Chapter 5

If agreeing to the photo shoot sent my mind spinning, the next day was absolute hell. In the morning, although I hovered in the bathroom, there was no sign of Pete. Only a fleeting glimpse of his shadow behind the sheer curtains of a basement window when the lights flicked on. But it wasn’t enough and after a rapid press, or two, into my damp lace almost sent me into the counter, I stumbled away.

Once I’d climbed into a pin-striped charcoal pencil dress, I raised its front gold zipper. But only until it was just above scandalous, revealing hints of lilac lace over both heavy swells. After creeping past Bobby, I headed to work. I needn’t have bothered. Jake was out sick. Perhaps hung over, if his questionable tales of late-night partying and girlfriend-hunting were to be believed.

So, with nobody to keep me distracted, I tried my best to ignore Pete’s gleaming unblinking gray lasers and finish my latest project report. But, of course, that failed. By the time I stumbled into the house, my panties were sodden and I needed an icy bath. A long one that I wouldn’t get.

In other words, I was in no condition to pose on the back porch of the hunky, older man with soul-piercing eyes next door. The shiny graphite flints that had bored into me all day long. From every reflective surface.

“Hey, dear. Glad you made it.”

After jumping at his voice, I turned as Bobby popped in off the patio with a smile. He wore a bright orange surf shirt and blue-striped knee-length shorts.

“Pete’s all set up. He said to tell you, ‘Just waiting on the talent.’”

My heart hammered so hard Bobby’s eyebrow lifted at the motion of my chest. But after only a curt nod, I left him to clamber upstairs. After yanking the dress from my shaking frame, I stripped away and tossed the sopping panties into the hamper. Right as I was about to fling the sundress over me, I stopped. With cool air flowing from the vents, swirling around my body, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror.

While twisting, I held my arms at my sides. As if I were once again before Pete at the pool. After a gulp, I shook my head. Not the same, I’d be dressed. It’d be just fine. As long as Bobby didn’t strip me. At that, I swallowed a nervous chuckle. He wouldn’t dare. Would he?

“Only photos,” I murmured while searching for my sexiest white lace panties. “It’ll be fine.”

After very carefully placing them over my flushed petals, I dropped the sundress over me. Dropping was a mistake. Whimpers fled my trembling lips as my tight nipples sent electric shocks through—everything as the material skidded over them.

“Fuck! Fuck. Fuck. Maybe not so fine,” I mumbled while clasping the bed rail to stop from swaying.

With shivers still racing along my spine, I stepped from the house in casual high-heeled sandals. As they crunched across the turf, the dress slithering over my chest sent electric fire flashing through my shattering nerves.

“Oh, please,” I whispered at the sight of Pete. He was shirtless again. “Jesus, fuck.”

As my whirling brain cataloged every single rippling muscle, I wasn’t sure why I was begging. To stay calm? To have him ravish me? To have Bobby serve me up on a platter once more? Despite the confused mélange tumbling inside me, each twist and bend as he adjusted a camera tripod and a pair of white reflectors fanned the fires building within me. Fantasy or not.

Pete’s head lifted. Those glinting lasers found me.

Those eyes. All damned week.

Ever deeper, they pierced, plunging deep. So very deep.

“Fuck me,” I mumbled.

Not as in please do that, although ... I flicked my gaze to Bobby next to him and flashed a taut grin. No, I was stunned I’d agreed to be there. When my husband’s face split into a beaming smile, my knees wobbled. After scrabbling for its wooden railing, I managed to step onto the deck.

Pete’s deck.

With one excuse or another, we’d never accepted his invitations to visit when his wife was alive. And I’d never been that near his house.

His domain.

“Wow!” Pete said. So close, I swore I could feel his eyelashes move the air, Pete’s eyes swept over me—far too quickly—before shifting to my husband. “Damn Bobby. You are the luckiest man alive.”

With the remnants of office make-up on my face, I didn’t feel that attractive. But damned if his shimmering lasers and white-toothed smile didn’t put paid to my anxiety. Under that gaze, I was dripping like a melting—I don’t know, what melts into warm dribbling liquid?

Dribbling? Despite the new panties, they were already soaked. How’d that even happened? Pad next time. Next time? As my teeth sank into my lower lip, I swallowed. When his nostrils flared and grin widened, I struggled to breathe. He couldn’t know. Could he?

Shimmering. Those gray eyes. Just wow.

Time slowed. Everything but Pete wavered out of focus.

He knew.

As I chewed my lip, I ran my fingers through my swirling tresses. At least I’d dragged a brush through my hair before dashing from the kitchen.

“Thanks,” left my lips at last.

I’m pretty sure I spoke aloud, since Pete flashed me the faintest wink. He’d winked. As in the vision. Fuck! I know I didn’t say that aloud since neither man reacted. Well, not to my voice. With a gulp, I held myself taut. I was doing okay. Under control. Sure, a little shaken, but everything would be...

