Soul Chance

by Nichelle Gregory

“We’ll see.” Ryder got up and came to her side. He held out his hands. “Come with me.”

  Ari groaned. “I’m too sleepy and tender to move.”

  “That’s why I’m making you a bubble bath.”

  Ari smiled as she took hold of Ryder’s hands. “You always know exactly what I need.”

  * * * *

  An hour later, Ari nestled against the leather pillows on the couch, in full relaxation mode. She giggled when Ryder appeared with another glass of champagne. “Haven’t we had enough?”

  “No way.”

  Ari accepted the flute from Ryder and took a sip as he turned on the modern gas fireplace in front of them. She sipped her drink as he sat next to her on the couch.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Mmm.” Ari snuggled next to him. “Loved.”

  “You are.” He put his arm around her and Ari sighed with contentment.

  They drank their champagne in a companionable silence for a few minutes, both gazing at the flickering flames. Ari cast a quick glance at Ryder, knowing she’d never been happier, more in sync or in love than she was with him.

  Ryder brushed his hand over her hair. “Are you too tired to share that song you were telling me about earlier?”

  “Ooo…” Ari placed her glass on a coaster on the coffee table. “Of course not.”

  Eager for Ryder to hear the song, Ari padded over to the piano in her fuzzy pink bathrobe. She stepped between the bench and the piano, remembering what had happened there only a short while ago. Ari rubbed her bottom through her robe, giggling when Ryder laughed. She sat down, placed her hand on the lid covering the keys then looked at Ryder. “Now, I’m trusting you not to judge the song based on my meager attempt to plunk out the melody I’ve got playing in my head.”

  “You know I won’t.” Ryder came over to the piano to stand next to her. “Go ahead.”

  “Okay.” Ari pushed back the lid on the piano and gasped. She stared in shock at the small black letters spaced out on the keys that read Will You Marry Me?

  “Oh, my, God. Ryder?” Ari turned to him, her eyes filling with tears as he got down on one knee in front of her.

  “Ari, love may be a gamble, but living my life without you by my side isn’t worth the risk.” Ryder produced a small black box from his pajama pocket and Ari gasped again when he opened it, revealing a stunning solitaire inside. “Ari Dax, love of my life, song of my heart…will take a chance on us?”

  Ari threw her arms around Ryder with a joyful squeal. “Yes!”

  Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

  Ample Delights

  Nichelle Gregory

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  “Terrah, can you add a few more sparkles to Jocelyn’s eye makeup?”

  “My pleasure. Can you look up for me?” Terrah asked Jocelyn. She ignored the model’s bored sigh as she began to apply more blue rhinestones around her eyes.

  The blonde bombshell could be a pain to work with, but today she was worse than usual.

  Biting back a sigh of her own, Terrah dusted her brush on her hand before applying more of the smoky bronze eyeshadow to highlight Jocelyn’s blue eyes.

  “How’s this?” Terrah asked, turning to Michelle.

  The art director had been instrumental in helping Terrah build her portfolio when she’d first started by recommending her to other clients. Terrah had snagged some of the best jobs of her career because of Michelle’s confidence in and praise for her work.

  “Perfect!” Michelle looked at her watch. “We start shooting in twenty minutes.”

  “Perfect,” Jocelyn muttered as she scrutinized her appearance in the mirror. She got up from her chair, stunning in the couture evening gown that clung to her slender form, and walked away.

  Michelle frowned. “She’s in a mood today.”

  “I couldn’t tell.”

  Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on the art director, and they both chuckled as Terrah stored her brushes.

  “You’d think she’d be in a great mood”—Michelle shook her head as she fiddled with her iPad—“especially since she’s working with Nick today.”

  Nick Tasso.

  Everyone in the world of fashion knew his name. He was one of the most sought-after male models in the business. Tabloid pictures of Nick and Jocelyn kissing in a club had circulated in entertainment news for months. Today would be Terrah’s first time working with him.

