“I brought shells.”
“What?”
She holds up a white shell, looking at it with a bright smile and squinted eyes. “This is so pretty. I swear it changes its color every time I look at it.”
“Looks white to me.”
“It is white, but it has these colorful hues. They’re different colors, depending where you’re looking from.” She holds it in the sunlight, tilting her head from one side to the other. Ah, yes, one other thing I can add to the list of things I love about her: the way she can find beauty in the simplest things, and shows me how to do that too. If I weren’t drunk off my ass, maybe I’d see what she means.
“Where did you find it?”
“I went snorkeling with Daniel and Blake. We went into a cave and I found this there.”
“Did they take good care of you?”
She nods, dropping the shell between us and resting her palms on my chest. “They’re great. And so much fun.”
“Watch it, I might get jealous.” I run my hands up her thighs to her hips.
She laughs, tilting her head back, exposing her throat to me. “Of your brothers?”
“Of any man.” I cup her left breast with one hand. “This is mine.” I slide the other hand into her bathing suit, finding her wet pussy. “This is mine too.”
She huffs out a breath, her chest heaving up and down.
“You are mine, Ava, and I won’t let you go.”
Her eyes widen, and she murmurs, “You really are drunk.”
“Yeah, but you’re still mine.”
I kiss her hard, possessing her mouth, my hand cupping her wetness. Entangled with her like this, I make myself a drunken promise: I will not let her go.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ava
Two weeks to D-day, and everyone’s running around crazily already. I’m definitely leading the crazy pack.
“Okay, everyone. Let’s start this,” I instruct.
This is the first rehearsal for the show, and I’m impressed that all the models showed up. The prep team did a wonderful job, and now the girls are ready to hit the runway. They’re wearing mock jewelry, of course. The real items will only be here on the day of the show.
I sit next to the runway, but don’t look much at the models; Pippa’s in charge of that. I inspect the rest of the decor and the way the technical equipment blends in. I’ve had nightmare issues with shows before, with designers deciding the day before that they want to change the entire color scheme. Luckily, Pippa looks very pleased.
Finally, content with the decor, I turn my attention to the models. I’m impressed with the high-caliber models they hired for this. The star of the show is Simone Candella, an Italian beauty who took up residence in the United States six years ago. Watching her stroll on the runway, I understand the world’s fascination with her. She’s the personification of beauty. Her waist-long black hair and tan skin give her an exotic air, making her striking blue eyes nothing short of mesmerizing. A visible dash of arrogance accompanies her every move, but that’s to be expected.
Midway through the rehearsal, I notice a shift in the models’ behavior. They smile more, occasionally winking at something behind me. Baffled, I turn around and find Sebastian there. I let out an audible groan. Both Pippa and Sebastian laugh.
“What are you doing here, brother?” Pippa whispers over her shoulder. “You haven’t been at a rehearsal in years.”
“Thought I’d take a break, delight my eyes with some beauty.” He looks at me pointedly, and heat rushes to my cheeks. I know he’s teasing me, but I feel a tiny pang of jealousy.
As the rehearsal progresses, the models become bolder, giving him hot looks. Out of the corner of my eye, I peer at Sebastian, who wanders around the room. To my astonishment, he’s not looking at the runway, instead inspecting the lighting equipment.
Finally, he sits next to me and says, “T
his is going to be our most expensive show.”