by Love Journey
She took a deep breath and dropped her shoulders. “Sure. No problem. I guess this would be as good a time as any to snap a few photos without any distractions.” She lifted the camera in his direction. “May I?”
“Only on one condition.”
“Oh, and what would that be?” She zoomed in on his face.
He looked serious. “I want to see what I look like through your eyes. The man inside the star.”
Click.
That was deep, and she was curious what the results would be. “Challenge accepted.” She knew what needed to be done to get the photos he was asking for and chose to dive right it. “Daniel, what do you want most out of life?”
He turned toward the water and looked out toward the horizon.
Click.
“I want the same thing that other people want - love and happiness. I desire love for my family and friends. I also want happiness for everyone around me, including myself.” He nodded his head. “I used to sacrifice myself for everyone else’s happiness – but not any longer,” he said. “You see, in my culture, we’re taught that sacrifice for the greater good is honorable and part of our responsibility to society.”
Click.
He continued. “I finally figured out that I deserve happiness too.”
Click.
He looked in her direction with a long unfulfilled yearning in his eyes.
Click. Click.
She slowly lowered the camera and looked at him like it was her first time. She walked over to him, looked into his eyes, and said, “I finally see you. Thank you for sharing yourself with me.”
They stood that way for a moment, seeing each other in a different way, before turning back to the ocean and watching the waves roll across the water.
That evening, they sat in the warm sand and talked about their lives, hopes, and dreams. They shared each other’s fears and disappointments without reservation as they strolled back to their villa hand in hand. And the golden glow of the setting sun had never been more perfect than when he kissed her cheek and bid her goodnight at her door.
On one side of the wall, Daniel stared at the ceiling. Sleep was hard to come by that night as visions of Diamond danced through his head. But little did he know that on the other side of the wall, Diamond hugged a pillow to her chest as she thought about him throughout the night.
CHAPTER 10
DIAMOND
The next day everyone was up early and rushing to prepare for the video shoot. The forecast called for clear skies until late afternoon, after that there was a high chance of rain and lightning.
Diamond and Daniel had spent a lot of time glued together lately, and she’d found a lot of things she liked about him. The way he looked at her made her shiver, but most importantly, he took her seriously. Most industry people she worked with snubbed her profession, referring to her work as a hobby.
Daniel recognized the work she put behind every picture and every shoot. He watched her work the late hours along with everyone else, just to make sure she caught a picture of him at the right moment. Despite how tired she was, she remained alert and ready to snap the moment that would have them both gaining popularity. Already, her pictures were circling the Internet and people were commenting on how amazing the shots were. This couldn’t just be a question of taking the right angle and pressing a button, and he gave her that credit, which many hadn’t before.
He made her feel special. She was grateful for his acknowledgment but wary. Diamond needed to get her head straight if she didn’t want to fall for this famous playboy. The more time she spent with him, the harder it was to resist. She had already slipped once and kissed him, but she couldn’t afford to let it happen again.
Men like him do damage to women like me.
She was pulled from her distracting thoughts by the loud voice of the video producer. “Pete, this won’t do. The lighting is bad, it gives him a washed out look. Add more lights to the left and maybe a red filter to give a warmer feel to the scene. We don’t want cold, pornographic. We want warm, welcoming, and sexy. Okay?”
The video was for his upcoming single, “Beautiful.” The concept was great, and the island was the perfect setting for the laid-back side of Daniel and his friends. The song was about a young man who fell in love but had to give it away for his career. She had gone over the song with him, and though most of it was fiction, he was acting it out like a professional. Maybe he should have envisioned a career in cinema too. It seemed like Daniel was a man of many talents.
She was doing her job and stayed out the way snapping photos when Daniel called her to his dressing tent to ask her opinion about his clothing choice. He held up two pairs of pants - one yellow and the other black.
“Where is the rest?” She asked.
The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “This is it. What color does your photographer’s eye suggest?” Her mouth fell open as he set the pants aside and proceeded to lift his shirt above his head. She couldn’t help but stare at his flawless chest up close and personal.
Oh shit.
He gleamed at her wide-eyed expression, puffed out his chest, and flexed his pecs.
“Do you ever wear a shirt?”
He busted out laughing and pulled her into a playful hug. “You’re too much.”
She stayed in his arms but didn’t return the hug right away. She could feel the tension in her body from the effort of holding back. So she inhaled deeply. Her face was right in his neck, and he smelled so good. Oh god, she didn’t trust herself. The heat from his skin burned into her cheek. Her eyes closed as she breathed him in one last time.
“Daniel?” Her hands raised and rested on his waist.
He stopped laughing and stroked her back. “Hmm.”
“We can’t. Someone might come in.” She gently pushed at his stomach, taking the opportunity to “accidentally” run her fingers over his washboard abs. I’ve wanted to touch these since the hot tub.
He pulled her in tighter.
“I don’t have a problem with that.” He looked down into eyes. She looked up into his. “I want you, and I know you want me,” he said moving in for a kiss.
