CHAPTER EIGHT
CEDRIC
When she entered our apartment, Karen didn't waltz in and strip off as she usually did. The absence of the studio equipment threw her off kilter. She looked twice at the room. It wasn't how she'd expected.
Our model had visited almost every day since the interview, and our temporary studio had become a semi-permanent fixture in the lounge.
After Decker had left for college, I'd made plans with Simon, and we'd packed away our equipment, returning the center of the apartment to a homely living space.
"Come." I held out a hand, guiding her toward our table, the social hub of our home.
"Here." Simon, who was also standing by the table, held out an envelope. "This is your pay for today and for the next five sessions. It's yours to keep regardless of whether we do anymore."
"Thank you." She reached out a hand and took the envelop. "Is this anything to do with my conversation with Decker?"
"Sit down," I instructed. And we all sat. "I've no idea what you and Decker have been talking about, so it's nothing to do with him. Simon and I have been talking. We have enough pictures already, but we do have ideas for more sessions if you want to do them. We're paying you upfront because we don't want you to feel under any obligation to do something for the money if you don't want to. If you come back, it's because you want to come back."
"Well, that's very nice, thank you." Karen looked perplexed, which was understandable. What I had said must have sounded strange.
"We've got terrific shots of you, Karen you're a natural model and the images are better than I'd ever hoped for. I can't thank you enough." Simon said. "The photographs have been very intimate, and we're grateful. We'd like to do more of the same, but we'd hate to think you were doing it only for the money, or that you'd regret it later."
To my relief, Karen smiled. "I was very nervous at first, but I've enjoyed it, and there are no regrets. Not on my part. It's not as if my mom is going to see the photographs."
We laughed. I didn't know what was going through Simon's mind, or what photographs he intended to make public, but I certainly felt some unease with this comment. "Would it be a problem if your mom saw the photos we've taken?'
Her eyes went to the ceiling and her lips pursed while she thought about the question for a moment. "Not a problem, exactly. It's not as if she'd disown me. It's just not how you'd want anyone in your family to see you. Not mom, dad, or anyone."
My gaze met Simon's while I thought about what she said.
"We intend to make art we can be proud of not art that we don't want our parents to see," he said, which summed up my views too. It had never worried me showing and sharing erotic and explicit pictures of a woman. Women are beautiful and the human body is natural.
We weren't making art for our family's approval, but we weren't doing anything to be ashamed of either. Our father might see whatever photos we used in our portfolio or submitted to the college. Karen didn't want her mom seeing her like that. She might not like to think our father had seen her like that if she ended up dating anyone of us.
It shouldn't make any difference if our model was one of our girlfriends, our wives, or even a sister. We didn't actually have any sisters, but the thought of taking erotic photos of a sister was unsettling and I didn't want to dwell on that idea. I didn't have all the answers.
As it was, I felt proud of the photographs I'd taken of Karen. They were works of art, but I could also see that sharing the more explicit images might make her and the person viewing them uncomfortable and embarrassed. Not my brothers, they were broadminded.
And as for the images that were only in my mind. Well, they were even more questionable.
She brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek. "I may have another job. If so my hours are limited. But I'm eager to carry on if you are." She looked at the two of us, and we nodded. "What kind of photos did you want to take next?"
I thought we were going to talk about dating but the conversation had gone to photography.
Simon chewed his bottom lip.
Karen put a hand on his, apparently sensing his nervousness. "Everything's all right, Simon I don't regret a moment of it. I've enjoyed working for the two of you so don't worry about telling me what's on your mind."
Easy for her to say.
I could only begin to imagine what was on Simon's mind and what a huge deal it was to him.
Moving closer to her, I leaned across the table to get her full attention. "When I look through my camera lens at you I see a beautiful, unblemished, natural woman. You have earnings and wear a little makeup, but you've no tattoos. Your skin is smooth, and you don't look artificial. You don't look like you've had breast enhancements or been on a starvation diet. You look perfect."
She blushed and looked down at the table.
"I see you next to Simon here now, and when he's walked into view on the photo shoot, and it's a great contrast. The soft and pure next to the hard. The feminine next to the masculine. I'd like to take photographs of you with my brothers. One or both of them."
She looked at me with eyes wide in surprise.
"I'll show you what I mean." I pulled my iPhone from my pocket. "Simon take your top off."
He stood up and did so without question.
"Stay right there both of you and look at me." Checking whether the flash was on, I moved around them to get the right position. I intended to delete the picture afterward, so it didn't matter too much about quality I just wanted her to see what I had in mind.
As I went to put my phone down on the table and show Karen the images I received a notification. A message from Dad. If it was urgent he would've called, so I ignored it.
KAREN
"Do you see the contrast?" Cedric asked when he put the phone down on the table and slid it across to me.
It was just my face and Simon's body. Simon was beside me and further back.
Do I see the contrast? My dimpled fat face smiling innocently next to the incredibly gorgeous Simon, I should say so.
He had a gym-buffed body. All hard muscles, wiry black body hair, and biker tattoos. I knew the guys weren't bikers, but that's always what they reminded me of as they lived in tattered denim and T-shirts and the symbols on their arms were always on display. And now I could see Simon had a few on his body too. And what a body. He looked every bit as good without a top on as I'd imaged he would.
I had imagined it. I couldn't help myself.
"We certainly look different from each other," I said and glanced over at Simon who was still standing. "Who designed the tattoos?" I asked.