When Pete turned to adjust a reflector, my gaze locked on his shorts. Not normally skintight, the black cotton was taut. Jutting outwards and so tight, I swore I’d spotted his heartbeat in the bulge.

Wow! Even closer, its curved, tubular shape was—I gulped—impressive.

When Bobby caught me staring, heat flared up my cheeks. Although his lower lip trembled, he forced a nervous grin. His crotch also pressed outwards. No sooner had I returned my husband’s smile than Pete turned.

“You ready, pretty lady?”

That soul-stealing grin. Those shimmering, bottomless eyes.

As much as I tried to speak, I only nodded as he gestured me into position. When he bent, his face disappeared behind the camera. With the world fading into a hazy blur, my gaze flicked between his hulking, tanned shoulders, gleaming in the sunlight, and the solid-fronted shorts beyond the black metallic tripod legs.

Despite the sun’s heat on my skin, it was the ever-higher flares building in my core that sent another trickle, not of sweat, down my inner thigh. Along the loose skirt, my nails trembled. When I shifted from one sandal to the other, the click clacks of their sharp heels reverberated.

“You okay, Lisa?” Pete glanced over the camera, not at my face, but at my legs. “I’m just adjusting the aperture.”

Once again, I only nodded while Bobby watched. When Pete’s gaze found my eyes after a long meandering roam upwards, one of those gray orbs again winked. In sync with it, the world wobbled. Of course, he’d spotted the racing trickle.

And his camera’s wasn’t the only aperture adjusting.

At that point, I should’ve grabbed my husband and fled home, sending clods of turf from my flying heels. I should have. Would’ve been the correct thing to do. Any decent woman would have done that. But not the woman who’d streaked across her college campus after those hunks had won the championship. Not the woman who’d glided for a full day over and under who knows how many of them. Back then, that woman had discovered a lot about herself.

And thus, before her husband, that woman stood in utter silence. Even as two more trickles raced downwards. My eyes were drawn to Bobby’s face, tense yet also slack-jawed. A sigh pulled from me at the pulse in his round knob pressing towards the woman he loved. With every firm beat, I adored him more. With his green pools wide, scanning me, and lips curved, he appeared so happy. Also intense. If I’d shouted “boo,” he would’ve leaped ten feet in the air.

“Okay. Let’s get this show on the road. We’re burning daylight.”

Although his tone was even, at Pete’s abrupt voice, I jerked. After a swift gulp, I whipped to him right as he ducked behind the camera. A sudden breeze slid tresses along my bare back, tickling my skin as wetter, warmer tickles slithered down both quivering legs.

The show began.

“Alright. We’ll start slow.” Pete’s words were quiet, but direct. “Slide a hip out. A little more. Nice. Now tilt your head upwards. Turn. Just a bit. There. Right there. Perfect. Now, over your shoulder. Good. Just like that. Smile.”

With his eyebrows knitted, Pete popped up above the camera. But after a quick scan, he shot me a thumbs up and grinned. My eyes flicked from him to Bobby, whose knees shook as a hand slid closer to his crotch.

Then it was back to work.

“Alright, lift that hem. Playful. Give me that grin.” A brief hitch in his voice was followed by more commands. “Spin. Yeah, one more time. A little faster. Oh, sweet. Damn, that’s beautiful. Hold it a little higher.”

Higher? If the hem lifted any further, it would be at my waist. As Pete waited, my hands shook. Bobby swallowed. When I pulled it upwards, although it remained draped between my legs, I was baring a hip and buttock to the camera. As he continued gulping, Bobby’s eyes were saucers. When I shifted, his fingertips rubbed the outside of his trunks.

“Oh, yeah. Now that’s hot, Lisa. Damn.”

Without lifting from the camera, Pete shot me another thumbs up. Deep inside, tingles roamed my body as a gentle breeze engulfed my bare skin. I was hot. And that heat roared through me.

“Alright, pretty lady. Let’s get just a bit racier.” Although still covered by the camera, I could sense Pete’s eyes twinkling. “Hold it higher. Slide to the side. Oh, yeah. Nice. Just like that. Okay, a peek of lace.” He fell silent. Bobby’s low gasp resounded. The silence stretched as I held the skirt high enough to flash my panties. Another trickle wound its way downwards.

“A little more.” As if he’d not noticed, Pete’s voice continued from behind the camera. “Oh, that’s beautiful. Smile, baby. Smile at the camera. Yeah. That’s it. As if we just found your naughty little secret.”

As the camera continued to click nonstop, glittering trails raced down my legs. With my teeth buried in the corner of my lower lip, I grinned and flashed my eyelashes.

“Oh, my god. Yes! That face.” Pete’s voice became hoarse. Oh, he’d spotted the increased trickling. My naughty little secret was out. “A little more lace. Legs, wider. Smile. Wider smile. Oh, there’s that pretty secret.”

When I tore my gaze from the camera, I caught Bobby’s eyes still locked on the glistening lace taut to my pelvis. With a grin, I thrust one hip out. In response, his shorts surged, and he shot me an anxious grin.