Page 56 of Overexposed

Gemini: Good. Attached is exactly what I want. Attached to me, my name, my bed…you name it, Slick, I want you attached to it. Location?

Fuck. Me.Now I was having mental images of being handcuffed to his bed while he had his filthy way with my body…while Ollie stood there watching.

I wet my lips, trying and failing to push thosevividthoughts from my head.

Stella: I can’t today. I’m heading over to the Covington to see if I can snap some shots of the gaming streamers staying there.

Gemini: You can’t take the afternoon off?

I sighed heavily because I really wanted to take him up on his offer. Especially now that I was picturing how dirty a picnic in the hills could be with him. I wondered if Kitty’s Katering sold nacho plates for old time’s sake?

Stella: I wish.

Biting my lip, I considered just leaving it at that and not elaborating further, but something about Gem made me want to explain so he’d know I wasn’t playing hard to get for the simple fun of it—and maybe so he’d understandmea little better.

Stella: My dad isn’t well at the moment and his medical debt increases daily. Add to that the fact he needs in-home nurse care and can’t work. This job is the only thing keeping us treading water. Rain check, though? I do want to see you…

I hated opening up. It made me feel itchy. But I liked Gem enough that I actually wanted to offer him a sliver of honesty where my workload was concerned.

Gemini: Shit, Slick. Okay, I’ll stop distracting you in that case. Knowing youWANTto see me is enough for now. Text me when you’re home, so I know you’re safe.

“Fucking hell,” I groaned aloud. He was almost too perfect at this stage. A horrible little voice in my head wondered if he was preparing for a role and using me as part of method-acting prep. Maybe his character dates a poor, plain commoner? Crazier things had happened in Hollywood.

Elephant Ollie: Gem said you’ll be at the Covington later. I’ll arrange dinner for you in their restaurant.

The two of them were killing me in the best possible way. I wanted so fucking badly to just launch myself headfirst into thisutterly insaneménage situation they seemed totally cool starting up. But I was no Cinderella, nor was I a fucking idiot. Nothing good could come from this, aside from the sex. The sex was more than good with Gem, and by the look of Ollie’s elephant trunk…

“Stop it, Stella,” I scolded myself under my breath as I packed up my camera. “You have a vibrator at home. There’s no need for this lunacy.” Since starting my unexpected career as a paparazzi photographer, I’d spent a whole hell of a lot of time alone. Which had, in turn, seen me develop a habit of talking to myself out loud.

Slipping my camera case into my backpack, I dropped my empty smoothie cup into the trash and walked back down the block to where I’d left my motorcycle. It was the one good thing that’d come out of my relationship before Dillon, and I loved having it as an option for easier parking. On busy weekend days in known celebrity hot spots, it was near impossible to park the Bel Air, but the bike was a breeze.

I slowed as I approached, though, recognizing the height and build of the man lingering nearby with his back turned. He smoked a cigarette with absolutely no regard for the passersby as he exhaled, and when I approached more cautiously, he dropped the butt onto the pavement.

“Stella Charles,” the man greeted me with a yellowed smile. “Thought I recognized your bike.”

“Donnie,” I replied with a nod. He was a colleague of sorts but certainly not a friend. He was the kind of pap that gave the rest of us a bad name and had more harassment charges against him than he probably knew what to do with. He was also Dillon’s cousin. “What’s up?”

He shrugged. “Nothing much. Just wanted to give you a heads-up, I snapped a couple of pictures the other night and sold them toThe Nightly Mailfor big bucks. Huge bucks. Real sweet payday, that one. Best I’ve had in ages!” He grinned widely, genuinely pleased with himself.

I arched a brow. “That’s great. Good for you.” But also at the same time… “Why do you need to give me a heads-up?”

Donnie swept a hand over his hair. “Ah, well, professional courtesy and all. The pics were of you and your hot new boyfriend Seven Harrison. Hell of a bold move, that, crossing the line into their world.” He pulled out another cigarette and lit it up while I stood there flabbergasted. “Anyway, they’re being published online sometime today or tomorrow, I dunno. Just wanted to do right and tell ya, girl.”

He tipped his chin in a little farewell, then swaggered off down the street without waiting or really even caring what my reply might be. What the fuck could I even say to that?

My image of Clara Belle was set to publish tomorrow withBright Starzbut ifThe Nightly Mailwas hitting publish today… What did it matter? I’d been paid already. And I knew full well there were no images of me and Seven together, but I had driven Gem and Ollie home in my convertible with the top down. We could have been snapped literally anywhere between Malibu and Hollywood.

Stupid.

Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk now. I climbed on my bike and headed across town to the ritzy hotel where a bunch of hugely popular YouTube and Twitch streamers were currently staying while a convention was in town. They were a hot commodity, the streamers, and most paparazzi were too old-school to step away from the A-listers to see the dollar signs elsewhere.

My phone vibrated as I parked across from the hotel entrance, and I paused to check it. I figured it’d be Ollie or Gem, or possibly even my dad. But I was surprised to see an unsaved number calling instead.

Then a sinking sensation hit me, and I reluctantly answered the call.

“We need to talk,” Seven growled down the phone line, and I sighed.

“We really don’t,” I disagreed. “And I’m at work, so I don’t have the time, patience, or energy for your pissy attitude, Demon Spawn.”

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