The Model: A Workplace Romance

by Layne, Harlow

  “She may not be my favorite person, but I’ll live. At least I don’t have to work with her.” She started up the Jeep and pulled out of the parking space.

  “Were you surprised that she said you’re one of the best photographers?” I certainly was.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say something so nice and have it come out of their mouth like an insult.”

  “I thought the same thing.” I had to laugh at that. Reaching over, I grabbed her hand and placed it on my thigh. “I’m glad you’re here.” Giving her hand a squeeze, I asked. “Tell me, are you okay?” I was worried about her after what Raine told me on the phone and seeing her neck.

  “It’s nice to be away. There’s no way Ben’s going to find me here, and I get to sit on the beach, relax, and look at your pretty…” Her gaze raked over me from head to toe. Her eyes darkening with each inch she took in. “All of you is gorgeous. Inside and out.”

  If she kept looking at me the way she was, I was going to jump her the second we got out of the Jeep. The problem was, I didn’t think she’d try to stop me. It would be my luck to get arrested for indecent exposure or worse my first night here. Needing to change the subject, I asked, “Have you talked to Raine to find out if anything’s happened?”

  She shook her head, and her voice took on an uneven tone. “No, after she dropped me off at the airport, she was heading out of town. I don’t want her to get hurt in case Ben followed her home one night and finds out where she lives.” Looking over at me, she frowned. “This all still seems like a dream until I see myself in the mirror, or I accidentally touch my neck.” Her hand rose as if she was going to touch the cut but thought better of it.

  Pulling up to the hotel, I could smell the saltwater in the air as I took everything in. It was dark so I couldn’t tell much, but I knew the hotel was much nicer than the place the agency had booked.

  Hopping out of the car, Lexie handed her keys to the valet and came around to my side. Slipping her hand through my arm, she pointed to my bag. “Can you have that taken up to my room? We’re going to go eat in the restaurant and don’t want to lug it around.”

  “Of course, Ms. Keene. I’ll happily place it in your room.” The short, stocky valet slipped my bag from my shoulder and placed it over his own.

  “Perfect.” She handed over a tip and pulled us inside the hotel in the direction of the restaurant. “Under normal circumstances, I would order room service, but I know we both need food, and I also know the second we step foot inside our room, our clothes are going to come off, and all thoughts of food will be forgotten.”

  “Do you take me for someone who’s easy to get into bed?”

  The hostess gave us the side-eye, and both Lexie and I clutched onto each other as we burst out laughing.

  “Are you telling me differently? Is it normally hard for women to seduce you into their beds?”

  The topic made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t want Lexie to think I was a manwhore. I knew the stigma that came along with looking the way I looked, but I was the furthest thing from it. The way we hooked up the first time probably didn’t help her opinion of me either. There was something about the woman on my arm that made my primal needs take over. I was inexplicably drawn to her.

  After the hostess showed us to our table that looked out onto the dark ocean waters, I cleared my throat, ready to confess when a young waiter came to take our drink order.

  “Is the water here safe to drink?” I whispered across the table to Lexie.

  She turned to the waiter and asked. “Is your water filtered?”

  He blushed as he answered in a heavy accent, “Yes, minha senhora, it is.”

  Our waiter only had eyes for Lexie, and I didn’t blame him. There was no one like her, and that made her all the more alluring.

  “Two waters then, please.”

  “Do you want to hear the specials for tonight?”

  “Oh, no, that’s okay. Ryder here will be eating grilled chicken with whatever veggies you have. No butter.” She looked at the menu for only a moment before she continued. “I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger, medium well, with the truffle fries. Wait, do I want onion rings instead? Which is better?”

  “The fries, minha senhora, there are the best in the city.”

  Lexie gave him a disbelieving look. “We’ll see about that. I’ll have the fries with my burger. Did I get your order right?”

