alone in her studio…yeah that sounded pretty good. But her taking pictures of him… “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” She stared at him.
“Christ! I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” she asked again, a stubborn set to her small chin. Then she relaxed and gave her head a shake. “Oh never mind. It doesn’t matter.” Although from the shadow in her eyes he got the feeling it did matter. She smiled at him. “If you’re not comfortable with it, then we shouldn’t do it. It would totally come across in the photographs, and I don’t want images where the model looks stiff or embarrassed. Some people are more comfortable in their bodies than others.”
“I’m comfortable. Very possibly stiff, though.” She laughed, but he studied her as he lifted his beer to his mouth. Was she trying to manipulate him? Hard to know. Her smile looked guileless, but…her eyes were so seductive… “I’m just not a model.”
“I don’t use models,” she said. “I can’t afford it. Which means, yeah, you’d be doing it for free.”
“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t be doing it for money.”
Again she chuckled.
“I’ll think about it,” he found himself saying, with a feeling of being pulled into the depths of those eyes, like he was being sucked into a slowly spinning, sexy vortex.
“Okay, thanks. So. Tell me more about your adventure company.”
Probably an excellent change of subject. And he and Carlos both liked talking about the business, so as they moved on to the patio to grill the steaks they talked about what was coming up that week.
“If you wanted to come kayaking to the Mosaic Cave on Wednesday with me to get some pictures, that would be fine,” he told Jules as they sat at the small outdoor table with their dinner. He refilled her wine glass and poured a little for himself. Carlos didn’t like wine so he didn’t bother offering him any.
She lowered her chin and looked up at him through long eyelashes. “Seriously?”
“Sure. Why not?” He grinned as he stuck his fork into a potato.
“We won’t even charge you,” Carlos said.
“Hey,” Mike said. “That’s no way to run a business.”
Jules laughed. “I would pay.”
“Nah,” Mike said. “We’re going anyway. We’ve got a group of about ten set up, it’s easy for one more person to come along. Have you ever kayaked?”
“Actually, I have. I’m not very good, though.”
“I could take the double and you could ride with me.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. “You’re serious.”
He grinned. “Yeah. I already said that. But it’s up to you. You might get some good shots. Or maybe it’s not all that interesting to you.” He paused. “Nobody will be naked.”
Her lips twitched. “Damn. Here I thought you kayaked naked.”
“Now there’s a marketing idea we haven’t thought of,” Carlos said.
Mike cut a piece of steak, a warm feeling spreading through him that was more than just the red wine. “True that. You know, on Santa Rosita Island there’s a nude beach.”
“There is?” Jules looked at him wide-eyed.
“I can’t believe you didn’t know that.”
She shook her head, her eyes narrowed. “You guys are yanking my chain, aren’t you?”
“No!” He slapped a hand to his chest. “No shit. I’ve been there. The thing is, it’s tricky to get to. You can only access it by boat.”
“Well. It’s not like I can paddle over there and start snapping pictures of people on the beach.”
“Guess that’s not allowed, huh?” Mike leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine glass.
“Uh…no.” She shook her head, smiling, and looked down at her plate. “So maybe I’ll come with you on Wednesday. It could be fun.”
“Great.”
They talked about San Amaro, and since Mike and Carlos were new there Jules recommended some good restaurants and places to shop. She gave them directions to the big new home store on the south side of the city, past the country club.
“It’s a really nice
“Why not?” She stared at him.
“Christ! I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” she asked again, a stubborn set to her small chin. Then she relaxed and gave her head a shake. “Oh never mind. It doesn’t matter.” Although from the shadow in her eyes he got the feeling it did matter. She smiled at him. “If you’re not comfortable with it, then we shouldn’t do it. It would totally come across in the photographs, and I don’t want images where the model looks stiff or embarrassed. Some people are more comfortable in their bodies than others.”
“I’m comfortable. Very possibly stiff, though.” She laughed, but he studied her as he lifted his beer to his mouth. Was she trying to manipulate him? Hard to know. Her smile looked guileless, but…her eyes were so seductive… “I’m just not a model.”
“I don’t use models,” she said. “I can’t afford it. Which means, yeah, you’d be doing it for free.”
“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t be doing it for money.”
Again she chuckled.
“I’ll think about it,” he found himself saying, with a feeling of being pulled into the depths of those eyes, like he was being sucked into a slowly spinning, sexy vortex.
“Okay, thanks. So. Tell me more about your adventure company.”
Probably an excellent change of subject. And he and Carlos both liked talking about the business, so as they moved on to the patio to grill the steaks they talked about what was coming up that week.
“If you wanted to come kayaking to the Mosaic Cave on Wednesday with me to get some pictures, that would be fine,” he told Jules as they sat at the small outdoor table with their dinner. He refilled her wine glass and poured a little for himself. Carlos didn’t like wine so he didn’t bother offering him any.
She lowered her chin and looked up at him through long eyelashes. “Seriously?”
“Sure. Why not?” He grinned as he stuck his fork into a potato.
“We won’t even charge you,” Carlos said.
“Hey,” Mike said. “That’s no way to run a business.”
Jules laughed. “I would pay.”
“Nah,” Mike said. “We’re going anyway. We’ve got a group of about ten set up, it’s easy for one more person to come along. Have you ever kayaked?”
“Actually, I have. I’m not very good, though.”
“I could take the double and you could ride with me.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. “You’re serious.”
He grinned. “Yeah. I already said that. But it’s up to you. You might get some good shots. Or maybe it’s not all that interesting to you.” He paused. “Nobody will be naked.”
Her lips twitched. “Damn. Here I thought you kayaked naked.”
“Now there’s a marketing idea we haven’t thought of,” Carlos said.
Mike cut a piece of steak, a warm feeling spreading through him that was more than just the red wine. “True that. You know, on Santa Rosita Island there’s a nude beach.”
“There is?” Jules looked at him wide-eyed.
“I can’t believe you didn’t know that.”
She shook her head, her eyes narrowed. “You guys are yanking my chain, aren’t you?”
“No!” He slapped a hand to his chest. “No shit. I’ve been there. The thing is, it’s tricky to get to. You can only access it by boat.”
“Well. It’s not like I can paddle over there and start snapping pictures of people on the beach.”
“Guess that’s not allowed, huh?” Mike leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine glass.
“Uh…no.” She shook her head, smiling, and looked down at her plate. “So maybe I’ll come with you on Wednesday. It could be fun.”
“Great.”
They talked about San Amaro, and since Mike and Carlos were new there Jules recommended some good restaurants and places to shop. She gave them directions to the big new home store on the south side of the city, past the country club.
“It’s a really nice
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