Chapter 13
Capri was in her office going over proof sheets when Rod knocked and walked in. They spent a few minutes on some small talk, which Rod was terrible at. Still, with all that had taken place over the last few weeks, including the very public and very successful court proceedings against Avery Erikson, there was quite a bit to chat about.
“So now are you going to tell me why you’re really here? What’s really up?” she asked when Rod finally took a breath.
“The Haize Fragrance people want to cancel Avery’s spots.”
Capri tossed the magnifying glass she held to the desk and flopped back in her chair.
“They’re dead set against having him in any of the ads.”
“I’m not surprised. Hell, I don’t blame them.” Capri rubbed her fingers through her curls. “Doesn’t mean I have to like their decision though, does it?” Suddenly all the weeks spent dealing with the greasy Don Juan seemed even more aggravating.
“So what now?”
Rod leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees.
Capri winced. “What? Are they going with another studio?”
Unexpectedly, Rod’s expression brightened. “Actually, they love your work and your style…they want to keep the same flavor but with a different face.”
“Well, they saw our stock before they settled on Avery, and even with him we were fishing outside of our pool.”
“Think maybe we can latch on to the same magic again?”
Capri was running through a mental list of faces in her mind, and she didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse that she continued to come back to the same face over and over again. “Tiberius.”
Rod couldn’t have been more stunned. “Tibe? Tiberius Evans? God…you know…that may not be such a bad idea. He’s got a fresh face. A good face.”
“Excellent body.”
Rod shivered. “Okay, this conversation is getting just a little too weird for me.”
“What’s weird about it? We do this all the time, almost every day.”
“That may be true but I’m usually not talking about someone I’ve known since the diaper stage.” He shook his head as Capri laughed. “Let me know what he says when you ask him.”
Her laughter stopped. “Rod, I—”
“He won’t do it if I ask him. I couldn’t ask him about this anyway since I’d be too busy laughing. Which means that it’s up to you. And since this was all your idea…”
Capri wouldn’t waste time with more arguing and decided there was no time like the present. “I’ll have Tandy call the Haize people,” she referred to her assistant. “And I’ll go talk to our face.”
Rod grinned. “Good luck.”
Capri was hoping she’d be asked to wait when she arrived at Tiberius’s office. That would’ve at least given her a bit more time to prepare. There he was, however, right when she arrived. Perched on the corner of his assistant’s desk, Tiberius fidgeted with an electronic calendar. His brow was furrowed in concentration and Capri was struck.
“Good afternoon,” the woman behind the desk was saying.
In spite of the polite and chipper greeting, Capri found that she could only raise her hand slowly in response. She had already caught Tiberius’s gaze.
“Can we talk?” she asked, when he stood up from the desk and raked his stare across her face and body.
Absently, he tossed his BlackBerry to the desk and waved her forward. “Hold my calls, Pam.”
Capri took a minute to admire Tiberius’s office which was like an extension of his home—comfortable and spacious. The walls were filled with photos of people she presumed were new parents with bundles of joy just delivered to them by the good Doctor Evans. When the door closed behind her, she braced herself and faced him.
“I can’t believe I’ve never seen your office before.”
He shrugged slowly. “Time flies.”
“Right.” Capri nodded.
“Are you all right?” Tiberius was asking, already moving across the room to tower over her.
Capri felt her throat dry as she looked up at him. “I’m, um…” She finished off with a nod. “I need to ask you something. It’s a favor. A big one.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he’d do anything she asked, but something told him to hold off on saying yes just yet. Intrigued, he put more distance between them and leaned against a far wall. “Shoot.”
The word brought a smile to Capri’s face. “Actually, that’s exactly what I want to do. The fragrance people pulled the ads with Avery. They want a new face and they want it now.” She took a breath. “We want yours.”
Tiberius was just beginning to smile over the fact that the saccharine-sweet gigolo had lost his gig. Then he realized what Capri was asking.
“Mine. Mine? No.”
“Tibe—”
“Sorry Capri. I—I, um…” He laughed. “No way.”
“Now, just a minute.” Capri rushed over, grabbing his hand and pushing him to the arm of the sofa in the office. “Just hear me out for a second. You’d be great at this.”
He snorted.
“Trust me. Rod thinks so, too.”
Tiberius laughed.
“And I haven’t even told you about the trip. It’s a long weekend in the Keys. We’d leave Thursday and be back on Tuesday.”
“Capri, I can take a long weekend to the Keys anytime I want.”
“Then do it for me.” She laid her hands flat on his chest and pleaded with her eyes.
“You’d ask me to do this even after the things I said to you?”
Capri didn’t need to be reminded. “Please, Tibe?”
“Nothing’s changed,” he warned, brushing his fingers against the zipper tab that secured her lavender top. “I may not be as much of an idiot as Avery was. I definitely understand that no means no, but I want you and you know that. Will you be able to get this thing done with that kind of tension?”
She’d have to, because finding someone more perfect and in such short working time would be next to impossible. She was desperate.
“So you’ll do it?”
