His hands cupped her face as he leaned down until his mouth was just a breath away from hers. “Join the club, bella.”
His lips met hers in an unhurried tenderness, one that belied the fierce grip he locked around her hair. She adjusted her legs beneath her so she wouldn’t lose her balance. His tongue stroked hers, his taste and scent filling her senses and lulling her down from fear to something far more pleasant. Her fingers gripped his thighs, the durable fabric of his uniform pants making a scratching sound beneath her nails. She smiled against his mouth.
He pulled back, amusement replacing some of the sadness that had been there when he’d first walked in. “You little harlot. The uniform’s doing it for you, isn’t it?”
Her grin turned sheepish. “Only because you’re underneath it. But I did have the urge to break the law as soon as I saw you standing there.”
He spread his legs, bringing the erection pressing against the front of his pants into view, and gave her a look that had her toes curling. “I don’t know if you want to test me tonight, bella. After the day I’ve had, I’ve got a lot of frustration to work out. You might get more discipline than you bargained for. Especially after calling me ‘just a friend.’”
She bit her lip, the thrill of the game usurping the lingering nerves about Andre’s admission of having feelings for her. “I’ll take whatever you think is fair, sir.”
He cocked his head toward the front of the gallery. “Those blinds leave quite a gap on each side. You have some place more private? Or do you want anyone passing by on the street to know how much you like to get your ass whipped by your friend?”
Her lips parted, the combination of his authoritative demeanor and his uniform making heat surge between her legs. “I, uh, still have a bed set up in the back for the photo shoot I just finished.”
He gave her an arch look. “A bed for a photo shoot? You taking naughty pictures, Ms. Kennedy?”
“I’d like to take some of you.”
He stood, pulling her to her feet with him. “Only if you’re in them with me.”
Andre stretched out on the air mattress Evan had set up for the earlier photo shoot and kept his gaze glued to her every move. He’d taken off his gun belt and radio, but otherwise had kept his uniform on. No doubt for her benefit. She hadn’t thought he was serious about the photos, but when they’d stepped into the room, he’d given her explicit instructions.
She snapped a test shot, the flash filling the room. She hadn’t turned on any of the main lights, only one small one. But even with the subtle lighting, Andre looked downright edible in her preview screen. “I should just stay behind the camera. You’re an inspiring subject.”r: Roni Loren
She wanted to lose herself.
But that’s exactly why she couldn’t. There was no way she would give someone else that power again—the ability to define if her life was happy or sad. She was in charge of her happiness now, and she would be in charge of it when she got on a plane to California in a few weeks. She’d prove to herself she could survive all on her own when she walked away from Jace this time. Pass the ultimate test and stop worrying that one emotional slip-up would send her spiraling back into dangerous depression. Maybe then she could go forward and live her life without the white knuckles.
Evan turned off the last of the lights in the studio, too tired to pack up the bedding and equipment. She’d take care of it tomorrow. She headed back toward her office in the front. Finn, who’d parked himself in her chair, looked up and smiled. “I’ve got all the shots loaded onto the computer.”
She sat on the corner of the desk. “And?”
“They’re almost sexy enough to make me think straight thoughts. We did good.” He clicked a few buttons to send the pictures to a flash drive. “They’ll still need some touch-up, but if that stick-in-the-mud boyfriend of hers doesn’t jump her bones after this, then he’s just after her for her free cupcakes.”
“Or maybe he plays for your team,” Evan teased.
Finn’s expression turned sardonic. “If that were the case, he would’ve checked out my ass when he stopped in here last week, not yours.”
Evan cringed and instinctively glanced at the door Callie had gone through to go out on her date. “Did he really?”
“No doubt. Ogled actually.” He rose from the chair and stretched. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. Men are pigs, and that skirt you were wearing that day was kind of daring a guy to look.”
She scoffed, affronted. “I had just changed. I was on my way out to go . . . dancing.”
Well, not really dancing, per se. Not vertically at least. Jace and Andre had sent over a box with a brand-new outfit and a note to leave the panties at home. The V-neck blouse, snug little leather skirt, and matching boots had definitely been a step out of her comfort zone. But driving over to their place, knowing she was bare beneath, had gotten her heart racing and her thighs damp by the time she’d stepped out of her car. The three of them had barely made it out of the foyer before the guys had bent her over the back of the couch, skirt shoved around her hips.
A little flutter of heat tickled her sex at the memory. Finn’s eyebrows disappeared beneath his shaggy bangs. “Must’ve been some night out. You’ve gone all blushy.”
She automatically lifted her hands to her cheeks, feeling the burn beneath her fingertips. “What? No. I—I’m a little embarrassed that Brandon checked me out. Cal’s really gone on him. I want it to work out for her.”
“I think it’s fine. He’s a little stiff, but it seems like the guy is treating her well.” Finn lifted the flash drive. “Mind if I work on some of these at home? If you don’t like my edits, the originals are still on your hard drive.”
“Sure. Just make sure to guard the files. The pictures are private. No working on it with your classmates or anything.”
He grinned and tucked the drive into his pocket. “No worries. I’ll guard them with my life.”
A sharp rapping on the main door made them both jump. Evan looked toward the front, but she’d closed the blinds on the front door when Callie had left and couldn’t see who was on the other side. Weird. No one would be looking for a photographer at eight at night. It was probably the homeless guy on the corner wanting a bathroom. Or maybe Cal had forgotten something. “Let me go see what that’s about.”