by Love Journey
It didn’t make sense. Usually, she was unaffected by her client’s advances. Most of the time, she just politely declined their propositions and kindly redirected them to the task at hand. But she had had trouble doing that with Daniel back in his hotel room.
Celibacy is a bitch! My reaction just means that it has been too long. That’s all… right?
CHAPTER 7
DIAMOND
The morning of the photoshoot was a hustle and bustle of people, clothing, equipment, and shuttle buses. Three luxury vans with dark-tinted windows were parked in front of the hotel, and all the staff were boarded comfortably. The first two vehicles went ahead to prepare the studio. Diamond stayed behind to accompany Daniel and get some before -pictures.
When she didn’t see Daniel downstairs, she went up to his room and knocked on the door.
It swung open, and Daniel stood smiling on the other side in nothing but a white hotel towel wrapped around his waist. “Hey.”
She took in the sight of pure sexiness. She had seen earlier pictures of him from years ago when he was thin. But looking at him up close and personal was another story. The years had been good to him, and now he was thick in all the right places.
Her face was flushed. “Good morning. I came to see if you needed help with anything,” she greeted.
“Yeah, I’m running a little late. Please come in.”
The man was fresh out the shower and smelling good. He opened the door a little further and stood back so she could enter. He was drying his hair with a small towel and smiling as she tried to walk by without touching him. And though she succeeded in not making any kind of skin to skin contact, his scent wrapped around her making her breathe in deep as his natural smell seduced her senses. It was like a mixture of ginger, leather, and Egyptian musk - warm and manly.
He closed the door behind her and walked past her into the room. “The good thing about photo shoots is that I don’t have to prepare in advance. They prefer I show up as-is, which saves me time in the morning.” He picked up a pair of boxer briefs.
Diamond was stuck in a trance, and her eyes were locked on him. His cologne had triggered something deep within her and hadn’t yet let her go. It was familiar yet strange. His own unforgettable personal scent, mixed with trouble and seduction. How unfortunate. She was a sucker for a good smelling man.
“Diamond?”
Her mouth was watering, so she licked her lips. I wonder if he tastes as good as he smells.
“Diamond?”
Someone was calling her name, but she couldn’t quite pull herself away from the visual fantasy of warm arms pulling her in and that scent devouring her. “Hmm.”
“Last chance.”
Last chance? “I’m sorry, what? I don’t…”
He dropped the towel.
Holy crap!
DANIEL
I warned her.
She had that damn look in her eyes again, like she wanted…no needed him to kiss her. She was biting her lower lip, and her eyes had glazed over with yearning. It didn’t help that Daniel was damn near naked with only a towel to cover his growing erection.
Damn, if she keeps looking at me like that we might not make this photoshoot. Well, I’m going to put her to the test by dropping this towel. If she takes one step in my direction, we’re going to move this bed all across this room. If she bolts I’ll do the right thing and get dressed. One…
“Diamond?”
She’s still staring at me. Two…
“Diamond?”
I wonder what she’s daydreaming about. Three…
The corners of his mouth turned up. “Last Chance.”
Ready or not here I go. Drop… Come and get it if you dare.
She screamed, “Ahhhh! Daniel! Oh my god!” Her eyes went wide before she quickly turned her back to him.
He just chuckled and picked up his black boxer briefs and slid them into place. “To be fair, I did warn you.” He laughed again. “When you stare it makes me think you want more than a peek.”
“Uh, no. It means hurry up and get dressed, and I’ll wait outside.” She started to walk towards the door.
“Wait.” Without warning, he was standing behind her with his hands on each of her upper arms. She was so close he could smell her fresh, clean scent. She smells like Japanese Cherry Blossom. He was so close he could feel her body tremble under his touch. Man, I don’t want to mess this up. Go easy. He whispered in her ear, “I just wanted to hug you and say good morning.” So he wrapped his arms around her, buried his face in her neck, and inhaled. “You smell nice.”
Another shiver went through her body. “Daniel, please don’t.”
He knew his erection was pressing against her backside, but he didn’t move his hips against her like his body craved to do. He silently vowed to wait for her to make the first move. “It’s just a hug, Diamond. Today is going to be busy and hectic, and I just wanted a quiet moment with you. I can’t hug you?”
She let her bags fall to the floor before twisting in his arms to face him. He held his breath when she looked him directly in the eyes. They were standing chest to chest and hip to hip. His arms were loosely around her waist. Up close she was even more beautiful. No makeup. Her thick natural curls were piled into a neat knot on top of her head. Her lips were plump and ready to be…
“No Daniel,” she said without moving. “You’ve got to stop flirting with me. I won’t sleep with you for one very good reason.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “And what’s that?” he asked.
“I like my job, and I don’t sleep with my clients. Ever.” She searched his eyes. “Daniel, I need you to respect that.”
He heard every word she had to say, but he also felt her heart beating rapidly against his chest. Her mouth was saying one thing, but her body was saying another. In any case, his mother raised him to be a gentleman - and a verbal no meant no.
He loosened his arms but didn’t let her go completely. “I respect what you’re saying, but I see how you look at me. And I can feel how your body responds to me.”
