Curvy (3 page)

I
’m a busty girl
, always have been. So when they put me in the skimpy lace bra, I knew it wasn’t going to work. I put it on, and not thirty seconds later, one of the seams started to tear.

In my defense, the product should have been made a bit stronger, but the design is good. One of the wardrobe ladies backstage is literally sewing me into it this time. I’m standing in the middle of the room in a pair of sheer black panties as the lace bra is being fixed.

Looking up, I see a group of models enter the room, all dressed in lingerie as well. I’m sure some women would be embarrassed by being so much bigger than the other girls, but I got over that a long time ago. I love my body and all my curves. They may not look appealing to some people, but I think I’m beautiful. I just wish I could find underwear and clothes that reflect that without having to have them altered.

“God, did you see him flexing his fists? I bet he’s so aggressive in bed.”

“I think he’s probably playing for the other team. He didn’t even notice me.”

I look over to where two of the models have sat down at the vanity in front of me to touch up their hair and make-up.

“Who?” I ask, not caring if they know I was listening. I’m a friendly person in general, and if I’m on a shoot with other girls, I try to make conversation.

One of the girls looks at me from her mirror and talks while she curls her hair. “Flynn Long.”

“Oh, the marketing guy?”

She raises an eyebrow at me and turns around in her chair. “No, he owns the company. He owns half of the companies in LA, but I guess he’s getting into lingerie now, too.”

The other girl turns around to look at me and leans back in her chair. “He’s got a stick up his ass about something. He didn’t seem happy to be here.”

“Looks like I’m gonna have to shake him out of his bad mood with all of this,” I joke, shaking my booty a little. The girls laugh, but the woman sewing up my bra makes a grunting sound. “Sorry,” I apologize and try to stay still.

I make small talk with the girls. This is the part of modeling I enjoy most. I like wearing clothes and taking pictures, but if I’m honest, half the clothes I wear never fit right, and it’s always a lot of work to make them look good. I can never slide something on and pose like the thinner girls. And I’m really trying to enjoy modeling while I can because I don’t have much time left in it. This industry is ever-changing, and the closer I get to twenty-five, the fewer calls for jobs I get. I’ve got some money saved up, but it’s not enough to do what I really want to. Starting my own clothing line has been my dream ever since I was a young girl and couldn’t find the clothes I wanted in my size. But it’s an expensive dream, and unfortunately, the plus-size modeling world isn’t booming like I’d hoped. Maybe when I get back to Atlanta I can look for a job. I have a degree in fashion design. Maybe I can find someone to hire me.

“Okay, Cali. We’re ready for you.”

Lynn, my contact person for Curved Intimates, comes back and informs me. I check over my hair and make-up one last time, then walk out into the studio, ready to work.

The space is big, and the photo shoot is set up at the end of the room. An expansive, wrought-iron bed sits in the middle of the floor. The bed is piled with over-sized, fluffy, white pillows and a white down comforter. It looks cozy, and I’m sure the black lingerie will look sexy against the white backdrop.

“Hi, Cali. I’m Ryan, your photographer today.”

Ryan is a young guy with dark hair just past his ears and pretty blue eyes. I shake his hand, and I like him immediately. His smile is kind, and he makes me feel at ease as he explains what he envisions for today’s shoot. It also helps that his eyes don’t roam. Some male photographers can make you feel uncomfortable, but I don’t think this one is even playing for my team.

“So I’d like to see you on the bed, surrounded by the pillows and blankets. Maybe have you over the edge to get all the angles of the lingerie. I’ve been thinking we could even tie you to the bed for a portion of it, just to push the boundaries a bit.”

I hear an audible growl off to the side, but the lights are so bright that I can’t see beyond them. It’s nothing but black shadows behind the lights, so I ignore it and go back to listening to Ryan.

“The feel today is classic pinup, so the pictures will be softened a bit after they’re taken. I just want to add a little punch to the innocent poses by throwing in some BDSM. Do you think you’d be okay with that?”

The sound of something crashing against a wall has us both turning our heads. But when it’s followed by silence, I turn back to Ryan to see what he does.

He just takes a deep breath like he's annoyed but just shakes his head, turning back to me. “Okay. So let's get you on the bed.”

I go over and climb up, getting in the center. The bed is soft and so are the pillows piled around me, and it makes me smile.

“Perfect. I love the smile. Let me have you up on your knees in the middle. Legs spread and arms above your head.”

I hear another loud crash as I get into position, and I look to Ryan, wondering what the hell is going on. Maybe there’s another shoot next door or something and they’re being really loud. After a second, Lynn comes over and whispers something in Ryan’s ear. He says something back to her, and they exchange words for a few moments. Finally, after what looks like a heated discussion, he nods.

He walks over to the side of the bed as Lynn scurries away.

“Looks like we’re going to have a closed photo shoot, and we’re going to have to adjust some of the poses. If you don’t mind, one of the owners has decided to call the shots, but I want to make sure you’re comfortable with that first. I realize this is a bit unusual.”

The fact that he’s checking with me to make sure it’s okay makes me like Ryan even more. Normally the relationship between the model and the photographer is the thing that makes great pictures. Someone coming between us and dictating how everything goes down might not be something either of us wants. But Curved Intimates is paying me to be here, so it’s not really up to me who calls the shots. If I ever feel uncomfortable, I can walk, and knowing that makes me okay with letting someone else handle things.

