Model Behavior, page 24
33
REESE
The room is painted with a soft white glow as the morning light peeks through the window.
A yawn slips out of me as I burrow under the covers and into River’s side. With the scent of musk and sex still lingering in the air, I drag my nose along his warm skin and breathe him in.
How can he smell so good?
“Morning,” Riv grumbles.
“Morning.”
“I fell asleep.”
“You did,” I confirm with a smile even though he can’t see it.
“I missed the gym.”
I pat his bare chest before swirling the tip of my finger around his tiny man nipple. “I think your muscles can survive a day without working out.”
“Debatable,” he mutters under his breath.
“And why’s that?” I laugh.
“A model is only as good as his looks, Reese. If I want to keep working––and keep the attention of a certain floozy––then I need to take care of it.”
“Did you just imply that I’m only with you for your bod?” I question, pushing myself up to meet his gaze.
“Are you trying to imply that you’d still be with me if I had a beer belly?” he counters.
Pursing my lips, I throw my leg over his waist and straddle him. The bastard’s eyes heat, but his somber expression stays firmly in place. As I lean closer, my hair falls over one shoulder, and I press a soft kiss to his frown, but it doesn’t disappear.
“I like you for you, Riv.”
“You like me for me as long as I look like this,” he challenges. His muscles flex beneath me and turn him into stone. Like a gorgeous statue carved by Michaelangelo, yet just as wounded and tortured too.
Damn you, Monet Cavier.
She has no idea how much she’s screwed up her son, though I’m not about to point it out to him. Although, the fact that he can’t see himself the way I see him nearly breaks me.
“Don’t get me wrong, Riv. I definitely appreciate the effort you’ve put into this bad boy.” I run my hands up and down his pecs. “But even if you had a beer belly and didn’t work out a day in your life, I’m attracted to what’s up here.” I tap my finger against his temple.
He scoffs.
“I like you for you,” I whisper. “I promise.”
“We’ll see.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” he lies as his fingers dig into my thighs on both sides of his waist.
“Tell me.”
“It’s nothing, Reese.”
I bite my tongue to keep from calling him out, though the irony isn’t lost on me. The guy is so far out of my league that it isn’t even funny, yet he’s terrified I won’t be attracted to his mind when I’m afraid that’s the only thing he’s attracted to when it comes to me.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, dragging his fingers along my sensitive skin.
“Just that it’s ironic.”
“What is?”
“That you question whether or not I’m attracted to your mind, while I can’t help but wonder what you see when it comes to me physically. I’ve seen your other conquests, Riv––”
“Don’t––”
“How can’t I? That’s a little pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it?”
“You’re beautiful, Reese. I’ve told you this––”
“Where did you go last night?” I demand. “And you better not say out, or I’m going to give you a turkey on your chest.”
“You’re feisty this morning,” he notes.
“I’m feisty every morning. Now, answer the question. I know we aren’t officially together, but––”
“I’m gonna stop you right there, Reese.” His strength makes me gasp as he lifts me off him and sets me on the mattress like I weigh about as much as a gallon of milk. Then he rolls out of bed and pads across the floor in his birthday suit while I’m left drooling as I take in the view of his chiseled backside.
Day-um.
A few seconds later, he returns with a white envelope in his hands and offers it to me.
“This was my backup plan in case you still weren’t sure if you wanted to give us a real shot.”
“What is it?” I ask as I cautiously open the crisp envelope.
He doesn’t answer me, but I can feel his gaze bouncing around my face, anxious to see my reaction.
Curious, I slide out the contents, then gasp.
“Are these…?”
“They’re from the photoshoot. Gina sent me a few of the digitals for my portfolio, but I thought they might sway you to give us a chance if you saw them. That’s where I was last night. I printed them out as a last-ditch effort in hopes they’d convince you. And even though it didn’t end up being necessary, I still thought you might like to see them.”
My gaze meets his before dropping back down to the 4x6 photos. They’re gorgeous. Every one of them holds so much emotion that I’m left breathless. Part of me wants to deny that the woman in the images looks like me, but they do. I don’t look overly photoshopped or fake. I look beautiful. I look like a girl who might even deserve River. And the look on his face in these pictures proves that he thinks the exact same thing.
“Gina said she was blown away by the chemistry in the pictures. She said we were gonna light the lingerie catalog on fire.” He chuckles before gripping the back of his neck and examining the pictures with me.
He’s right. These things are hot.
And now, I’m terrified for them to be printed anywhere that Milo might see them because if he managed to stumble upon these, River would be dead, and I’d never be forgiven.
I need to tell him. I just don’t know how.
“What are you thinking about?” River asks gently.
I peek up at him. “Is there any chance Milo could stumble upon these?”
He shakes his head. “Not unless he snoops in your room.”
“He would never do that.”
“Then it’ll be fine. Most likely, we won’t see them, either. Well, outside of the ones Gina sent me, anyway. It’s for a foreign designer.”
Letting go of the oxygen in my lungs, I go back to looking them over.
