by C. J. Thomas
Table of Contents
Capture Me
All rights reserved.
Books by CJ Thomas
About the Author
Book Description
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
Also by CJ Thomas
Acknowledgment
Capture Me
Hollywood Dreams Series
Alpha Billionaire Romance Novel
CJ Thomas
& Dylan Ryan
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2016 CJ Thomas
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and/or publisher. No part of this publication may be sold or hired, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the writer’s imagination and/or have been used fictitiously in such a fashion it is not meant to serve the reader as actual fact and should not be considered as actual fact. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
[email protected]
Books by CJ Thomas
Ruin Me: Secret Seduction
This isn’t how I thought I’d lose my V-card. Not like this. Vi said it was the only way, and with the devastating news Mom just dropped on me, I knew I had no other choice. This wasn’t about me. It was about her. I needed to do this to save her life. But what I didn’t know was that in saving hers, I was also saving mine. Thanks to the man who laid down one million dollars to have me.
Ruin Me Vol. 1
Ruin Me Vol. 2
Ruin Me Vol. 3
Ruin Me Vol. 4
Ruin Me Vol. 5
About the Author
CJ lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont. You can find CJ skiing, hiking, and spending time with family when not typing away on the latest hottest read.
Connect with CJ on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorcjthomas
Book Description
He had a knack for getting women to take off their clothes and light ’em up.
Billionaire Liam Rising’s lens was long. He knew just where to point and shoot to make the biggest flash. The first time I heard his sexy European accent pass his sensual lips, I wanted to lift the hem of his shirt up, just so I could kiss my way down.
Then my life threw a devastating curve ball no one saw coming.
It would be easy to forget about all that went wrong in my life by losing myself in him. The thing was, I never saw myself being a model, but with him around, a man who clearly liked to take charge, maybe I could make an exception.
All he had to do was point his long lens and shoot.
CHAPTER 1
Tessa
“Could you close the door?”
It took me a moment for the woman’s words to register as she whipped off her bra. The matching black corset and leggings with little crystal studs that accentuated her curves did little to hide the rest of her body. She flipped the bra onto a white leather chaise lounge behind her that seemed out of place in this oversized studio. It was the only bit of furniture on this side of the tall gunmetal curtains that cleaved the large room in two. Every few seconds, a bright camera flash illuminated the other side. With the exposed brick and ducts, the place reminded me more of a warehouse, but considering the location, surely it’d been carefully selected and designed based on the latest trends.
Given the unexpected show, I had the urge to double check I was in the right place, but the words Phoenix Studios artfully painted in sun-yellow across the cement wall to my left answered any doubts I might have had.
I was right where I was supposed to be.
I was about to ask her why she didn’t go behind the curtain to change, but the long rack of clothes beside the couch told me this was behind the curtain.
“The door?”
“Oh, sorry.” I tugged on the long bar of the heavy, metal door. When it didn’t budge, I gave it a good yank.
“There’s a little trick.” She stepped beside me and pushed on the bolt. Her breasts bobbed with each smack of her palm. When the bar slid into place, the door slammed shut. She swept back her long hair, nearly as dark as the corset cinched around her waist.
“Thanks,” I said, slightly distracted by the flashing camera on the other side of the curtain. I couldn’t help but wonder what was being captured over there. “I’m—”
“New here? No kidding. Otherwise you’d know to go through the side door.”
I decided not to tell her that they weren’t exactly marked. Besides, who the hell changes beside the main door?
Before now, I’d never understood how some men stared at a woman’s breasts while they talked. I’d always been tempted to tell them that I have nice brown eyes they can look into, but right now, all I saw were this woman’s bouncing boobs. Along with zero sense of modesty, she enjoyed large hand gestures and underestimating the boundaries of personal space.
“Liam’s going to love you. Your long legs will look great with a corset.”
“Corset?” I asked, though I preferred to not have a conversation with a half-naked stranger. Beautiful or not. “Oh, you’ve got it all wrong—I’m not a model.”
She gave me a strange look and crossed her arms just beneath her breasts, lifting them with skills to compete against the best push-up bra. “Then why are you here?”
I didn’t know if the night breeze happened to hit her just then, but I swore her nipples beaded. “I’m here to meet—”
“Good god, Paisley. Get those things out of her face.”
