“Haha. Funny,” I grumbled.
She laughed. “I believe so.”
“Okay. Let’s take a moment.” I watched Ava look our way nervously before ducking her head and covering up her gorgeous body, and then Rene set the camera down.
“Is the outfit really necessary?” I growled when he reached us.
“You’re the one that picked it out,” he said with a cocky shrug.
I regretted the choice like a motherfucker. Although I didn’t pick the outfits directly—I just put in the request after I got the information and what I was looking for in regard to the product being sold. “Yes, but now that I’m seeing it, I wonder if it’s too much.”
“I think she looks fucking fantastic in it, and it’ll draw customers directly to the perfume,” Claude said.
“I highly doubt that’s what they’ll be drawn to,” I grumbled, staring at her as she covered herself with a nearly see-through robe.
“You know what?” He tapped his scruffy, good-looking chin. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked him to do this. What if theywere attracted to each other? She had blushed several times since she arrived. “I have an idea. Take off your suit jacket.”
One brow shot up. “Why?”
He huffed and checked his watch. “Time’s wasting. You want this campaign or not?”
“Of course I do.” I took it off and handed it over to Elizabeth. Her brows scrunched up in confusion, but knowing me, she didn’t ask questions and just went with the flow.
“Now, I want you to go over there, and you and Ava are going to shoot this together.”
“What the hell do you mean?” Did he mean he wanted me to be in the shot with my sudden and rapidly growing obsession with this young woman?
“You know exactly what I mean.” He leaned in and whispered, “Are you going to tell me that you haven’t been growling and losing your shit for the last hour? Like I haven’t seen you prowling like a tiger in a cage ready to pounce on me and tear me apart for taking these photos. Is she your girlfriend?”
“No. We just met.” I was mortified by my reaction, but not enough to stop my behavior.
“Then if I were you, I’d get in these photos and make a statement. I’m telling you, the tension between you two is palpable.”
I nodded stiffly. He was damn right. I had a statement to make and a point to prove. I’d seen perfume ads before and there were certainly plenty of couples in them. The sexual tension always sold the product. I practically growled at the idea of touching my sweet little thing in her sheer robe, waiting unknowingly, a pawn to my hunger.
“And roll up your sleeves.” I rolled my eyes, but I supposed he had a point. If I wanted to pull this off, I had to look relaxed. My clothes were already constricted right now, mostly my pants.
I approached her cautiously. “I’m James Keaton.”
“Hello, I’m Ava Kelly.” She stretched out her hand to mine, and I took it greedily. I squeezed it just enough to feel her pulse, but I refused to let it go right away.
“Rene would like me to join you in the shoot.”
She gasped, pressing her other hand to her chest, drawing my gaze there, but I quickly pulled my attention back to her lovely round eyes. Unsure if her gasp was a positive thing, I said, “It’s okay to say no. I know that’s not what you signed up for.”
She bit down on her bottom lip, tugging on it so gently that her perfect pearly white teeth made me want to tug it free so she didn’t hurt that plump, soft flesh. “Technically I didn’t know what I signed up for, but if it’s part of the job and it’s not inappropriate, I suppose it’s not a big deal.”
“Good. Just let me know at any time if you’re uncomfortable and if you want to stop. If my touch or anything bothers you, don’t be afraid to say so. I’m sure we have more than enough to deliver to the agency.” As we were speaking, I started rolling up my sleeves. Her eyes landed on my arms, lingering a little longer than what most would consider polite, but fuck it. I’d take all the damn attention she’d give me.
“Did you ask your girlfriend if it’s okay?” she choked out, letting out the lightest cough to clear her throat and giving me her pretty eyes again. “I don’t want her to get upset when she finds out.”
I cupped her chin and answered her question. “Sweetness, I’m as single as it gets. If you ask Elizabeth, all I do is work.”
She nodded and smiled softly with a pleased expression. “Great. I don’t need another girl wanting to fight me.” The thought of her fighting over another man set a fire burning in my chest.
“What? You’ve stolen someone’s boyfriend?” I questioned.
“No, a guy tried to pick me up, conveniently forgetting that he had a girlfriend. The last was my sister’s boyfriend, and she hasn’t spoken to me since.” I wanted more on that story, and I wanted to clock that fucker in the jaw. He was an asshole. I understood shitty sibling dynamics better than most.