Her expression closed up as she shrugged her shoulders and wiggled out of his embrace. “So?”
Now that took him by surprise. No denial. Just so? His eyebrows rose, and he looked perplexed.
“So what? I’m physically attracted to you. No big deal. I’m a grown woman and have excellent self-control.” She bent down to retrieve one of her bags. “You’re an attractive celebrity for goodness sake. I’m sure you have plenty of women throwing themselves at you, but I won’t be another notch on your headboard.”
“Ouch. That’s not fair.” He released her and walked back to the bed. Picking up a shirt he pulled it over his head. “For your information, I’ve been celibate for two months now.” He quickly stuck a leg into his jeans.
Watching him dress was distracting, so she walked to the door and placed her hand on the knob. His last statement stopped her before she twisted the handle. “See! That explains it. You’re just horny because this is the longest you’ve ever gone without sex. Now I get it.”
He raised his right eyebrow in response. “Do you?” he asked as he slipped on his socks.
She took a deep breath before answering. “I do.” She turned in his direction. “You want to know what it would be like to be with a black girl.”
He laughed out loud as he pulled on one shoe. “Nope. I’ve been with plenty of black girls.”
“Okay, you want to know what it’s like to be with…”
“You.” I looked her directly in the eye. “I want to know what it’s like to be with YOU.”
She gulped.
No, no, no, no, no. She turned to the door and twisted the handle. “We’re late, and people are going to wonder what took so long. We’d better go.”
He smiled at her back as he followed her out into the hall.
DIAMOND
The studio space was buzzing with activity. The large old warehouse had been transformed into one giant open blank canv
as - excellent for photo shoots. A large screen blanketed a wall at one end of the wide room, and the photography equipment took up the other end. She had worked with most of the people here on several promotional shoots in the past. Hip Hop Giants Magazine was footing the bill for this event in exchange for an exclusive first interview of ZAP Entertainment’s first signed Korean-American Hip Hop entertainer. Diamond was present as a secondary photographer to capture the event overall.
She was talking to Peter, the lighting guy when Daniel finally came out of the dressing room. They had arrived 20 minutes late, but it was nothing unexpected. Celebrities were known to arrive late, so it was customary to add an extra hour to at the beginning of any activity. Diamond was still a little curious after their morning encounter, but as long as they were working, she kept her questions to herself.
Despite having to stick to him like glue, there were times when she wouldn’t have to be by his side. At night, when he slept, for example. The plan was to meet early in the morning and then she would follow him around all day. Today was special, though. Today was the first official photo shoot, and Diamond was admittedly excited about it. She was finally going to do the thing she had been hired for. She found that she was much more comfortable looking at Daniel through the lens of her camera, blending into the background was her specialty. Her surroundings were distorted by the blur around the edge of her lens, and she could escape reality for a few moments.
“What’s up, Diamond?” Daniel stepped into view, his dark eyes narrowed seductively.
She swallowed.
Daniel was wearing a pair of dark blue designer jeans that rode his hips perfectly. They were a complementary contrast to his creamy tattooed naked chest which was glistening with oil.
Does this man ever wear a shirt?
Though he had let her know previously that he thought she was a beautiful woman, she was determined not to let that affect the quality of her work. She couldn’t risk her colleagues thinking she was having an affair with one of her clients so planned to continue to gently push back his advances. One way was to pretend that they didn’t have an encounter this morning. Daniel had the reputation of a flirt, so it was not like his behavior was unexpected. She was a confident woman, a solid ten, as her father used to tell her.
“Not much, Daniel. Just preparing for the shoot. Did you sleep well? You have bags under your eyes. Maybe you should pass by makeup before we start the shoot.” She reached a hand up so she could slide her thumb under his eye. Someone had stayed up later than he was supposed to. A small frown twisted her lips before she shouted to the makeup artist. “Jess, I’ll need you to do some cover up today!” Then she focused back on Daniel. “Daniel, you go with her, and she’ll fix that for you. Can’t have you looking like you haven’t slept for our first photo shoot now, can we?” The corner of her glossy, full lips lifted up revealing pearly whites.
“Ah, you wound me. Am I not pretty enough for you?” He pouted and pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger before pulling away, his intense gaze still locked on her own. She could feel the edge of her cheekbones tingle. Despite trying her best to ignore his advances, it was pretty hard to do so when he looked so irresistible. Still, professionalism prevailed, she shot him down again.
“Makeup, Daniel. Now,” she replied authoritatively though a slight smile was still curling her lips.
Daniel gestured as if he’d been shot through the heart and chuckled. “Yes, mistress.”
She watched him walk away, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She needed to get a little stronger and put a wall between his pleasantries and her emotions, or she might let that influence her work, and that was the last thing she wanted. Sighing heavily, she watched as the head photographer, Bryson, prepped his camera on the stand facing the photo shoot area.
He decided to go with a white background for the shoot. Daniel always wore black and white clothes, and he would most definitely stand out on a blank background.
