Her hands shook at her sides. Uncertainty crept down her spine. She followed them through the house and down the stairs off the kitchen.
She’d been to his playroom upstairs, but she hadn’t been to the basement the last time they’d visited. Her eyes bulged when she saw the elaborate setup.
Indeed he was certainly a photographer. The entire space was a studio. Lighting and cameras and sets stood all over the place. As she walked through the vast area, following Steve, she took in as much as possible with her head tucked low enough not to raise the eyebrows of Aiden and Dane.
Another set of legs caught her eye. Someone was arranging a set of light panels next to a gorgeous velvet lounge chair.
The dim lights, the maroon velvet, the soft swirl of jewel tones in the backdrop… Shit. She froze in her spot. The chaise alone should have raised an eyebrow. It conjured no other vision than nude photos.
Dane set a hand on her back and stepped around to block her vision. “Relax. They’re just pictures. You act like we’ve dragged you to the guillotine.” He smiled. It drew her attention because she hadn’t seen much of that this morning.
Aiden stood next to Dane. “We’ve both done a few shoots with Steve. He’s a genius with the camera.”
She opened her mouth, afraid to speak her mind. Naked? That still wasn’t in her comfort zone, and furthermore there was a stranger in the room. She peered at the unknown man between Aiden and Dane as he walked by.
“What? Go ahead,” Dane prompted. “Tell us what’s got you in a dither.”
“You expect me to pose naked?” she whispered.
“Well, not necessarily and not at first,” Aiden said. “But we’re hoping the shoot will loosen you up a little. In the D/s world subs are often nude, Stephanie. I know it’s only been a few days, but you have come a long way. Hell, Steve saw your fine ass on Tuesday. Who cares if he sees it again?”
Fuck. They really did want her to pose naked.
Dane rubbed her arm. “Relax. You won’t believe how at ease Steve can make you feel under the lights. We want you to get comfortable with exposure. This is the perfect venue, just a small group of people and you’re the star.”
“Plus,” Aiden added, “when you see yourself in the pictures you’ll realize how sensual and sexy you are.”
“If at any point you feel like it’s going too far too fast, you do have a safe word.” Dane lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “Red.”
She nodded. Her chest pounded. Her ears began to ring. She glanced again at the man she’d never met. It looked as if he was going to stay.
Dane looked over his shoulder. “Duke, come meet Stephanie.” He motioned with his arm and turned back to face her. “Duke is also in the lifestyle. He’s Steve’s assistant. They’ve been working together for years.”
The slender man in the deep purple pants and worn Converse stepped up. “Nice to meet you.”
She didn’t lift her gaze, for once glad she had the ability to hide behind her role rather than face someone she was uncomfortable meeting.
Aiden put a hand on the small of Stephanie’s back and urged her forward. She shuffled reluctantly toward the chaise. The velvet was inviting, but that didn’t entice her to strip down and get comfortable.
Steve stepped behind the lounge and ran his fingers over the fabric. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”
She swallowed and didn’t take her gaze off the piece of furniture.
“Listen. Relax, love. I’ll have you preening toward the camera in no time. I haven’t missed a cue with anyone yet in all the years I’ve been photographing. No worries. I can read a woman’s comfort level before she can.
“First, I have some papers for you to look over and sign.” Steve held up a few sheets. “Sit. Aiden and Dane know the drill. They’ll explain, but basically this document is intended to protect both of us. I won’t have permission to sell, distribute or display any photos I take today. They’re strictly for your personal use. Anything you want to have in print or on disk is yours to do with as you please.
“In addition, you waive your right to sell, distribute or publically display my photos also, at least without permission.” Steve wandered away, leaving the papers and a pen on the seat.
Dane tugged Stephanie onto the soft velvet between him and Aiden. The luxurious material teased the back of her legs and her bare ass.
Aiden took the pages and glanced at every sheet before he handed them to Dane.
