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“We were keeping it quiet. You couldn’t have known.” Daphne paused. There was something else she could say. Did she dare? If it were her, would she want it said? Yes.
Daphne cleared her throat. “He just… he found it awkward because you’re in charge of this interview. I know his response wouldn’t have affected that, but…”
“Shit,” Sofia said. “I never saw it that way. Okay, good to know. Thank you.”
“I know you didn’t mean it like that.”
“I didn’t, but having been on the other side of that equation, I never want to be on this side of it. On the topic of workplace romance and power dynamics…”
Sofia pointedly looked out at Chris.
“Oh, he’s not really my boss,” Daphne said. “I’m just playing his assistant to help with the shoot. Like he said, we’re private people. We weren’t comfortable having our relationship on-screen.” She realized how that could sound and added, “That’s my choice, not his.”
“Good. I’ve interviewed a couple of authors who had, shall we say, mentees? Young writers drawn into their circle, expecting mentorship and getting something entirely different. This didn’t seem like that.”
“It’s not. At all.”
“Good. He’s not what I expected. Debut author with a number one bestseller. He has good reason to be pleased with himself, and he obviously doesn’t have any ego deficiencies, but he’s more than that.”
“He is.”
They both watched as Chris emerged from the lake, the sun lighting him just right. His hair glinted, and water ran rivulets down his body, grabbing the eye and leading it over perfect pecs, down his stomach toward drenched bathing trunks that left remarkably little to the imagination.
Sofia leaned in to whisper, “I might hop in that glacial lake myself for a little cooldown.”
And I’ll be right behind you.
While Sofia conducted the second part of Zane’s interview, Daphne sat on the porch with a coffee and the video footage.
At her feet, Tika let out a low grumble. After the bear incident, the dog wanted to be out there, patrolling the property.
“None of that,” Daphne said. “I’m working.”
Another grumble.
“It is work. Sofia asked me to check it over.”
All right, maybe Sofia had winked when she suggested Daphne look at the footage. And maybe she’d queued up two particular clips. One showed Chris coming out of the water with Daphne in his arms after they’d capsized. He was soaking wet, shirt and trousers clinging to every line of his body. He had her in his arms, and his face was shadowed with concern.
Now that was book-cover worthy. Oh, sure, a little voice might tsk at her for the knight-in-shining-armor trope, but screw that. There was a time and a place for every fantasy, including this one.
The second clip was Chris coming out of the water after his swim, and sure, Daphne had seen that live, but there was nothing wrong with replaying it… and replaying it… and replaying it. Just making sure the lighting was right. That’s all.
When footsteps slapped up the steps, she ALT-Tabbed so fast he might think she’d been watching porn.
Well, PG-rated porn, at least. Fodder for late nights and—
“Good footage?” Chris asked.
She jumped again as he slid in beside her on the bench.
“All good,” she said, slapping the laptop closed.
“Great. I came to tell you they’ll be leaving after lunch.”
Daphne made a show of exhaling and collapsing on the tabletop.
Chris chuckled. “Right? And I’m sure you’re in a hurry to get rid of me, too.”
