Chapter 22: Crossing a LineBella padded out into the sitting room in her pajamas, a thin black tank with pink bottoms. Looking down, she realized she wouldn't feel comfortable dressed this way if Luke came in, so she went back for a bathrobe. Still hot from the bath, however, she draped the robe over a chair thinking she could grab it when she heard the door. If, that is, I'm still up when he comes back, she considered.She poured another glass of wine and wandered to the French doors, watching as lightning streaked across the sky, occasionally replacing the warm glow of the firelight that filled the suite with flashes of cold blue. Large raindrops peppered the glass as the wind whipped the hotel, Edinburgh castle lit up and barely visible in the distance. It's such a lovely place, Bella thought. Such a cozy night. I could curl up now and fall asleep to the sound of the storm.Instead, she sat on the floor in front of the fire, laptop before her. Luke had dumped the raw video

Chapter 24: Two Streets OverAfter they'd finished breakfast, Luke and Bella headed out into the morning to find the perfect location for their last shots of Edinburgh. When they arrived at Princes Street Gardens, Bella knew Luke was right—it was exactly the right spot. The park had sprawling green lawns with a beautiful fountain as the centerpiece, all located in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. At this time of day there were few visitors, only a handful of joggers. They chose the fountain as the location for the intro and Bella busied herself composing her lines. Luke readied his camera, checking light levels and composing the shot, making certain the castle itself would be visible."All ready here," he told her. "Let's give you sound." She avoided his eyes as she stood still, allowing him to reach into the front of her shirt to attach the mic to her bra. He hooked the box to the back of her waistband and adjusted her shirt and jacket over it. "Try it out," he said."Check,"

Chapter 26: Fly With MeThey finished their dinner, chatting casually across the candlelit table for another hour. From time to time throughout dinner, Luke caught other diners staring at Bella. He'd noticed that she turned heads everywhere they went, and Bella, for her part, seemed completely unaware of the interest she generated. Luke gazed at her, remembering the first time he'd seen her. She was stunning, but the fact that she didn't seem to know it made her even more attractive.Taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, Luke said, "I wanted to apologize for something I said the earlier. I think I annoyed you when I said that you try to compartmentalize things." Luke reached across the table and placed his hand over hers."I wasn't annoyed, exactly," she began, frowning. "I just don't know why you said that." She looked at him expectantly."You seem to need to control the things that make you uncomfortable, put them into manageable boxes," he elaborated. "Nothing wro

Chapter 28: The Bridal SuiteThe hour and a half flight from Edinburgh to Amsterdam was smooth and uneventful and they easily breezed through customs after they landed. Near the baggage carousels they saw a driver holding a sign reading "B. Grant" and the pair approached him, garnering his assistance in retrieving Bella's bags.Twenty minutes later, they were en route to the hotel, their luggage, including the big-ass Louis, in the back of the cab. The driver pulled up in front of The Toren, a boutique hotel in the city center. The front of the hotel was dark brick with black canvas awnings, and it was nestled among other mid-nineteenth century brownstone buildings that comprised the historic neighborhood. Luke & Bella left the driver and the bellman to deal with their bags and proceeded to the front desk."Welcome to The Toren," the clerk greeted them."Thank you," said Bella. "We have reservations for Grant."The clerk clicked a few computer keys. "Yes, madam, we have you in th

Chapter 30: Are You Feeling Dirty?They'd explored their way through the Amsterdam evening, shooting video here and there, stopping now and then to check footage or to look into a shop window. As Bella stood peering at the display in the window of an antique shop, Luke watched her, amazed once again at her simple beauty. He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She looked up at him, smiling and stood on her tiptoes to plant a light kiss on his lips."Amsterdam is lovely, m'lady," he said. "But I'm looking at you and thinking about being back at the hotel."She blushed slightly. "What are you thinking about the hotel, Cowboy?" she asked."I'm not sure whether or not you noticed," he said kissing the corner of her mouth, "but there's a big old tub in the bathroom.""Is there?" she asked innocently. "Are you feeling dirty?"He grinned wickedly. "I'm feeling all kinds of dirty, m'lady." She giggled softly. "God, I love that!" he growled."What?" she asked, genuinely