Stephanie couldn’t read if she wanted to. Her head was spinning. She had no idea if she could do this. And after the strange way the guys had been behaving, she didn’t see how she could not do it. Tossing her weight around on any issue this morning didn’t seem prudent.
Dane passed the document to Stephanie. “It looks good. Read it. It says exactly what Steve told you. But never sign anything you don’t read first.”
Stephanie grasped the pages and held them in her lap, attempting to focus on the words. Concentrate. She read and several minutes later had to agree that was basically the gist of it. Steve would take pictures. They were for her personal enjoyment only, well, hers and Dane’s and Aiden’s.
Steve wouldn’t show anyone else and she wasn’t allowed to either without getting his permission.
Still, that only marginally eased her concerns. Her hand shook as she signed at the bottom of the first page and initialed the second.
When she lifted her gaze, she found Duke standing nearby holding a gorgeous silk scarf. It was long and flowy and wide. The color was a lighter shade of the burgundy chaise. The sheer fabric looked as if it would melt and slip easily through Duke’s fingers.
“Ready, love?” Duke asked. He and Steve both called her by that pet name. Love. It sounded so Southern. She felt precious hearing it.
She couldn’t respond to his question. Hell no, she wasn’t ready. She never would be. But if this was what Dane and Aiden wanted from her this morning, she would consent. Bringing back their smiles today was her main focus.
It’s only a few pictures. Who really cares? She took a deep breath and nodded.
Dane lifted her chin to his gaze. “Follow Duke’s and Steve’s instructions. You’ll find yourself hypnotized in no time. Trust me.” His grin lit up his face and he winked as though he knew what he was saying.
Hell, he did. Apparently both men had gone under this particular camera before.
Aiden stood. He danced his fingers down her bare arm. “We’ll be watching the whole time. Go with the flow. Enjoy yourself.”
They both stepped away as Duke came forward. “Stand for a second, love.”
She did, as though she were about to receive a school girl lashing. The reluctance in her shaky legs couldn’t be hidden.
Before she had time to consider what was happening, Duke lifted her scant black tank dress over her head. Her pussy gripped at nothing when she felt the draft of air.
He put his hands on her shoulders and settled her onto the chaise. As though she were nothing more than a piece of art, he arranged the long length of silk across her body.
She disassociated while he worked, leaning her head back on the only section of the bench that had a raised curved corner.
“There,” he declared, when all she’d been doing was staring at the ceiling and concentrating on the sensuous fabric as it brushed against her skin.
As though she were an inanimate toy, he’d nudged and arranged her the way he wanted and then did it all over again.
“Lower your chin…” Duke lifted her head from behind and fluffed her hair around her face. “’Kay, now hold still while I dab on a bit of makeup. A touch. Nothing to take away from your natural beauty. Just enough to bring out your features under the light.” He reached with an eye shadow brush. “Close your eyes, love.”
Stephanie did as he said, dying to look at what he’d arranged down below, while scared out of her mind to actually see his creation. She seemed covered with the scarf, but it was hard to be sure considering how light the fab
ric was. It barely stroked her skin.
While he applied eye shadow, eyeliner and then mascara, she worried about her nipples. They brushed against the silk with every movement. His arms kept nudging the scarf enough to drag it against her breasts. They grew stiff and it embarrassed her to think he might realize this.
Did he even have radar for such a thing?
“All right, then…” He stood back as she opened her eyes. “Wait, the lips.” He grabbed another item from his seemingly endless pockets and held it up as he removed the lid. “Perfect shade.” He leaned in again and parted her bottom lip from the top with his thumb while he applied the glossy lipstick.
“Gorgeous,” he declared.
“How’s it going?” Steve’s voice grew louder as he approached from behind her. “Oh, stunning,” he declared when he stepped around the front. “Dane and Aiden are going to be sporting some serious boners as they watch this unfold.”
Steve reached down to fiddle with the corners of the scarf in several areas. “Look how the silk wraps around your torso.”
Stephanie took a deep breath and lowered her gaze. God, is that me?
