Page 15 of The Model

The girls on the beach tittered behind their hands as if they’d never seen two people kiss before. Maybe not quite like that. Lexie had tried to consume me, but I loved every minute of it.

While they got into position, I pulled my phone back out to download Instagram. My agent had been on my ass since day one to get an account and start posting, but my previous phone couldn’t do anything fancy. I was lucky it still worked for phone calls. Texting was a bitch on it, so I was pretty limited. After putting in my email, I tried using my name Ryder Williams, but it was already taken. Everything I thought of was used by someone else. It was supposed to be something easy for my fans to be able to find me, but I had no clue what to pick if I couldn’t use my name.

“Ryder,” Lexie called from down by the water. She motioned for me to come down to her. Setting her battery pack back down in her chair, I walked down to the shore where everyone was watching me. Luckily, I was used to it now. “What’s got you all stressed?”

“What do you mean?”

Lowering her voice, she stepped over to me. “I could tell from all the way down here something wasn’t going right. What’s wrong?”

“I’m supposed to pick a name that’s easy for fans to follow me, but everything I try is already taken.”

“Let me see.”

“You don’t need to help me. You’re working.” She held her hand out with an expectant look on her face. I handed over my phone. While her fingers flew over the keyboard, everyone started to move in toward us with curious eyes.

“Take off your shirt and stand in the water until you’re about waist deep.”

“You don’t need to do this.” I tried to take my phone back from her, but she sidestepped me and held it behind her back. “You’re busy.”

“That may be so, but if you hurry, I can quickly get your picture. With the lighting, it will be perfect.”

Stripping off my shirt, I did as she requested. When I turned around, Lexie was a few feet behind me, holding up my phone in the air. I should have bought the waterproof case they tried to sell me, but I didn’t think I’d need it.

“I’m not going to drop it, and if for some reason I did, I’d buy you a new one, so don’t worry.”

“Who says I’m worried?” I chuckled nervously, totally giving myself away.

Lexie laughed, shaking her head. “Just give me your best pose.”

Placing my hand on my hip, I looked back at the shore and let the world drop away. The group of models was no longer staring at us, and Raine wasn’t looking at us with wide eyes. The only person who was with me was Lexie, and she gave me subtle little things to do as she took my picture.

“I think I got it.” She turned my phone toward me as I moved closer to her. “What do you think?”

“I think I need you to take all my pictures to make me look good.”

She splashed water at me as she started back to shore. “You don’t need me to make you look good, but text me the picture, and I’ll run it through a couple of apps to make it great. Then you can post it.”

“What’s your handle?” one of the girls asked. She was beautiful with crazy long legs, but her voice was so high-pitched, it was like nails on a chalkboard.

The hair guy chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. “You don’t have to answer.”

“Sure, he does. He needs followers.” Another girl sidled up next to me, trying to look at my phone.

“Girls leave him alone. You can look up Ryder later if you want. We need to get back to work,” Lexie called out in a voice that let them all know she wasn’t messing around. Was she jealous? I liked the idea of her being jealous of other women wanting me.

“How the hell does she know him?” one of the other girls whispered to the one with the high-pitched voice.

“I don’t know, but she’s one lucky bitch.”

“Thanks for taking my picture and setting up my account.” I dipped down and gave her a wet kiss promising more later.

Her gaze raked down my body, and she licked her lips. “I plan to take lots of pictures of you in the next couple of days. Ones you won’t be able to post on Instagram.”

“Holy fucking shit,” someone murmured.

9

Ryder

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