Page 79 of The Money Shot

The beach was nearly empty, the soft sound of waves lapping against the shore filling the tranquil air. Liam walked ahead, his excitement contagious as he kicked off his shoes and ran into the shallows. I followed more slowly, letting the stress of the day start to melt away as the warm sand gave way to cool water around my ankles.

Liam turned back to me, splashing playfully. “Come on, Jack, live a little!” he called, his laugh carrying over the breeze.

A vision of Evelyn’s frown filled my head. “I wish I could, Liam. I wish I could.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Liam

The view from the deck was stunning. It was a view people wrote poems about or slapped on motivational posters to sell the idea of peace and purpose. Pristine white sand stretched for miles, kissed by waves so gentle it felt like they were trying not to disturb the shoreline. The sun hung low, sinking toward the horizon, staining the sky in ribbons of orange and pink.

It was breathtaking. It was perfect. And tonight, it was where everything would change.

I sat in one of the hotel room’s plush chairs, staring out through the glass doors at the beach, my foot bouncing against the tile floor as my mind raced. I’d decided. Tonight was the night, and I was ready.

Ready to give Jack everything, including my virginity.

The thought shot through me like a jolt of electricity. Nervous? Sure. But more than that, I was determined. I wanted it to be with Jack, and I wanted it to be ours.

It wasn’t just about sex—not anymore. What Jack and I had been doing on camera wasn’t the same as what other creators did. The first time we’d filmed, I thought it would be weird, or awkward. And yeah, at first, it was. But something changed,something I couldn’t put into words. When I rewatched the footage, I saw it. Hell, everyone saw it.

Jack and I weren’t just going through the motions. We were showing our truth.

It was in the way he touched me, in the way he looked at me. And it wasn’t just about turning people on; it was about showing our hearts. That’s what set us apart. It wasn’t porn, and it wasn’t fake. It was raw, real—a love story unfolding in real time for viewers around the globe.

And yeah, okay, maybe it was weird to think about losing my virginity on camera, but the way I saw it, it wasn’t any different from what we’d already been doing. I mean, people watched the Kardashians do every imaginable thing under the sun on camera. What Jack and I were doing—it was practically reality TV, just with less crying, more love, and lots of sex.

I stood up and paced the room, glancing toward the clock above the minibar. Jack wouldn’t be back for at least two hours. He was still with Monfils, probably smoothing things over, assuring the man that Evelyn Van Alen wasn’t some villain ripped from a Dickens novel. I had time to plan.

I stepped onto the deck and leaned on the railing, letting the warm, salt-tinged breeze tickle my skin. I shut my eyes and imagined it: Jack and me, alone, tucked into some secluded cove where the only sounds would be the crackle of a small fire and the waves lapping against the sand. It would be romantic as hell, and it would be ours.

I pictured Jack’s face when I told him. Not just about tonight, but the other thing—the bigger thing.

“I love him,” I whispered.

My chest tightened. I’d been holding on to those words for too long, and I was done waiting. Done letting doubt creep in. Jack deserved to know. And yeah, maybe it was risky to say it on camera, but it felt right. If there was one thing I’d learnedrecently, it was the best things in life only happened when you put yourself out there. When you stopped playing it safe.

This was my chance to do something real, to say something real. And I wasn’t letting it slip away.

Earlier this morning, before we left for the airport, I checked the FantasyFans dashboard. We now had two thousand eight hundred and sixty-five subscribers. I did the math in my head, just like I’d been doing all week. Over forty thousand dollars in a month.

Forty. Thousand.

My jaw still dropped every time I thought about it. And the wild part? That number was only climbing. Jack and I were building something bigger than either of us realized at the beginning. Something that wasn’t just about the money or the views. People weren’t just watching us—they were connecting with us.

So tonight, I was going to give them something they’d never forget. The plan was already forming in my mind—I’d scout out the perfect spot now, before Jack got back. I’d make sure it was everything it should be: intimate, private, beautiful. Then tonight, when the moment was right, I’d tell him how I felt. And the world would know it, too.

I turned back toward the hotel room, sliding the glass door open and stepping inside. I grabbed my flip-flops and slipped them on, pausing only for a second to glance at the clock again.

Two hours.

Plenty of time.

I grabbed the key card off the desk and headed for the door, my heart pounding as I stepped into the hallway. For the first time in a long time, I knew exactly what I wanted. And I was going to make damn sure it happened.

Tonight, everything would change.

I headed for the hotel lobby, found the bellhop, and asked him to help me find a secluded spot by the beach.