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The tenderness of it makes my heart slam into my ribs. The moment her mouth meets mine, my body wakes up, blood rushing faster through my veins as every cell seems to come alive.

I brush my thumb over her cheek, lingering there for one extra second just to steal another quick kiss.

“No, pixie,” I tell her once she starts driving again. “I’m good.”

Even though I give her the same answer every time, she still checks on me several times a day. Every night, she changes the bandage on my knee herself, her touch always careful and impossibly gentle, and somehow even manages to find positions for sex that won’t risk hurting me.

She doesn’t understand that I wouldn’t care what hurts as long as she’s in my arms.

“Second street on the left,” I guide her. “Then you’ll need to park at the end of it.”

“Have you been here before?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “That’s just what the GPS says.”

Up ahead, I can already see a crowd of parked cars and people rushing from one side of the street to the other.

The closer we get, the more obvious it becomes that something is happening.

“Uh…” Selene glances between the road and me. “Are you sure this is the right place? It looks like there’s an event going on.”

Checking my phone one more time, I nod.

“Yeah. It says we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

Once she parks in an empty spot, I reach for the door before she can open it herself. Despite the protest from my knee, I climb out and make my way around the car, then open her door.

A small smile curves her lips as she looks up at me.

“Thank you.”

“Always.”

I offer her my good hand, and she slips her fingers through mine. We barely take a step when a woman with a headset in one ear and a planner clutched in her hand appears beside us.

“Finally, you’re here.” She looks straight at Selene. “You must be Selene. Mara told me you’d be perfect for this shoot, and she was right.”

Grabbing Selene by the hand, she practically spins her around for a quick inspection.

“Shoot?” Selene asks, her brows drawing together. “What shoot?”

I shrug—or at least as much as my injured hand allows me—and wait for the woman to explain.

“Come with me, please,” she says, already pulling Selene along with her.

Two bodyguards immediately fall into step behind them.

“I’ll explain while they get you ready because we’re out of time.”

I stay where I am for a few moments, watching them disappear deeper into the chaos. Selene glances back at me over her shoulder, confusion still written across her gorgeous face.

I give her a reassuring smile as the woman suddenly shouts over her shoulder, “Handsome, move it and go get ready. You’re part of this.”

Okaaay.

Would’ve been nice to know where exactly I’m supposed to go.

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