Page 6 of My Playboy Neighbor

"Everyone has."Maya fought to keep her voice steady, even as her lips still tingled from his kiss.“I was there and saw it firsthand.”

“And you’ve heard about the allegations his ex has levied against him?”

“Which ex?”

Colleen smirked.“The bitch. Wait, that doesn’t narrow it down. Elena Serrano.”

Maya shook her head.“I haven’t heard much.”

“It’s still early days yet. She claims that Dom smacked her around.”

“Oh.”Disappointment flooded through Maya.“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I am too.Mostly because it’s bullshit.”

“Are you sure?” Maya didn’t like doubting women who said they were hurt that way.

“I am.” Colleen fixed her with a look.“I’m not naïve enough that things happen behind closed doors that don’t happen in the public. But in this case, Elena has cried this wolf many times.She’s no stranger to violence, controversy or petty drama.She loves it.”

“So, Dom didn’t hit her?”

“Oh yes, he did.”

Maya shook her head.“I’m confused.”

“You won’t be once the stories hit. I’ll give you a preview. Elena is a pain slut.”

Maya blinked.“A...what?”

“She likes to be whipped, spanked, choked, even cut.”

Maya wasn’t a prude, but she was a little shocked by all this.

“Normally, I don’t talk about people’s kinks. I celebrate them. But Elena weaponizes hers. And I’m not telling you anything that’s not going to be all over social media by tomorrow. Her exes and the other people she’s falsely accused are going to call her out.”

“I see.” But Maya didn’t know how this concerned her.

“Dom is very special to me.”

“Oh,” Maya said, and her heart sank. Not that she thought she had a chance with Dom anyway, but if Colleen had her eye on him, there wasn’t a chance in hell Dom would look twice at Maya.

“Not like that.”Colleen smiled.

“It’s none of my business,” Maya said, trying not to stutter. She hadn’t meant to be so obvious.

“Dom has a temper.That little pissant in Milan deserved everything he got. He’s banned from Couture.But smashing the camera, choking him, lent Elena’s accusations weight. And I’m afraid that Dom is going to be cancelled because of his actions and Elena’s lies.”

"What does this have to do with me?”

"I want you to capture the real Dominic Valenti.Not the polished image his handlers have been selling for years, but the man underneath.The protector.The sexy playboy with a soft heart."

“You think I can do that? He seems a little camera shy right now.”

Colleen waved her hand.“I’ll get him to do it.Don’t worry about that.The industry is hungry for authenticity right now.Tired of manufactured perfection.Your eye for genuine emotion is why I chose you for this assignment."

Maya's mind raced.Photographing Dom would mean working with him daily, being close to him, pretending that kiss hadn't happened while her body still hummed with want for him.Maya's last serious relationship had ended when her ex discovered her photography obsession."You're always watching life through that lens instead of living it," he'd said."It's like you're afraid to be fully present."Maybe he'd been right.Behind the camera, she was safe, invisible, in control.But also...alone.

"So, I’ll be following him around while he’s on vacation here?"

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