Behind His Lens (22 page)

“Pfft, no,” Bella
snorts, and shakes her head dramatically. “Veronica is probably the craziest girl I know. But she’s hilarious. You’d like her.”

I smile, feeling the tinge of jealously
wane slightly as I steal a piece of mango from Bella’s plate and pop the morsel of sweetness into my mouth without smudging my lipstick. “Sounds like my best friend back home.”

Bella sets her finished plate of fruit back on the table in front of us and nods.
“Maybe you’ll get to meet her later? I think the models might go out after the shoot wraps for the day.”

Jude’s sexy promises from the night before spring to mind and I don’t even have to think about which I’d rather do. “Oh, yeah we’ll see. I have no clue how tired I’ll be after this.”

Bella smiles, not pushing the subject. “No problem. I’ll just keep you posted.”

Ryan’s voice suddenly booms across the beach, catching our attention. “Alright, Veronica. You’re done! Good job.” He claps encouragingly and the model, Veronica, beams and practically follows after him like a puppy. Ryan
doesn’t notice though, he’s already turning toward his assistant, staying focused on the photo shoot. I choose to follow Ryan’s movements for the time being, not yet prepared to stare into the pair of sharp blue eyes just behind him.

“Do we have our next model?”
Ryan asks, glancing down at his clipboard while his papers flap wildly in the ocean breeze. He has to keep clapping his hand on top of the errant sheets of paper, and I can’t help a private smile from creeping across my lips.

“Charley?” his assistant asks, waving me over
, and I look up and nod with a gentle smile, realizing it’s my time to shine whether I feel like it or not.

“Alright
, Bella.” I start to step forward, away from the security of the craft service table. “I’ll try and catch up with you after. You’re not going to stay, right?” I ask, starting to untie the robe. “You should go enjoy your afternoon.”

She smirks, glancing over my shoulder for a
moment, no doubt locking onto the sexiest man on the beach. “I think I’ll stay just long enough to see Jude’s reaction to that suit.”

I roll my eyes
and then narrow them playfully toward her. “Oh God, thanks for the pep talk.”

“Good luck!” she calls as I laugh and shake my head, walking toward Ryan and Jude. Now that she’s drawn my attention back to my suit, I decide to leave the robe on for the time being. They’ll want to talk to me for a few seconds b
efore we start shooting anyway. I don’t feel like having that conversation in my tiny bikini.

              As my toes dip into the warm sand, my gaze finally meets Jude’s and he smiles wide, stealing my full attention like a camera flash. I’m left blinking toward his brightness before regaining my composure. I offer him a timid smile, taking in the sight of him in a thin vintage cotton shirt and long khaki pants that are rolled up at the bottom, out of the sand. The clothes aren’t overtly sexy, but he fills them out so well with his dangerous muscles and trim lines. I can tell he’s already acquired a nice tan from standing out in the tropical sun. His blue eyes seem even more striking in contrast to his newly warm complexion, and I can’t seem to avert my eyes even as Ryan begins to give instructions about the shoots.

I nod.
Yes, yes, blah, blah, blah… Jude is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Alright
, Charley,” Ryan says, clearing his throat pointedly, and I make an effort to appear as though I’m listening. “I’m not sure how much you saw of Veronica’s shots but yours will be completely different. You’re on the cover. We need a photo that’s going to draw attention and sell magazines. Obviously we won’t display any nudity, but we need these shots to ooze sex appeal…” he pauses, scanning down my legs with such studied intent that I follow his gaze to confirm that my legs are indeed not glowing bright neon or on fire. I fidget awkwardly as he continues. “Although, I don’t think you’ll have any problem with that.”

Is he flirting with me or is that just the way he usually preps models? His
assistant’s baffled stare and Jude’s dominant pose point to the first option, but I can’t focus on that right now. He just wants me to feel confident and sexy, that’s all.

“Sounds good,” I nod, trying t
o relax and get into character even though I know Jude is moments away from forcing Ryan’s gaze away from my legs
manually.

