Page 82 of Accidentally Ours

“It’s more of a one-person operation, but you can sit and watch. Or work if you need to. I just need it to be quiet while I’m recording.”

Hunter sets his phone on the counter, giving me his full attention. I glance over at his handsome face. Those captivating blue eyes and sexy grin. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

After a thousand and one tries because I can’t talk to the camera with Hunter watching me, I finally get a good take for each video.

“That was fun. Took a bit longer than I thought it would,” he says, standing to enter the living room.

I turn to glare at him. “You know it was your fault, right?”

“Me?” he asks innocently, reaching for a record from his collection and placing it on the player. A soft piano melody starts to play.

“Yes. Normally, there’s no one staring intently at me from the other side of the camera.”

A man starts singing, his voice deep and smokey.

“Who is this?” I ask.

“David Gray. One of my favorites.”

Hunter takes my hand to pull me off the stool, then leads me into the living room. With one arm wrapped around my waist, and his other hand capturing mine, we start to sway to the music. “I liked watching you work.”

Just like the night at the ballet, my chest warms at Hunter’s interest in my blog. It must be why I share my news with him about the upcoming feature inBrides.

He pulls back to look at me. “Sophie, that’s incredible.”

“Yeah.” I nod, smiling.

“We are talking about the bridal magazine that’s on every shelf where magazines are sold, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Am I missing something here?” he asks, looking confused.

“No, I’m ecstatic.”

He studies me carefully. “Yeah, the elation is written all over your face.”

“I’m trying to play it cool. It’s a big deal, but also it doesn’t change my plan. My blog is a hobby. It’s not a secure job that I can rely on. That’s what I’m working for at Marion Adler Events. So, while this is unbelievably exciting, I’m not going to let it affect my plans.”

“I see.” He’s quiet for a moment, his arm tightening around me, before he speaks again. “Let me ask you this. If you knew you had financial security, would you feel more inclined to pursue your blog full-time? Or do you truly enjoy working at Marion Adler Events?”

“I like both. The hours of wedding planning and attending the events are intense. In Vegas, at The Windsor, it was more pre-planning for couples looking for guidance on how best to do a Vegas wedding, so I didn’t spend as much of my evenings and weekends at events, and I loved advising couples on sustainable wedding practices. Not everyone is into that, and I’m respectful of each couple’s choice, but ultimately, I enjoy doing both. Advising on sustainable wedding practices and helping a couple plan their big day.”

“Then that’s what you should work toward. You could use the upcoming feature to boost your platform and launch your own sustainable wedding planning business.”

My stomach dips. I can’t afford to take the risk. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It won’t be, but I think everything worth doing has its challenges. That’s the way I feel about the new ventures I’m exploring with Premier.” Hunter looks down at me, his fingers grazing my temple as he sweeps a rogue hair out of my face. “Think about it.”

I nod, then turn my head to rest it against his chest. While my mind is a flurry of wavering thoughts, I let my body relax into him. I soak in his warmth, loving the feel of his strong forearm wrapped around me while my fingers tease into his hair.

“I didn’t take you for a slow dancing kind of guy,” I sigh.

“I’m not,” he says, pulling me in closer, his words contradicting his actions as we easily sway to the music. “But I like this song and any excuse to touch you.”

I’m still processing his words a moment later when he spins me out. When he pulls me back to him, I not so gracefully crash into his chest before he attempts to dip me backwards.

“What is happening right now?” I laugh, my head flung back behind me.

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