Chapter 27 Stevie
Stevie
I step into the photography studio the next day, my hand wrapped around the underside of Lex’s elbow. The space is stark, filled with camera equipment, backdrops, and a slew of people running around, taking orders.
“Lexington!” Billy Ellison approaches with a shock of light-blond hair.
He’s dressed to the nines in a velvet blazer the color of nectarines, paired with an emerald silk shirt.
His pants are perfectly tailored, and his shoes—glossy patent leather with a gold buckle—click dramatically against the floor as he strides toward us.
“And Stevie. Such an honor to work with you today.”
I glance at the peacock feather tucked into his pocket square. “Thank you. We’re both excited to be here.”
“The interwebs are buzzing about you two. I had to shoot my shot—pun intended.” He grins, his teeth whiter than snow.
“Lex is my favorite guinea pig, but don’t tell the others.
” Waving an animated hand at us, he swivels around and approaches a sleek tripod, topped with a camera that likely costs more than my entire apartment building.
“Have you ever done a professional photo shoot before, Stevie?”
“Do my yearbook photos count?”
“Ah. Well, Ava is a master at posing. She’ll make sure you’re comfortable and prepared.”
My nails dig into Lex’s arm. “Sounds great.”
Lex places his hand on my lower back, his fingertips hovering an inch above my backside, and for a moment, it catches me off guard. The intimate touches, the heated looks. He’s so damn good at what he does.
“You good?” He bends down, murmuring against my ear. “Need any water?”
I manage a headshake. “Just a little nervous.”
“Because of me or the pictures?”
“The pictures,” I lie. “I’m used to unstructured photos, like when I’m onstage performing. In the moment. This feels different.”
He nods, guiding me forward. “You’ll be fine. Ava is a pro.”
We travel over to the backdrop, where a flurry of assistants are adjusting lights and arranging props.
The set is meticulously designed—a minimalist scene with soft lighting and muted tones to contrast our outfits.
I’m wearing a long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder mermaid-style dress, painted in Hollywood red, while Lex dons a dark-gray suit and a burgundy silk tie.
He’s stunning, straight out of a magazine ad.
Ava, a tall woman with sharp features and a tight bun, steps forward with a clipboard in hand.
“Stevie, Lex.” She greets us with a bright smile, her eyes shifting between us with the practiced gaze of someone who’s seen it all.
“We’re going for a modern, chic look today.
Think timeless but intimate. We want to capture the connection between you two. ”
Lex glances at me. “Perfect.”
Ava nods, satisfied. “Great. Lex, let’s start with you standing behind Stevie, hands resting on her shoulders. We’ll work through a few poses, and then we’ll move to some candid shots.”
I position myself in front of the backdrop, the white canvas stark against the bloodred color of my dress. Lex steps behind me, his hands gently settling on my shoulders. I feel the warmth, the butterflies, as his fingers brush lightly against my collarbone.
“Perfect,” Billy calls out from behind the camera, adjusting the focus. “Stevie, tilt your head slightly toward Lex, like you’re about to share a secret.”
I follow the direction, angling my head just enough to catch Lex’s eyes with my own. His gaze is steady, a little dark, doing nothing to ease my tension.
A flashbulb goes off.
“Beautiful.” Billy takes one more shot. “Now, Lex, lean in a bit closer, like you’re about to kiss her on the cheek. Stevie, close your eyes.”
Lex’s breath is warm against my skin as he leans in, his lips just a whisper away from my cheekbone. I close my eyes, surrendering, letting the camera capture what feels like an intimate, stolen moment between two lovers.
The setup shifts as the session progresses with Billy directing us into more relaxed, playful poses, trying to harness the chemistry the world is eager to see.
“Let’s get some levity,” Billy directs. “Lex, make her laugh.”
Lex hesitates for a second. The reaction is slight, brief, but I notice.
It’s almost as if he doesn’t know how to make me laugh.
His hand slides to my waist, thumb digging into my abdomen.
An amused smile quirks on my lips, but I don’t laugh.
He assumes I’m ticklish; I’m not.
Lex’s eyes slant with dismay, and he tries again, wrapping a full palm around my hip, digging his thumb harder into the sensitive part of my belly.
Nothing.
His fingers shimmy up both sides of my torso, still determined. A stifled giggle slips out, more from watching his futile effort and less because it tickles.
Flashbulbs brighten the room.
Lex makes a face. Crosses his eyes.
I snort.
“Excellent,” Billy says. “Again.”
Dipping his head, Lex blows a hard breath directly inside my ear, causing my skin to prickle and another laugh to slip as I squirm in place and try not to instinctively shove him away.