His assistant steps forward then and reaches her
diminutive hand out. “Let me take your robe for you, Charley,” she offers with a polite smile. She’s so small, maybe five feet on the dot, and I focus on her as I follow her instructions, feeling the hot sun beat down on my newly exposed skin.

The gold necklace slinks
across my flesh as I hand over the robe and turn toward Jude. I can’t blame Bella for staying to watch; he’s practically smoldering, and his entire demeanor changes as he glances over my skimpy bathing suit. The Brazilian bottom is composed of a triangle piece that covers the most important real estate and then two thin strings that tie on both sides. They sit right on my hip and I keep fingering the fabric to ensure that they’re tied securely.

The bandeau top is thin; a few measly inches covering my chest with a tight twist in the middle that pulls my boobs up and together. Jude’s eyes nearly sear my flesh as
they rake down my body and I instantly want to send a “thank you” card to the designer of this bathing suit. Maybe a fruit basket as well.

“Modest, right?” My lips curl
into a private smile as I watch him devour me. Anyone within a ten foot radius could see those blue eyes cloud over in lust. This is more skin than he’s ever seen. That, combined with the realization that he knows what my breasts look like beneath the swimsuit top, makes my cheeks flush and my eyes scan down toward the white sand.

“Very,” Jude mocks dryly
. My head snaps up just in time to see him start to turn and lead us over to the set.

The other photo shoot I did with him was closed, but since we’re outside, on-location, all of the crew is standing off to the side, either working with lighting and diffusers or running around looking for accessories and swimsuits. I can feel their eyes studying my movements, adding onto the growing mass of fans
and paparazzi staring from the other side of the barriers. I know they aren’t staring because I’m famous, they’re merely curious about what all the fuss is about. If I could, I would will them all away. As it is, I’ll need to block them out completely or I’ll freeze up for every shot.

“Let’s start with some pos
es in the sand,” Ryan instructs. “And then we’ll move into the water. I think that might be where we get the best shots.”

I nod, turning toward the camera and taking a deep breath. I
shift around in the sand, getting a feel for the way the bikini highlights certain parts of my figure. I lengthen my neck and then my side and before I know it, Jude's clicking away and the shoot is in full swing. The island breeze blows back my soft curls and the sand feels warm and inviting beneath my feet, but I can’t seem to get the crowds out of my head. I’m posing for the camera, but my body feels stiff. Even though I try to keep my gaze over the ocean, I can’t seem to move past everyone’s judgments. Are they wondering why I was picked over everyone else to be on the cover while I’m standing here like a limp noodle?

“More, Charley! Those arms look dead,” Ryan instructs, trying to liven me up. His critiques don’t help thou
gh, they make me even more self-conscious and I have to fight the urge to clam up further. Relax and move.

Another few shots pass and I know I still haven’t given them anything that’ll sell magazines.

“No, too robotic. Loosen up,” Ryan huffs, clearly annoyed.

I smile tightly and shake out my limbs, trying to free my mind, but Ryan’s commands don’t feel right. They make me tense up even more. I roll my neck over
my shoulders and take another deep breath, willing the island scenery to calm my nerves. But the bright flowers, palm trees, and vibrant water aren’t enough to distract me.

“Hey, Charley
, look at me.” Jude’s dark voice croons over the waves, and I comply immediately, sweeping my gaze up to him. Looking at him then was like watching my desire unfold. He’s dropped the camera away from his eyes and he’s wearing one of his dimpled smiles across his handsome features. The moment I focus solely on him, my pulse picks up and I start to lose myself in his magnetism. He’s all that matters.

“You look beautiful. Look at the camera and move for
me
.” His eyes implore me to follow his commands, and suddenly, the rest of the crew fades away and it’s just him and me. He steps forward, strengthening our connection, until my body softens beneath his gaze.

