Lance brought the sack out of his saddlebag. “Sure you won’t have a cookie?” he offered.
She shook her head. Damn he was sexy. He’d make a great cover model. There was an unpolished look about him. Not every hair was in place and there was a smudge of dirt on his shirtsleeve. She couldn’t picture him in a suit and tie. She had a feeling it would stifle him.
Something told her he didn’t run with the crowd. He was more of a leader. She wondered if she could capture that edge on film. “Take off your shirt,” she said, without thinking.
His eyes twinkled, but behind the humor was a flare of heat. “You just want to have your way with me.”
She did, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “Surely you’re not embarrassed. I mean, you had it off yesterday. It didn’t seem to bother you then.”
“I will if you will,” he countered.
Nina inwardly grinned. She’d never been ashamed of her body. She frequented nude beaches all the time, preferring the freedom of going naked rather than wearing clothes.
She set her camera on the rock and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. “Deal,” she said, slipping her shirt off and laying it on the rock. “Your turn,” she said as she picked up her camera.
One question ran around in her head: would he or wouldn’t he?
Oh, you are so playing with fire, Nina.
Four
Lance choked when she faced him again. Literally.
Yep, Nina knew she was being bad. The fires of hell were licking at her feet, she was so bad.
But it felt oh so good to be so bad.
He tilted the thermos against his lips and guzzled. When he lowered it, he took a deep breath. “Do you always strip at the drop of a hat?” he croaked.
“Only when I’m challenged.” She grinned. “Besides, I’ve never been ashamed of my body.”
“Who said I was ashamed of mine?” He frowned before setting everything down. After unbuttoning his shirt, he took it off. “Fine. No problem whatsoever.” He tossed it over the nearest tree branch.
She wiggled the camera. “Do you mind?” The need to take his picture was almost more than she could stand. She was like a drug addict who needed her next fix.
“I think you’re playing me.” His forehead bunched. “Don’t expect me to drop my pants.”
One of the reasons Bodacious Bodies had hired her was her ability to get a man to drop his pants. Lance would be no different. It just might take a little longer to talk him into stripping for the camera, but she had all the time in the world.
“Raise your arm and hold on to the branch above your head,” she told him.
He did, looking quite nonchalant as he continued to eat his cookie. How could a man look so blasted sexy eating a friggin’ cookie? When he licked the crumbs off his lips she thought she would die. She wanted to be the one to lick them off.
But it wasn’t just him eating a cookie. No, it was his muscles shimmering in the shadow and light of the branches and leaves above him, caressing his magnificent body. Hard, tanned muscles tapering down to a slim waist. Nice, real nice.
She couldn’t stop her smile when he took another drink and came away with a white mustache.
Got milk?
Slowly, he raised the back of his hand and wiped away the milk mustache, but his eyes never left her face. Eyes that said, “Come get me.” They were such a deep intense blue that she forgot for just a moment how much she wanted to capture him on film.
And her legs began to tremble.
He tossed the thermos on the ground and raised his other arm. Oh, Lord, she was growing hotter by the second and not because the temperature was rising. More like her body heat going up a few degrees.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Unbutton the top two buttons of your pants,” she told him.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Do I make you nervous?” she asked, regaining just a little bit of control.
“You first,” he countered, with a smug gleam in his eyes.
But she’d already known he would throw the challenge back at her and she was ready. She set the camera down and undid the top two buttons of her jeans. Her pants rode low on her hips. She knew part of her scarlet thong showed. Tit for tat. She could live with it—could he?
“Your turn,” she told him, wondering if he’d cry uncle. He’d already told her she wouldn’t get him to drop his pants. Now they’d both see if he had the…ahem…balls to go all the way.
He unbuttoned the top two buttons, fanning the sides of his pants out. A thin line of dark hair trailed downward and disappeared. A few more inches and the possibilities of what she could capture on film would be endless.
“Nice,” she murmured and snapped off a couple of pictures. She ignored the moisture dotting her upper lip.
“Do you know how damn sexy you look wearing that scrap of lace that barely covers your breasts?” he said, taking her off guard. “Who the hell wears a flaming red bra and panties? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted to seduce me rather than take my picture. Is that what you’re doing, Nina? Trying to seduce me?” he said, with a slow southern drawl that made her thighs ache to have his fingers caress her, to ease the ache that began higher up.
“I’m just taking your picture, cowboy.”
She raised the camera and focused. So maybe he was more than half right. She zoomed in for a close-up of his face. Ohhh, not good. He was giving her that slow, heated look that men had when a woman turned them on. If she were smart, she’d stop this right now.
Why hadn’t she paid more attention in school? If she had, she might be a whole lot smarter.
She sighed. What a shame.
“Briefs or boxers?” she asked.
“Thong or bikini?”
“Thong.”
“Briefs. I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours.”
“But you’re not taking my picture,” she pointed out. A tremor of excitement tripped down her spine, curling her toes. This is a dangerous game you’re playing, she warned herself. Ah, hell, when had she ever played it safe?
