“Excuse me?” He shot her a raised eyebrow. “I’m not making the connection.”
Of course, he wouldn’t. He was too practical, too logical. “I think photography allows me to showcase people and places, celebrating the differences in how we all view the world, view life, but also showing the things that bind us together.”
“I see.”
She checked the battery on her cell phone. There was still a lot of juice left in it. Good. “You know, despite our differences, at our core, we basically all want the same thing—to live a life we can each consider successful, no matter what metric it is we use to define what success is.”
He whistled, long and slow, his mouth puckered so that her imagination went on a wild ride. “That’s pretty deep.”
She blinked and snapped herself back to reality. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” It was more than what her parents had offered when she’d shared her passion with them. “I like unique things like the soda tab jewelry we saw today.”
“You mean like the turtle-shaped one?”
She nodded. “And the one shaped like a three-dimensional heart? That one’s pretty special.”
“You like hearts?”
“I’m a girl. Of course I like hearts. And I see it everywhere. I suppose you don’t.”
“Why would you say that?”
“You’re a guy.”
“That’s sexist.”
“Sorry.” She looked around her seat as the crowd passed by. The last thing she wanted was to leave something behind.
“You’re really not, are you?”
“Not so much.”
He laughed, the sound spiking her awareness level even though she’d managed to keep it at bay since they’d dipped a proverbial toe into equally proverbial intimate waters.
Why did she have to react to him like that, anyway? She knew better, but apparently her body had other ideas. Like sex. Stat.
Stupid hormones.
She stood and glanced his direction. “What’s so funny?”
“I like your honesty.” He grinned, and her heart skipped a beat. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing good,” she muttered.
“Or maybe it is?”
She felt the weight of his stare as she zipped up her backpack. Was there something suggestive in his tone? Nah. She was just imagining it.
“Anyway, this assignment, working for Flights and Sights, this is my first step in showcasing all the ways that people are alike, that we’re all after the same thing for ourselves and our families.”
He whistled, low and soft, the sound trickling through her senses with all sorts of silent promises.
Get a grip, Zandra.
“That’s why it’s all important to you, isn’t it? Getting the perfect shot, from the right angle, the right lighting…all of it.”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “Although, honestly, I’m no different than anyone else when it comes to perfection with things that are important to me.”
“But there’s something else, isn’t there? I mean, seems to me anybody can mess with lighting and angles, but I saw some of the photos you’d downloaded to your laptop last night, and it’s more than any of that. There’s a…depth to them. Like a person can feel the photo.”
She stared. He got her. He really understood what she saw when she focused on her instinct. “I guess I trust my gut and shoot what speaks to me.” She raised her camera and aimed it at a particularly colorful hanging basket, its flowers cascading over the side in a fall of bright pinks and oranges, purples and blues. She could almost feel the colors bursting as she snapped a rapid succession of photos.
“Careful.” Blake gently grabbed her arm and tugged.
Traces of electric pulses arced through her from where his hand touched her bare skin. She lowered the camera as a little boy ran past with an ice cream cone. “Oh, thanks.”
He nodded and let her go, and she ignored the sense of loss. “I didn’t think you’d want a repeat of, you know, what happened at the chocolate shop yesterday.”
“Right.” She blew out a breath and tried for a smile. “Wouldn’t want that.”
There was something so mesmerizing about his eyes and the flecks of gold in them. Too bad she wasn’t Blake’s type.
Come to think of it, what was his type anyway? Traveling around as much as he did gave him ample opportunity to meet a variety of women, so—
Wait. She was doing it again, wasn’t she? She didn’t want anything serious with Blake or any other guy, for that matter. Not that he wanted anything serious. At least, not with her, which was a good thing. He had plans to settle down—something she didn’t want for herself.
She stood beside him, every part of her tuned in to Blake, to the nonchalant way he grabbed his backpack, to the way he readjusted his ball cap, even to the laundry soap smell of him.
Sure, she wasn’t ready for a relationship, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun along the way, did it? Maybe even have a little fling?
Zandra glanced at Blake. The thought was tempting. Very tempting.
“We’re done for now,” she said, adjusting her backpack over one shoulder. “Want to walk around before we head for the train station?”
Blake shrugged on his backpack, too. “Sure.”
And just like that, the easygoing vibe was back. Really, it was better this way, wasn’t it? Better that they stuck to a more friend-like relationship since that was all they’d be—friends.
Who are you trying to convince? Zandra 2.0 wouldn’t care where the relationship ended and would just enjoy the ride.
Yeah, well, Zandra 2.0 would have to be overridden on this one. “I saw some sort of a rock structure in a corner of the hotel garden. Like a monument of some sort.” She held up her camera. “I’d like to see about getting a few shots of it.”
“Let’s go.” He stood off to the side, one arm swept wide, and allowed her to pass. “After you,” he said, his gaze holding hers.
