Even she knew how obsessive that sounded.
Still, every second she stood there her nipples grew tighter and the pulsing in her clit became insistent. Their voices had sounded so excited as they talked about pictures that she was dying to see.
But first she needed to stop thinking about touching herself and make an appearance. She could only imagine what Chase might cook up to punish her tardiness. And after what she’d overheard, she was certain it would be something.
Eve lifted from the wall and rose to her full height. Much more than normal thanks to the heels she wore. The red sandals she’d worn today matched the color of her hair exactly, as well as the bra and panty set she’d chosen. God, she loved her shoes and underwear. She might have to admit one day they’d become quite a fetish for her.
She moved toward Chase’s office, this time making sure her heels made as much noise as possible. By the time she turned into the doorway, both men stood glaring in her direction.
“You’re late.” This time the impatience came from Murphy, which startled her. He’d never seemed to care about rules and such.
“Traffic,” she lied.
For a few seconds no one said a word, and Eve held her breath. They probably knew she had lied, but she wasn’t about to tell them she’d overhead them discussing her. They’d just have to accept her excuse or punish her as they saw fit.
“Looks like today is going to be very interesting, wouldn’t you say, Murphy?”
“Looks like it.” Murphy reached her in two strides and whispered at her ear, “Did you sleep well, darlin’?”
“Not really.” She tried to steady her voice and failed. Having him so close, his warm breath caressed her skin, pebbled her nipples, and short-circuited her brain. God, what would it take to get them to finally have mercy on her?
Simply standing in this room, with Murphy’s tall, broad presence almost wrapped around her and Chase watching closely, did something to her feminine core. Her insides melted and the last of the uncertainty and anger she’d dealt with through the night faded away.
“Well, I have a hunch that you’re going to get everything you want and then some today. You ready to be a good little girl and pose for Chase’s camera?”
She nodded. Butterflies erupted at the thought of more of what they’d given her yesterday. Already she ached to have her arms bound, to be in a position of total reliance on these two virile men.
“Well then, pretty lady, let’s you and I head to the studio and get ready. I think Chase mentioned he had some more work to do here.”
She glanced at Chase and almost laughed out loud at the way he glared at Murphy. If she hadn’t known better, she might have read something more into that. But she knew this was a job. An incredibly sexy, screw-me-to-the-wall-when-we’re-done kind of job, but still a job.
Murphy grabbed her hand and led her from the room and away from Chase.
“I haven’t checked any of the messages that came in yesterday. Shouldn’t I do some of that first?” She prayed he’d say no. The thought of trying to sit at her desk, going about business as usual sounded like the worst possible scenario for her day.
Rope. She wanted to feel Murphy’s rough hands sliding across her flesh as he tied her up and had his way with her. Eve swallowed back the groan that would have given her away.
“Nope. Already taken care of. We asked the answering service to field all the calls for a couple of days. So you have nothing to worry about but doing the best you can for the last of these photos. In fact, I should have had Chase show you a couple from yesterday.” He held open the door of the studio for her, and she passed underneath his arm. “I think you’ll like them. Chase and I think they’re incredible.”
“Really?” She glanced down at her modest outfit, which did a good job of hiding her flaws and emphasizing some of her assets, like her boobs. She always went for the cleavage. But naked? Naked and incredible were two words she wouldn’t have thought to string together when referring to her appearance.
She didn’t hate her body, but she sure as hell didn’t live in some denial-warped bubble where she convinced herself she looked as good as their regular models. Lucky for her, plenty of men enjoyed generous curves and a woman who wasn’t ashamed of them.
Eve stopped short when she caught sight of the studio changes from yesterday. The couch had been removed and replaced with a bed. A big king-size whopper, covered in red silk sheets. Small tables were added to the side, and one of Chase’s erotic prints hung above the headboard. She could imagine between Chase’s skill with the camera and his computer software, the photos would look like they’d been taken in a private bedroom versus a photo studio.
“C’mon, don’t get nervous on me now.” Murphy pulled her closer to the set scene and let go of her hand a couple of feet from the wrought-iron footboard.
The bed looked incredibly heavy, and she wondered where it had come from. All the times she’d peeked in on their shoots, she’d never once seen this scene.
“You like it?” Murphy motioned to the furniture setup. “I found this at an estate sale not too far back, and we’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.” He bent over the partition sectioning off the studio and pulled up a coil of black rope. With a wide grin on his face, he made his way back to her. “I think you are the perfect woman to christen this beauty.”
A wave of emotion rolled through her at being their first at anything. “It’s exquisite. I’d love to have a bed like that in my place.” Absentmindedly she reached for the iron and brushed her fingers across the cool metal curve. Tracing the patterns of the ironwork like she would a potential lover.
“An estate sale?” She couldn’t picture him scouring through estate and attic sales looking for treasures. But it made sense given their profession. Not every client wanted the traditional dungeon or industrial scene. And they certainly aimed to please.
