The Secret Admirer Next Door (Love Next Door Series Book 1) *Editing*

Chapter 24

"I've never done anything like this before." Melanie's voice shook gently over breaking the deafening silence between them. Not that it was a bad silence, she loved the soft sound of the flowing river, she'd remembered summers playing with her sisters, and Issac of course, but this. Maybe she was going to far. Her hand rested on a red patterned wool blanket that lined the grass where she sat as she let her thump brush against the cold metal of her engagement ring. 

"Aw. Duchess. A pretty girl like you?" He said with his deep drawl as she shifted once again circulating his scent around her and causing his golden hair to tease the wind. What was that fregrance he wore? It blended so beautifully with the scene. She wanted to bottle him up with it and keep it as a memory. "Now take off the jacket and lay back."

Her eyes widened. Was he serious? It was like forty degrees.

His lip twitched with his trademark smirk, "What?" He nodded, "Let's see that sexy body of yours?"

She slid her lip in her mouth and slowly shed her leather jacket. The only thing that was shielding her from the cold weather. "Can't I do it with the jacket on? I mean, it's a nice jacket, I got it from TJ Maxx for like, thirty bucks." She gotten her first arm out when he ripped it off her other arm and tossed it into the grass.

"Hey!" She defended.

"Now lay back."

"You know, we could do this someplace warm."

"Your going to talk all they way through this aren't you?"

"I'm sorry." "I talk when I'm nervous."

"I can see that."

He slid his fingers up and down her arm creating a warm electricity through pulsing through her. "Better?"

No. His touch had sent her butterflies into a hyperactive state, but she just nodded. She took in a heavy breath. I mean so what if she got hypothermia right. She got hypothermia with Christian Goodwin. It was story worthy.

He stood up bringing bother legs on each side of her, bringing his camera up to his face. "Hold it there."

"Hold what?" She moved her hand away from her face. Her eyes flowed from her hand back to him.

"Melanie can you at least look somewhere stationary." He chuckled.

"I am bad at this." Her eyes trailed to the river.

"Keep it there." He yelled with enthusiasm.

Her eyes fixed on the river.

"Just don't turn your whole head." He pulled it way. "And act natural.

Yeah, cause she totally natural laid on blankets in the middle of the freezing cold. Then she heard the clicking.

"Beautiful Duchess. I knew you had it in you. Just don't think about it. Just slowly let the magic happen with us baby." He continued to click, "Just slowly sit up, and as natural as possible."

"We'll I'm naturally freezing my ass off." She sat up looking at Christian's glittering blue eyes as she looked at him, and his lips curving into a sweet; not at all sexy smile. She giggled throwing hand over her face.

Christian knelt gently pulling it away and continued snapping. "Don't hide that gorgeous face duchess."

"The camera loves you." He twisted it with every click. He was good with that. One of Mikes friend's was an editorial photographer. Christian looked like he'd been doing it for years. She never knew he was even interested in photography. "You are working it, Mel."