Picture Perfect

by Maguire, L. E.

  Picture Perfect

  By L. E. Maguire

  Copyright © 2015 L. E. Maguire

  Cover design and formatting by © Lori Follett, Wicked Book Covers, LLC

  www.wickedbookcovers.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction.

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright 2015 L. E. Maguire

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  To Benora…for always being there without fail…you are my

  picture-perfect BFF. I love you more than words can say.

  “These shots of you are amazing,” Jake said. We were going through photos for my upcoming show in Seattle. It was my big debut and I was nervous as hell about it.

  “Ugh, no way. I’m not including photos of myself in this show,” I protested.

  “Ember, seriously. These shots of you are awesome. I think you need to reconsider.”

  Jake is my assistant, my best friend, my roommate, my biggest critic, my biggest fan, and the brother I never had all rolled up into one muscle-bound body. We have been together since we met in our freshman year at Columbia University, which was nearly nine years ago, and we have been inseparable ever since.

  “Jake, I’m naked in these. I was just messing around. These photos aren’t supposed to be seen by anyone but me. You want me to include these shots and risk somebody buying them? No fucking way.” I gave him my best attempt at a severe look as I gently shoved his shoulder.

  “Ember, you can’t see anything. You have strategically covered up those areas.” He pointed to the picture on the computer screen. “See, the way your arms hold your knee it totally hides your breasts in this one. It looks dramatic. It looks sexy. I think you should include at least one or two of them,” he encouraged.

  The picture he was referring to I had sat on the floor for. I crossed my right leg over my left keeping my knee bent high. I had both my right and left hand gripping my knee with my head thrown back. My long, wavy, dark brown hair was touching the floor behind me. The way my arms were situated they completely hid the bulk of my breasts from view. Jake was right when he said you couldn’t totally see my privates, but you could clearly tell I was completely naked. Taking the shots in black and white also helped darken the areas that were shadowed in all the right places, which also kept my face in silhouette.

  I also took these shots shortly after discovering my model boyfriend was screwing every female model he worked with. Come to think of it, he was probably sleeping with every female photographer too, yours truly included. Of course he was extremely attractive with dark brown hair and light brown eyes. He stood at six foot two with the perfect sculptured male physique, which landed him a lot of bathing suit jobs. Those jobs also included a lot of scantily clad women in string bikinis.

  For obvious reasons, I immediately broke it off with him. But not before my self-esteem had taken a serious hit. I took my nudes in hopes that it would help me to remember that I was an attractive woman even if I wasn’t model material like my mother.

  My mother was stunning at five foot ten with long black hair and brilliant green eyes. As a model, she was featured in several catalogs, flyers, and brochures for major department stores. She never made it to the big time though, having dedicated most of her time to being a mother.

  My older sister, Misty, took after our mother in every way. She had the height, the long black hair, and the emerald green eyes. She was never interested in modeling, though. Because she was a financial wizard, she chose to be a stockbroker in New York City, which she was very successful at.

  My father was the photographer. It’s how he and my mother met. He is an inch shorter than my mother with reddish brown hair, dark brown eyes, and the most infectious smile.

  Somehow, I was born the runt of the family at just five foot one. My dark brown hair had red highlights that were clearly visible in the sun. I had dark brown eyes like my dad that often looked solid black, especially when I was angry. I had a curvy body like my mother. What I lacked for in height, I made up for in bust size.

  “Come on, Em. You have a gorgeous body for someone who is quickly approaching thirty,” he teased. “If I didn’t think of you as a sister, I would totally do you.”

  “Jake! Eww.” I smacked him lightly upside his head. “Brother or not, that’s a visual I don’t need in my head. You can’t say stuff like that.” I took a deep breath as I returned my gaze back to the computer. “I don’t know,” I said weakly, staring at the photo.

  Jake sensed the possibility that I was wavering in my decision. Immediately, he went in for the kill. “It’s settled then. If you want to be taken seriously as a fashion photographer then you need to showcase these. I’m including this one and the one where you hid all your business behind those purple gossamer ribbons.” He pulled up that photo next. “I just love how you kept that picture black and white except for the ribbon.” He clicked on the images adding them to the others to be printed for the show.

  I couldn’t bring myself to argue with Jake. He was the only one who didn’t think I was risking my entire career by relocating from New York City to Seattle. Then again he knew my explanation of trying to flee the stiff competition of New York was nothing but complete bullshit. He knew what I was really after, getting as far away from him as I could get.

  Jake also believed in my ability as a photographer. He had secretly entered a photo of mine in a local contest that had won me this gallery showing. The photo he chose to enter was a landscape shot of the Seattle skyline. It had just finished raining and the angry, black clouds were still low overhead. Suddenly, a break in the clouds directly over the city allowed the sun to streak through. The bright sunshine illuminating the city’s skyscrapers against the black-looking clouds was simply breathtaking.

  The shot happened to be one of the first ones I had taken of my newly adopted city. I remembered the day well. I was out trying to get acquainted with my new surroundings. Taking a wrong turn, I ended up at the pier of the Bainbridge Island ferry. I was going to turn around, but there was something about taking the ferry to the island that was just too enticing.

