I wasn’t the “claim him, he’s mine” type, but as I stretched out over Lane, fighting to catch my breath as the need finally faded, I knew if anyone could make me possessive and needy it was him. Looking down at him as his hands absently stroked my arms, emotions I wasn’t sure he was ready to hear welled up inside me.
Giving him a tender kiss, I knew that somehow I had to show him that nothing was going to scare me away.
Chapter 16
Lane
There were so many reasons this wasn’t a good idea, but I couldn’t pick just one. It was either going to go very well or explode in a fiery crash of drama queens and lingerie. Wilder didn’t find Eli overwhelming, and he honestly seemed to like the clothes, so there probably wasn’t anything to worry about.
I just had to keep telling myself that.
As calm and relaxed as I tried to pretend I was, Wilder didn’t seem to be buying it. He was too sweet to mention it, but as we walked up to the building, he held my hand tightly, and I could feel his thumb caressing over any part he could reach. The tender smile and endless stories about his week just to keep me distracted was also a pretty good sign he knew what was going through my head.
It was going to be fine.
“Did you want to try that new steakhouse on the other side of town tonight?” I wasn’t sure if it was another distraction, or if it was honestly what he wanted for dinner, but it sounded great.
“Yeah, I’ve heard good things about it.” The fact that I was already hungry made it sound even better.
I normally ate pretty well and didn’t starve myself. I worked out frequently and had good genes, so I didn’t need to worry about it too much. Wilder had tried to make me lunch when we’d finally gotten up for the day, but my stomach had been in knots.
Wilder smiled encouragingly. “Perfect. Then we’ll see what time the movie’s playing.”
“Did you get everything done last night?” Talking about his work was a lot easier than talking about mine.
He nodded. “I actually got a lot done. I need to work on the sketches for the submission to the children’s book, but taking the night off isn’t going to be a problem.”
Once we’d finally gotten out of bed, and we’d both gotten caffeine, Wilder had eagerly shown me what he’d been working on. There’d been everything from sketches of me to rough drafts of a phoenix that was going to be a new tattoo for one of his clients. Watching his nervous excitement as he’d shown me his projects and how he’d drawn me had been cute.
I thought of myself as more practical than vain when it came to how I looked, but even I had to admit the pictures were incredible. Sometimes, I thought I looked too shy or reserved on the website, but Wilder had captured something in the sketches that made them come alive. I wanted to ask if that was how he saw me, but the words wouldn’t come out.
The man on the floor had clearly been me, but he looked confident and feminine and passionate in a way that felt distant. Artists didn’t always see the same things that regular people did. Was that just how he thought I should look? Thinking back to the way I’d felt stretched out on his floor for the first time, I had to admit, he’d captured how I’d been feeling in that moment. Maybe that was all that mattered.
Wilder’s words pulled me out of my mental wandering. “Does that sound like a good idea, Lane?”
There was a smile on his face and a teasing glint to his eyes that said he knew I hadn’t been paying attention. “Sorry, the movie?”
He laughed and reached for the door of the building, pulling it open. “Yes, that was part of it, but I think I need to wait until later to ask you questions. You seem slightly…preoccupied.”
That was the understatement of the year.
I shrugged sheepishly. “Maybe just a little. But I’m excited about dinner later and seeing the movie.”
And just spending time with him.
I didn’t want him to think that I was trying to get out of a date or even something ridiculous like needing space. No matter how awkward the shoot went, I didn’t want anything to chase him away. Not that this would. It was a photo shoot. It was work.
And he had a good idea about what to expect.
He hadn’t hidden the fact he’d browsed around the site, and he’d asked lots of questions over the past couple of weeks. Aside from some interesting personalities, nothing should be surprising. Hell, he’d even met Eli and had dealt with the drama queen, so the hard part was probably over.
Wilder smiled as he entered the building behind me and tugged me close to press a kiss to my forehead. “I know.”
I was glad he didn’t tell me that everything would be all right or draw attention to how crazy I was. It at least gave me the ability to pretend I didn’t look nuts. “It’ll be a few minutes before everyone else gets here, but Eli was insistent that you meet Roman before he got distracted. I didn’t feel like arguing with him.”
Thinking about how that sounded, I winced. “Not that I don’t want you to meet them. I think you’re going to like everyone. But Eli just has this idea in his head, and I haven’t had a chance to tell Roman no.”
Wilder’s tender smile took a mischievous turn. “The sexy photo shoot? I don’t hate the idea, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ve never done anything like that, but I don’t have an issue with it. Roman is quite skilled and if he thinks the photos would turn out well, then I have to trust that. The pictures that he’s put up on the site have been beautiful and erotic.”
We should have probably had this conversation earlier.
“Are you sure?”
I must have looked more uncomfortable than I’d intended, because he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and pulled me into his arms. “If the idea is something that makes you uneasy, then we don’t have to do it. I can tell them it’s not something I’m interested in. We can leave it at that.”
He was sweet, but now I wasn’t sure what to do. “I don’t know. I’ve seen some of the photos from the private shoots that he’s done and…I don’t know why I’m worried.”