She was perfectly positioned on the lounge with her back gracefully tilted so that her head could lean on the curved end. The burgundy silk almost looked pink or mauve from the sheer quality of the fabric. The scarf was elegantly draped around her so that it floated across first one breast and then the other. It went on in waves down her torso and between her legs.
For all intents and purposes, she was acceptably covered. Not modestly, but enough to relax her nerves.
She felt like a Greek goddess. The vision was sexy, even knowing the subject was herself. How bad could this be?
Duke stepped away and came back with a long mirror, the kind someone would hang behind a door. He held it up sideways and angled it so she could see herself. “That is one sexy submissive.” He grinned.
Stephanie had to agree, though she barely recognized the woman in the mirror as herself. Her hair lay in perfect ringlets around her face and down over her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle but indeed brought out the highlights and strengths of her features.
Duke disappeared with the mirror while Steve fiddled with the arrangement of the silk. “So fantastic,” he muttered. He smoothed some areas and wrinkled others. Stephanie stayed still. Any movement on her part would scare the bejeebus out of her. What if the swath of fabric fell to one side or the other and revealed more than she could handle?
Hell, she wasn’t a fashion model. She wasn’t even what she would consider sensuous. She was just Stephanie, the woman who worked her way through college and studied hard to become self-sufficient. How had she been reduced to nude photos in the last few days?
Her stomach quivered as Steve’s fingers grazed her skin. “The color looks great with your skin tones.” He stepped back and narrowed his gaze, taking her in from head to toe. “All right. Let’s begin. Relax. Have fun. I’ll direct you as we go.”
He turned and stepped over several cords to get to the main camera on a tripod. There were several additional cameras placed around her, but she assumed they were for later. The one Steve picked up off the base was the largest and as soon as he held it, it became a part of him, like an appendage.
He whipped it up in front of his face and angled it to the right and the left several times, clicking away and stepping back and forth in front of her. He seemed to know exactly where each wire lay, because he didn’t miss a step or trip over anything.
Stephanie felt awkward, like a statue.
“Don’t worry, love. I’m checking the lighting. We’ll get started in a minute.” Steve glanced over the top of the camera and called out to Duke. “Can you arrange her arms?” He turned back to Stephanie. “Lift your left arm up over your head and let it drape casually at an angle.”
Stephanie lay with her head to his left on the lounge, leaning slightly on her right side to accommodate the chaise. She lifted her arm slowly, afraid to let the scarf slip from her breast.
With her eyes cast down at her chest, she settled her elbow next to her ear.
“Good.” Duke stepped in. “Let’s see.” He spread her hair around her left arm so it wasn’t trapped underneath. Then he took her right arm and bent it at the elbow also, setting it angled on the lounge, palm up. “Loosen your fingers… There.” He tapped her hand. “This isn’t a fight. No fists,” he teased.
Stephanie didn’t laugh. This was the most embarrassing thing she’d ever done.
“Loosen the other hand too.” He unballed her fist and dragged his fingers across her palm and down the inside of each digit. “There. Just let it lay open and loose like this above the top of your head.” He leaned back to get a bigger picture.
Stephanie closed her eyes. She breathed deeply.
“Looks good, Duke. I’m ready,” Steve said.
The whoosh of air around her and the light seeping through her eyelids told her Duke had stepped away. Goose bumps rose on her skin as she listened to the click of the shutter. The ticking noise moved from right to left and back.
Steve spoke gently to her the entire time. “Good… Great… Relax your lips… There… Let them fall open a bit…” His tone was soothing, relaxing.
Stephanie’s heart rate slowed enough she no longer thought she would hyperventilate.
“Let your head fall back more relaxed on the back of the lounge, love… Yes, like that… Perfect… So sexy…”
Click. Click. Click.
She flinched and opened her eyes when a hand touched her. Duke. He bent her bottom leg at a slight angle at the knee and lifted the top one, letting it fall open against the slight rise of the back of the seat.
Stephanie gasped.
