Etoile (The Mannequin Series) (21 page)

Elodie felt herself lift her lower body up ever so slightly as he ran one hand through her hair while cradling her back with his other. Her lips found his again and he moaned in happiness as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and kissed him as roughly as she could. His dick pressed mercilessly against her bottom as she gave a tiny gasp and kissed him deeper. She wanted more of him, all of him, in that moment, seemingly unable to get enough despite the fact that they were almost closer than two people could possibly be.

Tyler's hands began to move slowly southward, stopping just at the top edge of her lacy underwear. He slipped them under, grabbing lightly at her pert ass cheeks as she wound her arms around his neck, grabbing at his hair with her fingertips. He pulled away slightly after teasing her with a soft kiss.

“What?” she asked breathlessly as she leaned in towards him.

He pulled back again with a softened expression. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

She couldn't think of anything that she wanted more. “You never asked before,” she replied, almost pleadingly, with a quizzical look on her face.

“I know,” he whispered back with a tiny lopsided smile. “I just...”

Elodie leaned in before he could deny her again, and he seemed more than satisfied with her answer. Their hands flew everywhere as they touched each other's hypersensitive skin in a whirlwind of passion. Elodie gyrated her lower body brutally against his, letting out small cries as her clit rubbed against his impressive bulge. Never once did they let go of each other's mouths, both becoming light-headed as they let the all-consuming sensations course through their bodies.

Tyler flipped her over onto her back as he took a deep breath, her hair fanning out around her as the back of her head hit the pillow. He spread her legs playfully as he lowered his body over hers, nuzzling her face with his nose as Elodie giggled. Tyler hovered over her, watching her breathe and smoothing her hair back before planting a soft, sensual kiss on her lips.

His hand moved its way down to her breast, grabbing it lightly as he continued to give her small, open-mouthed kisses. The weight of his body added to her excitement as his thigh rubbed against her throbbing mound. Tyler noticed her quiet moaning and traced his hand slowly down her stomach until he began to massage her under her now wet panties.

As her satisfaction escalated, Elodie tried her best to keep quiet as her breaths became sharp and shallow. She could hardly keep her eyes open as Tyler slid her underwear off and ventured in with his mouth. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the blanket underneath, her skin burning as she tossed her head back in silent ecstasy. Waves of pleasure rippled through the length of her body as Tyler pushed his moist tongue against her, sucking on her clit with his soft lips.

Elodie grabbed at his hair as she tried to steady her breath, her back arching as she tried desperately to keep from screaming aloud and waking everyone in the entire villa. Tyler looked up at her and raised his eyebrows suggestively as he wiped at his mouth. She could hardly tear her eyes away as she watched him remove his briefs and put on protection, her chest heaving as she recovered her energy. As she finally lowered her legs down on the cool blanket, she realized that they were steamed up with tiny beads of sweat.

He slid over on the bed towards her as she looked up at him with widened eyes. His eyes seemed to tremble as they looked deeply into hers. As she guided him into her, she saw his jaw tighten, though he never broke his gaze. Elodie let out a small moan as she felt him inside of her, unable to close her mouth as she took tiny breaths. The intense feeling that shot through her was overwhelming, and she fought to hold her lids open as Tyler began to slowly move his body, holding her arms tightly the entire time.

“Just look at me,” he panted out in a whisper as he thrust into her deeply. Elodie felt her stomach lurch as she looked into his eyes, unable to get words out as she gasped for air. “Always me,” he repeated through clenched teeth, his brow furrowed as he grabbed her hands and placed them above her head, winding his fingers around her own.

Each thrust cause indescribable sensations to radiate outwards as her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Tyler moved in and out slowly, seemingly wanting to take his time as they held each other's stare and listened to the other's quickened breaths. It was unlike any other of their fiercely passionate romps during which he had merely pummeled her into oblivion. This time felt more raw, more intimate and much more vulnerable.

She felt incredible as joy flooded her body, from her very core to the tips of her toes. Tyler swallowed hard when she clenched tightly and wrapped her legs around him, urging him to enter her more deeply. He let out a groan as he quickened his pace, never once breaking his eyes away from hers. Elodie bit her bottom lip tightly, trying not to scream as she felt herself pounding like a drum.

Tiny whimpers escaped her throat as the pleasure consumed her, and she could tell from his drooping lids that it was the same case for him. His grip on her fingers tightened as he further deepened his movements, pounding into her so ferociously that her eyes instantly shut closed as she threw her head back and let out a high-pitched moan. She immediately covered her mouth and widened her eyes, her head still spinning from the inexplicable moment that had just transpired. Tyler also finished with a deep gasp, falling to his side next to her as he looked at Elodie's shocked expression and gave a breathy laugh.

