by Paige Tyler
Erotic Exposure
Paige Tyler
Liz Bellamy agrees to pose for a provocative calendar to help raise money for the animal shelter where she volunteers. Although it’s for a good cause, she’s a little shy about posing half naked.
When Liz arrives at the photography studio, she discovers hot photographer Kent Draper. She almost chickens out, but ends up having not only one heck of a sexy photo shoot, but discovering that being half naked in front of a hunky photographer and his camera is one hell of a turn-on. And when a girl gets that aroused, a little shyness isn’t going to keep her from getting what she wants.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Erotic Exposure
ISBN 9781419926884
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Erotic Exposure Copyright © 2009 Paige Tyler
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication December 2009
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Erotic Exposure
Paige Tyler
Chapter One
“You know, if this weren’t for such a good cause, there’s no way I’d be doing this,” Liz Bellamy said to her precious chocolate lab Godiva.
She was half hoping the dog would talk her out of it, regardless of the cause, but her pet just gazed up at her as if to say, “Don’t look at me, this was your idea.” In fact, from the canine grin on Godiva’s face, she’d almost think the animal was amused by the whole thing.
“Of course, you’d find this funny,” Liz muttered. “No one is asking you to take your clothes off.”
Godiva gave her a pointed look that said, “That’s right. And don’t you even think of touching my collar!”
Well, maybe saying taking off her clothes was an exaggeration. She might do a little arty exposing of the shoulders, maybe even show a little leg. Nothing more than that.
“Right, Godiva? We draw the line at shoulders and legs.”
It really was for a good cause, though. The no-kill animal shelter where she’d gotten Godiva two years ago was putting together a sexy naked-for-a-cause type of calendar to raise money. Liz and the other women who volunteered there had agreed to be the pin-ups. There was an animal rescue organization in Portland that had done the same thing last year and it had been a big hit, pulling in thousands of dollars to help support their shelter. When the woman who owned the one where Liz volunteered asked if she would do it, she hadn’t been able to say no.
Now that she was standing in front of the door to the photography studio in downtown Seattle, though, she was beginning to think she should have just donated some money instead. It wasn’t that she was a prude or overly shy or anything like that. It was just that she had never done anything as bold and daring as posing half naked for a pin-up calendar.
But she had said she would do it, so there was no backing out now. She’d never be able to face the other girls at the shelter if she did. They had all done their photo shoots already and hadn’t been able to stop talking about how much fun it had been.
So, tugging Godiva closer on the leash, Liz opened the door and went inside. A little bell attached to the top of the door jingled, announcing their arrival. She looked around the studio, expecting to find the photographer waiting for her, but the woman was nowhere in sight. The other girls who’d done the photo shoot already had described her as down-home as apple pie and easy to work with. That made Liz feel better. Posing for a nice older lady wouldn’t make her feel so self-conscious.
After a few moments went by and no one came out from the back room of the studio, Liz decided the woman must not have heard the bell. Maybe she was busy setting up stuff for the photo shoot.
Telling Godiva to sit, Liz stepped forward to ring the bell on the front counter. It was louder than she’d thought it would be and she winced as it echoed around the room. She gave Godiva an apologetic look.
“Sorry about that. I’m a little nervous.”
Godiva just gave her a look that Liz translated to mean, “Whatever,” before lying down to lick her paws. She probably wanted her nails to look nice for the photo shoot, Liz thought, wishing she could be as relaxed as her dog.
Knowing she was only going to make herself more nervous if she kept thinking about posing for the pictures, Liz let her gaze wander around the room. In addition to the leather couch and two matching chairs, there were a coffee table and several potted plants that gave the room a warm, cozy feel. But it was the mounted photos on the walls that caught her attention. Everything from kids and animals to weddings and family portraits to wildlife and landscapes, they were a mix of color and black and white photos that were both beautiful and artistic. She could see why the owners of the shelter had chosen this photography studio to take the pictures for the calendar. If they came out even half as elegant as the photos on the wall, the result was going to be a work of art.
“Can I help you?”
Liz was so mesmerized by the photographs she didn’t hear anyone come into the room and she jumped at the sound of the man’s voice. Hand to her throat, she whirled around to see the most gorgeous guy she’d ever laid eyes on standing before her. Tall and muscular with dark hair and a chiseled jaw, he had the kind of soulful brown eyes a girl could get lost in if she wasn’t careful.
The grin he flashed her was almost enough to make her melt right there on the spot. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You didn’t.” She felt her face color as she realized how lame that sounded, especially when it was obvious he had. “Well, maybe you did startle me a little bit. I was just looking at the photographs and didn’t hear you come out.”
