Reluctant Substitute (excerpt)

Title : Reluctant Substitute

Release date : Available now (purchase link under "Books" heading)

EXCERPT ...

“I’m not a model,” I whispered in a squeaky voice, building with fear.

“Today---you are,” he stated confidently.

I couldn’t speak. I was absolutely terrified. My mouth was opening, and closing, but not a single sound made it out when the words jammed in my throat, and I knew I looked like a fish out of water. Blake’s derogative voice was swimming around inside my head, pointing out all my flaws in graphic detail.

“I’m NOT a model!” Finally, the words managed to free themselves, and they came tumbling out in a rush.

“Miss Walker---I am now short one model---who incidentally was supposed to attend a photo shoot for one of my biggest clients this morning---leaving me in the lurch. Believe me---with the way that knitted dress clings to your delicious curves, and the glimpse of lace hugging the tops of your sexy thighs I saw---you are more than appropriate to be my model this morning.”

My head was in a spin. Delicious curves? Sexy thighs? Is he fucking serious?

“I’m NOT model material,” I reiterated firmly.

“I beg to differ, Miss Walker, and as it’s my business to know, I think I’m suitably qualified,” he answered dryly, flicking me a stern look.

“Isn’t there some other model you can get hold of to do it?” There’s no way I’m going to stand in front of a damned camera, and have all my flaws highlighted in glaring detail. Cameras don’t lie!

“Everyone on my list of active models are currently booked for assignments. Don’t sell yourself short, Miss Walker. Besides,” he turned, and grinned boyishly at me, “I will be forever in your debt for helping me out today.” Oh, Jesus Christ.

“Using ME as your model is a guaranteed way of losing your business a valuable client!” I answered sourly, and crossed my arms stiffly over the front of my chest. When he quietly chuckled at my discomfiture, I flicked him a sullen scowl.

“And stop biting the inside of your bottom lip, before you end up giving yourself an ulcer.”

Bloody hell---does he notice every little damn thing? I felt the car slowing down. God…we’re here, already? He skillfully guided the Audi into a free parking bay on Hay Street, between two cars in front of a fairly modern, brick building.

The Newmont Building was built in varying shades of heritage red bricks, with huge arched glass windows almost as tall as the three story building. The tops of the arches were encased in a header course of the bricks---laid side on---together with a rendered cream band. There was a pair of large glass automatic doors at the front of the impressively presented photographic studio taking up a third of the building.

Curiously, I glanced up to look at the name printed in exquisitely curved calligraphic writing above the doors---Provocative Desires Photographic Studio. Panic immediately began to swell inside me. What the hell type of studio is this? Provocative Desires? Fucking hell.

When Mr. Connors opened my door, he must have seen the panic reflected in my eyes.

“Trust me---you’ll be great. There’s nothing to it,” he grinned languidly.

Yeah, right---if he thinks I’m going to pose in any way that can be even remotely connected to ‘Provocative Desires’---he’s got another think coming! I didn’t believe a single word that was coming out of his mouth after seeing the name of the studio.

I was definitely having second thoughts about my decision to accept this job. In fact, this was more than likely going to be my first, AND last day---or hour!

After assisting me out of the car, he pressed a button on his key to lock the Audi, and set the alarm, while he placed his hand in the small of my back, and escorted me across the pavement to the front doors.

The heat from the palm of his hand intensified, and penetrated through the knit of my dress. That heat arrowed straight down between my thighs. I almost sighed aloud with relief when his hand dropped away from my back. Just that simple touch from him, increased the excited throb behind my clit, and incited sparks to fly around like little electric shocks inside my body---immediately ramping up my inner core temperature.

He began walking sanguinely through the foyer of the building, and I trailed along behind him, until he finally opened up a large heavy wooden door that was twice the size of a normal one, half way down a long hallway.

