“Ah, here she is. I’m Fernando, Gorgeous. So nice to meet you,” the small man who just introduced himself says as he rushes over to me and grabs my hand, leaning down to kiss it. A growl sounds from the back of the warehouse and everyone turns to look as Storm steps out of the shadows.
“Do not kiss her fucking hand,” he snaps, shooting a glare at Fernando, who is still holding my hand in his. He drops it and looks over to me.
“Who is this, love?”
“Uh…” I say, unsure of what to call him.
“Her man,” Storm answers for me, and I turn to look at him with wide eyes, a slow smile stretching across my face.
“We don’t allow boyfriends,” Fernando says, huffing in annoyance, and Storm doesn’t even glance over at him.
“I’m not leaving.”
Fernando throws his hands up in the air and looks around him for some support but no one says anything. Storm is huge, and there is no one in this warehouse who would even dream of taking him on.
“Fine,” Fernando says, doing his best to level an intimidating glare at Storm but he’s not even fazed. “But do not get in the way.”
“What are you doing here?” I whisper as he steps in front of me. His gaze lingers on my face before dropping down to the hint of cleavage that the sweater shows off. He licks his lips, and I instinctively move closer to him. “Just wanted to see you, Darlin’.”
“I’m glad you did,” I tell him, forgetting about all the other people in this room as I stare up at him. His eyes heat as they roam my face, and he reaches out for me. Candace slaps his hand hard, and he turns a glare to her that would scare most men.
“No touching. She’s perfect, and you’ll mess her up.”
He clears his throat, a pained expression taking over his face for a second before he pushes it away. He may not be able to touch me but I sure as hell can touch him. I reach out and lay my hand on his arm, letting him know that I’m here for him. His gaze snaps to mine. The fire dancing there is hot enough to consume me.
“I’ll wait for you here,” he says, and I nod before blowing him a kiss. He grins as I start walking backward, not wanting to pull my gaze away just yet.
“Hey, how did you know where I was?” I ask, still backing away from him, and he shrugs.
“I’ve got a guy.”
I laugh and stop, shaking my head at him. “You know that makes you sound like a stalker, right?”
He grins and tips his chin to the scene behind me, telling me to get to work. I wink and spin around, following Candace over to the set where a black leather couch is set up against a brick wall backdrop. The entire set looks like a stylish but homey living room, and I get a little rush of excitement for the first time since this whole thing started.
“Okay, Gorgeous,” Fernando says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he points to the set in front of us. Storm growls again from the back, and Fernando rolls his eyes. “For this first one, I want you to be everyone’s best friend, someone they can confide in. We’ll start with you on the couch and see where it goes from there. Sometimes my best ideas come to me when I start shooting.”
“Sounds good.”
“Now, Darling, I want you to sit on that couch in the corner and curl your legs underneath you. Look sweet but still a little sexy for me, yes?”
Another growl sounds from the back of the warehouse, and I bite down on my lip in an attempt to stifle my laughter. Fernando sighs and flicks an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “And please remind your man that he is not a jungle cat.”
The laughter spills out of me, and I meet Storm’s eye as he shakes his head, a smirk on his face. His gaze is intense, staring at me like I’m the only woman in the room. I know I’m the one under these lights but Candace is right next to him, and she’s gorgeous, but still, he only has eyes for me.
As the make-up artist rushes out to touch up my face, I keep my eyes trained on him, the unmistakable spark between us making my body all tingly as I wait for the photos to start. God, how is he doing this to me? How is one look enough to make me want to strip naked in front of him?
“Okay, here we go,” Fernando calls, and I divert my attention to him just as he starts snapping the camera like crazy, calling out instructions to me. I’m constantly moving, putting my hand in my hair, taking it out again, smiling, pouting, looking understanding. Again and again the shutter snaps, taking photo after photo, and I wonder just how many he needs.
I can feel Storm’s eyes on me through the whole process, and every time I peek over at him, his gaze is locked on me. The hunger in his eyes is driving me wild, and a blush creeps up to my cheeks. I turn back to Fernando, my pulse beating between my thighs.
“Yes, just like that, Darling. You look incredible,” Fernando calls, and I turn my gaze back to Storm. I want him to see me like this. I feel sexy, and it’s all because of him. He’s the one evoking these reactions in my body, and I want him to know it. When my eyes meet his, he licks his lips, taking a step forward before he can stop himself. He drops his gaze, and I look back to Fernando.
“Okay, that’s all for this set. Go get changed, love, and we’ll start on the next set.”
I nod and climb off the couch. Seeking out Storm in the crowd of people standing around watching the shoot, I finally find him off to the side and go over to him, ignoring Candace calling my name.
“Hey,” I whisper, my chest swelling as I quietly gasp for air.
“Fucking gorgeous,” he says, almost to himself as his gaze drops down my body.
“I have to go change, okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be here.”
I nod and sneak in one last glance before I follow Candace to hair and make-up, where they quickly change me into the second outfit and pile my hair into a bun. They give me a few moments to myself to relax but before I can even sit down, there’s a knock at the door. I open it and smile when Storm immediately steps into my space and hooks his hand around the back of my neck.
“Hey, stranger,” I say, looking up at him, and he doesn’t respond, his gaze solely focused on my red painted lips. He doesn’t waste a second dipping down and claiming my mouth in a kiss that makes me want to lock the door and tell them all to go to hell. How long is he going to make me wait? I want him.
“Shit,” he mutters when he pulls back and looks down at my face. I start laughing at the red lipstick smeared around his mouth and start wiping it away with my thumb.
“You’re going to send poor Fernando into a tizzy,” I tell him, and he glares over my head.
“Fuck him. He needs to keep his goddamn hands off you.”
“Oh, yeah, tough guy? Why’s that?”
“Because,” he replies, and I just stare up at him, willing him to say the words. I want to hear him say that I’m his, that the thought of any other man touching me kills him.
“Because?” I finally break and ask him.
“Because I don’t like it.”
It’s not exactly what I was hoping for but I’ll take it. I finish wiping the make-up off his face and lean up on my tiptoes, planting one more quick kiss on his lips.
“Well, you shouldn’t worry because I was too preoccupied by this other guy to even notice that he was touching me,” I tease, running my hand up the open zipper of his leather jacket.