The CEO and Her Driver

Chapter 5

Have you ever agreed to something and then about five seconds later questioned not only your own decision-making but all of your life choices? That was me as I stared at myself in the mirror sporting black high heels with a pair of cute bows on the back, white jeans that hugged my hips snuggly, and a bright red blouse under a short leather jacket.

The outfit itself was awesome and insanely comfortable, but it was half of what was going to be a "couple outfit," with the one Tate was currently putting on. We were about to get all cozy in front of a camera, pretending to be madly in love in VERY close proximity. 

I groaned, pulling my eyes from the mirror. "I'm gonna look like some lovesick copycat freak with this matching outfit. It seemed like a good idea when I designed it..." But there's going to be photographic evidence of inevitable... I shuddered. ...snuggling today... and it will last forever...

As I left the changing room, I scoffed, pushing my black hair set out in loose curls, out of my face. It's just a photo shoot. Chill out. You do this all the time. Just dig deep and pretend he doesn't piss you off.

I walked into the curtained off makeup area and the moment I spotted Tate, I burst out laughing. His face was smeared with poorly applied foundation and eyeliner. He looked like a toddler had taken a marker and doodled on his face while he slept.

I doubled over laughing, unable to breathe. "OH MY GOSH! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!?" I snorted in between gasping breaths. He tried to look irritated, his lips furrowed in a line, but after a moment he gave up and silently held up his arms as if to say "TA-DA!"

I waved my hands in front of my face, trying to keep myself from crying. Don't ruin your makeup, don't do it, don't do it. "Tate..." I managed after the hysterics passed. "What..." I started laughing again. I took a deep breath. "What did you do?"

He looked at me with a mock confused face. "What do you mean? Isn't this look all the rage these days? The 'someone came at me with an eye pencil thing and I fought back to save myself' look?

I placed my hands on my hips, trying to be serious. Trying to stop myself from laughing again, but he made it nearly impossible. My mouth quirked up into a grin. "Did you scare off the makeup girls with your incessant flailing?"

He shrugged. "They said something about getting me something to clean off my face so they could try again."

I scanned the counter and spotted makeup wipes. "Lean back," I ordered.

He raised a brow. "Are you going to try and stab me with an eye pencil?"

"Just trust me okay. I need you alive. No stabbing. For now..." I said with an amused smirk.

He swallowed, looking a little nervous. "Okay... now I really don't trust you."

I plucked up one of the makeup wipes. "Good. Trusting people you don't know is stupid." He leaned out of my reach as I moved to wipe off the makeup. "Come on Convertible Guy, just sit still."

A muscle worked in his jaw as he sized me up. 

I waved around the makeup wipe. "Look, the faster you let me wipe off the makeup, the faster this whole thing is over." He sighed and leaned his head back, sitting still.

I slowly reached down and gripped his jaw to keep his face from moving. I brought my face close to get a good look as I worked. I felt him swallow under my touch, no doubt wondering when I was going to stab him with the eye pencil.

After wiping his face clean of the eyeliner, I wiped down his jaw, taking a selfish moment to enjoy how utterly, fantastically, perfectly, chiseled it was. How sharp his cheekbones were. How his mouth was still insanely beautiful. Nothing like a sexy view...