Duh. She reached up to tuck her long dark hair behind her ear as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Before she could say something else more intelligent, however, Godiva got to her feet and padded over to greet the man, her tail wagging wildly. Liz instinctively opened her mouth to scold her, albeit gently, but the man had already dropped to one knee to give the dog an affectionate pet.
“Godiva,” Liz admonished, then gave the man a sheepish look. “Sorry about that. It’s her first time at a photography studio so she’s a little excited.”
The man chuckled. “It’s okay. She’s just being friendly. Aren’t you, girl?”
Liz couldn’t help but smile as he rubbed Godiva behind the ears. Not only was the guy totally hot, but he liked animals, too. She wondered if he had a girlfriend. If not, maybe he was in the market for one.
He gave Godiva another rub, then got to his feet. “You must be Liz Bellamy, right?”
S
he nodded, wondering how he knew her name. Her confusion must have been obvious because he explained. “I’m Kent Draper, one of the photographers here. Maxine mentioned you’d be coming by for a photo shoot with your dog, so I just put two and two together. ”
“Oh.” Liz looked past him to the door leading to the back of the studio. “Is Maxine here?”
“Actually, she had to take off early. Her daughter went into labor a couple of hours ago, so she and her husband headed down to Olympia.”
“Oh.”
Liz didn’t know whether to be relieved about having to put off the photo shoot or not. She’d spent most of the day psyching herself up for it and now she was going to have to do it all over again.
“Maxine asked me to take the pictures instead, if that works for you,” he said.
Liz blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that. “She did?”
He shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Yeah. Unless you’d rather come back. I understand if you’d be more comfortable having her take the pictures.”
Liz chewed on her lower lip. While part of her wanted to come back when Maxine was there, the other part wanted to get the whole thing over with. But could she pose in front of a guy? She wasn’t so sure of that. Then again, the short robe she’d brought to wear wasn’t all that revealing. It wasn’t like she’d be stripping naked for him.
On the other hand, she couldn’t deny the excited little hum that was starting to course through her body at the thought of a hot guy like him taking pictures of her scantily clad body. She did a mental double take. Where the heck had that come from? A minute ago, she was terrified at the thought of Maxine even seeing her shoulders. Now she was getting all hot and bothered over the idea of Kent seeing the same thing? Well, he was the hunkiest guy she’d ever seen.
“No,” she said in answer to his question. “We’re both already here, so we might as well go ahead and do it.” Yikes, had she just said that out loud? Color suffused her face as she realized that must have sounded as if she wanted to jump his bones right there. “The photo shoot, I mean.”
He grinned. “I figured.”
Her color deepened even more and she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear again. Even Godiva was looking at her as if she was an idiot.
“So, which animal shelter are you doing the calendar for again?” Kent asked.
Liz smiled, relieved he’d changed the subject. “People for Pets. Over on 12th Ave.”
“No kidding? I got my dog there.”
“You have a dog? What kind?”
“He’s a border collie.” Kent gestured to the photograph on the wall behind the front counter. “That’s a picture of him.”
Her smile widened as she gazed at the photo. The black and white dog looked playful, yet alert and watchful at the same time.
“What’s his name?” she asked, turning her attention back to Kent.
“Bob.”
Her brow furrowed. “Bob? That’s not a dog’s name.”
Kent regarded the photograph for a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t know. He looks like a Bob to me.”
Liz turned to study the picture of the cute dog again. No, she didn’t see it.
“The bathroom’s in the back if you want to get changed,” Kent suggested. “Second door on the right.”
Liz turned back around to look at him. She’d been so interested in talking about his dog, she almost forgot the real reason she was there. “Okay, thanks.” She gave the leash in her hand a gentle tug. “Come on, Godiva.”
“She can stay out here with me while you change, if you want,” Kent offered.
She glanced down at Godiva, then back at him. “Sure. If you don’t mind.”
Handing Kent the dog’s leash, Liz told Godiva she’d just be a few minutes, then made her way to the back of the studio. As she walked past the lights, umbrellas and various other photography equipment, she was amazed by how professional it all was. It made her feel like a real model. Right. Like real models were ever this nervous before a photo shoot.
Shaking her head, Liz went into the bathroom and closed the door. She slipped off her jeans and tank top. Since the pictures in the calendar were supposed to be on the sexy side, she and the other women posing for it had come up with the idea of wearing lingerie for the photos. The cami-top and bikini panties some of her friends had worn seemed a little too revealing for her, though, so she’d decided on her favorite short, silk jacquard robe instead. Gazing at her reflection in the full-length mirror as she tied the belt around her slim waist, she was glad she’d chosen the garment. Not only did the pretty powder blue robe accentuate her slender curves, but it showed off her long legs, too. She had put on make-up right before coming over to the studio, so all she had to do was touch up her lip gloss, run her fingers through her long, dark hair, and she was ready.
