In His Sleep

by Jennifer Talty

Before he could utter even a grunt, she walked down the hall and disappeared into an elevator with some guy carrying a bunch of equipment. What the hell had he gotten himself into? Well, right now it didn’t matter. He tossed the information she’d given him in his small leather briefcase, tucked it under his arm, and whipped out his cell phone, hitting star five and waited.

  “Hey little brother,” Gretchen said. “Have a good night?”

  “No, big sister, I did not. I’m about to get in an elevator, so if I lose you, don’t call me back.”

  “That bad?”

  “I’m not in jail.” The elevator dinged, and he waited for a few people to exit before stepping in. “But somehow I managed to get myself hooked up with some photographer after giving her some kinky something or other in the hallway last night?”

  “What do you mean by hooked up? And kinky? That doesn’t sound good.” Gretchen’s voice cracked. “And she took pictures? Of what?”

  “Slow down, sis. One question at a time.”

  “I only care about the sex you just said you had.”

  “Didn’t have sex that I know of. I was asleep.”

  “You don’t know if you had sex with her?” Gretchen’s voice screeched in his ear.

  “I did something wicked with her, to her, but I think I’d remember actual boinking. Or at the very least...” he turned and talk as softly as possible, “wake up. But I have another little problem.” He waved to Ned as he stepped into the elevator. Ned also held a cell phone to his ear, and he seemed deep in conversation. “She wants me to model for her.”

  “What!”

  He grimaced, pulling the phone away from his ear for a moment. “I guess I ran into her in the hall last night and agreed to it while I got her off.”

  “Blow her off.”

  “She’s supposed to do that to me tonight.”

  “Not what I meant, stupid. She’s probably some psycho serial killer who mutilates little boys.”

  “You’re funny.” The elevator opened and he followed Ned out and headed toward his designated room.

  “I’m serious. I mean, what kind of person approaches a strange man in a hotel and asks if she can take his picture while he’s sound asleep? Then lets him touch her?”

  “She thinks I was drunk. I should explain it to her.”

  “Explain what? You don’t owe her anything.”

  His sister was right, he didn’t. Angie had never given him a chance to say no. And if she believed he’d been drunk last night, it was her own stupidity to think he’d actually show up, much less let him do whatever it was he did to her that she seemed to enjoy so much. God, he wished he remembered. Something by the way his cock currently twitched and jumped told him he enjoyed whatever happened as well. “I suppose. Do you have any plans tonight?”

  “Not really.”

  “Up for an all night phone call?”

  “You’re gonna owe me for this one.”

  “How about I spend the weekend sometime with the girls so you and Vic can get away?”

  “That’s funny. And who’s going to baby-sit you.”

  “Gotta go, love you, sis.” He clicked his phone closed, scanned the room he’d been assigned. Satisfied he had everything he needed, he tossed his case on the table and headed for the coffee.

  When he stepped out of the room, he wanted to run back in the moment he spotted Angie. “Hi,” he said, knowing he couldn’t avoid her.

  “Hey yourself,” she said, pouring herself a cup. “The guys you work with said they didn’t mind if I stole some of your coffee.”

  “You always walk around hotels barefoot?”

  “Better than in my underwear.” She smiled up at him, soft and sweet. “See you at ten, big boy.” She had the nerve to look directly at his cock.

  Damn. And his cock wanted to look back.

  It took a moment for him to catch his breath, and retrieve his brain, but by then it was too late and she was halfway down the hall.

  “Is that ten this morning, or ten tonight?” Ned asked appearing out of nowhere and slapping him on the back. “You lucky dog, you. Decided to go for it.”

  Chad ran a hand through his hair. That woman had an effect on him on every level, especially the groin level. “I’ve got a workshop to run.”

  Chad took his coffee and ignored the words coming from Ned’s mouth. This trip had turned into one bizarre incident after another. Not that he had expected it to be normal, but no matter how much he didn’t want to have that woman take his picture, he wanted that woman.