More cameras go off.
He maintains the position, lingering, his palm sweeping up my spine as he whispers softly, “You’re not ticklish.”
“Nope.”
“Mm.”
“Ooh, hold that pose,” Ava interjects as Lex dips me slightly, his face still buried in the curve of my neck.
Swallowing hard, I latch on to his bicep.
“Soft fingers, Stevie.”
I unclench my hand, my fingers splaying gently against his upper arm as Lex keeps me upright, a firm palm on the small of my back.
His breath is hot against my throat. It shakes with unsteadiness as he drags the tip of his nose along the curve of my neck and inhales. “You smell good.”
I nearly unravel.
I crane my neck, offering him more. Our bodies are melded together, heat from the lights and strobes adding to the brush fire burning tunnels through me.
He’s an actor. He’s acting.
And I hate that it feels so real.
“You two are electric.” Billy removes the camera from the tripod, zipping around, crouching in front of us. “Lift your head, Lex. Pretend you’re going to kiss her.”
I almost topple backward when his position shifts, his hand crawling up the center of my back and clamping around my nape.
Lex raises his head, moving into my sight line, his eyes hooded, pupils blown.
Hovering over me, he keeps his focus on me as he lowers his head, our noses grazing.
His lips are a centimeter away from my mouth, and I try so hard not to transport back to Natalie’s guest room when his gaze flared with betrayal, every muscle in his body tensed up, and he lurched back like I’d scalded him.
My eyes slam shut, blotting out the memories.
Flash, flash.
“Eyes open, Stevie. Give me that eye contact.”
My heart pounds, drumbeats and hammerheads.
I force my eyelids to flutter open, and my vision settles on two violent sapphires.
Lex stares down at me, his gaze skimming across my face in trails of molten blue.
I hold my breath, lips parting. He glances at my mouth before slowly sliding his eyes back up.
I hardly notice the cameras clicking as he lifts his hand and cups my cheek, thumb dusting my jawline, brushing the corner of my mouth.
“Hold it…right there.”
Billy’s voice is a garble of sound in the back of my mind. I can’t move, can’t breathe, can’t even close my eyes to make him disappear.
Our gazes tangle, and I’m trapped in a toxic web. A seesaw between fables and fairy tales, honesty and truth.
“All set!”
Lex drops his hand, blinks away, hoists me up to a standing position, and smooths out his tie, stretching a grin for the camera crew.
“That was excellent.” Billy returns his camera to the tripod and claps his hands together. “Just delicious.”
I let the breath fall out. My limbs are putty, my pulse thrashing in my throat. My gaze pans to Lex, but he’s already transformed. Perfectly poised and coolheaded as he shakes Ava’s hand, says a few parting words, and talks future business proposals with Billy.
He’s washed me away.
And I’m still drowning.
***
I’m surprised when the limo rolls through the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant instead of dropping us off at Lex’s condominium.
I squint through the tinted glass window, frowning, before glancing to my right.
We’ve hardly spoken on the drive home. After stopping at Luda’s studio for outfit changes, Lex has been absorbed in his phone, and I’ve been lost in my idle thoughts. “Why are we stopping?”
Lex sniffs, then pockets his phone. “Figured you might be hungry. It’s been a long day.”
My empty stomach tugs with hunger pangs as I stare at the iconic marquee. “In-N-Out Burger?”
“So?”
“Classy,” I say with a smile.
“What do you like?”
Images of glistening double cheeseburgers, oozing with grease and tangy dressing, dance across my mind, but then the preemptive mortification of devouring such a thing like a starved hyena in front of Lexington Hall overpowers the fantasy. “Just some french fries.”
“No.”
My nose wrinkles as I slouch back in the seat. “Why not?”
“You’re not one of those calorie-counting bikini models too embarrassed to eat a burger in front of me. You’re getting a combo meal.”
“I don’t want a—”
The dividing pane rolls down, and Adrian calls back to us over his shoulder. “What can I get you two?”
I quickly respond. “Just a small order of french—”
“Two combo meals with double cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes,” Lex interjects.
Grumbling, I fold my arms and slouch farther into the seat.
“Milkshake flavors?” Adrian prompts.
Lex glances at me.
Strawberry.
“Two strawberries.”
A few moments later, Adrian hands us a crumpled paper bag of food and a drink holder filled with two large shakes.
I reach inside the bag and pull out a floppy burger, half-wrapped in paper. My overthinking brain goes to war with my barren belly, and I pick delicately at a gooey tassel of cheese leaking from between the patties. “How did you know I liked strawberry?”