Page 54 of Touch in the Dark

With Nick Chambers.

I couldn’t make this stuff up. Brooke and Jenna will lose their minds. Brooke because she wants me to move on, like Remi does, and Jenna because she wants us to work things out. I haven’t missed how she keeps talking about him, about how amazing Nick is, or that he’s changed and he’s sweet and gorgeous and would be perfect for me. She was drunk at the time, I’d had too much to drink myself and let my mind go into the fantasy Jenna was spinning. That was probably why I’d lost my nerve with Joel too. Damn it.

I’m not sure if I would have turned it down had Louis told me I’d be working with Nick. I’m kidding myself, I’m literally shitting my pants, but I will not lose face and back down. If he’s happy to do it, then I am too. Except, it doesn’t look as if he is happy. He’s having a very involved discussion with Louis right now. I clutch my robe at my throat. The underwear they’ve put me in is absolutely beautiful, I’ve never worn anything so soft and comfortable and gorgeous. The lady who came in and did my makeup is really sweet too and let me off when I asked her questions about what makeup she is using on me.

While I watch Nick and Louis, a screen is put up between our set and the one for Tania, I guess given we’re all in our underwear they want to give us our privacy. Tania is a sweet lady, nervous about what she is doing today, telling me she is no model without the stick thin figure. She is beautiful, and her size doesn’t matter. What matters is they want her for this campaign, and I hope the things I said helped boost her confidence. Given she walked out there with her head high and a smile on her face, I went some way to helping.

“Hey, I’m not sure we’ve met, have you worked for Instinct before, or are you with an agency?”

I turn to look at the man mountain beside me. He has the most amazing hair colour, russet red, like autumn leaves and a beard to match. He has a nice smile and kind eyes.

“I’m just standing in, I don’t usually do this,” I tell him.

He eyes me but I’m not entirely sure it is in a way that says he’s interested. I’m not stupid, people might think models don’t do much or have no talent, but it actually takes a lot to do this kind of work. He thinks I’m going to flub it. I might. Shit, what was I thinking?

“Leave her alone asswipe,” another man approaches, a guy with blonde hair this time. “She’s helping out. Don’t know about you, but I’m sure a reverse harem shoot without a woman would just be a gay gang bang.”

My nose wrinkles at that but he has a point. I am helping. Red head just grunts and walks away.

“Ignore him,” the blonde guy says. “He’s got that whole grumpy giant thing going on but he’s a hell of a model. I’m Shawn.”

“No problem. Nice to meet you.”

“Elsa,” I look up at Nick, who is walking towards us, his expression pinched.

Oh great, is this where I get kicked off the shoot? Although, he’s not actually looking at me, he’s glaring at Shawn. Is he pissed at him for talking to me? Who the hell does he think he is? He doesn’t get to be possessive about me.

“Slight change in the line-up,” Louis interrupts. We are going to do shots of you with the guys, Elsa, but we want to add a few more with Nick.”

My mouth drops open and I look at him. The ass is smirking now. It isn’t like I didn’t know I’d be having pictures with everyone on set, but I get the feeling it wasn’t going to be so much with Nick. I smirk right back. He isn’t getting the better of me.

“Time is wasting, we’ve already lost an hour and we have another set to get prepared for this afternoon,” Louis claps her hands. “We need to do some test shots before we get moving so let’s hurry it up.”

The others move away and head onto the set. I turn to look at Nick and fold my arms.

“We don’t need to make this weird,” he says. “If you’re good with it, I’m good with it.”

“I’m good with it,” I retort quickly.

“Okay then.”

We stare at each other, neither wanting to be the one to look away first, in some kind of stupid stand-off. Then he goes and ruins me. He takes off his robe and hands it to the wardrobe lady behind us. My mouth dries. Holy crap. His chest is glistening. That chest I have dreams about. Shitting hell, what am I doing? He looks up and catches where my gaze has gone. I quickly look up, willing my cheeks not to flush, and he winks. Those incredible eyes of his pinned on my face. Two can play this game. I take off my robe and also turn to hand it to the lady. His tongue darts out and licks his lips, his eyes narrowing as they stay on my face. It’s like we’re fighting not to be the first to let our eyes drop and thoroughly check each other out.

I push my chest out. His eyes finally drop to my boobs, and I try to hide my triumphant smile.

“Damn,” he groans under his breath.

Yeah, buddy, this is what you’re missing out on. I give him a huge smile, whirl around and head over to the others. No one else is eyeing me quite the way Nick did, like he wanted to devour me. I can’t resist glancing over my shoulder though and while he’s distracted, I let my eyes drop. Holy moly, those boxers are tight, and doing nothing to hide what he’s got going on, what I know is hiding beneath that fabric. Am I sweating? Shit, I’m like that bitchy actress from the movie set.

“Everything okay?” Louis asks me.

“Peachy,” I reply.

She glances at Nick. “You know each other? Is this a problem?”

“Not for me,” I smile. She doesn’t look convinced, whatever Nick said to her has left her suspicious. “Where do you need me?”

Louis relents, she knows there is something going on but keeps it to herself. When I called her after Joel gave me her number, we got along really well, and I was excited about the job. Never in a million years did I imagine things would turn out this way. She ushers me over towards the chaise longue and gathers the other three and we begin getting the test shots with us sitting, standing, a couple with their hands on me as they get the lighting right. I keep glancing over at Nick who is leaning his butt against the edge of the huge desk which has been set up to look like a study. He has hold of a book down by his thigh and he’s watching me, his jaw tense. I can’t resist, I wink at him.

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