Page 13 of Yes, Love

Soon, Dominic and I were posed in my kitchen next to a pink and gray mixing bowl with our hands shoved into a ball of cookie dough. Dominic stood behind me, and I tipped my head back to give him an adoring smile while the photographer went to work. We did a few cute cheek kiss shots and a few more sexy kitchen counter make-out shots.

I fought to hold in my gasps when Dominic set me on the counter and pressed himself between my legs. We’d kissed for photos before. I’d kissed hundreds of hot guys, so why did the feel of his lips on mine make it hard to breathe? Why did the sexy look in his dark eyes make my heart race?

I didn’t like him. I couldn’t like him. I didn’t even know him. And he loved Lucy. Shit.

“Okay, loungewear on the couch. Let’s go, let’s go!” Jeanie ordered.

Dominic rolled his sexy dark eyes and tossed a little ball of cookie dough into his mouth. He immediately spat it back out on the counter and sputtered, “Fuck! The hell is that?”

Jeanie gave him a quizzical look. “It’s not real cookie dough, Dominic.”

“Yeah, figured that out pretty quick.”

I tried but failed to hold in my laugh. “Um, you can use the guest room to change, Dominic.”

He smirked at me. “Something funny?”

“Yeah, you just ate fake cookie dough.”

Dominic chuckled and flicked my ponytail before heading to a guest room down the hall. Oh, shit. Someone was getting a little flirty. Maybe he didn’t hate me. Maybe we were a little bit friends now. Because it was friendly flirting, not sexy flirting, right?

I changed into some tiny cotton shorts and a tight tank top and headed out to my living room. Dominic was now shirtless in a pair of gray sweatpants. Fucking hello.

“Ava, lap.” Jeanie snapped her fingers like I was a dog, but this little puppy was more than happy to obey.

I dragged my eyes away from the small script tattoo above his left hip and climbed onto Dominic’s lap. I leaned into his smooth, warm chest and had to fight the urge to run my hands up and down his tight, lean muscle. He wrapped one arm around my waist and slid the other up my bare thigh. Uh oh.

We smiled and cuddled for the camera, and then Jeanie suggested that I turn and straddle him for a kiss. My heart thumped as I turned to face him and saw the dark, hooded look in his eyes. Well, if those weren’t sex eyes, then I didn’t know the meaning of the term.

Dominic caught my chin with one finger and gave me that smoldering gaze for the camera. Then he gripped both of my hips and tugged me against his body. His lips pressed into mine, whisper-soft at first. His kisses slowly pulled me in, growing in intensity and making me forget where we were. I buried my hands in his hair and slid my tongue into his mouth. Dominic returned the favor with his hands and tongue.

Oh damn. Like, damn!

“Good.” Jeanie’s voice jerked me out of the moment. “Time for the pool shots.”

Dominic broke the kiss first and quickly lifted me off his lap. I tried to catch his eye, but Dominic refused to meet my gaze. Those kisses were… fuck. Let’s just say it was a good thing we were doing another wardrobe change.

I felt heat blooming across my face as I hurried to change into my bikini. I was being crazy and letting myself believe that something was happening between us on the couch, but Dominic was acting for the cameras, just like I was.

He was better at this game than I’d anticipated, but I couldn’t let myself get confused. I adjusted my teal bikini top and examined my reflection in the mirror. I needed to hit the training sessions a little harder. My waistline could stand to lose at least half an inch. Ugh. And my lips were looking dry and cakey. Did I have time to do a quick sugar scrub before the pool photos?

Whatever. They could wait for me. I had to look my absolute best. I grabbed my pot of coffee brown sugar lip scrub and rubbed it into my lips. Were my lips dry when we were kissing? Ew. Dominic probably hated those kisses. Lucy probably had perfectly soft lips all the time.

When I finally made it to the backyard, Dominic was already in the pool, his dark hair dripping and his sexy chest glistening. “‘Bout time, your highness!”

He made to splash me, but I held up one finger and shot him a death glare. “If you get my hair wet one second before it’s supposed to be wet, I will end you.”

He raised both eyebrows at me. “Bloody hell. There’s the evil fairy again.”

I sat along the edge of the pool, dipping my legs into the water. I glued on my flawless smile for the camera. What did he mean? Evil fairy?

“Okay, Dominic, pull her into the water like you’re flirting. Ava, perfect laugh when he does it. It’s adorable, and you love it.” Jeanie barked her next set of orders.

Dominic caught my ankle and gave me a devilish grin. “You reckon you’re ready to get all that pretty blonde hair wet?”

It took me two damn hours to style my hair that morning. “No.” I rolled my eyes, and Dominic yanked. I remembered just in time to laugh and pretend I enjoyed pool water on my freshly styled hair.

“Kiss her!” Jeanie ordered.

---