“Your beauty raced past me and now it’s all I can see. I can’t believe you look like this.” He bit his lower lip and the constant simmer I was on for him flipped straight to boiling. I swallowed and was about to tell him that I was all his. No matter what. But then he added, “My client is very, very lucky. You’re going to sell a million bracelets.” And I felt the words on the tip of my tongue mist into regrets.

“Okay, let’s go. Can we bring Axel?” I leaned down and petted his head.

“He is going to get hair all over you.” Austin gathered his camera and tossed in a few things from a desk drawer into a messenger bag. I thought about leaving Axel here with Endgame, not knowing how the man would treat a dog. When he turned, Austin lifted the bag over his shoulder. “But yeah, we are going to bring him. They allow dogs and he's our special problem child.”

I grabbed Axel’s leash and he started with his giant jump, looked me in the eyes, and then commenced with his tippy taps dance. And then repeated it. I had to put a hand on his back to steady him so I could clip his leash on him.

“He’s part kangaroo. That’s great.” Austin held out a hand for the leash. “I’ll walk him so maybe he can get his hair on me instead.”

I caught a glance of us in the mirror. Austin in his dark jeans and navy blazer and me in all white. Almost like a wedding. Almost like a dream come true. So close. So far. I followed him out the bedroom door to do my first ever modeling shoot.

* * *

AUSTIN

After stuffing Axel in the back and holding open the door for Taylor, I headed to Window Corner Gardens. I met them through Endgame, which was sort of funny, sort of not. He’d been using the Gardens to sell drugs to high-end clients. He was banned, but the manager was willing to let me use the location as needed after closing hours. It helped to be charming and ballsy. And I had both of those things going for me. I glanced at Taylor at the red light. She was beautiful while we were growing up, but soon her features had become just a hallmark for who she was. Dressing her and highlighting her made me see her differently. She was graceful and somehow a little klutzy. She loved Axel so much, but her jaw clenched with the responsibility of him. The way she looked at me lit something inside me.