CHAPTER THREE
Charley
He should be on the other side of the lens. He’s too handsome to be a photographer. But on the other hand, he might even be too handsome to be a model. I know that seems strange, but it’s true. This photographer, Jude, is one hundred percent man and thinking about him posing awkwardly in styled clothing forces me to shove down a giggle.
“Sharper face, Charley. No smiling yet,” he instructs as I watch him crouch low on his heels.
Focus.
God, he’s bossy and gorgeous. He’s got that dark, second-day stubble that gives him just the right amount of ruggedness. He looks like a perfect combination of a New York intellectual and a sexy Bear Grylls. Like he would read the Times while starting a fire with two dry sticks and a piece of flint. Does such a thing even exist?
I’ve never found my job quite so easy. He wants me to focus on him and that’s what I’ll do.
With pleasure.
Naomi will want to know every detail about the first man I’ve found attractive in quite some time, so I start at his feet, taking in his worn, MacAlister leather boots. I know it’s petty, but I can’t help but judge a guy based on his choice of footwear. Luckily, Jude completely passes the test. His boots rest beneath worn, dark wash jeans that sit perfectly low on his hips. He’s wearing a vintage Yankees t-shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders and slim waist. His arms shift and flex as he moves the camera. He’s got strong, toned arms. The kind of arms you get from lifting weights and then running to counteract the overt bulkiness.
Damn. Where do they keep guys like this and why couldn’t he have been at the club last night?
Yeah right. I would’ve still turned him down. It’s the way it has to be right now. I have to focus on healing myself first.
But in the mean time, I can ogle my photographer, right? I have to be here anyway so I might as well enjoy the view.
I lift a hand and wrap it elegantly around my neck.
“Hold there, Charley. That’s perfect,” he comments, and I hear Mrs. Hart agree from the sidelines. I’d forgotten she was there for a moment.
Posing is second nature to me at this point. I let the music guide me as I hit various positions, trying to show off the silky cream gown from the best angles. Florence + the Machine’s “Shake it Out” blasts from the speakers and I move seductively for the camera… or maybe it’s for Jude. He stays silent and keeps clicking away, so I know I’m giving him good poses.
After quite a few shots, I relax my arms by my side. Jude pulls the camera away from his face and scrolls through the last few shots. With a sigh, he glances up and narrows his eyes, as if considering what we’re missing. His studious pose gives me a chance to see his gaze without the bulky camera lens in the way. He’s got the bluest eyes— bright aqua, maybe even lighter than mine. I’ve never dated a guy with blue eyes before. But that’s probably because I don’t date at all.
He shoves his hand through his unruly, dark brown hair again and I have to hide a smile. Each time he does that it makes his hair even sexier, and the gesture sends a shot of lust straight to my core.
“We have great shots of the dress, but I think we should mix it up a bit,” Jude’s deep voice filters through the room as he turns toward Mrs. Hart.
“I agree. The Dior gown is sexy and so far these images have been beautiful… but restrained.” Mrs. Hart interlaces her hands and steeples her index fingers beneath her chin in thought.
A moment later, her eyes light up and she snaps her fingers. Before I know it, she’s stepping toward me with fierce determination.
“Charley, turn around and I’ll unzip the dress. The draping on the back is beautiful and I think we could get a sexy shot of you showing a bit more skin.”
What?
My heartbeat races as though it’s losing a fight with the blood circulating through my system. My eyes dart over to Jude, but he’s glancing down at his camera wearing a mask of indifference. It’s not as if I haven’t shown skin at a shoot before. If anything, most of these high-end fashion magazines prefer it if you’re completely naked while holding their products. Not to mention, I’m usually posing with an equally-nude male model. But for some reason, Jude’s eyes seem more penetrating than any I’ve felt before. Unable to stop myself, I second guess Mrs. Hart’s opinion.
“Are you sure? The front of the dress is so lovely.” The look she shoots me says it all: it’s not a model’s job to direct the photo shoot. I’m meant to comply quickly and gracefully, like a life-size Barbie doll.
My hands tremble as I turn away from Jude. I can feel his eyes on me now as if he’s finally catching up to the events taking place. My skin blazes under his gaze. Mrs. Hart comes to stand directly behind me, and when her chilled fingers touch my neck, I jump slightly. Pretend this is a different shoot with a different photographer, I tell myself, trying to lose focus on the white backdrop that now lies before me.
“Wait.” His dark voice cascades over my skin and I clutch my eyes closed. Does he want her to stop too?
Both Mrs. Hart and I twist back to look at him. He’s got his camera held deftly against his hip and he’s gesturing out with his right hand.
“Only unzip the top, where Charley can’t reach. I want her to do the rest. The pictures will be more seductive if she’s undressing herself,” he commands. Jeez. His unyielding tone demands compliance. I know Mrs. Hart will agree with his idea, but I have a feeling she would go along with his instructions even if she didn’t. He has a sort of animal magnetism about him. He’s the type of guy that commands immediate respect and I doubt any female is very good at telling him no.