A shiver of awareness slid through her, as soft and sleek and powerful as the limo that carried them to Zurich last night. Only this time, Zandra wasn’t sure where a ride with Blake would lead. And she was pretty sure she didn’t really want to go there…pretty sure.
“Thank you,” she said. Her voice had lowered an octave, and she saw the moment he realized that, saw the answering flicker in his eyes that drew her closer.
She dropped her gaze to his mouth. One kiss. One harmless kiss…
Trouble was, she knew it’d be anything but harmless. Even now, the memory of yesterday’s lip lock was seared into her, filling her mind, her imagination, filling every part of her with a longing so intense she wasn’t sure how much more time it’d be before she gave in to the desire she was sure they both wanted.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled and reached a hand out to the strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail and tucked it behind her ear, his touch delicate against her cheek. Zandra fought the urge to lean into him and stepped back instead, much as her body protested the loss.
She blinked and walked past on thankfully steady feet, even though her heart pounded out a hard, erratic beat, and every part of her longed to turn back and demand he hold her…and more.
She forced her attention to their surroundings. A spattering of sunlight filtered through the trees and onto the ground, creating a cool pattern that moved each time the wind rustled the leaves. A child’s distant cry filled the air, interrupting the chatter as fashion show patrons mingled, some leaving the hotel grounds while others sought a courtyard table. Life seemed simpler in this moment, and Zandra was pretty sure she wanted to keep it that way.
“This place is so pretty.” She stopped in front of the hotel’s restaurant and peeked through the window. “See?” she said, pointing to a display. “A heart. Told you I see them everywhere.”
Yeah, he had a point, but still…“They’re placed so that they resemble a heart. Can you really not see it?” And did it matter to her one way or the other if he did? “Oh, forget it. Never mind.” Some people had no imagination.
They reached the rock mound with the intricate cross placed on top, its multi-colored stones catching the fading afternoon light.
“Those can’t be real jewels,” Blake said. “There would be guards around this…thing.” He shook the metal fence surrounding it. “This isn’t even very sturdy.”
“It’s still pretty.” Zandra pointed at the center of the cross. “I wonder what the inscription says?”
“The placard’s faded.”
Zandra looked through her camera lens at the cross and the top of a distant church spire that jutted up behind it. That’d make a great shot. “I wish I could capture more detail,” she murmured.
“Of a bunch of rocks?”
She did a slow walk around it and took in the wide base. “It’s a piece of art.” And it was beautiful. Zandra smiled. “Don’t you think?”
“You say that about almost everything.” Blake shoved a hand through his hair, the longish strands falling in disarray.
“I see art in almost everything.” She walked around the monolith and studied it. “With the cross on top and the church spire in the distance, it speaks to the church’s determination to conquer something as dead as a rock.”
“Seriously?” He raised an eyebrow. “You see all that?”
“That’s the story it’s telling me.” She blew out a breath. “My other lens would’ve been perfect for this.”
Too bad it’d been stolen. She frowned. How could seemingly nice people turn out to be thieves? Worse, how could she have let her guard down and allowed it? Well, she knew better now.
Zandra casually glanced around them. “You know, there’s nobody around…”
“They’re all at the other end of the garden. Probably enjoying the after-party.”
The rock formation had a flat spot close to the top where, if she stood just right, she might be able to capture the cross and the spire and the ridges of the rock right along with it.
She looked around again. What the hell? It couldn’t hurt. Even if the e-zine didn’t want the photo, she could probably sell copies herself. Note to self: create a website to sell my photos. Not that she was entirely sure how to make that happen, but she’d figure it out.
She dropped her backpack on the ground and climbed over the railing. “Hey,” Blake loud-whispered behind her. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” She gripped the side of the rock with one hand. “Gloves would be perfect right about now.”
“You shouldn’t be climbing that.”
She stopped to look at him, one sneaker-clad foot poised against the rock. “Why not?”
“Because the sign says so.” He thumbed a plaque that had been placed in front of the monument. “No climbing.”
“How about that?” She shrugged. “There it is in plain English.”
She proceeded to hoist herself up then stopped a couple feet off the ground. “There’s no need to get excited. I got this.”
“You’ll fall and break your head.”
“Or maybe I won’t.” It helped to be optimistic.
“I’m serious, Zandra. Get down.”
“Now you sound like my mom.”
“That’s not an insult. Your mom’s pretty smart.”
“I don’t need your permission, Blake.” She shot him a look before focusing on the cross that beckoned like a star in the night sky, only it was far more accessible. “I am so doing this.”
Chapter Seventeen
Blake wasn’t sure if he admired her determination or not, but at the moment, he sure as hell couldn’t stop her, especially when she shot him The Look. “Be careful.”
