Page 151 of When Darkness Calls

I needed a place to do all my work, with an easily accessible dark room, and the guys were nice enough to give me all the hands I needed to get it done.

Against the wall by the door, I flick the overhead lights on, and Dani gasps.

There’s camera equipment lying everywhere, a few props are pushed against a far wall, lights and backdrops are put together creating a makeshift maze.

My hand rakes through my hair, and I murmur, “Maybe I should’ve cleaned it up a bit.”

She shushes me. “This is perfect. Okay, so I have no fucking idea where to start.”

“Still haven’t got an idea for your theme?”

“Nope.”

“Okay…if I were doing it again…” I chew on my lip in thought, staring down at her, but each time I do I just get distracted. Her hair’s a bit frizzy from sleep, and her cheeks are that beautiful pink tint, and her hazel eyes are wide looking around in awe. She’s wearing one of my hoodies I wear out here in case I get chemicals on it, and a pair of jeans she calls her “cozy” jeans. And she’s just stunning. Breathtakingly so, and it’s effortless. My heart pounds when she steps in front of a window, the golden light creating a halo. She doesn’t have any idea how gorgeous she is, how…picturesque.

“If I were doing my portfolio now, you’d be my subject,” I murmur.

She makes a face. “Why?”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

She plays with the sleeve of my hoodie, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

Then she sighs, and mumbles, “Screw it.”

Dani lifts the hoodie, unbuttoning her jeans, and tugging them down her thighs, then rips my hoodie over her head.

“I won’t lie, I’m loving the enthusiasm to get naked today, but uh, why are we doing it right now?”

“‘Cause,” she says. “I’m going to be my own fucking muse for once.”

She stands before me in the same panties as before with a matching sports bra.

“Okay, sweet girl. Whatever you want. I’ll get the stand, you go pick the camera you want to use.”

She moves to the work bench, shopping around the ones I use often.

When she comes back to me, putting the camera’s stand together, she’s holding one of the digital ones. She looks deep in thought, staring at the camera like it’s a lifeline.

“I haven’t gotten to use mine yet. It’s still home…I—” she pauses, “I didn’t get to thank you for it.”

“What do you mean?” I reached out, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

“Cade told me that it was your gift for my birthday. It was, right?”

I nod, shrugging and look at my hands setting up the stand. “It’s not a big deal.”

“But it is to me,” she says in earnest. “It means the world to me. Thank you.”

I kiss her forehead, then her cheek, and finally her soft lips. She steps back, handing me the camera with a smile. After getting it hooked up and attached to the stand, and the remote for her to snap the images on her own.

“I’ll be over here working if you need anything. Lights, props, or opinions, just yell, okay?”

She nods, grabbing the remote from my hand.

“Can you help me push the couch over?”

“Of course.”