“Not until eight. Think we’ll be back by then?”
Nate’s eyes light up.
“I’ll make sure of it,” he promises.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Nate
Adrenaline surges as we head into the large warehouse. Gabrielle is tucked securely under my arm, her eyes wide as she takes in the hive of activity. People are calling and shouting, and Juan is in full flow, his bellow echoing even above the low pulse of music echoing from somebody’s speakers.
Juan is much more active than Max. He’s one of my favorite shoot directors to work with and we know each other well, but he can also be a demanding little shit.
“Is this okay?” I ask Gabrielle, belatedly realizing that the hustle and bustle might be a bit much. Cade will tear me a new one if I fuck this up.
She peeks up at me, but she’s smiling.
“It’s exciting,” she admits. She pushes her hair back, her face glowing as she looks around. “Is it always like this?”
“Pretty much.” I spot Juan walking towards us and wince.
“Nathaniel,” he grits out. “Howwonderfulof you to grace us with your presence today.”
I give him my best puppy dog eyes. “Lost track of time. But I’m here now, right?”
“Hmmm.” He gives me a disbelieving look before his brown eyes slide to Gabrielle. He takes her in, even backing up a step.
Oh, no. I take a step forward as his face lights up with sheer, ravenous delight. I’ve seen that face before.
“Juan.” My voice is low, and Gabrielle looks between us nervously.
Juan waves me off.
“You, my dear… areverywelcome. What’s your name?”
Gabrielle shyly takes his outstretched hand, and Juan shakes it. “Gabrielle. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Do you model?” he asks abruptly. “Because you two would lookgorgeouson camera.”
Gabrielle blinks rapidly. “I…er… no.”
He clicks his tongue. “Pity. Think about it.”
He spins, waving me forward and clapping his hands together. “Come now. We have work to do, Nathaniel!”
I tug Gabrielle with me. She looks a little dazed as I pop her onto a seat where she can see everything, gently nudging the cake box into her hands.
“Oi – Marcus!” I holler. One of the set assistants pauses.
“Get her anything she needs,” I direct, my tone firm. “Anything. You get me?”
He nods vigorously. “Of course.”
Gabrielle chews on her lip, and I tug it free, my fingers brushing the lushness of her plump lower lip. “You gonna be okay here?”
She nods, her eyes darting around. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be just over there if you need me. Don’t worry about interrupting anything.”