My limbs start to move as if he has them wrapped around his finger
like a puppeteer. The weight of his intoxicating masculinity melts away my fear as I press my arms together down my side. I know the pose will push my breasts together in an alluring gesture for the camera. Then, I slowly slide my hands down my thighs, staring right at Jude as my fingertips graze the skin below my bikini bottom. He nods and I can just barely make out his devilish grin beneath the camera lens. I keep moving, experimenting with different poses, arching my back, stretching my arms above my head, and angling toward the camera. I rise up onto the balls of my feet so that my legs stretch out gracefully. My back arches sharply and my butt sticks out as I drag my hands through my hair.

“Much better, Charley!” Ryan yells, but his
shallow voice sounds like it’s coming through a tunnel. I’m moving for Jude, no one else.

The tropical sun
pours over us and a bead of sweat runs down my neck, along the valley of my breasts. Jude pauses, pulls the camera away, and eyes me dangerously. It’s the kind of look he’d have before flooring a car down a long dirt road: impulsive and alive.

“Let’s move to the water,” Jude commands. My cheeks flush under his gaze
, and I wonder what he thinks of the photos so far.

As we step closer to the
slow-rolling shore, I shake out my hair and let it fall alluring around my face.

“Stay facing me,” Jude directs, “and walk slowly back into the water, like you’re inviting me in with you.” I keep my gaze on Jude and do as he says, letting the tropical waters lap up around my feet. With a seductive little wag, I draw him and the camera toward me and he keeps clicking away, stepping closer and closer. Once my ankles hit the water, I drop down onto my knees and part my thighs alluringly, trying to show off the bikini bottom. I’m hardly an inch or two into the water, but it feel
s so refreshing against my skin. I sigh happily and dig my toes into the sand.

“Good, Angel,” he whispers so that only I can hear.

I love moving for him, and I blossom under his positive appraisal, wanting to please him even more. I want him to remember this image when he’s alone tonight.

Playing off his confidence in me, I twine one hand through my ha
ir and pull my head back gently while my other hand finds the strings on my bikini bottom. I tug down so that the bottom exposes another inch of my lower hip. The action should look sexy on camera, like I’m right in the moment of seduction— pulling the tiny string on my bikini and revealing everything. For Jude. He licks his bottom lip and I smile seductively into the lens before pulling another inch down.

“Charley,” he warns quietly, but his husky voice turns me on even more.

“Good!” Ryan yells from a few feet away, oblivious to Jude’s behavior.

But I don’t need Ryan’s encouragement anymore. I’m a woman trying to seduce a man and my body knows what to do. I lean back, letting the salty water drench my hair and bathing suit so that the material clings to my skin even more.

“Stay down like that, Charley,” Jude orders, stepping over my ankles and coming to stand above me. His foot hits my leg beneath the water and the touch electrifies my skin. I follow his instructions, letting my legs fall open a few inches so that he can see the thin material between my legs. I reach back and prop my hands into the sand, supporting my upper body. My back twists and I arch up until I see the muscles tighten in his jaw. I love affecting him like this, especially after how he left things last night. I’m exacting my revenge and driving us both insane. My eyes narrow seductively and my lips part, pleading with Jude to push me back into the sand and take me right here.

“Damn, Charley,” Ryan huffs.

I want to push the limits; I want to see how far Jude will let me go. It feels like a high-stakes poker game. Who’s going to fold first? With one hand still stuck in the sand, I reach up with the other and tug down the middle of my bandeau top ever so gently. I wouldn’t have revealed anything, just another millimeter of my skin, but Jude doesn’t let me.

“Enough,” he snaps, dropping the camera away from his face and
revealing his losing hand.

“What! Are you insane?” Ryan huffs with wide eyes.

I drop down into the sand and sit frozen, volleying my eyes between the two men.

“We’ve got everything,” Jude responds sharply.

Ryan’s arm shoots out to gesture toward me. “She was completely working the camera!” he protests. Jude doesn’t look at him; he’s staring down at me with fire behind his blue eyes. He’s pissed and he’s not even trying to hide it from me.