Chapter Nine
Spencer scanned the store filled with dishes and cutlery and stifled a yawn.
“What’s wrong with the dishes we have now?” Kristen said to one of the crew members.
“We just put those there in case you guys needed them and to fill the shelves. We’ll replace them with what you buy today.”
Spencer supposed the crew wanted the newlyweds shopping for house stuff together. He glanced over at Kristen. He hadn’t had time to talk to her about last night, but she didn’t seem upset with him.
They’d chatted in the morning and looked through the script while Neal told them that they could choose to stick to the script or wing it, like they had last night.
Neal yelled for one of the crew members to get out of the way, then shouted, “Action!”
Kristen hooked her arm around Spencer’s. “So, Spence.” She laughed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, this is just ridiculous. I’m perfectly fine with the dishes we have at home now.”
“Me, too.”
“Let’s get something white. White goes with everything.” She pointed to the section where all the white dishes were. “Then silver cutlery. Is that okay?”
“I wouldn’t care if we ate off paper plates.”
Kristen stopped and looked up at him. “That’s a great idea. Then I won’t have to wash anything.”
He laughed and cocked his head to the side. “Then let’s get them.”
“Cut!” Neal rolled his eyes. “Get the dishes.”
Kristen pouted. “I thought you said we could wing it.”
Spencer draped his arm over her shoulders. “Let’s just grab some and go.”
They strolled toward the kitchenware section, and Kristen sighed. “Square or round?” she asked him.
“I’m fine with either.”
“Borders?”
“Let just keep it simple.”
She nodded slowly. “I’m fine with either square or round plates. Rock, paper, scissors? You win, we’ll get square plates. I win, round plates.”
He laughed again and curled his fingers into a loose fist. They played, and she won. “Round it is,” he said.
Kristen suddenly frowned at one of the shiny metal racks and turned.
Spencer followed her gaze. “What is it?”
“I thought I saw …” She shook her head. “Nothing.” She tipped her head to the side. “Cutlery.”
Spencer glanced over again in the direction Kristen had stared before joining her.
They each chose a design and decided based on rock, paper, scissors again. And since they were having fun with that, they went on to play for the drinking glasses and even the kettles and cooking pots and pans.
As they were making their way to the counter, Kristen suddenly stiffened next to him.
“What is it?” He followed her gaze. “Who did you see?” All he saw was the back of a man walking away from them. “Kris.”
“I thought I saw the man who attacked you: Melody Leigh’s father.”
“Are you sure?” Spencer’s eyes swept the store, but he didn’t see anyone suspicious.
“I don’t know.” She pressed her fingers to her eyes. “Maybe not. Maybe I’m just paranoid from the cameras following us around.”
Spencer wasn’t so sure. The car. The feeling of someone staring at him.
But that feeling had been haunting him before Melody’s accident.
He tightened his arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay. Even if he’s here, he can’t do anything with all the cameras around.”
For once, he was glad their every move was tracked.
After shopping for the whole morning, they were released for lunch. Spencer suggested a restaurant, but Kristen thanked God that Ana had already bought a salad for her. So Kristen had lunch with Ana. They sat in Ana’s car and talked about her upcoming schedule.
Since her fiasco with Alvin, Kristen hadn’t gotten many job offers. So besides the shoots for We Got Hitched, she didn’t have much on.
It was the same for Spencer.
Kristen sighed softly at that thought. She had been trying all morning to behave as if last night hadn’t occurred. She was embarrassed. She hadn’t set out to seduce Spencer. She just thought he could use some fun, and she wanted to make him laugh after all he’d done for her.
But when he put his hands on her hips, she’d just lost herself in the music and his gaze.
She hadn’t even realized how close they were until he lifted her onto the countertop. She took a sip of water. She felt warm all over from the mere memories.
He was just being nice to her because he was treating her as a friend, just as they’d agreed upon. She shouldn’t think too much about his actions. He was sweet and charming, but he was probably that way to every woman he met.
“Are you all right?” Ana suddenly asked.
“Huh?”
“I saw you freezing up in the store.”
“Oh, that.” Kristen returned the plastic cover to the black box. “I thought I saw the man who attacked Spencer.”
