Chapter 964: Her Boyfriend Is an Expensive Model (8)

Hazel.

For a few seconds, Dominique simply stared at her, his mind seemingly taking its time to catch up with what his eyes were seeing.

Hazel?

She was here? He wasn’t dreaming right?

His gaze wandered over her face, almost greedily taking in every familiar detail. Her long hair fell beautifully around her shoulders, framing her delicate features, while her pinkish lips were pressed into their usual composed line.

Those icy eyes of hers were looking somewhere ahead and the faint scar remained visible if someone looked carefully.

His fingers almost moved towards her cheek, an instinctive desire to touch the little mark and check whether it had healed properly.

He wondered whether she had been taking care of herself, whether she had been sleeping enough and whether she had missed him even half as much as he had missed her.

God, she looked beautiful.

But before he could say anything, Hazel turned towards Brittany.

A small, cold smile appeared on her lips.

"Do you have something to say?" she asked.

Brittany’s hand had already fallen away from Dominique’s arm. She looked at Hazel, taking in her appearance with an expression that was difficult to read.

The woman was undeniably beautiful with striking eyes and an elegant presence. Even the faint mark on her face did little to diminish her appearance.

In fact, there was something rather captivating about her and judging by the way she had just pulled Dominique away, she clearly wasn’t pleased.

"Who is she?" Brittany asked, looking between them.

Hazel’s smile remained, although there was nothing particularly friendly about it.

"And who are you to ask?"

Brittany’s eyebrows rose slightly. "I’m his co-model."

"Is that so?"

Dominique stood beside Hazel, still holding the water bottle in one hand while trying to understand what was happening. His gaze moved from Brittany to Hazel, then down to their joined hands.

Hazel’s fingers were wrapped firmly around his and she didn’t seem particularly interested in letting go.

What happened to her?

Had someone upset her? Was she angry about something?

He had never seen Hazel quite like this. She was usually composed, even when irritated but there was something unusually sharp in her expression now. Her chin was slightly raised and the faintest crease had appeared between her eyebrows.

Then she spoke again.

"He’s my boyfriend."

Dominique nearly forgot how to breathe.

His eyes widened and the bottle in his hand almost slipped from his fingers.

Boyfriend?

His boyfriend?

Wait.

Was she talking about him?

He looked at Hazel, then at Brittany and finally back at Hazel, as though he needed to confirm that he hadn’t accidentally imagined the entire sentence. His heart gave a rather embarrassing little jump inside his chest.

He had been called handsome, gorgeous, charming and even a walking piece of art by countless people but somehow, two simple words coming from Hazel’s mouth had managed to leave him completely speechless.

Boyfriend.

He wanted to hear that again.

Perhaps several more times.

But before he could ask a single question, Hazel tightened her hold on his hand and turned away.

"Come with me."

Dominique followed immediately.

He didn’t even look back at the photographer, the crew, or Brittany. His long legs easily matched Hazel’s pace, although his attention remained fixed on the woman walking beside him. He could feel the warmth of her fingers around his and every few steps, his thumb brushed lightly against the back of her hand.

Behind them, Brittany stood with her mouth slightly open.

Kyle, meanwhile, lowered his head to hide his amusement. He had worked with Dominique long enough to know that the man was rarely at a loss for words, especially when it came to women but seeing him being dragged away by Hazel like an obedient giant was certainly a sight worth remembering.

Dominique glanced down at Hazel’s hand wrapped around his.

Then a slow, increasingly delighted smile spread across his face.

Boyfriend?

Well.

He certainly wasn’t going to complain.

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Hazel finally stopped when they reached a quieter part of the studio grounds. The noise of the cameras and crew had faded behind them, leaving only the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional distant voice.

A paved walkway stretched alongside a thick forest and beyond it, the ground sloped steeply downwards beneath a cluster of trees. Part of the walkway had no safety railing, making the drop look considerably more dangerous than it probably was.

Dominique glanced over the edge.

Then he looked at Hazel.

Then, without warning, he stepped closer and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her against his chest.

Hazel’s eyes widened slightly as she found herself pressed against him. His arms were surprisingly warm and the sudden embrace made her take a small step backwards to steady herself.

"What’s wrong?" she asked, placing both hands against his chest in an attempt to create some distance. "Why are you hugging me?"

Dominique lowered his head, resting his cheek against the top of hers.

"I’m scared."

Hazel looked up at him, her eyebrows drawing together. "Of what?"

He tilted his head towards the forest. "What if I accidentally fall down there? I’ll be all alone in the forest, with no phone signal. Who’s going to rescue me? What if I get lost? What if some wild animal finds me? What if I have to live there for the rest of my life?"

Hazel stared at him for a moment before glancing towards the slope.

"You’re standing several feet away from the edge."

"That doesn’t make it less dangerous."

"You’re also wearing perfectly good shoes."

"That has nothing to do with it, Hazel." His arms tightened around her, and he gave a dramatic little sigh. "Please, understand my fearrr."

She was about to tell him to stop being ridiculous when she felt his face move slightly against her hair. He seemed to be nuzzling into it, his nose brushing gently against the strands near her temple.

Dominique closed his eyes.

Damn.

She smelled so good.

It was a familiar, delicate fragrance, something he had come to associate with her. He could have recognised it in a crowded room and being this close to her after an entire week apart made him reluctant to let go.

He had missed the warmth of her body, the feel of her hand in his and even the little crease that appeared between her eyebrows whenever he annoyed her.

He had been thinking about hugging her since the moment he saw her.

Now that he finally had her in his arms, he wasn’t particularly interested in ending it.

His palm rested against the small of her back, while his other arm remained comfortably around her waist. He lowered his head a little further, his cheek brushing her hair as he quietly breathed her in.