Picture Perfect Temptation - Chapter 14
Carver hadn’t said or done anything to stop Lina from going after what she wanted all those years ago, and as a result he’d married and divorced Evita. As bad as that all was and as much as he still wanted to be with Lina, he couldn’t bring himself to try and convince her to come back home with him.
When she stepped closer to him, he didn’t move but accepted the comforting feel of her hand slipping into his.
“I’d love to have dinner with you. You can tell me all about the studio you plan to open. And since you think I’m a model, maybe I’ll consider hiring you for the new headshot I need for the company website.”
If he could take pictures of her for the rest of his life, he’d consider himself successful and one of the luckiest men in the world. For now, he’d be happy with walking hand in hand with her out of the museum and climbing into the car that was waiting to take them to the restaurant.
Two hours later in that same car, with its dividing shield separating them from the driver, they pulled up in front of the hotel Carver was staying at. The car didn’t move for a few minutes, and neither did he.
“So, you’re leaving tomorrow,” Lina said as they sat in the back seat.
“Yeah. Tonight, I’ll finalize the shots I took and email them to RGF.”
“What if they need you for another assignment? Major’s getting married next month.”
After agreeing to do this job and doing a quick search on the Golds, Carver recalled seeing a wedding announcement for one of the brothers.
“I can see if they have a photographer booked already,” she continued. “Or, you know, RGF has many different collections—they’re preparing for the winter catalog now. I’m sure I can pull some strings so you can take some if not all the pictures for that.”
She was still so damn beautiful. During dinner he’d only been half tuned in to their conversation. The other half of the time he’d been reacquainting himself with everything about her. The way her pert lips tilted in a smile, how her mouth moved when she chewed. How her hazel eyes lit up each time she talked about her job and traveling. A part of him had ached at the thought that she was happy with all she had here.
“I don’t need you to pull any strings for me, Lina. I told you I have a decent clientele.”
“But this would be for RGF. Do you have any idea how much money you’d make here?”
He shook his head. “I have enough money.” Then he sighed. “Is that all that makes you happy?”
“No,” she said with a slow smile. “Tonight made me happy. Being with you again, talking about old times. I didn’t realize how much I missed you until now.”