  “Speak of the gorgeous devil…”

  Terrah glanced up from her makeup case to see Nick approaching them. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze skated over the Greek model.

  Lawd, have mercy.

  Nick Tasso was beyond gorgeous. Dressed in an elegant tux, he was positively lethal to any female with a pulse, and Terrah’s was racing. He was sexier in person than on the magazine pages she’d never admit to having stared at before arriving at the studio. His thick, dark brown hair gleamed almost black in the studio. He had beautiful…no, mesmerizing green eyes framed by long, sooty lashes on a profile the gods had surely chiseled with love, by hand. Terrah loved the way his olive skin contrasted perfectly with the pristine white tuxedo shirt, which he wore open, revealing taut abs beneath. His dark good looks belonged on the glossy pages of magazines, to be seen and adored by women all over the world.

  Adored and ogled.

  Terrah cursed under her breath, annoyed by her thoughts. She was used to working in close proximity with beautiful females and males. It was her job, and not once had she been physically attracted to a model.

  Until today.

  “Ready for me?” Nick asked, flashing them both a brilliant smile before turning his green eyes on Terrah.

  His deep voice reminded her of warm leather, strong and soothing to the senses.

  “I am.” Terrah patted the chair beside her. “Have a seat here.”

  “You’ll be in good hands with Terrah.”

  Michelle winked at her as Nick sat down. The art director walked off, and Terrah ignored the flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she fished around in her makeup case for the right powder for Nick. She selected a sponge for application, then pivoted on her heels to find Adonis looking right at her.

  And that would be because you’re right in his face.

  “This won’t take long. Can you take off your shirt? I don’t want to get makeup on it.”

  “No problem.”

  Terrah stepped out of his way as he stood up to shrug out of his tuxedo jacket and shirt. Her pulse quickened as her eyes swept over hard, defined muscles. She met his eyes and knew, finally knew, what it meant to be spellbound by a man.

  How could she have thought his eyes were simply green? They were aqua green.

  Like the ocean.

  Terrah straightened her back, annoyed by the flash of heat running up her neck to her cheeks. She prided herself on being a seasoned professional, unaffected by the plethora of male goodness she often found herself surrounded by. Besides, she refused to mentally moon over a pretty-boy model, especially one dating someone as vapid and annoying as Jocelyn. He was obviously into boring, bone-skinny blondes.

  Terrah pressed the sponge to Nick’s face and quickly blended the foundation into his skin. It took all of her energy to focus on her task and not the strong line of his jaw or his ripped abs she lightly dusted. She was almost done when Jocelyn rounded the small partition in front of Terrah’s workspace.

  “Nick, we need to talk.”

  “Not now, Jocelyn.”

  Terrah sensed rather than heard the steel in Nick’s voice. “It’s okay, I’m all done.” She stepped away from him, hoping they’d leave her area to have their lovers’ quarrel.

  “Thank you,” Nick said with a warm smile.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Terrah returned his grin as he got up, grabbed his jacket and shirt and strode past Jocelyn. She couldn’t help watching the two models as they walked out of earshot, speaking in hushed tones. It was clear they were at odds about so
mething from Terrah’s vantage point. Jocelyn was pissed off, and Nick seemed unconcerned about whatever was bothering her as Michelle effectively ended their little tête-à-tête by calling the models to their places.

  Terrah moved toward the set, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline rush through her as the photo shoot began. With a critical eye, she looked at her work beneath the bright lights. She admired the breathtaking design of the shimmering magenta gown molded to Jocelyn’s willowy frame. The blonde looked amazing, leaning into Nick’s sculpted body with her hand pressed on his smooth chest. This shoot was going to catapult Jocelyn into the supermodel stratosphere.

  And I did the makeup.

  Terrah grinned. She was pleased with her work and the direction her career was taking. Her smiled faded a little as her gaze wandered over to the photographer, who was busy snapping frame after frame.

  Aidan Marks.

