Model Attraction

by Sharon C. Cooper

  When Janna stood just inside her bedroom door in only her skimpy red lace bra and panty set, it was as if time stood still. Austin was less than a yard away in his black boxer briefs, looking like an Adonis.

  Janna’s heart rate kicked up as she took in all of him. Beautiful everywhere, she thought as her gaze landed on him. No doubt national magazines would fly off the shelves if Austin’s perfectly sculpted body was featured on the pages. Exquisitely built, from his wide shoulders down to his thick muscular legs, and he was hers.

  “Wow,” she finally said, the word tumbling out of her mouth. He moved forward, visibly admiring her lingerie with each step he took. It was the same heated look that was brimming in his eyes when he’d all but ogled her skimpy white bikini.

  “Wow, yourself.”

  She squealed when he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. He threw back the covers, holding her as if she weighed nothing, and laid her down. Before joining her, he placed several foil packets on the bedside table. She hadn’t realized he’d had them in his hand, but a ball of excitement bounced inside her gut, knowing that they were really going to do this. She’d wanted him weeks ago, but knew the wait would be worth it.

  When he turned to her, his eyes blazing with desire, she squirmed under his watchful gaze as his fingers traced a seductive path from her neck down to the center of her chest. Experienced fingers unclasped the front of her bra and she quickly shrugged out of it.

  Excitement pumped through her veins when he palmed her breasts, tweaking and teasing her nipples. Her breath hitched when his tongue replaced his fingers on one nipple, rotating and teasing the hardened bud before moving over to the other.

  Janna’s eyes drifted closed and her body squirmed beneath him as he kneaded her breasts, sucking and tugging as she groaned in pleasure. His teeth grazed a sensitive peak, sending an erotic sensation scurrying from the top of her head to the pads of her feet.

  “Austin,” she breathed. “I don’t know how much of this I can take.”

  His hands continued torturing her breasts as if she hadn’t spoken while he kissed a fiery path down her body, not stopping until he reached the top of her bikini panties.

  “Though you look hot as hell in these, they have to go.” Before she could blink, he had slid them down her legs and was back to torturing her with soft kisses against her heated skin. Gone was the boy who was nervous about making love to her as a teen, and here was a man who knew what he was doing. Knew what he wanted.

  He raised his head, his hands roaming down the sides of her body. “You’re gorgeous with clothes on, but without them, you take my breath away. Absolute perfection.”

  His gaze stroked every inch of her and Janna had to fight her natural instinct to strike a pose. She remained still as she lay vulnerable under his heated perusal. She wanted this so badly. She wanted him...all of him.

  He sat back on his haunches, his hands still caressing her body. He had that look in his eyes. The same look he had when he brought their intimate moment at the guesthouse to a halt.

  “Don’t even think about stopping this,” she said with attitude, his gaze holding hers. “I’m not the shy girl you once knew and I plan to have my way with you this afternoon.”

  Austin chuckled. “Baby, there has never been a shy bone in your body.” He stood suddenly and removed his boxer briefs.

  Janna’s mouth dropped open and the smart retort teetering on the end of her tongue froze. When she compared him to an Adonis earlier, she hadn’t seen what lay beneath his briefs. Magnificent.

  “As for you having your way with me, I’m all yours.”

  From his words, his tone and the look in his eyes as he stared at her from the foot of the bed, Janna knew he was talking about more than just this moment.

  “And I’m all yours,” she murmured, barely able to breathe as he slowly climbed back on the bed, the muscles in his body contracting with each stealthy move toward her.

  Her thighs fell open of their own accord as if inviting him in, but Austin would not be rushed. He lifted her foot, turning it in his large hand, and placed a kiss on the inside of her ankle. She whimpered as he slowly made his way up her leg, covering her skin with his sweet kisses.

  “Austin,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as his mouth caressed the inside of her thigh. Her stomach tightened and an orgasm teetered on the edge of her control.

  It didn’t take much for her to reach that point when Austin’s experienced mouth did wicked things to her body. His tongue joined in on the fun and passion raged deep inside her core. Her eyes slammed shut. “I can’t hold...” She fisted a handful of the sheet in her grasp and her hips lifted off the bed as her sex throbbed with need. “I want you in...inside me.”

  Austin lowered her leg and slid a finger inside her slick heat.

  “Oh, baby,” he said on a husky groan, adding another finger, sliding in and out of her hard and deep. “You’re definitely ready for me.”

  “Austin!” she screamed, her hips bucking with each thrust until waves of ecstasy pushed her over the edge of her control and into a hysteria of delight.

  * * *

  Austin wanted to make her come over and over again, and today he planned to. His pulse pounded wildly as her erotic sounds filled the quietness of the room. His own control was hanging by a thread as he watched her come all over his fingers.

  She whimpered and her eyes opened at half-mast when he removed his fingers. Grabbing one of the foil packets from next to the bed, he quickly sheathed himself.