“Guess they'll all know what we were doing now, huh?” he asked with a big grin as he kissed her on the forehead before heading to the bathroom.

Twenty-nine

“This is unacceptable,” Margot declared with a dramatic shake of her head as they stood in front of the barren field.

“They are coming as quickly as they can,” Didier told her nervously, hissing at Intern #2 to go fetch her an iced latte straightaway.

Margot turned to glare at him as she stalked back to the car. Elodie stood nervously next to him, wearing nothing but her underwear and a dressing gown, her long hair styled into glossy waves and her face adorned with pale pink blush and bubblegum-colored lips.

“You didn't know,” Estella, the pleasant American assistant director for Ero Beauty, told him with a weak smile. “It's not your fault. This was all so last minute.”

“I know, it is definitely not,” Didier whimpered as he stared after his boss. “How am I supposed to know when flowering season is? I am not a florist!”

As the arrangements for Elodie's fragrance shoot had only been made a few hours prior, no one could have predicted that the fields of lavender would be brown and grey. The farmer had agreed excitedly to Didier's proposal for shooting on his land, neglecting to mention that it would be void of any actual lavender blooms. Upon arriving at the expansive plot of dirt, Didier had made what seemed like hundreds of frantic calls, barking at the interns and fawning over Margot as he arranged for thousands of silk lavender stems to be delivered to the “set” from various sources. All of which, to his dismay, had yet to arrive.

“
C’est des conneries
!” he swore aloud as he fanned his flustered face. A call came in on his phone and he answered it eagerly, stomping off towards the van containing the photography equipment as he blubbered in nervous French.

Eventually, multiple vans arrived and dozens of boxes of fake flower stems came with them. The interns and production assistants got to work, creating a makeshift lavender field that was wide enough for the camera to capture. Elodie fought the urge to scoff at the ridiculous production that lay before her, wondering about the likely astronomical cost of commissioning the fake set.

They could have very well constructed something similar in a photo studio in New York or Paris for a fraction of the cost, but she knew that Margot and Clément would never have agreed to that. People in fashion loved to brag about the exotic locales in which they had shot their campaigns and editorials, even if the trips were completely unnecessary. There seemed to be a universal agreement that the higher the production costs, the chicer the campaign. In fact, Margot would probably boast that they had arranged for the lavender to be delivered since it wasn't blooming season when they had shot the ad, as if this had all been intentional. Elodie really did not understand the industry at times like this.

Daishiro emerged from the van with his camera after his assistants finished with setting up the light meters and flash umbrellas. Didier ushered Elodie to a spot in the middle of the lavender “field”, and ordered her to disrobe. She did as she was told, only slightly bothered by the fact that she was sitting on a patch of dirt, practically naked, in front of roughly twenty people in the midst of fake flower bushes. Hélène handed her the perfume bottle, a heavy glass cube with a smaller cube as the lid, with “Ero
Petit Lavande
” etched on the front.

“Okay, Elodie,” Didier began. “Tilt the bottle towards your face and go.”

Elodie did as she was told, giving them a variety of her signature expressions, from bewildered to frightened to emotionless.

“Just darling,” Daishiro commented as he positioned the bottle at more of an angle. “Please, keep going.”

After a few more shots, Didier told her to lay down into one of the bushes. The spiky plastic stems poked angrily at her neck and the backs of her arms, but she followed his instructions without so much as a peep.

“That one's great,” Estella murmured to Margot, who nodded in agreement.

In less than an hour, they were back in the vans and heading towards the villa to pick up their luggage. As she stared out the window, she could barely wrap her head around the fact that she had made more money in the past three hours than she had in the past three years. A small smile played on her lips as she thought of Tyler. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have even had the opportunity.

Picturing his face brought butterflies to her stomach. Last night had been magical, and Elodie had awoken to his warm kisses that following morning as he bid farewell to her before leaving for the airport. She wasn't sure of what their situation was, but she would surely find out tomorrow when she landed in New York.

The jet ride back to  Charles de Gaulle was uneventful, and Elodie hugged the two interns and Didier when they landed. “I will see you soon, love!” he told her as Hélène gave her best attempt at a smile. After exchanging air-kisses with Margot and Estella, Elodie grabbed her luggage from one of the jet assistants and made her way to her terminal.

