Stef pulled the girl forward to meet me. “This is Cora. I found her last night at my son’s house—she’s a friend of his girlfriend—and I thought she’d be perfect with Tyler in this shoot, so I brought her along. I hope that’s okay?”
Picking up my camera, I put the strap around my neck, looking anywhere but at Tyler, who still stood just inside the room, watching me intently. “Of course, hon. Anything you want.”
“What about what I want?” Tyler asked quietly. His tone was teasing, but his dark eyes held a heated question when they met mine.
Cora spun around at the sound of his voice, and Stef shot him a grin.
He plastered that knowing, sexy grin on his face and turned to say hi to Stefanie and meet his partner for the shoot. The grin I now knew was totally fake.
Get it together, I scolded myself.
When Stef saw the two of them in the same room, she nearly squealed with delight. Running back over to me, she smacked my arm. “This is going to be so hot!”
I had to agree. The two of them looked great together with their dark hair and eyes. Tyler’s skin was slightly darker than Cora’s. Just enough to add some nice contrast.
After getting some last-minute thoughts on what she wanted for her cover, I shooed Stef back to a chair near the table behind me and had the two models stand together while I took some test shots. I adjusted the lighting, and then we were ready to shoot.
Tyler pulled off his tank as Cora stripped down to some sexy black underwear. I had to admit; the girl was gorgeous. A perfect partner for Tyler. I swallowed down the envy, stuck a smile on my face, and started directing them through some poses.
After about twenty minutes, I told Tyler and Cora to take a break while Stef and I perused the shots.
She shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I’m just not seeing my cover.”
They worked pretty well together, but I had to agree with Stefanie. The “it” shot just wasn’t there. And I had a terrible feeling it was my fault. “I’m sorry. I’m just not on my game today.”
Tilting her head, she studied the shots. “No. I don’t think it’s you. I think they just don’t have the chemistry I was hoping for. Maybe if they don’t look at each other?”
“Okay, let me see what I can do.” Calling the two of them back, I did some profile shots with them facing each other with their eyes cast down. But it still just wasn’t working. Peeking out from behind the camera, I asked Stef, “You said this is asexycover, right?”
“Oh, yeah.” She grinned like she had a very naughty secret.
“Cora, would you stand in front of Tyler, please? No. Facing me.” She turned around, so she faced the camera. “Right, like that. Okay. Tyler, stand behind her and put an arm around her waist, maybe with your hand on her hip.” I lifted my camera to my eye. “Cora, don’t look right at the camera.”
I felt Stefanie come to stand behind me.
It still wasn’t there. I thought at first it was Cora, that maybe she just wasn’t comfortable in front of the camera. But she moved so naturally, with no shame whatsoever about her undressed state, that I was beginning to think it wasn’t her at all. I tried to think of something that would add some tension to the shot. “Tyler, think of something you want and can’t have, but you’re determined to get.”
Tyler slowly lifted his eyes and looked right at me, one side of his mouth turning up just a little as his fiery gaze burned right through my lens and into my most wicked fantasies. Slowly, he slid his hand up Cora’s stomach until he cupped the underside of her breast, whispering something in her ear.
She smiled at the floor and nodded.
My breath hitched, and his eyes fell to my stiff nipples for just a second before they landed back on my face.
“Holy shit,” Stefanie whispered. “That’s it, Ailee. That’s my cover!”
The camera shutter opened and closed rapidly as I took shot after shot. When it was done, I looked out from behind the lens and nodded at Tyler. He dropped his arm and stepped back, then started talking casually with Cora, keeping one eye on me.
Stefanie squeezed my arm. “You did it! We got it! I know it. Let me see.”
I tore my eyes from Tyler’s and guided Stef to the back of the room, where we looked through the shots. I had to admit she was right. This was the shot. “So, we’re good?” I asked.
“Yup. We’re good.” She gave me a quick hug. “Thank you! Thank you! You’re the best.”
“Aww, I don’t know about that. But thanks.”
“No. Really. Thank you,” she said. “I would ask if you wanted to grab some dinner, but I really need to get Cora back, so she’s not late for work.”
I barely held back my sigh of relief. “Don’t worry about it. Another time.”