“Absolutely,” Mrs. Hart breathes, reaching up to pull my zipper down an inch or so, only until I can reach around and touch the zipper’s metal teeth with my fingers. Mrs. Hart backs away, off the set, so that I’m left alone to glance back toward Jude over my shoulder. Nerves bloom in stomach as I realize I don’t have a bra on beneath the dress. Not because I don’t need one, my c-cups definitely do, but it would have been visible through the sides of the gown, and Mrs. Hart opted to leave me without one. It’s not usual on sets, but today it presents quite the interesting predicament.
Does he even realize? Probably not.
He drags his fingers along his bottom lip and I study his gesture intently, losing myself in the beguiling sight. My lips part and I hear myself exhale softly as a wave of light-headedness hits me. His lips look just supple enough that I wish I could feel them on every inch of my body.
“Listen carefully, Charley,” Jude begins, but then he waits until I offer a delicate nod before continuing. He wants all of my attention and I’m more than happy to give it to him. My body still faces away from him, but I’m twisting my neck to look over my shoulder with an arched back. The pose makes me feel alluring and I let the sensation wash over me as he stares me down.
“I want you to keep your gaze on me. Never look away as I instruct you on exactly what to do. Understand?” His voice is hard and stern, as if he’s dealing with a child.
I mash my lips together, feeling my heartbeat pound against my chest.
“Charley, do you understand?” he asks again, more demanding this time. I chance a glance toward his blue eyes. They look like a summer sky—infinite and full of possibilities.
“Yes,” I stutter, surprised by the desire laced through my voice. Can he tell?
My entire body stands motionless as he turns back to the studio’s partition. “Switch the music, Jon. Put on that Charlie Mars CD I brought. “Nothing but the Rain” should be one of the first tracks.”
A moment later, a soft melody fills the studio. It’s captivating and I find myself having to press a hand to my belly as a heady mixture of nerves and excitement floods my veins.
“Don’t move your head, Charley,” he commands as our eyes lock together once again. The pure intensity radiating off of him makes me glance down. It’s as if I’ll go blind if I gaze into his blue irises long enough. “Reach up with your left hand and tuck your pointer finger under your right dress strap— like you’re about to push it off.”
I do as he says, fingering the silky material until it begins to inch off my delicate shoulder.
“Good, keep looking at me,” he goads gently, and I hear his camera begin to click. His expression is hidden behind his lens once again, but I want to know what he sees. I want to know if this is affecting him the way it’s affecting me.
“Arch your back gently and push the strap all the way off your shoulder.” His voice is as steady, as if he’s asking me to clap my hands rather than strip off my clothing.
The silky material causes goose bumps to rise across my skin as it slips down lower on my arm. I can’t help but glance down at the naked flesh. It’s completely erotic moving for him like this. Knowing he’s telling me to pull the strap of my dress down.
“Good. Hold it.” The camera clicks in a quick succession. Each snap seems to be synchronized with the hurried rate of my heart. Click, click, click.
“We’re going to move to the other strap now, but stop in the middle with your back to me,” I start to follow his instructions and he continues giving orders. “Close your eyes and tilt your head as if you’re in the throes of passion, Charley.” The way my name cascades off his tongue makes it so I barely have to pretend. As I twist my body, the gown’s strap falls down farther and I slide into the new pose with unbridled passion.
My back arches even more and I lace my fingers through my hair, elongating my neck for the camera.
“How beautiful, Charley,” Mrs. Hart comments, and I feel a blush tinge my cheeks. I’m glad I’m not facing them right now. This show isn’t for her, and if I think about her watching it’ll be harder to let go and hit the poses naturally.
Jude doesn’t respond to Mrs. Hart. Instead, he clicks away through the shots with a professional cadence.
“You need to remove the other strap now, Charley. Do it just the way you did it before, but I want you to bite down on your lip and make eye-contact with the camera while you do it.”
His words make my legs feel like Jell-O, but I take a deep breath and force myself to turn toward him again. He’s standing up now, leaning on his right leg and angling the camera so that it hits me slightly from above.
He must be six or seven feet away from me, but it feels like a hemisphere. My eyes lock onto his face and I watch his brow furrow intently as I push down the other strap. I take my sweet time, reveling in this fierce vixen I’m pretending to be.
She would bite her bright red lips seductively just as I’m pretending to do. She would narrow her eyes invitingly on the man she’s about to go to bed with. I imagine we’ve just come home from some fancy fundraiser. He’s wanted me for months and tonight we’ll finally have each other. The thin strap slides down my arm and soon my entire back is exposed as the top half of the dress folds down over my hips in the front.