She set the camera down and undid the remaining buttons on her jeans. She saw the flare of interest sparkle in his eyes as she wiggled out of her pants and kicked them away.
“You’re not a bit shy, are you?”
She shook her head. “Your turn.”
He slid his hands down to the last three buttons of his jeans and undid them, but she noticed he took his own sweet time. It didn’t matter. In fact, it made her job easier. Raw, sexy maleness oozed from his pores. Maybe because she was standing in front of him practically naked, but she continued to snap her pictures as he undressed. God, these were going to be so damned hot.
Whatever it takes to get the job done, right, Nina? Yeah, like she wasn’t enjoying the hell out of this.
“Lean up against the rock,” she told him. He surprised her by doing what she asked without a bit of argument. He was so damned beautiful, leaning back wearing only briefs and a cowboy hat.
“This okay?”
She nodded. Oh, it was a lot more than okay. “Now”—she cleared her throat—“take off your hat and run your fingers through your hair.”
The sun hit his tanned skin perfectly. It was all she could do to hold the camera as she took shot after shot. The women would drool over him. Lord, she was practically slobbering all over the place herself.
Now, if she could just get his briefs off.
A flush of heat stole over her skin. “Uh…want to go for the whole…?” Why the hell was she stuttering? She never stuttered, but then, she’d never taken a shoot this far before. She could usually talk men into stripping with a few heated looks, a few compliments. She cleared her throat. “I mean…”
He straightened and ambled toward her. Her throat tightened around her words. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t say a damn word as he took the camera from her lifeless fingers and set it on the rock.
“Do I want to go all the way with this? Yeah, but it’s
my turn to call the…shots.” He rested his hands on her shoulders, then ran a finger under the straps of her bra. “Damn, you’re one sexy lady.” He pushed the straps off her shoulders.
“I need my camera so I can take pictures.” Was that really her voice sounding breathless…eager? Probably, since she was both of those things.
His hand slipped around behind her and undid the clasp of her bra. “I want to see all of you.”
She watched his face as he removed her bra, saw the way his nostrils flared.
“Damn, you’re beautiful.” He rubbed her nipples between his thumb and forefinger.
She arched toward him as liquid heat swirled inside her, pooling deep in her belly. He lowered his head, running his tongue across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, inviting his kiss, but he surprised her by lowering his mouth to her breast and sucking gently on one tight nipple while massaging the other.
Oh, God, this feels so damn good. From the moment she’d laid eyes on him, Nina had fantasized about his touch, what his hands would feel like on her bare flesh.
The restlessness, the unsatisfying relationships in her past were suddenly swept away, the slate cleaned. It was as if everything came down to this one moment. She didn’t care that they barely knew each other. There’d been sparks from the moment they’d met. She knew it, and she was almost certain he did.
He scooped her up and set her on the rock. For a moment he only stared at her; then he picked up her camera. She felt a second’s apprehension. She’d never been on this side of the lens before, but suddenly she felt like a puppet with no will of her own.
“Lean your head back. Let your hair just brush the rock. Yeah, just like that. Now hold still.” He snapped off some pictures. “Your naked breasts really turn me on. The nipples are so damn tight. And the way the sun shines down on them almost makes me jealous.”
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him move around the rock, taking pictures from different angles.
“Yeah, that’s the look,” he said. “As if you want me to kiss and suck on your nipples. So damn hot that you’re almost burning me with that look.”
“Then take me,” she said.
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
He stopped taking pictures for a moment and caressed first one breast, then the other. She moaned and arched toward him, her eyes closing. He brought her hand up so that she cupped her breast, fingernails grazing her nipple.
“Stay right there.”
Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open. She didn’t care that she was in a vulnerable position. That no one had ever photographed her like this. That he’d turned the tables on her and used her camera to seduce her. She didn’t care about any of that right now. The only thing going through her mind was the sensations that he’d created inside her. The heat. God, the all-consuming heat.
“Spread your legs some more.”
Her eyes flew open. He’d gone too far. She couldn’t…she…no.
“It’s just you and me,” he said, seducing her with words.
Words that she’d used in the past when working with a new model, and damn it, she could feel the barriers around her tumbling down.
He nudged her knees with one hand, opening her legs. The camera whirred. He stopped long enough to tug on the wisp of material, pulling off her thong and tossing it to the side.
“Spread your legs.” His voice was raspy, taut with restraint.
Her body smoldered with need. She wanted to feel him buried deep inside her, stroking her, bringing her to climax. But she couldn’t open so that he could take her picture. Not like this.
He lowered the camera and stepped closer. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman like you,” he spoke softly.
Lightly, he ran his fingers up and down the inside of her thighs, coming close to her sex, but not touching. She gasped, raising her hips, wanting and needing more.
“Open for me,” he said from what sounded like far away. The thunder of drums inside her head blocked the last of her reservations as his fingers brushed through her curls. She moaned, opening her legs.
“That’s it. Just like that.”
She heard the whirring of her camera. She didn’t care.
