by Kim Baldwin
But any spoken regret died on her lips as she stepped over to position Isabel. She wasn’t one to apologize, anyway, and the only way she knew to be right now was remote. Otherwise, she couldn’t endure being this close to Isabel and having to touch her, but not as she most wanted to.
Willing herself to appear more calm and cavalier than she felt, Kash put one hand on Isabel’s shoulder, the other on her back, and gently positioned her. “Let’s do a few from this angle,” she said. “Hands on your hips. Good. You’re a self-made woman, with a Fortune 500 company. Think power. Confidence.” She briefly touched Isabel’s chin, to tilt it up defiantly.
Damn, her skin is so soft. She couldn’t resist a quick glance to Isabel’s lips, currently adorned with a cinnamon lipstick that complemented the earthy tones in her eye shadow and blusher. I want to kiss her so damn bad. So bad she wanted to blurt it out. And for a split second, she almost felt as though she had.
She had this almost weird sense of déjà vu about kissing Isabel, like it had actually happened. Only she had been drinking…
It was so hard to recall exactly what had happened. She barely recalled Isabel walking her to the bedroom. Did I? Did I blurt out something about wanting to kiss her?
Her breath caught in her throat. Or did I actually kiss her? Could I have and completely not remember it? She didn’t think it possible, but she had a big blank space in her memory about that night. A lot of hours unaccounted for. Oh Christ, if I’ve already kissed her and totally blotted it out…talk about the ultimate injustice.
After the Trevi Fountain shoot, they broke for a bite to eat at Taverna del Lupo, a quiet restaurant specializing in Sicilian fish and pasta dishes. The food was fabulous, and Kash was frankly relieved when Massimo and Ecco peppered her with photography questions because she could concentrate on something other than how much Isabel was getting to her. She didn’t want to think about all the days they still had to spend together, and how she was going to get through them. But even more, she didn’t want to think about saying good-bye to Isabel and resuming her mostly solitary life.
“We have two more locations, yes?” Francesca asked as Kash summoned the waiter for their bill.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “We’ll do a casual ensemble and makeup for the setup at the Spanish Steps. That’s next.” Glancing at her watch, she did some rough calculations. “I want to finish that by six thirty or seven at the latest, so we have plenty of time for the final shots at the Colosseum. Sunset is a little before ten.”
There she would face the toughest challenge of keeping her mind on the task at hand, because of the dress she had selected for Isabel to wear.
Chapter Thirteen
“You’re kidding, right?”
Isabel held up the dress and tried to picture how much of her body it would cover. Not nearly enough. It was fire engine red, and floor length, the kind of dress you’d see on a Paris runway or a red carpet in Hollywood. But the wearer would have to take precautions to avoid any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions.
The low-cut back, she figured, would come to just above her ass. The incredibly high slit up the side would reveal not only her legs, but much more if she wasn’t careful. And the front—well, the front was going to be obscene any way you looked at it.
“And these.” Kash ignored her protest and handed her a pair of matching stiletto pumps that she knew she would have trouble walking in.
They were high up in the Colosseum and thankfully were being completely ignored by the myriad of tourists who were exploring the lower portions of the giant amphitheatre.
“And where do you expect me to change into this scanty excuse of a dress?” Isabel asked. “I’m not walking all the way back up here in these heels. That’s begging for a broken leg.”
“Not necessary.” Kash checked on Massimo and Ecco, who had arrived with their second load of gear from the van. “I packed a portable screen in one of those cases. The guys will set it up while Francesca does your makeup.”
“So I’ve gone from garden statue, to businesswoman, to well-heeled tourist, to…what? This seems like something a high-priced call girl might wear.”
Kash couldn’t suppress a smile. “I want you to think diva, Isabel. Classy and sophisticated. Confident in your sex appeal and allure. You’re on your way to a gala event somewhere, and everyone will be watching you, as they should be.”
“Oh, yes. That is so me.” Isabel wasn’t at all keen on how well she could pull off what Kash was asking.