  The rain had stopped as I exited my car. I grabbed my camera and found a seat on the top of the ferry. The view of downtown Seattle as we pulled out was amazing.

  The photo reflected my feelings at the time perfectly. I was in a dark place, angry over the circumstances surrounding my break-up with David. Then there was the uncertainty and fear surrounding my decision to relocate. I hoped and prayed that I hadn’t made a mistake by fleeing the only home I had ever known.

  But as the clouds broke, allowing the sun to burst through highlighting the city, it was as if the universe was telling me I had made the right choice. Seattle was now my home and I was about to shine.

  “I think that about covers it,” Jake announced happily, which snapped me back to the present. “Now, how about a celebratory cocktail on me?”

  “Do you have anywhere in mind?”

  “I’d love to go check out that place downtown, Club Vixen.”

  “Club Vixen? What kinda name....wait! This isn’
t another sex club, is it? I still haven’t forgiven you for that little stunt you pulled in New York before we left.” I glared at him with a small smile on my face that I was unable to suppress.

  “Oh, come on. I was trying to get you a little before we left. The look on your face was totally worth your wrath.” He let out a raucous laugh, which stopped as soon as he took in my evil look. “No fear, Em. This is not a sex club. I promise,” he said with an innocent look on his face.

  Letting out a deep sigh, I rolled my eyes at him. A huge smile broke out on his face as soon as he realized he had me. “Let me change,” I grumbled.

  “Em,” he said, grabbing my arm. “That blouse and jeans are perfect. You look....wait.” He reached over and undid buttons until my cleavage was clearly on display. “Now you look great.” He winked at me.

  “Then let’s go.” I motioned for him to go before me. “Age before beauty, my brother,” I said, holding our apartment door open.

  “Oh, please. I’m one month to the day older than you.” He took the door from me so he could exit then shut and locked it behind us. “That hardly counts,” he grumbled.

  ***

  When we arrived at Club Vixen, I immediately became leery of the place. The building was downtown on the corner of Second Avenue and University. It was small, having only four floors as opposed to the huge skyscrapers that surrounded it. There was a line around the corner with some people scantily clad in leather pants and skirts, spiked collars, and leather bodices. I narrowed my eyes at him as we headed toward the door.

  “What?” he asked. Stopping with my hands on my hips, I raised a brow at him. “It has a gothic feel to it, but I’ve been told that it’s the best dance club around. Trust me, Em,” he said, winking at me.

  Jake bypassed the line and headed right for the bouncer standing at the door. The guy was massive. He had to be well over six feet tall with a shaved head and goatee and muscled arms that were the size of my thighs. I pulled back on Jake’s hand.

  “Wait here a sec,” he said, leaving me standing near the front of the line. I did my best to try and ignore the people standing around shooting me dirty looks.

  Jake was gone for only a few minutes. He leaned in to talk to the bouncer. At one point he motioned in my direction. When the bouncer looked over at me nodding in approval, I flushed beat red. What the hell was Jake telling him?

  Jake turned and headed towards me with a huge grin on his face. “Let’s go.”

  “Do you know him?” I asked, taking his outstretched hand.

  “Nope,” he said, popping the p. “I told him I was here with the hottest photographer in the fashion industry.”

  “You did what?” I asked horrified.

  “Relax, Em. Let’s go,” he said, tugging on my hand.

  As we entered the club, some techno beat pounded through the speakers as a swarm of bodies moved against each other in erotic ways on the dance floor. Colorful lights flashed above the crowd moving in time to the music. A DJ in headphones looked to be in deep concentration as he worked intensely over his equipment while his head bobbed to the beat.

  Some of the club walls were red brick while others were painted a blood red. Sconces softly illuminated all walls with bulbs shaped like flames. Large, hardwood planks made up the floor. The bar was black lacquer with matching chairs. Two gargoyles were perched on shelves over the bar. They stared down at the crowd menacingly. Jake was right. It was all very gothic.

  Jake pushed his way to the bar. He had his arm wrapped around my waist guiding me through the thick crowd. He located an empty stool and encouraged me to sit while he stood behind me. One of the two bartenders was a very pretty blonde who was eyeing Jake like he was her next meal. She quickly made her way over.

  She was wearing a black and red bustier that accentuated her small waist. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail that trailed down her back. Batting her fake, long lashes at Jake, she leaned over effectively putting her bulging cleavage on display.

  “What can I get you, sweetheart?” she asked.

  It took me a minute to realize that it wasn’t Jake she was ogling, but me! My eyes widened at the realization. I heard Jake chuckle close to my ear as he leaned in, coming to my rescue.

  “Two shots of Patron Silver, please, chilled,” Jake said, placing a twenty down on the bar.

  She looked up at Jake with a smile before focusing back on me. With a wink, she turned to get our shots.

  “I think you have an admirer,” he said, chuckling. “Maybe you should work it to our advantage and get us some free shots.”

