by Hart, Alana
Against her better judgment, she grabbed her slinkiest bikini and appraised herself in the mirror. She wouldn't sink to the level of makeup and an updo for a day at the beach, but she was pretty sure she could hold her own against Jocelyn in her unique way. She released her clip from her hair and let her long, dark waves tumble down her back, tousling them for good measure.
There. She looked like she'd just had a tumble between the sheets. Let Will's imagination take it from there. Smiling, she strolled back outside, grabbing her towel as she passed her chair, and breezed by everyone, calling out, "Who wants to join me on the beach?" as she went. She didn't have to look back to know that they were all staring after her.
CHAPTER SIX
Will was about to become unhinged. These women were going to make him go mad before the week was up. First, Jocelyn couldn't be persuaded to pry herself from him for any length of time, despite his less than enthusiastic response to her. How many hours had they been on the beach today? Six or seven, surely, and she hadn't left his side for more than thirty minutes of that time. Short of being a complete ass, he didn't know what else to do.
Then, to make matters more frustrating, he'd had to watch Alexa flounce around in the water all day with the other men. When she wasn't doing that, she was spreading her curvaceous body out over the sand to soak up some rays. He didn't think it was by accident that she had just lifted her arms above her head and arched her back on premise of needing a good stretch. She was tormenting him. On purpose.
More than once, he'd caught her eye and seen a gleam of mischief in her expression. Naturally, whenever Jocelyn had seen his gaze straying to Alexa, she had redoubled her efforts to enchant him. Which were doing anything but. If he wasn't mistaken, Alexa was even enjoying his discomfort.
As if to drive the thought home, she sat up and handed a bottle of sunscreen to Jocelyn. "I think Will looks a little pink, don't you? Maybe you should rub this on for him."
Jocelyn's eyes lit up as she eagerly took the sunscreen. If looks could kill, surely Alexa would be charred ash by now. She simply smiled innocently at him and stood up gracefully. "Ty? Wanna try again to show me how to surf?" She strutted down to the shore, her hips swinging sexily.
Will gritted his teeth as Jocelyn squeezed cold sunscreen all over his back. Now he was trapped and forced to watch Alexa go for yet another romp in the waves with the abhorrent Tyler. That wasn't fair, if he was being honest. Tyler seemed like a good guy, but Will wasn't feeling very generous at the moment. In fact, he wanted to punch him in the face and throw Alexa over his shoulder and carry her away to have his way with her.
The thought brought a smile to his face. Jocelyn, mistaking the source of his grin, continued to rub his back, even though he was fairly certain there was nothing remaining to rub in.
"Will," she purred in that fake, high-pitched voice, "are all the resorts you visit this fabulous?"
"I'd say so, but this one is toward the top of my list."
"Oh, I'd love to see some of the others. I can't imagine seeing anything more beautiful than this."
She'd said as much all day. Could she not see how obvious she was, throwing herself at him and practically begging him to take her to some other tropical locale? She must be used to getting immediate responses from men, and didn't know when to lay off. Any other week, he may have taken her up on her offer, and flown her to an exotic resort for a weekend fling. It wasn't unheard of.
But lately he'd begun to tire of the flings, preferring to focus on his photography. The women were all the same. Fake and easy. Just like Jocelyn. And none of them ever seemed to completely wash away his memories of Alexa.
He didn't bother to respond, keeping his eyes glued to Alexa the whole time. The sound of her laughter floated up the beach and Will's jaw clenched involuntarily. Tyler had his hands on her hips, steadying her on the board. That was it. He couldn't watch this shit anymore. He jumped to his feet, practically knocking Jocelyn over in the process. "I need a drink."
"Do you need some help?"
He didn't bother hiding his eye roll this time. It was too much. "No," he bit out shortly, and stalked back to the house. Grabbing a beer from the outdoor fridge, he threw himself into a lounge chair, accidentally knocking his knee against Alexa's laptop that she had left open from earlier this morning. It was a good thing she'd left it in the shade or the sun would have baked it. He glanced briefly at the screen, then sat up when he saw a folder icon on the home screen labeled Photography.
Looking quickly back to the shore, he saw that everyone was absorbed in their own activities, and weren't paying him any attention. A short battle waged in his conscience before he flicked his fingers across the touchpad a few times and brought up a slide show of Alexa's photographs. He knew he shouldn't be looking at her private images, but his curiosity got the better of him. The prospect of her being interested in his passion had him flipping through the photos before he could think better of it.
What he saw blew his mind. She had a real eye for it. The way she used light and shadow was something that could only be acquired with practice and skill. He continued flipping through the images until he came upon some that took his breath away. They were of her. Black and white. And she was wrapped in some type of silk sheet or curtain. Had she taken these with a timer or had there been another photographer? The idea of another man in such an intimate situation with her had a shot of pure jealousy shooting through his veins.
Where did that come from? He was definitely not the jealous type. After all, he had his pick of women most of the time. So why was he aching to be alone with Alexa to make her come alive for the camera? There was an interesting dynamic between a photographer and his subject, especially when that subject was human. Behind the camera, he was often able to get people to open up their true nature for him in ways that they wouldn't if the camera were not between them. Will didn't care to analyze why he might want to know more about this woman had become over the past four years.
