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I feel heat rising to my cheeks at the thought of him rolling around on a bed with her right in front of me.
Why the hell was I getting jealous over some guy I barely knew?
For God's sake, Juliet. Pull your head out of your ass.
"She’s very pretty, " I manage to say as kindly as possible. That sounded neutral and not at all jealous, right?
Valerie studies the woman's features. "She's decent enough. It's not like there's a better option at this point.
Decent enough? The girl was stunning. Her perfectly plump lips and heart-shaped face were something most girls would kill to have. But I nod along with her words as we all settle on the brunette—despite the fact that it irked me to no end.
"I'll get Kate to put out the call," Max said, leaving the room with the headshot.
By Tuesday, we'd finalized the set and cast. The video would be shot at a villa off Airbnb that had a killer view of the Atlantic coastline and went for over seven grand a night.
Wednesday finally arrived and I could barely contain my excitement. I hardly slept all night, my mind unable to relax with all the nerves. Between hoping the shoot went well and seeing Ryan again, it’s not surprising I spent the midnight hours tossing and turning.
We pull up to the lavish home and are immediately greeted by the production team. We'd gone way over budget to make sure that everything went perfectly, but Max and Jim didn't seem to care at all.
There were three rooms being utilized for the shoot, not including the pool. We had previously instructed the production team to stage lighting in the living room, one of the guest bathrooms that featured a massive clawfoot bathtub, and of course, the master bedroom.
Gareth and Ant arrive first, each carrying a bag of fast food clutched in their hands. Neil appears shortly after, and by the glazed over look in his eyes it’s clear he stayed behind to smoke a bowl or something.
We were on a strict schedule to get the scenes filmed, and at this point, Ryan was still MIA. All of the model’s solo shots were finished, so now we wait.
Olivia had been pacing the length of the villa for over half an hour, furiously shooting off one text after another. I would not want to be on the receiving end of those messages judging by the scowl on her usually warm face. The model we'd hired to play the love of his life sat at the foot of the bed, still looking just as thrilled to be there now as she had when she'd first walked through the door.
She had on a white robe provided by the wardrobe department, but I knew what was underneath. Her perfectly tanned skin gave the appearance she’d just returned from a stay on a tropical island, and although I didn’t think it was possible, her lips were even poutier in person. She was on cloud nine.
Who could blame her? At any moment she'd be living out the wildest fantasy of pretty much every other woman in the world.
Gareth waltzed up and placed an arm around my shoulder. "Juliet, right? I don't think we've really gotten a chance to get to know each other." His voice is playful, and despite the greasy half-eaten burger in his other hand, he still smells nice. Like bergamot and clove.
I felt my body tense as a result of the contact. "Yeah, that's me."
"You know, you're pretty hot for a stuffy PR lady." He winked, and I know he meant it as a compliment.
"Uh, thanks," I responded awkwardly. There was something about his boyish grin that made me smile. "You're not so bad yourself, you know—for an egotistical rock star."
He clutched his heart dramatically. "Oh baby, you wound me!"
We both laugh, and I’m grateful for the sudden release of tension that had been building thanks to Ryan's lack of punctuality. Just as the guitarist’s arm draped across my shoulder again, Ryan finally decided to grace us all with his presence. His eyes land on Gareth's arm, and a scowl instantly forms on his face.
There are deep-set bags underneath his eyes and his hair is disheveled. Not in a sexy way, but in an ‘I just woke up and didn’t have time to shower’ kind of way. Is he hungover?
"Glad you could make it, man," the guitarist said flatly.
His response comes out as a grunt rather than words, and I take a small step forward. Gareth's hand trails down my back, brushing against my ass before it falls to his side. I shoot him a playful, scolding glance. If he thought he was going to butter me up with his patented rock star flirting, he was in for a surprise. He throws up his hands as if to claim it was an accident, and I can only shake my head and laugh. It’s oddly hard to get mad at him with that charming, golden retriever smile on his face.
Ryan, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to share that sentiment. His glaring eyes follow Gareth’s hands as if he’s making sure they don’t accidentally drift anywhere near my ass again.
"Let's get started; I want to get the bedroom shots done first. Those are always the most taxing," the director said, snapping his fingers for everyone to get into place.
The model rushes over and immediately introduces herself to Ryan in a low, sultry voice. My eyes roll unintentionally, but no one seems to notice. Her name was even sexy too—Katarina. I force myself to look away when Ryan grabs her hand, shaking it, touching her.
Ignore it. He’s not yours.
Before long, the cameras are rolling and both Ryan and Katarina drop right into character.