"We did. We've designed all our tattoos." He ran his hands down his chest and his stomach. "Apart from tats, I wouldn't say my body is artificially enhanced. I've not taken steroids or anything."
"You know what I mean. What I mean is, Simon's all masculine and flat-stomached whereas you're feminine, curvy and soft."
I looked at Simon again. I couldn't help it. Shirtless: he was memorizing, and I longed to reach over and touch his chest. "Isn't the opposite of soft-hard?" I don't know why I said it. "I meant the hard planes of his muscles contrasted with my soft skin."
"I know what you mean, but honestly, you get me hard in other ways too." His hand went to his crotch, and then he sat down, pulling the chair close to the table. Closer to me.
Simon's words shocked me. We all knew the truth of it, but I didn't expect him to say it.
"Are you going to be nude in the photo shoot?' I whispered. My voice sounded strangled as it struggled to get out. I realized my breathing had become a little heavier.
"Would that be a problem?" Simon seemed to move a little closer. His eyes locked with mine.
"Not at all." I leaned across the table to get closer to him until there were just inches between our faces. My heart pounded as I wondered what would happen next. I'd been ballsy with these guys in a way that was new to me. But I didn't know if I dare break the platonic relationship that we had. If I didn't do it, it seemed they wouldn't either
Cedric coughed the sort of cough that was intended to interrupt and get our attention.
I sat upright. Only then did I realize how much I was leaning at an angle toward Simon.
"You want to take pictures of your brother with me?"
"Yes. I think it would look good. I'd like to try it. With one guy or two."
"Why not all three of you?" I asked. "Are you able to use some sort of timer on your cameras?"
Cedric laughed. I wasn't sure whether I'd said something funny or stupid.
"If we can leave the subject of artwork for college to one side for a moment, I want to talk about something else. I'd like to get to know you better."
I stared at him in confusion.
"I would just ask you out, on a date, but I know Simon wants to too, and Decker's already asked you out. I'd like you to know we're all interested."
Oh, lord.
Simon's hand found mine, and I turned to look at him. "It's true. We've talked about this." God, he was gorgeous. Still topless.
I leaned toward him. "You want me to choose?" I asked him.
He visibly recoiled as if with horror. "No. Well, yes if you want to choose one of us you can, but we're not asking you to choose one of us. We're asking you to give us all a chance."
"I'm not sure." I envisaged a terrible love tangle. I'd go out with each of them on different days of the week, and each of the brothers would compete for my affection, trying to outdo each other with gifts and romantic gestures. It sounded stifling.
Cedric moved closer to me too. "There's no long-term commitment required; we want to get to know you better. We all like you and, well, do you like us?"
Do I like them in that way?
"Of course I like you." Did I find them exciting and sexy? Did I get wet every time I was in their company? Did I include them in the most erotic fantasies? Of course, yes to it all. But my fantasies couldn't have been the same as theirs. No way.
Each of those guys could have any girl they wanted, there was no way they'd want me.
And they wouldn't want to share a woman.
SIMON
Tentatively I'd been drawing closer to her ever since she arrived. Pulled in by her gravity. We, three brothers, were like planets circling her the brightly shining sun. Or we were like moons in orbit about her plant. And finally, I was on a collision course. Crashing into her. Our faces so close we would have to either draw back abruptly or kiss.
We kissed.
It was like sinking into plump feather pillows; her lips were so soft. As our mouths joined and moved together, our lips naturally parted. Her tongue teased between my lips. Everything in the room disappeared, even my brother. I was only aware of her. Her citrus scent, the tiny noises she made, the way her body felt pressed against my cock.
My arms wrapped around her. My hands moved down her back and over her full ass. I squeezed it and pulled her closer to me. The crush against my erection made me moan into her mouth, and it must have felt good to her too as she seemed to be just as breathless.
"I've wanted to do that ever since I met you." She said when she pulled back far enough to speak.
"You have?" I shouldn't be surprised by anything this woman does or says, not anymore. But perhaps if we spent the rest of our lives together, she'd always amaze me.
"Looks like he did not bad for his first kiss."
I'd forgotten about Cedric. When he spoke, it was as if he reappeared in the room and I could see him grinning just over her shoulder.
She turned to see him too. "The first kiss?" she asked.
"Simon's been saving himself for someone special, and it looks like it comes as second nature between the right couple."
As we'd talked about threesomes and foursomes earlier, I think Cedric was trying to be supportive, but I found his words a little humiliating. I didn't want her to think of me as a freak. If he kept on, she might reject me due to lack of experience. A woman as beautiful as Karen could choose any man and I feared she wouldn't choose me.
Her closed lips met mine again. The sweet peck took my breath away and left my thoughts scrambled.
"If we aren't having a photo shoot today then if you want to try other things that you've been waiting for I'd be willing. I'd be honored to be the someone special."
My brain must have been scrambled because it sounded to me as if she suggested we skip the part about getting to know each other.
"You guys want to get to know me better in the bedroom, is that right?'
Oh fuck, yeah. I'm sure we weren't saying that at all.
"You are special." I felt so inarticulate all of a sudden.
Cedric had moved closer to her, but he wasn't quite touching her. "We'd like to get to know you better in every way."
"Do I get to see your bedroom? It seems it might be more comfortable in there."
"Yeah." I released my tight grip on her as I realized we wouldn't do anything else while I held her in a bear hug.
She found my hand. "And we are talking both of you?" She looked at me and then turned to look at Cedric.
Do all women have the power to read minds, I wondered. Or was it merely that we two guys were like an open book.