I wipe my lip, a subconscious reaction to hypothetical drool, and let my gaze travel back up to meet his eyes. Any other time, I might be humiliated to find him watching me appreciate him stripped so bare, but there's no embarrassment when the hunger in his eyes only matches my own.
"Sit behind me," I tell him, scooting up to make room for him. "Place one hand on my thigh and wrap the other around my throat."
He does.
JOVI
How I make it through that photoshoot without tearing that tiny silk thing off her and begging her to ride me right there in that chair, camera on and all, is either a miracle or a testament to my stupidity.
I lean into the former.
Despite being pretty damn sure she was as turned on as I was the entire time, it didn't feel right to make a move like that then. As much as I wanted to, it felt selfish to act on. She's been working so hard trying to keep her business afloat in the midst of becoming a full-time parent, losing all her existing clients and having a model roster that's shrunk down to one. I wasn't going to offer her help and then steal those hours of work from her.
Even if I would have worked overtime to make her feel every bit as amazing as the mere sight of her made me feel.
Plus, there was the time limit. We haven't spent the last fourteen years building up to this moment to have it restricted by a two-hour movie showing. No. When it happens, it will be unhurried. Unrestricted. Ours.
"I need to ask you something," she says, wearing sweats and a hoody now that we're done and she's sitting back at her computer, uploading all the photos we took.
I finish buttoning up my shirt again and walk over to her. "Yes."
She laughs, rolling her eyes. "I haven't asked you anything yet."
"Go ahead. Ask if you want. But the answer is yes."
She makes a face, the one I used to think meant she thought I was stupid but now realize is her throwing up her guard. She stilldoesn't trust that I'm for real. But she will. I won't stop until she does. "What if I'm asking you to ride next rodeo naked?"
"Yes." I rub the inside of my thigh. "The saddle will probably chafe me something fierce, but yes, if that's your question, my answer hasn't changed."
She lets out a disbelieving laugh. "And if I ask you to give up your room downstairs so I can store my equipment in there and ask you to convert the old horse trailer with the broken hitch into a room for yourself instead?'
"Tell me what equipment you want down there. I'll start moving it now."
"You're not serious."
"What did I tell you about that?"
"Jovi," she starts, but then I bend down, placing one hand on each side of her thighs, bringing our faces mere inches from each other and her words die out.
"The answer is yes, Liz," I say, lowering my voice to match the intimacy of being so close. "So why don't you just tell me what it is I've already agreed to."
I watch her throat bob as she swallows, before her tongue darts out to lick her lips and I almost groan out loud at the sight.
"You know how I've been taking pictures of you guys while you're working?" she asks, her voice still unsure.
"Mhm."
"I want to offer them to my subscribers."
I close the distance between us, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Yes. And I'll talk to the guys. Give me whatever release thingy they need to sign and I'll make sure they do it."
"Are you—"
She doesn't finish that damn question this time. I don't let her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
LIZ
