by Anna Durand
He rolled us over and hopped to his feet.
I tossed him the light meter.
Catching it, he headed for the table where I'd set down the camera.
While he had his back turned, I got ready for my photo session.
Val, camera in hand, turned to face me. He stared at me for a moment, but then his mouth stretched into a grin. "Evie, you saucy little vixen. After everything you said—"
"What you said changed my mind." I stretched my arms above my head, petting the crimson cushion, and bent one knee. The velvet felt divine against my naked skin. "How's this pose?"
"Perfect." He raised the camera and began snapping pictures. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Your body deserves to be captured on digital film for posterity. In fact, I might call the Louvre to offer them the modern masterpiece that is Eve Holt."
He paused in his picture-taking to wink at me.
"Very funny," I said, rolling onto my stomach, propped up on my elbows. "I know you won't really do that. But if you should plaster my nakedness all over the Internet, I'll show everyone the picture I took yesterday."
"What picture is that?"
"You tripping over a twig, about to fall flat on your face. Your mouth was wide open, and I think your tongue was sticking out."
"Do you honestly think I'd be embarrassed?" He dropped to his knees three feet from the cushion where I lay. "You know me better than that."
"I do. And I love your complete lack of shame."
He set down the camera and crawled toward me, stopping at the cushion's edge. "I don't expect you to be shameless like me, and I'm not sure I'd want you to be. I want you exactly the way you are."
"That's the nicest thing any man has ever said to me." I plunged a hand into his hair, pulling him closer. "I want you just the way you are too, sex tapes and all."
"Just so you know, I deleted the sex tape from my phone two days after we met."
"Why would you do that?"
"For you, Eve. I don't need a memento of my liaison with another woman."
"Glad to hear it."
I drew his head closer until our lips met.
He fell onto the cushion, half on top of me, braced on his elbows. The kiss deepened swiftly, hot and sensual and imbued with more emotion than any of our previous kisses. I latched my arms around him, spreading my legs. I was all but begging him to take me, and I felt no shame at all about it.
"My camera takes video too," I mumbled against his lips.
Val pulled his head back. "No, Eve, I don't want to tape us. What happens between you and me is strictly private. I don't want to share our intimate moments with the world, and I don't need a replay to remind me of how much I love being with you."
"I love being with you too."
We made love right there on the crimson cushion, like we had started to do the first time he had posed for me. After that, he insisted I let him take more pictures of me—and he insisted I wear clothes. He told me he wanted a picture to put in his wallet and one to have as his wallpaper on his phone. I took pictures of him with clothes on too, for the same reasons. By the end of the day, we had both changed our phones to display the photos we'd taken of each other.
That night, while I slept with Val's body spooning mine, questions niggled at me. Was I in love with him? Was he in love with me? The most important question kept me awake until after midnight.
Could we, two opposite types of people from two different worlds, really work out in the long run?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Val
The day that marked one month since I'd arrived at Eve's place fell on a Saturday. I had plans to celebrate the date with a date—a real one this time. Dinner in the nude while seated at the kitchen island didn't count. Dinner under the stars on a picnic blanket on the lawn, also in the nude, didn't count either. I wanted a genuine, fully clothed date with her.
I wanted to romance the hell out of Eve Holt.
Since I'd never in my life tried to impress a woman this way, I resorted to calling my sister Maria. After the usual greeting and pleasantries, I got to the point. "I want to ask Eve out on a date, the kind that takes place in a restaurant and involves nice clothes. How do I do that?"
Maria laughed. "Como? I must have misheard. You couldn't have said Val Silva finally wants to ask a woman on a date."
I growled under my breath. "That's what I said."
She laughed harder. " Ó pá! It only took you thirty-seven years."
My whole family spoke Portuguese, of course, but both of my sisters spoke English as fluently as I did. We often conversed in that language since I'd gotten accustomed to it over the years. Our mother liked English too because it was her native tongue. Sometimes we reverted to Portuguese, particularly if Maria or Aline wanted to scold me or mock me.
"I'm asking for your help," I said. "Will you stop laughing at me and tell me what to do?"
"My big brother needs my help. Give me a moment to enjoy this."
Another, louder growl rumbled out of me. "Forget it. I'll call Aline."
"Porque? Aline knows nothing about dating. She married the first boy who asked her to a dance." Maria paused, no doubt for dramatic effect. "Here's what you need to do. Are you listening? Write this down so you don't forget."
"Get on with it."
"Speak these precise words. Eve, will you please go on a date with me?"
My sister burst into laughter again.
"Thank you, Maria. I'm glad my anxiety entertains you."
Her laughter faded away. "You really are anxious about this, aren't you? This woman must mean a lot to you."
"She does."
"Go with your heart and be yourself. She must like you the way you are, eh?"
"I think so." Though Eve had her doubts about my past behavior, I believed she accepted me the way I was. She'd told me as much, but still… "What if being myself offends her?"
"Then she's not the woman for you."
She was the woman for me. I'd known it for a while. Whether I could be the kind of man she needed remained to be seen. I'd try as hard as I could to become that kind of man.
