Page 44 of Loving Lauren
They’d grabbed these ridiculous macadamia cookies from some shop earlier. Lauren ate like half the bag before Sierra even got one.
“Save some for me, you cookie monster.”
Back at the hotel, they had to rush through showers. There was no time to mess around. The evening shoot was starting soon, and they still looked like drowned rats.
The sunset shoot turned out pretty good though. Models in these bright tropical colors, palm trees everywhere. Sierra ran around getting shots while Lauren touched up makeup between takes. Everyone looked decent by the end, which was a miracle considering how fried they all were.
“Is it fair that we’re both this talented and this hot?” Lauren asked as they finished wrapping up equipment.
Sierra wiped sweat from her forehead. “Speak for yourself. I’ve been a complete sweaty disaster all day.”
“Yeah, but like, a sexy sweaty disaster.”
As they went back to their room, they laughed, sighing with relief after the day.
Sierra flopped face-first onto the bed. “My shoulders are officially staging a full rebellion against me.”
Lauren tossed her a playful look. “Want me to do something about that?”
Sierra raised an eyebrow. “Are you gonna make it worse?”
“Trust the process.”
Sierra flipped over onto her stomach. Lauren climbed on, settling carefully across her thighs. They grabbed the coconut oil and rubbed it between their palms first.
The second Lauren’s hands hit her shoulders, Sierra let out a sound somewhere between a purr and a dying walrus.
“Oh my God! I’m proposing to you immediately.”
Lauren chuckled. “Marriage talk can wait until after I work on these knots first.”
They got to work, really digging into all the tight spots. Their thumbs found every sore muscle in Sierra’s neck and shoulders. When they started working down her spine in slow circles, Sierra practically melted into the bed.
“Your turn,” she said when Lauren was done.
Sierra worked her fingers into the base of Lauren’s neck where they always got tense and continued down their back. When she finished, she planted a soft kiss on each shoulder blade.
“Feel better?”
Lauren was a puddle at this point. “I think you turned me into jello. I have no bones left.”
They passed out tangled up together, all loose-limbed and content. Tomorrow could bring whatever; they were ready.
Chapter 26
The alarm went off way too early again, but it felt different this time. Sierra slid her hand under the covers until she found Lauren’s. “Last one.”
Lauren pressed their lips to Sierra’s hand. “We’re saving the best for last.” Even half-conscious, that little kiss made Sierra’s stomach flip.
The morning shoot was pretty chill. Just a few quick shots, nothing fancy. Lauren barely had to touch anyone up. Everybody was already glowing from a week of sun. Sierra snapped away while the models laughed about something, the whole thing feeling natural for once.
The crew was running on fumes, excitement, and that weird energy you get when something’s ending.
Jonas found them at lunch, smacking them both on the shoulders like a proud dad. “You two absolutely killed it this week. You’ve more than earned the rest of the day off.”
They thanked him, probably a little too enthusiastically, then practically skipped back to their room like kids getting out of school early.
Sierra did a little spin. “We have the entire afternoon and evening. I don’t even know what to do with that much free time?”