He brushed the back of his hand across her jaw and shrugged. “When do we leave?”
Chapter 14
The crew trickled in at various points the following Thursday. The plush villa rented by Haize Fragrances was right on the water and would be home to them for the duration of the shoot. Most of the sessions would take place in and around the area as well.
For such a spur-of-the-moment deal, Capri thought they’d done remarkably well. She and Tiberius had taken separate cars to the Keys and hadn’t seen each other until early that morning during breakfast. Clearly the female models were more than pleased with Avery’s substitution. The four leggy beauties had practically avoided Avery at all costs outside of the photo sessions. His replacement, however, warranted ’round-the-clock attention, it seemed.
Capri found a model seated on either side of Tiberius when she arrived in the lovely sun-drenched dining room that morning. Laughing at every remark he made, the models behaved as though they were riveted by all the talk about his profession.
She took stock of the women fawning over Tiberius. The models, both molasses-dark and flawless, would contrast well against his caramel coloring. The women were both tall and striking. Capri wondered if Tiberius’s profession lent to his nonplussed demeanor around the goddesses. He treated them politely and with a fair amount of charm, still, he didn’t come across as though he was awed or in bliss over having his ego so thoroughly stroked by their interest. The manner in which he struck her then had Capri both captivated and impressed.
“It all sounds so fascinating, but I could never tolerate all that school for so long.” Alaina Farmer cringed as the idea filled her head.
Stacia Harold seemed to agree. “I don’t know, Al. It might not be so bad with a study partner like Tiberius.”
This time it was Capri who cringed.
Tiberius noticed and took a quic
k swallow of his coffee to hide his smile.
“More coffee, Tiberius?” Molly Dendrix offered a dazzling smile as she took his cup.
Capri rolled her eyes when Denise Shepard took Tiberius’s plate and filled it with another hearty helping of bacon and eggs.
“All right everyone, let’s gets serious here,” Capri called the group to attention once everyone had had their fill of the catered meal.
“We’ll begin with the shoot this evening. Wardrobe left Miami this morning. It seems there were some last-minute alterations needed to accommodate our new model.”
A round of chuckles filled the room. Capri shook her head when the women all gazed at Tiberius adoringly.
“We’re hoping for beach shots around sunset, and, as we all know, that’s the busiest time down here.” She massaged her neck while drawing a frowning face on the pad where she’d noted the shoot. “We’ve managed to have a portion of the beach sectioned off for the shoots so let’s pray for no hiccups.” She closed the pad portfolio and smiled refreshingly. “With that said, I’ll see you all this afternoon. Please make this your last meal of the day until after the shoot.”
Everyone stood to set off for their respective tasks. Capri was about to leave when she thought of one last thing to jot down in her notebook.
“Do you need me?”
Her head whipped up at Tiberius’s question, and for a second or three she had no idea how to answer.
“Just make sure to protect your face.” She smirked when he grinned. “Be back here by three. I’ve got some prep work to do with the crew, scouting other locales and such.” She glanced past his shoulder. “Guess you can enjoy your day. I don’t think you’ll be lonely for company.”
Tiberius glanced back at the four models waiting at the archway of the dining room. Turning back to Capri, he gently tugged a lock of her hair and then walked away.
Evenings in the Keys were breathtaking, to say the very least. Capri thanked the awesome heavens above for their beauty and proximity. She might actually pull this off. All the players were in their places and looking sharp. No matter her agitation over the giggling models earlier that day, they did their jobs very well. The four lovelies complemented their devastating honey-toned counterpart to a tee.
The group met before sunset on their stretch of beach and began with preliminary shots and other requirements. By sunset, the shoot was well underway and concluded just as the sun bade farewell to the beach.
“Good job, kid! You ever do this before?”
Tiberius waved off the lighting engineer’s raves. “Never before and never again,” he told Randy Morgan.
“He’s right, man, not bad,” Zeke Bozman confirmed his boss’s comment.
“You put most of the models we’ve worked with to a stinkin’ shame.”
“Hell, yeah, you’re better than most who’ve spent their entire lives doing this mess.”
Tiberius shook his head at Kade Adams’s and Henry Owen’s comments and watched as they packed up their equipment. “If I’d ever known I’d be this good at it I’d have tried long ago and found another way to pay for med school.”
Laughter roared along the dusky beach and Tiberius was easing out of the tailored slate-colored suit coat when his photo partners cornered him.
“Just one drink, Tibe?”
“To celebrate your first shoot?”
“Please?”
“We know the best spots down here.”
Of that, Tiberius had no doubt. Still, he would’ve much preferred spending the evening with Capri. He asked the models to excuse him as he headed off to find her. While he knew she’d probably decline any offer to spend time together he wanted to ask just the same.
Capri meant far more to him than he’d led her to believe. She meant more to him than he himself had realized. But what good would come of it? The fact that she was saving herself pretty much meant marriage was her wish with the right man. Was he the right man? How could he be when every relationship he’d seen involving the most important people in his life had failed? Where did that leave him?
