Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
“And now?” she asks quietly. But then she shakes her head, firmly stating, “It’s not my business. Don’t answer that.”
“Now, I find I’m utterly captivated . . . by you.”
I grab a random shirt and walk away, letting her have a moment to think. On the set, I tell Malia, “Let’s do some shots with the chair.”
I’m not even dressed. I’m wearing boxer briefs, an unbuttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a watch. I sit down in the low-slung leather chair, and Melia hands me a cut crystal glass with amber liquid in it. “You don’t need to drink it. Just pose with it.”
“I know.”
I look deep into the camera’s lens, imagining it’s a lover I want to seduce. Like Autumn.
I move my gaze to Autumn herself. I hear Melia’s camera clicking away, and I shift and move through poses, but my eyes never leave Autumn.
“Superbe!” Melia says excitedly. “Fini.”
“Thank you,” I tell her. While Melia and her assistant begin packing up, I go back to Autumn.
“What are you thinking?”
She faces me fully, bravely confessing, “I’ve been thinking about that kiss all weekend. I didn’t like those women all over you. But I’ve heard you can have any woman you want. Why would you be interested in me? Especially when I’m only here for the competition. It doesn’t make any sense.”
I take her hand in mine, brushing a gentle kiss to her knuckle. “Go out with me.” I see excitement and refusal warring in her eyes. “We can look over the photos from today’s shoot. And I can dispel the false impressions you have about me.”
She’s thinking again, her mind visibly processing behind her eyes. The most important thing I’ve heard from her is that the kiss we shared did something to her too. I’m not sure what I’m feeling, but we’re both feeling it.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at eight,” I tell her. “Okay?”
I want her to say yes. I need her to. She’s using the competition as a barrier between us, and I won’t do anything to affect her work, knowing how important it is to her. But all work and no play leads to burnout, and Autumn is far too special for that.
I wait impatiently, and finally, she puts me out of my misery. “Okay.”
CHAPTER 10
AUTUMN
“Mmm,” I moan sleepily, my hand pressed hard between my legs as I arch my back and imagine how incredible Simon looked and sounded yesterday, “Simon . . .”
A mixture of guilt and pleasure snakes up my spine as a groan escapes my softly parted lips.
I shouldn’t be doing this, but I need to release some of the sexual tension he’s stirred up inside me. With one kiss and some sweet words, I’m completely under his spell.
It’s only a few days in, and here I am fantasizing about Simon when I’m supposed to be focusing on winning. Get yourself together, girl!
But the image of Simon looking powerful in his underwear and the sound of his sexy French accent in my ear is too much to bear, and I feel the fire building in my core as I rub myself with soft circular motions. I’m almost there, and I bite my lip as one tiny last reminder to myself to be quiet because I’ve already learned how thin these old walls are from hearing the neighbors arguing. “Mmm, uhm . . .”
I’m just a heartbeat away when my phone buzzes beside me. I let out a startled shriek, which probably sounds entirely too sexual, and in trying to grab my phone, I somehow miss and roll out of the bed and onto the floor with a solid thump!
Shit. The neighbors are going to think I’m doing some freaky shit over here. They probably think I came so hard I passed out. Is that even possible?
I bet Simon could make me come that hard.
I shake my head, rattling sensical thoughts to the forefront and shuttering my horny thoughts into a corner. Looking at the screen of my phone, I see that it’s Nora buzzing in with a FaceTime and I’m struck by a sense of panic.
Oh my God, it’s like she knows, from way across the Atlantic Ocean, that I’m blowing it by turning into a horndog.
“Shit!” I hiss, grabbing my robe and throwing it on. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t texted her since arriving, and I know she’s excited for me. Hell, she’s the reason I’m here, and then I’m just ignoring her like a bad Tinder date.
“Nora!” I answer, my voice too high-pitched and tight to be natural. On my screen, I notice my hair, which is fluffed up like red cotton candy. Making a useless attempt to smooth it down, I chirp, “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Hey, baby girl! How are—” Nora freezes, eyes scanning. “Uh, am I interrupting something?”