Page 59 of The Penalty

“Why don’t you stand here.” René, the photographer, pointed to an empty area behind him. “Not as many obstacles.”

If you don’t consider smoldering British soccer players to be an obstacle, then yeah.

While there wasn’t anything for me to bump into or knock down, I was now directly in Xavier’s line of sight.

I’ll give him credit. He was the consummate professional, following the photographer’s direction and shifting poses. Xavier didn’t require much coaxing or encouragement. He embodied confidence and sex appeal. Every once in a while he’d glance in my direction, weakening my knees.

When they had him sprawl out on his back and stretch his arms over his head, I felt an ovary move. I must have touched and kissed every inch of that long, lean body more times than the legal limit. My eyes roamed over the strong column of his neck, the expanse of his chest, the tempting curve of his pelvic bone.

I wanted to unzip those jeans with my teeth and suck on his…C’MON. Be professional.

Sweat misted on my forehead.

But, you know, not as many obstacles standing over here.

“Doing alright Ms. Chase?” The seductive dip in Xavier’s tone accentuated his come-hither stare.

“Perfect.” The word scratched its way out of my dry throat.

The lighting assistant stepped in front of me, continuing with the shoot.

I managed to hold my shit together for the next hour.

“This one is great, isn’t it?” The photographer scrolled through some shots and showed me the digital screen.

My heart skidded to a stop.

Stark desire etched across Xavier’s face. His stare burned through the camera lens.

This pose.

I can’t even call it a pose. I’ve seen him like this too many times. Mouth parted, thumb caressing his lower lip, the hint of a secret gleaming in his eyes.

“Really shows off the watch,” a female voice commented nearby.

Yep. The fucking watch. Totally what I’m looking at.

“It’s mesmerizing,” I managed to vocalize a response.

“I’ll show you more.” René motioned for me to go to the monitors. I swallowed, remembering I was here in an official capacity, not as a woman in heat.

I took a step and nearly tripped over a cable. Xavier’s deep chuckle carried across the studio.

I glared at him. He winked at me.

Menace.

Good thing I didn’t have to pretend to like the photos. All of them were stunning. Even the ones where it’s obvious Xavier wasn’t ready or had his eyes closed.

“Everything looking alright, René?” Xavier asked, pulling a t-shirt over his head.

The photographer glanced over at him. “Looks great. Julian and the team will be pleased. Thanks for fitting this in while on vacation.”

“My pleasure. Will you copy me on the email when you send the proofs?”

“I can.”

They kept talking around me while my attention fully focused on one photo. I don’t think it’ll make the final cut but it spoke to me.

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