Chapter Three
Evan
“Hell no!” I practically scream.
There is no fucking way I’m going to do those things Delilah and Adam just did with a guy from my department. Does Britain want me to fail college? God, and he’s so gorgeous too.
This is bad. Dallas is just one big awful distraction that needs to go.
“I can tell I’m wanted here,” Dallas says dryly. Britain shoots me a look of contempt.
“No, Dallas, it’s not that I don’t like you,” I try to counter quickly. “It’s just… you know, I have an image to uphold in my shoots. An untouched, virginal image, apparently, and Britain and I specifically decided there’d be no boys in my photo shoots.”
“Well if that’s your problem.” Britain hops up from the couch. “I never said I’d be using these photos in the magazine, did I?” She grins. “This is just a test.”
I hate my best friend sometimes. I open my mouth, but unless I give away to Dallas that I’m in his department, I have no argument.
“Go change into what you are wearing for your shoot today, please,” Britain orders.
“Yes, your majesty,” I say through gritted teeth, and stomp off toward the makeup room. I hate her I hate her I hate her…
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Nora asks as I walk into the dressing room. When I don’t respond, she says, “Can I do anything to help?”
“Kill me?”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I do have some fake blood in my kit somewhere.”
Maybe that would do, I could cover myself in fake blood and then Britain would have to send me to the showers. I get a hold of myself and simply thank nora for her efforts, changing into what’s laid out for me—A white lace bandeau bra and panties, and a blush pink sundress. Little Rylan, innocent as ever. I dress and examine myself in the mirror. With my hair this big, I look like a brunette Barbie doll.
I gag at myself in the mirror and head out toward the pool.
Dallas is in nothing but a pair of white gauze pants, gazing around. “This place is damn nice. You rent the whole house just for shooting?”
“We live here too,” Britain says. I shoot her a glare. Next she’ll tell him what my real name is, for the love of God.
“Who takes care of the pool?”
“The pool guy.”
“Yes, the pool guy, like normal houses,” I say, interrupting their chit chat. “Can we get this over with already?”
“Alright, Miss Bossy Pants.” Britain readies her camera. Pointing to one of the white-washed walnut lounge chairs, she says, “Dallas go sit over there.”
He does as he’s told, lounging back. His skin barely glistens, capturing the light from the sun.
“Now straddle the chair. Rylan, go sit in front of him.”
I slowly walk across the smooth stone surrounding the clean water, toward Dallas. His piercing blue eyes are on me the whole time—relaxed. Maybe even a bit excited.
I think I’m going to throw up. Get a hold of yourself, Evan.
I swing my leg over the chair, sitting in front of him so that I too am facing the water.
Britain walks over to us and squats in front of her chair, bringing the camera up to her face. “Scoot together.”
We do so until his hard torso presses against my back. His breath tickles my ear as he says, “This is kind of awkward for a first meeting, isn’t it?”
I bite back my grin. Cute and charming. Fuck me, I am never going to be able to stop thinking about these next moments.
But this will be it. I’ll get this test shoot out of the way and then I won’t have to shoot with Dallas again. That will be Delilah’s job. I couple minutes with Dallas is all I have. Maybe I should just loosen up and enjoy the only male contact I’ve had in a year, and probably all I’ll have until I finish my PhD.
“Scenario,” Britain begins. “Rylan, I want you to keep up that virginal persona of yours. This is the first time you’ve ever been touched by a boy. Shouldn’t be too hard for you.”
“Fuck you,” I snap before realizing that Dallas is going to find this work environment incredibly hostile if I don’t keep my mouth under control. Luckily for me, he reacts by giving a deep and throaty chuckle. My heart begins to hammer in my chest.
“Dallas, I want you to unwrap her like a Christmas present. Rylan, I want to see every touch of his written on your face. Let’s see you two make magic.”
Your one chance to get some action in, Evan. Forget your biases. Roll with it.
I lean my head back and breathe, “You heard what she said. Touch me.”
I don’t know what, but I’m not expecting him to listen. Maybe because, what I’ve seen from Dallas, he seems more awkward than anything else. But he does listen. I feel his slow breath on my jaw as his hand slides across my stomach and he pulls me right up against him, my ass snug against his groin.
