“Then don’t speak,” Roger said before he closed the door.
Colin heard the conversation as if it were in the next room not in the same car he was in. His iPad finally booted up as he shifted away from Tamra in the car. They had enough room to not be anywhere near each other.
Turning on the keyboard app, Colin got to work.
***
At first Tamra had been concerned that Colin was having a seizure or stroke, but when she looked back at Roger, he’d mouthed that Colin was fine. Just get him to the car.
She did and was still a little spooked. She watched him over her laptop. She was writing a report about Carie. The woman’s record was clean, but Tamra wondered about someone who was a president of a fan club.
Seemed odd to Tamra, but she wasn’t known to have passion for much. Tamra kept herself reined in well.
Her past lovers hadn’t liked that. Oh well.
Now Colin sat with his head over his iPad, his fingers playing a tune. Over and over. Each time there was a subtle difference. She was fascinated, observing him. She’d never seen such concentration. Was he this detail-oriented in everything he did?
She saw his fingers glide over the screen, producing the music flawlessly. As far as she could tell. She wasn’t musical. She couldn’t play an instrument nor did she listen to much music, but what he produced was sensual and sexy.
It reminded her of a dance. Or the give and take of good sex.
Damn. She really needed to either get laid or use her vibrator. She’d brought it with her to Colin’s house. Could she use it without him knowing it? The walls weren’t thin so she thought she could. Or take it into the bathroom which was against the opposite wall from his bedroom.
She felt like a teenager again. Instead of stealing away to read a book, she was stealing away to get her rocks off.
Right before they reached his house, Colin looked up at her and smiled. “Thanks.”
He slid his iPad into his backpack.
“For what?”
She’d merely not spoken.
“For letting me do that. I really had to get that song down.”
She nodded. Should she tell him what she thought of the song? No, he didn’t need his ego stroked.
“That’s been in my head since yesterday. Sometimes the song just has to come out.”
“Is that for your new album?”
“Probably not. It isn’t hip hop. It’s more of a love ballad. It will have to wait for some other album.”
“You’re doing hip hop?”
“If I can get Docta Hop to record with me.”
***
Colin mulled over his photo shoot. Inkblot Magazine was interested in his tattoos. The shoot would probably be naked or mostly naked. Not that he minded.
If he could walk around naked all the time he would. The only part of this he was a little concerned about was Tamra. What would she think? Would she stick around for the shoot? Would she watch?
He’d never been shy about performing and this was just a different style of performing. A little more intimate than a concert hall. Even with all the lights and technicians. Would it all be too much for her?
And he had to be sexy. Maybe it would work for her. Maybe she’d be turned on. The prospect lightened his mood.
When he arrived, Roger had somehow beaten them there. The man was going to get a speeding ticket one of these days.
Tamra went into the kitchen. Roger pulled Colin into the living room. “The shoot will be in here. They like the furnishings and the light.”
The furniture had been rearranged and lights were set up all around the room. He half-expected them to want to shoot in his bedroom. This was enough of an intrusion already. He would have turned them down if they’d insisted on his bedroom. Even if it wasn’t his real home, his bedroom was by invite only.
Two painfully skinny women in their underwear lounged on a couch. Damn.
He should have been turned on by them, but he wasn’t. He was going to have to pretend. He sighed. This would be good exposure to a different audience. That had been his vow this year. To get a broader audience.
A woman with a clipboard approached them. In her hands was a pair of black boxers. Guess that was his wardrobe.
“Hello Roger,” she said and air kissed him.
Colin tried not to laugh.
“Hello, Winnie. This is Colin.”
She handed Colin the boxers. “This is your wardrobe.”
“Hm. Spared no expense.”
“What?” Winnie said.
“Never mind. I’ll get into these right away,” Colin said.
He went to the bathroom at the back of the house to change. When he walked back through the kitchen, Tamra looked his way. Her mouth opened slightly and she licked her lips. He had the distinct impression that she thought he looked good.
She didn’t say anything so he walked back to the shoot.
“The idea is that you’ve met these two women and they’ve come back to your house after a concert,” Winnie said.
Wow. That story has so much depth. He cleared his throat. “And I’m trying to get them into bed.”
“Of course.”
She looked at him as if he had two heads.
“We want to highlight your tattoos, of course. That is the focus of the shoot.”
“Then why the women.”
“Just some additional eye candy.”
***
Tamra’s curiosity got the better of her. She tiptoed down the hallway to look into the living room. From the hallway she could see Colin in the underwear he’d been sporting. Two blonde women, wearing less that he was, had their hands all over him.
