Текст книги "Man Up Playboy "

Автор книги: Danielle Sibarium

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

Chapter 9

"Cooper." I feel a finger nail graze over and around the skin on my shoulder. "Wake up, handsome."

"Mmm." I moan with a smile. "Go back to sleep, Selene." I answer rolling over and reaching out for her.

"Selene?" the voice shrieks. "Who the fuck is Selene?"

That voice! How did she get here? My throat constricts as I shoot up with my heart pounding to a punishing beat. The angst in her tone cuts through my chest. How did I not recognize her straight away?

"It was a mistake. That's all, just a mistake," I explain opening my eyes, searching for her face so I can apologize. I'm ready and willing to do whatever I have to, to make this right, but no one is there. I'm alone in bed. I flip the covers over, looking frantically for some sign of her, but there's nothing under them.

I jump out of bed and spin around taking in everything in the room, searching for some sign of her. But there's nothing, not even a hint of the vanilla scent that lingers in the air wherever she goes. I look under the bed, and in the closet. Everything is as it should be. I'm all fucking alone in the room. How could I fuck up like this?

Cries burst through the silence. Loud. Ugly sobs that make me want to cover my ears with my hands. But where the fuck is she? My muscles are trembling, like plucked guitar strings. And my emotions are reverberating through my body. My stomach sinks. I have to fix this before she . . . No. NO! I squeeze my eyes shut. I won't even think it. This is my chance to wake from my nightmare and make things right.

"Luna. Luna!" I call out pulling myself together. She's crying harder. Louder. "Where are you?"

She doesn't answer. The walls of the room are gone. I'm no longer in my bedroom. Instead I'm in a large room encased by a never ending expanse of doors. I don't know where they lead to. But Luna is on the other side of one of them. How many are there? Ten? One hundred?

"You broke me, Cooper." The voice, her voice, blasts over speakers built into the walls behind me. "You broke my heart." The sound of her voice makes me want to drop to my knees and cry.

"Come on, Luna. Stop fucking around and come out here so we could talk."

"You lied. You said I'm the only girl you could ever love. And now you're with Selene."

"And you fucking cheated on me. So get your ass out here and face me."

"I can't, Cooper." She says something more, but I can't make her words out through the sobs. "I can't ever face you again. Not now that I know about her. I need to get rid of her."

"Luna, let's talk." It doesn't matter that I'm still so angry with her I could kill her with my own hands. It only matters that if I don't make this right, convince her that I still love her, and try to work things out, she'll do something drastic. Permanent.

The crying starts again. "No, Cooper. Just, no."

That voice. It's not Luna. Maybe it never was. It's Selene. It's Selene and I need to get to her. I run to the closest door and jiggle the handle trying to get it to open, but it's locked. I run to the next one and try that. Again it's locked.

"Talk to me Selene. Please."

"Goodbye, Cooper." Luna again. A tiny part of me is relieved. Luna's already set a nuke off in my life, a fucking bomb that maimed and destroyed the best parts of me. There isn't much more she can do, but Selene . . . I can only imagine she can finish the job Luna started and send me over the deep end. 

"Open the door!" I scream frustrated and scared shitless this isn't going to end well. "Open the fucking door!"

A scream pierces the air around me. It's shrill and I swear I think my ears are going to fucking bleed. I close my eyes and cover my ears until I feel the wetness on my feet. The room is silent. She stopped talking and crying. She isn't making a fucking sound. I look down to see why I'm suddenly standing in a puddle. A thick, deep red liquid has pooled around my feet. My stomach churns and I'm dry heaving. She did it. She fucking sliced her wrists open.

I follow the trail of blood hoping I can get to her in time. My hand is on the door knob I'm preparing myself to find her limp body on the other side. If I act fast there might be a smidgeon of hope that I can get her help. Everything will change if I can save her. If only I can turn the knob. Why won't my fucking hand move?

"Cooper." My name comes across in a whisper. An icy finger trails up my spine and slices through my skin, straight into my heart. Already I know it's not Luna lying on the ground. It's Selene.

"Selene!" I shout. "Hold on. I’m coming, baby."

My eyes open to the first light of morning. My body is shaking. Trembling. I'm covered in sweat. Holy shit that dream was real.

Too real.