“In the store?”
“I’m not sure. When I turned, I didn’t see anyone. The second time, I thought for sure it was him. But he was gone so quickly I really can’t be sure.”
“Do you want me to get a security detail? Just in case.”
Kristen shook her head. “I don’t think that’s required.”
“You and Spencer seem to have gotten closer.”
Kristen cracked a smile before saying, “I almost forgot. Do you know where you can buy one of those flying drones?”
Ana arched a brow.
“I want to get one for Spence.”
“Oh. I can get it for you.”
Kristen pursed her lips. “Never mind. I’ll get it on my own.” She didn’t want to outsource the buying of Spencer’s gift to Ana. “I want to see what kinds of drones are available before deciding.”
“Are you getting it for him because he bought you the ring?”
And so much more. “Yeah,” she said and opened the door when Spencer walked over.
“Done?”
“Yup.”
“Let’s go, then.” He turned and headed for the black BMW.
Kristen followed, scanning the area. She didn’t see anyone suspicious. Neither did she get the sense that someone was staring at her. Perhaps it really was just the after-effect of having cameras following her around.
“Can we talk for a minute?” Spencer asked when they got to the car.
Kristen nodded. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Last night.”
She sighed softly. “Forget it. I get it.”
“Get what?”
“That I’m not your type.”
Spencer laughed once without humor. “Is that what you think?” He stepped closer to her. “I wanted more. I just didn’t think it was right. I didn’t want to take advantage of you.” He put his hand on her waist and opened his mouth, but he shook his head at the last moment. “Forget it. Let’s just go.”
Kristen wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. If she was honest, she was glad last night hadn’t progressed further. She was embarrassed, but getting together with Spencer would just complicate things.
Besides, from what Spencer had told her, he wasn’t someone who did relationships. Since they had to be stuck with each other for the next six months, it would be easier if they just remained as friends.
Spencer stepped out of his dressing room in a black suit and moved toward the center of the studio where a garden-like setup was surrounded by reflectors and lights.
He sat on the long wooden bench and grinned when Kristen stepped out of her dressing room in a princess style white gown. Her hair was in a classy updo with flowers threaded into it.
It was fitting for a Disney star, he supposed. She hitched the dress up and took two steps forward before stopping and shaking her head.
Spencer stood, but Ana got to Kristen first. She put Kristen’s hand on her arm and led her forward.
“It’s impossible to walk in this,” Kristen complained as she got nearer. “This is the Disney theme to pay tribute to my past.” She rolled her eyes. “Do I look ridiculous?”
“You look like Cinderella on her way to the ball,” Spencer said.
She shrugged. “Not wearing glass slippers, though.”
Spencer held his hand out for her, and she put her hand into his. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world for him to hold her hand. He tightened his grip as she moved forward. His other hand found its place on her back, and he led her over to the couch while Ana helped Kristen hold up her skirt. “I’m glad you won’t be running away at midnight.”
“Or having our car turn back into a pumpkin.”
They sat and moved according to the photographer’s instructions. They stood back to back, with their foreheads touching, and all the other sweet-loving poses.
Kristen dropped her lower jaw and shifted it to the sides as if she was stretching her cheeks after the shoot for the first dress was over.
“Next dress,” a woman shouted from the dressing room.
“If I can make it back there.” Kristen and Ana began gathering up the train of the gown, and Spencer laughed.
With a heavy sigh, he scooped Kristen into his arms. She yelped, and her arms went around his neck immediately.
The photographer grinned and clicked away on the camera while Spencer carried her back to the dressing room. Once he stepped into the changing rom, he put her down and glanced at her. “Okay?”
“Wait.” She stepped to the side, dropping several inches. “Okay. I’ll definitely trip if I try to change with the heels on.”
He let go of her. “Shout if you need a ride back to the set.”
“The next dress won’t be so long,” a woman said and began untying the string holding up Kristen’s dress.
Spencer turned and headed back out. He changed into a gray suit. His shirt wasn’t tucked in and the top two buttons were left unbuttoned. The hairstylist ran her hand through his hair, shaking it into a stylish mess. It seemed the next set would be more casual.
When he was done, he strode back to Kristen’s dressing room and leaned against the wall right outside of her room.
