by Ella Miles
I smile, but inside, I’m terrified. I hate this kind of shoot. This is where it gets intimate, especially since we are both still drenched. I will be able to feel every inch of Cedric’s body as he lies on top of me…just like I felt every inch of Killian’s body last night.
I lie down on the lounger, and Cedric smiles as he lies on top of me.
“Well, this is awkward,” he says when his wet body forms with mine.
“Don’t act like you aren’t enjoying it,” I say, trying to sound relaxed.
He smiles. “You’re right.”
I feel his hard chest and abs pushing against me. I feel his hot breath on my neck, his erection throbbing against my core.
My heart is beating fast as Brock has us look intimately into each other’s eyes. His are blue and bright, not dark and intense like I’m used to staring into. Cedric is a good-looking guy, but he’s not Killian.
“You’re beautiful,” Cedric whispers into my ear.
My cheeks flush. I take a deep breath, but it’s hard to get any air with Cedric’s body pressed against mine. I feel everyone’s eyes on us as Cedric tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I’m too frozen to move or react. I have to get my act together, so I don’t come off looking like a bored mannequin instead of a sexy model flirting with Cedric, like I’m supposed to be doing.
I smile at him. “You’re pretty handsome yourself,” I whisper in his ear.
I feel his erection harden beneath me.
“I’m more than just a model, you know. I just graduated from UNLV with a business degree. I’m planning on going to law school this fall. This is just a way to pay the bills.”
I don’t know why he is saying this, but he seems genuinely proud of what he has accomplished. It’s no Harvard, but I am impressed.
“That’s impressive,” I say.
Cedric’s eyes look lustful now as they drop to my chest and then come back to my eyes. “I don’t usually do this. I don’t usually ask models I work with out on dates. I don’t like mixing business and pleasure. But you’re not one of the typical models I work with, and I can’t help myself. Will you go out with me?”
My eyes grow wide. I’ve never been asked out by another model. It’s the cardinal rule you never break. I glance over behind the camera to see what Killian is doing. My heart still has hope we can work things out together. I’m still holding out a small bit of hope last night was more than a one-night stand. His body language earlier made it seem like he was jealous, but I’m not sure if jealousy is enough for him to want anything more to do with me.
When I spot him, I see him talking to the spunky makeup artist. He’s laughing. She’s flirting. He’s flirting back. I’m nothing to him but a problem he needs to get rid of.
I turn my attention back to Cedric. He’s handsome. He seems nice. He even has a future planned out beyond modeling. And I need to get over Killian.
Who knows? If this turns into something, Granddad might think I am capable of finding my own husband.
“Sure. I’m free tonight,” I say.
Cedric’s smile and erection grow in unison. His body presses closer to mine. “Tonight is perfect.”
He lowers his lips to mine, which surprises me because Brock never told us to kiss. This kiss is real. It’s not planned. It’s tentative and gentle, just testing the waters in a way most first kisses do. When I kiss him back, wrapping my arms around his neck, I try to keep myself from comparing this kiss to Killian’s. Cedric deepens the kiss. His tongue easily slides into my mouth, like he has practiced this many times before. I don’t care though. I feel his hand slide up and cup my breast, and I moan.
Shit, I moaned. I’m on camera, moaning, as a man I just met is feeling me up.
“Cut!” Killian shouts.
I look up and am shocked that he was the one yelling cut. He glares in our direction, but I don’t know why. He walks over to us, as his face reddens and his jaw tenses.
His eyes travel to Cedric’s and then mine. “This isn’t a porno. Just kiss her, and then deliver your lines.”
I gulp nervously as Cedric’s body stays plastered to mine, but Cedric seems unaffected.
“Sorry, boss.” Cedric looks back to me, winking as he does. “It’s just hard not to get lost in a beautiful woman. I forgot I was doing a job.”
“If you don’t just do your job, you won’t be getting paid, Cedric,” Killian says.
Now, I’m glaring at Killian. That’s taking it a little too far.
“Sorry. It won’t happen again—at least, not until tonight,” Cedric says, winking at me.
I giggle at Cedric. It wasn’t the suavest of lines I’ve ever heard, but I don’t care. I’m having fun, flirting with Cedric. I’m excited to see where he takes me to dinner tonight. That’s two dates in two nights. I’m sure at this rate I can find a man my grandfather likes more than Killian. It was my father who was in love with Killian after all, not my grandfather. It might not be Cedric, but if I spend the next month dating, I’m sure I can do better.
I smile, happy to have a new plan. It’s my own plan for my life. The modeling is fun, but it’s not what I want my life to be.
“What does that mean?” Killian says.
“Kinsley agreed to go out with me tonight,” Cedric says.
“Is that true?” Killian asks, looking at me.
My smile drops when I see a hint of sadness in his eyes. I don’t know why he’s sad. This is what he wanted—for me to live my own life.
“Yes,” I say weakly.
Killian shakes his head. “Just finish the shoot. I’m not paying for overtime.”
I watch as Killian walks away, but this time, he doesn’t stop. He walks back into the hotel. He doesn’t finish watching the shoot. And I have no idea why he reacted like a complete ass.
