“I’m gonna go shower,” she said, getting up before I could respond.
Shit. My heart ached as I continued to sit outside by the fire. I couldn’t let her go to sleep tonight thinking I didn’t feel the same way about her. If anything, my feelings for Juliette might’ve even been stronger than hers were for me. I just hadn’t categorized it as love because I couldn’t dare go there. But that was a protective mechanism and had no bearing on how Iactuallyfelt about her.
She was already in bed when I went into the house. I took a quick shower and gathered my thoughts as the warm water rained down on me. But I knew there was no way to rehearse this. I needed to speak from the heart and hope I didn’t sound like a blubbering idiot.
After, I slipped into bed and wrapped my arms around her from behind. Juliette’s body went rigid at my touch. She was so damn tense, and I didn’t have to wonder why.
“You’re not the only one, Juliette,” I whispered. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
She turned to face me and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. But when she pulled back, I noticed a look of worry in her eyes, as if somehow in the time she’d spent lying in bed alone, she’d realized a little of what I was already concerned about.
***
The following morning, the tension from the night before had thankfully dissipated.
After mind-blowing morning sex, Juliette and I had coffee together out on the patio, flanked by palm trees and a cool morning breeze.
We decided to try a breakfast place that had great reviews online.
The outdoor seating area was crowded by the time we got there. Once we found a table, Juliette ordered the chocolate chip pancakes while I opted for eggs, bacon, and toast.
We were in the middle of our meal when I spotted what looked like a man holding a camera in the nearby bushes. The lens seemed to be aimed straight at us.
Adrenaline raced through me. “Stay right here,” I told Juliette as I got up. My eardrums throbbed as I stalked toward the bushes. “What the fuck are you doing?” I yelled as I jumped him, ripping the camera out of his hands and placing him in a chokehold.
“Get off me!” He coughed.
He couldn’t have been more than twenty-two and looked like he was about to shit his pants.
“Not until you tell me what you were doing taking photos of us,” I seethed. “Did Vince hire you?” I let him go long enough to speak.
“Who the fuck is Vince?” He panted. “And I wasn’t taking photos of you! See for yourself.”
I scrolled through his camera, and sure enough, all the photos were of the couple seated behind us. My breathing calmed, and I felt a bit stupid, to be honest.
“I was hired to take photos of Lindsay Appleton,” he said. “You know…the actress.”
I vaguely recalled her as an up-and-coming star.
My shoulders slumped. “Man, I’m sorry.”
“Who the hell are you? And why should I be taking photos of you anyway?”
I shook my head. “You don’t want to know.” I handed him back the camera, then reached into my wallet and took out a hundred-dollar bill. I offered it to him. “We good?”
He took it and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, man.”
Hanging my head in shame, I returned to the table where Juliette waited with fear in her eyes.
“What the hell just happened, Wes?”
“It’s all good. It was a false alarm,” I muttered, shoveling some eggs into my mouth.
“Explain,” she demanded.
I put my fork down and sighed. “I thought someone was taking photos of you and me. I assumed your father had hired someone.” I lowered my voice. “But Lindsay Appleton is at the table behind us. That’s who the guy was snapping.”
Juliette turned around. “Oh my God. I had no idea.” She chuckled. “I guess we’re not that important.”
