Slow Release (Ebony and Ivory Book 1) (6 page)

Damon

“Are you nervous?” I asked as she entered the kitchen in a light yellow sundress that made her dark complexion even more beautiful.

“You are so beautiful,” it was out of my mouth before I even had time to process the thought. Sitting at the small dinette set in my industrial kitchen, I couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman as beautiful as the one now seated beside me. I noticed Ms. Stratton smiling as she poured coffee in the cup she set down in front of Skye.

“He’s right, you know. You have a very enchanting look, and your eyes are very striking. They seem to pull whoever is looking right into them.”

“It’s hard not to stare at her, isn’t it, Ms. Stratton?” Though my question was addressed to my maid, my eyes were locked on Skye.

“As I said, she’s captivating. With the two of you working together, I have a feeling success is imminent.”

“You two certainly have a way of making a girl feel confident,” Skye answered. “Now, it’s just a matter of portraying that feeling in the photo shoot today.”

I wiped my mouth and took a moment to neatly fold my linen napkin before I laid it on the table. “I’m going with you today.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“You have no idea, young lady.”

“I’m certain you have other things to do. Your other models might get jealous if you spend too much time concentrating on my career,” she teased as she spooned oatmeal into her mouth, never taking her eyes from mine.

My response came out much more harshly than I intended. “I don’t give a shit how they feel about it. I don’t work for them; they work for me.”

She never missed a beat, not looking at all put off by my gruff behavior. “As I said, you’re incorrigible.”

While my demeanor intimidated most women, this one responded with confident, sometimes snarky banter, and I liked it. She was comfortable in her own skin, and she was unwilling to let anyone push her into a state of demoralization. Though that wasn’t my intent, I’d been in the business long enough to know how ruthless models could be when it came to their competition. It would be interesting to see how she dealt with their petty insecurities. I was actually looking forward to being a spectator. She was right; I was incorrigible.

Skye

Every eye was on Damon and me when we entered the studio. Immediately, the photographer stopped what he was doing and made his way over to greet us. Before he could say anything, Damon leaned in and whispered something I couldn’t hear. The photographer nodded his head and went back to work without giving me a second glance.

“Back to work, ladies. There’s nothing to see here.” The model scrambled back to her place, as did the people I guessed were there for things like hair and make-up.

I could see a difference in Damon’s level of intensity here. He’d gone from being the talkative, carefree, and flirtatious man he was over breakfast and on the ride over, to a man who was very serious and business-oriented.

Damon led me back into a dressing room, and I was shocked when he opened a door that led to a much more luxurious and private room. Two women awaited me and immediately sat me down to begin the process of transforming me into a glamazon. I watched as Damon took a seat and started working on his phone, impervious to the chaos surrounding him.

Damon

I wasn’t in the habit of overseeing hair and make-up, but this woman induced feelings in me I have never felt before, and I found myself doing things I wouldn’t normally do because of it. I felt inordinately compelled to protect her, even from the little stresses, and I didn’t want her overwhelmed by all the backstage hoopla that goes on during a photo shoot. Though some models thrived on the chaotic energy, I didn’t want that for her, especially not in a room full of strangers on her first shoot.

I deliberately brought her back to my own dressing room for the privacy it afforded us. The front dressing area was luxurious in décor and consisted of a long make-up table that could easily accommodate twenty models. There was professional lighting throughout the room, and though most women didn’t use them, there were dressing rooms where they could have privacy to change. It had the look of any backstage, runway dressing room, but with my eye for detail, it was better. D’Angelo Industries was built to my exact specifications, and every tiny detail was well thought out and achieved, right down to the private dressing room suite we now occupied.

For all the obvious reasons, I didn’t date models. I always knew that if I ever had a woman I cared about who was in the industry, I would never be okay with her stripping off her clothes in front of anyone, even if it was just hair, make-up, and photography staff. I brought Skye back here for just that reason. Nobody was going to see that fine ass body of hers but me. The wardrobe woman’s voice cut through my thoughts as if reading my mind.

