Chapter Fifteen

There are some days that the work just flows. This is, thankfully, one of those days.

It was tough leaving Luke's bed this morning, but I'm glad I went to yoga to get my blood pumping. I had a relaxed breakfast with Jules, where I filled her in on the weekend events, and I couldn't even be very mad when my eleven o'clock session was late.

Brad is a hot twenty-one year old with a lot of model potential. He's got the face and the body, and he's hired me to help him beef up his portfolio. I usually work with women or couples, but Brad is professional, and sincerely wants to break out into show-biz, and I just couldn't turn him away.

Not to mention he's tall, dark and extremely handsome. Not a bad way to spend a few hours out of the day.

We've been having a lot of fun all morning. Brad is easily six foot three and completely toned. Not unlike Luke, but I push him to the side of my brain and focus on the job. Where Luke is bronzed and golden, Brad is tanned and dark; dark hair and eyes with a hint of a dark five o'clock shadow on his sculpted jaw.

He's stripped down to an impossibly small pair of nude boxer briefs that barely cover the essentials, and he's wrapped from the waist down in a white satin sheet.

"You're good at this Natalie. It doesn't even feel like work."

"Thank you." I raise the camera to my eye and start clicking. "These sessions should be fun."

"Are you single?" He asks as he gives the camera a sexy half smile.

"Uh, no." I frown at him. "No flirting, Brad."

"Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm in bed, mostly naked, and a beautiful woman is taking my photo."

I laugh and change memory cards. Man, it's hot in here! I take my blue hoodie off, leaving a fitted black tank over my sports bra. I have cropped yoga pants on, but go in the bathroom and change into yoga shorts. I refasten my hair up into a bun and kick off my shoes.

"Okay, Brad, back in bed."

"How can I resist that?" He is such a flirt! He climbs back on the bed and pulls the sheet low over his hips.

"Okay, on your back, one arm over your head. Good, don't move." I climb on the bed and straddle his hips with my feet, standing directly over him.

"This is a great shot." I'm snapping away, so pleased with the images I'm capturing.

"Should I look serious for some?"

"Sure, don't give me that sexy smile. Perfect!" Snap, snap snap. I walk up his body, focusing down on his face. I almost lose my balance but he reaches up and clasps his hands around the back of my calves.

"Whew! Thanks." I giggle and continue to snap head shots while he throws one hand back up over his head, keeping one hand braced on my leg to keep me steady.

"What the fuck is going on?!"

Brad and I both jump, startled at the angry shout coming from my front door.

"Luke! You scared the hell out of me!"

Brad immediately releases my leg, accurately assessing that he may have his money maker punched any moment.

"What the fuck, Natalie!"

"Stop yelling at me!" I jump off the bed and stow my camera. "Brad, you can go ahead and get dressed. We're finished here anyway."

Brad rises off the bed, letting the sheet fall and I avert my eyes. He saunters into the bathroom to get dressed.

"What the hell is your problem?" I hiss at Luke.

"What do you think? You were on a bed with a naked man and his hands were on you!"

I take a deep breath. "He wasn't naked, Luke. I am not naked."

"Close enough," he mutters.

"Hey, this is why I told you not to freak out on me when I showed you this studio."

"You didn't tell me that you work with young naked men." He's pissed all over again.

"I don't, usually. He's a friend of a friend who needs images for his portfolio. Don't be a jealous ass."

"You led me to believe that you work with women or couples, Natalie."

"Luke, I just told you, this is an exception."

"I don't like it."

"It doesn't matter if you like it."

Luke glares at me like I've grown a second head and runs both hands through his hair.

Brad saunters out of the bathroom, fully dressed in jeans, T-shirt and sneakers. "Thanks again, Natalie. I had a great time."

I smile warmly at him. "Me too, and you're welcome. I should have them edited for you this week."

"Great. See ya." He leaves, shutting the door behind him.

I turn back to Luke to find his glacial blue eyes narrowed on me. He's royally pissed.

"What, exactly, are you mad about?" I ask as I turn back to the bed and begin stripping the sheets.

"Natalie, I just walked into this studio to find my girlfriend standing in what would only be appropriate as nightwear over a naked guy on a bed, and he's got his hands on her bare leg. What do you think I'm mad about?" His voice has risen several decibels, but I'm stuck like stupid on one word.

