The Model: A Workplace Romance

by Layne, Harlow

  Lifting my head to rest my chin on his chest, I found Ryder already looking down at me. I expected him to look happy, but instead, he looked unsure. Reaching up, I cupped his scruffy cheek. “You had to have known you’d make it before then. I could have told you that when you were at my studio before I took one shot.” If you’d stuck around, I wanted to add. “Everyone’s going to want you for their campaigns. Soon you’ll probably be doing commercials, and then you’ll be the face of colognes and underwear if you’re not already booked for them.”

  He blinked down at me with his lips turned down. “You don’t have to say those things so I’ll continue to sleep with you.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Rolling to my side, I settled my head on the pillow next to his and brought his hand to my chest and held it there. “Listen, you know you’re a good-looking guy, there’s no denying that. You literally can’t be ugly and be a model.” Ryder’s chest shook with silent laughter. The way his eyes lit up with humor was what truly made Ryder gorgeous. “Okay, there are some out there that have a certain look to them, but they’re limited. You’re not. And while yes, your looks help obviously to get you in the door, it’s your personality that’s going to be why you continue to book with them. You’re a good man, Ryder, and so easy to work with. You may not know it, but word gets around on who’s easy and difficult to work with. We know all the scandals before anyone else does.”

  His eyes brightened with every word that came out of my mouth. How did he not believe in himself?

  “Look at how you helped us pack up today. You didn’t need to do that, but you did because you’re a good guy.”

  Kissing my forehead, he smiled mischievously. “I did it so I could get you into bed faster.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being a good guy.” My fingers traced over his forehead, eyebrows, and cheeks before finally swiping across his pink lips.

  “Haven’t you heard nice guys finish last?”

  “I have, but I know the truth, and in this industry, that’s not the case.”

  He shot back with, “Women like bad boys.”

  “Until they’ve been burned one too many times by them. All we want is a man who is good to us and will treat us like a princess.”

  “Really?” he asked with doubt laced heavily in that one word.

  “Okay, we like the bad boy to come out to fuck us,” I amended.

  “That’s what I thought.” His face grew serious. “Have you been burned one too many times?”

  “Something like that. Right now, I’m looking for a nice guy.” I kissed his mouth that had thinned into a firm line with his question until it turned into a smile.

  Ryder pulled me close until my wet heat straddled one of his legs. His voice turned husky. “You’ve got a nice guy right in front of you.”

  “Lucky for me.”

  Warm liquid seeped down my leg, and it was only then that I realized I’d once again had sex with Ryder without a condom. I wasn’t normally this reckless, but there was something about him that made me forget myself and the rest of the world once he started to touch me.

  “Ryder?” I asked hesitantly. This wasn’t going to be fun.

  “Hmmm,” he hummed, and the hand resting on my shoulder twitched.

  “I love having sex with you.”

  “Are you ready to go again?” I could hear the smile in his voice. Too bad I was going to ruin the mood. Pulling out of his hold, I sat up next to him and pulled the sheet to cover me up. The smile that was on his face vanished as soon as my boobs were out of sight and was replaced with troubled eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “I like you a lot.” I laced my fingers through his.

  He sat up against the headboard and answered back in an unsure tone. “Good, because I like you a lot too.”

  “I’m not a reckless person.” Tears pooled in my eyes. Why was this so hard? I didn’t think it would be a deal-breaker for him to wear a condom or to talk about his sex life.

  “Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me.” He bit down on his bottom lip, his blue eyes sad. “Is it because you have a boyfriend?”

  “Nothing like that. I haven’t had a boyfriend in almost a year, and I’m not a cheater. If I’m with someone, I’m with them, and if I wanted to fuck someone else, then I’d end the relationship before ever acting on it.”

  “Okay,” he swallowed slowly. “You’re making me nervous. Whatever it is, just say it, and I promise to not get upset.”

  Here goes nothing. Taking a deep breath, I let it out and blurted. “Have you been tested recently?”

  Instead of being shocked or mad, awareness lit his face. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I can’t control myself around you. You intoxicate me and…I didn’t use a condom.” The last five words came out in a rush.

  “No, you didn’t. It was the last thing on my mind, and I’m as much at fault as you are—”

  “I’m clean,” he sat up and pulled me onto his lap. “I promise. I haven’t been with anyone since I was with you and I was tested before.” I found it hard to believe Ryder hadn’t had sex since we’d been together five months ago. How hadn’t anyone thrown themselves at him, and why hadn’t he taken them up on their offer if they had? My thoughts must have shown on my face. “I have no reason to lie.”

  “Sure you do, if you want to keep having sex with me while you’re here.”

  His faced hardened. “I’m not a liar. Remember, I’m a nice guy. We don’t do that.”

  “Okay,” I said softly as I scooted closer to him. “I believe you, and while I’m glad you haven’t had sex with anyone else, it’s crazy that you haven’t.”

  “Have you?” His jaw ticked, and I loved that it bothered him to think of me with another man.

  “No, and I was tested about six months before we met, after I found my boyfriend in bed with my assistant.”

  “Is he why you said you’d never cheat?”