“Trust me, Isabel. We’ll make it work. Now we need to get you ready…the light is almost perfect for what I have in mind.”
The sky above them was brilliant blue, but to the west, a smattering of high thin clouds was already taking on subtle hints of pink and purple from the lowering sun. A light breeze cooled them, and their protected location high above the city muted the usual blare of traffic.
Francesca gave Isabel dramatic evening makeup, with smoky eyes and deep red lips to match her dress. Her hair’s elegant but casual style included a few loose tendrils that gave it a playful appeal.
The dressing screen consisted of a panel covered in thin muslin fabric, barely large enough to conceal her, but Isabel still viewed it as a much better option than hiking all the way down to the floor of the arena to find a better place to change.
Kash finished her camera preparations as Isabel stepped behind the panel and started to undress. Only then did she realize that the men had set up the screen so that the setting sun would be behind it, illuminating Isabel’s silhouette on the fabric with vivid clarity. Oh, my. She’d been in hundreds of dressing rooms while models undressed, and this should have been tame by comparison.
But it wasn’t. When Isabel started to strip, top first, then bra, Kash’s heart started to race. She swore she could see the bump of her nipples on the fabric. Fuck.
“Mama mia, che sexy. Mi raccomando una notte,” Ecco said to Massimo from somewhere behind her. While she couldn’t translate exactly, his tone and the words she could understand—sexy and one night—made it entirely too clear what he had said.
“Neanche per sogno,” Massimo replied with a chuckle.
That does it.
Kash never felt or exhibited any kind of protective attitude toward someone she was working with. Nudity in the fashion industry was so commonplace it didn’t rate a raised eyebrow. But Isabel was no jaded model, and Kash became increasingly angry that the two men had deliberately placed the screen so they could ogle her. She wheeled around and glared at Ecco and Massimo. Her voice was ice. “I won’t need you for at least an hour. Make yourselves scarce.”
Disappointment registered on both men’s faces, and Massimo, at least, also seemed remorseful. “Mi dispiace,” he muttered, hanging his head before tugging at Ecco to leave.
As they departed, Isabel poked her head out from behind the screen. Undoubtedly, from her silhouette, she was now entirely nude. “Is there a problem?”
“No. No problem,” Kash said, her voice betraying only a hint of her discomfort. “Hurry, please. We’re losing the light.” And you’re making me so fucking horny with your striptease I’m about to start touching myself.
“Sure, okay.” Isabel resumed what she was doing, and Kash, despite herself, enjoyed every bit of the show.
The sky behind the dressing panel was growing more beautiful by the moment as the sun sank lower on the horizon, but once Isabel stepped out from behind the screen, she was all that Kash could see.
The little black dress had been eye-catching, no doubt about that. But seeing Isabel in the sexy red number took Kash’s breath away. Dumbstruck, unmoving, she could do nothing but immerse herself fully in the vision before her.
The dress conformed to every curve and swell of Isabel’s body as though it had been cut and sewn for her alone. She spun around in a slow pirouette, giving Kash the full effect. The scoop back allowed an unimpeded view of the ivory skin of her back, flawless in its beauty. The long slit up the right side displaye
d the length of her leg to her upper thigh, the tall stiletto heels accentuating the firm musculature built by swimming.
But the full frontal view left Kash unsteady on her feet and made her heart flutter.
It wasn’t merely revealing. This dress would have live TV censors sweating, their hands twitching on the time-delay switch.
The V cut into the front of the dress extended nearly to Isabel’s navel and was open enough at her cleavage to expose a good portion of her breasts. Her nipples were barely covered and seemed ready to appear with the slightest provocation. Her hair and makeup added to the overall effect of sexy allure personified.
Lord have mercy. Kash knew she shouldn’t be staring like she was, but she was completely captivated and also marginally aware that as she gawked unabashedly at Isabel, time was passing, and with it, the perfect light she had been waiting all day for.
She might have stood there gaping until dark had not Francesca brought her back to reality with a tentative hand on her shoulder.
“Kash? Is everything all right? This is not what you wanted?”