Maria and I talked a bit longer, mostly about our family and what everyone had been doing since the last time we'd spoken. After we said goodbye, I wandered through the house until I found Eve in the living room, sitting in an armchair. She had her legs crossed with her feet on a footstool, and her laptop was balanced on one thigh. Shorts and a tank top concealed only the most private parts of her body. The parts she saved for me alone.
The light of the sinking sun bathed her in a golden, pinkish glow.
When I walked into the room, she smiled. "Hey, gorgeous. Were you on the phone? I heard you talking."
"I called my sister Maria."
Eve angled her head to the side like she was analyzing me. "What's wrong? You look nervous, which isn't like you at all."
She was right. I felt nervous, and that was a rare experience for me.
I perched on the edge of her footstool with her bare feet nudging my ass. "I need to ask you a question."
Clapping her laptop shut, she set it on the table beside her chair. "Shoot."
My pulse throbbed faster, thumping in my ears. I scratched my head, fidgeted, and avoided looking her in the eye. Maria would've found this highly amusing. I wanted to grab the nearest blunt object and hit myself in the head with the thing. Snap out of it, I commanded myself.
For the first time ever, I had clammy palms because of a woman.
I cleared my throat. "Eve, I was thinking about what we should do for dinner tonight."
"This is Chinese night, remember? I placed an order already."
"For the guests." I fidgeted again. "For us, I wanted to, uh, make some kind of, um, special arrangements."
"Special?" Her eyebrows cinched together over her nose. "Like what?"
Be yourself, Maria had advised.
Eve liked me the
way I was. Right?
She poked me with her big toe. "What's the matter? Did Ollie beat you at soccer? Sorry, I meant to say football."
"I didn't play a game with Ollie today." I took a deep breath, straightened, and met her glittering blue gaze. "Como vai, gatinha?"
"Huh?"
"It's Portuguese."
"What does it mean?"
"The phrase is a Brazilian pickup line." I angled in and laid a hand on her bare thigh. "How's it going, baby? That's what it means."
She laughed. "That's your great pickup line? How did you ever become a ladies' man with material like that?"
"It's all in the delivery. Gatinha literally means kitten."
Her laughter bubbled out again, light and musical. "Kitten? You should try that line on Heidi and her gal pals."
Making her laugh had relaxed us both, so I forged ahead. "Will you go out on a date with me, Eve? In our clothes, at a restaurant, the right way."
Her cheeks dimpled with a lovely little smile. "Yes, Val, I will go out to dinner with you."
"Wear something nice. I want this to be a formal date."
Those dimples got deeper. "I don't have much in the way of fancy clothes, but I'll do my best."
"Anything you wear will be perfect." I skimmed my gaze up and down her delicious body. "But you do look best in nothing at all."
"Same goes for you."
We ambled through the house hand in hand, splitting off in the hallway so I could go into my room and she could go into hers. Though I slept with her every night, I'd kept my things in the other room to avoid cluttering up her space. Ten minutes later, I was ready. When I knocked on Eve's door, she told me to "go away, please" because "a woman needs more than ten minutes to get beautiful." I considered reminding her she was always beautiful, with or without prep time, but I had the feeling she was as nervous about our date as I was.
I waited in the kitchen, perched on a stool, my foot tapping a fast rhythm on the floor. My gaze stayed glued to the clock on the microwave.
Fifteen minutes later, Eve swept into the room.
And my heart stuttered.
I couldn't move or speak. Her dress, a rich shade of sapphire blue, draped over her curves like it had been made for her body and only her body. The off-the-shoulder design showcased her beautiful shoulders, and the neckline plunged low enough to show off the slopes of her breasts. The flowing skirt dropped almost to her ankles, but one side featured a slit that exposed most of her thigh. Her elegant dress sandals each had a single strap over her toes and another that encircled her ankle. Their blue color matched her dress.
Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in lush waves, and her makeup accentuated her beauty rather than overpowering it.
She was stunning.
Those bright-blue eyes found me and flew wide for a second, then her lips curved into a satisfied smile. "I prefer you naked, but that suit is really doing it for me."
I glanced down at my gray suit. "I've had this for years. It's not even designer."
"Who cares?" She sashayed up to me, her hips swaying, and spread her palms over my chest. "It's damn hot. That's all that matters."
"Glad you like it."
"I'd rip this suit off you right now, but I'm looking forward to our date."
"So am I." Peeling her hands off my chest, I clasped one and guided her toward the door. "Let's go. It's time to romance you, Eve."
Her dimples returned. "I like the sound of that."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eve
When was the last time I'd had a real date? Years, for sure. I couldn't remember exactly. Once I'd started my business, it had consumed the majority of my time. The word vacation had no meaning for me anymore. Time off consisted of kicking back in front of the TV to binge-watch all the buzzworthy shows I'd missed because I was working seven days a week.
Val took me to the nicest restaurant in town, a steak house. Despite its designation, the place offered a superb atmosphere and superb food as well as live music and a dance floor. Val pulled my chair out for me and pushed it back in once I'd sat down, the way I'd seen men do in movies but had never experienced before in real life.