"Girlfriend?"

He stops his rant and stares at me. "Yes, girlfriend. I thought after this past weekend that that's where we are."

Oh.

Wow.

"Am I wrong?" His voice is worryingly calm.

"Well, no, I guess I just hadn't thought about it." I finish with the bed and turn to face him again. "Luke, this is my job."

"I don't like it."

"It isn't your place to tell me that I can't do this."

"I didn't say that."

"That's what you're implying. I've done this for years. No one has ever gotten out of hand. Remember, I told you, I don't have sex in here, and I don't have sex with clients. Jesus, do you have so little faith in me?"

"No, it's just..." He runs his hands through his hair again and paces back and forth. "I wasn't expecting to feel the way I felt when I saw his hands on you."

"How did you feel?" I tilt my head at him, my curiosity piqued.

"Like I wanted to kill him," he growls.

"Oh."

"Nat, think of how you would feel if I had to do a love scene in a movie. It would be work to me, but I'd still have to hold another woman, kiss her..."

"Stop right there." I do not want to hear this.

"It's the same thing for me."

Geez.

I take a deep breath and sit on the side of the bed, suddenly weary. "I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me. Honey, I haven't had to explain my actions to another human being in years."

"I know."

"You were jealous."

"Jealous is too tame a word for what I was feeling."

Part of me wants to squeal and do a little happy dance, but I hold it in and gaze at him impassively.

"You don't have any reason to be jealous. You're all I see, Luke, even when I'm not with you."

He closes his eyes tightly, as though some great weight has been lifted and I take him all in. He's wearing another button down shirt today, in black this time, and black jeans. He looks young and impossibly beautiful.

And I'm his girlfriend!

I stand and move to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He puts his arms around me, linking his fingers at the small of my back and we just gaze at each other for a minute.

"Please don't be mad at me," I whisper.

"I'm not."

"You were."

"Yeah, I was." He kisses my forehead. "Don't you have any real clothes in here?"

"Yeah, it got hot in here, so I took them off."

He narrows his eyes again and they go cold. Shit.

"Don't freak out on me, it happens no matter who I'm photographing. I don't have A/C in here."

"Why not?"

"Well, honestly, because a sweaty body is sexy on film."

"Oh." He furrows his brow.

"Hey, stop it. You have nothing to be jealous over, honey." I run my hands down his face, loving the roughness of his stubble against my palms.

"I love it when you call me that." He leans into my touch and closes his eyes.

"You do?"

"Yeah, you usually just call me by my name."

"You're a terms of endearment kind of guy, huh?" I stand on my toes and kiss his lips gently and his eyes warm up.

"Obviously, baby."

"I love it when you call me baby."

Now his eyes light up like it's Christmas. "Why?"

"No one ever has before," I whisper.

He sighs and hugs me close. "I forget how inexperienced you are when it comes to relationships."

"Yeah, so cut me some slack. There has to be a learning curve." I pinch his tight butt and he laughs.

"Okay, okay. Just do me a favor." He face is serious again.

"What?"

"No more single men. Please."

I frown and want to argue with him.

"Please, Natalie. For me."

"What if we have a chaperone?"

"Talk with me before you book another single man, and we'll discuss it. I don't like feeling like this. I'm asking you to respect how I feel."

Well, when he puts it like that.

"Okay, I'll talk with you first." It's a concession, but I can't help but think about what he said about love scenes and I know I'd go out of my mind with jealousy if I were in that position.

"Did you do any love scenes in your movies?" I ask and search his face.

"Why do you think there was a butt shot?" He grins down at me.

"I don't ever want to see those movies, Luke."

"Fine by me, baby."

"So, I'm your girlfriend, huh?"

"Absolutely." He kisses me deeply, and I grip onto his shoulders, pulling him down to me.

When he pulls back I can't resist running my fingers through his hair. "Okay, let's go get lunch. Fighting with you makes me hungry."

"You're putting on some decent clothes first."

I leave Luke with Jules in the kitchen and run upstairs to get dressed. I smirk at myself remembering the look of apprehension on Luke's face when confronted with Jules, but she was cool as could be, and I'm relieved that her adolescent behavior where he's concerned has subsided.