  “He’s one of the reasons. It’s not in my nature, to begin with, and after being cheated on by multiple boyfriends, I know how it feels. I don’t ever want to be responsible for making anyone feel that way.”

  “I can imagine. I’ve never been cheated on. I had the same girlfriend all through high school, but we broke up when she went off to college. Kelly couldn’t handle the long distance.”

  “It’s not for everyone. It takes commitment and faith. Something a lot of people seem to be lacking these days.” I knew Ryder would have made it work with his ex if she’d wanted to stay with him. “Do you miss her, your ex?”

  He shook his head. “Not her, per se. I miss hearing a friendly voice on the other end of the phone or seeing someone I know besides the guys I’m traveling with. I’m the new guy, so they make me feel like the odd man out. They don’t want to hang out or have anything to do with me.” He shrugged sadly.

  Wrapping my arms around him, I hugged Ryder as tightly as I could. I didn’t even know the guys he was with, but I hated them for making him feel less than.

  “One thing I never thought modeling would be is lonely, but it is. Depressingly so, especially when you can’t talk to your friends and family because you have an old shitty phone that doesn’t have an international calling plan on it.”

  “Is that why you wanted to get a new one?”

  He nodded against my chest. “That and so I can take decent pictures of my travels. I’m not a photographer like you, but I like to take pictures.”

  “Well, it shouldn’t be a problem now with your new iPhone. What’s going to be your first picture?”

  Pulling me onto his lap, Ryder grabbed his phone and held it out in front of us. “The first picture I want is of us together.”

  It was a good thing we’d made a detour on our way to my bungalow to get Ryder a new phone.

  We both smiled for the camera as he took photo after photo. They may not have been with my camera, but they were perfect. Ryder kissed my cheek, nuzzled my neck, and licked a path up until he nibbled on my ear all while taking pictures of us in va
rious positions until he dropped his phone down onto the bed to be forgotten. For the next half hour, there was no talking. The only sounds were our moans and the slapping of skin until we had to head back down to the beach.

  8

  Ryder

  We walked hand in hand along the beach back to the location Lexie had been shooting at earlier. Her tiny hand felt right in mine, and I was already dreading when our time together would end.

  “I didn’t ask before, but what happened to your hand?” I noticed a bright pink scar on the side that looked new.

  Lexie let out a frustrated breath. “My ex showed up at my place. I’m still not sure why he was there or what was wrong with him. I think he was on drugs because his behavior was erratic and had been for a while. We were fighting, and luckily, I had my whole team there on the roof. One of the models came looking for me, and someone else called the police.”

  “The police? It was serious then.”

  She rubbed her thumb across the mark absentmindedly. “He grabbed me, and when the cops showed up, he shoved me away. I fell, and my hand landed on something. He had thrown almost all of my belongings on the floor, so I didn’t see what caused it, and I still don’t know what it was. Raine and Tommy cleaned up the mess before I had a chance to see. I got stitches, and they gave me antibiotics as a precaution. That’s why even though we’re both clean, we need to use condoms. I’m not sure how effective my pill is right now since I’ve only been off the antibiotics for a few days.”

  I blinked down at her in shock. Not once during her story did she stop walking. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t want to talk about it or if she was over it. Either way, it didn’t sit well with me. It didn’t bother me to use a condom. In fact, up until I met Lexie, I’d always used a condom every time I’d had sex. Even with my high school girlfriend when we’d been together for years. There was something about Lexie that short-circuited my brain but in a good way. While it was amazing to feel her bare, I’d be buying the biggest box of condoms on the island as soon as possible.

  “Have you seen this ex of yours since?”

  “That’s the crazy part,” she laughed without humor. “After throwing me down, he jumped out the window and ran off. The cops still haven’t found him.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Lexie to jerk to a stop. “Are you in danger?”

  “My alarm is set constantly, and I had it upgraded. I don’t want anyone walking in without me knowing, so I have a buzzer on the door with a camera so I can see who's out there.”

  I wasn’t sure if that was enough, but what did I know?

  Lexie ran her toes through the sand while she looked straight ahead, and we started walking down the beach again. Now, though, with this new knowledge, it didn’t look as beautiful as it had before. “Is your studio okay now? Did he break anything?”

  “I renovated the second floor and moved up there. He didn’t touch the studio luckily, and just threw everything on the floor looking for something.”

  “What was he looking for?” If he didn’t find it, he was sure to come back, and that had me worried.

  “That I don’t know. Ben seemed to think I knew what it was, but I don’t. Raine and I didn’t find anything when we looked.”

  “Please be careful, Lexie. If he didn’t find what he was looking for, he’ll be back, and he seems desperate after what you’ve told me.”

  “I will. I promise. You don’t need to worry about me.” She smiled sadly up at me. I had a feeling she didn’t like talking about it, so I dropped it.

  It didn’t matter what she told me; I was going to continue to worry until I knew she was safe, and her ex-boyfriend was behind bars.

  I spied Raine up ahead, trying to put up the tent, but with her small stature, she was having a hell of a time getting it up. Lexie must have thought the same when she spoke. “What are you going to do now?”

