“Lexi,” His darkened eyes pierced hers. “Not the man. He’s completely secondary in this. The focus of the picture is the beautiful brunette, right here.” She half expected so see his finger pointing at Jade, but when she saw her face as the one he was talking about, her eyes grew huge with surprise.
“Me?”
“She is the star of this photo. The man doesn’t even see anyone but her. Look at him. His eyes are fixated on her face. He’s watching her every movement, he probably has been from the moment he saw her by the pool.”
Lexi swallowed hard, goose bumps breaking out across her flesh as his thumb continued to caress her arm. She didn’t know what to do. Vincent had basically confessed to watching her all day at Anna’s. She was the one who held his attention. Her heart spasmed in her chest as if it was screaming for joy. It was now or never.
“Well, the brunette can feel his eyes on her, and she likes it. She loves the way he watches her, the secretive glances, and the playfulness between them. If she’d turned her head just a little farther to the side she would have caught him looking and would have been captivated by him, unable to look away. His admiration makes her bolder than she ever thought she could be. That confidence you see in her is because of him.”
“Do you think she wants him?” he asked in a husky voice, moving closer to her.
Lexi shyly peeked up at him from under her eyelashes and took the chance of her lifetime. “I know she wants him. She has for a very long time.” She held her breath and waited for his response.
A second passed … two. Just when Lexi was about to panic that she’d crossed the line with their little game, Vincent took a deep breath, and she waited.
“He wants her more than he has ever wanted anyone in his life.”
Lexi turned away, the honesty in his eyes nearly stopping her heart. It was all too real now. Him sitting beside her, her face inches from his. The hardness of his body, the ease with which she could throw her arms around his shoulders and get lost in him completely. She immediately fixated on the picture and Jade’s snarling face snapped her back into reality.
“An illusion. That’s what the story of this photograph is, Vincent—something that will never be. Until there’s no angry harpy looming in the background, these two can never be together. She won’t allow it. He has to want her and only her, free and clear. Until then, they can see each other every day and pretend, pretend to be friends and colleagues, but nothing more.”
Knowing she was right, Vincent leaned closer, his forehead coming to rest against hers. They stayed that way for a minute, maybe ten. Lexi lost track of time and just let herself be swept up in the moment, in Vincent. He held her gaze, his eyes full of longing and want, hers reflecting the same deep emotions.
Finally, she felt just the slightest of shifts and heard Vincent whisper, “I don’t want to pretend any longer.” The next thing she knew, Vincent’s lips crashed into hers.
There was a possessive fire in his kiss that took Lexi’s breath away. His tongue swept past her lips, penetrating her mouth and claiming it as his.
Her heart exploded in her chest, and instinctively her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she held him to her. Pouring her heart into it, all the years of longing and waiting, she kissed him back with just as much fervor, possibly even more. The growl of pleasure that came from deep in Vincent’s chest made Lexi’s entire body flush with heat. She kept kissing him, even if it meant depriving herself of oxygen. Nothing was more important at that moment than him.
Vincent’s hands eagerly explored her body, seeking out her curves and gently ghosting his fingers over her flesh. When she started to pull away, he tried to hold on tighter, but she slipped through his fingers and jumped to her feet, breathless.
“Lexi, I—” He stood up and went to her, his chest heaving as he tried to calm his breathing and speak. Instead of being welcomed into her awaiting arms, he was met by a hard slap to the face.
Lexi picked up the picture that had fallen to their feet. Her eyes were on fire as she pointed at Jade’s face in the photo. “Until she’s out of the picture, that can never happen again.”
Dumbfounded, Vincent watched her walk away.
∙ 28 ∙
s how me what you got, girl,” Hope called from the doorway of Lexi’s bedroom. Lexi strode out and gave a slow spin to show all the detail of the elegant knee-length dress she wore. It was black with a white strap that wrapped over one shoulder. The beading detail and workmanship of the dress were impeccable.
“It’s spectacular. You look stunning. Where did you get it?” Hope gushed. “It’s a present from Julian. An original Stone design.” Lexi went to the mirror and gave her hair one final touchup, then she sat down beside Hope and slipped her heels on. “You look gorgeous too, by the way.”
Hope checked her watch and smiled. “Thanks. Wait, Julian doesn’t design women’s clothing.”
“Not in his line, but he does privately for Christina. This is one of those gowns.”
“Good thing the two of you are the same size,” Hope said as she ran her fingers over the black satin of Lexi’s skirt. “I’m kinda nervous to be going to this event tonight. This party is a long way from the garage.” Hope checked her makeup and hair again, suddenly frantic.
Her nerves caught Lexi completely off guard. Hope was always so together; nothing fazed her. She tried to put her friend’s mind at ease. “It’s just a fashion show. We sit, we look at the clothes, ooh and ahh, and then go to the after party where we make small talk with a bunch of people we’ll never see again. What’s the big deal? Sean won’t be letting you out of his sight looking as gorgeous as you do tonight.” Lexi turned off the light and went to get her purse off the kitchen table.
“This is Julian Stone’s fashion show, Lexi. We’re talking paparazzi and red carpets. I’m a grease monkey. I don’t do red carpets.” Hope tapped her foot nervously on the hardwood floor, the loud clicks echoing through the room.
A knowing grin crept onto Lexi’s face. “You really like him, don’t you? And I mean really like him … don’t you?”
Hope nodded her head and bit her lip nervously. “He’s dated actresses, models, and heiresses, Lex. They know how to act at these things. I don’t.”
“So follow his lead. He’ll never let you fall.” Lexi made it all sound so simple when she was talking about someone else. Her life, however, was as complicated as the plans for the space shuttle.