hungry media brought on that crashing sensation, like everything was going to hell and nothing would be normal again. Backing up, I spun on my heel and sat back down at my booth, silently fuming and trying to tame my need for a bottle of whiskey and a pack of cigarettes. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t help but look back at my brother as the others dragged him away.
“I still owe you one,” Brayden said, touching the bruise on his jaw from where I’d clocked him the other day. His eyes flicked to Angel and he licked his lips, making her shudder, before disappearing back in the pool hall with the other guys.
“Can we go? Please?” she whispered, shaking slightly.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Of course.”
I held her jacket up while she put it on, trembling so badly it took her a few times to get her arms in the sleeves. I paid the bill and we hurried outside into the crisp , early March air.
Neither of us said much on the way back, except when I asked her for directions to her place. It wasn’t far, thankfully. I felt ready to explode into a million pieces, too anxious to get back to my place and drown away the memories in the bottom of a bottle.
“Thanks for the outing,” she said, unbuckling her seat belt when we pulled up to her apartment building. “Sorry it had to end so soon.”
“That makes two of us. Oh, that reminds me. Could I have your cell phone number?”
She stared at me.
“In case I need to tell you about a location change for our photo shoots?” I added politely.
“Oh.” She blinked. “Yeah. Sure.”
“I feel pretty stupid,” I said as she fished in her purse. “I meant to add that into the contract, but it slipped my mind.”
“No problem. I’ll call you, that way I’ll have your number and mine will show up in your call list. Shit.” The phone slipped from her hand as the corner caught on her purse strap, sending it toppling onto the floorboard.
“I’ll get it,” I said, reaching for it at the same time she did.
We both froze the moment our fingers touched, looking up, our mouths a mere inch apart. This close, I could smell the sweet, soft scent of her strawberries and cream shampoo. Her lips parted as she sucked in a breath, her ruby-red mouth glistening in the lamp post light. God, just another couple inches, and my mouth could be on hers, sucking and teasing those gorgeous full lips of hers. A deep, carnal push blazed to life between my legs, nearly making me lose control. I wanted her. I had to fucking have her. I almost reached up to cradle her face when my phone buzzed, breaking the spell.
She snatched her phone up and snapped back into place like a rubber band. “What’s your number?” she asked, sounding a little breathless.
I rattled it off to her, and she hastily punched in the numbers, letting it ring twice before hanging up. “Well, have a good night,” she said, then hopped out of the car so quick it took me a moment to process she was gone.
I watched her speed walk up the sidewalk, waiting until she got safely inside before pulling away. The whole time, my phone hadn’t stop ped buzzing. One glance at the caller ID made chills break out over my arms. A truck honked as I ran a stop sign, and I swerved to stay on the road after finally finding the ignore button. Merciful silence filled the car, leaving me feeling like the walls surrounding my perfect bubble were slowly closing in.
CHAPTER 13
Devin
FOR THE REST OF the week, I busied myself with working on my photos and trying to forget everything that had come before I met Angel. Mr. Stark approved of the shots, and thought Erik’s idea of my modeling was good. For a short while, things were fine because they were busy and I didn’t have any time to think. Then Saturday came and along with it hockey, and the first time I’d seen Brayden since the restaurant.
The atmosphere of the next hockey practice was as icy as the arena. Despite the season being over, Coach kept
“I still owe you one,” Brayden said, touching the bruise on his jaw from where I’d clocked him the other day. His eyes flicked to Angel and he licked his lips, making her shudder, before disappearing back in the pool hall with the other guys.
“Can we go? Please?” she whispered, shaking slightly.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Of course.”
I held her jacket up while she put it on, trembling so badly it took her a few times to get her arms in the sleeves. I paid the bill and we hurried outside into the crisp , early March air.
Neither of us said much on the way back, except when I asked her for directions to her place. It wasn’t far, thankfully. I felt ready to explode into a million pieces, too anxious to get back to my place and drown away the memories in the bottom of a bottle.
“Thanks for the outing,” she said, unbuckling her seat belt when we pulled up to her apartment building. “Sorry it had to end so soon.”
“That makes two of us. Oh, that reminds me. Could I have your cell phone number?”
She stared at me.
“In case I need to tell you about a location change for our photo shoots?” I added politely.
“Oh.” She blinked. “Yeah. Sure.”
“I feel pretty stupid,” I said as she fished in her purse. “I meant to add that into the contract, but it slipped my mind.”
“No problem. I’ll call you, that way I’ll have your number and mine will show up in your call list. Shit.” The phone slipped from her hand as the corner caught on her purse strap, sending it toppling onto the floorboard.
“I’ll get it,” I said, reaching for it at the same time she did.
We both froze the moment our fingers touched, looking up, our mouths a mere inch apart. This close, I could smell the sweet, soft scent of her strawberries and cream shampoo. Her lips parted as she sucked in a breath, her ruby-red mouth glistening in the lamp post light. God, just another couple inches, and my mouth could be on hers, sucking and teasing those gorgeous full lips of hers. A deep, carnal push blazed to life between my legs, nearly making me lose control. I wanted her. I had to fucking have her. I almost reached up to cradle her face when my phone buzzed, breaking the spell.
She snatched her phone up and snapped back into place like a rubber band. “What’s your number?” she asked, sounding a little breathless.
I rattled it off to her, and she hastily punched in the numbers, letting it ring twice before hanging up. “Well, have a good night,” she said, then hopped out of the car so quick it took me a moment to process she was gone.
I watched her speed walk up the sidewalk, waiting until she got safely inside before pulling away. The whole time, my phone hadn’t stop ped buzzing. One glance at the caller ID made chills break out over my arms. A truck honked as I ran a stop sign, and I swerved to stay on the road after finally finding the ignore button. Merciful silence filled the car, leaving me feeling like the walls surrounding my perfect bubble were slowly closing in.
CHAPTER 13
Devin
FOR THE REST OF the week, I busied myself with working on my photos and trying to forget everything that had come before I met Angel. Mr. Stark approved of the shots, and thought Erik’s idea of my modeling was good. For a short while, things were fine because they were busy and I didn’t have any time to think. Then Saturday came and along with it hockey, and the first time I’d seen Brayden since the restaurant.
The atmosphere of the next hockey practice was as icy as the arena. Despite the season being over, Coach kept
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