  He still looked the same, carried himself in the same self-assured manner that had drawn her to him when they’d first met, almost five years ago. She’d been impressed by his drive and talent, unable to resist a dinner date when he’d asked her out. In retrospect, she’d been a little star-struck when the up-and-coming photographer had taken an interest in her. Dinner had led to a weekend spent mostly in bed. Terrah could admit to herself now that she’d been bowled over by the older man’s attention. She hadn’t allowed her heart to get involved with their little fling, but she hadn’t forgotten him, either.

  Terrah watched Aidan work, captivated by his ability to get the models to give him the shots he wanted. Learning he was going to be the photographer for the photo shoot had been a surprise. She hadn’t known exactly what to say to him when she’d planned to say hello. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any time to approach him beforehand and she hadn’t seen him on the set when she’d been doing the makeup. Terrah was certain he’d long forgotten about their little tryst that had taken place many years ago.

  Since then he’d become one of the most critically acclaimed photographers in the business, jet-setting all over the world, working with the most promising models. Whether he remembered Terrah or not, landing her current job with him was a huge accomplishment. Just adding his name to her list of clients was going to open even more doors for her in the future.

  She’d been in the business eight years, and it hadn’t been an easy road to get to the level she was now. The constant rejections, criticisms and the effort needed to continually prove she was the best at her craft had forced her to grow a thick skin. She took pride in every modeling gig she acquired, maintained her cool in the craziest and most stressful environments and had earned a solid professional reputation.

  Her line of work required self-confidence, stamina and the patience of Job. The hours were ridiculously long, the clients could be just as outrageous, and being around beautiful, stick-thin models day in and day out tested one’s insecurities daily. But Terrah knew the modeling world inside and out. She saw the models refusing to eat anything but rabbit food, and those were the sane diets. The standards for models became more demanding every year, and many stressed over staying on top by being the thinnest. Terrah had witnessed the meltdowns of fatigued models and knew how isolating being in the business could be for many of the girls.

  Most people didn’t have a clue about all the insanity behind the perfect pictures presented to the mass media. Modeling could be a cut-throat, sometimes ugly business, but Terrah respected the process and the people involved.

  “You did an amazing job! I love the colors you used.”

  Terrah turned to Ginny, a production assistant she’d worked with before, and smiled. “Thanks. I think the colors I chose complement Jocelyn’s dress perfectly.”

  Ginny nodded, staring at the models. “She looks incredible and I love that gown. I’d have to eat nothing but celery sticks for six months to make that swathe of material look good.”

  Terrah watched Ginny bite into a celery stick. She hated celery. Even the smell of it bothered her.

  “Want some?”

  Ginny offered her a plastic baggie filled with the one vegetable Terrah couldn’t stomach.

  “No, thanks.”

  “What does that chick eat? She’s so freakin’ thin.”

  Terrah shrugged. She’d learned to be comfortable with her own body, which wasn’t always easy, especially being a size twelve around single digit-wearing females. Her voluptuous curves stood out all the time on set, in a sea of skinny models.

  But skinny didn’t mean happy.

  She couldn’t count how many times she’d listened to a size zero waif lamenting about her body. Body image reigned supreme in the lives of the women and men she helped look even more flawless, and Terrah often wondered if the price of perfection was too high. She understood perfection didn’t exist, and yet it was her job to help make damn sure it appeared to.

  “God, he’s hot,” Ginny said wistfully as she continued to munch. She looked at Terrah when she didn’t respond. “Don’t you think Nick Tasso is hot?”

  “Like fire.”

  Ginny snickered as Terrah stared ahead.

  Nick commanded the camera. He knew exactly which way to angle his face and body. Terrah stared at Jocelyn and Nick posing. Both of them looked flawless, happy—in love, even, despite what she’d seen transpire between them earlier—as Aidan captured their every move on film. Anyone looking at the supermodels now would believe in the magic of romance. For a fleeting moment, Terrah wished she were still a believer.

