Fuck.

Maybe once I see her in person, the ache will start to dull. Maybe I’ve build it up to be bigger than it really is.

“Sir, we’re here,” my driver says, pulling me from my thoughts of Cali.

I don’t wait for him to open the door for me. I hop out, anxious to get inside and see her. I’ve never gone to a shoot for an ad campaign. I give my ideas and wait to see the finished project. Sometimes I’ll get updates of what’s happening with them while they’re going on and I’ll add my thoughts from my office. But this is very different.

When I enter the studio, I see Lynn’s face fill with surprise. She jumps out of her chair and rushes towards me. Her short blonde hair bounces with each step as she totters in her ridiculous high heels. She’s extremely short, even in those shoes.

“Sir, I didn’t know you’d be coming. Did I miss something?” She pulls out her phone, probably looking to see if I’d called or sent an email that she’d missed.

“No, Lynn. I’m just here to watch.”

She eyes me, still seeming a little nervous that the boss is going to be watching everything today. “Okay. I’ll get you a chair, or you can have mine.” She points to the chair she just vacated.

“I’m fine. I think I’ll just stand in the back,” I tell her. I want to stand out of sight and watch her first. Get a feel for her and see if I can learn something else about her. I refrained from going to her hotel last night and it almost killed me. I drove by twice and debated going into the bar just to see if she was there.

I’d finally broken and asked my head of security to go in and check it out. If she was at the bar, I was going in. I knew someone would make a move on her if she was there. She is perfect and I couldn’t blame them, but that shit wasn’t happening. From what I could find out, I believe she’s single, but I don’t give a fuck if she isn’t. Whatever she had going on before today is over. She’s here in Los Angeles, and I won’t be letting her go.

I’d let out a sigh of relief when my guy informed me that she was in her room and had just ordered room service and rented a movie. I still made him stay and keep an eye out for her. If she moved from her room, I wanted to know about it. It was then I finally let myself go home. She was here and within my reach. That had helped calm my inner battle a little.

“Oh good, the photographer is here.” I look over my shoulder to where Lynn is looking, and my jaw clenches so hard I’m shocked I don’t crack my teeth.

The photographer looks like he should be on the other side of the camera. He’s young, maybe college-age.

“That’s not happening,” I tell Lynn, looking back at her.

“What?” She looks confused and panic starts to set in on her face.

“He will not be seeing my Cali in her underwear,” I bite out, trying to stay cool, but not caring that I’m giving myself up about wanting Cali. I don’t care if everyone knows. They’ll all know soon enough.

Realization sets in, and a smile pulls at her lips, but one hard look from me makes it drop quickly.

“He’s gay, sir.”

“He won’t be when he sees her.”

I find it completely unbelievable that there would be a man on earth who wouldn’t want her. I’d only seen a picture of her and I was obsessed.

Consumed.

Maybe I should just take the pictures myself. I debate the idea in my head.

“I can send everyone home and get something else set up.”

Fuck.

“Just start with the other girls. There are other girls doing the shoot, right?” I ask. I actually don’t know anything about the shoot now that I think about it. My mind has only been on the fact that Cali would be here.

“Yes, there are some right there.” She turns, pointing to the corner of the room. Sure enough, there are eight women standing there, all made up and wearing almost nothing. I hadn’t even noticed them, but they’re all looking at me and whispering. I’m sure they’re wondering who I am, or else they know who I am and are wondering what I’m doing here.

Great. That’s the last thing I need right now. I didn’t want to attract attention. Well, I only wanted to capture one person’s attention.

“Where is she?” I ask, pulling my eyes back to Lynn. I know she’s already here. Security told me when she left this morning, and I had a car bring her here.

“There was a problem with the lingerie.” Lynn looks around as if unsure how to word what she wants to say. “The bra. She was spilling over the top. They’re trying to fix it as we speak.”

I crush down the image of someone helping her into a bra. I take a deep breath.

Someone calls Lynn’s name, and she dashes back over to the set area to break up something between two of the models.

Taking a few more breaths, I try to get myself under control. She doesn’t even know who I am. I calm myself down and try to be cool and relaxed. I can do this. I can behave like a normal person instead of a caveman. I can’t let this be the first time she sees me, a fucking jealous nut case.

Then I see her step out from backstage.

Looks like I might not have a choice.

Chapter Four

Cali

I’m a busty girl, always have been. So when they put me in the skimpy lace bra, I knew it wasn’t going to work. I put it on, and not thirty seconds later, one of the seams started to tear.

In my defense, the product should have been made a bit stronger, but the design is good. One of the wardrobe ladies backstage is literally sewing me into it this time. I’m standing in the middle of the room in a pair of sheer black panties as the lace bra is being fixed.