Behind His Lens (16 page)

I would have stolen her away earlier, but I had to be sure she felt the same. If she
wanted to be there with Hu
dson then I would have let her enjoy her night, but it didn’t take long for me to realize he completely repulsed her. As he fucking should have. Then the brunette girl locked onto me as her prey for the night. I eventually just walked away from her. The brunette was in the middle of a sentence, but I didn’t give a shit. Charley looked up and I nodded to her, asking if she wanted to leave the VIP area. When she climbed down those black stairs, I followed right after her, not caring about a single other soul in that club.

Everything was falling into place
; we were acknowledging the connection between us, we were thriving off of it. Then she withdrew. The second we returned to VIP, she recoiled and we moved back to square one. I feel like I’m at a complete loss. I want to force her to face her fears, but I know that won’t work. She’s like a wild horse; I have to slowly coax her away from the isolated life she’s made for herself. I know she’s had it hard; I can see it behind her eyes, but she can’t hide forever, and I want to be the person that saves her. I want her to be mine.

The vibrations from my phone stir me out of my thoughts and I glance down to see it’s a work call. Really, on a Sunday morning? Then I realize I’m in my office, checking work emails.

Whatever, they don’t know that. I tap my thumb against the sleek, modern desk as I swipe a finger across the screen and answer the call.

Why is the director of my upcoming shoot calling me so early on the weekend? If they’re changing the location from Hawaii, I’ll drop. That’s the only reason I agreed to do the job in the first place.

“What can I do for you, Ryan?” I ask in a clipped tone.

“Candace
is out of the shoot.”

“What? Are you joking? She was picked for the cover!” The shoot in Hawaii is for a prominent men’s sports maga
zine. Every year they do a swimsuit issue boasting some of the sexiest women in the entertainment world. Candace Hill was picked for the cover after a painfully long and drawn out elimination process months ago.

“Yeah, well when you’re nursing injuries from a motorcycle accident, you can’t really model bikinis,” he barks. Oh man does he sound pissed. The photo shoot
is next week and we’re out of a cover model.

“She
rides a motorcycle?”

“Her rocker boyfriend was driving and
she wasn’t wearing leathers, so she has road rash, but nothing too serious.”

I drag my hand through my hair, staring off at the canvas photo hanging across from my desk.
A small boy with sad eyes stares back at me.

“So we’ll bump one
of the girls from a centerfold to the cover?” Normally photographers aren’t involved with the casting process, but I’ve made a name for myself in the past few years. I’ve got a good eye and it commands top dollar.

“Looks like we’ll have to, but there’s no one that feels right for it.”

I close my eyes, envisioning crystal blue eyes, bright blonde hair, and golden ivory skin.

“Wait, Ryan. Look up Charley Whitlock.”

Oh shit. Did I really just offer her name to him? It was impulsive, spurred on from my desire for her, but now it’s too late to ignore my suggestion. I lose focus on the photo across my desk once again, waiting for his reply.

“I’ve heard that name before,” he admits. The sound of clicking echoes through the phone as he types her name into
Google.

A moment later, there’s a loud thud and I’m sure he’s slammed his hand on the desk. “What the hell. Why wasn’t she brought up when we were doing first rounds?”

“She isn’t famous or
dating
a famous person.”

“Yeah? Well she will be after this. She’s got it. I want her for the cover.”

“Good. You’d be an idiot to choose anyone else.”

“I’ve gotta go and call her agent. For all I know, she’s already booked.”

“See you on the plane.”

“Yeah, thanks, Anderson.”

When the line goes dead, I toss the phone onto the table and recline back into my black leather chair. Was that a good idea, or did I just complicate things even more with Charley? If she accepts, which she’d be insane not to, we’ll be in Hawaii together for three days. So much for taking it slow.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Charley

With a contented sigh I push my apartment door open and slip my heavy keys onto the chipped ceramic holder hanging on the wall. I woke up early and ran until my limbs ached. I hadn’t realized how far I’d actually gone until I looked at my exercise watch a moment ago: 13 miles, almost half of a marathon. I was hoping the run would take longer, but the endorphins definitely helped. I’ll just have to ride on their momentum as long as possible.

Maybe after I shower I’ll go down to a bookstore and browse around for something to take my mind off of last night. I can’t let myself think about it. Every few seconds, when something threatens to remind me of Jude, I shut it down and carve out a new though
t from my brain. It’s torturous but necessary if I don’t want to spend the entire day wallowing in self pity, which I don’t.

The blinking screen on my phone catches my attention and my heart leaps in anticipation of seeing his name. But as I approach, I sigh in defeat. It’s just my agent, Janet.

“Morning, Janet.” I try smiling in the phone so she won’t be able to tell I was hoping it was someone else.

“Where the hell have you been?”
she shouts into the phone excitedly.

What? What could have happened since I chatted with her on Friday?

“I was out on a run. What’s up? You don’t normally leave me a dozen voice-mails before noon on a Sunday,” I quip.

“Pack your bags, Charley!” s
he squeals through the phone.

“What? Why?” My hand clasps around my neck protectively.

“You booked a COVER! Of the freaking S.O. Swimsuit Issue!”

Silence fills the airwaves as I let her sentence sink in. No. There’s no way.

“Are you insane? They pick celebrities for that.” My heart races. There’s no way they’d choose me. I’m a nobody. I didn’t even have Janet send them my portfolio for review. I didn’t think there was a point, and to be honest, that’s the way I wanted it. I don’t want to be a celebrity.

