Page 13 of Puck Me Baby One More Time

"I-I'm sorry," the photographer chokes out as he claws at Talen's forearm.

"Apologize to Britt, not us, asshole." Talen presses his forearm tighter against the photographer's neck, causing his already purple face to turn a deeper shade.

"You'll have to ease up on him before his head pops off." Tarek taps Talen's arm.

Reluctantly, Talen removes his arm from under the photographer's chin. Tarek and Torin let go of the photographer's arms.

All three of them glare at the photographer as he bends over, trying to catch his breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. You just sounded like a pig when you snorted, and I didn't know your name." Growls erupt from Torin, Talen, and Tarek, and the photographer's face becomes deathly white. "My apologies, Miss."

The photographer flees to the safety of his crew, looking a little disheveled from his altercation with the guys.

"What did he want from you?" Torin's calm voice does nothing to hide the anger radiating off his body.

"The original model he hired to be in a couple of pictures with you guys didn't show up, so he asked me to stand in and do it."

"Well, are you going to do it?" Talen asks.

Before I can respond, Tarek says, "Hell yes, she's going to do it."

"We should have asked what they were planning for poses before we agreed to let Britt be in the photos," Torin says through clenched teeth.

"Dial down the anger!" the photographer yells over the clicking of his camera.

I glance between Torin, Talen, and Tarek and see identical scowls glaring at the camera—or at least, I assume they're glaring at the camera since I'm facing away from the photographer.

The photographer decided on a pose with me sitting on a backless stool facing a shirtless Torin, Talen, and Tarek. The only clothes they have on are their uniform pants with the top two laces undone, showing off the deep V of their muscular abs.

Oh, I almost forgot, I'm topless too. The only thing standing between my bare chest and theirs are two, nude-colored pasties, clinging to my hard nipples for dear life

The guys look ready to snap at any moment. Their eyes keep traveling from my face down my neck, then almost to my barely covered breasts before snapping back to my face again.

"Stop looking at her like you want to throw her over your shoulders and take her back to your cave to punish her."

I wish.

"I want seductive smiles. Smirks even. I want the women who see this picture to want to trade places with her and I want the men that see this picture to be green with jealousy over what they are seeing."

"I thought this was a sports magazine, not a porn magazine," Talen huffs, gaining the photographer's attention.

"Sex sells, baby. And the sooner you realize it, the better off you'll be. Now, if you can channel that passion you displayed when you thought I was making fun of Britt, this shoot will go much faster."

The photographer either has a death wish or is a genius for bringing up that subject again. From the way Torin, Talen, and Tarek's facial expressions have changed, it's the latter. Their scowls have turned into a smirk from Tarek, a half-smile from Talen, and a full smile from Torin. But when I look at their eyes, I see matching expressions of what looks like possessiveness.

That can't be right.

I tilt my head back and close my eyes, shaking my head from side to side to clear my dangerous thoughts. I must be imagining that look in their eyes. There's nothing in the way they have treated me that would make me believe they wanted something more from me than friendship.

My long, brown hair tickles my naked back as it sways back and forth, causing me to shiver. Three matching growls roll over my body. My eyes snap open, and for a split second, I see desire, hunger, and lust in their eyes, staring back at me.

"That's it! That's the shot!" the photographer shouts, breaking the spell. “That's a wrap!" he announces.

Before I can question the depth of their stares, the photographer's assistant places a silky robe over my shoulders and guides me away from Torin, Talen, and Tarek to a makeshift dressing room.

"You did great!"

I risk a glance over my shoulder at Torin, Talen, and Tarek, but the moment is gone, and so is the lustful look in their eyes. Or maybe I just dreamt it.

eight

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