I turn my attention back to Cedric, back to the job at hand. And I do my best to erase any thoughts of Killian from my brain.
14
I hear the knock on my door. I glance down at the time on my phone—seven fifty-five. He’s five minutes early. I finish applying my red lipstick before I head to the door. I check through the peephole first before I open the door. Cedric is standing there in a suit. I exhale, happy I wore appropriate clothing for once.
I am happy with the response he gives me. His eyes drop to the cutouts on each side of the black dress before dropping lower to take in my exposed legs. When his eyes find mine again, I see the appreciation there.
“You look even more beautiful, if that’s possible.”
“It’s possible. You look beautiful yourself,” I say, eyeing his tailored suit and toned chest peeking out from atop his slightly unbuttoned shirt. “I mean, you look handsome,” I say, flushing a bright shade of pink already.
“Don’t be.”
He holds his arm out for me, and I take it.
We walk down the hallway and into the elevator in relative silence. It’s when we get to the casino floor I realize Cedric doesn’t know that I’m Kinsley Felton, daughter of Robert Felton. Maybe he won’t notice the stares as we walk through the casino floor, arm in arm.
“Good evening, Kinsley,” one of the bartenders says.
I nod my head in her direction, smiling. I try walking faster to get us out of here as soon as possible, but Cedric doesn’t take the hint. Instead, he seems uneasy, as more and more employees begin staring at us. Some seem shocked to see me walking, hand in hand, with a man. Others smile knowingly. And others give me a friendly nod of recognition as we walk through the floor.
My nerves intensify when I see Killian sitting at the bar in the center of the casino floor. He’s not alone; a dark haired young woman is sitting with him. She touches his arm and smiles. He grins back at her. I thought I was the only one he smiled at. I thought I was special. I’m not.
I tear my eyes from them as Cedric escorts me out the doors.
“Do you work here?” Cedric asks when we are outside.
“You could say that.”
He st
ops us, as my answer didn’t cure his curiosity.
“My name is Kinsley Felton. My father used to own the company. Everybody in there knows who I am because of it.”
I run my hands through my long blond locks. I twist and twirl them as I wait for him to change how he acts around me, but he doesn’t.
“That’s cool.” He shrugs. He begins walking again, but then he suddenly stops.
I curiously look at him. “Something wrong?”
“Wait…you don’t work as one of the bartenders or something? I’m not sure I could handle dating someone who has men ogling them every night.”
I laugh. “No, I’m not a bartender, but I am a model. What do you think men do when they see my ads or magazine covers?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Good point.” He sighs before he softly kisses me on the lips. It’s a sweet kiss. It doesn’t send fireworks exploding throughout my body though.
He pulls away with a look of contentment on his face. “I guess I’ll just have to be jealous then.”
I smile against his lips. “I guess so.”
“I do like jealous sex.”
I twist away from him. “Me, too,” I say. But I’ve never had jealous sex before, and even though we spent half the day making out while mostly naked, I’m not sure I’m ready to have sex with Cedric.
He quickly catches up to me and loops his arm back around me.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
We walk less than a block when Cedric stops. “Right here.”
I smile without looking at the restaurant we are stopped in front of. I already know which one it is. It’s one of my favorites. My father has taken me here hundreds of times.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
“It’s perfect.”
We take a seat in the beautiful restaurant. A piano player plays softly in the background, and red roses sit in the center of the table.
“Do you like red wine?” Cedric asks.
“Yes,” I say.
I glance down at the wine list and find that my favorite is listed, the one Killian got me hooked on. I’m just about to suggest it, but Cedric interrupts me.
“I think we should share a bottle of the house cabernet. Is that okay with you?”
I sigh. I’m not going to get my favorite. But that’s okay; I don’t want to be thinking about Killian anyway. And drinking that wine will make me think of him. It will make me wonder if he has already convinced the woman he was with to go to his room with him—although I don’t think Killian would have to do much convincing. I think most women he meets would willingly jump into bed with him. That means, if he’s asked, she’s already made her way to his bed.
“Sounds perfect,” I say, trying not to think about Killian.
I watch Cedric order our wine. It felt nice that he asked my opinion before just ordering for me. I’m so used to Killian, who orders whatever he wants for us both.
“Where did you go to school?” Cedric asks.
“Yale.”
His eyes widen. “Seriously?”
My smile drops from my face. “Yeah, I studied theater…although I don’t think that’s what I want to do. I don’t technically have my degree yet, but they should be sending it soon. I missed finals, but my grades were high enough I didn’t need to make them up.”
“Why did you miss finals?”
I look down, not ready to hear his I’m sorry that is going to follow what I say next. “My father died the weekend before finals.”
He reaches his hand across the table and grabs ahold of my hand in a comforting manner. “I’m sorry.”
I smile weakly. “Thanks.”
An awkward pause passes where I don’t want to talk further about my father, but Cedric isn’t sure if he can change the topic or not.
“I’m not really sure about what I want to do next with my life,” I say. That’s not completely true though. I don’t know exactly what I want to do with my life. I know it doesn’t involve marrying Killian. I know it doesn’t involve modeling. “What do you want to do once you finish your law degree?”