She took a deep breath, gave her reflection one last look in the mirror, then opened the door.
When Liz walked into the studio, she found Godiva lying at Kent’s feet with her head on her paws while he studied the camera he had in his hands. At her approach, both of them lifted their heads to look at her. Godiva immediately got to her feet and walked over to greet Liz. Kent, on the other hand, stood there, the camera in his hands seemingly forgotten as he took in her slender, robed figure and long, bare legs. Liz felt her cheeks blush at the obvious appreciation in his dark eyes and she shyly bent to give Godiva a pat on the head.
Kent cleared his throat. “We can get started whenever you’re ready.”
Liz straightened to give him a sheepish look. “I’ve never done any modeling before, so I’m not really sure how I should pose.”
He grinned. “No problem. Why don’t you and Godiva go on the dais and stand in front of the backdrop and we’ll start with some warm-up shots? I’ve got the camera hooked up to that monitor, so you can check yourself out on it as I take photos.”
She nodded. That was a fancy setup. “Okay. Come on, Godiva.”
Tail wagging, Godiva eagerly followed Liz up onto the raised platform and obediently sat down.
“That’s good,” Kent said. “Smile for me.”
Liz did as he instructed, tilting her head slightly and giving him what she hoped was a natural smile.
“Great.” Kent lifted his camera and snapped a few pictures. “Okay, same smile, but this time, put your hands on your hips.”
She complied, resting her hands loosely on the curve of her hips and bending one knee a little. Remembering what he’d said about checking herself out in the monitor, she darted a quick glance in that direction and saw that she and Godiva looked pretty darn good. That monitor thing was rather cool. It would leave whatever picture he took up there until he snapped another one.
“Very nice.” He took some more pictures, then glanced at her over the top of the camera. “Okay, let’s try some with you kneeling down next to Godiva.”
She dropped to one knee beside the dog and put an arm lovingly around Godiva. “Like this?”
“Perfect.” He snapped more pictures, turning the camera first one way, then the other as he moved a little to the left and right.
He lowered the camera to flash her a sexy grin. “If all the women are as beautiful as you, I know I’ll be picking up a calendar.”
She blushed at the compliment and reached up with her free hand to self-consciously tuck her hair behind an ear.
“Hold that pose,” Kent commanded.
Though she was surprised, Liz obeyed. She wouldn’t have thought the almost candid pose particularly worthy of being in the calendar, but she decided to defer to Kent. He was the photographer, after all. But when she looked toward the monitor, she realized the picture did look kind of sexy.
He took what must have been twenty or thirty pictures from various angles with her in that pose before lowering the camera to give her another smile. “I knew you’d be a natural at this.”
Liz laughed. “I don’t know about that.”
“You’ll
change your mind when you see how these photos come out,” he assured her. “How ‘bout you sit on one hip with your legs kind of tucked under you?”
She did as he asked, resting her hip up against Godiva as she tucked her legs to the side. The movement caused her robe to ride up a little higher on her thighs, but she made no move to adjust it. The pictures were supposed to be sexy and if the way Kent’s gaze lingered there was any indication, then showing a little leg was definitely sexy. Who knew? It might even sell more calendars.
“Okay,” he said. “Now put your arms around Godiva. Perfect.”
As Kent continued to take photos, Liz glanced at Godiva out of the corner of her eye to see the dog giving the camera a huge canine grin and she had to stifle a laugh. What a ham.
“Lean forward a little more and show me some more of that beautiful cleavage,” Kent instructed.
Cleavage? Liz blinked in surprise. She hadn’t realized she was showing any cleavage, but a quick glance down showed that her robe had parted a little to not only reveal the lacy trim on her black satin bra, but the tops of her breasts as well. Blushing, she leaned forward to show the camera—and Kent—even more. She was really getting into this.
“Oh yeah, just like that,” he breathed. “Hold that pose for me.”
Liz wasn’t sure whether it was the husky way he said the words or the provocative, sexy pose, but as Kent moved closer while he continued to snap her photo, she felt a sudden rush of heat pool between her thighs. Sheesh, she was actually getting excited.
Dropping to one knee in front of her, Kent lowered the camera and reached out with his free hand to gently brush her hair back from her face with his fingers. The contact sent a little tingle of electricity unlike anything she’d ever felt before coursing through her body and she caught her breath. Had he felt it, too? she wondered. The look in his eyes made her think so, but before she could be sure, Godiva interrupted the moment by getting to her feet and stepping off the dais to walk out of the studio. Liz watched in bewilderment as the dog disappeared through the door and into the waiting area.
