Sam hated every moment and very nearly punched the stylist when he ignored him. Well, his eventually surrendered. No makeup, no body paint and no strange colour in his hair. The Capitolites liked him well enough the way he was. And he wasnât going to make himself one of them.
The outfit was impossible to avoid, though. No matter how he protested, he was forced into the Apollo-like outfit. He was grateful that they went with more fabric than some of the statues implied.
And with all the arguing, it was no surprise they made no idle chit chat with him. If they said anything like what theyâd said to Emma, theyâd have been drowned in their own face paint.
He was fussing with the last bit of gold chain when Emma was bought through. And when he saw her, his heart leapt into his throat. Theyâd done such a- he stepped down from his platform and touched Emmaâs cheek like theyâd been lovers for so long. âSheâs radiant however sheâs made up.â
The words werenât untrue. She was a beautiful woman. But the way he looked at her implied love. He didnât know the girl. So how could he love her?
As soon as Samâs hand came to gently rest on her cheek, Emma was lost in his touch. Instinctively, she rooted against his palm and gazed up at him adoringly. From the moment theyâd met, Em had known she felt affection for him, but she never once thought it reciprocal. At least not until now.Â
Truth be told, if it hadnât been for all the prying eyes, Emma would have risen on her toes and pressed a kiss to his perfectly shaped lips. However, not wanting to give more gossip material to their interlopers, the brunette refrained.Â
Instead, she offered him a warm and loving smile before turning her head towards their respective stylists. âYou both did a magnificent job. Although,â she paused as she placed a hand on his now bare chest, doing her best to ignore the warmth now radiating through her,
 âI prefer the natural look. Far less painful as well.â When the woman sneered, Emma returned her attention to her partner and sheepishly drew her bottom lip between her teeth.Â
âWould you mind giving us a few moments of privacy? Well, as much as these glass wall will allow. Iâd like to be alone with Sam, please.â At his stylists offhanded remark about not marking up her handiwork, Emma added, âI promise heâll remain picture perfect.â
 Once they scurried out of the room, she felt her resolve wane. Doing exactly what she swore to herself she wouldnât., the petite woman, pressed her body firmly against his and trailed her lips along his neck to jaw, Then with her mouth hovering mere centimetres from his, whispered, âSorry, I hope Iâm not overstepping. I just couldnât help myself. âÂ