Page 23 of Baby, It’s Hot Inside

Yep, it's definitely been a while since I've gotten laid. A really long time, actually.

Annie eyes me funny, cocking one eyebrow. "You alright there, Kris?"

I frown. Because no, I am not alright. It is not okay to lust after your sister's friend. Especially one you haven't seen in years.

"What's with the shirt?" I ask and my voice comes out more terse than I meant it to.

"Annie's a photographer and graphic designer. She takes the most amazing pictures."

"Like landscapes or wildlife or something?" I ask.

Ginger laughs.

"Not exactly. I take pictures of people--men mostly--and then I design book covers."

Jealousy surges through me and I fight to tamp it down. I have no right to feel jealous of any one Annie spends time with. She doesn’t belong to me.

Yet there’s a tiny voice inside whispering that maybe she does. Maybe she should. “Book covers of men? What does that even mean?” I ask.

"Show him your office," Ginger says.

I set down the other pie and turn to Annie.

"I'm sure he has better things to do," Annie says.

"No, I'd like to see."

Annie nods and turns and I try not to stare at the round plumpness of her ass, but I do it anyways. Because it's plump and round and fucking perfect. I bet if I pressed her body against me and kissed her, that ass would fit perfectly in my palms.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

She leads me into her home office and it's a disaster. There's stuff everywhere on her desk and a long table across the room. Papers and pictures litter the area, but the walls are covered in framed images of book covers. Mostly men in various state of undress, six-pack abs, brooding glares.

"Romance novels?" I ask.

"It's a huge market," she says, her tone slightly agitated.

I hold up my hands. “I’ve read a couple myself."

"I'm sorry, what now?"

I shrug. "It's always surprising to people, but lots of guys in the service read them. We read what we can get our hands on over there. Romance novels are everywhere. And their readers are generous people who ship boxes of them to bases."

She smiles broadly and I'm struck by how damn pretty she is. Was she always this pretty? She looks mostly like her Chinese mother, her face round, her skin creamy and fair and those almond-shaped eyes. And she’s got this perfect bow-shaped mouth which really just translates into the most kissable lips I’ve ever seen.

“What did you think of them? The ones you read?”

I wince. “They were okay. A little off-putting by how perfect the guys are though. Billionaires and rock stars. I guess that’s the fantasy though, right?”

She chuckles. "I guess. So that's kinda how I got into this. I loved the books. Before I branched out, I was taking pictures mostly of pregnant women and engagement shots," she rolls her eyes, "lots of annoying baby destroys the cake on their first birthday sessions. Those were a bitch to clean up. In any case I was a big reader and it just sorta happened. Now I work with guys, a lot like you.” She looks over at me and my skin heats as her gaze travels my body. Her cheeks pinken and she looks away.

“Guys like me?”

“Not professional models per se, just regular guys who happen to be ridiculously hot and I take their pictures. I don't always design the covers myself, sometimes other designers just buy the images from me.”

"Hold up," I take a step closer to her. "Did you just suggest that I could be on a book cover?"

She releases a nervous laugh and kinda backs out of the room. "I'm not going to boost your ego, Kris. You know what I meant. I've got to get back to the cooking."