This time, Kristen came out in a long, tight-fitting sleeveless champagne-colored dress. Her makeup was different. The darker eyeshadow and thicker eyeliner gave her an edgier look, and she wore her hair down with soft curls at the ends.
She broke into a smile when she saw him. “I can walk. I just need—”
Spencer carried her to the set that had changed to a simple ivory couch with a beige background.
“You don’t have to keep doing that.”
He liked having her in his arms. He grinned and put her down on the couch. “It’s a lot faster.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I wasn’t walking fast enough. You should try walking in these dresses.”
He plopped himself next to her on the couch, and the photographer immediately got to work. This time, they were asked to pose much closer. She sat on his lap and hooked her arms around him. His hands on her waist. Her hand on his chest.
“Good.” The photographer checked the shots on his camera. “Last series.”
Kristen pulled off her shoes and looked into one. “These are the worst heels I’ve ever worn.”
Spencer scooped her up again. “At least you don’t have to walk in them.”
Her arms went around his shoulders. “True.”
He swallowed the urge to kiss her. He carried her back to the dressing room and left once he put her down. Why was he torturing himself when he’d already decided they would be nothing more than friends for the next six months? He really should keep his hands to himself.
He changed back into black pants for the last shoot. This time, he didn’t have a shirt or even a pair of shoes. The makeup artist dusted his body with shimmer, then declared he was done.
He strode out and his jaw dropped.
A king-size bed with light gray sheets had replaced the couch, and the photographer’s assistant was busy scrunching up the sheets and pillows.
You’ve got to be kidding. So what would Kristen be in? A nightgown?
He returned to plaster himself to the wall outside Kristen’s dressing room. His brain kept coming up with different images of what Kristen would be in, and it was driving him crazy. So he decided to turn his attention to scanning through Twitter.
Kristen peered out of the dressing room before stepping out. “I can walk there this time.”
He lost his voice when he saw her in an oversize white shirt. The top two buttons of the shirt were left unbuttoned, but in her case it was so they could pull it over one of her shoulders.
She walked past him and strode ahead barefooted, and he blew out a puff of air from his mouth.
This is going to be torture. He watched her climb onto the bed, and he almost turned and walked away. He wasn’t sure he could do this without losing his cool. He might just end up kissing her in front of everyone, or worse.
Get it together. He got onto the bed from the opposite side, so he ended up behind her. The photographer’s assistant arranged the pillows and sheets around them. Spencer was tempted to pull the duvet over Kristen’s legs.
“Kristen, lean back on Spencer.”
One of Spencer’s arms snaked around Kristen’s waist before he could stop himself, and his other hand rested on her arm.
Kristen tipped her head back and gazed up at him, exposing her neck to him. Spencer couldn’t help it, he bent and hovered his lips right over her neck. His self-discipline lasted all of two seconds. He pressed his lips against her neck and felt the thundering of her pulse under his lips.
“Good,” the photograph said.
This is just for the photoshoot. He shifted and pulled Kristen under him. Now that his focus was on her face, he noticed the makeup around her eyes was once again darkened. She appeared bold and showed no fear when he bent in close against ear.
“Hold that pose.”
Spencer wanted to groan. He didn’t want to hold the pose. He wanted to kiss her neck, grab her close—Stop, he told himself before he completely lost it. He pulled away from her, and the photographer instructed Kristen to move behind him.
She rested her arms lazily over his shoulders and leaned forward. This time, she was next to his ear. He clutched the sheets to stop his hand from moving to her, but again, he was too ill-disciplined.
He reached a hand over and weaved his fingers into her hair, pulling her closer.
“Good. I love this.” The photographer got them to do a couple more poses before asking Spencer to move to the foot of the bed while Kristen leaned back against the pillows.
Spencer sighed, grateful for the space between them. They posed as per the photographer’s instructions, then got off the bed once the photographer had enough shots.
He sighed again and headed back into his dressing room since Kristen didn’t need his help to get back to her dressing room this time. He grabbed the bottle of water on the dressing table and downed half the bottle. At least it was over, and he’d managed not to completely lose control.
He ran his hand through his hair. He needed a shower … a cold one.