Page 61 of A Sweet Mess

“You were exhausted. I wanted you to sleep a bit longer.” Aubrey scanned his face and nodded with approval. Apparently, he didn’t look dead on his feet anymore. “Besides, I didn’t want to wake up Grouchy Landon, your evil alter ego.”

“You already know a very effective cure for that affliction.” She gasped when he cupped her ass in his hands. “Sweet buns.”

She kissed him with a smile on her lips, and the teasing banter ceased. His world shrank to this single moment, intense and vibrant. The feel of her skin, her sweet moaning, and his name on her lips. That was all. He made love to her with frantic desperation, because he yearned for her even when she was in his arms.

He buried himself in her warm core and set a pace that had her writhing under him, begging for release. When he didn’t think he could hold on any longer, she came apart in his arms and he met her at the peak, their fingers threaded above her head. He stayed inside her as their breaths slowed and the tremors going through their bodies quieted. Then he rolled to the side, taking her with him, and drew her head against his chest.

“Best morning ever,” Aubrey whispered.

His laughter was closer to a growl. Every morning with her had been the best in his life, and he didn’t want them to stop.

18

Landon woke her up at the crack of dawn and surprised her with chocolate-dipped strawberries on ice. His intentions weren’t all innocent, but the juicy, tart, and sweet strawberries made the best after-sex breakfast. The morning with him was the high point of her day.

It was her last day of filming, and he’d dropped her off at the schoolhouse before heading to his meetings. She welcomed and feared this day—excited to return to Comfort Zone and afraid to lose Landon. Aubrey walked inside, expecting to find Aria in the center of the chaos, but she was nowhere to be seen. Worry niggling at her, Aubrey went through the motions of being dressed and made-up. Still, there was no sign of Aria.

Feeling awkward standing around as the crew ran about, she escaped to the outdoor deck and found the person she was looking for. Aria sat motionless in one of the chairs, gazing pensively at the surrounding hills. Aubrey never thought she’d useAriaandpensivein the same sentence. Her eyebrows drew together as she walked up to the deck and sat beside Aria.

“Hey there.”

“Aubrey.” Aria seemed startled to find Aubrey sitting next to her. It was odd since she hadn’t exactly tiptoed up to the deck. “When did you get here? Are they ready to go?”

“Not yet. We still have a few minutes.”

Rather than start her usual chatter, Aria fell quiet, and her eyes drifted out toward the horizon.

“Is something wrong?” Aubrey asked.

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” Aria trailed off, choking on the last word.

“Do you want to talk about it? Maybe it’ll help.”

“Oh, you know, it’s the typical stuff that Italian operas are famous for. Unrequited love, desperate yearning, and all that.” Aria’s tremulous smile made Aubrey reach for her hand. “I know he feels the same way I do. I can feel it in my bones, but he keeps pushing me away.”

“You mean Lucien?” The words popped out before she could stop them.

Aria sucked in a surprised breath. “Landon wouldn’t have mentioned anything.…”

“Of course not. I guessed something was there that night you sang for us.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“It was the song. I couldn’t stop crying.” Aubrey squeezed the hand she held. “But Lucien. The way he looks at you and talks to you. I don’t think your love is unrequited. Far from it.”

“You are so sweet,” said Aria, a sad but genuine smile lighting her face.

“I’m also right.”

“It’s time, ladies!” one of the crew members? yelled from the doorway.

“It was wonderful to chat. You have a way of making people happy.” Aria linked her arm through Aubrey’s, and they headed for the set.

Aubrey’s second day of filming went much more smoothly than her first. She still couldn’t stand the crowd, lights, and heavy makeup, but for the most part, she felt less like a train wreck. All in all, she couldn’t wait to be done with her television career.

From the first “Ready. Set. Action!” there was no hint of sadness left in Aria as she threw herself into her show. She was a pro through and through. Aubrey’s respect for her grew even more.

“Something smells marvelous in here. It must be your cookies.” Aria turned toward Aubrey. “Should we take a peek at them?”

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