The cold studio air sends a shiver through my body and my nipples tighten into little buds. I swear I hear Jude whisper, “F*cking beautiful”, but his expression still remains detached so I decide I’m probably imagining it.
The top of the creamy fabric drapes around my legs, juxtaposed against my naked torso. My breasts are completely exposed to the world, but my body is still angled toward the back of the studio, so neither Jude nor Mrs. Hart can see them. Still, I reach my arms around, trying to conceal them with alluring grace. I bite my lip hard, never breaking eye contact with Jude, or rather his camera lens.
A pool of lust settles within me, awakening every part of my body. I try to use the intimate emotions to my advantage as I focus on this dangerously sexy man pulling me out of my comfort zone with hardly any effort.
“Pull your arms down around the front of your body,” he instructs hoarsely. My first instinct is to protest, but there’s no denying the whims of this man. My hands tremble as I wrap my arms around my body so that they hold my quivering stomach. But he doesn’t start clicking away like normal. He shakes his head “no”, places the camera down on the media table, and then turns back toward me with sharp focus.
A sinking realization hits my gut. Oh god, he’s going to come adjust my pose.
My stomach twists into a ball of anxiety as his footsteps echo against the studio floor. My eyes grow wide and I wonder if he plans on adjusting me from the front. Oh god, oh god. Relax.
This is my job. Plenty of photographers and stylists have seen my naked body before. The photos never end up exposing anything, and I’ve never posed for anything too risqué, but I don’t know what will happen if Jude comes closer. I want him to touch me so badly, but I don’t think I’ll be able to hold up my facade if he does. I can practically feel myself wilting toward him and he hasn’t even touched me yet.
I lick my lips instinctively and watch him step closer until he’s right behind me. His scent immediately invades my senses. It’s a hint of deodorant mixed with his natural aroma. The combination is fresh and intoxicating. I immediately crave more. More of his scent overwhelming my psyche as his body presses against mine.
His breath touches the back of my neck and I jump slightly, realizing that even in my heels he’s got a few inches on me. If he craned his neck a hair to the left he could see past my shoulders to my bare chest. But I think he’s letting me keep my privacy on purpose. Why?
My eyes fall to the floor as I try to gather resolve, waiting for his touch. I focus on my slow exhale, trying to ignore his warm breath against my naked back.
But his touch never comes. I flick open my eyelids and look up to see him standing inches behind me with his hands clenched to his side.
His blue eyes bore into mine. “Unwrap your arms from around your waist, Charley.”
My grip loosens immediately as if his vocal cords are connected to my body’s synapses, and I let my arms fall. I hadn’t even realized I was clutching the dress so tightly.
“Interlace your fingers gently in front of your hips instead,” he instructs.
I don’t break his eye contact even though his blue eyes seem to jar every nerve ending in my body. It feels like a challenge having him this close to me. Just as I move to lace my fingers together, my thumb trails across the sensitive flesh between my legs. Even though my skin is cloaked beneath my underwear and gown, a rush of pleasure forces my eyes closed as my body shutters. What the hell is he doing to me? I’m on set.
His almost inaudible sigh tells me he’s aware of how turned on I am from this little game. He’s doing it on purpose. He wants a good photo and he knows what he has to do to get it.
Just as I think he’s going to turn back for his camera, he leans in gently and whispers in my ear, sending chills across my flesh.
“Bend your elbows a bit, the arc of your torso is alluring and I don’t want you to hide it.” He bites out the instructions as if angry with me for concealing it in the first place.
I didn’t think he was going to touch me. I thought he’d walk away, which is why I couldn’t have prevented the soft moan from escaping my lips when his hands wrapped around the side of my torso. His warm palms ignite my skin, just under my shoulder blades. The tips of his long fingers hit the very sides of my breasts. His touch sets my skin on fire, and I close my eyes, wanting to block out every other sense. I’m not at a photo shoot. I’m not in a Dior gown posing for my photographer. I’m hardly sentient. His touch turns me into a pile of tingling sensations, throbbing need laced with adrenaline and lust. His touch is the only thing that matters. I love the difference in texture. My skin is soft and smooth against his strong, calloused hands. Hands that practically wrap around my entire body.
“Do you feel that, Charley?”
I feel nothing. Not the floor beneath my feet or the studio lighting against my skin. Only his touch.
When I don’t respond, his hands slide slowly down the length of my torso, sending delicious shivers down my spine.
“Yes,” I whisper so gently that I’m sure he didn’t hear.
I clear my throat, trying to tamper the lust building within me. His hand gently squeezes my waist, demanding a reply.
“Yes,” I murmur a little louder this time.
“Show the camera what you feel, Charley,” he commands in my ear before dropping his hands and walking away. The moment he cuts off his touch, my surroundings rush back in like a crashing wave. My body cries out in protest as my eyes flash open and a deep inhale floods my lungs. Was I holding my breath that whole time?