Page 13 of Watch Me

“Exactly,” Del chimes in. “The blackmailer wants you to suffer. Kristoff is just one avenue to achieve that.”

“So what are you suggesting I do?”

One more time, Del and I exchange a meaningful glance.

“I think,querida, he’s suggesting that I arrange a scene for you here and see if we can catch him red-handed in the act of filming you.”

Shanna’s jaw drops. “Are you insane?! You think I should come here and get naked and…”

“Spend a little time showing our members what you enjoy? Yes.”

“I can’t give this creep any more ammunition to ruin me.”

“He already has everything he needs to discredit you with the judges. But I don’t think he’s trying to prevent you from competing, as much as he’s attacking you. This feels personal, not business related. If you want to find out who's behind this, you must…expose yourself.”

“I’m not interested.”

In being watched? I know better, but now isn’t the time to call her out. “Pretend, if you must. But I believe the plan will work. Unless you have another idea?”

Shanna huffs in frustration. “If I agree to this crazy scheme, can I do…whatever it is alone?”

A grin spreads across my face. “Our members would jump through rings of fire to see you touch yourself.”

She pales. “Wait. Are you suggesting I…masturbate for an audience?”

“Even the thought of it makes me hard,” I whisper for her ears alone.

“Absolutely not!”

“Then I’ll be more than happy to assist you.”

She turns to me with a scathing glare. “I’ll bet. You’re not touching me.”

“But it would be more believable…and more blackmail-worthy,” Del chimes in. “I’ll hide in the room and watch all doors, windows, and passersby, see if I can identify our camera-wielding asshole.”

Her jaw drops. “It’s bad enough to contemplate getting naked with him. But having you watch, too? No.”

That horror on her face is pure fiction. Her suddenly hard nipples tell me that. She’s scared—of herself, of me, of whatever is fueling her ambition. Suddenly, I want to get to the bottom of it all. I want to understand her.

“Is the idea too arousing?” I challenge.

Shanna whirls on me. “It won’t work.”

I shrug. “If you don’t want our help…”

She bites her lip. Yeah, she’s thinking through her options.

A few moments later, she grits her teeth. “I need your help, damn it. But there's got to be a better idea than putting me on display.”

“Your blackmailer will return to the scene of the crime if we dangle the right bait in front of him. Catching him in the act is the only way to be certain he's the guilty party.”

Shanna paces. Her firm ass outlined in white capri pants makes my tongue melt as she contemplates in a silence broken only by her high heels.

“I can’t believe I’m actually considering this. I must be out of my mind.”

“Or determined to stop someone from screwing your career,” Del quips.

“Which is the only reason I haven’t walked out.”

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