“No worries, love,” Duke whispered. He straightened the silk between her legs. She stared at his work, watching him arrange the flow of fabric until he was satisfied. “There.” He stepped back again.
Click. Click. Click.
“Let your head fall back again, love,” Steve murmured. His voice was deeper and more sensual than Duke’s, otherwise she wouldn’t know them apart based on their accents and the fact they both referred to her as “love”.
She bit the inside of her cheek.
“Oh, sweetie,” Steve said. “Don’t do that. You look like you’re in pain. Relax your mouth… There… Just like that… You’re lips are full and natural… Your nose is the perfect button… Let your eyes close halfway… Yes… So lovely…”
Click. Click. Click.
“Duke, lift her arm a little higher.”
She didn’t flinch this time as Duke nudged her top elbow closer to her ear. “Let your hand dangle down behind. Yes…” Duke stroked his fingers gently across her cheek and then down the inside of her arm until he reached her armpit.
She normally would have jumped out of her skin from ticklishness, but his touch was more erotic than teasing. This photo shoot was so sensual. She was loath to admit his fingers made her nipples stand at attention instead of tickling her.
Did the scarf slip? She couldn’t see from this angle and Duke tipped her head back slightly so her face angled more toward the ceiling.
“Yes…” Steve was fond of that word.
He clicked away at his camera, moving around her to get shots from every angle. Where were Aiden and Dane? She couldn’t see them, but she knew they had to be watching close by.
“So sexy, love… You won’t believe how fucking hot you look through this lens…” Steve’s voice grew closer to her.
She opened the slit in her eyes enough to see him above her shooting down. He leaned against the chaise and got several close-ups of her from head to toe. When he hovered over her chest, it rose and fell. Could anyone else hear the pounding of her heart?
Steve grazed his fingers down the edge of the silk that lay across her left breast. It slipped slightly toward the other side.
“So good… Don’t move a muscle. Just relax.” He took several more shots of her chest. How could th
at be interesting?
Wetness pooled between her spread legs. She’d be mortified if she grew aroused and dripped onto the fabric or the velvet.
With one finger, Steve stroked her breast again. The slip of the scarf was definitive. Fuck. She sensed her nipple was close to being exposed.
She held her breath to keep her chest from moving and allowing the fabric to slip completely off her breast. Her nipples puckered. The cool air in the room combined with her arousal made her tits erect. She could feel them grazing against the fabric. That was a good sign.
“So sexy… Breathe, love… You’re going to turn red.” Steve chuckled lightly and clicked away. He stepped back a few feet. “Duke, arrange the scarf a bit there.”
Duke popped out of nowhere again. Gently he inched several parts of the silk in different directions, his knuckles grazing her skin and making her hornier.
It was as if she were in a movie in the early nineteen hundreds. Didn’t the women lie swooning on a chaise lounge with their arms over their head?
She smiled at the image.
“Something I said?” Steve teased, distracting her.
Click. Click. Click.
Suddenly she realized the scarf was no longer covering her nipple and it had slid the rest of the way down that breast.
“Don’t move, love… The shot is perfect.”
“But…” She gasped, heaved for air.
“They’re just pictures, love,” Steve said as he continued shooting. “Damn sexy ones at that. Enjoy yourself. Relax. Tilt your head back and let your jaw go slack. The swell of your breast is gorgeous.”
She obeyed his commands, though she didn’t know why. He wasn’t kidding. She couldn’t be more comfortable. The lounge swallowed her. She could fall asleep right there if she weren’t so damn horny. The last thing she wanted was for any of the four men in the room to realize she was getting off on this.
“A little powder there, Duke.”
Had her makeup smeared?
Duke blocked the light and leaned over her again. Shock froze her when his brush danced around her breast instead of her cheeks. “Don’t move. This will keep your skin from looking shiny under the lens.” He continued with the soft bristles of the brush, covering her entire breast and part of her chest.
Bound to be Tamed: Emergence, Book 2 Page 19
