Lincoln Burns isn抰 Jay.
It isn抰 fair to let past fears poison our present. Especially when there抯 a chance Eliza抯 little celebration for me isn抰 premature.
I kiss his shoulder, letting my lips linger on his skin.
揑 love you,?I whisper, confident he can抰 hear me when he抯 out cold.
I only wish I抎 said it to his face.
Maybe tomorrow.
Bravery takes time梐nd so does love梑ut I抦 making progress, right?
I just have to believe there抯 no ugly 'other shoe' about to drop.
揂aand that抯 a wrap! Great job, you guys,?the photographer says.
He抯 a tall, lanky man who almost looks like a scarecrow when he smiles and holds up his long thumb.
揙h, thank God. My feet are about to fall off.?I hold up one leg, bending my knee to show off the six-inch white heel paired with the dress today.
Lincoln draws me closer and whispers, 揑抣l make the effort worth it later, sweetheart.?
揚romise??I lean back against him.
揅ross my heart and hope to fucking die,?he rumbles in my ear, brushing his stubble against my neck.
His heat only adds to the warmth falling down on me in lovely splashes of sunlight. It抯 a breathtaking day in the park. We抳e gathered half the marketing team for this shoot, early summer in Seattle in all its sky-blue, gold, and green glories.
A bright light flashes in my eyes as I melt into him.
Ugh, it抯 like I抦 destined for a migraine today.
揌ey, I thought we were done??I ask, scowling at the photographer man.
揝orry. That was way too authentic not to capture!?He smiles sheepishly.
揂re we finished??I look up at Lincoln, imploring him to call it good.
揧eah, we抣l have material for months. Let抯 pack it in.?He snaps his fingers at the photographer. 揅ome on, let抯 take a walk.?
He moves to my side and takes my hand. We start for the sidewalk.
It抯 honestly sweet how this is a normal park and sectioned off for us, but he still escorts me like a bodyguard in Wyatt抯 neighborhood.
Ch-ch-click!
My ears throb at the noise that follows us.
揓eez. He抯 still taking pictures, isn抰 he??
Lincoln smiles. 揅an you blame him? Might be his only shoot for weeks with a beautiful woman.?He lowers his voice. 揑f he wants to rip that dress off, he抯 not the only one. Of course, he抣l hurt for his trouble.?
Lincoln抯 fist swings up, joking but not joking.
揧ou抮e so bad.?I laugh before I can cover my mouth.
He stops moving and leans forward, staring at my lips. 揑抦 not bad. I抳e just been cursed by a little soul stealer,?he growls.
I think that goes both ways when I tilt my chin up.
His cool mahogany eyes sparkle with sun glitter as he comes closer.
揂re you sure you want to do this here? We抮e not that far away. The team could see us, you know, and棓
揟heir problem,?he bites off. 揘ot ours.?
And just like that, he ignites my whole mouth. It抯 a sunny sweet kiss that reaches down inside me and strums all the feels.
Butterflies. Weak knees. A fluttery moan.
Wherever Lincoln Burns just brought me, it抯 a place where I抦 not thinking about work or anything else. Not until a voice interrupts from behind us.
揇akota! Holy shit, Dakota, I found you. Finally.?
You know that moment in bad horror movies where everything seems fine, and then the lead turns around to find a monster with a mouthful of hellish teeth drooling on their shoulder?
If I had a choice, I抎 take ten of those monsters.
Because when I whirl around in what feels like slow motion, I抦 praying I抦 hearing things. I抦 begging all the gods of coincidence that I抦 not about to see the owner of a voice I never wanted to hear again.
揥hat抯 wrong??Lincoln growls, his arms drawing tight around me as he senses my panic.
揇akota,?the voice calls again, this time closer.
My gaze focuses and梩here.
There he is.
His shaggy blond hair hasn抰 changed a bit since I last laid eyes on him. It flops up and down in front of his face as he runs toward us, wearing flip-flops that splat on the sidewalk with every step.
揑…I don抰 know what to do!?I whisper, clenching my teeth.
Lincoln drops my hand, hooks his arm around my waist, and pulls me closer. 揥hatever you want, Dakota. I抳e got you.?
It抯 like he already knows how bad this could be.
But it抯 worse when Jay finally stops, standing right in front of me in a red t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts.
揇amn. I thought I抎 lost you.?He hits me with this awful, too-wide smile before his eyes flick to Lincoln. His brows dart down in confusion like he didn抰 notice the man holding me until now. 揙h. Shit. So this is why you抳e been ignoring me? To shack up with your fucking boss??
His sneer cuts me in two.
Instant rage.
I抦 about to ask what business it is of his梬hy he抯 even here scolding me as if he wasn抰 screwing his bandmate梑ut something else knocks at my brain.
揥ait. How do you know who my boss is??
His lip curls and he rolls his eyes.
揧ou kidding? Your mama told the whole town of Dallas you抳e been crushing on the guy you work for. Dakota, c抦on, you抮e not this kind of girl.?
I hear Lincoln抯 teeth grind.
Oof.
I抦 highly annoyed at Mom for blowing what little I抳e said about Lincoln way out of proportion.
Also, he抯 here, in Seattle, after harassing me for weeks.
Did he come halfway across the country just for this pathetic in-person shot at changing my mind?
揓ay, we broke up a year ago. You left me. You can stay gone.?
I抦 awestruck that I抦 not shaking. I think the two protective arms wrapped around me have a lot to do with that.
揗y band has a six month gig in Seattle,?he explains like I should care, pushing his hair out of his eyes.
揘ice. It抯 a big enough city for both of us.?
揇akota, you don抰 mean that. You can抰 keep hooking up with your boss. You抣l regret it.?His face drops like he抯 genuinely hurt. For the first time, his words sound more desperate, more sad. 揑抣l turn down the gig for you. We抣l move home and get a place just like we planned. I抣l teach music. You can write for the oil company. We can still fix our mistakes.?
For a second, there抯 an ice-cold silence.
Then I抳e absolutely had it.
揙ur mistakes? Our??I scowl at him. 揂re you fucking kidding me, man? Also, FYI, I am not hooking up with my boss! I抦 in love with him.?
Oops.
Too many things happen at once.
Jay stumbles back like he抯 just been shot in the chest.
My heart flies into my throat like a drunken hummingbird.
Lincoln turns to stone and draws a rough breath.
Oh, God. Me and my big fat mouth.
Jay straightens and hurls an angry look at me.
揃ullshit. You抮e still hurt, I get it,?he says like he抯 trying to make himself believe his own delusions over my words. 揝ome people back home thought you抎 been sleeping around梠nly way you could抳e gotten such a cushy promotion so soon. But shit.?He holds out a hand. 揧ou know what? It doesn抰 matter. We抣l get through this. We can棓
I抦 shaking.
Hot tears of fury sting my eyes.
揌oly shit, Jay. Do you ever shut up? Do you even hear the crap coming out of your mouth right freaking棓 I stop mid-sentence as everything blurs.
In one movement, Lincoln swings forward, shifting me behind him, standing toe-to-toe with Jay and towering over him at least a good foot and a half.
揝he抯 had enough, you fucking maggot, and so have I.?His voice is all war, so intense it scares me. 揕isten. You may have gotten away with disrespecting her when she was yours. That抯 over now because she抯 mine. So I抦 going to give you one chance梐nd only one梩o walk the fuck out of this park politely. Exit her life with your face intact. Comprehend??