I turned and hugged my best friend, even though she was only weari
ng a pink bra, thong, and matching corset. Somehow, her dark skin made the combo look elegant. “Sadie, you don’t exactly look ready to celebrate.”
“Are you kidding? I’d get all kinds of yummy attention with this on.”
The corset did wonders for her already curvy body. It wasn’t like she needed any more attention than she always got. I was pretty sure corsets weren’t the club trend, but then, it’d been a while since I’d been on the scene.
From the rack of clothes, Sadie pulled off two black satin robes and tossed one to Paisley. “So you don’t get cold.”
Paisley slipped her arms through but did nothing to cover herself. Her pale skin stood out in such contrast that wearing the robe made her seem even more exposed, if that was possible.
It gave me the urge to push the hem of Sadie’s dress down. Right about now I wished I’d refused her offer to clothe me, no matter how much she’d insisted.
“Stop messing with that.” Sadie swatted playfully at my hand. “Not all skirts have to end below the knees.”
“Suits are supposed to fit that way,” I said.
“Not if you want to move up,” Sadie teased as she began to untie her corset’s satin ribbon. “Best way to do that is by going down.” She drew the robe across her body and tied it at her hip.
“Bet your bosses loved you,” Paisley said through a forced laugh.
“Well, my boss is my father.” My voice was snarky. “So, not exactly an option.” No sense telling Paisley that I wouldn’t start until Monday.
“Pity.” Paisley shrugged, then turned when the curtain parted behind her.
A man stepped out holding a digital camera, his broad shoulders flexed as he draped the material back behind him. “What’s a pity?” he asked, a slight accent coloring his words. I wasn’t sure which European country he might be from, but the sexy way he talked made me hope he wasn’t the quiet artistic type.
“Oh nothing,” Sadie said and hooked her hand under his arm to pull him over to me. “Liam, this is Tessa.”
I smiled when he took my hand. He gave it a squeeze as he said, “The pleasure is mine.”
The words, the way he said them, made me warm and gave me chills at the same time. It took me several moments to realize I was still smiling and he hadn’t dropped my hand.
“Sadie told me you graduate tomorrow. She didn’t tell me how beautiful you are.”
I nearly said speak for yourself. I wasn’t expecting someone so good looking to be on that side of the camera.
The graphic tee he wore stretched across his defined pecs, and against his naturally tan skin, the red material screamed power. Perhaps not everyone needed a tie to make that statement.
Liam’s style reminded me of this studio. His low-rise, ripped jeans initially appeared casual, but being around Sadie as much as I had, I’d picked up a few things about fashion. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped anything less than a grand on his pants. If I found jeans that fit my ass that nicely, I’d consider it as well. Sadie said he was well off, but assuming Liam drove the spanking new Land Rover in the parking lot, I’d guess he was more than covered.
“I figured you seeing her would speak for itself.” Sadie winked at me and it took a good bit of willpower to not roll my eyes back at her.
I wasn’t sure if the handholding was customary where he was from, but when he did finally let go, I wanted to meet him all over again.
I tucked the strand of dark brown hair behind my ear that often fell across my cheek. The way his eyes watched every movement I made, I wondered if he wanted to do it himself.
In the dim light, I couldn’t tell if his eyes were green or brown. They had stayed locked on me from the moment he stepped from behind the curtain. He hadn’t once looked at Paisley’s exposed perky peaks. Looking into his eyes made me want to pull the hem of my skirt down again; in fact, it made me want to pull it off completely.
Paisley pulled a red corset from the rack and made a show of putting it on. Her exposed breasts bounced back and forth as she shimmied it up her legs. Liam didn’t even glance in her direction. Even though I was the most clothed female here, his intense eyes followed me.
And I did so enjoy his gaze on me.
“Where are you ladies celebrating?” Liam asked.
Sadie rattled off a couple clubs she’d considered, none of which I recognized at all, which probably meant they were the hottest spots this month.
Liam shook his head. “My buddy owns Echo.” He said it as though it was nothing, but the way Sadie’s mouth dropped, it had to be a big deal. “You can have my VIP table for the night.”
Paisley squealed in protest but no one paid her any attention.
“We really couldn’t—”
Sadie cut me off. “Hell yeah we could.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed, not exactly giving me the same delicious zing that Liam had. “Do this for me, please?”