  Chapter Three

  Chad pushed back the outside door to the pool area, entertaining second thoughts about everything. Hot, humid air assaulted his body while the faint smell of chlorine tickled his nose. Never much of a cabana boy, pools were better than the ocean. Something about sharks just gave him the jitters.

  Not too many people milled about, even though there wasn’t a cloud in sky, but it was still early. Signs everywhere indicated that the hot tub and the surrounding areas were closed until at least two. He took in a deep breath, almost gagging on the thickness of the oxygen entering his lungs.

  He stuck his head between the drawn curtains. A man in jeans and a white T-shirt waved his finger under Angie’s nose. She nodded and seemed to be in total agreement, but something in her stoic stance and white knuckles told Chad, she was biting her tongue.

  “Can I help you?” some guy asked, stepping in front of Chad and blocking his view.

  “I’m Chad Gregory.” He tried to look over the guy’s shoulder, shuffling to the left a bit, and then to the right, but the idiot kept moving with him.

  “I’m Kirk. So?”

  “I’m here to see Angie.” Chad couldn’t bring himself to utter the word ‘model.’ “She’s, um, expecting me.”

  “Is that so,” Kirk said. His voice flew up an octave, if that were possible. He smirked, and then looked over his shoulder. “Just wait here, sweetness.”

  Sweetness? “Fine,” Chad mumbled.

  Half of him wanted to run, and run fast. The other half wanted to find a way to get close to her so maybe he could spend the night with her. He’d take her to dinner, talk her fucking ear off, and then maybe strip her down to her underwear and see what pops up. If that meant he had to model first, so be it. He’d model. Better than talking to his sister on the phone all night.

  He loosened his tie and undid the top button to his dress shirt. Perspiration beaded along his forehead, and not just because of the heat. His heart pounded so fast it hurt. He watched Kirk talk with Angie, who glanced in his direction then said something to Kirk, who took his sweet time walking back to where Chad was standing. Talk about a hip sway.

  “She wants me to get you into wardrobe.” Kirk planted his hands on his hips, making some kind of sighing noise. Total sweetness,” He sent his right hip out. “You are going to look totally fab.” He shifted his weight, thrusting his left hip to the side.

  “Great. About how long will this take?”

  Kirk giggled. It was an odd noise coming from a man. Then again, the way he swayed his hips was downright disturbing. “That depends on you, sweetness.”

  “What do you mean? And would you stop calling me that.”

  “I call everyone sweetness.” Kirk paused in front of a small makeshift changing area. One of those old-fashioned room dividers pushed close to the hotel wall.

  Chad stopped dead in his tracks. He was going to have get behind those divider things and take off his clothes.

  “You look a little pale. You okay?” Kirk put his hand on Chad’s arm and gave it a good squeeze.

  Chad glanced at the hand on his arm.

  “Sorry,” Kirk said, pulling his hand away. “Angie was right about you.”

  “What did Angie tell you about me?”

  “Just that you might be a little uptight.”

  “I’m not uptight,” Chad said. “Just never done this before.”

  “Just relax. Modeling is sort of like the opposite of having sex
.”

  “Huh?” Chad frowned, not following the conversation.

  Kirk pushed Chad into the dressing area. “If you’re good at modeling, then it won’t take too long. With the nasty, if you’re good it should take a long time.” Kirk actually winked. “Know what I mean.”

  “Not really. But I think you’ve got it backward. If you’re good at sex, your partner will come quickly.” Chad mentally cursed himself for even responding to such an absurd comment.

  “I’d rather savior the moment, myself,” Kirk said.

  “Everything okay over here.” Angie appeared out of nowhere.

  “Good luck,” Kirk said. “I’ll go check the cameras.”

  “You do that.” Angie held out what had to be the smallest pair of underwear known to man. “Here you go.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me?” He glanced from the flimsy white article of clothing now dangling from his index finger. “This is my outfit?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  Chad ignored the sexy, smooth tone of her voice and the effect it could have on his body if he wasn’t careful. “This is closed to the public right? I mean people won’t see me in this?”

