Behind His Lens(73)

There are still a few people mingling around the porch chatting, but for the most part, everyone has started to sit and order drinks and food. Jude and I pull out chairs next to Bella. Ryan’s already relaxing across from her, nursing some kind of island cocktail with Victoria sitting beside him, hanging onto his every word. I wonder if she likes him or if she just wants to have fun the last night in Hawaii.

“How’d you like your first cover shoot, Charley?” Ryan asks with a bright smile after we take our seats.

Within seconds, I feel Jude’s hand skim the back of my thick wicker chair, barely touching my skin, but sending a clear message all the same.

“I really enjoyed it actually. I liked your vision today. I haven’t seen anything like it before.”

He nods, soaking in my approval. “I’m glad you liked it. We wanted the vibe to be different from any shoot we’ve done in the past. Did you see last years’ issue?”

I nibble on my bottom lip and glance quickly to Jude and then back. “No, actually. I’m terrible about picking up magazines. Where was it shot?”

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Oh, that’s a shame. You should find a copy. We filmed in Greenland. Do you remember how pissed the models were the entire weekend, Bella?” he asks, turning his attention to her with a mischievous smile.

“Oh my god, I thought we agreed to forget that weekend all together!” she laughs, turning to me. “They expected us to pose in bikinis in like negative twenty degree weather. We were all threatening to sue.”

“Jeez! That’s just cruel; I’ll take active volcanoes over snow any day.”

Jude laughs next to me, “I felt pretty terrible wrapped in a parka when they were all shivering.”

“What a tough job you have, Mr. Anderson,” I quip, eliciting laughs from Bella and Ryan, but Jude’s gaze clouds over in an instant and he turns toward the table to adjust his silverware. Did I insult him? He should be proud; he’s a great photographer.

“Hey,” I lean in gently, wrapping my hand over his. “Everything okay? I was just kidding.”

He nods distractedly, fiddling with his fork “Yeah.”

“Would you guys like to order?” A chipper voice asks behind us, and we all mumble apologies, realizing we haven’t even looked at the menus yet.

…

“That was amazing! I would have never thought to combine pineapple and pulled pork,” I rave as we push the door open to my hotel room and pad across the plush carpet.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Mmm. I loved it.” I toss my purse onto an overstuffed armchair and splay back onto the bed like a sated princess. Jude stands a few feet away with his head cocked to the side and a smirk coating his beautiful lips.

“Did you like the food?”

“I think I liked our picnic yesterday better,” he hints, all amusement seeping from his feral gaze.

I bite my lip nervously and mention the first thing that comes to mind.

“Do you think there could be something going on between Ryan and Victoria?” I ask, propping myself up on my elbows and staring up into his blue eyes.

His fingers run along his stubble as he mulls over my question. “Maybe. They’ve worked with each other a lot, but they could just be good friends.”

“But they shared a meal and he offered to walk her back to her room,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows. “There’s definitely something going on between them,” I declare confidently, like a detective solving a crime.

He nods slowly, accepting the idea. Then his captivating eyes stare into me as he asks, “Is there something going on between us?”

For a brief moment, the oxygen leaves my body and I’m left paralyzed.

Yes, my subconscious shouts.

But then my lungs inhale and my defenses are already gearing into motion. “Of course… I mean we shared a meal and you walked me back to my room too,” I joke, making light of his serious question.

“Charley…” his tone is dark and deadly.

I want to scream “What do you want from me, Jude!?” He can’t ask me questions like that unless he wants to hear answers he won’t like.

“Why did you get upset earlier when I joked about your job being easy?” I ask with narrowed eyes. If he wants to make me feel uncomfortable then I’ll do the same and see how much he likes it. We’re both hiding demons, but he seems to have forgotten that fact since we’ve been in paradise. I thought we were having fun and forgetting about everything but us, here and now.