Exposure (15 page)

“
Hi,” she says.

“
Hi.”

“
You ready?”

I nod, and she turns to walk toward
the car, her hips swaying with every step. Her dress is backless,
and I wonder what it’d be like to have her beneath me, to lick all
the way up her spine….

Calm the
fuck
down,
Dallas.

Britain waits for us in her white
Escalade. I can tell she just got it washed and waxed, like she is
trying to make us look as important as possible. Andrea sits in the
passenger seat, so I slide into the back with Evan.

Britain doesn’t even say hi, but
instead goes straight into the list of rules she’s made up for us.
“Okay, so remember, do your best to act like a couple, or at least,
that you’re not afraid to be intimate with each other wherever you
are. Be polite, chew with your mouth closed, and for the love of
God, please don’t embarrass me. Capisce?”

“
Yes, Ma’am.”

I glance at Evan. She looks how I
feel—nervous. Not very talkative either. Doesn’t say a single word
the entire ride, which drives me crazy. I wish she’d crack a stupid
joke. I wish she’d say anything.

We pull into the parking lot at Blue
Water Bistro, which is by far the best steakhouse in town. Britain
and Andrea get out of the car. Evan opens her door, but I slide
across the seat, reaching over her lap and pulling her to
me.

“
What the hell,
Dallas…”

I push against her shoulder until her
back is flat against the seat.

“
We’re supposed to be
acting like a couple.”

Her smoky eyes widen. “Okay. So let’s
act like a couple.”

“
Don’t be evasive,
then.”

“
Don’t lecture
me.”

“
Jesus, have you been
single for so long that you forgot how to act on a
date?”

She pulls her lip up in a sneer. “I
know how to date, asshole.”

Someone’s a bit sensitive. “Good,
because we’re going to have to speed this process up a
bit.”

“
What the hell does that
mean?”

I lean in and press my lips against
hers.

Chapter
Eleven

Evan

Dallas is kissing me.

Really
kissing me.

Not some sloppy, exhibitionist kiss we
might have to do for EPE one day. A real kiss. A chaste, Disney
kiss. His lips are soft and warm and I let out a whimper because I
can’t help it. I part my lips, hoping he’ll take the hint. But
instead he pulls away, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. “You
ready?” he asks huskily.

“
Y-yes,” I stutter,
realizing my entire body is shaking.

He pushes the door open and steps out,
his eyes locked on me the entire time. I grab my clutch and take
his hand. He helps me out, his fingers running along my bare back.
He has to notice the goose bumps flaring up over my skin. I lean
into him as we quicken our pace to catch up with Britain and
Andrea. Adam and Delilah join us from Adam’s parked BMW, Delilah
looking stunning in a slinky red dress.

“
I love this,” I tell her,
reaching out and touching the fabric. “I’ve never seen it
before.”

“
That’s because I went
shopping without you,” she says a bit bitterly.

I clap my hand over my mouth. She’s
texted me earlier today when she was at school and asked if I
wanted to come shopping with her. I got caught up in work and never
responded. “I totally forgot.”`

“
Yeah, yeah,” she says as
we walk inside.

The restaurant is pretty modern, large
parties seated in oval booths at the back. Three people are already
sitting at our table. I can safely assume the older man with
lighter hair is A.J. He slides from the booth and stands,
smiling.

“
Welcome, welcome,” he
says, extending his hand toward Britain, who leads us. “You must be
Britain.”

Britain introduces each of us to Mr.
Harrison, and he shakes everyone’s hand.

“
I recognize many of you
from the magazine,” he says as he takes mine, eyes lingering on me
for a second too long before he moves to Dallas. “Ah, yes. The two
power couples. I’m glad you brought them with you, Britain. Please,
all of you take a seat.”

Dallas and I scoot along in the booth
until we’re in the very center of everyone. A.J. introduces the man
and woman with him as his CFO and producer. They smile, but say
nothing, tablets in front of them as they type away. They must be
A.J.’s note-takers for the evening.

Conversation doesn’t really begin
until our water glasses are full and we’ve all ordered. I try the
most vegetable-heavy item on the menu, and Dallas whispers, “You
would.”

I grin. His fingers find the base of
my neck, gently pushing into my skin as he massages my spine. I try
my damndest to not let my eyes flutter shut as he continues his
ministrations, attempting to focus on the conversation at hand. I
wonder if he intimately touches Tricia like this when they’re
having a night out.

