***
“Okay, open your eyes.”
“Woah,” I said, adjusting to the lash extensions and my whole new look. Everything about me looked sexy, from the red lips to my smoky eyes. They had added just a little more volume and waves to my hair, too.
“What do you think? I added a little pink to the smoky eye because it’s Blair’s signature in the book.”
“You’re a fan too?” I asked, taking a paper towel to wipe some of the lipstick off my teeth.
She smiled. “Isn’t everyone?”
I was starting to realize that.
“So this is your first outfit.” T wardrobe stylist lifted up a short fitted white dress and pink heels.
I stood up only to step into the dress, and the stylist slid it up my body. The second she zipped it up, I was thankful I hadn’t eaten that ham sandwich for lunch. The dress hugged every inch of me. After I stepped into the heels, she held the door open for me.
In the hall, the photographer was already set up. Noah pretended to put his key card in the slot, his face turned back partially for the photo.
“Amelia’s on set,” someone called out as I was led just to Noah’s left. For a split second, his eyes focused on me just as there was another bright flash.
“Step on the black X, Amelia,” the photographer said, changing the lenses. I took a step over the wires, Noah moving aside to allow me to get in front of him in the doorway.
“You can still walk away, you know,” Noah whispered behind me, and I mentally flipped him off.
“Amelia, I want seduction. Noah, unzip the back of her dress.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to think of something, anything that turned me on. However, the moment Noah’s hands grabbed me, I didn’t have to think. It had been so long since any guy touched me like this.
“You still have the northern star on your back,” he whispered, his hand touching the bare skin of my back.
The northern star he was talking about referred to the set of freckles I had on my back. He always said it looked like the northern star.
“Don’t push it,” I whispered, turning to glare at him.
“I like it! Hold that face!” the photographer said, forcing us to stare into each other’s eyes for another second. Noah reached up and placed a hand on my cheek, his thumb grazing over my lips. “Genius.”
Neither of us spoke, and the longer I stayed next to him like this, the faster my heart felt like it was beating.
“Alright, Amelia, in the bedroom. Sit on the edge of the bed. Noah, stay at the door.”
I took my chance to escape with pleasure. Walking into the hotel room, I pretended to take off my earrings and then my heels for the photo.
“Great. I want to get the bed shots in room 4390, and we’ll wrap up for today.” The photographer stood up, already walking down the hall.
“Bed shots?” I asked when my makeup team came back to fix my lipstick. Another stylist was already fully unzipping the dress at my back and draping a robe over my shoulders. I wasn’t expecting it so soon.
They looked at me, confused. “Yeah. The photo shoot takes place in bed. You only need your strapless bra and underwear.”
Biting my lip, I nodded. Standing up, I followed them down the hall toward a set of brown double doors. I saw that there were at least twenty people in the room when they opened the door for me. But the first person I saw was Noah, in dark blue boxer shorts, a woman finishing the fake Roman numeral tattoo she added to his side. Another woman glossed up his abs.
“Amelia, I want you on your back.” The photographer pointed toward the bed, then faced the men working the lights.
Taking off the robe, I crawled into the center of the bed, under the covers. Noah stood at the very end of the bed, in front of me, his abs perfectly sculpted and lean. The tattoos they added— Blair’s name on his chest, the crown next to his waist, Roman numerals down his side—were so foreign to me. The last time we were this close, he was not so…defined.
“Okay, test shots. Noah, hover above her,” the photographer directed.
He nodded, and like a lion coming in for the kill, he crawled up the bed until he was right on top of me. The only thing between us was the sheets. I could smell him again. He always smelled like fresh vanilla, so calm and sweet.
“Amelia, I’m going to need you to take off your bra. It’s showing through the sheets. Where is my 39mm lens?”
My eyes widened, and I didn’t move for a second.
“You look petrified,” Noah whispered in front of me. “What happened to skin being skin?”
I felt like shit, but sat up some and reached behind me anyway. I slid off my bra and tossed it aside before laying back down.
“If you are like this during the shoot, how will you be during the movie?”
“Can you not…?” I barely managed to say, my voice wavering. “Can you just give me a break for a few minutes, please?”
I took a deep breath, trying to remind myself why I was here. But I kept seeing all the faces in the room.
“Amelia…Amelia, look at me.”
When I looked at him, he put his forehead on mine, just like he used to.
“What are you doing?”
“Do you remember our first time?” he asked, not moving away.
“Noah, this isn’t—”
“You forgot?”
“No.” I frowned. “I remember being completely embarrassed and exci—why?”
“Just go back to that moment with me, okay? Just go back to when were teenagers, excited and nervous and terrified of getting caught at Graham’s after party. Go back to how we felt afterward.”
I smiled. “You said you wanted to do it every day.”
He grinned. “You said you’d let me. Just focus on that. There is no one else here. Just our younger, dumber selves.”
Swallowing, I nodded.
“Alright, test done. Both of you, wrap up in each other’s arms. Raw and sexy.”
Doing my best to ignore the photographer, I focused on Noah, who reached under me and lifted me off the bed. My arms wrapped around his neck, our lips hovering over each other.
I asked myself, what would sixteen-year-old me do?
I sat up on my knees. He made sure to pull me closer to hide my breasts. However, I felt…his friend…press up against me. Hard.
“Noah,” I said, unable to contain my smile.
He smirked. “What can I say? I feel eighteen again.”
“Beautiful, guys. Amelia, turn around and hold on to the bed frame.”
I held on to the sheets and did what he asked. The moment I let go of the sheets, Noah’s arms wrapped around my breasts, holding me tighter.
“Amelia, give me orgasmic.”
I could still feel Noah against my ass, this time with his chest pressed up against my back. Leaning in, he whispered again. “You remember that? How I’d bury myself deep inside you, how loud you were for me, how you used to ride me, your lips parted, sweat dripping down all over you? Everyone thinks you are this good girl, Amelia, but I know a side of you that no one else could ever know. Not even with this movie.”
“Brilliant! Let’s do some solos and then break.” The photographer snapped us back to reality.
The moment he spoke, Noah let go of me and rose from the bed, leaving me breathless, horny, and shaky in the middle of the bed, gripping the sheets to my chest.
“Nice, Amelia,” the photographer spoke, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Noah as he left the room, not even looking back.
God help me. I wanted…I wanted to be back in his arms.
I wanted the Amelia he whispered about.
What the hell was wrong with me? Noah and I were a train wreck.
I wasn’t going to mistake lust for anything else.
Noah
“What did you say to her?” Austin asked me as he handed me a bottle of water when I got back into my suite.