Luna and Selene switching places in the same nightmare . . . A few more of those and the guys with the padded wagon and straight jacket will be dragging my ass out of here for sure. How the fuck did Luna turn into Selene?

"Are you okay?"

Selene is staring at me, those beautiful blue eyes are troubled and leery.

I don't say anything. I reach out and stroke her face to make sure she's real. To make sure I didn't already fuck up beyond repair.

"Cooper." She sits up and leans toward me.

Once I'm certain she's okay I clear my throat and find my voice. "I'm fine."

She reaches for my hand, kisses the palm, and then presses her palm to my forehead.

"You don't feel feverish."

"Just a bad dream. I'm not the best sleeper."

"Is it because I'm here?"

I know it is, but I'm not such a shit that I would actually tell her that. "Nah, just an end of the world nightmare." At least that part is true, even if it would only be the end of my world. "Nothing to do with you."

"Does it have anything to do with that tattoo?"

"What you don't like it?" I ask pretending I'm not completely freaked out that she made the connection.

"It's beautiful. It's just that it's so sad. I don't get why the moon is crying."

I look away for a moment. I've lied about it before. I don't know why the idea of lying to Selene is pulling so strong on my heart.

"The moon is crying because no matter what it does, the sun always rises. People turn away from the darkness and try to forget that it's there, regardless of the impact it has on our physical world. No matter how hard the moon may pull and stomp and make its presence known, for at least half a day, it's rendered useless."

Selene smirks. I can tell that she doesn't believe me. It's okay because that has to be the lamest fucking excuse I've ever come up with. On a high note, my heart finally slowed to its normal pace. Now I'm ready to get it going again, but in excitement, not in fear.

"Are you sure you're not really Kaycee Dugon?" She asks, her palm on the side of my face, her thumb stroking the shadow of stubble beneath it.

I reach my arm around her back, curl my hand around her waist and pull her closer to me on the bed. She complies easily.

"If I were to write, it wouldn't be the adventure/romance crap Kaycee writes."

"No?"

"Please. If I were going to write a book, it would be best-selling erotica."

"You think you're that good," she teases, her eyes challenging me. "That you could hold the attention of women from all around the world for the length of a whole book, from start to finish?"

"Think? No. I don't think it. I know it." With slow steady movements, my eyes never wavering, I pull her down on her back, climb on top of her, and pick up where we left off last night.

Chapter 10

"I owe you one," I say as Noah settles into the seat across from me.

It's good to have connections. That's all I'm saying. Because getting center ice seats three rows back for one of the most popular hockey teams in the tri-state area is near impossible without handing over thousands of dollars to scalpers. But when you can call the right people, not only can you make it happen, but it can happen without breaking the budget.

"How was the game?" Noah asks taking a swig of his beer as we wait for Troy to meet us at the restaurant in my building Thursday night.

"It was great. Went into double over-time."

"I know. I swear when you asked for those tickets I thought you wanted me to go with you."

"There, there. Are you jealous?" I lean over and tweak his cheek.

"Get off me you prick," he says swatting my hand away. "Since when does Cooper Sutton take a chick to a hockey game?"

"Since I found a chick that gets hot watching it. And the best part, I told her they turn the heat up really high for the spectators, so she wore a thin flimsy shirt with no sleeves."

I don't see how that matters."

I snicker. "She was shivering, and I came prepared with a blanket. I slung it around us which worked to my advantage in two ways. First, she cuddled up close to me. Second, it gave me cover to slip my hand down her pants."

"You're such a fucking pig."

"Oink. Oink."

I don't understand what drives me to be such a complete and total jerk. It isn't as if I don't realize how crass I am. I just can't help myself. I'm not sure if I just play the role the world wants me to play or if my brain just doesn't have a fucking filter.

"You know when you were getting busy last night she was fantasizing about fucking them, not you, right?"

"Actually if I had to put money on it, I'd say she was fantasizing about fucking Jackson Stone."

"Holy shit, Coop. You told her?" His eyes are bulging from his head, and his mouth has hit the ground. I laugh at the shocked look on his face. It's priceless.

"Long story."

"You really do have it bad for her, don't you?"