“Take off your clothes, Eve.” His quiet demand flashed through her quick and hot. Getting lost in her thoughts about decorating, she’d momentarily forgotten why she was here. She turned away from the bed and faced him fully. She’d already bought into the assignment, and they’d seen everything she had yesterday, so there wasn’t a reason in the world to be shy today. One button at a time she revealed more and more of her skin, and in a way, of herself. If this last day of shooting was all she’d ever have, then she’d damn sure squeeze every ounce out of it that she could.
Staring into Murphy’s eyes, she watched them darken in appreciation as she swiftly removed her shirt. She’d gone for a shelf bra that merely hugged the undercurve of each breast and left her nipples uncovered and available. As much as she might like to blame the fact her nipples were already hard on the temperature of the room, they probably both knew better.
“Mmm. It’s a shame we have to take that off. But I’m going to remember that sexy bra, ’cause I’m going to want to see that again.” Eve lifted her arms and unclasped the hook and eye fasteners behind her back and let the lacy garment fall away. As much as she wanted to see more of Murphy in the future, she knew enough to take everything he said with a grain of salt. Some of it had to be about the scene.
“Do you have something specific you want me to wear for today?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But we’ll save that surprise for later.” His gaze traveled down the plane of her body, from her face all the way to the tips of her toes. “I really do like those shoes though, so let’s keep those on. Unless Chase says something else, those are staying on.” The corners of her lips curved into a small smile. He had no idea how much that pleased her. What more could a shoe fetishist ask for?
She reached behind her once again and unzipped the long, slim skirt she’d worn. With a couple of tugs, the fabric pooled at her feet, and she softly stepped away from the garment. When she bent to retrieve it, hot hands touched the bared flesh of her ass.
“Holy shit, woman. You really don’t make it easy to keep a mind on the job, do you? A G-str
ing and those fucking shoes? I swear I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Eve couldn’t speak or move. The rough feel of his big, strong hands stroking her backside robbed her of breath. Whatever happened, she desperately didn’t want him to stop. In slow motion, he pushed a couple of fingers under the skimpy fabric and peeled it down her legs all the way to the floor.
“Step out,” he instructed. Eagerly, she complied. Free of the lingerie, she moved to stand, and a firm hand at the back of her waist held her in the bent-over position. “Uh-uh. Not yet.”
Eve stilled and held her breath. There was something insanely arousing about standing vulnerable and open to a man like this. Especially one as dominant as Murphy. The weight of his hand holding her down might as well have been him touching her clit for the pleasure it gave her. He stroked down her flank and the back of her thighs, sending heat and fire streaking to her cunt. Before she could recover her wits, both hands grabbed the flesh of her globes and spread her backside apart.
“Spread your legs.” A booted foot nudged at her ankle. Eve moved her feet to a wider stance, opening herself even farther. The leg Murphy had wedged between her thighs moved deeper until the fabric of his pants nudged at her pussy. She gasped and dug her teeth into her bottom lip. It was too soon to beg. Based on what she’d heard in Chase’s office, there’d be no relief to the burning need now swelling her clit.
“I’d like a picture just like this. The pretty girl with sexy shoes bent over with her ass open and ready. I’d stare at a picture like that every night and dream about which hole I wanted to fill first.” He loosened the grip of one hand and a thick finger slid along her slit. “And wet too. Very nice.”
Jesus, he really was going to kill her. Eve fought to stay perfectly still when everything in her brain demanded she move against him. Only one touch of the blunt tip of his finger against her clit and she’d get off and her torture would finally be over. Instead the long digit moved to her entrance and tickled the opening.
“Murphy…please don’t.”
His movements halted. “You don’t want me to touch you today?”
“Of course I do. But I’m going out of my mind. All this teasing. I’ve never—I can’t take it.” Not without going out of her fucking mind anyway.
“Don’t worry too much, little one. Your wait is almost over.” He released her abruptly and Eve had to grab on to the railing of the bed to keep from toppling over. “I’ll give you a short respite, how’s that?”
Eve nodded. Her vocal cords didn’t want to work. Only her tear ducts seemed in perfect order these last twenty-four hours.
“Stand up, then, and let’s get you tied up.” Her stomach clenched. Not with I’m-scared nerves, but the oh-my-God-I-can’t-wait kind.
She stood on shaky legs and turned to Murphy’s voice. The smile from earlier had disappeared and had been replaced with the serious look of a man ready to work.
“We aren’t doing anything complex today. This client likes to see a girl tied up but doesn’t particularly care about anything too fancy. He’s definitely not a shibari kind of guy.” He lifted the rope and wrapped it around the back of her head. With the two loose ends dangling between her breasts, he lifted her hair and made sure none of it remained trapped underneath.
She’d seen many examples of his work with the incredible art of Japanese rope bondage. He practiced a lot, and more than once he’d called her in to the studio to show off his latest feat. Every single time she’d felt a jolt to her stomach and wished he’d try using her for a model one time.
He got a lot of regular phone calls requesting his services, and the word around the studio was that many submissives offered themselves to him in service on a regular basis. Of course she had no clue how many he took up on their offers. He and Chase remained intensely close-mouthed about any time they spent in their favorite club. Once, she’d gone so far as to call the club to inquire about membership, but to her dismay had learned that not only would she be required to have a sponsor, the fees were far outside her budget.