A three-hour wait in the La Première lounge, a complimentary massage and two glasses of champagne later, Elodie boarded the plane and settled into the seat in First Class that Didier had arranged for her to take back. She bit her lip in excitement as she looked around at the leg space and leather table that lay before her, trying her best not to squeal with glee as she aired out the complimentary in-flight pyjamas.

But flying was flying, no matter in what class, and Elodie soon tossed back a glass of champagne and an Ambien. As a familiar sinking feeling greeted her, she reclined her buttery leather seat into the bed position and dozed off until it was time to land. After she groggily awoke, she walked into the changing cabin to freshen up, spraying her face with toner and fixing her hair, which was, surprisingly, still looking good from the shoot the previous day.

After slipping out of the airline-provided pyjamas, she wriggled on her black Rag & Bone Jean leggings and a simple Breton top before slipping her feet into her Lanvin flats. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she applied a light pink lip and some mascara. Very model off duty, she thought to herself with an approving nod. She was, after all, the face for Ero Beauty now, so she couldn't possibly stroll through JFK with cowlicks and pillow creases on her cheek. Didier would likely pass out from mortification.

Right after the plane reached the terminal, she was one of the first passengers to get off. Am I really living the glamorous life of a successful model? she asked herself excitedly as she thanked the stewardess. Did she really not have to wait until everyone else in front of her had grabbed their carry-ons and walked down the aisle?

After a frustrating journey through customs and security, Elodie finally made her way into the Arrival Hall. While absentmindedly listening to the overhead announcements and walking towards the exit, she heard a voice call out her name.

She spun around with a curious expression, unsure of which direction the faraway voice had come from. When she heard her name called again, she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she recognized the owner of the husky voice.

“Hey,” James called out as he jogged up to her, dressed casually in a white tee shirt, dark grey trousers and brown leather derby shoes. “You sure don't look like you just spent half a day in airports and planes. How come you're not picking up your phone?”

Her eyes widened as he enveloped her in hug. A mixed feeling of guilt and anxiety filled her as the scent of Burberry Touch hit her nose. When he leaned in to kiss her, Elodie found that her head instinctively pulled back.

“Come on,” he said as he broke into an adorable smile. “I was worried about this. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me. I feel really bad about how I acted towards you.”

“I... I, um,” Elodie attempted as she broke away from his hold. “I did not think you would come,” she finally managed to come up with. Truth be told, she honestly hadn't thought that she would see him again.

“What do you mean?” he told her with a laugh as he grabbed for her luggage handle. She numbly let him take it as she began to walk alongside him. What are you doing, legs? she demanded inwardly. Why are you two following him?

“I told you I'd be waiting for you, didn't I?” he asked as he continued to smile, occasionally glancing over at her as they walked towards the parking garage. Elodie gave him a tight smile as she attempted to sort out her thoughts.

Had she been too rash? She tried to remember how their phone conversation had gone, but found that she couldn't recall the details clearly. Had she, yet again, blown everything out of proportion? Didn't she know that normal people fought and made up? Mentally kicking herself for being an over-analytical drama queen, she bit her lip and considered her options.

The loud voices of the noisy Midwestern visitors behind them allowed for a few precious moments of not having to make conversation, but she could feel his eyes on her as she stared straight ahead. Would it be terribly awkward if she grabbed her suitcase and sprinted in the opposite direction to grab a taxi? Maybe she didn't even need her suitcase. Everything in there could be easily replaced, right?

“You're not even looking at me,” James teased as they stopped at a payment machine. Elodie turned to him as he said that, her cheeks turning pink as she watched him retrieve his parking ticket.

“Sorry,” she told him as he turned to face her with a sheepish grin. That week apart from him had caused her to forget how irresistibly cute he was. An uneasiness filled her as she sensed the all-too-familiar feeling of an imminent bad decision. Don't even think about it, she told her brain as it short-circuited at his smile.

“Forgive me?” he asked with a fake pout and big brown eyes. Elodie thought that she might melt right then and there. Apparently, her head gave a nod without her permission, as James was soon smiling brightly and leading her to the car by her hand.

Did her hand normally get this sweaty before? Why were all of her body parts being so defiant? Didn't they know who was boss? Frantic thoughts raced through her mind as she strolled next to him, staring at his hand clasping her own. What was she even doing?

James eventually granted her hand freedom as he reached into his pocket to pull out his keys, disabling the alarm for a shiny black Range Rover. He motioned for her to go ahead of him, opening the door for her before placing her luggage in the backseat. “I had to borrow one of my dad's cars to get over here,” he told her as she climbed in. “You can tell me all about your trip on the ride back into the city.”

Elodie wondered if he could hear her nerve-wrecked gulp as he shut the door with a
click
.