When I stepped through the doorway, my heart completely stopped beating. Holy fuck. My mouth gaped open in astonishment, while my eyes widened with fear. If he wasn’t standing so close behind me, I think I would have been able to turn around, and escape, but his hand returned to the small of my back, and he gently pushed me further in the decadent room when my legs refused to move of their own accord.

My heart was palpitating, and blood was being pumped through my veins at such a rate of knots, it left me feeling quite light-headed.

I was standing in a huge, perverted room that looked like it was straight out of a set from a fucking porno movie. Except it wasn’t out of one I’ve ever watched.

There were chains, whips, an array of strange looking objects, and some very weird looking pieces of…could I call it furniture? Somehow, I didn’t think the word furniture was an apt description. Tormenting apparatus may go some way to describe what I saw with ever widening, and disbelieving eyes.

I whirled around to confront him. I was so angry, little beads of sweat started to appear on my upper lip.

“You are out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to be a model for you!” I hissed fiercely.

He anticipated my next move---which was to bolt for the door, and make a run for it. He swiftly captured me from behind when I attempted to flee through the doorway, wrapping me up in his strong arms. I struggled furiously to free myself from the tenacious hold he had around me.

“Calm down, Miss Walker,” he said patiently.

“Let go of me---I’m leaving! And you can shove your job right where the sun don’t shine---MR. CONNORS!” Growing fear had me screaming at him.

He shuffled away from the closed door with me in his arms, still struggling profusely, and I suddenly became aware there was someone else in the room, when he walked quietly passed me. I presumed he was the photographer. He opened the door, and disappeared from my sight, before he gently closed it again behind him.

“Focus on the positioning of the cameras, Miss Walker,” he urged.

His lips were so close to my ear, his warm breath caressed the inside shell of it, sending shivers prickling down the back of my neck, inciting goose bumps to rise all over my skin. The enticing combination of feeling his luscious lips just brushing the edge of my ear lobe---together with his sexy voice crooning so deliciously through my ear---scrambled my normally alert brain.

My struggling slowly abated, while my body began to respond to being held so securely in his strong arms, feeling the strength of his solid chest hard up against my back.

While I listened to the way my name fell so captivatingly from his warm lips---dripping with enough seduction that it distracted me---my eyes started to obey his soothing, yet commanding words---to find, and focus on the location of the cameras that were set up.

In the fog of confusion now descending through my head, the still-functioning part of my brain registered the cameras were pointed in the direction of a large ornate mirror fixed on the far wall. It was edged in a large ribbon of silver filigree that looked sort of like lace, with an elegantly presented black, and glass, intricately patterned wrought iron table sitting idly in front of it.

“Ignore everything else in the room,” he whispered softly.

I wasn’t actually struggling anymore, but his arms seemed to tighten their hold around me, pressing my back harder up against his front. Then, I became aware of the firm contours of his thighs molding to the back of my legs, and felt the distinct outlines of his broad, muscled chest pressed against my shoulder blades, like chunks of armor.

His sexy voice whispered hotly in my ear in such a calming tone, I eventually stilled completely in his arms---all attempts of trying to struggle free the furthest thing from my mind---but I was breathing heavily as a direct result of my furious efforts of trying to escape his controlling grip.

“The mirror is the main focus for this assignment---nothing else. My client requires some very specific shots. I promise you---you are not required to be posed in, on, or using anything else you may see in this room---okay?”

The heat from his body being pressed along the length of me was inflaming my blood, and I was suddenly aware the throb behind my clit was pulsating with increasing regularity, and the beat was steadily gaining momentum.

His hold around me eased off---but he didn’t remove his arms altogether. Instead, he slid the palms of his hands slowly along his forearms, until they fell down on the bottom of my ribcage. Then, he slid his palms down, slowly over my curves, until he reached my stomach, before he leisurely dragged them around, until his hands firmly grasped each of my hips.

That action focused my mind on what else I could feel pressing up against the rounded globe of my ass, and I tried to stem the flow of arousal now coursing through my pussy.I was absolutely sure I was feeling his cock hardening against my soft flesh

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