Murphy’s warm hands brushed underneath her breasts as he twisted the rope under and over them. After one pass, she realized he was making a rope halter that would leave her breasts exposed but tied tightly enough they would bulge a little at the bindings.
“Can you breathe okay like that? I want it to be tight, but I need you to let me know if it’s more than you can bear.” Tight was an understatement.
“I’ll be fine.” At least for now. Lastly he wrapped the rope back around her neck and looped it between her breasts with one final wrap underneath before tying it off in the back. He took a few steps back and admired his work.
“Not bad, if I do say so myself.” He circled around her. “You need one more thing, but we’ll wait till the last minute for that. On your knees, beautiful.”
Her hesitation only lasted a few seconds, but by the dark cloud that suddenly settled across his face…he noticed.
Eve sank to her knees not only because she’d been ordered to, but because she wanted to. A command from him or Chase sent a dark thrill into her hungry soul. She adjusted her feet and legs so that her shoes didn’t affect her comfort. Although her comfort was not of utmost importance at the moment.
Oh no.
Murphy had moved off the small set to a wardrobe and immediately removed his jeans. As he rifled through the clothes hanging inside the cabinet, she was left with the most spectacular view she’d ever seen. His naked backside.
Obviously he went commando or she’d have noticed him removing underwear. The tight shape of his ass nearly made her swallow her tongue. Lean, muscular legs that flexed as he moved caught her eye, and she couldn’t look away. Not even when he pulled a pair of black dress pants over them.
Quickly Eve checked to see if her mouth stood open, because openly drooling would surely embarrass the hell out of her when he caught her. With those powerful legs out of sight, she studied his back and the tattoo that covered it. The tribal markings took up nearly every inch of his back, and the intricate designs mesmerized her with every movement he made. One of these days she’d ask him what they meant. She didn’t know him as well as she’d like, but she knew him enough to know that whatever he’d permanently marked his gorgeous skin with would have meaning.
Unfortunately he dragged a white dress shirt over all those gorgeous muscles and cut off her view. Still she watched him dress, fascinated with the care he took with his appearance. From the perfectly tucked-in shirt, to the rag he grabbed to polish the dress shoes before he slid them on his feet. The man moved with such grace and style, she couldn’t help but be impressed.
Finally he grabbed a jacket and untied bow tie and headed her way.
“Enjoy the show?” His lips twitched.
“Yes, I did.”
“Probably not as much as I enjoyed mine.” Before she could respond, the studio door opened and a slice of bright sunshine cut through the darkened room. Chase walked in with two cameras wrapped around his neck and a manila folder in his hand.
“Looks like the two of you are about ready. Thought you might like to see these before we got started.” He walked straight to her and offered her the packet he carried.
Eve accepted the file and opened it. Nothing could have prepared her for the image. Stark, real, beautiful, lust—so many words popped into her mind as she sifted through them. Chase was a genius with a camera. Never in her life had she looked like this.
“Oh my God, Chase. These are unbelievable. How did you do this? How did you make me look so…” Tears of joy sprang in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
Chase knelt in front of her, letting his camera fall to his chest. He stroked his thumbs across her face and wiped away the moisture. “Beautiful.”
The simple word sparked a tumultuous wave of overwhelming emotion. She threw her arms around his neck and jumped into his lap. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” She peppered his neck with kisses, marveling at the warmth and gratitude she felt for hi
m.
“I guess she likes them.”
Eve turned and stared at Murphy. “Like them? I love them. I’m amazed. I knew how exceptional your photos were, but these…” She had no words for how incredible they made her feel.
“I’m glad you like them.” Chase placed her back on her knees. “Now we need to finish. You ready?”
Eve nodded. Nerves erupted in her stomach at the last look Chase gave her before turning away. Somehow in that one glance he managed to convey so much heat she nearly burned up from it. The newly formed lump in her throat prevented her from speaking, which was probably just as well. There was nothing important to be said at this point.
The three of them had a job to do. Something that would lead her into a path of temptation that would surely drive her crazy if she wasn’t careful. As long as it wasn’t her heart involved, she’d be fine.
Eve squeezed her eyes tight against the thought. Those were not ideas she’d allow herself to entertain. No more heartache. She couldn’t get involved beyond this photo shoot. She had responsibilities that required her full attention, and being distracted temporarily was one thing. Beginning to think she might want a longer-term submissive role with either Chase or Murphy was such a bad idea.
“Open your eyes, darling.” Murphy moved to the velvet love seat she knelt next to and took a seat a few inches out of sight behind her. Didn’t change the fact that his energy stirred the air around them. If her pussy wasn’t already soaked in anticipation from the day before, it sure as hell was now.
His knee touched her back, and her breath caught in her throat. She wanted so much right now, her body pulsed with it. Eve tracked Chase’s movements across the room as he flipped on the built-in stereo controls. Sharp music with an industrial background filled the studio.
Make Me: Twelve Tales of Dark Desire Page 74