I want to be honest. At least as honest as I can be. Noah's my best friend, and he stood by my side through all kinds of shit. Especially though the Luna drama. He was my only friend through all that. My own fucking mother, along with our whole high school decided it was my fault. Noah never wavered though. He stood up for me. He doesn't know I overheard him in the boys locker room standing up to her ex and his drugged up posse, telling them if they didn't stop the rumors he'd see to it they were in the pen for a good, long time for pushing XTC. I owed Noah big for that one. He believed in me without ever knowing the truth. He never asked or demanded that I explain my role in what happened. And I was cool with that. He once told me he'd listen if I ever felt the need to talk, but I never took him up on it and he never pried.

I shrug. "She's fucking hot, and great in bed. I swear when I fuck her, I feel like I'm starring in the greatest porno ever made."

"I really hope that's not how you're sweet talking her."

"Jealous?" I smirk.

"Hey guys," Troy says pulling the chair next to Noah out and taking a seat. "What's up?"

"What's up is that Coop's finally got a girlfriend. Of course if I didn't know better, I'd think she's a blow up doll he brought to life."

"Watch it there, buddy."

"Is it one of the chicks from the sex club?"

"Fuck you both."

"Ooh, he's getting testy,"

I shouldn't hate the ribbing, I give it to them often enough. But they make me sound like a complete douche. If my own friends see me that way, there's no way Selene will ever see me as anything else.

"You're late. Where the fuck were you?"

"Marlene's doctor was running behind."

"Your leash is that short that she has you taking her to her appointments?"

"You're a jackass, Coop. I'm there because I want to be. That's my baby, too."

"Yeah, well. You might as well cut off your junk and put it up on the shelf next to your trophies because once the kid is here, you won't be using it anymore."

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. And keep your mind and your mouth out of my sex life with my wife."

"It's cool, dude. Whatever you want. Just don't think I'm going to get whipped into marriage or kids. That shit's for guys like you and Noah who believe in love and fairytales. Me, I'm realistic. I know I'm no prince charming. And I know once you add dirty diapers and a screaming monkey in the mix, love isn't enough. And there's no time for sex. She'll be too tired, or the kid will be crying all night long and you'll stand on your head to get it to shut up. And when you're done with all of that Marlena will be off in dream land, and you'll feel too guilty to wake her. Your cock is going to shrivel up and dry out from lack of usage, so get all you can now, because in a few months it's gone."

"Ignore him," Noah says attempting to placate Troy who now has steam shooting out of his ears. "He's a genetic experiment gone wrong."

"Yeah, well don't think anyone would be stupid enough to want to have a family with you, Cooper. You are a complete jackass, and any girl with half a brain would have to be a total moron to have sex with you."

I don't answer, because all my ribbing is playful. His comment wasn't. He sucker punched me and he doesn't even know it. I take a long swig of my beer to stop myself from going back at him. If I do it will send Troy over the deep end, and possibly even jeopardize our friendship.

"I'm teasing you. Sort of. Unless you see truth in what I'm saying,"

Troy ignores me for a while. I get it, I crossed a line. I sit in silence as Troy continues filling us in on how big the baby is, and what they have left to do in the house before it arrives. Noah tells him about the house down at the shore we rented for a week in June. Me, I tune them out and instead think of the blonde seductress that's put a large chink in my armor. As if she knows, as if we're connected on some higher plain, my phone vibrates, and it's a message from Selene.

Selene: Just landed in Texas. Miss you,

I feel like a light turned on inside me.

Me: Miss you too! There's a package waiting for you at the hotel. Don't open it until we're online together.

Selene: Give me two hours.

I can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens the box. I bet she's expecting something sweet or sexy. I think a vibrator is probably the last thing she expects. But I won't see her for a whole week, and I need to make sure her needs are satisfied so she doesn't go out looking for action. Plus, I've never had video sex. I can watch her take care of herself while she watches me jerk off. It's a win, win situation.

"See," Noah's voice catches my attention. "He's so fucking smitten he doesn't even hear us talking about him"

"Fuck you."

"That was her, wasn't it? Oh never mind, It's written all over that goofy smile."

"I'm not smiling." I lie. The smile started on the inside and worked its way out. I've got to play my hand better. The guys can't know how bad I have it for her or I'll never live it down.

Chapter 11

A knock on the door startles me. What a shitty fucking night. I haven't seen Selene in almost a week between her work schedule and mine, we've been on opposite ends of the country. Right now she's working a flight to Aruba. It sucks that she can go anywhere she damn pleases while I'm stuck at home missing her. I fucking miss her! How did that happen? I'm not supposed to feel this way. Not for her. Not for anyone.

