“You have to. It’s your job.”
“I’ll miss you.”
She kept playing with my hair. I loved it when she did. “I’ll miss you as well,” she whispered, her voice soothing. “But it’s only a week, and then you’re home. We’ve been apart longer than that before.”
“I didn’t know I loved you then.”
Her eyes softened, and she leaned down to press her lips to mine. “You’ll be fine. You’re always so busy on set anyway, and I’ll be here when you get back.”
“What will you do while I’m gone?”
“I think Caroline is coming while you’re gone, so I’ll be busy with her.”
“You still plan on introducing her to Douglas?”
She nodded. “They’re perfect for each other.”
“Aside from the fact that he lives here, and she lives in Chicago. Yeah. Bloody perfect,” I snorted.
“She’s a photographer, Liam. She can work anywhere. She used to come visit me in Sacramento all the time.”
“Well, good to know you have it planned out for them.” I stroked her cheek. “I don’t know if Douglas is in the market for a relationship. Don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t happen the way you hope, okay?”
She smiled. “It’s fine. But I have a good feeling about them.”
I grinned at her. “I have a good feeling about you.”
“Oh yeah?”
I pulled her head down, kissing her inviting mouth. Her fingers threaded deeper into my hair, holding me close as we lost ourselves. She nipped my lip as I pulled back, looking rather mischievous. Her voice was husky. “Liam…I’m thirsty.”
As strange as that seemed at this moment, I pushed off the sofa, heading for the kitchen. “What do you want?” I asked over my shoulder.
“OJ.”
I stopped midstride and looked back.
Did she mean…?
She sat stock-still, grinning widely at me. “A great big shot of OJ.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You really don’t want to be testing me on that, Beaker.”
She quirked her eyebrow at me, still grinning.
Quirked. Like a challenge.
“Would that be a…hard thing for you to manage?” She giggled.
I covered the distance back to the sofa in two strides, pausing only to swoop her into my arms and head for the stairs. “I’ll show you hard.”
She nuzzled my throat. “I hope so.”If I thought I adored Shelby before, the last couple of days had sealed the deal for me. Being with her, being able to touch her, kiss her anytime I wanted was amazing. I followed her around like a puppy dog at times, hating to be in another room. I only wanted to be where she was, no matter what she was doing. Even letting her get ready alone today was hard. But so worth it when she appeared at the head of the stairs.
She was cracking today.
I smiled at her as she came toward me. Her dress was still red but had some frothy black stuff on it and was shorter this time, showing off her lovely legs. Her feet had healed enough that she was wearing heels, although lower than Lily would’ve liked. The only jewelry on her today was the bracelet, but she still wore some token of mine on her body.
I had even cajoled Lily into letting me go without a tie since the event was less formal. It always took place outside in a massive garden, where people milled about at will. The speeches were minimal, the auction being the large draw. I always donated several things to it: signed scripts, a visit to the set of a movie I was working on; I even had dinner with a family one year. Whatever would net the most money for their cause. I got my love of books from my mother, and I did this in her honor every year. She got a kick out of that and loved knowing I helped the library and its many programs keep going. I had a soft spot for any cause that had to do with children. Most of my charitable contributions, either monetary or timewise, were donated to these types of causes.
Everett and Cassidy were going with us, as well as Mark. I was secure knowing I would be safe with them, and having Shelby beside me, I was quite calm. She was the perfect antidote to my panic attacks. It was as if needing to protect her made my own anxiety dissipate.
I crooked my arm. “You ready to do this?”
She stood on her toes, and I leaned down to meet her. Her full lips grazed mine. “I’m right here, Liam. I won’t let go.”
I kissed her again. “Me either.”I looked out the window of the car as we pulled up outside the building. “Bloody hell.” It was a frenzy out there. Stirrings of panic began in my stomach, and I swallowed nervously.
Beside me, Shelby squeezed my hand. “Maybe…maybe I shouldn’t go in. If you went without me, they’d just leave, right? No picture, no story?”