Page 7 of Where You Belong

“Well, look who it is,” Madelyn sings.

“Hey, darlin’.” Something about his deep, raspy tone zips like lightning 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.”

Madelyn 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 Madelyn, 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.

I pull on my jeans, sitting snug on my hips, and step back into the booties I wore for my first day.

“How are you doing over there, Haelynn?”

A throat clears, and he mutters, “You coulda warned me she was listening.”

I cover my mouth to contain my laughter.

“Give me just a second to get this mask on, and I’ll be ready.”

“You need to get your mask on too. Here,” Madelyn says. “Now stand over here.”

I picture her leading him to where she wants him.

The floorboards creak with footsteps walking toward me, and Madelyn’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. Madelyn 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 that’s all male.

Madelyn turns me to face 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 at Madelyn. She’s ready and waiting, snapping pictures. The camera covers 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. Something about the sparkle mixed with the curve of his smile 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 forget Madelyn is in the room with us and drown out the sound of the shutter clicking with each picture she takes.

It’s like everything around us falls away, and it’s only the two of us. Any other time, I’d be second-guessing my every move, ruining the moment by analyzing every moment.

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