“No, but I didn’t ask.”
“Huh, I’m impressed,” she told him. “Most people want to know exactly what the photographer’s going to do, what they’ll be wearing, and who’ll be doing their hair and makeup.”
Duke gasped. “Wait, does that meanyou’renot the one doing my hair and makeup?”
She rolled her eyes. “Ha ha. No, but that does remind me of something. We haven’t talked about your hair,” she said. “Heaven knows you were quite famous for your man bun. I figured you’d have grown it back by now.”
Duke shrugged. “I was going to, but the in-between stage is…tricky. I don’t know. Part of me thinks I don’t have the mojo to pull it off right now.”
Viv’s face scrunched up. “You’ll have to elaborate on that later,” she called ahead.
Duke sported a pair of gray shorts, a white tee, and a pale blue button up shirt. If she hadn’t known better, she’d say he was already dressed in the designer’s latest. Rico Shimwah had struck gold by getting a guy like Duke to wear his designs. The man could make fig leaves look good.
The muted lighting began to shift as they neared a clearing. “Here we are,” Duke said, stepping aside so that Viv could go ahead of him. The clearing was larger than she imagined. And brighter too.
Zee, one ofSlipper’sphotographers, stood with his equipment at the center. He gave her a wave. “Hey, Viv.”
“Morning,” she said with a nod. Nearby, a makeshift changing station offered a dividing wall, a rack of clothing, and a seat with a large mirror propped before it. Rico was there, seeming to scrutinize one of the shirts on the rack while the makeup artist waited with her supply.
Not too far off, a line of fold up chairs faced the action. Duke waved Viv toward the chairs. “Think that’s where you’ll sit,” he said with a nod.
“Thanks.” Viv made her way to the chairs as Duke headed to his spot in front of the mirror.
“Duke,” Rico cheered. “You made it, you made it.” He rubbed his hands together before clapping them three times. “You are going to make my line look so good. In this first shoot, we’re going for that alligator hunter look.”
“You meanCrocodileHunter,” Zee mumbled while fiddling with the lens.
Rico shot him a look. “Yes.”
Duke, who was sitting in the makeup chair, closed his eyes as a beautiful redhead waved a powder brush over his face.
“As much as it pained me,” Rico continued, “we rubbed a few of the items through the dirt to achieve the right look.” He tugged a white, beachy-looking shirt from the rack. Thin material with short sleeves and buttons up the front.
“Come.” Rico clapped once more. “Let’s get you dressed.”
Duke waited for the makeup artist to step back. Once she did, he rose from the chair and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Just hand that to Darnell, she’ll hang it up for you,” Rico instructed.
Duke did as he said, handing his shirt to the redhead with an extended arm.
The undershirt went next as Duke, without delay, grabbed onto the bottom hem, tugged it over his head, and ripped it off his body. And what a perfect body it was. Tanned and toned perfection described the planes of his muscled chest. Rays of sunlight broke through spots overhead, creating shadows that enhanced those muscles even more.
Viv’s cheeks flushed with heat as Duke reached for his zipper next. Was he about to go for it right in front of everyone?
“There’s a changing station,” she blurted, a bit of panic edging her voice.
The sounds of the rainforest fell silent.
The photographer looked back and forth between Viv and Duke. Rico did the same, surprise etched on his face. Darnell shot her a glare.
The cluster of assistants waiting at the fringe tipped their head to see who’d spoken up.
Viv cleared her throat. “If…youwanta changing station,” she added.
Duke straightened his posture and turned in place until he was facing her with that exposed chest, hands still gripping the sides of that top, now undone button of his shorts.
Viv gulped.