I need to fix this. I've spent the last month acting like a love-sick puppy, walking around with thoughts of her racing through my mind when we aren't together, and clearing my calendar for her at a moment’s notice when she's around. That's why tonight I went out with Noah. Nothing like a hot piece of ass to get my mind off of what's bothering me, and since Selene not being here is what's bothering me, I wanted to find someone to fill the void she created.

Part of me knows this is the excuse I need to walk away from her. She deserves better than a self-centered prick, but I'm not ready for things to end. My brain knows I should say goodbye and forget her, that I'm risking far too much by staying with her, but I can’t.

I'm in the best fucking relationship. I have a great time with her. When we're together she makes me feel like king of the world, like her universe revolves around me. We can't keep our hands off each other, and best of all I don't have to stress over seeing other people. Not that I have yet¸ but I know the option is there, and that keeps me fucking sane. Although it's a detail we never ironed out, I know my girl sees monogamy as a joke. Literally. So she can't expect me to be faithful. Tonight I set project "other women" in play.

My plan went to hell the second Noah took off with the chick he'd been chatting up all night. I smiled at a hot brunette who'd been giving me "fuck me" eyes for the last hour.

I sent her a drink certain she'd follow that up with a personal thank you. Everything went according to plan. The problem; I didn't want to be with this chick. Every time she touched me, it felt like spiders crawled across my skin, and a weird feeling spread through me as we walked out of the bar together. Weird as in I wasn't looking forward to what came next. I dreaded it.

Not only didn't I want it to happen, I felt like shit for letting things get this far. Guilt exploded like a bomb inside me. It destroyed every positive feeling and made me feel like shit that I even considered being with anyone but Selene. Instead, I said goodnight and came back home. Alone.

I take a long swig from the beer bottle I just opened as I walk to the door. I swirl the liquid holding the bottle by the neck expecting to find Kaycee on the other side since Adam didn't buzz me to announce company. She must have some fucking crazy idea she wants to propose for our shoot next week to come knocking this late at night. She swears it's going to be the last book in the Jaxson Stone series, and since there's movie buzz swirling around the series, she wants to do something outrageous for the final release.

I pull the door open, but it's not Kaycee on the other side. Instead two sparkling blue eyes shine back at me. My heart leaps into my throat. Selene. I want to say something, but my thoughts, my words evaporate from my mind. All I know is I wished for her, and now Selene is standing before me. I stare at her dumbfounded as my lips curl up at the corners.

"Surprise."

I don't speak yet because I'm not sure what to say. She's supposed to be on a plane, working. And Adam isn't supposed to allow anyone up without announcing them first. Is she a hallucination?

"Don't be mad at Adam," she says as if she can read my mind. "I wanted to surprise you and he thought it would be okay for me to come up unannounced since I'm the only one that ever comes to visit you."

"But how?"

She shrugs, "I had a rough flight home last night. I told you I wasn't feeling well. I went to the doctor this morning and found out I have an ear infection, He gave me a shot of penicillin and put me on an antibiotic but no flying for a week. I didn't say anything earlier because I wanted to surprise you."

A week. She's mine for a whole fucking week.

I'm so happy she's standing in front of me right now I'm instantly hard. All I can do is reach out, grab the neckline of her shirt, and pull her to me.

Once she's close enough I wrap my arms around her, pressing her soft, pliable body against mine. I missed her. My empty hand is behind her neck, the other arm holding the beer, curls around her waist.

I pull her head toward me and crush her lips with my own; hungry, starving for the taste and feel of her. I force my tongue into her mouth and allow my lips to devour her, my teeth to nip at her. I worry she'll think it's the alcohol making me aggressive, but it's not. It's how she affects me. The alcohol is allowing me to act on the impulses I've been keeping in check over the last month.

Selene doesn't waste any time getting down to business. Her fingers grasp the bottom of my shirt and tug at it. She moans as my grip around her waist tightens and I grind my hips against her. I think I feel her heart racing against my chest, but I can't be positive the frenetic pounding isn't coming from me. I've never felt this kind of reckless passion. Not even with Luna. I can't think, can't move. My will is gone. All I know is the irrational need I have to be inside her, and right now isn't soon enough.

