Page 7 of Be With Me

Heat crept up my neck as he stared at me, and there was no mistaking his meaning this time as his eyes travelled slowly down my body. My pulse sped up so fast I got a little lightheaded and had to reach back and grip the edge of my desk to steady myself. The seam of my jean shorts was suddenly very noticeable, as was the soft lace of my bra scraping against my nipples when I took a steadying breath.

His nostrils flared, as though he could scent the change in my body chemistry on some primitive level. Dropping his arms to his sides, he took a step toward me. “Maybe we can still set up some private appointments. I could be available if you ever wanted to try any new techniques on me.”

My eyes glanced over the bulge in his jeans, noticeably larger than it was when he’d first come in, and my tongue shot out to wet my suddenly dry lips. There was really no mistaking what kind of techniques he was talking about.

The front door swung open behind him, and Stef came walking in with a young girl with big boobs, boyish hips, and long, straight, black hair. A girl Tyler’s age. A girl with the freshness of youth all over her flawless face.

My pulse crashed back down to normal.

“Hey! What’s going on, you guys?” Stef called out from the reception area as she set her stuff down.

I told myself not to panic. She always greeted me this way. But I couldn’t stop the heat I knew was coloring my cheeks. I fanned myself with my hand and hoped she’d assume it was menopausal hormones.

Stef pulled the girl forward to meet me. “This is Cora. I found her last night at my son’s house—she’s a friend of his girlfriend—and I thought she’d be perfect with Tyler in this shoot so I brought her along. I hope that’s okay?”

Picking up my camera, I put the strap around my neck, looking anywhere but at Tyler, who still stood just inside the room, watching me intently. “Of course, hon. Anything you want.”

“What about what I want?” Tyler said quietly. His tone was teasing, but his dark eyes held a heated question when they met mine.

Cora spun around at the sound of his voice and Stef shot him a grin.

He plastered that knowing, sexy grin on his face and turned to say hi to Stefanie and meet his partner for the shoot. The grin I now knew was totally fake.

Get it together, I scolded myself.

When Stef saw the two of them in the same room, she nearly squealed with delight. Running back over to me, she smacked my arm. “This is going to be so hot!”

I had to agree. The two of them looked great together with their dark hair and eyes. Tyler’s skin was slightly darker than Cora’s. Just enough to add some nice contrast.

After getting some last minutes thoughts on what she wanted for her cover, I shooed Stef back to a chair near the table behind me and had the two models stand together while I took some test shots. I adjusted the lighting, and then we were ready to shoot.

Tyler pulled off his tank as Cora stripped down to some sexy black underwear. I had to admit, the girl was gorgeous. A perfect partner for Tyler. I swallowed down the envy, stuck a smile on my face, and started directing them through some poses.

After about twenty minutes, I told Tyler and Cora to take a break while Stef and I perused the shots.

She shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I’m just not seeing my cover.”

They worked pretty well together, but I had to agree with Stefanie. The “it” shot just wasn’t there. And I had a terrible feeling it was my fault. “I’m sorry. I’m just not on my game today.”

Tilting her head, she studied the shots. “No. I don’t think it’s you. I think they just don’t have the chemistry I was hoping for. Maybe if they don’t look at each other?”

“Okay, let me see what I can do.” Calling the two of them back, I did some profile shots with them facing each other with their eyes cast down. But it still just wasn’t working. Peeking out from behind the camera, I asked Stef, “You said this is a sexy cover, right?”

“Oh, yeah.” She grinned like she had a very naughty secret.

“Cora, would you stand in front of Tyler, please? No. Facing me.” She turned around so she faced the camera. “Right, like that. Okay. Tyler, stand behind her and put an arm around her waist, maybe with your hand on her hip.” I lifted my camera to my eye. “Cora, don’t look right at the camera.”

I felt Stefanie come to stand behind me.

It still wasn’t there. I thought at first it was Cora, that maybe she just wasn’t comfortable in front of the camera. But she moved so naturally, with no shame whatsoever about her undressed state, that I was beginning to think it wasn’t her at all. I tried to think of something that would add some tension to the shot. “Tyler, think of something you want and can’t have, but you’re determined to get.”

Tyler slowly lifted his eyes and looked right at me, one side of his mouth turning up just a little as his fiery gaze burned right through my lens and into my most wicked fantasies. Slowly, he slid his hand up Cora’s stomach until he cupped the underside of her breast, whispering something in her ear.

She smiled at the floor and nodded.

My breath hitched, and his eyes fell to my stiff nipples for just a second before they landed back on my face.

“Holy shit,” Stefanie whispered. “That’s it, Ailee. That’s my cover!”

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