their eyes are wide with wonder and confusion. Martinis freeze mid-way to gaping mouths and I know I shouldn’t turn around and see how devastatingly handsome he looks. I should just revel in this ignorant bliss, but I can’t. I need to see him.

His hands slip from my shoulders as I turn around and take in his heavenly appearance. His dark hair is damp and tousled from his shower, and his new tan and dark stubble make him appear sultry and mysterious. He’s got on a white t-shirt that you can practically see every muscle through and solid black board shorts. He looks so relaxed, but I know him better than that. He’s always in control.

No one speaks for a few moments, and I realize they were all doing exactly what I’d just done: ogling this dream of a man.

“Sorry, ladies, but I have to steal Charley away for the evening.” My heart flutters and I want to record him saying those exact words over and over again.

“Ooooh,” all the girls erupt into giggles and sighs. I shoot them a playful glare as I stand to retrieve my bag. It’s not heavy, but Jude reaches for it and clasps it tightly in his hand.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow on set,” I smile and wave, making eye contact with Bella one last time.

Her smile is practically splitting her face in two, and I know she’s getting as much out of this as I am.

Jude

“They’re going to have so much to talk about for the rest of the night,” Charley comments as I lead her through the hotel. Her tone tells me she’s joking, but I know she doesn’t like being the center of attention.

“You’re right, they’ll probably talk about how great I looked all night,” I tease, knowing my remark fell past charming, landing directly in arrogant * territory, but it worked. She smiled and shook her head, and I got her to forget about them for a moment.

Without thinking, my hand reaches out to find hers. We continue walking and no one mentions the gesture, but I notice her glance down for a moment before she squeezes gently.

“So, where are we going?” she asks with subtle reservation. If I was half as brutish as I think I was at the photo shoot, she’s probably wondering if I’m still upset with her.

“Well since we have the volcano shoot and crew dinner tomorrow, I figured we should swim while we had the chance. I found a good spot yesterday that should be secluded.”


“Secluded, hmm?” She purses her lips and hums.

I look at her out of the corner of my eye and smile slyly.

With a gentle tug, she swings our hands back and forth as if we’re little kids walking in the park. I can’t remember the last time I did something so innocent with a girl.

“It feels kind of strange being with you like this,” she admits as we step out of the hotel and onto the path toward the beach. It’s dusk and the sun will set soon, but for now the evening glow reflects off the water in a breathtaking view.

“Does it?” I ask, even though I feel it too.

“Yeah. Normally there are so many… emotions flaring between us when we first see each other, but this time it feels different.”

“Maybe we’re just becoming comfortable around one another?” I offer with a small smile.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s it. But it feels like maybe something more too.”

What a vague statement, but I won’t prod her for anything more. I’m happy she mentioned anything at all. As we walk in silence for a little while, we let our bodies sync into an easy rhythm. We mold our movements together as the ground transitions from concrete to dark wood and then to soft sand beneath our feet. After we stow our shoes next to the resorts entrance to the beach, I adjust my backpack over my shoulder and grip her bag tightly.

When we start walking again, she’s the one who reaches out for my hand. The way she gently clasps it makes it feel like she’s clamping down directly on my heart, and the sensation makes me wonder how she can possibly affect me so explicitly.

My fingers wind around hers and my thumb runs absentmindedly back and forth across the back of her hand. Another few minutes pass as we move farther from the resort.

“We aren’t at the spot yet, but we should probably eat before it gets too dark,” I suggest as I drop her hand.