I felt ridiculous having to say that.
Wilder didn’t seem to think it was stupid, however. His arms tightened around me and he gave me a tender kiss. “Well, it’s sharing a different side of yourself with me and possibly a different side of yourself than Eli normally sees. No matter what you were wearing, it would be intimate and personal. In the photos you usually take there’s a little bit of a wall between you and the people who are browsing around the site. I think with something like the pictures Eli was describing, there wouldn’t be the same separation.”
I nodded slowly and pressed myself tighter against his chest. “It’s not stupid? I know I’m nearly naked on the website so that probably shouldn’t matter, but…”
“It’s not stupid, and I don’t want you to put yourself down because something makes you uncomfortable. We don’t have to decide right now. It’s something we can talk about and figure out what we’re comfortable with.” Wilder made it seem easy and matter-of-fact.
“Okay, I’m putting you in charge of not letting Eli rope me into something. I’m not saying no, but I’m not ready to say yes.” Having that decision off my plate was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.
I pulled back just enough that I could see his face. Giving him a teasing smile, I tried to show him I was more relaxed. “Not that you wouldn’t look sexy standing over me as a badass Dom.”
He gave me a teasing leer and a quick kiss. “I just keep thinking about all the sketches I could do from the photos.”
Oh.
“Sketches?” I hadn’t thought about something like that.
Wilder nodded slowly, his voice dropping lower. “I thought about doing a whole series of sketches from it that could go in the bedroom. Mostly you, because I’ve never done a self-portrait, but if we had some photos of us together for me to work from, I might be able to do a sketch with both of us in it.”
Interesting.
The logical part of my b
rain still wasn’t sure what to say, but other parts of me found the idea fascinating. Before I could figure out how to respond, Wilder shook his head. “We’re not going to make any decisions today. I need to see some of Roman’s other work, and you need to think about it more.” His body rocked forward, making it clear we were both more than a little turned on. “Preferably when you can think about it with a clear head.”
I gave a shaky laugh but nodded. “Probably a good idea.”
Because the idea of sketches put everything in a whole new light.
Taking a deep breath, I shoved the sexy images out of my head and glanced toward the stairs. “Come on, I want to show you where I work.”
Wilder’s smile widened. “I’d like that.”
Taking a step back, I pointed back down toward the computers and office area. “We all have stations over there to update the blogs and work on anything we need to, but I do a lot of that at home. Fewer distractions that way.”
“It probably gets pretty chaotic in here. That makes sense.”
Taking his hand, I started leading us up the stairs. “Some people can tune out the chaos really well, but I do better when it’s quiet.”
I liked hanging out with everyone and when we were all together, the last thing I wanted to do was ignore them to work on the blog. “I have a pretty good schedule worked out most of the time. I get that kind of stuff done first thing in the morning before I get here so I don’t have to worry about it.”
Wilder squeezed my hand as we headed up to the second floor. “I’m impressed with how much you get done. It can’t be easy.”
I shrugged, but I could feel the heat in my cheeks rising. Most people didn’t always understand how much work went into my job at Leashes and Lace. I’d had one date roll his eyes and ask how hard it could be to take my clothes off for a living.
Needless to say, that had been a short date.
As we got upstairs, I pointed out the different rooms and even told him about the apartments on the third floor. I wasn’t sure if it was our conversation downstairs or just having another few minutes to relax, but by the time we walked into the main studio, I was much calmer.
But not smarter, evidently.
It hadn’t occurred to me as we were heading in that I hadn’t heard Eli and Roman. Even on their good days, they weren’t quiet individuals.
Unless their mouths were otherwise occupied.
We both stopped short as we took in the sight. Eli was laid out on a platform in the middle of the studio, nearly naked with Roman standing over him. With the camera in his hand, it should have looked like a photo shoot, but it felt more like we’d walked in on them making love. Something about the heat that was radiating off them and the way Eli was arching up toward Roman made it clear the photos weren’t going to be for the site.
Wilder chuckled under his breath but just seemed to take it in stride. I’d seen it often enough that it wasn’t a surprise or shocking. Rolling my eyes, I pointed toward Eli and Roman. “Meet my coworkers; they’re slightly distracted at this point, however.”
Eli and Roman were lost in their own little world and didn’t seem to notice we were there. Which was just fine until Roman reached for the tiny panties that were barely covering Eli. Nope. That was not how I would introduce Wilder to them.
Clearing my throat, I called out. “What did Preston say about having sex in the studio?”
That broke some of the tension between them, and Roman moved back before giving me a frustrated look. Eli just laughed and sat up, not concerned about his erection or his state of undress. “Not to get caught.”
That wasn’t anywhere close to what he’d said, but I just rolled my eyes and played along. “You got caught.”
His grin was ear to ear. “Tattle-tale.”
“If you drive me crazy I will.” Having ammunition against Eli was always a good thing.
Wilder couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to laugh or try to maintain the blank face he was doing his best to present. I could see the way his eyes sparkled, though, and I knew he found the whole thing hilarious.