  “Just a few of us.” Angie leaned against the wall and stared.

  “Do you mind?” Chad tried to grimace, but deep down, he liked being oogled by this woman.

  “No, go ahead.” She folded her arms across her chest and smiled like a kid about to see her very first penis. “I like the view.”

  “I bet you do, but if I’m going to get through this without looking like a horny teenager, you better turn around.”

  Angie smiled, which didn’t help his growing discomfort. “Oh, fine.” She turned. “I’ll be back in less than five, so hurry up.”

  “Oh, my, God,” he mumbled, slipping from his pants and boxers in one swoop. He looked down at his cock. Fucking wonderful. “No time for a hard-on.”

  Angie’s chuckle echoed in his ears from somewhere behind him. He blinked a few times, and then hiked up the underwear that didn’t leave anything to the imagination.

  “You have them on yet, or what?”

  “I think the or what,” he said.

  “They fit okay?”

  He looked down at himself, thankful that, thus far, she had no physical effect on his cock. “Not really.”

  “Let me see.”

  “No.” He gripped the divider, locking eyes with her. But all she had to do was raise up on tiptoe and glance down. He swallowed.

  “I had my hand in your boxers last night. This should be a piece of cake.”

  He vaguely remembered thinking something soft and supple had a firm grip on his dick last night, but for now, he chose to ignore the memory. “I think I’ve changed my mind.”

  Her eyes widened and then narrowed. “You can’t,” she said behind a clenched jaw. “This is a career breaker for me. I’m begging.”

  “So, this is Chad,” the man that had been giving her a hard time said as he approached.

  She fixed her hair, let out a long breath and turned. “Robert, meet Chad Gregory.”

  “Why is it that I’ve never heard of you?” Robert asked in an unforgiving tone. “Are you sure he knows what he’s doing?”

  “Robert, relax and trust me. Chad is one of the best.”

  Best at what? He tried to figure out this Robert fellow. He sure as shit didn’t like the way he talked to Angie.

  “I don’t know.” Robert put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “This is a big deal. I don’t like using unknowns.”

  “We’ve got five other top models that you’re going to be using for this campaign and from what I understand, Eddy will be all healed for the television commercials. This is just a tester. Don’t worry.”

  “Don’t tell me not to worry,” Robert said. “I’m spending millions on this concept. Maybe I should get someone else.”

  “Look,” Chad said, not hiding his annoyance. “Are we ready yet, I’ve got pressing matters to attend to.”

  He shoved aside the divider and marched between the two of them with his nose in the air. His legs weakened, and he didn’t think he’d make it to the hot tub without either falling down or turning beet red...everywhere. But hell, Angie didn’t deserve to be treated, as she was a complete incompetent. He might have never worked with her before, well, any photographer before, but she was putting her career on the line. Robert should be kissing her adorable toes.

  Awe, fuck me. If the shoot was going to be in the hot tub, he’d be in a bathing suit, not underwear. “Where do you want me,” he scoffed; trying to act like strutting around half-naked had been an everyday thing for him.

  “Models. Men. They’re all the same,” she muttered, giving him a pointed glare. “Sit on the edge, lean back on your hands, stretching your legs out and look to the left.”

  Okay, he could do that, if his damn hands would stop shaking. Sleepwalking in public was about the only thing that made him nervous. But now he could add being in his underwear and awake to the list. “How’s this?” he asked, unable to look in her direction.

  “Perfect.” Her voice rose. “Just tilt your head down a tad and fixate on something.”

  He concentrated on the clicking noises, and not her circling him like cat ready to pounce. Pounce on him and lap every square inch of his hard cock.

  So far, what little the underwear covered up, had managed remained limp, but if he kept thinking pouncing and lapping thoughts, he’d be in trouble. He controlled his breathing. Never in a million years did he think he’d be praying not to get an erection.

  “Okay, that was good,” she said.

