comparison between Ace and Jared. Ace had the type of body that reflected the work he did outside. Jared was sleeker, defined without being bulky.
Mark shot up from his chair and headed for the cabin. As he walked away, he said, “Everyone put your shirts on. I have an idea!”
Aiden groaned. “You know he’s about to do a dang photo shoot, right?”
Jared slipped his shirt over his head, making his words muffled. “Don’t worry, Aiden, no one will notice you when they get a load of me.”
“Shut up, ass-munch. You know the only drool-worthy one here is me.” Eli threw his discarded shirt at Jared, and it hit him in the face.
Jared shook his head at Eli, and then turned to me with a devilish look on his face. “Well, Riles, you’re next.”
I gripped the T-shirt in my hands. “You pervert, I’m not changing out here in front of you.”
“Oh, come on, Riles… Ace got to see…”
The flash of Mark’s camera stopped Jared from finishing his sentence. My face burned in embarrassment, and I wished for a place to hide.
“Y’all get your asses over by Riley’s truck and stand together,” he announced as he walked past the group and jumped in the back of my truck. He set his camera down, fiddling with the settings. When he looked up and no one had done what he asked, he scowled at us. “Seriously, get your asses over here. You too, Riley.”
I knew Mark wouldn’t stop badgering us until we did what he wanted, so I pushed myself up from the chair and flung my hand out. “You heard him. Let’s get this done, so Mark doesn’t freak out on us.”
The guys grumbled, but they followed me. Mark fired off where he wanted everyone to stand. When they were where he wanted them, he made them turn around, putting their backs to the camera, and then asked me to stand behind everyone a few feet back. I moved so that he could get the shot of the six of them together. The guys stood shoulder to shoulder, leaving a gap in the middle for Mark. But Mark moved to the end beside Aiden. “Riley, move to the center and stand directly in front of the camera. When the flash starts going off, I want you to walk towards us and then stop in the middle. Okay?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer him because the flash went off, signaling me to move. I looked over to Mark, and he winked at me. I smiled back at him and took another step. Aiden gave me a smile that kicked up one side of his lips. Josh stuck his tongue out at me, and I laughed. Eli wiggled his eyebrows and darted his eyes to Ace. I forced myself to breathe evenly and not run over to wrap my arms around his neck, pull his lips to mine, and get the kiss I’d been denied.
When I was a few steps away, Ace put his hand out and I slipped mine into his without thinking about it. He pulled me beside him and lifted my hand to his shoulder. The flash of the camera went off and I pulled my gaze from his, slipping my hand up on Jared’s shoulder so that it didn’t look like I was holding on to Ace, even though I’d done just that.
The flash went off again, as I realized that this night would be one of the last few nights we’d all be together. A tear slipped down my cheek, and I let it fall. Mark broke the silence when he jumped back into the bed of my truck, telling the others to turn around and face the camera. The guys turned around, and we all moved in close. Jared put his hand on my shoulder. Ace’s hand rested against my hip, and I felt him grip the hem of the shirt I wore. His shirt.
The camera flashed a few more times and then Mark broke off, jumped into the bed of my truck, and grabbed his camera. “These are gonna be awesome!” He walked away, back to the cabin, as he looked at the screen of his camera. “Yep, these are gonna be perfect,” he said to himself as he passed by me.
I could feel the effect of the pain meds, and I didn’t like the fuzziness they’d blanketed me with. The worst part was, I wasn’t ready to let them pull me down into the
Mark shot up from his chair and headed for the cabin. As he walked away, he said, “Everyone put your shirts on. I have an idea!”
Aiden groaned. “You know he’s about to do a dang photo shoot, right?”
Jared slipped his shirt over his head, making his words muffled. “Don’t worry, Aiden, no one will notice you when they get a load of me.”
“Shut up, ass-munch. You know the only drool-worthy one here is me.” Eli threw his discarded shirt at Jared, and it hit him in the face.
Jared shook his head at Eli, and then turned to me with a devilish look on his face. “Well, Riles, you’re next.”
I gripped the T-shirt in my hands. “You pervert, I’m not changing out here in front of you.”
“Oh, come on, Riles… Ace got to see…”
The flash of Mark’s camera stopped Jared from finishing his sentence. My face burned in embarrassment, and I wished for a place to hide.
“Y’all get your asses over by Riley’s truck and stand together,” he announced as he walked past the group and jumped in the back of my truck. He set his camera down, fiddling with the settings. When he looked up and no one had done what he asked, he scowled at us. “Seriously, get your asses over here. You too, Riley.”
I knew Mark wouldn’t stop badgering us until we did what he wanted, so I pushed myself up from the chair and flung my hand out. “You heard him. Let’s get this done, so Mark doesn’t freak out on us.”
The guys grumbled, but they followed me. Mark fired off where he wanted everyone to stand. When they were where he wanted them, he made them turn around, putting their backs to the camera, and then asked me to stand behind everyone a few feet back. I moved so that he could get the shot of the six of them together. The guys stood shoulder to shoulder, leaving a gap in the middle for Mark. But Mark moved to the end beside Aiden. “Riley, move to the center and stand directly in front of the camera. When the flash starts going off, I want you to walk towards us and then stop in the middle. Okay?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer him because the flash went off, signaling me to move. I looked over to Mark, and he winked at me. I smiled back at him and took another step. Aiden gave me a smile that kicked up one side of his lips. Josh stuck his tongue out at me, and I laughed. Eli wiggled his eyebrows and darted his eyes to Ace. I forced myself to breathe evenly and not run over to wrap my arms around his neck, pull his lips to mine, and get the kiss I’d been denied.
When I was a few steps away, Ace put his hand out and I slipped mine into his without thinking about it. He pulled me beside him and lifted my hand to his shoulder. The flash of the camera went off and I pulled my gaze from his, slipping my hand up on Jared’s shoulder so that it didn’t look like I was holding on to Ace, even though I’d done just that.
The flash went off again, as I realized that this night would be one of the last few nights we’d all be together. A tear slipped down my cheek, and I let it fall. Mark broke the silence when he jumped back into the bed of my truck, telling the others to turn around and face the camera. The guys turned around, and we all moved in close. Jared put his hand on my shoulder. Ace’s hand rested against my hip, and I felt him grip the hem of the shirt I wore. His shirt.
The camera flashed a few more times and then Mark broke off, jumped into the bed of my truck, and grabbed his camera. “These are gonna be awesome!” He walked away, back to the cabin, as he looked at the screen of his camera. “Yep, these are gonna be perfect,” he said to himself as he passed by me.
I could feel the effect of the pain meds, and I didn’t like the fuzziness they’d blanketed me with. The worst part was, I wasn’t ready to let them pull me down into the
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