He didn't have time to either, because just then a shadow fell over him and he quickly raised his head, only to find Alexa standing over him with her arms crossed.
* * *
"What do you think you're doing?" Alexa demanded. She peered around the laptop screen just as Will's fingers flew over the buttons, effectively closing out her view of what had been on display. What had he seen?
Her breathing was uneven as she scrutinized his face for a clue. Had she signed out of her blog earlier? She couldn't remember. She would be mortified if he had read some of her more personal ramblings.
"Just checking the weather." He smiled disarmingly, but she was still suspicious. He had been in much too big of a hurry and had seemed quite intent on whatever it was he was looking at.
"Do you always use other people's personal belongings without asking first?" She tried to look angry, but she knew she was coming off as nervous.
He rose and rubbed his hand along her arm in an attempt to soothe her. "I'm sorry, darlin’. I should have asked, I know, but I saw the clouds in the distance and wondered what conditions would be like later. I want to get some photos of the sunset tonight." He seemed convincing enough, but she still wasn't sure. And right now all she could really focus on was the heat rushing through her body at the light contact she'd just had with him. She couldn't stop imagining what it would feel like to step closer to him and let him wind those muscled arms around her.
Instead, she stepped back quickly. If he noticed her reaction, he didn't let on, and that's when she realized he had still been speaking.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said, do you want to come down to the beach with me later? I want to get some sample shots before the wedding to make sure the lighting will be right."
"I'd love to." The words were out of her mouth before Alexa had time to consider. The idea of watching such a skilled photographer work was more than she could resist. Maybe he'd even show her a few techniques.
"Great.
Pick you up at seven," he joked, giving her a wink that had her blood pounding in her ears again. Then he disappeared into the house.
Had they just scheduled a date? No, he was just being funny, surely. There was no way he could be interested in dating her. Kissing her? Maybe, if the interactions they’d been having were any indication. Sex? She could only dream. But dating. Nope. Not his style. Still, she admitted to herself that she would take whatever time she could get with him. She had promised herself, and Cara now, a week of fun, right? And here was a big hunk of fun waiting to be had.
She giggled at that, then bit her lip as she thought about all the ways they could possibly have fun together. It was vacation after all, and life was too short to not take some fun when you could get it. What had Cara called it, a fling? Alexa let the idea roll around in her head for a minute. While she definitely wasn't a fling kind of girl, the idea of it suddenly appealed to her. Would he be interested? She knew he was a fling type of guy. She'd just have to wait until later and see if maybe she hadn't lost her inner sense of adventure after all.
* * *
"Do you think an hour will be enough time for everyone to be ready to leave?" Cara asked as they were all lounging by the pool a couple hours later.
"Leave?" Alexa stared at her blankly.
"Remember? We have reservations at the marina tonight. A group dinner cruise?"
No, she didn't remember. In fact, all she had thought about was her evening with Will on the beach. A wave of disappointment took over her and she realized just how much she'd been looking forward to spending more time with him.
Will's voice broke into her thoughts. "Actually, Cara," he said quickly, "I was hoping you wouldn't be too upset if Alexa and I skipped out on this one."
Alexa swallowed hard and tried to keep her face blank. What was she supposed to say now?
A couple people in the wedding party raised their eyebrows, but Will was smooth. "Tonight's weather conditions are supposed to be nearly identical to what I'll have to work with on Friday, photographically speaking, and I really want to be comfortable with the lighting and other details. You know, I don't do a lot of work with models, and Alexa has been kind enough to accept my request that she be my test subject. I really would hate for my first run to be your actual wedding and you not have the best photos you could possibly have."
Alexa had to fight back a smile at that entreaty. He was good. He knew that Cara was a mild bridezilla, but a bridezilla nonetheless. None of them would hear the end of it if the wedding photographer didn't deliver.
Cara smiled slyly and Alexa thought things were working out perfectly, until she spoke her next words. "Alexa would be perfect to help you out. You know she’s done some modeling? And she's an amateur photographer as well now."
She cut her eyes sharply toward her sister, but didn't miss the fact that Will was staring at hard at her now. Why had she gone and mentioned that? If he asked to see her photos, she’d never let Cara hear the end of it.
"You don't say?" The tone of Will’s voice had her head whipping around, but his expression was unreadable.
"Then it's settled," Cara said. "But I want to see the proofs tomorrow." The message came through loud and clear to Alexa. Watch what you're doing. "I'm going to hit the shower and get ready. Reservations are at seven, so we need to be out of here well before that." There was a chorus of acknowledgment from the wedding party. Jocelyn got up with a huff and stormed off, and Alexa couldn't hold back a laugh.
"I think your sidekick is miffed that she wasn't asked to model." It was the first time she'd directly addressed Will since their earlier conversation.
He turned to her with a wink and that sideways smile she recognized as flirtation. "Thank god. I could use a little quiet after two days of her incessant chatter. I can't believe the girl hasn't lost her voice by now."
