“Don’t care, and don’t care,” she snapped at him. The fact that Noah towered over her and she was the intimidating one was just too funny. “I actually know how you can make it up to me.”
“How—”
“You’ll join the shoot—for free.”
Austin stepped up. “Hanako, this Amelia’s shoot.”
Her dark black eyes shifted over to me, and I raised my hands up. “I don’t mind.”
“Then it’s settled.” She nodded to herself happily and walked back into the house.
“Hanako!” Austin called after her before turning back to me. “Really?”
I shrugged. “What? I don’t mind—”
/> “Not what he’s annoyed about,” Noah replied, pulling out a cigarette. “He’s pissed I’m doing the shoot for free.”
Austin opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but then stopped, glaring at Noah before heading back into the house.
“Who’s going to give him gray hair now?” I said, following him inside. Two double staircases sat under a large crystal chandler. My heels clicked against the marble floor as I walked to the center of the foyer. There on the ground was a cursive ‘G.’
“Still want this house?” Noah said when he walked up beside me.
“That might be a problem.”
There, coming down the stairs, had to be the most handsome man I’d ever seen, aside from Noah. He was dressed in a light gray fitted suit and a light blue shirt with no tie and the top buttons undone. His brown hair was messy, and his green eyes were identical to those of the little boy in his arms, who was equally well-dressed in a bow tie and khakis. The man walked down the stairs with a wicked smirk on his lips as he looked us over.
“You see, my wife is really attached to this house,” he said, shifting the boy up in his arms. The boy rested his head on his father’s shoulder and waved at me.
“Hi!” I waved back, leaning closer. “Your mommy has good taste.”
“Say hi, Ethan.” The man tried to get his son to show more of his face, but the boy only clung more tightly to his neck. “Excuse him. He’s shy.”
“No, he’s so cute. How old is he?”
“Three—”
“And half,” the boy cut in, holding out his fingers to explain.
His father rolled his eyes. “Excuse me—three and a half.”
“Ms. London,” a voice called. I turned away from them and toward the photography assistant who was waiting with three other people behind her. “We need to get you prepped for the shoot.”
I nodded and faced the man in front of me again. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr…”
“Liam is fine.”
“Liam,” I repeated, leaning back down to wave at his son. “It was a pleasure to meet you both. Bye, Ethan.”
“Bye-bye,” Ethan replied softly.
He is too cute.
I looked to Noah, who just nodded for me to go without him. Confused, I didn’t push him, but headed toward the prep area.
“Noah Sloan and Liam Callahan … it should be a sin for them to be in the same room at the same time,” one woman whispered.
I froze mid-step. Everything slowed down, and I could clearly hear each beat of my heart. Noticing I wasn’t following them, one of the women turned back to me wide-eyed. She muttered something to the woman who had spoken before and then turned to face me.