Esme didn’t blink an eye when Jake walked out in the boxer briefs he had to wear for the shoot, just said, “Daddy, those are colorful. You only wear black or white.”
“Think I should switch to this type?”
A twist of Esme’s lips and a thoughtful pause, followed by a decisive, “No, you’re not colorful.”
Juliet winced, but Jake chuckled—and the camera crew just about fell over. Mostly naked Jacob Esera was a serious punch to the senses, whichever way you swung sexually. But a half-naked Jake who was laughing with his pint-sized daughter? Boom.
Then he turned that special private smile Juliet’s way, and her knees threatened to melt.
“Shoo.” She waved him toward the camera crew. “The faster you finish this, the faster we can get—” She stopped herself from saying “home” just in the nick of time, but Jake’s gaze told her he’d heard the word anyway.
As he walked away, Juliet took a deep breath and picked up Esme to put her in a high director’s chair that Juliet had organized in advance. She took a seat next to Esme, ready to put a stop to the shoot if anyone stepped out of line.
Which happened way faster than she’d expected.
27
Juliet Breaks out the Scary, and p.s. Esme Sees and Knows All
A scantily clad female model walked out of the dressing area. Jake’s eyes went from laughing to flat and angry.
Juliet said, “Esme, stay here.”
“Okay.” Esme kicked her feet. “This chair makes me tall.”
Striding over to the model, Juliet said, “Go back in the dressing room. Now.” The stunning platinum blonde skedaddled.
Juliet turned her attention to the camera crew. “Go get a coffee.”
They didn’t hesitate, leaving their equipment where it was and walking away.
At which point she looked at the advertising exec she’d dealt with all through this project. “The contract was very clear. No images of Jake with female models.” Jake was conservative in that way, and everyone had agreed to his terms in advance.
“Our surveys tell us we’ll have much more impact if we pair him with a female model,” the other woman said. “Especially when the model is Kseniya. She’s incredibly well known.”
“No,” Juliet said flatly.
“We can and will pull the plug,” the other woman said. “Your boss wouldn’t be too happy about that.”
“Everett’s built his reputation on ethical manufacture and equally ethical treatment of his employees and contractors. He has zero interest in working with people who break their word.” She raised an eyebrow. “You do realize you weren’t the only party interested in this deal? And that your current stance is a serious breach that gives Everett the opportunity to walk away?”
The ad exec paled. “No female model,” she said quickly. “I apologize—I didn’t understand how serious you were about this.”
Yeah, right. Juliet had made Jake’s stance clear. “Glad we sorted that out. Let’s get this shoot going so we don’t fall further behind schedule.”
When she turned to look at Jake again, he had his hands on his hips and was staring right at her, a huge grin on his face. “Glad I have you on my side, Jules.”
“Be quiet and get modeling.”
His grin grew deeper until his cheeks creased. The camera crew all but sprinted into the room to capture the shots of Jake with such a rare expression on his face. Stomach hot, Juliet walked over to see that Esme had her hands pressed together and was grinning too. Her smile was pure Calypso and oh, it hurt Juliet’s heart—but in a good way. She was so glad part of her friend lived in this sweet, smart, rugby-loving girl.
“You made the mean lady be nice,” Esme whispered.
“Yes.” Juliet bent down to press a kiss to the top of Esme’s hair without thought. “Now, let’s watch your daddy strut his stuff.”
“How come he has to wear only his shorts?” Esme kicked her feet again. “Uncle Danny does that sometimes at Grandpa and Grandma’s. When I wake up early, I go see him.”
“Yeah?” Juliet had to bite back a grin at what a twenty-two-year-old might get up to in his private flat that he’d have to scramble to hide from sharp little eyes. “What does he say?”
“Boo, I’m sleeping.” Esme did an excellent approximation of a growly voice. “Then he puts his pillow over his head, like this.” Esme pretended to drop a pillow on her face. “I jump into bed and tickle him and he makes me pancakes.”
That hadn’t gone at all how Juliet had expected. “Does he have friends to stay sometimes?” she asked, curious about how it worked with Danny living at home.
Esme nodded. “Yup. He had a big party one time and his friends were sleeping all over. On the floor and the couch and one fell asleep in Grandma’s garden and squished her flowers.” A shake of her head. “Grandma was maaad.”
Okay, that was more what she’d expected. Could be Danny went somewhere else with women—on his salary, he could afford the most exclusive hotel rooms.
“I’d be mad too,” she said. “Flowers take ages to grow.”
“Yup, Grandma made Uncle Danny and his friends plant new ones.”
Smile wide, Esme waved at her father when he glanced their way.
He still had laughter in his eyes.
Juliet clenched her stomach against the urge to run over there and kiss him silly. When the female photographer dared step closer to give Jake instructions, she was buffeted by a sudden wave of raw possessiveness.
Gritting her teeth, she made herself look away.
It had been difficult with Reid, how the groupies would swarm. It’d be a nightmare with Jake. He didn’t court attention, but he was undeniably hot—and he was at the top of his career. Bees to honey was putting it mildly when it came to female interest in him. The design firm’s PR team had done a workup on his profile when Everett was first considering the campaign, and Jacob Esera had a significant following of admirers who’d drop their panties at a moment’s notice.
It was more than a little troubling to know that the man with whom she was falling in love had so many choices available to him.
But he asked you, Juliet. He showed his heart to you. He doesn’t play with the rest of the world. He plays with you.
Juliet settled again. If Jake wanted a groupie, he’d had endless opportunities. Yet he’d picked a girl who’d once had elbows of doom. As she’d picked him. She had to remember that too. This wasn’t a one-sided deal. The two of them had chosen each other, and it was up to the two of them to make it work.
“Uncle Danny’s friends are fun.” Esme’s voice broke into her thoughts. “But he’s the nicest.”
Juliet wrenched her thoughts back to the moment. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” A gap-toothed smile. “But he fights with Catie lots.”
“Yes, I saw that at the barbeque.” During the wedding photos, however, she’d seen Danny instinctively stretch out an arm for Catie to grab when she nearly slipped on a step. Catie’s hand had landed on his powerful forearm as if she’d known it’d be there.