Page 70 of Ace My Heart

“I’m not hidinganyonefrom you. She’s not here.”

“Did you think you could keep it a secret from me? Did you think I wouldn’t find out? I have a right to speak to her.”

“Well, actually, you don’t. She doesn’t have to see you if she doesn’t want to … and there’s no secret here.” I sent a silent prayer of thanks to God for Joel sticking up for me.

“Oh really? I’m pretty sure that your mother doesn’t know about it. How about I tell her?”

“No! Do you really want to upset her like that?” Joel asked.

I was suddenly confused. What was he trying to keep from his mother, to do with me?

“You’ve been keeping a close eye on her since Steve died, haven’t you? What’s your interest anyway?”

Were they still talking about me?

“I’m just continuing what Dad had always intended.” I smiled at that.

“Well, I’m going to be moving back here now, so you’re not going to be able to keep me away from her forever.”

That was a threat if ever I’d heard one. This was a side to Ben I was very sure I didn’t want to see again.

“Goodbye, Ben,” Joel muttered and I heard the front door close again. There was silence, and then footsteps on the stairs. I waited for Joel at the bottom.

“What wasthatall about?” I asked shakily.

“Well, it seems like Ben’s moving back to Australia,” Joel replied.

I was less than delighted at the prospect, even as I realised that Joel hadn’t really answered my question.

“He was talking about me, right?” I asked quietly.

Joel paused, then nodded. “Uh, yeah, he was talking about you. You’re going to have to set things straight with him sooner or later.”

I swallowed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Can you see a trend happening here, Joel?” I asked through the change room door as I pulled on the cotton underpants and matching crop-bra. At least this shoot was happening inside, in front of a white screen, and not in full view of Sydney Harbour.

Joel chuckled. “Yeah, and it’s a trend I’m really liking!”

“Pervert,” I muttered under my breath. He heard and laughed harder.

I reluctantly unlocked the change room door and stepped out.

Joel eyed me appraisingly, chewing on his bottom lip. “Well, I have to say, I think I like this outfit more than the one from your last photo shoot.”

I looked up at him disbelievingly, and then down at the bright turquoise cotton undies and matching bra. Sure, the underpants were quite cheeky – they let a lot of my butt hang out – but it was modest compared to the racy lacy lingerie from the Woody shoot.

He saw the look on my face and grinned. “It’s cute in a kind of schoolgirl way,” he explained.

I gave him a withering look. “You really are a perve, aren’t you?”

He responded by pinching the exposed part of my bum and my stupid body, which clearly hadn’t gotten the memo about Joel being a perve, sent a hot throb between my legs at his stupid touch.

“Uh, we have a problem,” a tiny, leather-clad woman with black hair and loads of eyeliner said timidly to me. I looked to Joel.

“What’s up?” he asked, using the voice he saved for women who weren’t me. I scrunched up my nose in distaste – at least, that’s what I told myself I was feeling. I hated the little pang in my chest.

“Well, you know that Dudz always launch a women’sanda men’s range?”

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