  “I wanted to take this slow, but...” With a hand on either side of her head, he nudged her thighs wider and entered her in one smooth move.

  Janna’s legs trembled as her interior walls fisted around his shaft. A blast of pleasure shot through him at the heat their joined bodies generated.

  Austin cursed under his breath, knowing this round was about to be over way before he wanted it to, but she felt so good. Damn good.

  Oh, yeah, this was worth the weeks of waiting, he thought as he picked up the pace. His thrusts grew faster, harder and he went deeper, losing himself in her sweet heat. She matched him stroke for stroke as he increased the speed.

  He gripped her hips and plunged even deeper. Her body trembled in his grasp and her nails dug into his shoulders.

  “Au...Austin,” she whimpered her breathing more ragged, her moves more jerky. “I...I’m...” Her words stalled when another orgasm ripped through her and she screamed his name.

  Austin held on to her soft flesh, knowing he was right behind her. One last thrust and desire tore through his body, sending his world into a turbulent tailspin. He growled her name as an explosion of fiery heat sent him over the edge of his control.

  Collapsing on top of her, he held her tight as he struggled to catch his breath. Totally spent, but not wanting to keep too much of his weight on her, he rolled onto his back.

  “That was mind-blowing,” Janna said, still gasping for air when Austin pulled her into his arms.

  He placed a light kiss against her damp forehead. “Yes...yes, it was.”

  Chapter 10

  Janna lay tucked against Austin’s side, his arm around her and his hand resting on her hip. She’d had a feeling that when they finally came together it would be explosive, but the reality exceeded her fantasy.

  “You’re awfully quiet. Are you okay?” Austin shook her gently.

  She lifted slightly and smiled up at him. “I’m better than okay. I thought my first time with you was special, but this was beautiful.”

  He watched her, his eyes barely open. “I agree.” He rolled her onto her back and sat up, resting his weight on his elbow while staring down at her. “I have missed you so much. Being with you again, and like this...doesn’t seem real. I never want to lose you again.”

  Excitem
ent bubbled inside Janna. Her vacation was quickly coming to an end and for the last few days all she could think about was the two of them.

  “So what happens now?” she asked, her hand caressing the smooth skin of his solid chest.

  “You mean, after I make love to you again?” He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

  She laughed. “No, silly. You know what I mean. What happens now...with us?”

  “What do you want to happen?”

  “I want us to happen. I know getting back to what we once felt for each other might take some time, but I don’t want what we’ve had these last couple of weeks to stop just because we live in different cities.”

  Though she knew without a doubt that she was in love with Austin, she wasn’t sure how he felt. Janna knew she had hurt him, but she wanted another chance for them to rebuild what they once had.

  “I agree,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. Austin fluffed one of the pillows and placed it under his head, his attention still on her. “But I have to be honest. I have never considered a long-distance relationship. It’s hard enough maintaining a connection when you live in the same town as the other person. Living in different states will pose some challenges.”

  “I guess we’ll have to figure out how to do this so that it isn’t so hard.”

  “I don’t want it to be hard, either, but I know anything worth having is worth working for. I’m ready and willing to do whatever it takes. What about you? Are you willing to put in the work?”

  “Definitely. How about if I start now?” She threw off the sheet covering their naked bodies and struck a seductive pose.

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Works for me.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Austin sat in his office thinking about what he wanted for his future. His father had started grooming him from his first day in college to one day take over the business. But that’s not what Austin wanted long-term. Numbers and finance had always come easily to him and he enjoyed his job, but the CFO position wasn’t something he wanted forever. He had always enjoyed working with his hands and preferred to be in the trenches with the tradespeople they employed, working with wood.

  Now that Janna was back in his life, something else was on his mind. Marriage and a family. That’s what he wanted with her. Unfortunately, after a failed engagement—two, if he counted his youthful proposal to Janna—he didn’t trust himself when it came to matters of the heart. But deep inside his soul, he knew Janna was the woman for him. What he felt for her was like nothing he had ever felt for anyone. He was in love with her, but could he trust her? Could he trust her not to toss his love away like she had before?

  His cell phone rang, pulling him out of his musings.

  “Hello.

  “Hi, handsome,” Janna crooned, bringing an automatic smile to his face.

  “Hi, yourself. Where are you?”

  “I’m at the hotel now. I just had lunch with Macy and then I went by her medical complex. I haven’t been there since the grand opening and can I just say that your company did a beautiful job. The building is marvelous.”

  Months ago, Reynolds Development had completed a project spearheaded by Macy and her husband, Derek. Macy had always dreamed of opening a medical complex and Derek, an architect, worked up the designs. They had commissioned Reynolds to renovate a seventy-five-thousand-square-foot building. The day of the grand opening had been when Austin spotted Janna from a distance. Little had he known that Macy and Derek were related to her.

  “I’m glad you liked the building. So how’s your sister doing?”

