Page 55 of Touch in the Dark

His head drops but he grins.

Once we get started properly, I begin to really enjoy myself, even if we are in some fairly compromising positions, they are all posed to show off the underwear, not just the theme of the shoot. In a lot of them, Nick is in the background, like a voyeur, reading his book. But he does keep looking. The photographer seems to like that though and encourages him to move closer, telling him to smoulder at me. Nick laughs at that but he’s professional and he turns it on.

We all change three times and eventually they move Nick into the shot with me. I’m now in a more seductive set, black with straps that wrap around my body to give the insinuation of bondage gear, but still part of the collection. I needed help getting into it and the wardrobe girl explained that although it is in their catalogue, they have added a few extra pieces of fabric to it. Namely two straps across my breasts that squeeze them a little tighter, enhancing my cleavage.

Surprisingly, it’s not been as uncomfortable with the others as I’d thought, I am having a good time. Now though. I chew my lip to the point of it hurting because I’m getting all fluttery in my stomach.

I’m not in the least bit graceful as I clamber onto the desk. Nick is in black now too, they’re less tight but still revealing. I’m posed lying on my back, arched upwards with my legs bent and my head back. It isn’t too comfortable, but Nick is at the end of the desk, side on, leaning towards me, one hand on my ankle. It feels like my skin burns where he is touching me. The photographer is up a ladder, shooting down on us, calling out instructions, encouraging us to change poses, until Nick is up on the desk over me, and the photographer drops back down to the ground and crouches. He asks the three guys to stand around the desk, posing so he gets in their underwear as they watch.

My heart is racing now, I’m sure it’s obvious to Nick as my breath quickens. He looks into my eyes, they darken, especially as his skin brushes mine. He is so close, he could just lean down a little further and our lips would touch. He sweeps his hand down and brushes some hair back off my face. I shiver at the touch, and he inhales, then shifts slightly.

Oh. Lord. I can feel that pressing against my inner thigh. He gives me a look and I lift my leg slightly so it’s blocking the camera as the photographer keeps clicking. I try to tell myself it’s biology, just like I told Reggie when we watched that love scene being filmed, and Miles got hard, but this is different. I can see it written all over his face.

“Elsa,” he whispers. Then his expression becomes pained, and he looks up. “Can we take a bathroom break,” he shouts and moves back, slipping off the desk and heading off the set without another word, or waiting to see if it is okay with everyone else.

I sit up, avoiding eye contact with everyone. I’m damn lucky. My panties are soaked, but at least no one can see that, thank God they’re black and will be discarded after the shoot, although I’ll be stuffing them in my bag, so no one knows. My heart is pounding out of my chest, he barely touched me, but it was so intimate it was almost as bad as being touched. I’m throbbing.

“It’s lunch time anyway, let’s break and grab something to eat,” Louis says.

Everyone disperses. I hurry to the room where I was originally assigned as a makeup artist and grab my cell phone.

“Fuck,” I whisper, not knowing who to call. Jenna is in Hawaii probably wrapped up in Adam, Remi is in another country where it is the middle of the night. And even if I wanted to relay this to Brooke, which I don’t think I do, she is probably in court. I don’t talk about stuff like this with Reggie so can’t call her either. I settle on Remi, just on the off chance and call him. He called me in his hour of need. Not even the fact he will be irritated with this puts me off. I fan myself with my hand as I peek through the door, then close it over and move as far away from it as possible, I don’t want anyone overhearing this.

“Hi,” Remi answers. “You caught me just before I go on set.”

“Remi. I need help,” I hiss.

“What?” his voice changes. “Where are you, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

I feel bad for panicking him. “No, nothing like that. But I am in trouble. Like big trouble.”

“Explain, now,” he says sharply.

So, I do. And by the end of my explanation, he’s laughing his ass off. “It isn’t funny,” I tell him, my voice so high pitched, I barely recognise it.

“El, it’s pretty obvious to me what is going on.”

“What? Because I can’t see it.”

“The universe is telling you something.”

He knows I’m a sucker for things like that. I’ve always believed there is a higher power, not necessarily a deity, I’m not religious. Just something beyond our comprehension. I’m an avid horoscope reader and believe in positive energy. And something keeps drawing Nick and I together. I’d tried not to entertain the idea. Practically thinking, we’re both in New York and we are around the same circle of people, nothing more. I’ll be going back to L.A. soon. Sooner rather than later now I’ve been fired off that movie. Jenna told me BreakNeck is here for the long term. I stand by the fact I don’t want to be anyone’s random hook up or booty call, just like I always told him before we started dating. Certainly couldn’t do it now after what happened between us. It would be too hard with Nick. Impossible even.

If anything, the Universe is just being plain cruel.

“I’m the last person to be giving advice on sexual partners, Elsa,” Remi says once he gets control of himself.

“How is that going?” I ask, momentarily distracted from my own problems.

“Just great,” he says, sounding like it’s not great at all. “We’re being professional. And by that, I mean he is having as little to do with me as possible, other than barking orders at me, and everyone else when I’m on set. It’s great. But anyway, your problem is a nice distraction.”

“Glad I can be of service.” A knock at the door startles me and I almost drop my phone. “Just a minute,” I call.

“Who is it?” Remi asks.

“They’re probably ready to go back to work.”

“I really wanna see these pictures, I’m actually proud of you. Although you’ve taken a massive leap rather than the baby steps I’d suggested. Your ass is gonna be all over the world,” he laughs again.

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