Page 47 of Dirty Like Dylan

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I was up before dawn, scanning through the images on Amber’s memory cards, unable to go back to sleep. I was still naked, still in bed, when I found something.

I managed to drag myself out of bed, shower and get dressed, before Amber emerged. She found me in my kitchen, perched at the small island, drinking a breakfast beer. It was the first time I didn’t head over to make sure I could cook Dylan breakfast before he got up, in what, months?

Her camera, the one she’d given me to view the images on, sat on the island between us like Exhibit A.

“Good… morning?” She stopped abruptly on her way to the fridge when she saw the look on my face.

I turned the back of the camera toward her, so she could see the image on the display. The photo of me and Dylan that she’d taken yesterday morning. The photo of me kissing Dylan.

The one that was totally fucking with my head.

“What’s this?”

Amber looked from the camera to me and back again, several times. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

“The other day, when Dylan asked you about your photography,” I said evenly, “you said you always tell people when you photograph them. You tell them what you’re gonna do with the photo. You didn’t tell us about this.”

“I know. I’m so sorry,” she gushed. Her face was flushing pink. “It’s just… instinct, you know? I didn’t mean anything by it. I only took one…”

She only needed one. The photo was perfect. The way we were kinda backlit against the light coming in the windows, but you could still see all the detail you needed. Dylan with no shirt on, the light hitting the curves of his muscled body. Me in my Kiss T-shirt—seriously, I had to wear that T-shirt yesterday?—and fucking frilly apron.

And that fucking look on my face…

Girl had some serious talent with a camera.

But the photo said a lot more than I wanted it to say. The way our faces were so close together, the way I was holding Dylan’s neck, my thumb on his jaw… It looked like two people in love.

Or at least, one person in love.

“What were you planning to do with it?”

“Nothing,” she said.

I stood up to my full height, crossing my arms over my chest as I looked down at her. I wasn’t above trying to intimidate her, if needed. Hell, I’d call Con over here, or Jude himself, if I thought Dylan needed the protection. “You weren’t gonna post it online? Sell it?”

“No! I didn’t even think about it. I just took it.”

“Why?” I pressed.

“I don’t know.” Her cheeks beneath her dusting of freckles were growing crimson. “I was just… interested.”

“In what?”

Her light-green eyes flashed to mine. “You.”

I almost recoiled; I was that surprised. I actually put a hand on the island to steady myself.

Amber glanced away. “I mean… both of you,” she said softly.

Je-sus.

Both of us?

I thought the chick couldn’t fucking stand me.

What the fuck…?

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