Long smooth lines of skin, the grainy surface of the snow in high relief, the woman’s naked torso reflected like a mirror image on the silvery blanket. Her skis, boots and poles scattered in a heap beside her like a sacrificial-offering pyre. He was proud of the shot, and his model had been even more thrilled.
“This woman is totally naked, Nathan. I’m not posing for you in the buff.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Didn’t ask you to. But—would you be willing for me to use some artistic license and make it look as if you’re wearing a lot less than you’ve actually got on?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Using computer editing?”
“Nah, good old-fashioned methods of shooting from the correct angle.” Nathan glanced at Derrick. “With a little help from you. Want to try a couple shots then tell me what you think?”
“These aren’t going to Rave. Right?”
“Of course not, and remember, I promised you’ll get to pick the ones I do offer them in the first place. I don’t know which five or six they’ll actually use. I have no control over that, but you’ll know upfront which shots will be possibilities.”
Derrick leaned closer and whispered in Melanie’s ear. Nathan waited as patiently as he could, hoping this wasn’t the moment that the whole idea collapsed around him.
The expression on Melanie’s face wasn’t giving anything away either. Except for her uneven breathing, which he’d noticed happened a lot during the photo shoot. Hell, his own breathing wasn’t much smoother. The chemistry in the room had been enough to make them all hot and horny.
Nathan hadn’t had a steady girlfriend for years. Love them—thoroughly—then leave them happy had become his motto. With his travel schedule there was no other way, and really, it wasn’t that bad a life, being responsible for no one but himself.
Melanie sat up and cleared her throat. “If you take a few shots today, can you develop them and show me what you mean? That way I can decide better what I’m agreeing to.”
Shit, yeah!
“Oh course.” He stood and examined the walls closer. The perfect place to begin? “Stand in the corner and let me grab what I need.”
He deliberately turned away to let Derrick and Melanie have a moment without his attention. He forced himself to breathe and keep his body loose and relaxed. Sporting an erection right now wasn’t the way to keep Mel relaxed.
Oh hell, the images racing through his brain were going to kill him. Just because it seemed he wasn’t going to get any action this trip didn’t mean his body was happy about the fact.
He called over his shoulder as he gathered his gear. “If you can roll the top of your pants down a little, but leave the harness on, that would be great. I want it to look as if there’s nothing on you but the climbing belt. If I shoot from the right angle, all we need is one small twist to your climbing top and a little assistance from Derrick.”
Nathan strolled back to where Melanie waited in the corner where there was a beginner’s climbing route. Back in the day, he’d seen her climb something like this freestyle, no ropes, laughing as she flew past the caution line and made her way to the top unprotected.
He wasn’t going to demand anything that wild.
She stood strategically again, the side of her body with the scars tucked to the wall. Derrick remained close, a fierce guardian. Fine—Nathan had no objection to using the guy to get what he needed. Nathan put the camera away for a moment, then stripped off his shirt.
Melanie’s bright laugh burst out. “Oh my God, Nathan, why are you wearing a bra?”
He grinned at her, thrilled to see the girl he’d been attracted to peeking from her shell. “Demonstrating what I want you do is easier with visuals. I need you to adjust your shoulder straps so that your shoulders are left bare. Like this—”
Nathan twisted and squirmed until all the fabric in the sport bra lay across his chest in a narrow band. He’d picked up the thing at the thrift shop the previous day, and now stood in a ridiculous pose. Her giggle of a response delighted him.
Melanie smiled hard. “You goofball.”
“This must be big-city fashion or something,” Derrick teased, a low rumble of amusement in his tone.
Nathan grinned back. “You’re just jealous that you too don’t have a fine article of clothing such as this to wear.”
“Oh hell, yeah. I’m so envious I’m going to go get my feather boa out of storage.”
Nathan good-naturedly flipped him the finger. The easy banter between them smoothed the tension, and the next thing he knew Melanie had popped out from where she’d hidden behind Derrick, her bra now twisted in imitation of the one he wore.
“Like this?” She cleared her throat. “I don’t…” She blew out a slow breath. “This is tough, Nate. I never knew how tough it would be.”
He stepped forward. “If it’s too much, we can stop.”
She shook her head, but tucked in against Derrick’s side. “I’m okay, just, can I close my eyes or something?”
“Of course.”
Derrick kissed her temple. “Give me a second. I’ve got an idea.”
He snuck away, heading behind the front desk. As soon as he left, Melanie wrapped her arms around herself.
Nathan’s heart was breaking. He hadn’t expected her to be so fragile after all this time. He lowered his voice. “I mean it, monkey, if you want to stop, I have no objections. I’m not going to be pissed off or report you to Katy for banana stealing or anything.”
The pain in her shining eyes contrasted with the stiff determination of her mouth. “I said I’m fine. I want to try. I want to see what the pictures might look like, because I can’t honestly tell you yes or no otherwise.”
He nodded before turning away, removing the sports bra and replacing his T-shirt, trying to make the situation easier. He didn’t look at her until Derrick returned and held out a scarf to Mel.
She took it gingerly. “You’re going to blindfold me?”
Derrick glanced at Nathan. “It shouldn’t matter for these shots if there’s extra fabric in the way, right? They’re just samples for Mel to check out?”
It was brilliant. “I can work around that.”
Mel handed the scarf back to Derrick. “You better stick close, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Like glue, girl, like glue.”
Derrick wrapped the bright blue fabric around her eyes twice before tying it off, the short tails falling down the back of Mel’s head to land on her bare shoulders.
Now that he wasn’t worried about her catching him staring, Nathan allowed himself to finally look his fill. The skimpy line of fabric covering her breasts was no barrier to his appreciation of the firm swells. Her muscular arms and trim waist made him long to be able to smooth his hands over her body and enjoy her more intimately.
A soft cough brought him back to the sudden realization Derrick was probably at that moment planning his demise for openly lusting after Melanie. Only the expression on Derrick’s face was unreadable—his own interest in the woman standing at his side crystal clear in the ridge bulging the front of his pants.
Derrick was just as turned on as Nathan, and Nathan hadn’t a clue what to do.
So he did the only thing he could think of. Picked up his camera and directed Melanie and Derrick into the positions he wanted. He started slowly. After getting Derrick to place Melanie back in the corner, leaning on the wall, Nathan took the simple shots first.
“That’s right. Relax your neck, let your shoulders fall. I’m taking a picture from the neck up, arranging the shot frame with the top edge of your sports bra.”
“I still don’t understand how you think this will produce anything someone will buy for a coffee table. I’m rather ordinary to look at, Nathan, really I am.”