  “Yeah, not that there’s much to get wrong. I’m feeling a little risky tonight, so can you make it grilled teriyaki chicken?”

  The waiter glanced at me and then back to Lexie. “We can make whatever you want.”

  “Perfect, make it teriyaki then.”

  “Very good, senhor.” He wrote something down on the ticket and then gave us a little bow before scurrying off.

  “Is it going to bother you that I’m eating yummy delicious food in front of you while you eat your boring chicken?” She bit her bottom lip to hide her smile.

  “Will I probably want a bite? Yes, but I can control myself when it comes to food.” I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “When it comes to you, I seem to have a harder time holding myself back.”

  Placing her hand on top of mine, her eyes flashed a dark shade of blue. “Good, because it’s one of the things I like most about you.”

  After our waters were placed on the table, I cleared my throat and tried again with what I wanted to clarify. “Before, when you asked about women seducing me into their beds...” I looked down at her hand on top of mine and went for it. It wasn’t like she’d tell me to fuck off after learning the truth. “I want you to know there haven’t been many women. I’m not a manwhore, I promise you.”

  “Is that what you think my opinion is of you?” She laced our fingers together with her mouth set in a thin line.

  “In all honesty, I don’t know. What I do know is that’s what people expect of me.” I’d traveled a great deal with my job and had women hit on me in almost every city. What they didn’t expect was for me to turn them down.

  “That’s not what I expect, and while I love your passion, I don’t really want to hear about all the women you’ve shared it with. I’m sure you can understand.”

  “I do understand. I hate the thought of you with other men, but I know it’s happened. You weren’t a virgin when we met.”

  “And for that, I’m glad. You and your big dick are not friends to the virgins of the world.”

  Of course, that was the moment the waiter brought our food out to us. Quickly placing our dishes in front of us, he asked if we needed anything else and hightailed it away from our table.

  “You’re going to give our waiter a heart attack if you don’t stop.” I tried to say it seriously, but my laughter won out.

  “Oh please, he’s had to of heard worse.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be hanging around to see what else he can hear.”

  “Oh, he’ll come back all right, just to hear more.” She shook with laughter.

  “Probably to see more of you. He’s so got a crush on you. Not that I blame him.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Do you think I’m teenage boy spank bank material?”

  “I think you’re any male’s spank bank material,” I told her truthfully.

  Lexie leaned back in her seat, cheeseburger forgotten. “Have you pleasured yourself to the thoughts of me?” Her brows lifted to her hairline.

  “Almost every day that we’ve been apart.”

  Her mouth inched up at the sides until she flashed her white smile and clasped her hands together. “Tell me more. What do you think about?”

  “Do you not think about someone when you get yourself off?” I’d love to hear all about her sexual fantasies.

  “We’re not talking about me right now. I want to hear all about you and what you’re picturing.” Picking up her cheeseburger, Lexie took a big bite out of it and moaned loudly. It rivaled the sounds she made when I was pleasuring her and made my dick swell. “This is so fucking good.
” Holding it out to me, she asked. “Do you want a bite?”

  Rolling my eyes at her, I cut a piece of chicken and placed it in my mouth. It wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t cause me to moan. “How do you expect me to keep looking like this if I eat cheeseburgers all day?”

  “Sucks to be you. Now back to you getting yourself off thinking about me.” She slicked a fry through ketchup and plopped it in her mouth. Thank god she didn’t moan this time.

  “I think about you sucking my cock our last day together, our first time, and the way you rode me in the water; those are my go to’s. What about you?”

  “Oh, I play a slide show of all our times together, and sometimes I make up things that I hope to do in the future with you.”

  “Anal,” I supplied.

  Tilting her head to the side, she looked at me like I was insane. “Crazily enough, that hasn’t been one of them.”

  “While I love talking about this, I’d rather not sit here with my dick about ready to break my zipper. How did we even get on this topic?”

  “The waiter. Let’s talk about something not sexy like stinky feet.”

