Adam laughed. It was a throaty, knowing chuckle. ‘I’m not sure what you have against the poor woman. You make out as if she’s Keith Richards or something. She doesn’t seem that bad at all. In fact, Marcus seems to really like her.’
‘She likes Marcus’s position in your company. She’s a fortune-hunter, plain and simple. She likes the drinks invitations to your house, the little weekends in St Moritz courtesy of Marcus’s bank balance. He should be careful.’
‘Marcus can look after himself. Anyway. Is she hot?’
‘Who?’
‘Molly’s daughter.’
Karin turned and frowned. ‘What? Hot like Molly?’
‘I didn’t mean it like that.’
‘Well, you can see for yourself,’ said Karin moodily as they rounded the corner and the white strip of beach, fringed with palm trees and a sweep of emerald ocean, came into view.
Summer was back in the surf by the time they had reached the beach and walked over to where Dan was peering into his camera.
‘Look at me like you wanna have sex with me, Summer,’ shouted Dan, his tousled head bobbing up to watch her.
‘Dream on, Dan,’ laughed his assistant Mike, adjusting the silver bounce board at right angles to Summer.
Summer stretched out on the beach, where the waves were breaking on the shore, letting white surf swirl under her and tickle her stomach.
‘Is this okay?’
‘Gorgeous,’ shouted Dan.
Summer looked up. She could see Karin and Adam walking towards the shoot from the hotel. Adam looked directly at her and smiled as Summer suddenly felt very exposed and naked. Shit, he was good-looking, she thought, fiddling with her bandeau top to pull it up a little higher. She felt self-conscious enough on shoots as it was – she had never learned to fully relax in five years of modelling, but it was easier when she wasn’t surrounded by good-looking men.
‘Dan, I told you not to start without me,’ snapped Karin, fanning herself with a magazine.
‘There’s only another hour of good light.’ Dan was peering into his camera, not bothering to look up.
‘Why is she wearing that thong with a bandeau?’ Karin asked, looking around for Tessa. ‘They’re not a set.’
Tessa came running clumsily over the sand with an armful of swimsuits. ‘Do you want to change it?’
‘Of course I want to change it. Get the chocolate-brown tankini.’
‘It looks good to me,’ smiled Adam, who had his arms folded and was watching the action intently.
Karin looked at Summer lying in the sand like a wanton sea siren. In the tiny white thong, her buttoc
ks rose out of the sand like two perfectly ripe peaches. She had to admit she looked sensational.
A big wave swooshed onto the shore and Karin heard a ping.
‘Argh!’ screamed Summer, as her bandeau top popped off and was swept away along the beach.
Tessa scampered after it as Summer lay rigid on the sand to stop her breasts being exposed to everyone.
Dan Stevens kept peering intently into his camera. ‘Summer, honey. Can you just relax your expression and let’s keep shooting?’
‘But my top!’ she said with a half laugh.
Karin saw immediately what Dan was thinking. ‘Yes. Just trust him.’ The image in front of them, Summer, almost naked and glorious, was more potent.
Her mind whirled into action. She could see the billboard in her mind, crystal clear. A potent image, a provocative shout-line. This campaign was going to be sensational. It was going to cause a stir. It was going to make Summer a star, she thought with a grimace.