“You rocked the whole modeling gig,” I admit as I take in his abs in the photograph. The fact that I get to touch, kiss, and lick these things in real life is mind-blowing. I run my fingers along the photograph before my stupid insecurities rear their stupid heads.
He’s just so…pretty.
Why the hell would he want to be tied down in a relationship?
Yes, I look good in these pictures, but I’m all dolled up. It’s not like I look like that every day of the week. In fact, I’m not even the one who did my hair or makeup. I barely even wear the stuff on a regular basis.
Like right now, for example. My hair is a messy rat’s nest, I’m bloated from ice cream and popcorn last night, and I haven’t brushed my teeth in almost twenty-four hours.
I cover my mouth with my hand and glance over at him with shame.
“Reese.” Reading my mind, he cups my cheeks and forces me to look at him. “Your reaction is the opposite of what I was looking for when I printed these off to show you. What’s wrong?”
I shrug.
“Tell me,” he pleads.
I swallow thickly. “I don’t always look like this.”
“So?”
“Was this just a job to you? And I don’t mean that negatively, or like I’m accusing you of doing anything wrong. I just want to know. If Olivia didn’t have her appendix nearly burst, would we still be here? In this room? Would we still have slept together? Or would it be her bed that you woke up in instead of mine?”
“Now look who’s calling the kettle black,” he points out.
I bite my lip but don’t reply.
“You don’t get it, Reese.” His thumb runs along my jaw, but his grip stays firm. “It didn’t feel like work with you. It wasn’t work with you,” he corrects himself. “If anything, I finally got to let down those walls and show my real feelings around you. Feelings that have been dying to come out for months. I’ve wanted you since the moment you showed up on our doorstep and announced you were looking for Milo and Jake. I didn’t know you were Milo’s sister back then. I was jealous as hell that their names were the ones that slipped past your lips instead of mine. If it were Olivia, it would’ve been another job, and I wouldn’t have jacked off to the pictures when Gina sent them to my phone for my portfolio. It’s you. It’s always been you.”
“It’s always been you for me too,” I breathe out before slapping my hand over my mouth again because ew…morning breath.
“Good. Now move your damn hand out of the way so I can kiss you.”
“I haven’t brushed my teeth.” The words are slightly muffled since I refuse to drop my hand.
Shaking his head, he answers, “And I don’t give a shit.” Then he engulfs my wrist with his long fingers and twists my arm behind me before bending me back and kissing me until my toes curl.
And I kind of love this part too.
34
REESE
“You know what they say about guys with lifted trucks, right?” I ask as I clamor into River’s giant white baby in immaculate condition. We’ve been sneaking around for weeks, but this is the first time I’ve been able to be with him in the light of the day, and I couldn’t be more excited.
After rounding the front of the truck, he gets behind the wheel, then slides his sunglasses on and reaches for my hand. “What’s that?”
Batting my lashes at him, I try to keep from swooning at our laced fingers as I quip, “That they’re compensating for something.”
He laughs. “Well, you’ve seen my junk, Reese. Tell me, am I compensating for something?”
Tapping my trimmed fingernail on my opposite hand against my chin, I make him sweat for a second.
“Floozy?” He drags out the nickname with a stern expression that promises a solid spanking if I don’t give in and admit the truth.
And no matter how tempting it is to push him a little harder, I put him out of his misery. “Nooo… But that’s just what they say.”
“Who’s they, anyway?”
I shrug. “I dunno. The population? The experts? The guys with tiny penises?”
“Or maybe it’s the girls who can’t get with the guys who own lifted trucks. Ever think of that one, Floozy?”
“Floozy.” I purse my lips and quirk my brow. “Never gonna let me live that one down now, are ya?”
“Don’t count on it, sweetheart.” He lets go of my hand to put the truck in reverse and backs out of the driveway before squeezing my knee. “I do think you’re adorable when you pout, though. However, today is not the day for pouting.”
“And why not?”
“‘Cause, you’re with me. The guy with the sexy, lifted truck who’s not compensating for something.”
“Mm-hmm. So, tell me. Where does one go when they’re asked on a secret date where no one can recognize them in case said witnesses have any connection to a certain older brother who’s yet to know about said relationship?”
“So many questions,” he tsks.
“And so few answers.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it all covered.”
“Can I have a hint?”
“I’ve already given you a hint.”
“When?”
“The other day.”
“You’re gonna have to be more specific,” I prod. “It’s been weeks since you asked me out at SeaBird, remember?”
“I’m talking about when I told you to wear comfortable shoes and asked if you were allergic to bug spray.”
My eyes transform into tiny slits as the sun threatens to slip beneath the horizon. “But when I asked if I needed a jacket, you said no.”
“And?”
“And that makes me question whether we’ll really be outside or if you were just messing with me about the whole bug spray thing.”
With a grin, he points out, “You’re cute when you’re annoyed too.”
“I hate surprises, ya know,” I huff.