I throw on a pair of blue jeans that hug my ass, a green top and matching green heels. It may just be lunch, but I never get to wear my heels, and Luke's tall enough that I could wear them all the time.

So I think I just might. He seems to like them.

I brush out my brown hair, leaving it loose so it frames my face, and apply some eyeliner and mascara.

I'm good to go.

I find Luke and Jules still in the kitchen, talking about all things cooking.

"I bake my bacon," Luke is saying. He's standing with his back to me so he doesn't see me enter the room. "That way there's less mess on the stove top."

"I don't care how it's cooked." I wrap my arms around his middle and press my nose between his shoulder blades, breathing him in. He smells of clean fabric softener and body wash, and his shirt is soft against my face. "As long as it ends up in my mouth," I mumble against him and I hear him chuckle.

He turns around to look at me and grins wide. "You are gorgeous in green. It matches your eyes." He runs his fingers down my face and I sigh.

"Thank you. Is this better than what I had on earlier?"

"Much. Do you have any more sessions today?"

"I have one tonight around eight."

He frowns. "Why so late?"

"A lot of people work during the day, so I have to schedule evening sessions sometimes. It doesn't happen often because I prefer using the natural daylight rather than my lighting equipment, but sometimes it's necessary."

"Who is it?" He eyes me speculatively and I sigh.

"Just a girl who wants some pretty photos for her husband for their anniversary."

"Oh, okay."

I run my hand through his hair. "Don't worry, babe. There are no single men on my books right now."

"Can you let me know when there are?" Jules pipes in quickly. "All this mushy stuff is reminding me how long it's been since I got laid. Go to lunch. Or get a room."

We say our goodbyes and he holds the Mercedes SUV door open for me so I can climb in. When he's behind the wheel he leans over the console and kisses me lightly.

"Where are we going?" I ask as he starts the car.

"How does seafood sound?"

"We live in Seattle. I think it's a prerequisite to love seafood to live here."

"Seafood it is, then." He grips my hand in his and smiles over at me. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." I feel my face flush and I look down at our joined hands. "You always look beautiful."

He laughs and shakes his head. "It's just genetics."

"What did you do this morning?" I ask, changing the subject.

"I went to the gym and worked out with my trainer."

"You have a trainer?" Of course he does.

"Yeah, he kicks my ass." He grins at me, and I can't help but grin back. "How was yoga?"

"It was great. I love it. Have you ever tried it?"

"Um, no."

"Not manly enough for you?" I roll my eyes.

"It's not that, I just like a rigorous workout."

"Go with me Wednesday morning."

He frowns and eyes me speculatively. "I'll make you a deal."

Uh oh, where is this going?

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll go with you to yoga on Wednesday if you go to the gym with me tomorrow."

I bite my lip and look out my window. I'm afraid of looking like a fool. I don't have the tight, little body that most of the other women have in gyms. Yoga keeps me toned and flexible.

"You don't have to go with me," I whisper.

"Natalie, what did I say?"

"Nothing," I can't look him in the eye. I hate feeling self-conscious, and I'm just now to the point of not feeling that way naked in front of Luke.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant and cuts the engine, turning toward me in his seat.

"Nothing, I..."

"Look at me." His voice is stern and when my eyes meet his they're ice blue. "Talk to me."

"No, you get mad at me when I talk about my body. Just leave it alone. We'll work out separately. It's okay."

"Why are you so hard on yourself?" He's bewildered.

"I'm not. Well, not until now," I whisper.

"Stop this. You have nothing to be ashamed of, baby."

"I'm not ashamed. I know you find me attractive, and I love that."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't want to make an ass of myself."

"But you want me to go to yoga and try to twist into a pretzel and make an ass of myself?"

Oh. Good point.

I giggle and put my fingers over my mouth.

"Are you laughing at me?" He's smiling again and the tension in my stomach relaxes.

"I wouldn't dare."

"So, are you going with me to the gym or not?"

"I so wish you'd let me take your picture."

His eyes widen and he goes very still, and I mentally kick myself. "Why?"

"Because I'd love to take your picture at yoga. This is going to be hilarious!"

He relaxes and laughs as he gets out of the car, coming around to open my door. "Come on, I want to watch you eat."