Someone gave the directions. Colin didn’t seem to be into it. His eyes said his mind was somewhere else, but she kind of saw the art in it all.
He glanced her way at one point. She smiled, but was not sure why. She didn’t know if he was doing a good job or not.
“No, this isn’t working. Come on, Colin. We’ve worked together before,” said the man holding the camera.
“I’m sorry, Jett. Guess I’m having trouble getting into this.”
“Take a break. Everyone take five.”
The women stepped away from Colin as if he were a pole instead of a sexy man in his underwear. Guess they saw half-naked men on a regular basis. Colin came over to her.
“What do you think of all of this?” he said.
She looked around. “Just, uh, wow.”
She tried not to look all over him, but she couldn’t help it. His body was toned and sinewy and beautiful.
“Wait,” the photographer said.
He strode over to where they stood, handing his camera to someone on the way.
Colin turned to him. “You have an idea.”
The man stopped close to Tamra. “You’re perfect.”
She looked at him, then at Colin to see if he could interpret what the man meant.
“What?” Colin said.
The man looked her over as if he were buying her. “I’ve got a great idea.”
Tamra stepped away from the man. “Huh?”
“No, seriously. Inkspot isn’t about emaciated models. We’re about real people. With tattoos.”
“Do you have a tattoo?”
Tamra swallowed hard. She did have one. It had been a bet that she’d lost. She hadn’t shown it to anyone in years.
“Uh, yes.”
Colin’s eyebrows went up.
“Perfect.” The man stalked away. “Where’s wardrobe. I need a white bra and panties to fit this woman.”
“What the fuck?” Tamra said.
The photographer spun around. “Yes. You need to be in the shoot.”
***
Colin watched as every emotion that Tamra was feeling crossed her face. He would have laughed, but he knew she was uncomfortable.
“No.”
“No?”
Apparently no one had ever said that to Jett. “But you have to be in this. The con
trast of his pale skin and your dark skin is going to be gold.”
“I’m not a model. I’m Colin’s bodyguard.”
Colin wasn’t sure he wanted to step in. Tamra in a bra and panties. He’d be hard pressed to well, not be hard.
“Jett, she is my bodyguard.”
“So. She’s perfect.”
“No,” said Tamra. “My job relies on confidentiality. And I’m not stripping down to my underwear for anyone.”
Colin hoped she’d make an exception for him, but he understood her reluctance now. But then again, he saw what the photographer was seeing. They would make a beautiful couple. “You’re only window dressing. Everyone will be looking at Colin. We don’t even need to see your face.”
Tamra’s eyes pleaded with Colin, but he was warming to the idea. “What if we clear the set? Only the photographer, you, and I in the room.”
Her eyes widened. “Really, Colin?”
“It might be fun,” he said.
She bit her lip. She was wavering. Oh man.
“I don’t see parading around in my underwear as fun.”
“Clear the set. Everyone out,” Jett said. “We’re doing this.”
Everyone filed out the front door to wait. Colin didn’t watch them go. He watched Tamra.
“Let’s start with your clothes on. Get you comfortable in front of the camera,” Jett said.
She seemed to be pleading with him with her blue eyes. “I really don’t want to do this.”
“Let’s humor him and if you’re awkward he’ll change his mind and go with the original plan,” Colin said. “Sometimes that’s the easier way to deal with someone like Jett.”
He’d whispered it in her ear.
“You have to do that in your business?”
“We’re all artists. Emotional, egotistical, high strung. It’s a hazard of the job,” he said.
Her shoulders had softened. He knew Jett could be persistent. He would not give up until she said yes.
“Okay, but with my clothes on.”
“Deal.”
Jett had backed away as if he knew Colin could convince her. Now he stood with his camera in his hand.
CHAPTER 10
What the hell have I gotten myself into? Tamra stood, fully clothed, next to a partially clothed Colin. He’d put on a shirt with buttons, but it was open.
She tried not to stare, tried not to look like her eyes would pop out of her head. She even
tried to relax. That was not happening.
She and Colin sat on the large chair that he’d stood in front of with the half-naked women.
“The clothes on her might work. Wait, maybe something simpler. A black t-shirt and jeans. Do you have that?” Jett said.
“Uh, yes.”
“Go put them on.”
She glanced at Colin.
“I’ll wait.”
She hurried to her room and changed into her best black t-shirt and her best jeans. That’s really all she wore.