“That’s because they’ve always let you down. Don’t worry, babe. The Sex God/Master of Orgasms is going to blow your socks off on one condition.”
“Nice caveat,” I quip. “What’s your condition?”
“That you don’t compare Date Number Two with Date Number One ‘cause I’m not sure if I can top this.”
His insecurities are adorable and kinda make me want to jump his bones, but I resist since, ya know, car accidents and stuff.
Poking the bear a little more, I challenge, “You’re positive you’ll be able to squeeze a second date out of me?”
He grins and squeezes my knee. “If I’m lucky enough. And if your brother doesn’t kill me first.”
“Har, har. We’ve been sneaky so far, haven’t we?”
“Your brother’s not stupid, Reese,” he reminds me.
“I didn’t say he was stupid. I was complimenting our sneakiness––”
“Our luck,” he corrects me. “The fact he hasn’t caught me sneaking out of your room yet––”
“The fact he hasn’t heard me yet,” I clarify.
“Oh. He’s heard you. He just assumes I’m still a manwhore who likes to bring home random women. But if you aren’t ready to tell him––”
“I’m not.”
“Then we wait until you are.”
Sucking my lips between my teeth, I study the man beside me who’s risking so much more than anyone should have to just to be with me. We’ve been dating for weeks now behind everyone’s backs. And it’s been…rough. Having to hide an innocent touch in our own home. Having to steal a tender moment while no one’s looking. Having to lie, making up excuses about where we’re going or who we’ll be with. The whole thing is so damn frustrating that I’m ready to pull my hair out. But I’m too much of a coward to put us out of our misery, which leads us to three reschedules for a first date and an oblivious brother who thinks I’m having a girls’ night with a coworker and River is meeting with Gina for an update on a new photoshoot.
And it’s all bullshit. If it weren’t for the man beside me, I’d question my sanity and end the entire ruse right now. But it’s River. My River. And I’ll claim him for as long as he’ll have me.
“Thank you,” I breathe out before shoving aside way too much emotion for a first date. “So, about this date…”
With a smirk, he barks, “Stop asking questions. I don’t want you to ruin the surprise. You like road trips, right?”
“Road trips?”
“It’s about an hour’s drive.”
Scrunching up my face, I demand, “Where are you taking me?”
“You’re cute when you’re bossy too. And that’s saying something.” His grasp disappears from my leg before he digs his cell out of his front pocket, types in the passcode, then hands it to me. “Pick some music, Reese. I’ve got the rest covered.”
The bastard’s confidence is sexy as hell as he adjusts his sunglasses and grips the steering wheel. His forearm muscles are on full display, leading up to his bicep and muscular shoulder, and even though I’m blatantly checking him out, he’s too focused on the road to notice.
Or maybe he’s too used to it to care.
Before I can second guess myself, I lean across the center console and kiss his stubbled cheek. Because I can. Because I’m his girlfriend. And because, even though he seems so unattainable, he’s agreed to be mine. And I’m going to take full advantage for as long as he’ll let me.
As I sit back in the passenger seat, he glances over at me with the softest of smiles. “What was that for?”
I shrug. “Just because I could.”
The cab of his truck is still quiet as I pick up his phone to choose some music, but the screen is dark, and when I turn it on, it asks for a passcode.
“Crap. Could you…?” I offer it to him.
“It’s 4-5-7-2-0-0,” he answers without batting an eye.
“Your passcode?”
“Yeah.”
“You just told me your passcode,” I point out, stating the obvious.
He glances over at me. “So?”
“So, no one’s ever done that before.”
“Given you their passcode?”
“Nope.”
His brows peek up above the rim of his sunglasses. “Not even you and Ian?”
I scoff. “Definitely not me and Ian. Trust was not a component to our relationship.”
“That’s…” His knuckles turn white around the steering wheel. “Rough.”
“Not when you don’t know any better.”
The cab stays quiet for a minute as I stare out the windshield, trying to push aside all the crappy memories with my ex. There were so many signs. How did I miss them all?
River’s low voice cuts through my self-deprecation like a hot knife through butter. “I want this relationship to have trust, Reese.”
“So do I.”
“If you ever think I’m keeping anything from you, just ask me. I promise I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Same. I have nothing to hide.”
Except, you know, our entire relationship.
The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I ignore it and punch River’s passcode into his phone before choosing the first playlist I can find in his Spotify app.
But I don’t hear a thing because my guilt drowns it out. We need to tell Milo. I just don’t know how.
“Sooo…are you planning on killing and burying me out here?” My sarcasm is thick, but my excitement is overwhelming.
Where the hell is he taking me?
The area is pitch black except for our headlights as the truck climbs the dirt hill with ease. We turned off the main road about twenty minutes ago and have been weaving through dirt paths and rolling hills ever since.
“Damn it, I forgot my shovel,” River returns just as quickly.
“Rookie.”
“I believe you mean Sex God/Master of Orgasms,” he corrects me with a wink. “Besides, why dig a hole when the coyotes can do the work for me?”
“River!” I shriek, smacking his arm.