Alexa smiled back. Maybe he was enjoying Jocelyn’s attention even less than she'd thought. While he hadn't seemed overenthusiastic or encouraging, he had also not done anything to put her off. Maybe he wasn’t the same player he used to be. It was something to consider.
"I think I'll go get cleaned up as well." She had sun lotion on her skin and saltwater in her hair. Definitely not ideal for a photo shoot. It had been years since she'd done a proper photo shoot, but she remembered the necessary preparations. "What should I wear?"
Will angled his head and studied her, running his eyes down her body excruciatingly slowly and back up, finally meeting her eyes. She could see the heat there, and it matched her own. Her breath hitched slightly and suddenly she was a bundle of nerves.
"Something flowing and white, if you've got it. Hair down."
She nodded quickly and hurried off, feeling his gaze on her as she made her retreat. It set her body on fire, and she couldn't help but wonder, what had she agreed to?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Will sat at the dining table organizing his equipment for what he would need tonight. He kept a pretty simple setup. After all, he did travel, so his gear needed to be both light enough and small enough to follow him around the world. Tonight, though, he would only be using one camera and one lens. He didn't want to mess with all the rest out on the sand. Plus, he was fairly certain his subject and setting wouldn't require a lot to create beauty.
He almost felt guilty about lying about needing a practice run, but not guilty enough to change his mind. He needed some time alone with Alexa. He needed to see who she was now when it was just the two of them, if she would slowly let the layers fall away when there was a camera between them. He knew she would. The pictures he'd seen earlier had shown him a side of her he hadn’t seen in years, so he knew she would open up for him. At least she would be comfortable in front of the camera. Less walls to break down that way. He could already feel them starting to crumble, bit by bit. He knew she was scared of what was between them, which was why he hadn’t pushed her. Yet. He had to find a way to convince her to trust him first.
So lost in his thoughts, Will barely glanced up as the wedding party, who had been lounging around in the living room, made their way out the door. They made their exit and Will turned his attention back to putting away what he wouldn't need, all the while thinking of what Alexa might wear. And how it might hug her curves in the sea breeze. He couldn't wait any longer, so he got up, taking the stairs two at a time, and knocked on Alexa's door.
"Almost ready. Go on down without me."
"Okay, but don't take too long. We don't want to lose our light."
He couldn't quite make out her murmured response, but it sounded like agreement, so he headed down to the beach.
He adjusted his camera and took a few practice shots. There was a huge crane that had been hunting for fish in the surf in the same spot every day so far, and Will got caught up in catching it on camera. He didn't know how long he had been clicking away at it, when suddenly it took flight. Its wingspan was huge.
"Wow, that's incredible," Alexa breathed, right behind him. He turned quickly, startled, not having heard her approach. Perhaps the bird had noticed her presence. Taking in the sight of her, Will's pulse slowed for one hard thud, then picked up double time. Incredible didn't even begin to describe what he saw.
She was gorgeous, and not in a fake Photoshop model way. Her thin-strapped white dress did indeed cling to all her curves, with a low neckline that hugged her from her breasts all the way to her hips, giving way just slightly at the thighs to flow outward down to the ankles. She had left her hair down, just as he'd asked, the raven waves falling halfway down her back. What took his breath away, though, were her eyes. Huge and bright blue, they stood out in contrast against her dark hair and bronzed skin, and he felt as if he could fall into their depths.
Before he'd realized what he was doing, he had stepped right up to her and tipped her chin up with his fingers, running his thumb along her cheek. It was so soft. In that moment he was one hundred percent grateful that he hadn't let anything happen between them i
n New Orleans. To be sure, he wanted this woman, and badly. But he wanted her to come to him willingly and want him as desperately as he wanted her.
She opened her mouth slightly, and Will's eyes were drawn to their soft fullness. All thoughts of why they were there flew from his mind and all he could think was how badly he wanted to kiss her, right then and there. Did she feel it too? Were her lips parted for him?
Then the call of the crane broke the moment as she tore her eyes away from his to follow its flight. Will shook his head and took a step back. What had just happened to him? He'd never been so overcome by the mere sight of a woman. Before he could let himself think any more about what it might mean that she had such an effect on him, he lifted his camera and looked for the perfect spot to begin. "We better get started before the sun sets."
* * *
Holy hell. That was intense. Alexa stood perfectly still as she tried to shake herself out of the stupor Will had just thrown her into. She had been certain he was about to kiss her, and all she could think was, Yes, please. The way he'd looked at her like he wanted to devour her had her weak in the knees. She'd thought that was a silly term that people used, not something that actually happened, but her body was showing her otherwise.
Breathing deeply and slowly, she gave a hesitant smile. "Is what I'm wearing okay?"
He turned back from where he'd been looking through the camera down the beach and smiled. "Perfect."
She'd thought she would be self-conscious. She always had been when she'd modeled before. Surprisingly she wasn't. She felt oddly comfortable around Will—when he wasn’t making her crazy—and had a sense of being home. Whether it was being a woman who had come into her own, or just being with him, she didn't know, but she was suddenly excited to get started. They still had an hour until sunset. Perfect lighting for the ceremony, then pictures would follow as the sun slowly lowered behind the water.