Page 7 of Sacrifice
The sound of the door dinging in the distance yanks me from the road my thoughts were traveling down, pulling me right back into the present.
“Well, look who it is,” Makenna sings.
“Hey, darlin’.” Something about the deep, raspy tone to his voice zips like a lightning bolt through my body, causing my stomach to flip.
I slip my shirt over my head, folding and setting it in a pile on the chair, leaving on the white tank top I’m wearing underneath.
“Thank you again for doing this for me.”
“It’s no problem. It’s not like you had a lot of options. I can’t imagine you wanting Alex to step in, and we both know it would take an act of God to convince Gage to do anything like this.”
Makenna laughs. “You’re not lying.”
I pull over the burgundy top, adjusting the cinched band around my waist. The sleeves are less fitted, flowing over my arms.
“I can’t believe I let you convince me though. Who wants pictures of me with a stranger?” He chuckles. “Although you did promise me she was beautiful, so how could I say no?”
Something about knowing he’s nervous, but was looking forward to meeting me, is oddly comforting. I trust Makenna, and although she doesn’t know a lot about me or my past, I don’t think she’d associate with a man she didn’t trust too.
I pull on my jeans, sitting snug on my hips, and step back into the booties I wore in for my first day.
“How are you doing over there, Haelynn?”
There’s a sound of a throat clearing, and he mutters, “You coulda warned me she was listening.”
I cover my mouth to contain my laugh.
“Give me just a second to get this mask on and I’ll be ready.”
“You need to get your mask on too. Here,” Makenna says, “Now stand over here.”
I picture her leading him to where she wants him.
The floorboards creak with footsteps walking toward me, and Makenna’s head peeks around the divider.
“Good choice! You look great,” she whispers.
I shake out my hands and she murmurs under her breath. “Don’t be nervous. Corbin’s one of the sweetest men I know, and you’ll be great together. I promise!”
I rub my lips together, the gloss I put on earlier still coating them, pulling the mask over my face to cover my eyes. Makenna slides her arm into mine, guiding me into the studio with her. The floorboards creak beneath us and Andrew Jannakos plays through the speakers around us. I know when I get closer to Corbin, judging by the woodsy scent mixed with the clean smell of laundry detergent lingering in the air. It’s a distinct smell and one that’s all male.
Makenna turns me facing the other direction and mutters for me not to move, so she can grab her camera. I wring my hands out, rubbing them on the front of my jeans.
“Okay, I’m ready when you are.”
I slip my mask off my face, blinking to adjust my eyes to the lighting, and glance over to Makenna. She’s ready and waiting, snapping pictures. The camera is covering most of her face, but you can’t miss her large grin as the camera clicks away.
I turn and my eyes fall on Corbin, taking in the soft caramel of his eyes. There’s something about the sparkle mixed with the curve of his smile that has me breaking out in a grin of my own.
“Goddamn, she wasn’t lying. You are more than beautiful, you are… I don’t even know the word.”
His hands reach out toward me, pulling me into his arms. I toss my head back, a genuine laugh bubbling up from inside me, shaking my head.
“I’m not sure, but you sure know how to sweet talk a woman, don’t you?”
“Did it work?” he smirks. My hands glide over the tight ridges of his chest, my fingers gripping his shirt to pull him closer to me.
I completely forget Makenna is in the room with us and drown out the sound of the camera clicking with each picture she takes.