“Here, sweetie, strip down and put this on.”

My head jerked up like a madman, and my eyes locked with those of my employee. “Absolutely not!”

The poor woman looked as if I had smacked her in the face. “I’m so sorry, Mr. D’Angelo. I had no idea she was your girlfriend.” I didn’t even try to deny it as I stood to grab Skye’s arm and yanked the dress out of my employee’s hand. “That’s quite alright. Now you know, so don’t let it happen again.” I didn’t even wait to hear the woman’s response before I led Skye away in a fit of jealousy. What the fuck was wrong with me?

“What is wrong with you?” Skye questioned right after I pushed her into the dressing room. She pulled away from me and stood with her arms akimbo, eyeing me and demanding an answer.

I placed my hands on the wall, one on either side of her head to lock her in. When I was certain she wasn’t going anywhere, I removed one of my hands and ran my thumb over her full bottom lip. I looked deep into her eyes and gave her an honest answer. “I’m asking myself the same thing.” I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion and rid myself of the irrational jealousy I felt at the thought of someone else seeing her nude.

“Just get dressed, Skye.” I turned and left without giving her time to respond. I wasn’t in the mood for playful banter. I was, however, in the mood to set this shit straight with my employees. I found myself being glad the issue had been brought to light. God only knows how I would have reacted if I had ever entered a room and caught her undressing in front of other people.

I briskly walked into the dressing room and confronted the two ladies. “Granted, I should have explained myself better, but now you know. I’ll not have Skye parading around the dressing room in front of anyone nude, and that includes the other models.” When I finished my little speech, the mood was tense, but I didn’t care. I made my point, and the mistake wouldn’t be repeated.

I returned to the chair where I’d been sitting and went back to work on my phone. I was a bastard, and I knew it. What else was new?

I looked up just in time to see Skye coming out of the changing room, dressed in a multi-tiered, sheer, flowing dress. I felt like someone had gut punched me when she twirled in front of me and asked me what I thought. I damn sure knew what my cock thought when it jumped in my pants, and I had to cognizantly will it flaccid.

“Do you like it?” she asked, biting her lip.

I crooked my finger in her direction, prompting her to bend down so no one else could hear what I said. “If you keep biting that bottom lip of yours, I’m going to take you back into that changing room and show you just how good I think you look.” She quickly turned towards the ladies and directed her question at them in an effort to escape me. “What do I do now?”

“It’s time to get that beauty you possess on film. We want the world to see how gorgeous you are, Skye.”

The wardrobe lady smiled as she answered her. I had to admit that I respected the woman for not taking my outburst out on Skye or holding it against her.

I rose from the chair and escorted the ladies to the photographer.

He nodded his head enthusiastically when he saw Skye. “I have no doubt you’re going to sell magazines, young lady.”

I found a seat where I could watch and work at the same time. The moment the music started playing through the sound system, she came alive. It was as if she had been born for this moment. She added to the magic when she kicked out of her shoes and went into various poses like she’d been modeling for years. It didn’t matter whether it was a shot of her laughing as she twirled, holding the sides of her dress, or one of her sitting with her knees tucked into her chin, the camera loved her. I knew this to be true because I had a perfect view of the computer screen where, not too far away, the editor was busy working on the photos as they were taken. My system allowed the editor to see what the photographer was able to capture in real time, and the end result was nothing short of magical.

This girl was born to be a star, and I knew I would have to watch over her like the treasure she was. Skye was not only going to bring out the best and worst in me, but she’d unquestionably have a profound effect on any life she touched as well. She would definitely be coveted for her beauty, and that meant I would need to be extra vigilant. Undoubtedly, she is a prize my adversaries will vie to steal from me. Anyone worth their salt in the business knew star quality when they saw it, but they wouldn’t look out for her like I would. This revelation and observing what a natural she was only solidified my need to protect her. The camera certainly loved her—that was easy to see—and if I wasn’t careful, then before it was all over, I would too.