At the end of the shoot, everyone clapped and whistled in appreciation for the work Lorelei had just done. Everyone in the room had felt the electricity. Daniel knew without a doubt that once they began working on the actual video game, Lorelei would nail it. Without wanting to be intrusive, Daniel left the studio and headed back to his office. Although he had wanted to congratulate Lorelei on a successful shoot, he didn’t want to seem as if he was fawning all over her. Something told him she had her fair share of admirers. She didn’t need him awkwardly lurking around.
For the millionth time in his life, Daniel wished he was eloquent and suave and that he could walk up to Lorelei and tell her in glowing terms how wonderful he thought she was. But he wasn’t any of those things. And most likely he never would be.
**
Lorelei felt energized after the photo shoot. Daniel’s brother Nash was such an amazing person to work with. He had been encouraging and professional while empowering her to take control of the Rhiannon persona. The love she had felt from the crew afterwards had been heartwarming. And Bethany had been there to cheer her on. She was the luckiest person in the world to have her as a best friend. She never let her down.
Thank you, Lord, for a successful shoot. Thank you for granting me favor and for making this dream come true. With Your love, all things are possible.
She looked around the room for Daniel, wondering where he’d disappeared to. He had been watching from the sidelines, a fact she hadn’t been able to ignore. A few times her eyes had strayed in his direction which was a big no-no for her since being distracted on set didn’t result in successful photo shoots.
On the whole, Lorelei was finding it very difficult to stop thinking about Daniel. Where was he? Perhaps he hadn’t been impressed by her performance. She frowned. It would be so great to hear from Daniel that she’d done a great job.
Ugh. She was being ridiculous! She barely knew the man and she certainly didn’t need his validation. But why did she feel as if she did? She was a strong, independent woman. Because of her parents Lorelei had always known she was out here in the world alone. She’d learned that hard lesson at a very early age. In many ways, she’d raised herself. Other than her agent and Bethany, Lorelei didn’t really seek approval from people. So why did she want Daniel’s? Why was she wishing he’d stuck around?
It was a frustrating feeling since models had reputations for being narcissists and she didn’t want to become one. Daniel Donahue was a very busy man, one who ran a video game empire. He didn’t have time to stand around and watch photo shoots and congratulate models.
As she changed out of her Rhiannon costume, Lorelei felt a little bit forlorn. It was a feeling she couldn’t shake. And she wasn’t sure if it had to do with the impending parole hearing or not seeing Daniel after the shoot.
It had been a very long time since a man had intrigued her. For the most part she’d cut herself off from men in lieu of the trauma she’d endured due to her stalker. It was hard for her to trust people, especially men. Yet she felt Daniel might be different. It was hard to put the feeling into words. Instinct perhaps. She felt more at ease with him than she did with most men. Perhaps it was because of her friendship with Micah and knowing that the Donahue family were outstanding pillars in the community. Perhaps it was something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. A feeling. A hope. A desire so strong inside her to feel something other than fear for a member of the opposite sex.
Even though she had been traumatized, Lorelei still harbored dreams in her heart. She still believed in love.
“The past is there to guide us, but it shouldn’t yoke us up either. We should learn from the past but we can’t allow it to limit our present.”
Jason Donahue
Chapter Four
Daniel spent the next few days up to his elbows in business matters. A pressing deal had him flying to Tokyo on urgent business. Despite the long flight, Daniel was only planning to be there for a few hours before flying back home to Pelican Bay. Having a private plane at one’s disposal really helped in matters related to foreign deals. He could travel overseas without a whole lot of difficulty. He wasn’t a big flyer and he didn’t really like to be away from his home turf. It was difficult for him to be so far away from the people he loved the most.
People always made casual jokes about him owning his own plane. They tended to think it was best thing since sliced bread. Honestly, Daniel didn’t really consider it his plane. It belonged to his company, DD Studios, and there had only been a few occasions when he had used it for personal use. It had never been solely for himself. On his parent’s anniversary, Daniel had flown them to Ireland so they could track down the Donahue family roots. They had dined in Dublin, explored the emerald green hillsides in Tipperary, toured a castle in Cork, attended church service in Galway and stood at the Cliffs of Moher and looked out over the breathtaking waters.
Daniel’s heart had been full to the point of overflowing when they’d told him he had given them a glorious vacation full of exploration and surprises. After a lifetime of their love and support it was the least he could do to make them smile. On another occasion, he had flown his siblings to Bermuda so they could have a small getaway together without having to worry about booking flights and doing the hectic airport shuffle. It had been a wonderful way for all of his siblings to connect while enjoying sun, surf, pink sand beaches and the wonders of Bermuda.
Now that he was back from Tokyo, Daniel was feeling a bit jet lagged and confused about his time zone. He’d pretty much slept on the ride there, as well as the return flight so he wasn’t feeling tired. Just a bit restless. He resisted the urge to head to the office. Too much work wasn’t good for him. He needed to develop more of a social life, just like his mother had told him on numerous occasions. No amount of protesting satisfied her. She wanted him to lead a well-rounded life.
“Any woman would be lucky to have a man like you.” It was Penelope’s rallying cry. Daniel loved his mother, but he knew she was biased about his charms. Like most mothers, Penelope Donahue thought Daniel could do no wrong. And, Daniel realized with a chuckle, if he did do wrong she usually blamed someone else.
Daniel needed some relaxation, as well as fresh air and the gentle breezes of Pelican Bay Harbor. He needed something to take the edge o
ff.
It didn’t take very long for Daniel to figure out that a run on the beach would make him feel more energized. And even though it was June, the sun hadn’t yet reached its peak yet since it was still late morning. He wouldn’t bake in the sun while running the beach. It might also take his mind off thoughts of Lorelei. He deeply regretted not telling her the other day how well she had done in the photo shoot. His reasons had been ridiculous. He’d been upset with himself ever since.
Daniel changed into his running clothes and headed outside, cutting down the side of his property which led directly to the beach. Within minutes he was running along the beach, his heart pounding within his chest due to the cardio exercise. He needed to get more fit. As of late it had been all business all the time. His workouts had suffered. Although he was naturally thin and didn’t have a tendency to gain weight, he was clearly struggling to complete the run. Daniel slowed his pace down to a jog. There weren’t many people on the beach which was a bit surprising to him. Just up ahead a woman with an over-sized straw hat and sunglasses was approaching him. She was wearing a long caftan paired with leggings. She almost looked like she was in disguise, he thought. As they came closer to each other, Daniel stopped in his tracks. Although her hair was hidden under her large hat, Daniel would know those high cheekbones anywhere. It was Lorelei!
“Lorelei? Is that you under there?” he asked, feeling a bit off-kilter. He would feel rather foolish if he’d been mistaken.
She walked the short distance toward him and took off her sunglasses. “I can’t believe you saw past my disguise. I guess I need a better one.”
“I have a pretty keen eye for faces. And your features are very memorable,” he said, hoping he wasn’t gushing. A voice in his head kept reminding him to keep it cool. Despite her beauty, she was still a regular human being. Who was he kidding? There was nothing regular about Lorelei James.
“That’s a nice compliment.” She made a face. “I do get a bit of attention from the public and sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. I enjoy walking the beach without people following me. It stinks to have your privacy invaded and to have photographers shoving their cameras in your face.”
“Are your fans that overzealous? It’s a shame you have to cover yourself up to walk the beach.”
Lorelei nodded. “I don’t mind people saying hello or recognizing me, but I’ve had some pretty intense past experiences.”