When I stop behind Hal, he snags my wrist and pulls me in front of him. He wraps an arm around my middle, holding me tightly against his front. Resting his chin on top of my head, Hal resumes looking at Charlie’s camera without saying anything, like holding random women he’s met once is a normal occurrence.
Maybe it is for him.
I smother the jealousy that’s trying to burn through me. Hal isn’t mine, so he’s free to hold whoever he wants. I studiously ignore that the thought of him holding anyone else makes me feel like I’m going to throw up. And I also avoid acknowledging how much I like his warm, hard body pressed against me.
Shaking my head to clear it of all the things I have no business feeling, I drag my focus back to the digital screen.
Charlie is a damn good photographer. The composition, lighting, focus, and everything else are on point. The only thing I’d change is her choosing a subject that’s not me, but I have to admit that she worked some magic to make me look pretty cool.
Surrounded by Hal, Rook, Colt, and Remy, I’m once again struck by their lack of a scent, other than general magic. I thought I must’ve been imagining their mysterious smell last night, but I definitely wasn’t.
Something is up with them, but I don’t have the forwardness or courage to ask them outright. Instead, I file it away as a mystery I’ll probably never solve and try to forget about it.
When she finishes flipping through the hundred or so photos, Charlie bites her lip and nervously looks at us. I grin at her.
Before I can tell her how awesome everything turned out, Hal chimes in. “Those are amazing. I’m incredibly impressed. I love the nighttime ones with the city lights, especially.”
Remy nods vigorously in agreement. “Yeah, those are really cool!”
“They look like professional portraits,” Rook adds.
Charlie ducks her head, embarrassed by the praise. While Coop, her parents, and I all tell her how great she is, it’s different when it comes from strangers who don’t have to be nice to her.
She tucks a strand of her blonde hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear as she seems to deliberate something. “I can take a few pictures of you guys on your bikes if you want.”
“Really?” Hal waits for Charlie’s nod. “That would be fucking awesome. We’ll pay you for your time, obviously.”
She waves away his offer. “That’s not necessary. I’m happy to do it for free.”
Hal shakes his head, the motion ruffling my hair, before she finishes speaking. “We don’t mind. The least we can do is pay you for the trouble.”
“Considering it’s not any trouble, no payment needed. So, who wants to go first?” I try to hide my smile at how blunt and to the point Charlie is, loving the confidence my best friend has. When the guys have a silent conversation instead of responding, she sighs and points at Hal. “Fine. Since no one volunteered, let’s start with the green-eyed troublemaker. I’ll meet you down by Jojo’s bike.”
Hal barks out a laugh. “Me? A troublemaker? I think you have the wrong man.”
Charlie rolls her eyes so hard I’m surprised she can see where she’s going as she marches back down to our bikes. “Mm-hmm. Sure, you aren’t.”
I can’t help my snort at her obvious disbelief and the fact that Hal has trouble written all over him.
At the noise, Hal spins me around to face him and dramatically clutches at his chest. “You too, wild girl? Your lack of faith wounds me.”
I grin at his antics. “Sorry,” I mumble through my smile, not sounding even slightly apologetic.
His lips twitch up, and he shakes his head. Hal leans in until his lips are almost touching mine, and my breath hitches. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me, and I can’t decide whether to run away or lean closer.
But he doesn’t make any move to close the gap between us. Instead, his warm breath feathers over my lips as he rasps,“Mmm, you’re not a very good liar, are you, wild girl? That’s good to know.”
Not waiting for my response, Hal pulls back and stalks off back to his bike.
CHAPTER 6
LARK
The rumble as Hal starts his Ducati is what snaps me out of the daze he left me in.
My cheeks heat as I chance a guilty glance around me, hoping no one saw what just happened.
Luck is on my side for once.