He watched her at the tables where the photo equipment was being stored. She looked pretty involved with the lenses she was switching out. And besides, the girls were calling out to him again, asking him to reconsider going out for drinks. Cowardice won out. With one last look at Capri, he left for more lighthearted enjoyment.
Capri noticed him leaving and didn’t know if it was relief or frustration that made her sigh. Tiberius had warned her that the weekend would be tense, and although they’d barely spoken two words to each other, things were definitely strained.
Just do the job, Cap. Keep your mind on the work and off of…everything else. But seeing as how Dr. Tiberius Evans was the work, she accepted the fact that this was a no-win situation.
Whatever tensions existed, the group focused and persevered, reaching their goal of completing the task at hand. Everyone worked diligently to meet the deadlines, braving tourists, a short stint of uncooperative weather, and their own personal dilemmas. The job soon reached its end. On the last night of the shoot Capri gave the fancy caterers their walking papers and ordered in all the trimmings for a memorable barbecue. It went over exceptionally well and helped to work off all the frustrations the deadline-driven job had set in motion.
Following a perfectly grilled rib eye, a loaded baked potato, and some buttery rolls, Capri took her third bottle of Red Stripe to the balcony for a little alone time.
Everyone else was still going strong—eating, drinking, playing. Capri was sitting on a lounge chair happy for the solitude. She felt her eyelids grow deliciously heavy while she enjoyed the smells in the air and the waves roaring in the distance. Time passed in a lovely haze, so much so that when her eyes fluttered open it took her some time to get her bearings.
Tiberius stood across the balcony; a bottle of Heineken in one hand and a look of unease on his face. “You mind a little company out here?” he asked.
“Not a bit.” Capri waved her hands toward the view. “I don’t think I could get away with keeping all this to myself anyway.”
Grinning, Tiberius strolled closer to the lounge area.
“Too much for you in there?” Capri noted.
“I haven’t partied like that since college.”
“Stop,” Capri ordered, her dark eyes wide as she feigned surprise. “I could’ve sworn someone told me you were this big-time playboy?” Her gaze was riveted on his bare chest as he shrugged.
Tiberius swigged back a little more beer. “I prefer to play under less chaotic circumstances…like a restaurant where you can sit and talk and actually hear the other person.”
Capri laughed, but it wasn’t long before the tensions between them brought a serious tone into the mix.
“I’m sorry, Capri. What I said that night…I’m sorry.” He rubbed fingers through his dark curls while stepping closer. “I, um…I was trying to be honest, but I never should have been cruel.”
Capri fumbled with the wispy front ties of her bikini top. “The truth often hurts.” She sighed.
“But you didn’t deserve the truth like that.”
“Do you still feel that way?”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”
Capri met his gaze then. “So would I.”
Tiberius blinked, the glint in his light eyes confirming his surprise over her admission. He studied her closely for a moment and then set aside the bottle and joined her on the chair she occupied.
They were kissing madly in under a minute. Tiberius’s hands were everywhere, and he vaguely noted that she wasn’t stopping him. His tongue delved deeper each time it thrust past her lips and rough groans filled his throat when she met his kiss with her own brand of fire.
The coral bikini top offered little in the way of confinement and Tibe lost himself in the feel of her alluring endowments. Holding one satiny mound in his hand, he weighed it, delighted in its firm yet giving texture and brushed his thumb across her nipple
until he felt the tip firm in response.
Capri savored it all. When his mouth lowered from her breasts to trail her body, she simply arched into the kiss. The wispy white cotton skirt she wore covered a bikini bottom which provided little protection against Tibe’s searching tongue. She cried out, unmindful of who might be looking or listening. She’d dreamed of being touched that way but had never allowed herself to be. Instinctively, her hands lost themselves in Tiberius’s glorious hair once his head was burrowed between her thighs. Her entire body trembled when his lips nipped at her womanhood. The delight he offered only urged her to ride on his experienced tongue.
Her soft moans and breathless calls of his name simply fueled his confidence and need. He was painfully aroused and knew she was the only one who could soothe the ache. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on pleasuring her.
And he did that quite well, if the orgasmic shrieks she began to utter were any clue. Tiberius felt even more ravenous for her taste and relentlessly drove his tongue inside her as she climaxed. He groaned when her desire flooded his tongue, and he drank in her essence as her shudders subsided to quivers.
Capri yearned for his kiss when he rose over her once more. Her lashes fluttered in stunned amazement at the taste of her body on his tongue. She was so depleted that she fell asleep when he cuddled her close. Sleep didn’t visit Tiberius for quite a while.
Capri and Tiberius headed home in their respective cars on Tuesday. They took different routes, but arrived home within minutes of each other.
Tiberius was unpacking his truck when Capri pulled up in her driveway. A resigned smile curved her mouth as she exited her Pathfinder and slowly walked around front to Tiberius’s house.
“Can we talk?” she called across the yard.
Tiberius asked no questions and simply waved a hand toward his home. Capri crossed the driveway to follow him into his house.
“Let’s go in the living room,” Tiberius said, laying his hand on the small of her back.
The Doctor's Private Visit Page 14
