Chapter 2

After hanging up with Dave, I lay there for the longest time. The only sounds in the hotel room were my slowing breaths as a finger traced the business card’s gold embossed lettering. At last, with a loud, long exhale, I rolled onto my side and lifted the phone. A short text later, and I was on my spine, staring at the dark ceiling. Not expecting an instantaneous response, the sudden dinging startled me.

I have attached the contract. We can discuss when you arrive.

What should I wear?

For now, whatever you’re most comfortable in. You’ve seen the website.

For now?

As my gaze swept the glowing screen, I couldn’t help thinking that he was betting on a long shot. With a sigh, I sat upright and retrieved my laptop to review the document. What made him think anyone would be so interested in my pictures that it’d be worth my return?

The contract was straightforward. While any photos or videos were owned by him, I approved all uses. A few sections had me raising my eyebrows, and I came away with a better estimation of what lay behind that pay wall.

Despite being keyed up about the next day, exhaustion won over and I finally dozed off to Derrin’s laughing eyes and broad smile. Funny, he hadn’t laughed at me. Then again, my cami and panties were still folded on the bathroom counter. Hadn’t slept naked in a while. A long while.

In the morning, after a curt text to Allen, lying about an early departure, I scoured the clothing in my suitcase. Was there anything close to what I’d seen the models wearing in the photos? Those that had worn anything.

Oh, I wonder?

With a growing grin, I unzipped one of the inner pockets. There it was. What little there was of it. My stomach fluttered as I shook out thin black strings and tiny triangles.

Am I really going to wear this for Derrin?

Well, when I revealed myself, I’d know right away if he was serious about wanting to work with me.

The swimsuit was beyond small. A gift from my dear, horny husband on our tenth anniversary. Never worn because one of the boys had fallen sick before we could leave for the resort. Then, several trips ago, it had ended up in the suitcase pocket when he’d planned to accompany me. Except he hadn’t. They needed him at the plant. Blah, blah, blah. So, the sexy suit had drifted from my memory. As my stomach fluttered, I held the minuscule triangles before my naked frame and sucked on my lips.

I’d have to shave.

“A lot,” I mumbled, then eased my hips around. “Okay, everything.”

Later, as I paced the suite, the rubbing of my near naked body beneath the thin hotel robe was driving me mad. Plus, the anticipation. Busy as he was, Derrin couldn’t give me a specific time. The rest of the morning dragged. When it buzzed, I nearly dropped the phone in my haste.

Room 834. Now.

My legs were already moving as my glossy nails pecked on the screen that I was on my way. After a last glance in the mirror to ensure my wavy auburn hair still behaved, I stepped into the hallway. As I waited for the elevator and did one more “last glance” in the nearby mirror, my knees trembled. Too much mascara? Blood-red lipstick too shiny for pictures? Was it too red? Plus, God, the freshly shaven skin was sliding against the silken bikini every time I moved.

When the elevator doors creaked open, it was empty, and I once more inspected my reflection. Last chance to chicken out. Dave would understand; especially once I showed him the website. The same Dave who’d bought me the itty-bitty swimsuit and said we needed the money. And we definitely needed the money.

Plus, Derrin was up there expecting me. He had such pretty eyes.

While biting on the lower corner of my lip, I walked inside and tapped “8.”

Once on the eighth floor, I walked along the plush hallway. A door opened ahead of me. Still strapping on a glossy black pump, a young brunette stepped out. While making her way towards me, she swept battered hair from her face and flashed me a tight grin. When passing me, more details clarified. The prominent red stripes around her throat, flushed high-boned cheeks, and her skin glistened.

Unsurprisingly, the room she’d left was 834. After a peek at the swaying woman, reapplying lipstick as she waited for the elevator, I paused before the entrance.

“Okay, really, Laura.” My waxy lips pursed. “Last chance.” With a lengthy exhale, releasing every molecule of air from my body, I knocked.

Right as the elevator dinged down the hall, the door swung open. Derrin stood before me. The most amazing grin spread across his face. In only loose black silk trousers, a well-defined torso was left bare. As my chest fluttered, he gestured me inside. Even as that stunning smile broadened, the scent of sex assailed my nose. Behind the swarthy hunk was an unkempt bed.

