“Dear Jesus, you’re gonna rev that man’s engine. All right, let’s get this hair going, and then we’ll get you dressed.” She gently pulls the curlers from my hair, brushing it into perfectly beachy waves, twisting the front back and pinning fat, round rolls back on each side. Blast after blast of hair spray fills the air and fixes my hair into 1940s vogue.
“Wow.”
Jasmine rests her hands on my shoulders and gives me a little shake.
“Fucking wow is right,” Jensen says, filling the doorway. His blond hair is buzzed close on the sides today, his Viking heritage showing strong. “You got the keys to that badass truck out there? I’ll move it into the shade while you finish getting ready, so you don’t burn your ass when you hop up on the hood.”
“In my tote. Hand it to me and?—”
“Got ’em.” He dips his hand in and pulls the keys from the depths, dragging my ruby-red bra with it. Jensen smirks, his brow raised high as he carefully separates the delicate lace from the edge of the wire key ring. “He’s a lucky man. I’ll be outside when you’re ready.” He flips the keys around his finger and stalks out the door.
“My God, that man makes my blood burn through my veins.” Jasmine leans back, gaze pinned to him until the locks auto-click shut. “Okay then. So, we’re going with classy pinup? Did you just bring the one outfit, or are we doing a wardrobe change?”
I pull the rest of my lingerie from my bag and look around for a bathroom. “I just brought the one. Do you have a restroom?”
“Next door down. I’m going to run upstairs to my apartment and just grab a couple things.”
I pop into the restroom and change. The red lace bra lifts my boobs and pushes them together, creating cleavage I never knew I could have. The panties and matching garter are next. The stockings though are a challenge.
When I purchased them, the saleslady made it look so easy to roll them on, getting the seam perfectly straight up the back of the leg. It takes me several tries and some minor adjustments before I give up. Close enough is close enough.
Navy pencil skirt, short-sleeved white blouse, and bright red pumps that perfectly match the lace of my bra. I step out of the restroom and tuck my tote back into Jasmine’s office.
“You ready?” she asks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” My gaze washes over the pictures lining the hall outside Jasmine’s treatment rooms. “I can’t wait to see what mine look like.”
“Jen’s got a good eye. They’re going to be unreal.” Jasmine leads me outside to where Maggie sits at an angle in front of Jensen’s shop.
“You mind if we get a few in front of the shop?” he asks. “The lighting is on point, and—fuck me…” His words trail off as he turns to fully take me in. “Hot damn, honey. Just… damn.”
Jensen offers me his hand and helps me up onto the hood of the truck. Nerves skitter through my belly, and as he starts taking test shots and making adjustments, I realize it must show.
“Chloe, relax. You’ve got to stop grittin’ your teeth, doll. You look angry.”
I paste on a smile, and after a couple of clicks, he sets the camera in the bed of the truck and leans against the bumper, arms over his chest, legs crossed at his ankles. “Jaz said you’re from New York.”
I adjust the hand I’m leaning on and tilt my head, relaxing ever so slightly. “I am.”
“And what brought you down here?”
So, the conversation starts. We talk about me and Jake, about being closer to my family. We talk about my job and then how he made the switch from professional photographer to tattoo artist to owning his own shop.
As I relax, he picks up the camera and starts shooting again. Softly cueing me on small adjustments. Where to look. Where to place my hand. Saying something goofy when he wants me to laugh, the click of the camera coming like rapid-fire as he moves around the truck, looking for just the right angle.
“You doin’ okay? Need a drink of water or somethin’?” he asks, standing straight.
“I’m good. Are we done already?”
We haven’t been out here very long, but Jensen and Jasmine have businesses to run. I’m sure I’ve already taken up way too much of their time.
“Not at all. But do you think you’re ready for something a little more…” Jensen hesitates.
“Provocative,” Jasmine finishes for him. “Still classy but just a little bit… more, you know? You’ll be blown away, I promise.”
I think about it for a minute, biting at my lower lip, and the camera clicks. Jensen approaches and turns the camera, so I can see what he captured. I look good. Sultry. Sexier than I ever dreamed possible.
“Okay.” I nod. “Let’s do it.”
