Heart of Stone

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Long Time Coming

Despite the obvious fact that we both longed to get ourselves off to somewhere more private, Teddy and I stayed on the rooftop for hours. He wanted to make the most of it, and I'd promised social media photos.

I played the role of photographer, and the two of us slipped back into familiar, light-hearted banter.

"The light from the building next door is casting an unflattering shadow across you," I said, gesturing for him to reposition.

"Thanks for the compliment."

I tossed him a wicked smile. "Just thinking about your follower count. Don't want anyone to feel like you're no longer worthy of a place on their newsfeed."

"Would it help if I took off my shirt?"

I called his bluff. "Might be worth a shot."

"Nah. Don't want you getting all hot and bothered again, Soph. Might affect your photography skills."

Once satisfied that we had enough photos to work with, Teddy took a few selfies and a video. He seemed so at ease behind the camera, like a true professional, and that became even more apparent when he offered to snap some solo shots of me for my blog.

I agreed—you never knew when they would come in useful—but I struggled to exhibit the same confidence as him. For five minutes or so, he darted back and forth, rearranging my limbs and suggesting how to pose. He never once made fun of me, nor made the process anything other than professional.

After I'd had enough, we messed around together behind the camera, knowing those photos would never see the light of day.

*

At midnight, we tipped the bartender generously—'we' being Teddy—and then called the lift. I'd almost forgotten about the security team, who emerged from the shadows at the sound of the ping.

Two men travelled down first, and we waited for the car to return.

"You must have been so bored," I said to Mark. "We lost track of time."

"It's his job, Soph," Teddy said. "At least he could enjoy the view."

Had he seen us kiss or noticed us dancing? It shouldn't have mattered—Mark knew exactly what was going on between us—but it was a stark reminder that no matter how alone we felt in public, there would always be someone watching, even if it was just his security team.

The doors opened and we stepped inside, leaving behind the final two men who would wait and take a third journey down. It was all so strategic, and I briefly wondered if there had ever been a moment where Teddy had felt in danger or if it was just the nature of us being on top of a high building, with just one escape route, that made him more vulnerable.

As the lift kicked into action and we slowly descended, Teddy's earlier comment crept into my mind and my imagination began to wander. Legs wrapped around his waist. Hands in his hair. Shoved harder and harder against the cold, metallic wall with each long, powerful thrust...