There was that look again, like he was an idiot for voicing the obvious. “Hey,” he said, climbing over the metal rail that was clearly ineffective at keeping Zandra out. “It’s that self-preservation thing. Your brother will kill me if anything happens to you.”
Her brother? Hell, his mom would get first shot, and that wouldn’t be pretty, either.
“I’ll make it quick,” she promised.
He felt like a colossal dick as he stood there, watching her ascend the rock, but there was barely enough room for one person, let alone two. He positioned himself right underneath her, arms outstretched. If she fell, maybe he’d have a chance to catch her.
Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall… Sweat trickling down his back, he sent up the silent plea.
Zandra took a step up, then another, her body leaning forward as she climbed. And all the while, he held his breath. What if she really did fall? And she broke a bone or, worse, broke her neck? He’d never forgive himself.
After what seemed like hours to Blake, she’d finally reached a flat spot and stopped.
“Now what?” he called up to her. “There’s not enough room for your tripod. Didn’t you say you needed it because it holds the camera steady? How ’bout you just come on back down?” He motioned her down with one hand, which was idiotic, considering she was totally ignoring him.
Blake held his breath as she carefully raised her camera with one hand then let go of the rock she’d been holding. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”
This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.
She snapped a few shots, brought the camera down enough so she could look at the rock tip again, and began taking more photos.
“Zandra.” Damn it. His voice came out as more of a plea than with the firmness he’d planned on. He was a Special Forces officer, for Christ’s sake, and while he could instruct a room full of mostly cocky, highly competent soldiers, he couldn’t control one determined, feisty female…and it fucking sucked.
“There,” she said, replacing the lens cover on her camera. “All done.”
Her descent took far less time than the climb up, thank God. It wasn’t until she finally stood in front of him, her face smiling up at him and a light in her eyes that Blake finally broke.
He reached for her and gently tugged her forward, wrapping his arms around her. She was safe. And, damn, it felt good to hold her, good to pull her close and know she was back on firm ground again.
“Your heart’s racing,” she murmured, the camera slung around her neck pressing against his chest.
“Gee, I wonder why.” He retreated just far enough to pull the camera over her head and set it on her backpack beside them. “I swear you took a year off my life.”
She swallowed, her gaze dropping briefly to his mouth before flicking up to his eyes again. “I’m sorry.”
The warmth from her body warmed him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Damn it. He’d told himself he wouldn’t do it, told himself he’d keep his distance from Zandra because the last thing he’d wanted was for either of them to get carried away.
Yeah, kissing her was a bad idea, no doubt, but still…
Her lips parted, then she raised onto her toes, her hands playing on his chest making Blake smile. Leave it to Zandra to make the decisive move.
He dipped his head down, and the moment she opened underneath his kiss, a weight lifted off his shoulders. This sweetness, this touch, this moment—these were all reserved for Zandra. Nothing else mattered but the feel of her mouth on his, the way her tongue dueled, invited, teased.
He tightened his grip on her hips and gently pulled her closer. Somehow, his brain registered her deep moan, registered the way she moved against him, synchronized almost, and spurring all sorts of thoughts in his head. None of them good, all of them good.
Did it matter
, really, what his brain labeled right or wrong when the feel of Zandra against him inspired all sorts of scenarios he likely wouldn’t be happy with, either?
She pushed herself up against him, shifted just enough that his erection strained even harder. Was she teasing him? God, he hoped not, but he wasn’t about to ask. Better to let things play out, no matter how they played out.
From somewhere a drum beat insistently, and a voice over a mic registered. He groaned. The band was about to kick in.
He pulled back and smiled when she leaned toward him, mewling softly, her mouth searching for his. He couldn’t help it. He leaned toward her and planted another kiss on her soft mouth. “This probably isn’t the time or place,” he said regretfully. Damn, how he wished it were.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she swallowed, nodding. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” Her tongue snaked out and moistened her lower lip.
“Now you’re just teasing,” he said.
As if to prove her point, she cleared her throat and took a step back as she tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “Am not.”
Cute ear. Was the area behind it sensitive? If he kissed and licked it, would she respond?
If he were a smart man, he’d steer clear of Zandra.
Although the way he’d been behaving lately, he was beginning to question just how smart he was.
…
From what Zandra had seen so far, Cologne was as charming as its inhabitants. They’d finished the shoot at a local teashop where patrons could purchase tea blends or mix their own. The adjoining café even gave them the ability to brew it themselves. The owners were delightful, and the atmosphere light and fun.
Thankfully so.
Since that kiss in Lichtenstein a few days ago, she’d managed to keep her brain focused on work, keeping herself occupied as she combed through the photos she’d taken and retouched those as necessary so they were ready to be submitted to Flights and Sights.
She’d been tempted to share some of the photos on social media, but her editor was right. It was better to hang onto any still shots until it was time to run promotional material.
Seduced by the Soldier Page 10