Deciding to ignore the crazy in front of us, because pointing it out any more wouldn’t make him un-see those two nearly going at it, I turned to Wilder. “You’ve met Eli, but you haven’t met Roman.”
Roman must have decided that being professional was more important than getting interrupted, because he set his camera down on the nearby table and walked over. The two men exchanged handshakes, both trying to ignore any awkwardness.
Wilder was always sweet and did his best to put people at ease, but I was still proud of his reaction. Or really, his lack of reaction. He just smiled at Roman like there was nothing unusual. “Good to meet you.”
Roman nodded. “And you. Eli’s been very…excited to introduce us.”
Roman was quiet for a moment and it was impossible to miss the way his brain started whirling as he looked at Wilder. “I can see why he thought you would be perfect to photograph.”
Eli bounded up from the platform, grinning. “I told you so. You should never doubt me when it comes to hot photogenic men.”
Wilder coughed, trying not to laugh, but I just rolled my eyes again as my face started to heat. “Eli.”
Not chastised at all, the nearly naked drama queen bounced excitedly across the room. “What? Are we pretending he’s not hot? If so, I should have been told.”
Lord.
Wilder finally lost his ability to maintain a straight face. His laughter echoed around the room, clearly delighted with Eli. Instead of responding to Eli’s not-so-subtle flirting, Wilder wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight against him. “You can look, but hands to yourself. I happen to be very much taken.”
Roman gave a low, frustrated sound and reached out to pinch Eli’s nipple. “Don’t make me spank you. If I have to change the whole shoot around to cover up your red ass, you’re going back in the cage.”
Eli’s eyes danced with laughter and heat as he curled himself around Roman. “I can’t make you do anything. I don’t know why I’d be punished if you gave into the urge to spank me. Because we both know it’s what you want to do anyway.”
Sometimes I thought they were easier to handle when they’d been screaming at one another.
Before Roman could respond and ratchet up the heat level again, I cleared my throat. “Work. Remember?”
They both looked over and gave me matching frustrated looks. Wilder started coughing again, which was hard to ignore. “What? Preston said he was going to stop by later. Remember? Do you guys really want him to walk in on you again?”
Eli sighed dramatically. “God, no. He needs to get laid. He’s been insane lately.”
I glanced at Wilder’s face to see a curious expression, and I mouthed that I would tell him later. I hated to sound like Eli, because that was just traumatic, but I was starting to think Preston needed a push in the right direction. It was obvious to me who he was distracted by, but then, I was in the unique position of being able to see both sides.
Roman chuckled. “That’s your answer to everything. It might not work for Preston.”
Eli shook his head. “Oh no, that will fix just about anything.”
Again, I hated to agree with Eli, but he might be right. But just in this one case.
Not wanting to overshare about Preston, I turned the topic back to work. “Have you guys got everything worked out with the clothes?”
Eli had to have been excited about the new pieces, because his mind quickly changed gears. “Yes, the rest of the stuff we were waiting for came in, and they look great. Come here. Let me show you.”
Eli grabbed my hand and started tugging me toward the racks of lingerie. I gave Wilder a questioning look but he just smiled and nodded. “I know you were supposed to be working. I’m just going to watch. Ignore me if that’s easier.”
“I’ll never be able to ignore you.” It came out sappier than I’d intended, but I could see emotion welling up in Wilder.
<
br /> Eli snorted. “Come on, lovebird. Let’s get you dressed up for your man.”
Wilder chuckled as Eli pulled me away. It was clear he liked the idea of seeing me dressed up. Nothing seemed to faze him.
Not catching Eli and Roman nearly going at it.
Not having a conversation when Eli was nearly naked.
Not the idea that shortly I was going to be nearly naked.
And I was going to have to give Wilder a fabulous reward later for being able to make consistent eye contact with Eli instead of looking at his erection. That was an amazing skill. I wouldn’t have been upset if he’d gotten distracted, though. Hell, I found Eli distracting most days.
And I’d worked with him for years.
Roman and Wilder stood there talking quietly as Eli and I started browsing through the racks. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the conversation seemed to be going well. Wilder was nodding and smiling, occasionally glancing around the room. Were they talking about photography? Maybe something about the art of it?
“It’s a good thing we got you here early. Otherwise, you’d be too distracted to function.” Eli chuckled, clearly finding himself hilarious.
“Just a little bit. It’s not that bad.” It was that bad.
It was also a good thing I had time to get used to it before everyone else showed up. I was always professional at work and did my best to do a good job. The idea of everyone watching me obsessively fawning over my boyfriend was embarrassing.
Eli shrugged. “I think it’s pretty normal. I’d worry if you weren’t nervous about him seeing you work for the first time.”
He had my attention. “Why?”
“Because being nervous means that he’s important to you.” He said it very matter-of-factly like I was stupid for not realizing.
There was also something else in his expression that made it clear I wasn’t connecting all the dots. Finally, he sighed. “He’s nervous about the whole thing too. So that means you’re important to him.”
Leashes & Lace Books 1-3: MM Romance Boxed Set Page 49