excuse them.” Justin put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “And I’ll never forget. But I need to try to move on. Can you understand that?”
She stared out the window for a long time before she eventually nodded.
Avery groaned when the alarm went off at five thirty the next morning. “Just five more minutes,” she mumbled burying her head back under the pillow.
“Uh-uh.” Marcus slapped her on the rear, eliciting a yelp. “Up, Ace. Or you won’t have time for coffee.”
“Alright,” she grumbled, rolling over and sprawling out on top of him. She leaned in and feathered light kisses along the line of his stubbled jaw.
“Stop stalling.” He flipped on the light.
She cringed, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Go get in the shower,” he ordered, voice low and authoritative.
Avery muttered under her breath, got up, stretched, and padded to the bathroom.
Marcus watched with heated admiration. She was adorable in her Victoria Secret pink plaid boxers and camisole top. When she caught him staring, she wiggled her ass and fluttered her eyelashes. “Will you ask Ray to stop and get me a café latte from Café Artigiano on the way?”
He grabbed his watch off the nightstand and checked the time. “Probably, but you’d better hurry so we can both have time to shower.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “We’ll save water and time if you shower with me.”
Hell, yeah. Marcus jumped out of bed, grabbed her, and threw her over his shoulder. Her giggling turned into a moan as he stroked a finger along the inside edge of her boxers.
Forty-five satisfying minutes later, Ray pulled the car into a back alley off Central Street.
“I hope they have coffee,” Avery mumbled dubiously, looking out the back window.
“They will,” Marcus assured her, following the direction of her gaze. Though the overnight rain had dwindled to a light mist, a group of people still milled around underneath the shelter of a canopy. Off to the right a nearby motor home was marked with a production sign.
“Anyway, whose fault is it that we didn’t have time to stop for lattes?”
“It was worth it.” Her green eyes glittered in the predawn light.
A knock on the tinted window of the Mercedes had them pulling apart.
“Ms. Jones?” asked a tall guy wearing jeans, his red hoodie pulled up over a Mariners cap.
“Yes,” she answered rolling down the window.
“Scott Westfield, production assistant.” His words were punctuated by white puffs of condensation. “I need you to follow me. We’re running late.”
Avery gave Marcus a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for coming with me.” She opened the door and hurried after him.
Marcus’ brows drew together as he watched her go. The time before the tour was passing away too quickly. He was beginning to resent every single moment the outside world stole from them.
After pulling on his jacket, he left Ray inside the car and made his way over to the canopied area. It seemed to be the centralized area for the shoot. He poured himself a coffee and stood next to the makeshift breakfast buffet trying to decide what to eat when he noticed Avery emerge from the motor home. He froze, momentarily transfixed by the sight. “Incredible,” he whispered.
Avery didn’t normally wear much makeup; her creamy complexion and dark eyelashes and eyebrows made it unnecessary. Still, whoever had put the stuff on her this morning knew what they were doing. The grey eye shadow around her eyes made them appear smoky and sultry. Her full lips were accentuated in bold red, and her coppery hair styled into loose curls. He found it impossible to look away.
The dress she wore made her look like a fairy tale princess. It was strapless, champagne colored and diaphanous, a perfect complement to her pale lightly freckled skin. The hemline swirled around her ankles like sea foam. He had a sudden irrational desire to sweep her up in his arms and take her away, lock her forever in a tall tower, and share her with no one.
His eyes met hers. She gave him a shy smile, lifted up the hem of her dress, and tiptoed around the puddles to reach him. “How do I look?” She peered up at him through mile long mascaraed lashes.
“Utterly captivating.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “But is it wrong that I want to take you back to the apartment and peel it all off?”
Blushing, she shook her head. “Thanks. I feel silly dressed like this in an alley.”
“You look gorgeous