  “That does it,” I laughed as I shifted in my seat to get comfortable. I decided it was probably better to spit out what I wanted to say so there wouldn’t be any more interruptions or talk that led to me getting hard. “I’ve only been with three women.”

  Lexie was mid-chew when I dropped my bombshell on her. She sat her cheeseburger on her plate and patted her mouth with her napkin without ever taking her eyes off me.

  “Okay…that was unexpected.”

  “Why?” The one word came out harder than intended.

  “Are you just naturally gifted in all areas?” My brows pinched together, and she must have seen the question on my lips because she answered me with her next words. “To put it bluntly, you fuck like you’ve been doing it all your life. Like you’ve been with at least a hundred women.”

  I didn’t understand.

  “You know how to pleasure a woman, or I should say, me. Easily. It doesn’t seem hard for you in the least. It’s like you know exactly what my body wants, and the raw passion you exude—”

  “I don’t know what to say. I’ve only ever been that way with you,” I cut her off. “Yes, I pleasured the women I’ve been with, but it’s different with you. When I’m with you, something deep inside of me takes over, and I go with my instincts.”

  Lexie sat quietly for a few moments. I wasn’t sure if I’d stunned her into silence or not, so I continued to eat my food. I glanced up at her a few times, and when she picked up a fry and ate it, I thought she wasn’t going to say anything until she placed her hands on the table like she was bracing herself.

  “I’m not going to say how many men I’ve been with unless you really want to know, but I can tell you this…” My smile dropped. I definitely didn’t like thinking of her with other men, so it was probably wise not to know the number. “While I’ve had good sex, the sex with you is amazing. It’s beyond amazing. It’s the best I’ve ever had. I don’t think there are words to describe it.”

  “It’s our undeniable chemistry. I can feel it all the way over here.”

  Picking up a fry, she rubbed it over her lips like it was a tube of lip gloss or the tip of my cock. “I agree, but I’d like to feel something else up close and personal.” Her gaze flicked to my mouth and then lower before coming back up again to meet my eyes. “What do you say? Are you ready to blow this popsicle stand?”

  “I’m ready for you to blow me.”

  12

  Lexie

  Stepping off the elevator, Ryder wrapped his hand around mine and pulled me down the hallway. His large stride making it difficult to keep up with my short legs.

  “It might help if you knew which room we’re staying in.” Ryder’s steps faltered in the middle of the hallway as pink crept up his stubbled cheeks. “We’re in room 1120.”

  He looked around the hallway for a moment before he took off again, dragging me with him. Slipping the keycard out of my purse, I jammed it in the card reader and waited for it to light up green. Stepping inside, I thought Ryder was going to throw me down on the bed, but instead, he looked at the room in awe.

  Making his way to the sliding glass doors that led out onto the balcony, he looked over his shoulder at me. “I can guarantee you this is way nicer than where I was going to stay.”

  “My main requirement was a room with an ocean view. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love to fall asleep listening to the waves.”

  Opening the balcony door, salty air rushed into the room. “Why don’t you live on a beach back in California?”

  “Because I couldn’t afford any buildings to run my studio. When I bought my place, I knew I’d eventually renovate the second floor into an apartment for me to live in. I have to say it’s been nice not having my drive take almost forty minutes every day.”

  “Makes sense. Maybe someday you can live on the beach.” Ryder leaned over the rail. There wasn’t much to see in the darkness, but you could hear the waves crashing, and it was music to my ears.

  “That’s the dream.” I walked out onto the balcony and rested my arms on the railing beside his and breathed in the air.

  One arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me in front of him, my back to his front. Caging me in with his hands on the railing on either side of me, his hot breath tickled my ear. “I’m glad you came.”

  Reaching around, I pulled him closer until his body was plastered to mine. “Me too. All my worries disappeared the moment I got off the plane.”

