Page 81 of The Money Shot
My brain short-circuited. Jack. Kissing me.
It wasn’t like him at all. For one thing, the camera wasn’t pointed at us. This was something else entirely—like he couldn’t stop himself, like he’d been waiting for this moment all day. I barely had time to react before he pulled back, his hands lingering on my cheeks.
I blinked at him, breathless. “Uh… hi?”
He grinned, looking almost embarrassed. “Sorry. I just… it’s good to see you. Give me a couple of minutes to change, and we’ll grab dinner. Hotel restaurant okay?”
“Yeah,” I managed, still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. “Sounds good.”
Jack squeezed my shoulder as he passed, heading for his suitcase. I stood there, dumbfounded, my fingertips brushing over my lips where his kiss still lingered.
Did Jack feel for me the way I felt for him?
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jack
The setting sun painted the horizon in shades of orange and pink, a warm glow reflecting off the rippling waves below the restaurant’s balcony. The scent of saltwater mingled with the aroma of freshly grilled seafood, making the moment feel surreal.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this moment.
Liam sat across from me, his cheeks rosy from the sun and maybe the glass of wine he’d been sipping. Every time he smiled, I smiled back, unable to do otherwise. There was a lightness about him tonight, a kind of joy that radiated from his every pore.
I wanted to tell him I loved him. The words were right there, bubbling up in my chest. I wasn’t afraid anymore—not of rejection, not of what came next. If it weren’t for this nagging sense that the moment wasn’t quite perfect, I’d have said it right then and there. Instead, I just watched him, memorizing the way the light danced in his eyes and the way his smile curved, so full of life.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, sliding it across the table toward me. “Take a look,” he grinned. “See how many subscribers we have now?”
I picked up the phone and stared at the number on the screen. Almost three thousand. My jaw nearly dropped.
“Holy...” I trailed off, blinking to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. “Three thousand subscribers? Already?”
Liam’s grin widened, his dimples deepening. “And check this out.” He tapped the screen to show our earnings for the month.
My breath caught. “That’s... that’s almost a third of my yearly salary.”
“Told you FantasyFans was a brilliant idea.” He leaned back in his chair, looking as pleased as I’d ever seen him. “So, here’s a question for you: would you ever consider giving up your day job and focusing on this full time? I mean, look at these numbers. We’re killing it.”
I sighed, setting the phone down and reaching across the table to take his hand. His fingers stiffened, and for a moment, I didn’t understand why. Then his eyes flicked to mine, cautious.
“Liam,” I said gently, “FantasyFans is a stopgap. It’s just until you get back on your feet.”
His brow furrowed, and his hand tensed in mine. “Jack,” he said, his voice carrying an edge, “I’m not just back on my feet. I’m wearing the most expensive high heels on the planet. This isn’t a stopgap; it’s a door. A door to new opportunities, to wealth, to… freedom.”
I shrugged, feeling the weight of his words but unable to let go of my own doubts. “Liam, I get it. I really do. But... I want to make it big, doing a job I’m proud of. Something I can tell people about without… without wondering if my dad ever finds out. If he knew about this, Liam, it would kill him.”
He squeezed my hand then, his touch softening as his expression shifted to something more understanding. For a moment, we just sat there, the unspoken tension hanging between us. Then he signaled to our server for the check andturned back to me with a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time.
“Want to take a walk on the beach?” he asked. “They say the full moon tonight is supposed to be amazing.”
I grinned, grateful for the shift in mood. “Only if you tell me what’s in that bag you brought from our room.”
He winked, his mischievous grin returning. “It’s a surprise.”
The beach was quiet, the sun long gone and replaced by the soft glow of moonlight reflecting on the water. Liam walked beside me, our hands brushing now and then, and I couldn’t remember a time I’d felt happier. Everything about this moment felt perfect—effortless—as if the universe had aligned just for us.
Liam stopped suddenly, turning to me with a playful grin. “Come on,” he said, taking my hand and leading me into the dunes. “I know a place where no one will bother us.”
It was tucked away from the main stretch of beach, surrounded by tall dunes that made it feel like our own private world. When we reached a cove, Liam set down the bag he’d been carrying and began pulling things out. First, a soft blanket, which he spread out on the sand. Then, to my surprise, he pulled out his phone and a small stand, setting them up next to the blanket.