After entering further, I noted a young basalt god. In only shorts, his dark, muscular form overflowed a chair, tapping on a phone. At the clacking of my heels, a chiseled, rugged face looked up. But after a brilliant grin that had my pulse pounding louder, his attention returned to the device.

Beyond the seated figure, a diminutive Asian girl attended several tripod-mounted cameras. Both lithe and stunningly beautiful, she had the shiniest long, straight black hair. While gesturing me towards a table, Derrin ignored the man and nodded at the woman.

“That’s Mia, my girlfriend.”

Well, of course he’d have a girlfriend. And a drop-dead gorgeous one at that. All for the better, as I’d no desire to do anything but get the pictures taken. Really. Though he still had the prettiest eyes. They gleamed at me as he opened a folder on the table.

“Here. We’ve got time before the next appointment. Did you have any questions or concerns?”

“Concerns?” A nervous laugh escaped my lips. “Yeah, a million of them.”

The sudden bright flash of his white teeth and the way the corners of his eyes crinkled made me stagger. With a quick sigh, I looked at the notes jotted on my phone.

“Rochelle?” I murmured.

“Well, you don’t want to use your real name, right, Laura?”

Although I hadn’t really thought to use any name at all, his glance at the seated man gave me pause. After a swift lick of my lips, I nodded.

“Um, interactive?” I pointed to a sentence in the document.

“Oh, sorry.” He cleared his throat and glanced at my wedding ring. “You, uh ... That wasn’t supposed to go to you, since you’re married.”

Despite my chest tightening, my brows narrowed. “It pays a lot more money.”

“Yes, but that’s, um, beyond modeling.” His perfect lips smacked. “And you didn’t even seem too keen on that.”

Those stunning pools reflected the slanting sunbeams and flashed gold at me as I considered his answer. Okay, so from the rates, it paid much more. But for what?

“Solo, really?” I slid my nail to a subsection.

“Uh, well”—while trying not to make it too obvious he was scanning my body under the short terry-cloth robe, he licked his lips. The studly man was actually nervous—”gorgeous woman like you playing with yourself is popular. Which translates to, as you noted, more money.” He glanced over at Mia, who nodded. “Anything else? We’re losing the light.”

Eyebrow raised, I looked around the room. Derrin pushed his chair back and stood. Mia was adjusting a large white reflector beside a camera outside.

“Thought we’d make these a little risqué.” He pointed beyond the swirling curtains beside open glass doors. “And do the shoot on the balcony. That way, if these are all you do, they will earn you the most.”

Heart racing, I scanned the other tall buildings in the distance and swallowed. Rather than await my response, he moved towards the tripod on the narrow patio. Nobody in those towers knew me. Worst case, they may spot the sexy model, Rochelle. At the sound of my heels as I stepped out onto the concrete, his eyes lifted from the viewfinder. After sliding from the robe, I tossed it to a chair.

It was his eyebrows’ turn to rise. A silent wolf whistle betrayed his approval of the tiny swimsuit straining to keep me covered. Despite the heat, I shivered. While I sucked on my lips, my shaky fingers slid through my hair. When he glanced at his girlfriend, I stole a glance at his swelling crotch.

Okay, maybe not so bad for a thirty plus woman.

A grin cracked my face when he swept his eyes over me once more. If it wasn’t obvious before, standing with my arms dangling at my sides, I’d never modeled. Least of all, wearing less than twelve square inches of thin, black Lycra. And that taut material had been rubbing against my freshly-shaved mound the entire morning. A tickle slid down my inner thigh to remind me.

“Okay, I’m set. You ready?” he asked.

After a nervous peek at the other man who paid us no attention while engrossed in his phone and Mia, moving equipment, I nodded.

“Alright then. Show me what you’ve got.”

What I possessed were the graceful moves of a drunken gazelle as I flailed around, trying to act sexy like the girls half my age on his website. At last, he popped his head up from the viewfinder and held up a hand. He’s gonna send me packing. My shoulders slumped. Instead, he smiled at me.

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Owning My Image

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