I tried not to smile but couldn’t help myself. She knew how much I hated taking anyone up on this sort of thing. I could afford it but Sadie wasn’t set up with family money like I was. She’d planned tonight just for me and I wasn’t going to take that from her.
“As fascinating as all this is,” Paisley said as she stepped halfway through the curtain, “I’m ready for my next shoot.”
“Hey.” I snatched up the red bra from the rack that matched Paisley’s corset and tossed it at her. “You’ll probably need this.”
CHAPTER 2
Tessa
I took a one-hundred-dollar sip of wine.
At least, it sure seemed it would cost that, given the décor of this place. And it was all compliments of this table’s usual guest, Liam Rising.
Candles illuminated the sleek lounge, and the way the light flickered off the vaulted copper ceiling provided a delightfully mysterious atmosphere. The dance floor held a small yet intimate presence, giving little opportunity for anything but pressing against that special someone.
I could only think of one special someone I wanted to be that close to right about now.
“You’re thinking of Liam, aren’t you?” Sadie elbowed me.
I playfully shoulder-bumped her back. “Just because you’re my best friend doesn’t mean you know all my thoughts.”
“If you gave that look to any guy in here, I’m pretty sure you’d have ripped each other’s clothes off before you made it outside.”
Ripping Liam’s clothes off? The thought of pulling that tee over his head, nipping my way down—
“Do I need to toss some cubes down your dress?” Sadie pointed over to the wine chiller. “I thought you two might hit it off, but damn. If Paisley hadn’t had that second session, I probably would’ve had to pry you two apart.”
“You know that’s not my style.”
“Still hung up on that three-dates-before-sex rule? Get over it already. That predates your sophomore year.” Sadie leaned forward and grabbed the wine bottle by the neck. “You and numbers. No one’s going to keep track, you know.” She swirled the bottle around as she talked. “If you want to fuck, then fuck. Why wait? With how rarely you get past the first date, I’m surprised you ever make it to three.”
“Exactly,” I said, feeling like my point had been proven. “I don’t have time to mess with anything that’s meaningless.”
“Make time for someone and get past the third date for me. What about Liam?”
“We’d need to have a first date to get past three.”
“You could count tonight. He did get us in here. Even if we had our names on the guest list, we probably wouldn’t have gotten in.”
“Guest list?” I shook my head. “Until you dropped Liam’s name, the doorman swore there wasn’t a list. You’re a model. You’d think that alone would get us in the door.”
“You could so be one, too, if you wanted.”
“A model? Yeah right. I went to school to take over my father’s company. Like I’d have time for anything else.”
“Just saying you could be. Like you could have
some fun with Liam.”
“I’m here with you and I’m having fun.” I smiled. “Know who doesn’t have a three date rule? You. Anyone here catch your eye?”
“Bet if I got to know the doorman a little better we could get in here any time we want.”
I laughed. “Oh you are bad.”
Maybe if I got to know Liam a little better, we could get in here any time we wanted, too.
CHAPTER 3
Liam
I swirled the merlot and watched as the streaks formed inside the glass.
It was something I did every time I poured a new bottle of wine. There was beauty in the way the droplets formed and separated, and in the next swirl, they were gone. Some people thought these legs related to the quality or sweetness of the wine, but tonight, all they made me think of was Tessa.
Her long legs in those heels, in that dress . . .
In that way, I’d always been similar to wine. One swirl and I was on to the next girl, the next thrill.
Those legs made me want to stop just to know what they felt like wrapped around me.
I shifted in my seat. Just the thought of her got me hard.
“I think we need another bottle.” The smooth voice from across the table took me from my thoughts.
I looked up at my date. Maggie . . . wait, no . . . Megan. Maggie was last week. A damn disaster, just like every other date.
I gave Megan a nod. I waited for her to smile, to put her hand on my arm, to do something to show she was having a good time.
I wanted to know why she was here.
Megan flipped through the wine list. Her long nails made click, click sounds against each plastic covering. Ticking down the possibilities. She skimmed through a third time, making me think she really had a favorite in mind. Maybe she was looking for one we’d both enjoy. I did tell her I liked my wine sweet.
“Let’s get the good stuff,” she said, then her eyes lit up. “This one.”
I leaned over to see her point at an incredibly expensive and awfully dry Cabernet I’d tried and sent back a few months ago. It had made the roof of my mouth feel like gravel and it didn’t taste much better. The unpleasant memory made me clear my throat.