There is no way I’m falling into this man’s trap of seduction. No, no, no. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Daniel, please don’t. Not here. I’m…” His fingers were rubbing deep circles into her lower back causing her to forget what she was saying.
She was so focused on the magic his fingers were working into her flesh that when he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, she melted against him. The heat building inside of her wanted to take this one chance.
He exhaled heavily. “Diamond?”
She was lost in his touch, but now it was her turn to come back to reality. “Hmm.”
“I know I’m going to regret this, but baby I’m barely hanging on here. You feel so good that we might not make it out of this tent anytime soon if we keep this up.”
She understood him, and her eyes flew open. “Whoa.” She wiggled out of his grasp. “I’m so sorry, I…” she stuttered, and she backed out of the tent. Her steps were swift as she walked in the opposite direction of all the people scrambling around.
DANIEL
Damn.
She’d left him breathless and out of control once again.
That woman is going to be the death of me. Whew. Is it me or is it hot as hell in this tent? He closed his eyes and took in a long slow breath to help ease the tightness of his pants. At that moment he noticed the odd sensation of his heart beating wildly in his chest. His palms were sweaty and his mouth twisted into a lopsided grin.
Uh oh. This was much deeper than just sexual attraction.
He stared at the tent opening and realized that he wanted her desperately. He had never had to work this hard for a woman’s affection. But for Diamond, he made every effort to hold back because she was worth it. Besides the fun was in the chase, right?
Continuing to undress, he envisioned the feel of Diamond in his arms. And hap
piness swept over him.
Daniel chose the black shorts, pulled back the tent flap, and walked out. The glowing sun hit his bare chest, and the ocean breeze cooled his skin. He pulled on his designer shades and scanned the crowd for Diamond.
Spotting her hot pink sundress standing near his group of friends, he walked over to break her away from his flirtatious crew. “What’s going on over here? Are you guys trying to steal my girl?”
Everyone laughed and shook hands with friendly familiarity.
Pulling her to the side, he whispered in her ear. “People are waiting for me on set, so I have to go, but I want to talk to you alone after the shoot. There’s something I need to tell you.”
DIAMOND
Confused, she stammered a small, confused yes and nodded her head before watching him walk away. When it was show time, she sat by the video director and watched intently as the music started and Daniel sung along. The scene they were filming today was with him, his friends and a group of young ladies playing beach volleyball. Throughout the game, Daniel was supposed to lip-sync the lyrics while looking into the camera.
“Stop, stop. This doesn’t work. Your eyes, I want them on my camera. I don’t know what’s on the left, but you need to stop looking that way it makes you look cross-eyed.” The director complained, and she realized that she was on the left of the director and the center camera.
“We’ll start from the beginning, alright? Don’t stress. It’s going to be fine.” He gestured for the show to roll and the music started again. Stunned, Diamond stayed seated there and just as expected, 30 seconds later they had to stop again for the same reason. Quietly, she moved next to the center camera as they started again, pretending she wanted to see the angle and make sure it wasn’t a technical mistake. It was a good cover up because they let her stay behind the camera instead of Johnny, the man who had been designated to capture the center camera angle.
And just as she predicted, Daniel looked straight at the camera this time. The first scene was recorded easily and pocketed after only three more takes for details that bothered the director, but none were linked to Daniel looking left. She could feel her cheeks redden behind the camera because she knew it meant that he was looking at her this whole time while singing. Were the lyrics something he felt? She started to wonder if he really liked her or if he was just teasing her again.
The dancers for the second scene got on stage, most of whom were wearing next to nothing. She felt a bit envious looking at all these young women dancing around him, but she knew it was his job. The second verse came in, and he talked about how his life was extravagant, how he could’ve any women he wanted, but then a dancer moved away from the group, and he focused on her. The lyrics talked about the one, and only he kept thinking about, and Daniel’s eyes turned to her again.
“No, no, no! You have to keep looking at your partner. Stop everything! This time you need to focus on the dancer. Move closer, grab her hips, and let her roll her hips against you. Be sexy! We want sensual and romantic, remember? If you keep looking at the camera, the viewer will be as detached as you are of your love story! You need to be more believable!” She couldn’t help the chuckle, and the director turned toward her.
“Something funny, Diamond?” His frown deepened. She was walking on eggshells.
“No, I apologize. I just thought that maybe the viewers might think he’s looking at them through the camera, but you’re the professional here. So…” Diamond started but was quickly interrupted.
“You’re the photographer, and I’m the director, honey. I don’t need your suggestions but if you can’t stay serious while on set, why don’t you go fetch us some coffee, huh?”
His reply came as a shock, and she felt it like a slap in the face. Her eyes widened a little, but she was professional, so she didn’t say anything about his rudeness. She was used to men trying to shove her back ‘into her place’ and it wasn’t the first time she had been treated like an assistant.