“Sweet. So damn sweet,” he said.
She bit her bottom lip. “Lance…please…”
He set her camera carefully on the ground, and through half-closed eyes, she watched him strip out of his briefs.
Oh, yeah, he was most definitely cameraworthy, but right now, she didn’t think she could manage to hold a camera long enough to take his picture.
He stepped nearer. “I’ve never met a woman who was so confident in her own sexuality.” He started at the center of her chest and ran his knuckles downward until he came to her mound. With both his hands, he spread her lips.
She gasped, arching toward him.
He didn’t disappoint but lowered his mouth. She cried out as spasms of pleasure washed over her. He slid his hands under her, cupping her bottom, bringing her closer to his mouth. He sucked on her sex, running his tongue up and down her clit.
She climaxed against his mouth, crying out. Before the sensations ended he eased her to the ground, using their clothes as a makeshift blanket, and slipped a condom on before entering her.
As soon as she felt him sliding inside her, she clenched her inner muscles, pulling him in just a little deeper, and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him into even closer contact, her nipples rubbing against the hairs on his chest.
A light wind rustled through the leaves, tickling her bare skin. She’d never had sex out in the open. God, it was so fucking good getting back to nature!
She gasped when he began to move inside her, slowly at first. Ah, yeah, just like that. She closed her eyes, letting the sensations he was creating inside her wash over her in sensuous waves.
In one fluid motion, he rolled to his back until she was on top of him. He’d given her control of the motions.
She did so love being in control.
With her hands braced on her thighs, she raised and lowered herself over him, biting her bottom lip as the intensity increased.
“Oh, yeah, like that,” he moaned. “Son of a bitch, that feels good.”
She closed her eyes, her body moving to a tempo inside her head. The beat picked up and she went right along with it, her body tightening when the first spasms washed over her. She barely heard his groan as he climaxed, she was so lost in her own pleasure.
Her body seemed to float downward until her head rested on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat. At first fast, then slowing to a more normal rate.
She’d never had such mind-blowing sex before. A wave of giddiness washed over her. What the hell did they put in the drinking water here? She damn sure felt purified. Okay, so maybe “purified” wasn’t the right choice of word, but damn, she felt fantastic. As her world righted itself, she raised her head and smiled…and met his look of satisfaction.
Her forehead creased into tiny frown lines. Wait a minute. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I was taking your picture,” she grumbled. “Not the other way around. You seduced me with my own camera.” She shook her head. “That is so bad.”
He chuckled. “No, what we did was so bad, but it was damn good.”
“Oh yeah.” She laughed for the pure joy of it. So what that he’d turned the tables on her. She’d have him drop his pants and pose for the camera before she left the ranch.
The wind rustled through the trees, sweeping over her, but this time it didn’t feel quite so good. Almost like there was a chilly foreboding in the air of things to come. Things she might not like.
She shook off the feeling. Sometimes she could be so demented. She eased away from him and gathered her clothes, knowing he watched her. “I don’t suppose you have a washcloth.”
He pushed away from the rock and rid himself of the condom. He really was a fantastically built man. Yep, she was going to have to get him to pos
e nude. Women would go crazy looking at his buff bod.
“I have better than that,” he said, scooping up his clothes.
She raised her eyebrows. Had he been so sure of himself?
“I have a bath awaiting, milady.” He bent at the waist and waved his arms toward the trees. He laughed when she didn’t move. “Follow me.” He slapped his hat on his head and grabbed his boots.
Curiosity got the better of her. The view was nice, too. As Nina walked behind him, she watched his firm butt muscles clench and unclench, and as if he were the Pied Piper, she knew she’d follow him anywhere. What woman wouldn’t with a flute like his? Lord, she was getting snarky.
They didn’t have far to walk. Just past the trees was a river. It wasn’t that wide, but the water was beautifully clear. She loved skinny-dipping. And there was a rope hanging from a tree.
Lance started wading out. “The water’s great,” he tossed over his shoulder, but she wasn’t listening to him. She was focused on the rope and thinking what fun it would be to swing out and splash him. That would teach him for stealing her camera away from her.
She smiled to herself and began climbing the small incline. It took her only a few seconds to get to the top. She grabbed the rope and laughed. Lance turned, his grin dropping from his face as she pushed off.
The sound of the rope breaking echoed in her ears. She landed with a hard thud in shallow water. As the water closed over her face she thought how pretty the sun looked as it sparkled down on her. Was this the last thing her grandfather had seen?
Darkness enveloped her.
Five
Nina opened her eyes. The sun was still shining but she was on the bank of the river, Lance hovering over her with an anxious expression.
What happened?
Everything came back to her in a rush. The rope, the rope breaking, dropping into the water like a lead balloon.
Had Lance sabotaged the rope earlier? He was next in line to inherit the ranch.
She closed her eyes.
“Nina, are you okay? Damn, I didn’t know you’d go for the rope. I should’ve warned you it might not be safe. That was stupid of me.” Concern laced his words.
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