I sighed and gestured for him to come in. “Stop with the self-sacrificing crap. You can eat here. Hell, make yourself a snack.”
“Thanks.” He followed me into the kitchen and pulled a paper bag from his pocket.
Of course he carried his tuna sandwiches with him. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling.
“What?” He almost smiled too.
“Nothing. I need to…” Get out before I did something stupid like try to reenact my sex dream with him. I gestured to the bathroom and hurried away.
A cold shower doused the fire in my veins. I shivered and wrapped myself in a towel. Part of me wanted to peek out of the partially open bathroom door and check on Zack. What was he doing? Was he thinking of me?
I checked my phone for a distraction.
Oh. I had a message from the bedding company I used in my sheet dress video.
“Oh my god. Oh mygod.” I shrieked.
Zack rushed to a stop outside the bathroom door, the momentum knocking it open another few inches to let out the steam. “What? Are you okay?”
I fully opened the door and broke into a watery smile. “A brand wants to hire me.”
I did it. I was on brand for somebody.
41
Real
I reached for Zack without thinking.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and hoisted me into the air.
I shrieked again, this time with glee, as his warmth radiated around me. I popped my feet in excitement and squeezed him tighter. This was game-changing. I’d finally hit influencer status. A big brand wanted to hire me. Maybe as a stylist more than a model, but still, someone wantedme. My mind, my ideas, my body and brand were worth soliciting beyond a feet kink.
“Congratulations, Nic,” he said.
“Thank you. I can’t believe this is happening.” I hopped to the floor and launched into the whole story. I’d never talked so fast in my life. He probably had no idea what brand or video I was referencing. This kind of stuff didn’t mean anything to him, but it was everything to me.
Well, almost everything.
I stopped talking and finally registered that I’d never let go of him. His steady heartbeat throbbed under my fingertips.The heat of his hands seeped into my waist as he kneaded reassurance into my body. I prodded the damp spots streaking his uniform. “Sorry I got you all wet.”
“It was worth it,” he said softly.
God, standing here in nothing but a towel while he held me close brought all these fuzzy feelings rushing back. I needed to invest in a warming rack so I wouldn’t have to rely on him for this. Unfortunately, I had a feeling it’d be a pale imitation of the real thing.
And I wanted something real. With him.
I pinned the towel up by tightening my arms to my side. “I guess I should thank you for helping me find my brand.”
“You didn’t need me to get you there,” he said. “It’s all you. It’s always been you. You’re amazing, Nic. You’re worth it, and I’m glad to see you celebrating that.”
I bit my lip. Did he believe that or was he teasing my newfound motto? I hadn’t told him about the catchphrase I’d put on the end of my video. “Were you watching my stuff?”
He loosened his grip on my waist and glanced away, his neck blooming pink. “I…may have.”
“You don’t even have an account.”