  I elbowed him in the ribs, which really did nothing more than hurt me since he was a rock solid mass of muscle. Jake towered over me at six foot two, weighing in at a solid two hundred twenty pounds. He had warm, caramel-colored eyes and he kept his sandy brown hair short. His face was always clean-shaven. Diamond earrings glinted in his ears, and the dark, thick lines of the tribal tattoos he had across his shoulders peeked out from under the neckline of his shirt, giving the impression that he was a bit of a bad boy. If I didn’t think of him as a brother, I would be swooning over him like all the girls did.

  Blondie came back with our shots. I smiled and winked at her as she set them down in front of me, completely taking her by surprise. She smiled as she made her way down the bar to help the next customer.

  The chair next to me became available and Jake immediately claimed it. Grabbing a shot, he held it up to mine. “Here’s to you and your success.” We clinked glasses and downed our shots.

  Slamming his glass down on the bar, he turned to me with a smirk on his face. “Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me out on the dance floor.

  Jake and I really do dance well together. We had taken dance lessons back in college in preparation for his older brother’s wedding. And since people automatically assumed we were a couple, it also kept the unwanted advances at bay for both of us.

  After four more shots, the last two I was able to get for free, and several more trips out on the dance floor with Jake, I was feeling out of breath and a little tipsy. We made our way back to the bar and Jake ordered me a glass of ice water before excusing himself to the men’s room. I easily downed the glass not realizing just how thirsty I had been. I tried to get Blondie’s attention so I could get more water, but she was studiously ignoring me.

  “I think you broke her heart after she watched you grind all over your boyfriend on the dance floor,” said a smooth, deep, male voice.

  I rolled my eyes with irritation and turned in the direction of the voice that just spoke. Gearing up to verbally slap him with some sarcastic comment, I froze when my eyes made contact with a tan, chiseled chest peeking out from under a deep purple dress shirt, which had the first three buttons undone. There was a light smattering of dark hair over his sternum that lead up to the hollow of his throat and the smooth, tan skin of his thick neck. Dark stubble ran along a strong jaw. He had a perfect mouth with full lips, a prominent nose, and high cheekbones. I sucked in a breath when my eyes met the greenest eyes I had ever seen. They were luminescent with light green flecks shining like brilliant malachite stones. These eyes were so hypnotic and surrounded by long, dark lashes. Thick, dark brows, a proud forehead, and thick, wavy dark hair finished off his perfect features. He was chiseled to perfection. I couldn’t help but stare open mouthed at him.

  Suddenly, his lush lips curved into a smile revealing perfect, white teeth, and that’s when I saw them. Two of the deepest dimples I’ve ever seen carved into his cheeks. Oh. My. God. Dimples.

  “See something you like?” he asked sounding cocky, running a hand down his chest.

  And just like that he killed all the warm and fuzzy feelings that were bubbling up within me. It was as if the growing fire deep within my core just got doused by a bucket of ice water.

  “Seriously? He’s not my boyfriend,” I snapped in irritation.

  He raised his brows. “You could’ve fooled me.”

&n
bsp; “Not that it’s any of your business, but he’s like a brother to me.”

  He cocked a brow at me. “Do you always dance like that with your brother, because I’d be more than willing to take you on as a sister.” He smiled and there were those damn dimples again, winking at me, taunting me. His green eyes twinkled with humor, and it felt like a thousand butterflies just took flight in my stomach.

  I was getting ready to respond to him when three girls, who obviously knew him, approached. Immediately, I kicked myself for feeling anything for this guy. I knew his type. He was nothing but a player. These girls were all model perfect too: tall, gorgeous, glossy blonde hair, tight, barely-there clothes. Two of them wrapped themselves around his arms while the third snuggled up to his back. Mr. Perfection gave me a pompous smirk.

  “Where’ve you been, baby? We’ve been waiting for you,” whined the one hanging off his right arm in a breathy tone while shooting me a dirty look.

  I rolled my eyes and turned away, searching the crowd for any sign of Jake. What the hell was taking him so long? I was so ready to leave.

  “I’m just waiting on the drinks,” he lied smoothly. “Go on back to the table. I’ll be right there,” he said, peeling the girls off him. As soon as they were out of earshot, he turned to me. “Where were we?” he asked.

  I looked him over and my eyes zeroed in on the red lipstick on both of his cheeks. I literally saw red as anger blazed through me. This guy was here with three girls and he was flirting with me at the bar? Seriously? Total man whore. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Listen, pretty boy.” His brows raised at me as his eyes grew wide. “Why are you wasting your time with me when you’ve got three perfectly good looking women panting over you?” I raised an eyebrow and jerked my head in the direction the girls went.

  He stared into my eyes intently, and I was immediately caught in his penetrating gaze in a way no one has ever done before. My stomach clenched nervously as he leaned in to get closer to me. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but then he angled his head at the last minute so his mouth was close to my ear. “Because they aren’t you,” he said softly, sounding sincere. His hot breath swept across the sensitive skin of my neck causing a shiver of pleasure to run down my spine.