“Uh…no! I mean…yes. Yes, it’s good. Fine.” Perfect. Too damn perfect. How is a girl supposed to get any work done with that kind of distraction? Only then did she completely realize how quickly the light was fading.
“Where do you want me?” Isabel asked, the smile on her face clear evidence that she knew precisely how Kash would like to answer that question.
Under me. That’s where I want you. I want to be on top of you so bad it’s taking every ounce of my willpower to keep from touching you right now. But if I do, I won’t be able to stop. All the air seemed to have been squeezed from her lungs, and she feared her legs would give way. But she reached automatically for her tripod, determined to see this shoot through. Then she could push Isabel from her mind, go back to the hotel, and do something about the hard-on that was about to drive her mad.
“Over here is good.” She gestured, keeping her distance. To be anywhere near Isabel in that dress was inviting disaster. “So…like I said…I want you to think diva.” She cleared her throat, wondering why her voice sounded like she’d just rolled out of bed. “Confidence. Mystery. Sex appeal.” Though you certainly don’t need any help with that last one. Any more sex appeal and I might need oxygen. She escaped then behind her viewfinder, grateful for a brief respite from her responsibility to maintain a cool exterior. Click.
Isabel had been so self-conscious getting into the dress, she wasn’t sure she could bear to be photographed in it for all the world to see. Its cut and clingy fabric dictated that she couldn’t wear anything underneath, so she felt constantly at risk of exposing herself. But as soon as she stepped out from behind the screen and saw Kash’s reaction, her misgivings evaporated.
That carefully controlled exterior, that damned frustrating air of aloofness that she had been trying to break through all day, shattered right in front of her. She watched Kash’s eyes widen and faintly heard her sudden intake of breath as her gaze trailed up and down the length of her body, lingering on her half-naked breasts. For a couple of minutes, Kash’s expression was unguarded and her desire evident.
Kash’s appreciative attention swept over Isabel like a warm caress, and her bruised ego and sagging spirits lifted. There’s no mistaking that look. Now I just have to find a way to break through whatever the hell is keeping her from letting something more happen between us. And perhaps this dress is exactly the ammunition I need.
She hadn’t felt particularly sexy or confident, not until she saw Kash’s reaction. That gave her the courage to pull off the diva attitude. Mindful not to reveal too much, she emulated some of the sassier, sexier poses the models had used during her first visit to Kash’s Manhattan studio.
Kash kept quiet, except for the occasional minor directive, like, “Tilt your chin down,” or “Turn a bit more toward me.” She was taking pictures nearly nonstop, so Isabel figured she was doing all right. But that frustrating veneer of reserve was quickly and firmly back in place again, and apparently unshakable, regardless of how seductive her poses might be. I saw it in your eyes. What do I have to do to get you to admit you want me as much as I want you?
Right before the sun hit the horizon, Massimo and Ecco rejoined them. Kash paused to glare at them with reproach, but no words were exchanged, and Isabel wondered what had precipitated the chilly atmosphere.
“That’s all we can do, the light is gone.” Kash stretched, suddenly feeling the tension that had been simmering all day right between her shoulder blades. “I suggest you change into something casual,” she told Isabel. “You shouldn’t be walking down in those heels, anyway, and I’d save that designer number for a special occasion.” The advice was really for her own benefit. She couldn’t fathom sitting next to Isabel in that dress all the way back to the hotel.
“Well, I am a little worried I’m about to expose myself,” Isabel said. As darkness began to descend in earnest she went to find her casual clothes. The spotlights that illuminated the Colosseum came on and allowed them light enough to see, but shadows were growing all around them.
“You can start carrying the equipment down,” Kash told Massimo and Ecco. “And Francesca, if you would, go with them on this first trip and wait with the van while they come back for the rest.”
The men packed the gear for the first load in only a couple of minutes. While they worked, Kash walked a short distance away and sat by herself on a low wall. Her body was strung so tight she was shaking and needed time to gather herself. What the hell is happening to me?
