Chapter 23
Lauren didn’t think the ocean could top yesterday. Somehow, it did.
The second morning on the yacht came with salt in the air and coffee strong enough to jolt the dead awake. The crew dragged their feet a little, hair messy, movements slower after yesterday’s long hours in the sun and wind. Lauren felt wired and alive, though.
Being out here with Sierra, surrounded by endless wind and sun and wild open space, felt like breathing properly for the first time in their life. It was still work, though, and Lauren was damn good at it.
They unpacked their kit without even thinking, years of habit guiding their hands.
Brushes lined up in neat rows on a scrap of linen, ready to go.
They hummed quietly while they started on the first model, brushing on bronzer over skin already kissed by yesterday’s sun, blending until the light caught just right.
Their fingers moved with rhythmic confidence... tap, swirl, sweep, each movement pure muscle memory at this point.
“I swear you always make me look like I got eight hours of sleep,” one model said, eyes closed as Lauren worked concealer magic under her eyes.
Lauren grinned. “I’m basically a magician, but don’t test how far the powers go.”
The second look of the day leaned into beach goddess territory... sleek ponytails that moved with the wind, cheeks kissed just enough to look natural, skin glowing like it had its own light. Lauren gave a final mist of setting spray and stepped back, checking their work.
Out of the corner of their eye, Sierra moved past with her camera, already chasing her next shot.
They caught Sierra glancing over, watching them work with an expression that made heat rise under Lauren’s collar and spread down through their chest.
Later, while the models posed up front, Lauren slipped below deck to the little corner they’d turned into a touch-up station. Quick fixes... dusting shimmer along collarbones, smoothing lipstick, misting SPF setting spray so nothing melted in the heat.
Every time their hands moved, they felt the weight of this moment, not just because they genuinely loved what they did for work, but because they loved this version of their life. This exact moment, this incredible ocean, this amazing girl waiting for them outside.
Around midday, Sierra appeared with two perfectly cut slices of watermelon, holding one out with that smirk that always made Lauren’s stomach flip.
“Hydration break. Doctor’s orders.”
Lauren took a big bite, then leaned forward and kissed Sierra’s cheek with sticky-sweet lips. “Thanks, Mom.”
Sierra rolled her eyes, big and exaggerated, but she didn’t pull away.
Lauren counted that as a victory. On the next break, they wound up on the upper deck again, stretched out in the sun.
Sierra’s head rested in Lauren’s lap while the boat rocked steadily beneath them.
Lauren idly combed fingers through Sierra’s salt-tangled hair, completely content.
Lauren uploaded a few photos from that morning: one was a sun-drenched shot of the blue ocean, a candid photo showed a model laughing with her hair blowing in the wind, and another captured Sierra smiling barefoot, with the golden light washing over her.
They typed out a caption: This one? She steals hearts for fun. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Sierra peeked up at the screen, read it, and immediately turned pink. “You’re such a complete sap.”
“Accurate.”
Back at the front of the boat, Lauren worked quickly even as the yacht shifted with the waves.
The motion didn’t throw them off at all, not when they were in the zone like this.
They knelt beside the model and ran a fan brush along her cheekbone.
“Close your eyes for me.” They carefully lined them with a waterproof shimmer that would photograph beautifully.
As Sierra adjusted a light reflector nearby, she brushed against Lauren’s shoulder. Lauren steadied themselves with one hand on the yacht’s railing and the other gripping their makeup palette, pretending they hadn’t noticed the little thrill that shot through them at the contact.
When the model opened her eyes, Lauren smiled with satisfaction. “Go slay them.”
The model winked back. “Girl, your hands feel like actual silk. Keep this up, and I’m never leaving your makeup chair.”
Lauren shrugged. “Many years of practice, and an ungodly amount of coffee. Mostly the coffee.”
While everyone gathered for a group photo, Sierra slipped her hand into Lauren’s. Hooked pinkies, like yesterday. Their little ritual.
One model leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, “You two are seriously soulmates. It’s disgusting how cute you are.”
They both grinned but let it drop there, fingers tightening together in a quiet squeeze.
With the equipment packed and everyone else already moving toward the dock, they lingered at the back of the boat.
The sun was sliding down, turning the water gold, orange, too beautiful to seem real.
Sierra’s eyes were on the waves. “Do you realize we did a two-day shoot on a yacht, saw actual dolphins, learned hula, and still managed to flirt our way through the whole thing?”
Lauren grinned, stepping closer. “You make it sound like some kind of incredible dream.”
Sierra looked out at the endless blue stretching to the horizon. “Maybe it is.”
Lauren stepped behind her, sliding their arms around Sierra’s waist and pulling her back against their chest. “Then promise me we won’t wake up yet.”
Sierra leaned into them, content. “Not a chance.”