Page 43 of Overexposed

Ollie chuckled that sexy, low sound that made my toes curl in my boots. “Okay, I get it. No doctors. I’m assuming a lack of insurance?”

I clicked my tongue. “You assume correct. Did the police drop their charges and shit for the other night? Peter seemed confident it was all straightened out.”

“They did indeed,” he confirmed, leaning back on his hands as he sat beside me like he wasn’t one of the most famous men in Hollywood right now.

I pursed my lips, watching him from the corner of my eye as I fidgeted with my camera. “Should you be sitting out here in the open like this with me? Is this safe for you?”

He laughed again. “Are you worried we might get photographed?”

The irony was not lost on me, and I rolled my eyes with a groan. “Okay, point taken. How was the party, anyway?”

Ollie sighed, then started telling me infartoo much detail about who was in there, what they were doing…who they were doingor planned to do. Apparently the rumors about theafter-partyweren’t just rumors after all. When he started telling me about a particular director-actress couple who routinely invited other celebs to join them for threesomes, my jaw almost unhinged. I would never in a million years have pegged them for such titillating activities.

Before I could react to that scandal, the gate squeaked open again. I snapped back into work-mode, raising my camera and setting the focus just in time to catch Gem whispering something to a stumbling Clara Belle. Then her beautiful face morphed into shock and anger right before…Smack!

“Holy shit,” Ollie spluttered on a laugh. “That looked painful.”

It sounded painful too, but the smirk on Gem’s face after Clara stormed off was downright adorable. The snap I got of that smirk and the way he slid that look at me had nothing to do with sales and everything to do with capturing the moment.

I could call it practice for the camera, but I tried not to lie to myself. Well, I tried not to lie to myself out loud. Internally? Not a problem. Gem’s slow saunter to me was all playful sexuality. He really did look so damn pleased with himself. Try as I might, I couldn’t help returning the grin.

“That going to work for you, Slick?” He didn’t slow until he was right in front of me and his hip bumped my knee lightly.

“It’s definitely not bad,” I said, glancing down at my camera and then up again. Next to me, Ollie chuckled.

“She’s going to make you work for a compliment, Gem,” Ollie drawled. “I don’t mind saying that you almost can’t tell you gave up the acting gig.”

For his part, Gem just snorted, but he didn’t take those gorgeous blue eyes off me. The heat licking me as he stared had nothing to with being intimately aware of what he felt like rocking between my thighs. Nope, not a damn thing.

The man was far more impressive in person than on any screen. He was also so much more real.

“Just tell me it’s good enough to steal you away for that coffee.” Gem nudged my thighs apart so he could slide up to me. There was intimacy and then there was this sensuality. Ollie was right next to me and Gem pressing closer.

Touching my tongue to my teeth, I tilted my head as if thinking it over. That shot of Clara Belle slapping the shit out of “Seven Harrison” could easily net me a five-figure payday. Add that to what I got from the man himself, and I could call it a good week.

If only that were enough to just clear all the medical debt. If only…

Pushing away the creeping doubt and frustration, I focused on the here and the now. Each day I could bank a little more was a good day. As if by their own volition, I raised my fingers to trace the red mark on Gem’s cheek. The hint of stubble there nipped my fingertips. He and Ollie both sported the unshaven look.

It was agoodlook. Then again, I couldn’t imagine either of them had a bad look.

“Say yes,” Ollie suggested in the least subtle sotto voce ever. “You want to say yes. You do love coffee, right, Snow? The man went and got slapped just to get your attention.”

“Thanks,” Gem said in a dry, droll tone, but he never took those blue eyes off of me. “I got this.”

“You sure do,” Ollie said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. He smelled faintly of a whiskey, but I wasn’t sure he was as drunk as he was playfully pretending to be. Nor could I quite suppress the thrill of being wrapped up in that strong arm as Gem leaned into me.

So much testosterone.

And fuck me, I was here for it.

Everything inside of me clenched when Ollie pressed his lips right up to my ear and his breath teased my earlobe. “Say yes, Snow. Let’s go out together…”

Let’s…

I shuddered. “Fine, yes, I owe you coffee.”

Gem’s smile grew and my stomach bottomed out at the delight sparking in his eyes.

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