“News Flash: you’re sexier than any celebrity out there! You fly out on Friday…”

“This Friday!?” I squeeze my temple with the pads of fingers as I pace my tiny room.

“Yes! I had to move around a few other jobs to make it work. You cannot pass this up.”

“Who’s on the shoot?”

“The magazine will provide their own makeup and hair crew. Ryan Kelly is the shoot director. You’ve never worked with him before, but he’s amazing
. Everyone raves about his vision.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him before.”

“And Jude Anderson will be lead photographer.”

I nearly drop the phone.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m dead serious, babe. You get the sexiest photographer
in all of New York for a three-day shoot in Hawaii. Thank the karma Gods, Charley, because you must have been really good in your past life.”

Fucking Jude.

“What if I don’t want to take this shoot, Janet? What if I’m not ready for my life to change?”

“Charley. Let’s just say that this one shoot will give you
plenty
of time to lie low and paint. You’d be crazy to turn down the amount they’ll be paying you.” And her. She doesn’t say it, but I’d be the worst client ever if I turned down a commission that big for her. She’s a great agent and she deserves to have a pay off. I’ll deal with any new fame the way I handle everything else: by hiding away from it.

As we hang up,
there's one last piece of the puzzle nagging my mind and it has Jude written all over it.

I look at my phone, scroll down to the “J’s” and hit send.

Two slow rings later, his deep voice wraps around my senses.

“Hello.” God, he says that word so alluringly I almost forget my anger. Almost.

“Did you have something to do with me landing this freaking job?” I snap.

He chuckles lightly, “Good morning, Charley. You sound radiant.”

God I want him. No! Damnit.

“Jude! What the hell?
Did I book this job because of you or because they actually wanted me?”

He pauses and I rub my hand anxiously along my hairline.

“They had originally booked Candace Hill, but she is injured and they needed a replacement. I mentioned your name to Ryan, yes. However, he chose you on his own accord. You should have been on the list, I just expedited the process.”

“
Damnit, Jude!”

“You sound even sexier when you’re angry. Maybe I should piss you off more…”

“I hate you. This isn’t a game!”

A sexy chuckle spills through the phone.

“Don’t forget to pack a few bikinis, Charley. The weather is warm in Hawaii and we’ll be staying in a hotel on the water.”

With that, the line goes dead and I
hurl my phone against the pillows on my bed. That bastard. This is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be in a relationship. The last thing I need to be worrying about is whether or not people in the industry assume I’m sleeping around to get jobs.

…

As the week drags slowly on, it begins to sink in just how much my life will change after this shoot. This magazine hits every newsstand across the nation and there’s not a heterosexual male who doesn’t own a copy the day it goes on sale. Am I ready for this? What if the world finds out who I truly am? Will my alias hold up? It’s too late to change my mind. I’ll just have to hope for the best and be ready for the consequences. I’ve gone into hiding once, and I can do it again.

Janet told me that all of the models and crew are meeting in New York and a private jet will be taking all of us to Hawaii. It’s easier to coordinate if Ryan knows that everyone is safe and sound. The last thing he needs is a delayed flight and a missing model. I haven’t been on a private jet in years, since before
my father’s charges were announced, but I’m excited to experience it again. As long as I can avoid Jude and whichever model he decides to replace me with. He said he didn’t date models, but we
quasi-dated
so that can’t be true. God, it kills me to think of him with another girl, but I keep reminding myself that that’s insane. We’ve known each other for one week. That’s not enough time to hand someone your heart. No, I’ve only handed him a few pieces. Pieces I wish I could take back and protect under lock and key again.

Throughout the week, most of my free hours have been spent preparing for
the trip. I’ve nabbed a few sundresses and light scarves, a new pair of flat, strappy sandals for walking on the beach, and some travel-sized bathroom essentials.

By Thursday night I feel confident with my packing progress, so I decide to meet Naomi and Bennett for an early dinner. I have to be at the airport at six in the morning because the flight is scheduled for an ungodly eleven hours, but fortunately we don’t start shooting until Saturday. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up on some sleep during the flight.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, the scent from the oven-baking pizza stirs memories of forgotten hunger. Pizza was my favorite food growing up and sometimes the aroma carries me back to simpler times. Today, I’m hoping that will be the case. I’ve been running even more this week, and if anything, I should
gain
a pound or two before the shoot. My jeans feel less snug than they usually do.

I’m sure people assume I’m thin from the pressure
s of the modeling world, but my problem stems from my lack of appetite and general over-thought. Like today for instance, I was too busy running errands and packing. The only thing I’ve had to eat was a protein bar this morning. It’s hard to remember to eat when you’re never hungry.

Oh well, Naomi chose my favorite food for a reason. She knows I’m nervous about the shoot and
am in desperate need of a proper meal. When I scan the restaurant, relief washes over me as I spot her and Bennett sitting in a booth along the side wall. I didn’t think they’d lie to me, but a part of me figured Jude might have tagged along without me knowing. I’ll see him bright and early tomorrow morning, but I need another few hours to build my strength before I have to look into those gorgeous blue eyes again.

“Hey guys.” I smile and slide into the bench across from them. The two little lovebirds are squeezed together on one side of the booth. Their hands rest between them on the table, locked in a sweet display of affection. Should I be looking for a bridesmaid
’s dress soon?

“There she is!” Naomi sings, pulling my attention away from their entwined hands.

Bennett casts me a wide smile. “Will we even get to hangout with you when you’re rich and famous?”