  “First, I’m going to help you guys set up, and then I’m going to find a store and buy a giant box of condoms. I might set up an Instagram account, take some pictures. I don’t know.” I shrugged, not really knowing what I was going to do except help her.

  She turned around before we hit her group. Her hands rested on my chest as she smiled up at me. I loved how happy of a person she always seemed to be, even with an ex causing her problems. The diamond stud in her nose winked in the sunlight. “It should only take three hours max. What time is your shoot in the morning?”

  I frowned at the thought of having to be separated from her. “I’ve got to be there at five.”

  “Is it down the beach again?”

  “It is. Where are you going with this?” My brows pinched together.

  One of her hands slipped down and around my waist. “I’m going to be along this beach for the next four days, and if you are too…” She shrugged, looking unsure of herself. “I thought maybe you’d like to stay with me while you’re here, but if you want to stay at your hotel, that’s fine too.”

  Wrapping her in my arms, I dipped my head down until our noses were touching. I could feel her warm breath skate along my lips as I spoke. “I’d love nothing more than to stay with you for my short time here, my sexy Lexie.”

  “Ugh, I can’t get over those dimples.” She hopped in place, breaking our bubble. “We can go get your stuff after the shoot, or you can do it during. Whatever you want.” With each word, her smile bloomed further.

  “We’ll go get it together. I want to sit here and watch you in your element.”

  Pulling back, she took me in. Her eyes gleamed in the light. “Maybe we’ll have our own little photo shoot while we’re here.”

  How did everything she say make me so damn happy? Was it because I’d been alone these last few months, or was it simply Lexie’s effect on me? “I like the sound of that. Can I take some pictures of you too?”

  “I think that can be arranged.” Grabbing my hand, she started to drag me toward the growing group of people down the beach. “I guess I should go help before I put us off schedule.”

  I trailed behind with her pulling me along, watching her ass sway in her short shorts. The material cupped her ass and defined it to perfection. When we were only a few feet away, Raine caught sight of us, and I swore I could see her blush from there. The rest of the group soon saw us, too, and started to whisper as they sneaked glances our way. I hoped it didn’t bother Lexie that they were obviously talking about us.

  “Let me help you with that.” I pushed up on the center of the first canopy and continued down the line. There were three that connected with curtains that hung down for walls. It was actually quite genius since it gave them plenty of room to walk and stand beneath as they changed. Once the large canopy was up, I helped Lexie and Raine bring down the garment racks, lights, and reflectors. All the while, the group of women stared at us and whispered to themselves. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I noticed Lexie gave them an annoyed look.

  Pulling Lexie behind the tent, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. It was brief since I didn’t want to distract her too much. “Anything else you need help with before I head to the store?”

  “No, but thank you for all your help. You know you didn’t have to do that. Go get those condoms, and I’ll see you in a little bit.” With her fingers in my hair, Lexie guided my head down so she could nibble on my bottom lip before letting go and slowly walking backward until she was out of sight.

  On a mission, I headed up the path to the parking lot, unsure of where I was going. I didn’t want to pay for a ride, so I walked with hurried steps down the sidewalk until I came across a local convenience store. It was a tiny little thing, but I was in luck and found condoms. They didn’t have any big boxes. Only the ones with three to a pack, so I bought four boxes. I had two days with Lexie, and I planned to be buried inside of her as much as possible. The woman behind the counter blinked up at me in surprise as I dumped them on the counter and pulled out my wallet. The guy behind me nudged me in the side with a knowi
ng smile.

  I took my time making my way back to where Lexie was set up. I pulled out my phone and took a few pictures of the palm trees and the water. It was beautiful here, and I was thankful my job had brought me to Hawaii and in Lexie’s path once again. When I saw everyone in the distance, I slowed down and watched as Lexie situated the bottoms of one of the girl’s swimsuit and guided her into place. Raine stood to the side with a reflector in her hands that completely dwarfed her. Another model came out of the tent to a man and a woman who worked on her hair and makeup. The whole setup worked in harmony. They were a well-oiled machine who’d done this hundreds of times before. My shoot hadn’t gone as smoothly. The photographer couldn’t make up his mind on how he wanted me to pose or what I should wear. I hoped tomorrow would go something like what I saw in front of me.

  There were a few chairs set up on the side of the canopy. I spotted one with a large camera battery in it. I assumed it was Lexie’s, so I picked it up and sat it in my lap. Pulling up the camera app on my phone, I took a few shots of Lexie as she worked until she turned around and saw me. I didn’t think she minded, but if I didn’t stop, I probably would have filled my entire phone with only pictures of her working.

  After an hour, Lexie called a break so everyone could change, and she could look at the pictures she’d taken. Plopping down in the seat beside me, she took her battery from my lap and replaced it with the one in her camera.

  “Learning anything?”

  “That I want to work with you more in the future. My shoot this morning was nothing like yours. You know what you want.”

  “I’ve been doing this for a long time.” She shrugged like it was no big deal.

  Leaning over, I watched as she flipped through image after image. I was in awe of how she captured the lighting and water while still making the women the sole focus and looking beautiful without the help of Photoshop. I couldn’t wait to see what the finished product would be.