“And?” I said, coming back out into the living room. “Does it look like an engagement photos’ worth?”
Penny giggled. “Blade seems to like it!”
His eyes just about fell out of his head. It felt strange to see Blade in something other than his formal corporate suit. Penny had put him in brown canvas slacks and a short-sleeved gray polo that put his sinewy forearms on display. The top few buttons were undone. He looked huggable and kissable and oh so fuckable.
Down, girl.
“Let’s have them out on the porch,” Penny said to the photographer, herding us outside.
Penny had clearly decorated the large balcony off of Garrett’s condo. It was cozy, with a raised Brazilian hardwood floor, fairy lights, lanterns, and lush plants.
“We’ll pose you here,” Penny said, putting us with our backs at the balcony, the skyline behind us.
“Not against the balcony,” Garrett said from the doorway. “I don’t want Blade to fall over.”
“I didn’t know that you cared,” Blade said dryly.
“I don’t, but the way you’ve been carrying on, I’m still not convinced you don’t have a brain tumor. In addition to your judgment, it could also affect your balance.”
“Blade, sit here then,” Penny said and started to drag over a large wicker chair with big white cushions. Garrett crossed the balcony in a few steps then picked the whole thing up and put it in place. Penny arranged us with Blade sitting on the chair looking up at me. I had one hand on the balcony railing, and my left hand, ring sparkling, rested on his shoulder.
“Such a good picture!” Penny exclaimed as the photographer snapped away.
“Now do a couple seated. Perfect!” she said as we changed positions.
My cheeks hurt from smiling.
“Look like you’re in love!”
At least I hadn’t fallen in love with Blade. That would be way worse than sleeping with him.
“And against the brick,” Penny ordered. My feet were starting to hurt, and the dress had a pokey thread that made me want to strip it off and scratch that hard-to-reach spot right under my shoulder blade.
“I want to burn these clothes,” Blade said, leaning down to whisper in my ear. I smiled a real smile, which somehow made my cheeks relax. Blade ran a hand up my back then scratched that spot that had been driving me crazy all afternoon.
“Yesss,” I said, my tongue half hanging out. Blade snickered.
“Look in love, people!” Penny ordered.
“Someone put me out of my misery,” Blade said, looking up at the sky. I giggled then tried to look like a serious soon-to-be-married woman.
“Do they look too basic?” I asked Penny after she had taken all the photos she wanted.
She shrugged. “That’s what our audience wants to see.”
“Can you send us copies?” Blade asked her. She flashed him a thumbs up, then Blade and I went downstairs.
“I cannot wait to get out of this dress,” I complained.
“But you look so hot in it,” Blade said, running his hands up the sides. He tipped my head back, kissing me hard. His fingers were under my panties and stroking me before my brain registered what was happening.
“We are not doing this,” I said with a gasp and pushed him away.
“You seriously don’t want me to go down on you?” Blade growled. “What happened to the ‘honesty first’ policy in our fake relationship?”
I ignored him and straightened the dress.
“You want me. You want my tongue on your clit,” Blade said.
