I still didn’t understand why it was urgently needed two days before Christmas, but the guy was insistent on the booking.
Right on time, my studio doorbell chimed and pulled my attention to the entrance.
“Mickey! What are you doing here?”
My heart skipped a beat when he grinned widely and shut the door behind him. “I was in the neighbourhood, Babykay.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re never in this neighbourhood.”
“Well, I am today.” A primal look entered his gaze as he caged me against the desk with his arms.
Despite my pulse spiking, I pushed on his chest. “I’m waiting on a client, Mickey. We’re not doing this here or now.”
A devilish smirk cocked his mouth. “Don’t suppose the booking is under Wayne Chadwick?”
My eyes flared in surprise, then narrowed sharply. “Have you been hacking my booking system?”
A low chuckle vibrated against my mouth as he pressed his lips to mine. “No, baby.”
“Then how do you know about the booking?”
“It’s for me.”
I pulled away just enough to bring him into focus. My eyes flicked between his. “For you? Since when?”
“Since I thought it would be fun. I got Scotty at the station to book for me so you wouldn’t know.”
“Mickey, this is meant to be apaidsession, not you fooling around and wasting my time.”
“Of course I’ll pay.”
My eyes narrowed again, then skimmed his clothes. “So, you’re wanting headshots? In your fire department uniform?”
“Uh… yeah, kinda.” He grinned and pushed off the desk, then pulled me to my feet. “And then I’ll take you out for lunch before we collect Xave from your parents.”
“You have the afternoon off?”
His smile widened. “Yup.”
I shook my head yet allowed him to lead me into the studio. “But why?”
A wicked glint flashed in his eyes when he glanced over his shoulder. “So you can experiment with your first couples boudoir shoot.”
Nerve-induced warmth unfurled in my stomach. “Are you serious?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
My pulse fluttered. “You’d do that for me? Let me photograph you?”
“Us. You’ll be photographing us. And yeah, of course.”
Those belly-butterflies and skipped heartbeats made me breathless. “Mickey, I can’t partake. I haven’t done my hair and the underwear I’m wearing certainly isn’t sexy.”
The rushed explanation whispered to a close as he wove his hands through my long wavy locks.
“You don’t need either of those things, Babykay; you’re beautiful.”
My smile couldn’t be stopped. I looked into the stormy hazel eyes of my childhood friend and held his gaze. We’d been through so much growing up together. The past three decades harboured torment and heartache, but also a love that endured time and situations we shouldn’t have had to face. I’d always loved Mickey. Through our highs and lows, and even when I’d given up hope of us having a future together, I’d loved him hard.