Rhiannon.
Her eyes raked over Liam’s chest when he went to open the door, but he blocked her path up the steps.
“What do you want? I told you to stay in the Rutherglen bus.”
“And you have a contract to fulfil. Initial shots are to be with David before the show starts. He wants to stir up the paparazzi, get some heat on this tour.”
“Heat? We’ve got sold out shows everywhere. Unless he’s adding some dates, we can’t take any more heat.”
“I don’t make the orders, I just follow them. Here’s the brief. It was faxed over to Marlow this morning.”
“Something I was just about to broach with the band. You were asked to wait in your bus until I was ready,” the man himself said, appearing at her shoulder.
“Forgive me if I don’t want to hang out in that stinking bus a minute longer,” she snapped at him, making me bristle. Billy smiled when I got to my feet, using the moment to inspect my bra in greater detail. Filmy red lace probably wasn’t a great choice today, but how was I to know it was tits out Tuesday? “Stop with the games, Liam. David wants sexy, naked, hot shots, something we’ve never had difficulties managing before. I know things didn’t end well…”
He stepped away from her, striding up the steps and down the aisle to stand with us. He looked fit to burst, his jaw grinding, but when she and Marlow followed behind him, we provided a united, if not especially well dressed front.
Her eyes went straight to me as some women do. It’s like it’s only other women that count. They’re the competition, the threats or the losers to grind under their heels. She took me in with one glance and then sniffed.
“Get rid of the groupie and get this supposedly hot shot new photographer of yours. I’m supposed to come to the interviews you’ve got in an hour.”
“You’re fucking shitting me,” Johnno said. “Photos are one thing, but interviews? What’s the angle?”
“We’re back together.” She moved to take Liam’s arm, but he stopped her from getting closer.
“No, that ain’t happening. If you want to make a fool of yourself contradicting me to the media, I’ve got no problems with that, but I’m not playing along with this little farce. Promo shots are covered in the contract, mandating my romantic partners is not.” She went to protest, but Liam shut her down quick. “You try and push this? I’ll have our lawyers on it in a second. No court in the world will uphold that kind of bullshit.”
“Fine,” she bit out. “Marlow will do my makeup, and then we’ll get started. Where are we supposed to be shooting this?”
Everyone turned to look at me. I shrugged, eyeing the light outside the bus windows. I glanced down the aisle to the main bedroom.
“I’ll need to take some light readings, but the orgy bed is as good a place as any,” I said. “Can I take a look at the brief?”
Marlow passed the sheaf of papers over to me. I scanned them quickly and saw the keywords picked out in bold. Sexy, intimate, telling the story of a groupie having found love in a rocker’s arms. I rolled my eyes. This was a pretty bloody clumsy swipe by Dave—forcing me to shoot my lover with his ex-girlfriend.
Lover?
I shoved that thought away, already feeling the analytical calm that taking photos always gave me. It was a relief really. It has been hot and cold running emotional drama since I got up. A bit of cool quiet was totally what was needed. I inspected the two of them, seeing how her paler blonde sat so well against his darker. Her skin was as pale as milk, while he was well tanned. Sun and moon. Then I moved towards the door, looking at the seven of them. They were all so beautiful. I held my hands up in front of my face, using my fingers to create an approximation of a viewfinder. Yep, this would totally work.
“She’s the photographer?” Rhiannon said.
“She sure is,” Jake answered.
“Right, I’ll get my gear. Everyone in the back room, naked.”
“Everyone?” Rhiannon’s voice became shrill. “This is not what I—”
“Well, it doesn’t actually specify who you’re shot with here,” Marlow said, consulting the brief. “It says penile and digital penetration is acceptable, and the band must be featured but not which members.”
Johnno said, “You don’t have to do this, Rhiannon. You do shoots for the major fashion houses. Doing soft core porn for the Rutherglen is going to jeopardise that.”
I felt sorry for her then, her face broadcasting her ambivalence. I hoped she’d honour that, bow out and go back to being a clothes horse for the rich and famous. But she didn’t. Her jaw tightened, her mouth thinning down.
“I gave my word to the Rutherglen. I can’t back out of that,” she said in a small voice.
“Well, let’s try and make this high fashion,” I said with a shake of my head. “Marlow?”
We were bent over the brief document, scanning it for loopholes.
“It says we can include penetration, but it doesn’t specify it has to. It says sexy, hot, suggestive of a relationship between Rhiannon and Liam. A lot of weasel words but no actual ‘peen must be in vag,’” I said tapping a finger to my lips.
“I’ll race back to wardrobe and bring back something lacy for her. It’ll work a whole lot better for what this is actually supposed to be for. The Rutherglen’s playing games, but topless shots of Rhiannon are only going to be able to be used with a very limited set of publications, even less if there’s bush.” Marlow looked up at me and then jerked his shirt off, lifting my arms and putting it on me.
“Thanks,” I said, instantly feeling comforted by the soft of the cotton, by the presence of his scent. He had a tight tank top on underneath. “You didn’t have to. You’ve given me several suitcases full of clothes.”
“I know, but you like wearing our clothes, don’t you?”
My eyes dropped to his lips. “Well, yeah. That must drive you mad.”
“Fashion wise? Yeah. I could think of almost anything that would suit you better. But…” He moved in closer, running a finger under the collar, stroking the skin there. “Emotionally, I like the thought of something of mine touching you when I’m not here. It’s why I spent so much time on your wardrobe. Everything I make, everything I select… When I see it on you, I feel… It’s intense. It’s like I’ve marked you, that for a moment, you are mine.”
“I am yours,” I said, the words slipping out, but I couldn’t regret them. “Marlow?” He struggled to meet my gaze. “And I’ve been fighting you on the clothes… I was rejecting…you? You know that’s not what I meant, right?”
“I do, but Kira, it’s all I’ve got to give you. I can’t protect you from everyone who wants to take a bite, I can’t stop the Rutherglen from coming for you, but I can…I can package you in a way that makes you less vulnerable, opens more doors, and convinces people of your worth. So that’s what I do.”
I was glad I had Marlow in my life every day since we’d met, but never more than just now. I knew people in this world didn’t see his strength, but I did. He could have let the people with more power than him cow or beat him into submission, but he didn’t. Marlow endured. No matter what was going on or what was thrown at him, he persisted, which to me, was the greatest of strengths. So I leapt forward, threw my arms around him, and hugged him, hoping he understood that. He kissed me, in that way that he did, breaking my heart and remaking it again.