“Alright, I’ve to get this finished or I won’t be ready in time,” Danya said, working on the lighting.

“I loved how you always talked to yourself when you took pictures for the calendar,” a deep Texas drawl teased behind her.

A shiver of hot, tingling awareness shot through her entire body as her mind registered the voice. She must be dreaming. This couldn’t be happening to her. Danya was too scared to turn around and face the owner of that voice….her ultimate fantasy.

No, it couldn’t be him.

Danya dropped her hands away from the lighting stand and slowly turned around. She locked eyes with good-looking Lucas Braden. How was it possible for one man to get even better looking? Lucas was too gorgeous for his own good and her peace of mind.

“What are you doing here?” Danya asked, taking a step back. She hadn’t laid eyes on Lucas since Akayie’s gallery showing. They had gotten into another explosive argument about his brother when it was over. She had stormed away from him without looking back. She thought that would be the final time she would lay eyes on him.

“I couldn’t stay away. I had to come and see you,” Lucas answered. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t like the way things ended between us that night. I wanted to talk to you, and you wouldn’t listen to me. So, I came here to see what I could do to fix things between us.”

“No, you can’t do this to me,” she said, shaking her head. “Nothing really happened between us back in Texas. We shared a few kisses and that was it. Sure, we went out on a few dates as well, but nothing came of that either. I know you probably have been out on other dates since I came back to New York.”

Crossing his arms over his wide chest, Lucas stared down at her. He watched her closely for a few seconds like he was debating what to tell her. “I haven’t been out with another woman since you came back here after you finished with the calendar. I told you that I wanted you back in Texas with me so we could see how far this chemistry between us could go. I meant what I told you, but for some reason you didn’t believe me.”

“So, I came here for part of my vacation to see you. But, if you aren’t interested in growing something between us or at least trying, I’m not going to chase after you, Danya,” Lucas told her, uncrossing his arms. “Have a good life and congratulations on your new position.” Lucas gave her one final look before turning on his heel and walking away.

Stop him, her mind screamed. Don’t let him walk out of your life forever.

Opening her mouth, Danya tried to call Lucas back but the words just wouldn’t come out. She slowly watched in agony and horror as Lucas walked out the front door and it snapped shut behind him. She couldn’t change her mind. Akayie was finally giving her an opportunity to prove herself and she couldn’t allow the appealing Lucas Braden to come back into her life and get her off track from pursuing her dreams.

Lucas didn’t understand that he had already achieved the level of success that he wanted out of his life. He landed a partnership at his thriving law firm. Something that he had worked hard for most of his life, from what she had learned from Akayie. 

Now, it was her time to see if she possessed what it took to become a successful photographer like Akayie. Her time was now and if she didn’t grab it with both hands while the iron was hot she might miss out at her only chance to do so.

Danya took one last lingering look at the door, wondering if she had made the right decision. What if she had just let the most perfect guy walk out of her life without even knowing it?