Page 63 of Tempted To Be Mine

“I want to thank all of you for your hard work over the past week,” Sebastian said, his voice carrying easily through the space. “This has been one of the most challenging shoots we’ve ever attempted, and you’ve all risen to the occasion. The images we’ve captured are going to be extraordinary.”

Applause rippled through the room. I clapped along with everyone else.

“But I want to take a moment to recognize someone specifically.” Sebastian turned, his gaze finding Jeremy at the end of the table. “Jeremy, would you stand up?”

Jeremy rose, looking slightly uncomfortable with the attention. That was one of the things I’d always liked about him. For someone who made his living being looked at, he never seemed entirely comfortable with praise.

“Jeremy has exceeded every expectation. He’s brought something to this campaign that we didn’t even know we needed. Raw authenticity. A genuine presence that the camera absolutely loves. The images from this shoot are going to redefine what Blackwell Couture represents.”

More applause. I clapped harder this time, genuinely proud of him.

“So I’m thrilled to officially announce that Jeremy Blackwell will be the new face of Blackwell Couture.” Sebastian raised his glass. “To Jeremy. And to the beginning of what I’m confident will be a long and successful partnership.”

“To Jeremy!” The room echoed the toast.

I raised my own glass, catching Jeremy’s eye across the table. He gave me a small nod. I smiled back. This was huge. Being the face of Blackwell Couture would cement his place in the industry, move him from successful commercial model to genuine fashion icon. I hoped he was ready to be recognized everywhere he went for at least the next five years.

I was proud of him. Genuinely, deeply proud.

The toast ended, and everyone went back to eating and drinking and celebrating. The volume in the room rose as conversations resumed and inhibitions were lowered. Someone turned up the music. A few people started dancing near the fireplace.

I was finishing my second glass of wine when I felt someone slide into the empty seat beside me. I didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“Hey,” Jeremy said.

“Hi.” I kept my voice casual. “Congratulations. That was quite an announcement.”

“Thanks.” He was quiet for a moment, turning his wine glass in his hands. “Can we talk?”

My stomach clenched. “We are talking.”

“You know what I mean.”

I did. I’d been dreading and hoping for this conversation in equal measure. I set down my fork and turned to face him, giving him my full attention. “Okay. Talk.”

He took a breath, and for the first time since that morning in my cabin, I saw something vulnerable in his expression. The mask of easy confidence slipped, just a little.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “For making things weird between us.”

“You didn’t⁠—”

“I did.” He cut me off gently. “I know I did. Things have been awkward, and that’s on me. I crossed a line. We crossed a line. And I hate that it’s affected our friendship.”

I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to argue, to tell him that I’d been the one making things awkward, that he’d been perfectly normal while I’d been the one tiptoeing around him like he was a bomb about to go off.

But another part of me was just relieved that we were finally addressing it.

“I don’t want to give up what we had,” Jeremy continued. “Our friendship. The way we work together. That matters to me more than one crazy afternoon in an abandoned cabin.”

One crazy afternoon. That was what it was to him. One crazy afternoon.

I swallowed the small ache that bloomed in my chest and nodded. “I don’t want to give that up either.”

“So can we go back?” He leaned forward slightly, his eyes searching my face. “To how things were before? I know we can’t undo what happened, but maybe we can move past it. Pretend it was just… a thing that happened. A weird, isolated incident that doesn’t have to define anything.”

“A weird, isolated incident,” I repeated.

“You know what I mean.”