Play With Me(4)

“Eve.”

She jumped at the sound of her name. So lost in her thoughts she’d not heard Chase approach her desk. Her breath quickened and her pulse sped up from the one simple word. She lifted her lashes and looked at him through hooded eyes she prayed didn’t look guilty. Because right now she felt like a naughty girl who’d just been busted. Thank God she’d refrained from touching herself again.

“This new order. Did you talk to them when they called?”

She nodded. Mesmerized by the shade of green reflected in his gaze. In his case, eyes weren’t windows to the soul. They were the microscope that saw into her thoughts. As if somehow he’d noticed her spying on him, or that the moment he said her name, renewed arousal dampened her panties, and he damned well knew it.

“Did they say who this was for?”

“No, but I did get the impression it was for someone pretty important. The woman was quite confident that you’d be willing to fill this order as quickly as they wanted.” She tried not to fidget, but it was impossible to sit still with him looking at her with such intensity.

“That’s too bad because as intriguing as this shoot would be, I’m going to have to turn this one down.”

Damn. Even the tight frown of his lips turned her on. She’d give anything to trace the shape of his mouth, to explore every line.

“Why?”

“No model that fits the requirements. It’s often hard enough to find a redhead for a hard-core shoot. But a plus-size model? No way.”

“What about me? I could do it.” Eve clamped her hand over her mouth, shocked she’d blurted the offer out loud. Still, she’d made the offer, and she held her breath waiting for his response.

His eyes narrowed and he stared into her gaze. Searching for something maybe. Her neck warmed with the humiliation that crept through her.

“Come here,” he demanded gruffly.

Worried, she moved from behind the reception desk and stood in front of him. Not squirming while he looked at her from head to toe proved impossible as she shifted from one foot to the other. He went back to staring into her eyes and she found it nerve-racking to hold his gaze. Too scared to keep up the pretense, she shifted her gaze to the floor and the black patent four-inch spike heels she had on. The skirts and blouses she wore every day might shout boring, but her shoes were 100-percent hooker.

She’d learned to wear clothes that didn’t draw attention to her curves, only her cleavage, and she used her hair and shoes to further distract. Still, standing in front of Chase with the aid of extra height still left her feeling small. The top of her head might reach his chin. She’d guess he stood at least six feet three, if not taller. He simply dwarfed her. And for the first time in her life, she loved being short. It seemed to give him a sense of power over her.

“No.” The blunt word shocked her. She stood speechless and rooted to her spot while he turned and walked back to his studio. No explanation, no further discussion, just no.

She fought the tears that threatened to fall as his abrupt rejection filtered through her thoughts. Eve looked at the front door and back at the studio Chase had disappeared into. She’d made the biggest fool of herself with no rock to crawl under.

She wasn’t good enough for Chase Miller. The first tear splashed on her cheek and she ran for the exit.





Chapter Two




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Chase sat heavily in his desk chair and scrubbed his face with his hands. Dear God save him. The woman he’d allowed Murphy to hire for reception pushed every single button he possessed. From the first minute he’d laid eyes on her, he wanted her gone. So much so she’d become his obsession. A fact getting harder and harder to hide.

He thought of her day and night. Startling blue eyes that watched him with unadulterated lust every time he walked in the room. Gorgeous red hair down to her ass and what an ass it was. He itched to bend her over his bench and spank it.

But it was her skin that mesmerized him. Pale and covered in freckles. Chase wanted to play connect the dots with his tongue and discover if every inch of her was covered by the sexy little spots. His imagination got the best of him when he thought endlessly of striping her ass and legs after he’d tied her up, of course.

There were various scenarios of predicament bondage he’d dreamed up for her. The kind of scene where the slightest movement became impossible and likely painful. The inner sadist in him smiled. She’d look sexy as hell tied in his ropes with Murphy on one side and him on the other. His cock twitched at the thought.

The photo shoot had wound him up and Eve’s offer was enough to make him forget her innocence. He’d spotted her submissive needs on day one, but no way in hell did she have the kind of knowledge and experience he needed in a girl. Oh but the temptation unnerved him. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have the patience to teach her. To guide her through her submission and into the role as his personal submissive.

The door opened roughly and Murphy strode in. “What the hell happened with Eve?”

“What do you mean?”

“She just ran out of the office and I could have sworn I saw tears.” He dropped onto the couch across the room and turned that suspicious gaze his way.

“She volunteered for the latest Smith commission.” Chase picked up the form he’d printed and handed it over to Murphy. A minute later a long, low whistle sounded from his friend.