The Lust Of Love

After the Shoot

I was still planted firmly in the sand at her side, waiting for my response. She swallowed heavily. "She feel so in the dark all the time with you, Babe . You should have told me that Alexis was going to be here."

My eyebrows lifted. "I swore I told you she was booked for this shoot with me." I said to her.

She shook her head. That was not a detail She would forget.

I pressed my forehead to hers and said . "I'm sorry, Babe . I was so preoccupied with actually getting you to come, I didn't think. And I wanted your bags all packed and ready so that something so kaput didn't stand in your way. I called Alexis and gave her my American Express. I knew she'd know just what to do. She dropped off all the bags at my apartment and I looked through every article, imagining you in them, and packed them all in the suitcase myself."

She smiled at my soft, tender tone, the look of genuine concern for me in my eyes. I was trying. I might not know the first thing about being a boyfriend, but I was trying.

"I love you, baby. Please don't overthink things to worry about. There's nothing between Alexis and I. We're friends. I promise you." I said.

She flinched ever so slightly. I have promised her things before. And now Fiona is pregnant and the last three women I have slept with all stood within thirty feet of each other on this sandy beach. "I'm sorry." She said while she shook her head to clear the thoughts running rampant. "She must be getting a little emotional."

I took her hands in mine and told her . "Don't apologize for how you feel babe. When I saw you take off down the beach it took everything in me not to go after you. I want to know how you're feeling, what you're thinking. Always. But promise me you won't walk away again."

"I promise," She whispered in my ears softly .

I tipped her chin up to mine . "Breathe for me, Babe."

She pulled in a deep in a shuddering breath.

"There, that's my girl." My hands moved up and down her bare arms, lightly caressing them. I caught something in her tone. "Now tell me what else is bothering you." I asked .

"I just didn't know Alexis, um, bought my clothes," She murmured.

"No, baby. I bought them. She picked them out."I told Sophie.

She nodded and said. I knew that.

"Now tell me what this is really about." My tone was sure and steady.

She took a deep breath and said". "This world is all new to me still. When I saw your hands all over her, the way you two looked together . . . I just started ticking off all the ways I don't measure up."

An angry wave of tension rolled off me and my hands curled around her elbows, locking her in place and pinning her with my eyes and said to her . "I'm thankful as shit , you don't fit into this cruel bad world. You remind me that there's so much more to life. You're my something real to grasp on to at the end of the day. You ground me. I love you and that's not going to change just because I spent the day rolling around in the sand with Alexis for my job."

Her eyes look downward.

"Baby." I lifted her chin again. "It might look glamorous in the magazine , but my sand chafed balls would disagree." I said.

She chuckled lightly. "I think I'm ready to go back to the room." She said.

I nodded. "Then let's go. I need to wash all this damn bronzer and sand off my skin, too." I said .

We have just started walking back for the hotel when The Horse stepped in our path, her happy little smile pinning Me . "I wanted to say thank-you," she purred and show a smirk to me .

"Uh . . . okay," I then said, eyeing her curiously.

"For the baby shower gift. That was very sweet of you, love," Fiona said, addressing That to me .

He'd gotten her a baby gift? . Sophie Was thinking.

Her body went soft and She felt My hand tighten around her . So much for the promise She just made not to run. She felt like fleeing for the moon right about now. Forget that, the moon wasn't far enough.

"You're welcome," I retuned, my tone was short but polite.

Fiona slowly walked away, her hand resting against her ever-growing baby bulge .

I gripped Sophie's shoulders, turning her to face me , my face stricken with panic and told her . "I want you to know, I didn't get her something really big for her baby. I just gave in ten bucks toward the office gift. It was a sum up Vote from everyone at my Instagram Story ; it wasn't just from me."

"Oh she thought in her head and said ." I shouldn't care, should I? She was still his agent. He worked with The company . That meant he was practically required to tip in on the boss's gift. I was looking at me with the most worried stare. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. She placed my palm on my cheek and she said . "It's okay. I'm not mad. She tried to make it sound worse than it was—but that's to be expected. She's a bitch she said what a horse is she ."

A crooked smile overtook my mouth. "So you're not mad?" I asked .

She then replied with . "I would have preferred if you didn't tip in at all so she wouldn't have anything to grasp on to, but it's fine."

I kissed her lips and told her . "You're the best. I don't deserve you and I know that , you're special babe .and I also said", I handed Gunnar the ten dollars without even thinking. I'll try to be more aware of this type of thing." I said.

She hoped my love would be enough to outweigh all the problems threatening to overwhelm her at every turn of the relationship.

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