Isabel’s sexy poses had short-circuited her brain and electrified her body. Why should I refuse more of what we both want? She rarely allowed herself to care about ethics or the repercussions of her actions on someone else’s feelings. And she didn’t want to speculate on why it seemed to matter now, with Isabel. She only wanted to talk herself out of her reservations. She’s an adult. She can make her own decisions, and she was clearly all right with what happened before. I shouldn’t worry about whether she’ll regret this later or whether this might hurt her.
Kash wanted desperately to convince herself to give in to Isabel’s seductions, because she was beginning to believe she might not be able to get her out of her mind and body any other way than to have her again.
All the while she had been taking pictures, she had been getting more and more aroused, imagining her mouth on those breasts…her hand, slipping into that slit in the skirt to find Isabel’s sex, swollen and wet and ready.
Her own clit had been worked up but good by those fantasies and was coiled tight. She knew it would take very little, once she got back to the hotel, to get herself off. But the wait to get there was excruciating.
Kash heard a sound behind her and swiveled around to find Isabel, still in that damned dress. Her chest felt suddenly as if it was being squeezed; she could barely breathe. Dear God, you’re lovely. The men had just left, and it was a good hike to the van and back. They’d be alone for several more minutes.
As Isabel slowly walked over and faced Kash, she smiled that damned irresistible smile, ripe with that same hungry yearning that had obliterated her resistance back in her suite. She feared she could be no better now at refusing that plea. But she had to try. She got to her feet.
“Isabel…” Her voice was shaking as badly as her hands. This close—only an arm’s distance away—her need to touch Isabel again flared fiery hot inside of her, a blinding heat that threatened to consume her. Every nerve ending in her body sang out. “I don’t think this is a good—”
Isabel took her hand and pulled it to her lips, kissing Kash sweetly on her palm, then placed it in the valley of cleavage between her breasts and held it there. “Can you feel how my heart is pounding, Kash? How much I want you? So much it hurts.”
Her words, the dress, those lips, and the sensation under her palm—for she could indeed feel the rapid hammering of Isabel’s heart—crumbled her final resolve. She couldn’t live with the regret of n
ever having tasted Isabel’s lips.
Kash wrapped her free hand around Isabel’s waist as she closed the distance to kiss her. The thundering in her ears matched the rapid pulse beneath her palm, and when their bodies came together both she and Isabel let out a breathy gasp.
Time slowed as she found Isabel’s mouth with her own. That first brush of lips was so light it was barely discernable, but a flash of heat from the contact shot through her, heightening her senses. Isabel’s musky perfume was intoxicating. The soft skin of her back begged to be touched. Isabel’s rapid breathing mirrored her own.
On the next light brush of their lips, Isabel moaned and tried to extend the contact, but Kash pulled back just out of reach. To answer Isabel’s sigh of disappointment, on the next pass she licked Isabel’s lips with the tip of her tongue, a teasing, light caress.
“God, Kash. You make me feel so much.” Isabel’s voice shook.
Kash responded with deeper, more prolonged contact, using more of her tongue to wetly explore Isabel’s soft and yielding lips. Isabel’s arms snaked around her neck, then her fingertips glanced along the back of her head, raking lightly along her scalp.
When Isabel moaned again, a deep sustained sound, and parted her lips, Kash pushed her tongue past them and found Isabel’s eager, answering tongue. The kiss deepened, and her heart began to beat so hard and fast in her chest she felt light-headed. Her knees began to buckle again and she pulled Isabel even closer to steady herself.
The sounds of their rapid breathing and Isabel’s moans filled her ears, and she trailed her fingertips down Isabel’s spine and slowly past the loose barrier of her dress to roughly massage her ass.
When she did, Isabel sucked hard on her tongue, and she felt the pressure as an urgent pulse of sensation between her legs. An unbearably exciting mix of pleasure and pain.
Her right thigh rocked lightly against Isabel’s center as she scraped her nails more firmly over Isabel’s ass. Their kiss abruptly ended when Isabel claimed the sensitive skin of Kash’s neck with wet strokes and soft bites.
