Page 52 of All the Gossip from Paris
“Yeah, I do think about New York. You are always on my mind, Liam. And I’m not sure what I should make of that.”
He turned her gently to face him. She met those warm, tender eyes. Then her gaze dropped to his lips. Sophie’s heart began to race.
“Maybe it’s because we decided it was a mistake, but we both knew deep down that it wasn’t. I don’t want things to be awkward between us Sophie. If you want me to go, just say so.”
She didn’t hesitate giving him her own reply. “I want you to stay. I need you to stay.”
Please kiss me. Please.
He leaned forward, taking great care not to step on the gown’s train. “You look like a fairytale princess. Are you ready for me to take some photos?”
She’d been aching for him to kiss her. To hold her in his arms. The dull ache of disappointment settled heavily in her heart.
Liam only wanted to take her picture. He didn’t want her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“You are a natural, Sophie. The camera absolutely adores you,” said Liam, shifting the angle of his shot. “I’m surprised you haven’t made a career as a runway model.”
Sophie was standing on an overturned box in front of a pair of the atelier’s grand windows. The dark arches formed the perfect frame behind her. The beading of the gown glistened in the afternoon sun.
She couldn’t wait to see the photos Liam had taken. To see her design on a live human model. Even if it was just herself. But the notion that the camera thought she was photogenic was beyond her. The idea of her being a fashion model was absurd.
“It’s just a trick of the light. I could never walk. I’m not model size. Never was, nor ever will be. People mistakenly think runway modeling is easy, but it’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is a lot riding on how well a haute couture model can walk. Make a mess of an outfit and you could cost a fashion house a great deal of money.”
They’d played around with her look, changing her hair from an upswept bun to leaving it long and draping down her back. After raiding the accessory room Liam had taken shots of Sophie wearing different pieces of designer jewelry. He was every bit the professional photographer, constantly offering her encouragement and helpful suggestions.
He glanced down at his camera. “That’s almost a hundred pictures I’ve taken. You should have plenty to choose from for your private portfolio. Any that you don’t like I’ll just delete. Were there any other angles you wanted to explore before we finish up?”
Sophie shook her head. The gown with its supportive boning was tight. After an hour of wearing it, the bodice had become uncomfortable. She knew the reason was nothing to do with her dressmaking skills. It had everything to do with her pebbled nipples pressing hard against the fabric.
Being around Liam shouldn’t have this effect on her. She knew better than to indulge her private fantasies about him. Everything about this was dangerous.
And yet there was nothing she could do to stop both mind and body working together to betray her. The thought of what she wanted to do with this man crossed all the boundaries of sense and reason.
“Sophie?”
She snapped out of her shameless daydream. “Um. Yes?”
He set the camera down, and walked over to where she stood perched on top of the box. “Would you like to come down from your tower sweet Rapunzel?”
Taking his hand, Sophie stepped carefully down and onto the floor. “If you are going to go with fairytales, you should call me Persinette. The original version of Rapunzel was written by a French woman.”
When Liam’s eyebrows rose in surprise, she gave him a soft smile. “My sister and I have a bit of a thing about fairytales. There’s a reason why Cami was thrilled with the Cinderella in the City theme for her New York show.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” he replied.
The photo session was over. Sophie was getting cold. “Could you please help me out of the gown. I’d like to put something warm on, apart from my socks.”
She turned her back to him, and lifted her long brown hair out of the way. “The zipper should be easier going down.”
Liam moved closer, and as he did, Sophie held her breath. The sooner she got changed, the quicker she could go for a long libido dampening walk along the river.
The touch of his fingertips on her bare skin had Sophie letting out a gasp.
