She stood and grabbed her empty coffee mug. As she passed Molly’s desk, she said, “Want a refill?”
Molly handed over her cup without looking away from her computer screen. “Might as well load us both up because it’s going to be a late night.”
AMERY finished the last shot for the newsletter around ten o’clock and sent Molly home. Since she got to keep the items she photographed, she sorted items she didn’t need, like organic dog food, into donate and save piles. But after a long day she only had the energy to refrigerate the perishables.
Around eleven Ronin texted he was at the back door. Yawning, she hefted herself out of the chair and cut through the back room to let him in.
The man was on her even before she closed the door. She twined her arms around his neck and held on, letting the energy that always pulsed from him restore hers.
He broke the kiss and said, “I missed you last night.”
“Same here. I was just finishing up.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
She pecked him on the mouth. “Keep me company.” As she locked the door, she said offhandedly, “I should just give you a key.” When he didn’t respond, she backtracked, “Not that I’m making it into a big thing, I just thought—”
Ronin spun her around and framed her face in his hands. “It is a big thing. Next time you come over I’ll give you a key card and the codes to my place.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “I’m not doing this just to give you free swimming privileges—you know that, right?”
“Right.” Smiling, she took his hand and led him to her small studio.
He bent down and peered at the props on the table. “What are those? Turnips?”
“Golden beets. They’re milder than regular beets but still good.”
“I might have to try cooking with them.” Ronin’s gaze took in the piles everywhere. “Looks like you’ve been busy. Does that mean things are looking better on the business front?”
They hadn’t talked about her business struggles at all in the weeks since he’d offered her a loan. While she still appreciated his generosity, taking his money—no matter how much she needed it and how well intentioned he was in offering it—would drive a wedge between them. Not only because of her pride, but it’d just add another layer to their already complicated relationship.
“All this”—she gestured to the piles—“is for a Grass Roots newsletter. As far as adding new business . . . it’s been pretty slim pickin’s.” She thought back to the phone call from today. That could be huge. So huge she couldn’t wrap her head around it, or why they’d approached her.
Then Ronin was in her face, resting his right hand against her cheek. “I recognize that look. Did something happen today that’s worrying you?”
How could he read her so easily and she couldn’t read him at all?
She latched on to the first random thought that popped into her head. “It didn’t happen today. It’s something I’ve been putting off, which isn’t smart when I need the work, but the project is out of my usual realm.” She frowned. “Out of my realm photographically speaking.”
“What do you mean?”
Amery dropped into her chair and propped her bare feet up on the edge of her desk. “Several weeks ago this author contacted me, asking if I’d be interested in creating a cover for her next digital book. At first the whole thing tripped my warning bells because that was a day after the night I ran from you and your magic rope tricks.”
A smile ghosted around his mouth.
“Anyway, it struck me as coincidental that this erotic author I didn’t know wanted a specific image for her cover.”
“And what image is that?”
Her gaze hooked his. “A woman in bondage.”
His expression didn’t change.
“I thought you’d put her up to contacting me, expecting I’d ask her a lot of questions and during those conversations I’d get a handle on the mixed feelings I was having about you and your rope proclivities.”
“And?”
“And she did give me a different perspective, for which I owe her. I agreed to work on her cover. She’s not under deadline, and neither am I, so in my spare time, I’ve been thinking about how to create the image she wants—a woman in bondage that’s tasteful and sexy, yet doesn’t show any of her girl parts.” Amery twisted her ponytail around her finger. “The thing is, if I do a good job, it could open up a whole new income stream for me. I won’t get rich creating custom digital book covers, but any projects that keep me in business are worth attempting. So I can’t figure out why I’m dragging my feet.”
Ronin remained quiet. But he paced, which wasn’t like him. After a couple of minutes she got tired of watching him. She tipped her head back into the headrest and closed her eyes.
She’d just started to drift when warm lips pressed into her forehead. “Don’t crash on me now when I have a solution for you.” Then his lips brushed over hers half a dozen times before he sank into her mouth for a panty-dropping kiss. Then he pulled back abruptly.
Amery opened her eyes. “Were we done kissing? Because it sure didn’t feel like it.”
“I just wanted to make sure you were awake.”
“Now I’m wide-awake and ready to strip off my clothes so you can fuck me over my desk.” She moved everything to the side, creating a large empty spot in the center. “See?”
“Another time.”
“Fine.” She set her feet on the floor. “What is your solution?”
Ronin spun her chair around and placed his hands over her forearms on the armrests. “You need a picture of a woman in bondage. I’m a bondage master.”
“And?”
“And you should be the model.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you insane?”
“Hear me out. You want it tasteful and anonymous? Set up the camera with the right lighting and angle and all I have to do is press the button. You’ve got your artistic bondage cover.”
“Ronin. Didn’t we discuss that I’m all right with you binding me as long as it’s not in public?”
“Yes. But this is private. A shadowed photo of you is much different than me binding you in front of everyone at the club. And the bonus? You’ll get to see how absolutely stunning you look when I have you bound.”
She stared at him, in shock and yet . . . not. “How would you bind me?”
Pure pleasure warmed his eyes. “With your arms behind your back in a dragonfly sleeve. I’d use red rope. It’d be a gorgeous contrast against your pearly skin.”
Maybe she was sleep-deprived or just curious, but she found she wanted to see herself as Ronin saw her: her naked body as a canvas for his artistic tying skills. “Okay.”
Ronin kissed her quickly, but their teeth clacked together because he wore a big grin. “I’ll grab my bag.”
“You just happen to have a bag of red ropes with you?”
“I like to be prepared.”
In the small studio, Amery chose a different backdrop and adjusted the umbrella lights. She rarely did portraits because she didn’t feel she had the artistic eye for it. But in this case only her back would be visible in the shot.
Ronin hadn’t returned by the time she was ready to take a few test shots. After removing her shirt, she hooked up the remote button to the camera on the tripod. Using a roll of masking tape, she marked off a spot, stood on it with her bare back to the camera, and snapped a pic. Then she returned behind the camera and scrolled to the digital image. Too close. She backed up the camera, stood on the X, and clicked off another shot.
Better. But the light glared off her shoulder blade. After adjusting the backlight, she threw a diffuser—just a piece of darker opaque fabric—over the top of the light. She found her mark on the X again.