Indulgent Pleasures

Make love all night long.

Stephanie smiled, feeling a little foolish, a lot happy. She’d thought she’d been in love before but it had never felt like this. One look from Justin and she wanted to melt. His touch seared her, his kisses swept her away until she couldn’t even think. She could only feel.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him, marveled for about the millionth time at how handsome he was. How strong of a profile he had, the thick, barely tamed dark hair, his strong jaw and nose, those luscious lips that had been attached to hers just moments before. She was even growing used to the goatee, liking the way it framed that beautiful mouth of his.

Justin caught her staring and his brows drew together in what looked like worry. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head, feeling as if she could burst. “Absolutely nothing.”

He drew her close, dropping another kiss to her mouth and she knew she’d never felt more cherished than she did at this very moment.

Reluctantly pulling away, he led her around a corner building and the restaurant loomed up ahead. Stephanie caught sight of the blue and red neon sign proclaiming its name.

A flash of white light caught her attention and she turned quickly but no one was there. She stopped walking, as did Justin and he watched her with a questioning expression on his face.

“What happened? Did you see something?”

“I don’t know. I just saw a light flash. Like the flash of a camera.” She glanced all around, her eyes skimming everything before her but she saw no one, nothing that would lead her to believe someone had a camera close by.

“Paparazzi maybe?” He shrugged his impossibly broad shoulders. “I’ve been caught by them a couple of times since I got here.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? God, do you think it could be paparazzi? I hope not.”

“What does it matter, babe? We’re officially in a relationship which means we’re eventually going to be photographed together. And then they’ll ask about you and I’ll tell them who you are.”

“What will you say?” Panic flared deep within her. What if by some off chance the press found out who she really was, meaning they found out she wrote those articles? Yes, she’d kept her identity under wraps, Zoe had seen to that but what if it all came out and she was exposed?

No, it wouldn’t come out. No way could anyone find out that little bit of information. It was a secret, a heavily guarded and protected secret and Zoe had promised her that her true identity would be kept under strict confidence.

“I’ll say that you’re my girlfriend.” He brought their clasped hands to his mouth and he brushed his lips against her knuckles. “Be prepared. They’ll probably be curious about yo

u. I’ve never had a public relationship before.”

She loved the fact that she was the first. She was special enough that this man wanted to make her his and proclaim it to the world. “I’m not scared.”

Well, maybe just a little bit.

“Good. Don’t be. I’m a pretty private person and they usually leave me alone. So don’t worry too much.”

Easy for him to say.

* * *

“Did you get it? Did you get it?”

Caleb shot Zoe a dirty look as he climbed into the black nondescript car they’d rented at the airport. He settled the digital camera in his lap and scanned back through the photos he’d just taken.

“So?” Zoe wrapped her hands around the steering wheel, clutching it so tight her knuckles went white. “How did they turn out?”

“Not bad. I was able to snap a few of them walking hand in hand and then some more while they sat together in the restaurant. They sat right by the window like a couple of sitting ducks.” He shook his head, a pleased smile on his face.

“Can I look?” She tried to compose herself. She didn’t want to appear too eager. Caleb didn’t seem to like it when she acted too eager.

“Yeah, here.” He handed over the camera on loan from City magazine and she scrolled through the various pictures. She was pleased with the results, Caleb had really come through. He captured Stephanie and Justin holding hands and standing close, appearing very much like an involved couple. He’d also managed to get a few photos of Justin feeding Stephanie with his fork as they sat across from each other.

A rather intimate gesture in a restaurant if Zoe had ever seen one.

Zoe still couldn’t believe Stephanie had actually scored Justin Hawkins, superstar former pro baseball player, of all freaking people. When she and Caleb had arrived earlier in the afternoon they’d headed right to the hotel Justin was known to be staying at and waited by the sidewalk, sitting in their rental car.