“I want to start my own firm. I like corporate law. And then I want to settle down with a beautiful girl like you. Somewhere warm.”
“Of course,” I say, smiling.
“And I want to marry her. I want to have kids with her. I want my life to be her.”
I blush. “I hope you find that someday.”
His eyes stay transfixed on mine. “I’m getting close.”
His eyes sparkle, and I quickly lose myself in them. It would be nice to be married to someone like Cedric. He seems nice. He seems like a gentleman. He seems like husband material, unlike Killian who is too focused on his work to ever give proper attention to a wife and family.
“Kinsley?” my grandfather says.
I turn and see my grandfather standing at the end of our table. He has a stern look on his face. I see Killian standing behind him with a small smirk.
I try to pull my hand away from Cedric’s, but he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He just tightens his grip as his thumb slowly moves over my palm.
“Hi, Granddad,” I say.
“Who is this?” he asks, looking at Cedric.
“This is—” I start.
But, of course, Cedric, being a gentleman, jumps in immediately.
“I’m Cedric Allum. I’m her date for the evening—and, hopefully, if she will have me, for many dates after this.”
I wince at his words, and Cedric looks at me in confusion.
“I’m not just a model,” Cedric says in a rush, thinking that is the reason that my grandfather and I are so unhappy with what he just said. “I just do that on the side for some extra money, same as Kinsley. I just graduated with a business degree from UNLV. I got accepted into a law school in Chicago. I plan on being a lawyer, sir.”
My grandfather is paying him no attention. Instead, he is looking at me. “I think you’d better end the date now, Kinsley.”
I nod, unable to argue with him in such a public space. I don’t look at Killian. And I don’t look at Cedric as I begin to stand from my chair.
I take a deep breath before I do my best to look strong as I look at Cedric. “I’m sorry. You’ve been wonderful, but I think it’s best if we stop this here.”
“Why? I thought this was going well.” He glances up at my grandfather. “If your grandfather and”—he looks at Killian—“your brother would like to join us, they are more than welcome. Then, they can get to know me a little better and feel more comfortable with us going out.”
I chance a glance at Killian when Cedric calls him my brother. His smirk is gone. He’s rubbing the back of his neck in annoyance instead of the fuming anger I was expecting. It seems he doesn’t even see Cedric as worthy of a challenge.
“That won’t be possible,” Granddad says.
“Another time, then?” Cedric asks.
I smile weakly at his persistence, but he needs to learn when to give up.
That’s when Killian steps forward. “I’m sorry, Cedric, but you need to go home and forget about Kinsley. Don’t call her. Don’t think about her. Don’t try to reach out to her in any way. Plenty of other girls are out there who would be more suited to you.”
I close my eyes to keep the sting out of them after what he just said.
“I think Kinsley is plenty suited to me,” Cedric says.
“No, because Kinsley is my fiancée,” Killian says.
Cedric gasps. Then, he looks to my left hand to find a ring that isn’t there. His eyes narrow in my direction. “You’re engaged?”
I twist my hair as I look at him. I don’t know how to answer that. I’m not technically engaged. At least, I wasn’t the last time I spoke with either of the men glowering over me, but it’s too complicated to say I’m not engaged.
Cedric takes my lack of an answer as an answer. “She’s all yours,” he says as he throws his napkin down on the table before storming out.
I don’t b
other to follow him with my eyes when he leaves. I feel like crying. I feel like going home and spending the night taking a long warm bath, trying to forget what just happened. I feel like screaming at Killian and Granddad for what they just did.
“Come on, Kinsley. We have a table for us set up upstairs. We will have them add another chair. You’ll eat with us,” Granddad says. His voice is dripping with disappointment.
I nod, unable to say any words without losing it. I feel so embarrassed. I watch as my grandfather begins walking, but Killian hovers over me, waiting for me to follow my grandfather.
I take a second. “How could you?” A tear falls.
“You can’t be with him. He’s not a good guy.”
“And you are?” I shake my head in frustration. “You can’t tell me you want me to make my own decisions about my life and then make every decision for me! You can’t tell him I’m your fiancée one minute but then tell me you don’t want to marry me the next. You can’t pick up a random stranger at a bar one minute and then say I can’t go on a date myself. Talk about indecisive. What do you want, Killian? Other than the CEO position, what the fuck do you want?”
I close my eyes when I realize I just cursed in front of a table with children. I never curse. But Killian brings out the worst in me, the absolute worst.
“I want to marry you,” are the words that leave his lips.
15
I haven’t looked at Killian since I sat down at the table opposite my grandfather. I can’t. I don’t believe what Killian said when we were alone downstairs. He didn’t say anything else. It was just those five words.
“I want to marry you.”
I don’t believe them. I don’t think I ever will until I see him down on bended knee. And even then, it won’t be because that’s what he really wants. It will be because that is the only way he can become CEO.
“What were you doing with that boy, Kinsley?” my grandfather asks.
Our waiter interrupts us, and my grandfather orders wine for the table. He asks Killian for his opinion but not mine.
