Total Package by Cait London Page B

wanted to run away from whatever was happening inside her—and she wanted Danya. Because she was uncertain, she hooked her thumbs into her cutoff shorts pockets.
    She tingled and ached and couldn’t look away from Danya’s deep blue eyes. “I can’t and won’t take her place—your wife’s place,” she said unsteadily and wasn’t certain what had caused that statement.
    “You’re nothing like her.” The statement was soft and low and curled inside Sidney. Then Danya nodded to the woman coming toward them, an infant sleeping in the carrying sack in front of her. The woman’s hair was black and sleek, tossed by the breeze. “This is my sister-in-law, Jessica, and that little beauty is Danika Louise.”
    Danya frowned at another woman with sun streaked hair walking toward them, carrying a baby. A young girl near her chased a giggling toddler. “That would be Ellie, Mikhail’s wife with Tanya and Sasha.”
    He sucked in his breath and added, “The woman with all those curls is Leigh, Jarek’s ‘Precious’, and she has my cousins, of course. They want to meet you. I had hoped to—”
    “Oh, hi, Danya,” Ellie said as she came to stand near them. “I didn’t know you took work breaks in the middle of the day.”
    “Yes, I see that. Ah, here’s my Sasha.” He reached for the little girl who had come running and giggling into his arms. Danya made growling noises and nuzzled her throat while she squirmed and giggled happily.
    When all of the women stood near, Danya introduced Sidney. “She likes to be called ‘Sid.’”
    “Oh, you’re the photographer who’s been taking pictures of the models,” Jessica said. “We were wondering if you could take family pictures for all of us. If you have time—There isn’t a photographer nearby and to get us all packed up and the children rested for a family portrait would be so much more difficult than having one taken here.”
    Danya cleared his throat and seemed uneasy. “She’s not really a portrait photographer. This assignment is unusual for her. I’m sure she wouldn’t have the time, anyway.”
    Ellie smiled sweetly. “But she just might want to, Danya.”
    He frowned at Ellie. “Of course. It is her decision.”
    Sidney stared at him; Danya didn’t seem to want her to takepictures of his family. “He’s right. I’m learning. I usually do documentary type things, magazine spreads. This gig is new to me.”
    Danya lowered Sasha to the sand; he crossed his arms over his chest and looked forbidding as Ellie continued, “You must be good to be hired for calendar work. Mikhail may be asking you to do some shots for his new promotion brochure, and his mother is redoing the sales brochure for Stepanov Furniture.”
    “Ladies—” Danya began in what seemed might be a protest.
    “And we thought maybe you could take pictures of us in Fadey’s house, maybe do something for Fadey and Mary Lou’s anniversary in late July,” Leigh added. “Maybe something with Viktor and Alexi and Danya? Have you met Viktor, Danya’s father? I think you should come to our afternoon tea and get a real feel for the family, and then you can decide.”
    Danya sighed as if outflanked and defeated. “I have to get back to work.”
    He looked at each woman and they smiled warmly back at him. Each one drew his head down for a kiss on the cheek. Danya shook his head and started back toward the house he was remodeling. Sidney noticed that two women lying on the beach were locked onto that tall, lean powerful male body striding away; she didn’t like their lustful expressions one bit. She instantly decided not to even ask him if he wanted to model for her.
    Sidney studied the Stepanov women, the different coloring, various heights and studied the babies held close to them. Together, they were beautiful and natural, and the contrast with the male counterparts would be exquisite.
    Then, because Danya obviously didn’t want her to work with them, she was intrigued, but she had