moment and catch him smiling as I enter the bedroom. He’s got two plush red chairs set up across from each other and two tripods with cameras. One facing each chair.
“Are you on camera, too?”
“For this interview I am.”
My heart pounds in my chest. “Why?”
“Sit, Rook, and relax.”
I take a seat and he follows, leaning forward in his chair as I lean back. He rests his elbows on his knees and steeples his fingers under his chin.
And waits.
“What?” I ask. “What are you doing, Ford? Don’t get weird with me, please.” I look nervously up at the camera.
“It’s not on yet, Rook.”
“Well, turn it on and let’s go.”
“I’m making you nervous?”
“You know you are. Why didn’t you tell me about this? What are you gonna tell Ronin? I thought we were friends.”
“There’s nothing to tell Ronin. What could I possibly tell him that he doesn’t already know?”
“Know? He knows you told me you were trying to make me not need him? So you could, I dunno, swoop in and claim me as your pet, like that woman out there with the collar? Did you tell him that ?”
“Do you want to be my pet?” he asks seriously.
“No!” I scoff. “No! I’m not in the least bit interested in becoming your fucking sex slave!”
He goes silent again, watching me as the grin creeps up his face.
I shudder. “I’m counting to five and then I’m leaving. One—”
He stands and moves toward me, his leg brushing against my dress as he reaches behind me to flip the camera on. The heat of his touch makes me dizzy for a moment. He steps back and then turns on the camera behind him before taking his seat. “Did you enjoy being Spencer’s canvas, Rook?”
“Yes,” I say truthfully.
Ford leans back and retrieves a clipboard on the small table next to him. “What did you enjoy about it? Oh, and talk in complete sentences, so the audience understands the question without having to hear me ask it.”
“Well, I had a good time working with Spencer. It was a little weird at first because I had to model with him, and that was… confusing because I was just starting to date Ronin. But once that part was over and Ronin was my partner, everything went real well.”
“Why did Ronin make it better?”
I squint my eyes at him but hold my tongue. I refuse to let him bait me on camera. I refuse to allow him to get ratings because I’m uncomfortable. In fact, I think it’s my turn to make him uncomfortable. “Everything was better with Ronin because he knows my body. He’s got a very personal relationship with it. So having him touch me and position me and kiss me for the photo shoots was easy. It felt good and I didn’t have to worry about making him jealous.”
“Did the shoots with Billy and Spencer feel good?”
I walked right into that, didn’t I? “The photo shoots with Billy and Spencer were erotic, that’s for sure, but not like they are with Ronin.”
“And what did you think of our running routine?”
“I loved it, to be honest.” Ford smiles and my heart rate increases when I realize Ronin will see that smile on TV next spring. “Running with you every morning was—well, I wouldn’t call it fun, but I would call it helpful. I liked getting up early, and believe me, that was a huge change for me. But I like the feel of dawn. When things are just getting ready to stir and life is still on pause from the night before.”
Ford stares at me for a second, a look of contemplation on his face. “That’s a very poetic way to put it.” Then he chuckles and moves on. “Tell me more about the shoots and the painting, Rook. And then you can be finished with the camera work. Just say whatever you want, I’ll have it edited down.”
“OK.” I swallow, a little relieved at that. “Well, Spencer is incredible. His talent is beyond words. My favorite painting was the tattoo woman because he painted all his tattoos on me just like they were on him. And his own body art is exceptional. I’ve
“Are you on camera, too?”
“For this interview I am.”
My heart pounds in my chest. “Why?”
“Sit, Rook, and relax.”
I take a seat and he follows, leaning forward in his chair as I lean back. He rests his elbows on his knees and steeples his fingers under his chin.
And waits.
“What?” I ask. “What are you doing, Ford? Don’t get weird with me, please.” I look nervously up at the camera.
“It’s not on yet, Rook.”
“Well, turn it on and let’s go.”
“I’m making you nervous?”
“You know you are. Why didn’t you tell me about this? What are you gonna tell Ronin? I thought we were friends.”
“There’s nothing to tell Ronin. What could I possibly tell him that he doesn’t already know?”
“Know? He knows you told me you were trying to make me not need him? So you could, I dunno, swoop in and claim me as your pet, like that woman out there with the collar? Did you tell him that ?”
“Do you want to be my pet?” he asks seriously.
“No!” I scoff. “No! I’m not in the least bit interested in becoming your fucking sex slave!”
He goes silent again, watching me as the grin creeps up his face.
I shudder. “I’m counting to five and then I’m leaving. One—”
He stands and moves toward me, his leg brushing against my dress as he reaches behind me to flip the camera on. The heat of his touch makes me dizzy for a moment. He steps back and then turns on the camera behind him before taking his seat. “Did you enjoy being Spencer’s canvas, Rook?”
“Yes,” I say truthfully.
Ford leans back and retrieves a clipboard on the small table next to him. “What did you enjoy about it? Oh, and talk in complete sentences, so the audience understands the question without having to hear me ask it.”
“Well, I had a good time working with Spencer. It was a little weird at first because I had to model with him, and that was… confusing because I was just starting to date Ronin. But once that part was over and Ronin was my partner, everything went real well.”
“Why did Ronin make it better?”
I squint my eyes at him but hold my tongue. I refuse to let him bait me on camera. I refuse to allow him to get ratings because I’m uncomfortable. In fact, I think it’s my turn to make him uncomfortable. “Everything was better with Ronin because he knows my body. He’s got a very personal relationship with it. So having him touch me and position me and kiss me for the photo shoots was easy. It felt good and I didn’t have to worry about making him jealous.”
“Did the shoots with Billy and Spencer feel good?”
I walked right into that, didn’t I? “The photo shoots with Billy and Spencer were erotic, that’s for sure, but not like they are with Ronin.”
“And what did you think of our running routine?”
“I loved it, to be honest.” Ford smiles and my heart rate increases when I realize Ronin will see that smile on TV next spring. “Running with you every morning was—well, I wouldn’t call it fun, but I would call it helpful. I liked getting up early, and believe me, that was a huge change for me. But I like the feel of dawn. When things are just getting ready to stir and life is still on pause from the night before.”
Ford stares at me for a second, a look of contemplation on his face. “That’s a very poetic way to put it.” Then he chuckles and moves on. “Tell me more about the shoots and the painting, Rook. And then you can be finished with the camera work. Just say whatever you want, I’ll have it edited down.”
“OK.” I swallow, a little relieved at that. “Well, Spencer is incredible. His talent is beyond words. My favorite painting was the tattoo woman because he painted all his tattoos on me just like they were on him. And his own body art is exceptional. I’ve
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