Samuel was fairly certain he would never live it down.

He pulled the blanket over his head and decided it was a good day to sleep in. It was Saturday, and he had nothing to do. No plans. Not even with Danielle.

Danielle.

She was working today.

He groaned.

How was she going to get to the photo shoot location?

She would ride the bus. Like she always did.

Or use Uber.

He hated the thought of her riding the bus or even using Uber. It was supposed to be safe, but still…

He threw off the blanket and made his way to the shower. He stood under the hot water until it began to cool.

Who was he kidding? He wasn’t about to stay away from her today. He smiled to himself. Not even the embarrassment of literally passing out at the sight of blood could keep him from wanting to see her.

She hadn’t laughed at him. She’d done nothing but show concern. Nonetheless, it had been embarrassing to wake up on the floor after passing out.

That wasn’t exactly the image he wanted to portray. He heated a cup of coffee and sent her a text. Need a ride to the park?

Two minutes later, his phone chimed with a response. Already there.

Did you take your car? He added a smiley face emoticon.

Ha. Yes. The one in L.A.?

He ran a hand through his still-damp hair. She was exasperating. Probably a lot like her father. He hadn’t considered it until now, but with the exception of yesterday when he’d taken her to the doctor, most of their time together had been spent doing her work.

Samuel hadn’t known very many women quite so driven to achieve.

Impressive.

He popped two pieces of bread in the toaster while he tied his boots. He couldn’t very well leave her stranded out there. Not when he had a perfectly good truck.

As he maneuvered through the Saturday morning traffic, it occurred to him that he hadn’t set foot in an airplane in over a week. He hadn’t gone that long without being off the ground since… well… ever. At least not since he’d gotten his pilot’s license.

And he’d barely even thought about it.

In fact, he’d thought about little other than Danielle since he’d met her.

He parked his car and walked to the little white house where he knew she’d be. It was a perfect day to be outside. The temperature had just enough of a nip that he was glad he wore his blue jean jacket. Red and gold leaves from an oak tree skittered about his feet. Fall was hands-down his favorite time of year. The new school year brought new beginnings. Anything was possible.

He knew something was wrong before he could even hear what they were saying.

The male model, Samuel couldn’t remember his name, was pacing.

Samuel was pretty sure pacing didn’t make the best photos.

When he was in earshot, he stopped, and, stepping off the path, stood next to a tree, watching the interaction.

The male model paced back and faced Danielle. Samuel’s nerves went on alert. It had been awhile since he’d been in a physical scuffle. Not that he made a habit of fighting. Only twice, to be exact, and both in college, but he wasn’t opposed to tackling anyone who threatened someone he cared about.

Cared about. He’d have to think about that later. Danielle had her hair pulled back today and she wore a bright blue pea coat. Her skin glowed with the crisp fall air.

“I won’t do it,” Jacob said.

Danielle stood her ground, one hand on her hip and the other holding her camera. “Okay,” she said. “Just pretend.”

Jacob shook his head, turned away. Samuel relaxed a little.

Avery, who stood a few feet from Danielle, glared at Jacob. “He won’t do it,” she said.

“It’s just a job,” Danielle said. “It’s not like you have to like each other.”

Jacob turned back and glared at both women. “You know what,” he said. “I don’t even need this job. I don’t have to be here, and I don’t have to do this. I quit.” He turned on his heel and walked away.

The girls watched as he strode down the path that led to the park’s exit. Samuel got back on the path and approached them. “Hey,” he said. “What’s going on?”

Danielle turned, and he saw the frustration on her face. “Jacob just quit.”

“Why?” Why would he walk off a job where all he had to do was stand around and be photographed with one pretty girl by another gorgeous female?

“He didn’t want to kiss me.” Avery rolled her eyes.

“Right,” he said. Danielle had mentioned something about the author she was working with needing a kissing scene. He’d forgotten about that. Danielle’s doctor’s visit had distracted him from thinking about anything else. “Just find someone else, right?”

Both women stared at him.

“Surely it can’t be that hard to find someone who’ll kiss Avery.”

They looked at each other and after a beat, they both burst out laughing.

“It can’t be just anyone,” Avery pointed out.

“The author is going to flip,” Danielle said. “She loved the chemistry between Avery and Jacob.”

“If she only knew,” Avery muttered.

“Now we have to start over with a new model.”