“Where do you want me to start?” he whispers.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Slowly, the hand resting on my stomach trails up the center hem of my dress. He reaches the top and hooks his thumb beneath the fabric. The moment his lips brush against the cusp of my ear, he drags my dress down until my bandeau is fully exposed.
I hear Britain snapping away. I think she might be giving me direction, but I don’t want to focus on her. I don’t care about the outcome of this shoot at all. I just want to feel Dallas’s hands touching me in places I haven’t been touched in ages.
He drags his hand back up my bare skin and to my bandeau, cupping my breast. I let my head fall back, a small moan escaping my mouth.
“We’re not recording audio, are we?” I can hear the amusement in his voice. “Or was that noise you elicited not for the camera?”
“Shut up,” I breathe. I raise my arms up and behind my head, wrapping them around his neck. His free hand rests on my thigh, slowly inching upward and beneath the skirt of my dress. He’s going to feel how wet I am, and we’re not even doing anything.
In one quick motion I flip my body around so I’m facing him. I sit up and squeeze his hips with my knees, hands finding his shoulders and pressing him back against the lounge chair.
His eyes are surprised, but his mouth is twisted into a smile, like he knows something that I don’t.
I rock my hips into his, feeling how hard he is.
“This isn’t very virginal of you,” he mutters.
Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be keeping character. But facing him, I can study him more closely—his bold jaw that I want to run my tongue over, his full bottom lip that I want to bite…
Britain moves closer, changing her angle. “Dallas, get her out of that dress. Ry, be unsure of him.”
As he pulls down my dress, his fingers graze the curve of my ass. Be unsure of him? How can I be unsure of him when I want him so fucking bad?
He doesn’t give me a chance to ponder. Keeping one hand pressed to my back, he pushes me forward until I’m lying on the chair and he’s on top of me.
Britain’s voice floats through the air. “Lift your arms above your head, Ry.”
I listen to her. Dallas hovers over me, sliding the dress over my knees and off my ankles until I’m in nothing but my bandeau and panties. Our eyes connect, and suddenly, even with the bright light of the afternoon day, there is something dark and wicked lingering in them. Something far different than what I saw in him yesterday as he stumbled through the Power Point at the front of the lecture hall.
In an instant, being unsure of him comes naturally. I bite my lower lip as he dips his head to the flesh beneath my navel. His tongue glides above the ridge of my panties. I hiss and buck my hips. My skin vibrates with his laughter. He’s aware of how much this is killing me.
This session just turned from smoldering hot to pure torture.
“Lick her neck,” Britain instructs.
Okay, now it’s pure torture.
Dallas crawls forward until his body covers mine. “Don’t mind me,” he murmurs, still grinning. I want to counter with something clever but all that’s escaping my mouth are rapid spurts of breath.
He lowers himself until his chest is pressed against mine. He keeps himself steady with one hand and uses the other cup my neck. His nose brushes against mine and I part my lips, wondering if he’s going to kiss me. Wondering if I’m okay with that.
“Close your eyes,” he orders. I let them flutter shut and wait.
I gasp when his tongue sweeps my throat, finding a sweet spot behind my ear and sucking.
“Don’t move,” says Britain. “You look perfectly shocked right now, Ry.”
I hold my breath, trying my hardest not to move or change my expression. As I do so, Dallas runs the pad of his thumb against my jaw and whispers into my ear, “You’re good at faking it.”
He’s teasing me. He’s teasing me because he knows my reaction was real.
“And that’s a wrap,” Britain says.
I exhale. I need to get this boy off me before I start panting like an animal. But he doesn’t release me. Instead, he pulls me to his chest, grabs beneath my legs, and picks me up.
“What are you doing?” I yell.
He starts to run toward the pool. I’m screaming obscenities and Britain’s laughing and suddenly I can’t hear her anymore, because cold water engulfs me.
I swim to the surface, spitting water from my mouth. Dallas is treading water next to me, looking too smug for my tastes.
I want to kill him.
I want to ravish him, and then I want to kill him.
“You’re hired!” Britain screams.