  Feverish kisses trailed down my neck as his hands moved from the railing to slide underneath my t-shirt until his palms cupped my breasts. “I missed you in my arms, my sexy Lexie.”

  I loved his nickname for me. It still astonished me he thought I was sexy, but I believed him when he said it. Raine was right about the way Ryder looked at me. There was no hiding how into me he was.

  Turning around in his arms, my fingers immediately went to the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. My hands skimmed down the soft skin over hard muscle until I reached the waistband of his jeans. Flicking the button, I reached down to be met with his impressive length. The first time I’d gone down on him, I was surprised I was able to take him all the way in. Now my mouth watered at the thought of pleasuring him.

  Ryder guided me around a table and into a chair before he did the fastest strip show known to man. Standing before me, his cock bobbed as if anticipating my waiting mouth. Wrapping my hand around his length, I stroked the velvet over steel that twitched in my hand. Still, I had no idea how he went without sex for so long. When Ryder was around me, he was like a horny teenager.

  Leaning forward, I licked the tip and swirled my tongue around. Ryder sucked in a sharp breath and fisted my hair in his hands. He was done taking this slowly and took over. I let him fuck my mouth. His thrusts were deep, hitting the back of my throat time and time again. His grip on my hair tightened as I felt him swell in my mouth.

  “Your mouth is heaven.” He let out a deep moan that soaked my panties. It was so damn sexy. Pulling out with a pop, he demanded. “Take off your shirt, I want to paint your perfect tits with my cum.”

  In a matter of seconds, I had my t-shirt off and my bra on the ground as I watched his hand stroke up and down his length. His grip was brutal when he squeezed the tip and let out another panty-melting moan.

  My hands went to his tapered hips and grabbed his superb ass as I licked his tip. With his hand still in my hair, Ryder pulled my head back as stream after stream of his cum coated my chest and neck. His gaze was transfixed as he watched his hands rub the thick warm cream into my skin.

  Ryder studied me for a moment as if he was trying to decide on something. He nodded once to himself before he claimed, “Now you’re mine.”

  My brows rose. This was new and confusing, but I decided to play along with him. “What do I have to do to make you mine?”

  A slow seduct
ive smirk came over his face, and when that dimple popped out, I almost melted in that very spot. “You want to mark me?”

  That did sound fun. Although I wasn’t sure where I could mark him that it wouldn’t be seen. I guess I’d have to get creative.

  Running my hands up his muscular thighs, I brushed over his semi-erect cock and up his ridged abs. “I do like the sound of that. I’ll have to be extra creative on how and where.” Leaning forward, I nipped at his chin, causing those dimples to flash at me again.

  “I could get a tattoo?”

  The corner of his mouth tipped up while my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. My mouth repeatedly opened and closed without anything coming out. I didn’t know what to say or how to respond. Did he mean a tattoo in general, and I would be there when he got it, or did he mean my name or something that symbolized me?

  “Don’t implode over it.” His eyes glittered with amusement. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I was thinking of a camera on the inside of my bicep. For me, you’ve always been the one who started my career, and now we have this.” His long arms pulled me up and into his warm chest. “I don’t know where this is going, but I don’t want to ever forget you or where I started.”

  Without realizing it, my hand cupped his face. The way he looked down at me, so open and honest, wasn’t something I was used to. The blue of his eyes was like a crystal ball, begging me to never look away. I couldn’t believe Ryder wanted to remember me for the rest of his life. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “That’s a big commitment. You should never get ink that you’re not one hundred percent sure you want forever. Plus, you’ve got to think it’s going to be photographed over and over again. What are you going to tell others when they ask you about it?”

  “That it’s a representation of my life that I like. How else would you suggest I show it?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered softly as my thumb caressed his cheekbone. One moment it was sexy times, and the next Ryder was talking about marking his body for life to remember me. I was flattered, truly, but I was afraid he’d come to regret it down the line. At least he wasn’t talking about getting my name inked on him.