Oh, that suit. I loved it. As in "I want to tear your clothes off with my teeth, Val." The gray color suited him, and the fit highlighted every one of those muscles I adored. Why had I agreed to a clothing-on date? I wanted him naked this instant.
The restaurant probably didn't allow nudism. Damn.
Val ordered a huge T-bone while I ordered the filet mignon. My choice seemed to surprise him, given the way his brows shot up. Once the waitress had taken our orders and left, he rested his elbows on the table and studied me.
"What is it?" I asked. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth?"
"No. But you are the only woman I've ever met who would eat a steak dinner in my presence. Or eat much of anything."
"If that surprises you, be prepared for a real shocker when you see me eat it."
"Yes, I know how you eat with gusto. I love that about you."
"Can't help it. I love food." I unfolded my napkin and placed it on my lap. "I don't eat steak often, so it's a treat for me. That means I will devour it."
"I have firsthand experience with the way you devour something you're craving."
"Even filet mignon can't compare to the flavor of you."
He reached across the table to grasp my hand. "You are a one-of-a-kind woman, Eve. Meeting you is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
My cheeks grew warm. "You sure know how to compliment a girl."
"It's the truth. You've changed my life."
Though I tried to speak, whatever words I'd meant to say got stuck in my throat. My cheeks flamed, but it was the fluttery sensation in my chest that rendered me speechless.
His thumb caressed the back of my hand, and his tender gaze was focused exclusively on me.
"You've changed my life too," I said when I finally regained the ability to speak.
And it was true. Before Val, I would never have taken time to relax in the middle of the day, much less taken my clothes off outdoors. His shamelessness encouraged me to stop worrying about what people thought of me. The only opinion that really mattered to me these days was his.
The waitress arrived with our drinks, interrupting our moment.
Val withdrew his hand and sat back in his chair.
I wanted to crawl onto his lap and cuddle up there.
We talked about everyday things while we ate our meal. Val smiled every time I shoved a chunk of steak into my mouth and moaned with satisfaction. For dessert, we ordered the darkest, most sinful chocolate cake I'd ever tasted. When I moaned at the deliciousness of it, Val's smile turned hot and hungry.
I'd expected he would whisk me home immediately after dinner, but he surprised me again.
He stood and offered me his hand. "A dance, Eve?"
A few couples occupied the dance floor, swaying to the romantic melody played by a piano and a string quartet.
I placed my hand in Val's.
He led me onto the floor, raised our joined hands, and placed his other palm on my back.
And we danced.
With our bodies barely touching, his hands provided the most solid link between us. No, that wasn't right. Something else, something far less tangible, provided the strongest link. I rested my cheek on his chest and let him sweep me around the dance floor. The music seemed like a waltz, and we moved in time with the rhythm, round and round, my dress swishing around our legs and his hand on my back anchoring me to him. He smelled so good, like woods and spice and man.
I lifted my head to gaze up at him.
He kissed my forehead.
My pulse accelerated. A delicious tingle swept over my skin, chased by a warmth that originated in my chest and bloomed outward to suffuse my entire body, my entire being.
Once the song ended, we headed back to our table to pay the bill. I
offered to pay half, but Val shook his head.
"No, Evie," he said. "A gentleman always pays for dinner."
"What if I invited you? I should pay then."
"Maybe, but you didn't invite me. I asked you out."
We made it to the car before we lost control. I started it, climbing onto his lap in the driver's seat and kissing him like a sex-starved nympho. His hands whisked up under my dress, and he pulled his head back to arch his brows at me.
I shrugged. I hadn't worn any underwear.
He made love to me right there in the parking lot. We took it slow, every stroke of his cock lush and intoxicating. I gripped his shoulders, and when I came, it hit me so hard I jerked into the steering wheel.
The horn blared.
Val punched into me one last time, choking back a shout.
I wrapped my arms around him, breathing too heavily to speak, with his semi-firm shaft still inside me. He kissed my throat and worked his way up to my jaw, and finally, to my mouth. I couldn't respond at all, too stunned by the pleasure he always gave me and by the fact I'd had sex in a car for the first time ever. Sex in the parking lot of the most popular restaurant in town. Where anyone might've seen us. Maybe that should've embarrassed me, but I realized it didn't. Nothing much embarrassed me anymore, not since Val.
We drove home and rushed into my bedroom, our clothes gone by the time we got there, and made love again with the same leisurely pace, like we both needed to memorize every sensation. I'd never felt more connected to anyone, or more at ease and fulfilled. Afterward, he pulled the covers over us and hugged me to his side. We fell asleep that way, contented and spent.
Our first date had been bliss.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Val
I lay on a lawn chaise soaking up the sunshine, my eyes closed behind my Ray-Bans. The noises of the guests playing badminton reminded me of my first day here. Back then, the guests had been playing miniten, but the sounds were similar. Eve had greeted me at the gate on that day, and I'd been smitten from the first second I'd seen her. She was more than beautiful. She was smart, accomplished, determined, and beloved by all her guests. Even the new ones took to Eve as soon as they met her. She worked hard to ensure the guests had everything they needed, and she made a concerted effort to socialize with them too.