When she returned, Colin was lounging on the chair, his legs out in front of him and his ankles crossed. How could he be so naked and so comfortable?
“That’s perfect,” Jett said.
None of this felt perfect. None of it felt right. Why was she doing this? Hopefully, she’d suck and Jett would leave her alone. She could get back to her work. She did have other clients to deal with.
Colin stood, a smile on his face. “This will be over in a minute.”
“I hope so. For once I’m glad someone doesn’t have confidence in my ability.”
Colin laughed and squeezed her arm. “You’ll be fine. I’m sure. And fine isn’t what he wants.”
“Just stand there for a minute,” Jett said.
He did some things, but Tamra had no idea what they were. He adjusted some lights, then stood stroking his chin while he stared at them.
“Now just look at each other. As if you are lovers who hadn’t seen each other in weeks,” Jett said.
Tamra had no idea what that meant. So she just looked at Colin. He looked back at her his eyes smiling. Jett snapped a few pictures. “Now, touch her as if you couldn’t wait to touch her again, Colin.”
He put his hand on her face, barely grazing it. Thankfully, the hand that was towards the camera. No one would see her face. She had to remember that this was Colin’s shoot and no one was interested in her.
He brushed his thumb over her lips, his gaze going to them. His lips parted slightly and she thought he might kiss her. Why did her heart race? This was all make believe. Colin was acting.
“Good.”
She could hear the whir of the camera. When was he going to stop? When would he figure out that she wasn’t good at this?
“Now, Tamra, touch him. Caress him like a lover.”
With trepidation she raised her hand to his face, mirroring his actions. His breathing ratcheted up, his gaze never leaving hers. This was more intimate than she’d been with anyone in a long time.
Other than her vibrator.
Her pulse quickened even more.
Remember that this isn’t real. Right now it felt pretty real as she could see his pulse go faster at his neck.
More pictures.
“Nice, now move a little. Almost kiss her, Colin.”
“Trust me,” Colin whispered.
The words felt as if they were about more than this photo shoot.
***
“Forget the guy with the camera,” Colin said.
His pulse was on double time at the moment, but he had to look cool. He had to look like he seduced Tamra every day. That she was his lover. Oh she had starred in a few fantasies lately. None of them had come true.
Yet.
He wasn’t sure if she was feeling the same way, but her eyes held a certain fear. And maybe even some passion. He couldn’t be sure.
He thrust his hands into her hair, bringing his face close to her. He grazed her cheek with his lips. She tightened her grip on him.
“Relax.”
“Easy for you to say,” she said, her voice husky.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want.”
He gently nuzzled her neck. Her face was away from the camera now. He kissed her as if he were truly seducing her. She gripped his shoulders, but didn’t push him away.
“Now, push his shirt off of his one shoulder. I need to get a good look at that dragon.”
Tamra obeyed and his shoulder was exposed for the camera. Hopefully, that shot would be more about his tattoo than anything. He shrugged off the shirt so that it was only on one arm. He turned Tamra so his back was to the camera. Being shorter, she was hidden mostly by him.
“Pretend to dig your nails into his back. He’s bringing out the animal in you with what he’s doing.”
Tamra put her hands on his back, her fingers curled against him. How he longed for her to do that for real.
“Nice.”
The camera clicked more. Colin shrugged the shirt off all the way, dropping it at his feet.
“Kneel down in front of her, Colin.”
Colin knelt and knew the focus would be on his back. Next he’d have to show the rest of the tattoo on his front. Hopefully, Tamra would still be behind him at that point.
He hugged her middle. His face shown in profile against her stomach. He could hear her rapid heartbeat. Was she just nervous or was she feeling what he was feeling. Was she turned on?
Damn. He hoped so.
“Okay. Let’s stop for a minute. Colin stand up and turn toward me. Tamra, lay your head against his back and wrap one arm over his shoulder and the other under this arm. Put your hands flat on his stomach.”
Colin stood, then helped her position her arms the way Jett said.
He liked her soft hands on him. Would she ever touch him again?
***
Tamra liked how Colin felt. He was hard sinewy and all man. Jett took a few more pictures.
“Now slide your lower hand to further down his abdomen.”
She’d be touching his underwear. She swallowed, then did as Jett suggested. More pictures.
Would this ever end? Was she good at this? How stupid. She never should have agreed, but she guessed she was committed at this point.
Colin moved her hand to the waistband of his boxers, then held her hand there.
Rock Your Body: A BWWM Romance Page 12
