I hesitated.
“Don’t be nervous. It’s fine. I’ll be in the room.”
“You’re filming it?”
“I’ll oversee. Cliff will do the filming. I thought you’d feel better.”
I heaved a small sigh of relief. I would feel better with Beth there in the room.
She pushed me in the direction of the bathroom. “Go. We’ll do this, and I’ll get some ice for your hand after.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you there.”
Avery
I entered the room filled with nervous anticipation. Beth and another staff member were talking to a man whose back was to me. He was tall, towering over Beth. His shiny hair was a rich, chestnut brown under the bright lights, the bottom brushing the back of his collar. His broad shoulders were ensconced in a black leather jacket. Tight jeans clung to his long legs and framed a rather spectacular ass. He was laughing at something Beth said, his hands on his hips as he flung his head back in merriment. I hesitated as I watched him. He was incredibly tall. I wasn’t sure I would even come up mid-chest on him. I was going to have to go on my tiptoes, and he would have to bend way down, if we had any chance of kissing. This already had disaster written all over it.
Beth saw me and waved me over.
My fellow volunteer turned around, and I almost fell flat on my face. He was gorgeous. His vivid, blue eyes glowed behind thick, black frames. His face was all angles, accented by high cheekbones and scruff—the entire package offset by his wavy hair. Those tight jeans hung low on his hips, and before I could stop myself, my eyes dropped to his feet. His large feet, which were encased by a pair of black, dusty Doc Martens.
His very large feet.
Color flooded my cheeks at my thoughts. It was as if I was channeling my inner Beth. It was all I could do to look back up and meet his gaze. His eyes widened behind his glasses, a small smile playing on his full lips. Lips I would be kissing in a moment.
I swallowed, and unconsciously licked my own lips.
Somehow, I had the feeling I wouldn’t need the last peppermint for him. My fingers fished around in my pocket. I had already eaten six, but maybe a seventh would be a good idea. I popped the candy in my mouth, realizing too late maybe we’d be kissing before it dissolved so I bit down, chewing frantically. He watched me the whole time, his lips quirking, as if he were trying to hide his amusement.
I knew, without a doubt, when he smiled, it would be like the sun filling the room. I wanted to see that. I wanted to make him smile. Why, I had no idea.
Hesitantly, I crossed the room to join Beth and the mystery man. Ever the professional, Beth held out a clipboard to each of us, instructing us to read and sign. I grimaced slightly holding the board, my bent fingers protesting. Twice, I peeked over my clipboard, only to find his intense blue gaze fixed on me, a curious look on his face. Each time I felt my cheeks flare with color, and I dropped my eyes back to the paper I was supposed to be reading. I had no idea what it said, so I simply scribbled my signature and handed it back to Beth.
“Okay.” She grinned. “Here’s what is gonna happen. You two—stand over there.” She pointed to the empty area behind her. “Cliff will start the camera rolling. Do whatever you want. Talk, introduce yourselves, shake hands—whatever makes you comfortable. Or do nothing. You can kiss and leave, if that’s what you want. You have half an hour, but at some point, during your allotted time, I need you to kiss each other. Clear?”
Mystery man spoke up, his voice surprisingly nervous and low, and strangely familiar. “You’ll be filming the whole time?”
Beth nodded in affirmation. “We might use extra clips for the video. She held up the clipboards. “You gave us permission with these forms. Now, any questions?”
We shook our heads and moved to the center of the room where Beth had indicated us to stand. Under the lights, his hair showed some red in the chestnut waves. It was tousled and messy—the look suited him well. I had the craziest need to bury my fingers in it and see if it was as soft as it looked. We stared at each other in silence, his hand cupping the back of his neck as our eyes held. I wanted to lose myself in his eyes; deep blue and rich like the color of the ocean on a sunny day. The image of lying underneath him as waves swept around us filled my head and once again, I blushed.
Where were all these thoughts coming from?
All of a sudden, he had his hands buried in the mess of hair on his head, tugging and pulling, creating even more chaos. Then he stood straighter, and a determined look came over his face. He tugged off his jacket, dropping it to the floor in a pile of smooth leather, leaving him in a simple, white T-shirt, which hugged his chest and torso to perfection. Ink peeked out from under the sleeve of his right arm, and I had the irrational need to see the design.
He took a step closer and held out his hand, palm side up, his fingers curling in a silent invitation.
“Hello,” he spoke quietly, his voice a gentle caress to my ears. “I’m Daniel. Daniel Spencer.”
I stared down at his hand. His palm was wide, his fingers long and graceful. Hesitantly, I placed my palm on top of his, my entire body feeling a familiar rush of heat as his fingers closed, encasing my hand with his touch.
“Avery.”
“Avery,” he murmured. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you.”
My legs started to tremble. Slow, torturous shudders ran through my spine as his hand tightened on mine.
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