  “She’s great, and as expected, I had to suffer through her talking about her pregnancy all during lunch. But I’m happy for her. She’s an awesome mother to Jason and Amber. Having another baby only seems fitting since she’s wanted a family like...forever.”

  Austin listened as Janna talked about her siblings. Besides rehashing the plans that they’d made in the past, he and Janna hadn’t discussed marriage or having a family yet. He wasn’t sure if she wanted either. Though that was a path he wanted to take, right now Janna’s career was her priority. Besides, they had only been dating a few weeks, way too early to be thinking about marriage.

  “Are you sure you’ll be able to get the next few days off in order to spend this Memorial Day weekend with me?” Janna asked, pulling him back into the conversation.

  “Positive. I was even able to get a seat on your flight.”

  “Even better!”

  It worked out that he had some business to attend to in New York, and he planned to spend a few extra days there with Janna.

  “I’m so glad you’re going back with me. I have a photo shoot Friday morning, but the rest of the weekend, I’m all yours. Except there is one thing.”

  Austin kept himself from groaning. With Janna, that one thing could be anything. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is it?”

  “Will you be my date for a dinner party that Vera Wang is having Saturday night? I know you hate stuff like that, but I promise, it won’t be that bad.”

  Austin shook his head and smiled. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for her, even attend a party where the topic of conversation would be fashion.

  Days later, Austin carried their luggage into Janna’s Fifth Avenue penthouse. The two-story unit had spectacular views that could be seen through the wall-to-wall windows clear across the room. She had told him that she could even see Central Park.

  Leaving the bags in the foyer, she gave him the grand tour of the four-bedroom, five-bathroom apartment.

  In his line of work, Austin had seen his share of grand places, but he had to admit Janna’s stood out more than most. From the architectural details to the stunning scenery beyond the windows, she had definitely chosen a gem. Considering all the traveling she did, he wondered when she actually had time to enjoy the place.

  “This is my second-favorite space in the house,” she said of the kitchen.

  Austin laughed. “I’ll admit it’s incredible, but why is it your favorite when you don’t even cook?”

  “Because I like to eat.”

  He shook his head, finding that just as funny, considering she ate like a bird. He walked around the eat-in kitchen, taking in the oversize stainless steel appliances as well as the cabinets of the same material, some with doors, others without. The unusual beige-and-tan backsplash caught his attention as well as the white dishwasher that stood out like red paint on white carpet.

  “So what’s your favorite room in the house?”

  “My bedroom.” She grinned. “Come on. I can’t wait to show you. You’re going to die when you see my closet.”

  Austin laughed again, unable to help himself considering her excitement. He dropped his arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on top of her head. Her enthusiasm was contagious. The last few weeks had been filled with plenty of laughs, a lot of fun, and her companionship was second to none. At some point, they would have to spend some time apart since she had to get back to work and he would eventually return to Atlanta. But until then, he planned to enjoy his time with her and live a little.

  “Okay, so what do you think?” Janna asked once they finished the tour and returned to the living room.

  “I think the space is almost as beautiful as you are.” He pulled her into his arms. “Almost.” His lips touched hers, but before he could deepen the lip lock, the doorbell rang.

  Janna groaned. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll get rid of whoever it is.”

  “You do that, and in the meantime, I’ll take these bags to the bedroom.”

  * * *

  Janna looked through the peephole and sighed when she saw her visitor.

  She swung open the door.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Hello, Janna. Welcome back. May I co
me in?”

  Janna stepped back and Nelson Heath walked in as if he owned the place. Tall, lean and impeccably dressed, Nelson had a presence about him that made both men and women take notice whenever they occupied the same space.

  She gave him a once-over. It seemed as if she wasn’t the only one who had taken a little vacation. His spiked blond hair and tanned skin looked as if he had gotten a little sun recently. Even at fifty-five, he didn’t look a day over forty.

  “What can I do for you, Nelson?” Janna moved past him and walked back into the living room, knowing he would follow. She sat on the sofa and he rested in the upholstered chair across from her.

  Nelson typed something into his handheld device. “I figured we could get an early start discussing some assignments that—”

  “You do remember that I fired you, right?”

  He looked up and frowned. “What? You were serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Do you have any idea what you did to me? To Austin?”

  He set his tablet on the small round table next to him and crossed his legs, showing off argyle socks in the same colors as his shirt.

  “I know I kept a sixteen-year-old safe. I know I jump-started your career, ultimately making you a successful model in a seriously competitive industry. I also know that I made both of us very wealthy. Okay?”

  His cockiness grated on her last nerve.

  “But you also ripped me away from the only man I have ever loved, and that’s not okay.”

  “Janna, love, I was responsible for you. Not just for your safety, but also your well-being. I did what I thought was best. You were a child. If I had to do it all over again, I would make the exact same decision.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you won’t get the opportunity to do it all over again.” Austin’s deep voice filled the space and Nelson leaped out of his seat, his hand on his chest.