She wants my shirt off. I don't break away from her to let her pull it up over my head just yet. Instead I hold her in place, not allowing her to move away, not even a centimeter; still yearning, needing more of her lips and tongue. Restraining myself from lifting her into my arms and carrying her off to bed, I maneuver us over toward the couch. I need to get rid of this bottle so I can fill my hands with her.

Walking us backwards, my leg bumps into the coffee table. I'm where I want to be. I wind her hair around my hand, keeping her head in place as I lean down and place the bottle on the table. Once that hand is free, I force myself to pull my lips away from hers. Selene leans forward, as if she wants more, as if she wasn't ready to separate. I give her hair a gentle tug, bringing her head back, away from me, lifting her chin and exposing her long neck.

"I hope you’re ready, baby." I say leaning in and brushing my tongue against the exposed skin, from her collarbone up until the spot on her neck below her ear, and give it a little nip. "Because I've been going easy on you. Tonight I'm going to fuck you like you haven't been fucked."

Selene nods. Her chest is heaving. I swear I think I just turned her on more.

With her hair still entwined in my hand, I press down on her shoulder with my free hand. Without a word, she gets down to her knees. The beautiful sex goddess before me knows exactly what I want. One hand rubs my cock over the material of my jeans, while the other works at opening the button and fly.

Once I'm free, and I step out of my pants, Selene grips my shaft. She blinks her eyes, and looks up through her lashes at me. I think my cock is petrified it's so fucking hard.

I pull my shirt up over my head, roll it up and tie it around her eyes, using it as a blindfold. Once I'm certain she can't see, I grab on to her hair again. Tight. I want to control her. My eyes close, and I let my head fall back. Her hand moves back and forth over my length. It feels good, but that's not what I want and she knows it. I want to lead her there, force myself into her mouth, but I don't.

My grip in her hair tightens when I feel the tip of her tongue. She's licking my head, circling around it like I'm a fucking ice-cream cone and she doesn't want one little bit to drip away and go to waste.

"Oh, yeah," the words spill out of my mouth.

Her lips seal around me, and she's taking all of me down her throat. And moaning. Oh. My. God. The sounds coming out of her mouth alone might make me cum. She's sounds like there's nothing better in the world than sucking my dick. If I keep focusing on her I'm going to cum in no time, and I want this to last. I need it to last.

I don't know how she feels about me cumming in her mouth since this the first time she's done this, but I decide not to do it. I want this again. And again. And again.

I look down at her sucking me off. Something in my chest tightens. Her free hand cups my balls, and her fingers skim over them gently, as the other hand pumps the base of my shaft. I can't take anymore. I pull away and help her to her feet.

"I need to fuck you. Now!"

She gives me a devilish smile. A smile that tells me she knows she had me by the balls, literally, and she's enjoying it. A smile she's going to pay for.

I unbutton her pants and pull them and her underwear down in one quick motion. Next her shirt and bra. There's nothing gentle or kind in the way I'm undressing her. I don't want it to be.

Thank goodness I don't have to stop and bag it. She's on the pill and I'm clean. I've never fucked anyone without protection. Not even Luna. But now that I've had a taste of what it's like being inside Selene without any barriers between us, nothing else will ever come close.

Once I'm satisfied I turn her around and use her shirt to tie her hands together behind her back. I think of gagging her too, but that might be too much for her. I push her down hard, face first, over the side of the couch.

"You're a tease, you know that?" I say slapping her ass.

Selene gasps, but doesn’t tell me to stop.

"Did you like that?" I whisper as my hand circles around a different spot before slapping her again.

"Answer me. Did you like that?" I strike her once more on the other side, and watch as her creamy skin turns pink.

"Yes."

"How much?”

“A lot.”

“Does it turn you on?"

I slap her again. Harder. Enjoying the loud sound, and the stinging of my hand. I look down at her now pink ass and reach between her legs.

"Yes."

I can't believe how wet she is. She really does like it. I enjoy the feel of her slickness against my fingers. I don't want to wait anymore. I press my package into her. Stopping a moment I wind my hand in her silky hair, and pull back exposing her long, slim neck.

I give her ass one more slap and I feel the wetness around me increase. I reach down and take hold of her hips, digging my fingers into her flesh. I hold on tight as I thrust my hips forward, ramming my full length into her. Selene cries out. She's loud. Louder than I've ever heard her before.