“I’m willing to try it if you are,” I say, giving him the reins.

He winks at me and gives me a smile. “Let’s go for it.”

Ryan walks over to the side as a man approaches, and I feel a little weak in the knees. Good thing I’m sitting down. A dark-haired giant of a man comes forward, his eyes locked on mine. His hands are clenched in fists at his side, but he doesn’t look angry. No, this man looks hungry.

Suddenly I’m aware that I’m half-naked and on a bed.

I
t takes
everything in me not to storm the set and wrap a fucking blanket around her. She’d probably just think I’m crazy, which isn’t too far from the truth at the moment. She’s even more beautiful than her pictures showed. I didn’t know perfection like her was real. I’d told myself that maybe the pictures had been altered or something. That if I saw her, some of this devouring need for her would lessen. That I’d see it was all an illusion. I thought maybe I’d built it up to be more than it really was.

I was wrong. She’s even more beautiful. She’s perfect. I hate that so many people milled around the set just watching her. It was eating at me from the inside out, and every time the fucking photographer opened his mouth, things only got worse. The only reason I hadn’t ripped his head off already was because after I finally pulled my eyes off her, I looked to him, expecting to see the same need I was having for Cali, but there wasn’t lust there.

He was professional, and it cooled a little bit of the rage I felt at another man seeing her like this. It’s fucking crazy, because you only had to type her name into any search engine and anyone could see pictures of her.

But that was before she was mine.

Now, knowing she’s all over the internet doesn’t make the idea of new pictures sit so well with me. Then again, I don’t have to use these photos. These could be just for me. I would own the rights to them and could do with them whatever I liked. The idea of covering my bedroom walls with them flickers in my mind, and it’s just as fucking crazy as everything else I seem to be thinking. I can’t make myself shut the idea down. I have to get ahold of myself or she’s going to run from me.

Taking a deep breath, I start to get my grip on reality and try to pull myself back together. I’ve already punched a wall and knocked over a table that had food on it for everyone to eat. The pastries lay scattered all over the floor, and Lynn is staying all the way across the room from me. She’s probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I have a feeling she’s going to tattle on me to Sally and I’ll be getting an earful about this later. It’s worth it.

I motion for Lynn to come over, and she rushes towards me despite her hesitation moments ago. I can see the worry in her gaze.

“I’m not going to fire you,” I tell her, and she visibly relaxes. Shit, I’m an asshole. I’m going to have to give her a raise tomorrow for dealing with this photo shoot, because this won’t work unless we just use a cropped pic of Cali’s face.

“Close the set. There are too many people here.” I look around. It’s mainly just some of the other models, but a couple were eyeing me, and I don’t want them coming up to try to talk to me. I only want attention from one woman, and I don’t want someone else to fuck that up. I also don’t want to lose it if some random security guard or maintenance man walks through. That’d fuck up any chance I have with getting Cali.

I can’t see a woman agreeing to go on a date with a man after she sees him land a fist in another man’s face for looking at her. I want to play it safe. Maybe if she agrees to be mine, some of this jealousy will go away. If she knows I’m it for her like she’s it for me, maybe I’ll feel less tense.

“Of course.” She goes over to talk to the photographer, but I stop her.

“And I’ll be picking the poses and assisting her in getting into them if she needs the help,” I add. The idea of an innocent pinup with a touch of BDSM actually sounds good, but what doesn’t sound so good is someone else binding her. That shit will not be flying.

I’m not even sure I could tie her down right now. If I crawled onto the bed with her, it might be over before it begins. I’d be too close. I’d be able to smell her, to touch her skin. It looks like it’s soft as rose petals.

I take another breath as Lynn heads back over to the photographer. I try to shake the thoughts of rose-petal skin out of my head. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about what a woman’s skin feels like, and worse, I’m comparing it to flowers. Fuck.

I watch as they argue for a minute, then he steps closer to the bed to talk to Cali. I can’t hear what they’re saying, and I take a few steps closer, wanting to hear her voice for the first time. I see her nod as she smiles up at him.

The smile takes over her whole face, and it feels like someone just reached into my chest and squeezed my heart. I want that, to put that smile on her face. I want to see her do so many things because of me. I’ve never wanted something so much as I want this.

I take another few steps towards them, past the lights shining down on the bed. Her eyes come to mine, widening a little. I’m not a small guy, so I’m used to the reaction. I have to have all my suits custom made. I could never just walk into a store and buy something. I often feel like I stand out, especially in the boardroom.

I’m almost six foot six, and I’m built like a rugby player. Before I really made a name for myself and people didn’t recognize my face, I was often mistaken for security.

“Cali, I’d like you to meet Flynn Long. He’s going to be telling you how to pose.”

Her mouth forms a perfect little O shape, and that fist around my heart squeezes even tighter. I want her to like what she sees, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking. I just pray she’s okay with an aggressive man because I’m not sure I can give her anything else. Not with how I’m feeling about her.

I reach my hand out in introduction, stepping even closer to the bed. I make sure to keep my eyes locked on her face. With the light beaming down on her from the set, she looks like an angel.

Her hand comes out to grab mine, and a bolt of something shoots through my body. I hear her gasp, and I wonder if she felt it, too. I brush my finger across her wrist and feel her heartbeat pick up. She keeps staring up at me, her eyes still big and the perfect O shape still on her lips.

She’s definitely mine, and I’m never letting this angel go.