Page 17 of Best Year Ever
RORI: Okay cool.
So Ihadn’tbeen imagining things. His close-cropped haircut on his trip had made me think maybe it was someone else, especially with his curls back to their normal length today.
Sigh. I really liked putting my hand through those curls on New Year’s. Tugging on them, while his head was between my legs.
RORI: BTW, keep the hair grown out. Like it is now. Just a suggestion.
NEW YEARS: Yes, ma’am.
A short time afterward, they’re ready for us on set. With this turquoise outfit cut in a much more revealing style than the first one, a wardrobe assistant hands me a short robe to wear over it. The thought of Landon seeing so much of my skin again momentarily sends a shiver down my spine, but I push the thought away.
The new set is largely cream in color, mixed in with a pale version of the turquoise of my outfit. Still quite simple, so the focus can be on us.
As I check my phone to keep myself busy, I hear footsteps and some chatter in the background. Looking up, there’s Landon, walking in with a couple of people from the photo team.
The wardrobe staff have also put him in a robe, too.Hmm.
He seems to be shirtless under it, so it’s hard to tell what outfit he’s wearing.
Catching me looking, he brings his eyes to mine and smiles.
“Apparently, they stepped things up for both of us. This robe might be the most comfortable thing I’ve ever worn,” he jokes.
“Okay, everyone’s here again, great,” John observes as he steps towards the main part of the set.
“Yes, do you want me to help get them in position?” one of his photo assistants asks.
“Please,” John says.
“Mr. Battle, why don’t you come over here,” the assistant continues, leading Landon to the spot where they want him to stand. “And if you don’t mind, let’s take off that robe?”
Landon nods, unbelts the robe, and after slipping it off, hands it to her.
My eyes widen when I see what’s underneath.
He’s in tight spandex athletic shorts that are a blend of the turquoise I’m wearing with a navy shade, and these shorts—they hide nothing.
Every muscle Landon has worked for is on display, including the well-defined V marking his lower stomach that I didn’t quite appreciate as much as I should have in his dark hotel room on New Year’s. His leg muscles are tree trunks, cut even more so than I remember.
And muscles are not the only thing on show. A very notable bulge is evident in the front of the shorts, reinforcing that Landon is not lacking inanydepartment.
I think that I’ve forgotten to breathe when I hear a voice call my name.
“Miss Reilly, can you come to this spot here? And I’ll grab your robe as well.”
I clear my throat and pivot my eyes to the assistant giving me instructions. “Sure, here you go,” I say as I walk to my spot and take off the robe.
Landon’s body shifts slightly as I shed my robe. I try to avoidlooking directly at him, but I can see out of the corner of my eye that he is immediately repositioning himself, standing up a little straighter.
Is he as affected, seeing me in this teensy, tight outfit, as I was seeing what he is wearing?
Realizing that I’m prolonging the inevitable, I turn to him and catch the expression on his face. His eyes look different from this morning. More intense, heavier in their gaze. And I swear his pupils have blown a little wider.
John jumps in before either of us can say anything. “So Landon, Rori, we’re going to have a similar vibe to the first round of shots, but no props. The initial pose I want is your palms against each other’s again—this time both palms so it’s like you’re each pushing off each other.” He gently positions us in place and connects our hands as he requested.
Landon’s hands are warm and soft. Without the racquet in one hand, I’m even more sensitive to the sensation of his skin against mine. There’s nothing else to center my attention on other than his touch.
Except then John makes it even worse.