With each of my movements, Selene pushes back into me. She's breathing hard, and I'm holding on by a hair. "You like it rough?" I ask pulling her head back as I slam into her over and over again, squeezing her tits. "Huh? Is that the way you like to get fucked?"

"Yes!"

The enthusiasm in her voice sends me over the edge. I let myself spill inside of her. When I'm done, I pull out and turn her to face me. I waste no time in pulling off the blindfold and untying her hands. I'm worried I might have been a little too rough, but I see no sign of it. In fact, she's got that look on her face again. The one that says more about how enamored she is with me than anything that comes out of her mouth, the one I'm afraid is mirrored on my face as I look at her.

*

Drained of every last ounce of energy, Selene and I lie in bed together. She snuggles up against me, and I love the feeling. Holding her like this makes me feel strong, invincible. Moments like this I feel whole, and I start to think that maybe someday under the right circumstances I can get my shit together enough to offer someone some semblance of a life together. I just don't know that I could do it in time for Selene.

"I was nervous coming. I thought you might not be here," Selene's voice breaks into my thoughts.

"All you'd have to do is call and I'd come running home."

She snickers. "You don't get it. I wouldn't call you if I thought you were out with another woman."

I pull away because I want to look at her face, read the emotions in her eyes. "That bothers you?"

"You know what?" Her voice cracks as she turns avoiding eye contact with me, and sits up letting her feet hang off the edge of the bed. I said the wrong thing and now she's looking to escape.

"I thought you were done running away from me," I say as I wrap my arms around her from behind and ease her back down. "You came, and I was here. Alone." I don't say anything more. I wait for her to look at me before I say anything, but before I can utter a word, she turns her sad eyes on me, and speaks.

"We could've just had sex and ended it there, Cooper. But you couldn't leave it at that. You complicated everything when you responded to Mateo's text."

Is she breaking up with me? This hurts. Every breath is making my chest ache. I dig down deep for the courage to keep this conversation going because I want to know what she's thinking, what she's feeling. I can't let it end here and now.

"Do you want more with him? Or is it that you don't want a relationship with me?" I ask with my heart slamming against my chest, hoping to hide how devastating this is.

"I didn't want a relationship with you. Not then. At least I don't think I did."

She's fucking crushing me with her words. They feel like they're three ton boulders being dropped on me from miles above.

"And now?" My eyes drop down to her lips. I can't look her in the eye when she answers because I'll die of embarrassment if the answer isn't good and she catches me welling up with tears. I lean in a bit wanting to shut her up with a kiss, but I hold back and close my eyes waiting to hear the words I'm certain are coming.

"I hate thinking when I'm gone that you might be like this with someone else."

"Is that what you think I do? Wait for you to leave so I can hunt pussy?"

She squeezes her eyes closed, and grimaces.

"Hey," I swipe my thumb gently over her cheek. "I know that sounds harsh and vulgar. But that's what you're accusing me of. That's all being with someone else could be. This," I point my finger back and forth between us. "I've never had this with anyone. The talking and holding each other. The need and desire to be with someone for more than a night or two. This is all special, baby. At least for me."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

Her eyes dart away from me. I don't know if I need to reassure her or if I need her to reassure me. I do the only thing that feels natural. I take her face in my hands, lean in and swipe my tongue over her lips.

"I'm sorry I'm not good at making you feel special . . ."

"That's just it, Cooper!" I hear the frustration in her voice as she pulls away, and I'm not sure why it's there. “You do make me feel special. You look at me like I'm the most beautiful girl in the universe and when we're together I feel like the luckiest woman alive."

"So what's the problem?"

She lets out a long sigh and my stomach is tumbling, not sure if it's going to land right side up when this conversation is over.

"I feel this connection to you, and it scares the hell out of me because I know whatever is going on inside me is real. But I can't tell if what’s going on with you is."

"Of course it is."

"When I was away on this last trip, I missed you so much, I searched for images of Jaxson Stone, just so I could see you."

"I thought that's why we video conference."

"There were so many pictures of you half naked, kissing and touching other women."

"Pictures of Jaxson, not me. They were promotional pictures, Selene. There were lights and cameras all around us, not to mention Kaycee, the photographer, and his assistants. There was nothing romantic about it."