  “Done?” He stiffened his spine as the softness of her tone rolled through his ears, sending shock waves to places that should be left alone. The blood in his veins raced to the tip of his cock.

  “Lie down on the side and dangle one foot and hand in the water,” she said.

  “You’re kidding,” he whispered.

  “Nope.” She fiddled with her camera, changing lenses. “Lift the other arm and rest her head on your hand.”

  Awkwardly, he did as instructed. The water felt warm against his skin and the bubbles from the jets tickled. The sun didn’t help his heightened awareness of the women climbing up on the side of the hot tub, straddling him, and looking down at him. Mr. Limp jumped. Not a good sign.

  “Close your eyes and just rotate your head toward the water.” She reached down and adjusted the elastic on the already slightly expanded waistband.

  “Please, don’t do that.”

  “Just relax. Pretend we’re at the beach. You don’t get hard-on’s there, do you?”

  “Not since I was twelve.”

  “You’re doing great,” she said in a soft, reassuring voice. “Focus and this will be over really soon.”

  The rapid clicking noise echoed in his ears in an erotic dance. His body heated and things began to rise.

  “Oh, that is so freaking hot,” Kirk said.

  Oh, thank you gay man. Chad smiled as the tension in his body eased. The clicking continued, and so did Kirk’s ridiculous commentary, but it helped to keep Mr. Limp from turning into Mr. Woody and doing the happy dance for all to see.

  “You like that?” she asked.

  He pried open one eye, squinting against the sun. “Like what?”

  She looked around and jumped from the hot tub, all the while taking his picture. “Him,” she whispered as she bent close to his face.

  “Him who?” He opened both eyes and blinked at her. “Oh, God, no. Not at all.” Blood rushed to his face.

  “Oh, but I like him,” Kirk said, handing her a new camera. “However, I think my chatting is helping him to maintain control over his glorious pecker.”

  “Oh. I see,” she said with a smile. “Guess you don’t have much control around me, do you?”

  Chad groaned as he covered his face with his forearm and rolling his head back toward the hot tub. Would this ever end?

  “Stay just like that,”
she said. “These are going to be great. Trust me.”

  For the next twenty minutes, she took pictures and Chad died of embarrassment. Worse, he realized people might actually recognize him in this ad.

  “I think we’re done,” she said, still standing on the hot tub. “Take this and upload them, okay?” She handed the camera to Kirk.

  “I have to say, I’m impressed,” Robert said.

  Chad had completely forgotten about him and flinched when he heard his voice.

  “Thanks.” She sighed. “Chad is good.”

  “Very good. Maybe we should have him do more.”

  “Umm, I’ve-” Jerking upright, Chad swung his legs around, nailing her in the calf. Her arms fluttered wildly in the air like a bird learning how to fly for the first time. He reached out for her, but it was too late. She fell backward and took him with her in a big slash.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, lifting her into his lap and brushing her wet hair from her face. The strands tickled his fingers, and her skin felt soft and kissable.

  “Just peachy,” she said, taking in a heaving breath. “Glad I didn’t have the camera in my hands. We would’ve had to do that shoot all over again.”

  “Bite your tongue,” Chad said.

  “Pictures uploading,” Kirk called.

  “Great,” Robert said as he made his way across the pool area.

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” she said holding Chad’s gaze.

  He ran his hand down the length of her spine. The wet T-shirt wrinkled in his hands as he pulled it tight. “I’m not made for this line of work.”

  She arched a brow. “I think you are mistaken. You’re a natural.”

  He touched fingers against her neck, gliding his hand slowly down her chest until his thumb rubbed against her taut, pink nipple pushing against the wet T-shirt clinging to her skin. “I just did what you told me to.”

  She leaned closer, gliding her hands across his chest and around his neck, sending all the right messages to all the right places. “I bet those are the best damn pictures I’ve ever taken.”

  “If the pictures are that good, it’s because of the photographer,” he whispered, watching the water bead on her upper lip, begging to be licked off.