“I do have to work later.” Ramsey sticks out her tongue at my sister. I have to remind myself that she’s too young for me so my mind doesn’t wander to that tongue, and images of what she can do with it invade my mind.
“The Tavern?” I guess.
“Yeah. I work most Friday and Saturday nights. I don’t mind it. The tips are better on weekend nights.”
“Oh, over by the brick wall,” Palmer instructs.
With Ramsey’s hand still laced with mine, I lead us to the brick wall. Pressing my back against the wall, I pull her to stand in front of me, my hands landing on her hips. Her breath hitches and my cock takes notice.
“Is this okay?” I ask her. My voice is soft. It’s not that I care that my sister hears us, but something about the moment and the position we’re in, my hands gripping her hips, and her leaning into me, makes it more intimate, more just for us.
“I’m okay.” Her body visibly relaxes as she says the words.
“Come on, you two. You know what this is supposed to look like,” Palmer encourages.
“Ramsey?” She’s looking at my chest. Slowly, so not to scare her, I place my index finger under her chin, and her eyes meet mine. “I’m going to have to touch you for this. Maybe even kiss you,” I say, pulling her a little closer. She flinches a little at that, and I try not to let it affect me.
“I looked up a few of these type of shoots on YouTube,” she confesses. “They were holding each other and kissing, and… yeah, she’s going to want that.” She motions her head toward my sister.
“What do you want?”
Her blue eyes hold mine. “I made her a promise.”
“Tell me what’s off-limits.” I can see it in her eyes, she’s uncomfortable, and I want to know why. Not just because it will make this easier and less awkward, but something primal in me sees a woman in her shell, and I want to help her come out of it. That’s not something I’ve ever desired before, but my gut tells me that Ramsey needs to know she’s in control here.
“My wrists,” she whispers. Her voice is so low I wouldn’t have heard her had I not been giving her my absolute attention.
“Don’t touch your wrists?”
She nods. “And maybe if you could tell me what we’re doing before we do it?”
She doesn’t want me to touch her wrists, and wants to know my actions. I scan for scars or bruising and see nothing. Someone has done something to make her feel this way. That has to be it. I swallow back the rage that someone hurt her, and give her all my attention. “I’m going to place my hand against your cheek.” The corner of her mouth tips in a barely-there smile, but I catch it. “Is that okay?”
“That’s okay.”
Slowly, I raise my hand and do as I told her, resting my hand against her cheek. Everything in the background fades away. I don’t hear the other patrons at the park or the cars driving by. I don’t hear the click of my sister’s camera. All I see is this beautiful woman who has so obviously been hurt in the past. “I don’t know who hurt you,” I say, keeping my voice soft. She tenses up a little as she closes her eyes. “Hey.” I wait for her baby blues to land on me once again. “Never with me. When you’re with me, you never have to worry about me hurting you. I know you don’t know me, but you do know her.” I nod to where I’m sure my sister is standing, clicking away at our intimate position. “She would never put you in a situation with someone who would hurt you. I’m not that man.”
“I know she wouldn’t.”
“Good. Now, my guess is that we have maybe thirty seconds before she starts begging us to move out of this pose.” I playfully roll my eyes, and she giggles. The sound weaves its way around me, and I want to hear it again and again.
Too young for you, Setty. I just need to keep reminding myself of that.
“You take the lead, Ramsey.”
“W-What?”
Her surprise tells me control was not something men, or a man from her past, let her have. “You’re in control. Do what feels right, and I’ll follow your lead.”
“I-I don’t know what to do.”
“Just do what feels right.” I hold my hands out to my sides and give her a cocky grin. “I’m all yours.” Her face flushes a light shade of pink, and I’m certain it’s not from the Georgia heat.
Letting my arms fall to my sides, I stand stock-still, patiently waiting for her to decide. Slowly, she lifts her hands and rests them against my chest. “Is this okay?”
“It’s all okay, Ramsey. Anything you want.”
She thinks I’m talking about the photo shoot, and I am. However, there is a deeper part of me, the part that’s captivated by this beauty, that knows I would follow through with any request that she makes of me. It’s a damn good thing this is just a project for my sister. Ramsey is way too young for me, and being around her stirs something inside me. Something new and primal. I can’t act on it, of course. She’s my baby sister’s best friend. I can, however, make this easier on her, and that’s what I intend to do.
There’s a cautious smile on her face as she lifts a shaking hand to my cheek. She’s staring up at me in awe. As if she can’t understand how I would give her free rein to touch me. There’s a slight tremor as her palm rests against my cheek. “I’m going to cover your hand with mine,” I tell her softly, keeping the instruction just between us.
“Okay.”
My large hand covers her small one, causing her to pull in a shuddering breath, but to my surprise, the tremble disappears. “I’m going to lean in close, Ramsey.” She gives me a subtle nod of permission, and I close the distance, resting my forehead against hers.
“This is gold!” Palmer calls out.
Her statement pulls me back to the fact that it’s not just me and Ramsey in our own little bubble. “Sounds like we’re doing it right.” I chuckle.
“Yeah,” Ramsey agrees. Her voice is soft and breathy, and my cock notices. I notice. I make a mental note to keep the lower half of my body from touching hers.
“Let’s try something different. Deacon, why don’t you lift her to sit on the wall, right over there.” Palmer points to a half brick wall that matches the one we’re leaning against. “And just let nature take its course,” my sister instructs.
“She’s enjoying this,” I say as I angle away and stand to my full height. “You okay with this next step?” I ask softly.
“I am.” Her smile is a little wider than when this first started, and I’ll take that as a win. She drops her gaze to our hands. I turn my hand over, offering it to her, and she slides her fingers between mine.
Together we make our way to the half brick wall. “I’m going to lift you up.” I wait for her nod before I step in front of her, gripping her hips, and easily lifting her to the wall.
“You did that effortlessly.”
I flex my muscles, making her laugh.
“Oh, god, put them away,” Palmer teases. “This isn’t one of those cheesy ‘look how strong I am’ kind of shoots, Deac.” She laughs.
“The lady asked to see the goods,” I fire back.