  * * * *

  Nick gritted his teeth as Jocelyn continued to whine. He wanted to keep things civil between them, but she was trying his patience. The photo shoot was over and he was ready to get out from underneath the bright lights.

  “I’d hoped you’d call me when you got back to New York.”

  “I thought we both agreed that night was just that. One night.”

  “We did agree, but… I…”

  Usually the perfect picture of confidence, Jocelyn now seemed unsure of herself as she fumbled with her words.

  “I thought maybe we could have dinner together?”

  “Jocelyn, that’s not a good idea.”

  Nick took one look at the disappointment in Jocelyn’s eyes and regretted sleeping with her all over again. An evening out with her and some other models over a month ago had led to drinks, a serious lapse in judgment and the flirtatious blonde ending up in his hotel room.

  “Why? What’s wrong with having dinner with a friend?”

  She was pushing it with the whole ‘friend’ thing. They worked together well, but they were far from what Nick called friends. The thought of eating with Jocelyn…correction—of him eating while she picked over her food—was totally unappealing. They had nothing to talk about besides modeling and he didn’t want to talk shop over a meal. As far as he was concerned they had nothing in common and not an ounce of real chemistry. Even their brief sexual encounter, at least for Nick, had been boring.

  Jocelyn just wasn’t his type. When he held a woman in his arms he wanted to feel more than bones. He was drawn to women with hourglass figures…full breasts, small waists, hips he could grip and juicy, spankable asses…like the sexy makeup artist with the smooth cocoa skin and the luscious curves.

  Terrah.

  He’d heard one of the guys on the production crew say her name.

  “Nick?”

  “What was that?”

  He took off his tux jacket as he focused his attention back on Jocelyn.

  “What do you think?”

  “Think about…?”

  “Dinner?”

  “Dinner’s not going to work for me.”

  Jocelyn blinked as she frowned, obviously surprised by his response.

  “Look, I’m jet-lagged and I’m ready to get out of this tux.”

  “Sure, okay.” Jocelyn averted her eyes from his.

  “Great. Are we good?”

  She flicked him one of her cool stares and nodded. “Of course. I’m sure I
’ll see you around. Goodnight.”

  “‘Night,” Nick said as Jocelyn walked past him. He blew out a breath before he exited the stage to change.

  That had been awkward as hell.

  He scanned the studio for Terrah and spotted her in the back by the makeup chair. She stood out, looking vibrant and sexy in the yellow dress she was wearing. The lemon chiffon hue complemented her gorgeous brown skin. An Empire-style bodice accentuated her full breasts while also highlighting her small waistline and the womanly curve of her hips.

  Terrah was his type, all day and all night long.

  He wanted to put his hands all over her body. Nick’s gaze fell on her strappy sandals and he scoped the shapely line of her legs as she bent over to pick up a makeup sponge off the floor. His cock stirred at the sight of her rounded bottom outlined in the dress. The seductive sway and rhythm of her hips and ass mesmerized him as she started to walk toward the door.

  Nick picked up his pace.

  No way was he letting her leave the building without asking her out first.

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  About the Author

  Nichelle Gregory has been in love with books and writing since middle school. An avid reader, Nichelle used to hide all of her romance novels under the bed from her parents, who didn’t approve of her reading material!

  A lover of the arts, she enjoys anything that embraces the creative nature within us all. Passionate about bringing books to life, Nichelle has narrated over a hundred tales found on Audible. She has penned twenty-three erotically charged books, eighteen of which are for Totally Bound, including Ample Delights, Soul Sweet and Talk Sexy. Her kinky short, Bound To Lie, was included in the 2015 edition of Best Bondage Erotica.

  Nichelle enjoys creating stories that feature diverse characters with sexy alpha heroes falling for smart, gorgeous heroines! Bringing believable characters to life that thrill and excite her readers is a challenge that continues to push Nichelle. Adventurous connoisseurs of erotic fiction wanted!