“Well, if you don’t need me, I’ll be waiting in the lodge. I’ll let your assistant know that you want coffee.” She bowed her head politely, gave a glance at Daniel and walked out of the room, humiliated. While she managed to keep her composure and professionalism, it didn’t shave anything off her embarrassment. Once she was safely back at the lodge, she downed a bottle of water to calm her nerves.
Minutes later, Daniel was walking in. Apparently, the director’s little outburst had soured the mood, and he demanded a short break. Daniel laid into the director next, and filming came to a halt.
With a serious expression, Daniel grabbed her shoulders and closely examined her face, “Are you alright? Don’t listen to that ass, you were right, but he wasn’t going to hear it. It’s my fault for being easily distracted, and I feel like you took a hit meant for me. Want me to fire him?” He caressed her arm, and she chuckled before taking a sip of her bottled water.
She shook her head. She was still irritated but didn’t want Daniel to have any problems. “Don’t. He might be a chauvinist ass who feels like his masculinity is threatened because there are women on set, but he’s good at what he does. It’s nothing my pride can’t handle, I assure you.” Diamond replied and smiled softly at him. To think that he was coming to her defense like a shining knight on a white horse was quite flattering.
“I’m so sorry that you had to suffer because I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you. I tried, but the lyrics hit close to home and I couldn’t help myself. He’s an idiot for not figuring out who I was watching.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
She felt herself leaning into his soft lips. “Thank you, Daniel, but really…”
He looked her directly in the eye and said, “No, it’s not okay. I don’t like the idea of having anyone treat you that way, not on my watch. I know I can’t apologize for him but-”
“Daniel, its fine.” She was a bit more authoritative with that one. He had a video to shoot and couldn’t let his frustrations seep through. “Remember, you need to stay sexy. Angry is not sexy.” They chuckled together, and he hugged her close. She felt her heart hammering in her chest and didn’t know what to do. When he slowly started to pull away, he gazed deeply into her eyes and replaced a wild strand of brown curly hair behind her ear.
“You really are good for me,” he murmured, and before she knew it, his mouth came down on hers. All her self-control went out the door. It was too much. She had never been so weak for another person like this before. His lips were full of passion, devouring and heated, and she was absorbing all his energy.
Someone cleared their throat behind them, but for once she didn’t care.
They slowed the kiss to a stop, but he continued to hold her in his arms until they could regain control of their breathing together. His hands flattened on her back. Forehead to forehead they breathed in and out in tandem, taking in each other’s breath. The air whispered the words they couldn’t say.
Her eyes were still closed, “You have to go.”
He whispered back, “I know.”
She smiled, “You gotta let go first.”
“Never.”
“Tonight.”
He searched her eyes, and a huge grin broke across his face. “Hell yes.” And with that he reluctantly released her body and slipped his hand into hers, giving it a squeeze. Pulling her in for a last minute whisper into her ear, “I don’t disappoint. I’m going to make you call my name all night,” he said for her ears only.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, not that it mattered. On an island, there was nowhere to hide.
CHAPTER 11
DIAMOND
That night thunder and lightning sounded outside the window. She pulled the covers over her head and tried to wish away her sexual frustration.
Damn that man.
Visions of him kissing her replayed in her mind over and over again.
Damn that man.
She was deep into her erotic fantasy and tangled in the sheets when some part of her
felt the mattress sag, felt a body slip under the covers. She was about to lash out when she caught his savory scent drifting into her nose, and she knew it was Daniel.
She felt the bright heat of his body push up against her back. His arms wrapped around her waist and his face pressed against the nape of her neck. Her body involuntarily relaxed against him after realizing that she wasn’t being assaulted by a stranger in the middle of the night.
Just Daniel.
Before she could say anything, before she could tell him to leave, his lips moved against her skin causing liquid heat to flood her core.
“Diamond.”
Afraid of her weak response, she stayed silent. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make her body calm down, but it didn’t work. His breath was warm as he nuzzled her neck. When she felt his hand caress down her side, her body turned traitor as a low moan escaped her throat against her will.
I must resist.
When she tried to roll away from him, his arms tightened, and he wrapped a leg around her. She felt him grind his generous erection into her backside as a deep moan sounded in his throat.
Oh shit.
Her body ignited into a thousand flames.
Whispering in her ear, he said, “I need you so bad.”
He latched onto her neck from the back and licked a trail toward her shoulder. He bit lightly on the smooth brown skin.
He heard her gasp.
Meanwhile, his hand found its way to cup and gently squeeze her plump breast. As he latched onto her shoulder and sucked, he gently rolled a nipple between her fingers. Her entire body backed up into him.
“I can’t wait any longer, Diamond. Please don’t tell me no. I need to be inside of you.”
With an experienced hand, he rolled her onto her back, climbed between her legs, and leaned over her. Searching her eyes, he asked, “Can I make love to you, Diamond? You haven’t said no, but I need to be sure.”
Her thighs were wrapped around his waist, and she could feel his erection pressed against the junction between her thighs. Her body was on fire, and he could see it in her eyes, so she quickly turned her head to the side to avoid his gaze. Damn him.