She nodded, fingers rubbing at the crease between her brows.
He made a split-second decision and answered. “Emily,” he said, already switching to speaker, “I’m putting you on speaker. With me are Suzette and Miem, her longtime friend. You can speak freely. We’ve seen the images.”
“I’m sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances, Suzette. And JK—what were you thinking, kissing a woman like that in public? You know better.”
Miem snorted.
“It was a good kiss,” Suzette said wryly.
“Good enough to be plastered across tabloids worldwide?” Emily countered.
Suzette leaned back in her chair, folded her arms, and lifted a brow — pinning him with a look he couldn’t quite decipher. “How many other times has Justin been photographed kissing a woman? Besides in his movies.”
A beat of silence. “Like that? Never.” Then Emily gave a bark of a laugh. “All right. I get your point.”
*
Suzette marveled at how all of this would’ve sent her running mere days ago. But seeing the panic in Justin’s eyes had steadied her. He loved her — truly loved her — and there was no way she was letting him go.
“So long as the rest of his fans get the point, I’m good with it.” She shrugged lightly. “And Emily … heads up … it won’t be the last time we’re caught kissing.”
The smile that bloomed on Justin’s face, wide and unguarded, unlike anything he’d ever given on-screen, was worth every bit of discomfort from a few measly photos and sensational headlines. Whatever the tabloids blasted across the world didn’t matter. What mattered was the man in front of her, not the fame, not the wealth, just the man.
He moved, stalking around the table, hauling her out of the chair and into his arms before crushing his mouth to hers.
And that kiss proclaimed everything. His love, his promise.
His forever.
Miem’s cackle broke them apart. Breathless, weak-kneed, Suzette leaned back and stared into Justin’s face, trying to steady the world tilting beneath her.
“Nowthatis front-page material!” Miem crowed.
Suzette turned to see her friend leaning toward the phone on the table, her own held aloft like a weapon. “Emily,vrou, give me your number! You have to see these pictures I just took!”
A startled laugh burst through the speaker.
Justin groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Miem, please tell me you’re joking.”
“Joking?” Miem scoffed. “Mister movie man, these are gold.”
Suzette, torn between mortification and laughter, scolded, “Miem, you cannot send Emily those pictures.”
“Of course I won’t,” Miem replied, grinning. “But you must admit, it was a very good kiss.”
“My lips are sealed.”
Miem laughed like a maniac. “With Justin’s,ja.”
“Miem!” both Justin and Suzette exclaimed at once.
“Okay, lovebirds,” Miem said, rising with a grunt. “You’ve got some damage control ahead of you. I’ve got a sunset date with my Piet, and after watching you two, I’m craving some kisses of my own.” She blew Suzette a kiss and wagged a finger at Justin. “Look after my friend.”
Emily’s voice floated from the speaker, still tinged with amusement. “All right,lovebirds, as entertaining as that was … can we circle back? Justin, have you decided if the release is ready to go?”
Suzette frowned, stepping out of his arms. “Release?”
Justin nodded, catching her hand before she could move farther away. “Give us five minutes to discuss it, Em, and I’ll call you back.”