Once Daniel came back from the makeup, he stepped onto the set to make sure the photographer could make any last minute adjustments. She was snapping a few photos when Bryson called her name.
“Hey, Diamond, can you do me a favor? The model isn’t out of makeup yet, and I need to line up the correct lenses for the duo shots. Can you stand in front of Daniel for a minute so I can take some test shots?”
The color drained from Diamond’s face as she looked around in surprise, then nodded in agreement. She was not used to being in front of the camera and was more comfortable fading into the background. “Okay.”
Daniel was standing in the center of the white canvas, shirtless and legs spread casually. She hesitantly walked toward him. The makeup girl was busy powdering his face as Diamond stood next to him facing the camera.
Bryson called out again. “I need you to stand a little closer. Stand in front of him a little, so we test the shot.” Bryson’s face disappeared behind the camera. Click, click.
Diamond stepped into place, feeling Daniel’s body heat behind her. She was trying to compose herself, but she had to admit that the proximity just made things a lot harder. The bright lights and his naked chest were enough to make anyone a nervous wreck. As if sensing her discomfort, Daniel pulled her back into his space, chest to back and his front to her rear. Memories of that morning’s embrace danced across her mind, and she forgot where they were for a hot second. Click, click.
She turned her face to look up at him in protest but stopped when she met his smiling gaze. Why do I love it when he smiles? She couldn’t help but relax into his embrace and return his soothing look. Click, click.
He winked at her. Click, click.
She giggled. Click, click.
He held her gaze as he slowly reached up to swipe an imaginary piece of lint from her temple. Click, click. The contact was so innocent and brief that her defense faltered for a brief moment.
Click, click.
She looked at him - really took him in. Click, click.
His silky black hair was perfectly swept up into a stylish wave. His eyes were the color of smooth dark chocolate with an exotic slant at the outer edges. A person could get lost in those eyes.
His nose was straight and held a tiny Diamond stud, barely noticeable, in one nostril. But what made her heart flutter in her chest were his full pink lips. Was it normal for someone’s mouth to be so flushed with color? His smile was out of this world. I don’t think I have ever seen teeth so white and straight. Aww, I wonder why he stopped smiling all of a sudden. And why are his lips parted? Shit, that’s even worse. I wonder if his lips are as soft as they look?
Click, click.
Her eyes slowly worked their way back up to his eyes and then she saw it - pure, unadulterated desire.
Click, click, click, click, click, click.
“Holy shit that was hot. We got what we needed! Thanks.” Bryson yelled. Then it all came crashing back to reality, and she remembered where she was. Her cheeks turned pink as Daniel released her from his hold. Refusing to meet his eyes again, she walked off stage on shaky legs.
She didn’t know what Bryson meant by “hot,” but she felt like she needed some ice water after Daniel pulled away to get ready for the shoot. She couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped her. Her friend Celeste, the makeup artist, moved closer to her and leaned toward her ear.
“That’s the opposite of a problem if you want my opinion.” The woman chuckled and gave Diamond a conspicuous look.
“Celeste! This is work, you know?” Despite her answer, Diamond was smiling. She and Celeste had known each other for a long time, and she knew her friend was just teasing her.
“Who said you can’t mix business and pleasure? Is it in your contract or something?” Celeste snickered and stole a look at Daniel as the lighting guy told him how to position himself, what was his best side and how the light was supposed to hit him.
“I don’t know. I mean, he’s good looking and all but screwing my client wouldn’t be v
ery professional.” She objected, eyes following the length of Daniel’s body. In that moment, as he listened to Bryson and posed, she had to admit he was really handsome.
“Well girl, his eyes are almost always latched onto you and let me tell you there’s nothing professional in the way he looks at you. Come on, if you don’t do it, pass him along to me, will you? I wouldn’t mind getting to know him better.” Both women laughed, and Diamond gently shoved her away because the session was about to begin. Before focusing on the camera, she gave Daniel another glance. He smiled in her direction and winked which made her heart skip a beat. She offered a small smile in turn and hid the blush spreading across her cheeks behind the camera.
Mood music played loudly in the background as Bryson’s commanding voice boomed. “Alright. Is everyone ready? Let’s start with something simple. Daniel? I want you to look natural. Walk around the X as you normally would and ignore the camera. Pretend you see a beautiful flower on the ground, look up at the sky and shield your eyes from the sun. We’ll take a few pictures, then we’ll move to our designated location for an outside photo shoot if the weather is in the mood.”
The sky was clear with a few white puffy clouds here and there. The sun was shining brightly, and the news predicted a warm afternoon, so hopefully, things would continue smoothly after lunch.
The indoor session was a big success, and by lunchtime, Diamond was back in her professional state of mind. “Good job, everyone! I want you on the Serras Street set in one-hour pronto. Break for lunch!” Bryson gave the direction to the crew and had the assistants pick up the props for the outside photo shoot scheduled in the afternoon. Daniel walked up to her after the chaos settled.
“Do you have a lunch hour too, Diamond?” The way he said her name sounded so intimate.
“Only half of it. I have to prepare for the outside session,” she replied matter-of-factly, a small smile curling her lips.