Adam and Delilah are pretty good at
playing couple too. He has her curtain of auburn hair pulled back,
whispering in her ear. Her eyes widen, and she blushes.

Britain and A.J. are conversing on the
other side of the table. It’s hard to concentrate on what they’re
saying with Dallas touching me the way that he is. Britain slides
over a manila folder, and I have to look closely when A.J. opens it
to realize what’s inside—prints from the shower shoot, and then
beneath them, Delilah’s and Adam’s underwater shoot. My attention
is really caught when Andrea begins to explain the story line that
she has created for both of the couples, beginning with Adam’s and
Delilah’s—two young friends-with-benefits on a
sex-in-strange-places mission. And then mine and Dallas’s—Rylan
Willow’s deflowering by her young, sexy professor.

Of all people at this
table, A.J. points his finger at
me
. “I’m quite intrigued by you,
Miss Willow.”

Dallas lowers the hand massaging my
neck and rest it on my thigh.

I smile politely. “Is that
so?”

He raises his wine glass, and says
before taking a sip, “The last issue had me wondering if Britain
here was hanging death threats over your head to get you to shoot,
you played victim so well.”

In the middle of drinking from his
water glass, Dallas chokes. Adam busts up laughing.

“
Ah,” A.J. says. “I see
what’s going on here. Maybe I should be directing this question
towards your gentleman. You and Mr. Whitley seem to be quite
friendly even outside the studio. Am I correct that assumption?”
His eyes flicker to Dallas.

By the grace of God, the waiter walks
by. I motion for her to lean close. “Double vodka tonic, stat,” I
whisper, returning my attention to A.J.

“
You don’t have to direct
your queries toward Dallas.” I manage a stiff grin. “I’m perfectly
capable of answering.”

Britain’s eyes widen. It’s like she
has a perfectly accurate Evan Snark Meter inside her
brain.

A.J. raises an eyebrow. “Yes,
Rylan?”

“
I’ve perfected a naïve
virgin expression simply because I can be whoever you want me to
be. I’m a model, Mr. Harrison, not a captive virgin. I’m sure you
understand. Dallas here does.”

I feel Dallas stiffen next to me. I
keep my eyes hooded and locked on A.J.

A.J. chuckles. “Very well then, Miss
Willow.”

My drink arrives. I down half of it in
one gulp. “And as for Dallas,” I begin, my own hand resting on the
inside of his thigh. “A lady never reveals her battle strategy for
bedding a gentleman.”

Delilah gasps, and Britain shoots me a
thumbs-up beneath the table.

“
Your wit is seducing me,”
says A.J. with a wink. “Very well. I’ll just have to add that
factor in when I’m considering acquiring the magazine.”

^^^^

Two double vodka tonics later, I
really can’t follow the conversation at all. Dallas’s hand has,
over the course of the evening, crawled higher and higher up my
thigh, and that along with the alcohol has left me in no mood for
concentrating on the serious business talk. The only fact I bring
away from the table, other than the food here being fucking
amazing, is that this storyline series between me and Dallas and
Delilah and Adam will last five issues, and by that time, Mr.
Harrison will have an answer for us one way or another.

We stand to leave. “I
really look forward to seeing how these
stories
play out,” he says, winking
at me again.

Does he know that’s creepy? Because
it’s totally creepy. Or maybe that’s just my buzzed brain
talking.

I have to cling to Dallas for dear
life just to make it out to the parking lot. Vodka and stilettos
really don’t mix well at all. He even asks me how many I’ve
had.

“
Oh, for the love of God,”
I respond. “I’m not that drunk. You try taking shots and walking in
these shoes and see how well you do.”

He chuckles deeply, sending a shiver
racing up my spine. “Alright, alright.”

As we pile into Britain’s car, I catch
her babbling about setting up the rest of the series. “…We haven’t
even printed the second issue yet, so you guys are way ahead of
schedule. Let’s keep it that way. We still have the pool shoot and
the shower shoot to use, and of course the last shoot will be
bedding Rylan, so we’re just missing one.” She starts the engine,
but then quickly shuts the car off again.

“
What is it?” Andrea
asks.

“
Here,” Britain says,
turning back to Dallas and me with a huge grin on her face. “We’ll
do the shoot here.”

“
Here?”
I cry.

“
Yup,” she responds.
“Here. Andrea, grab my camera case. It’s in the back.”

“
But…” I try to think up a
good enough excuse as Andrea gets out of the car and opens the
back. “We don’t have a story.”

“
Rylan and her professor
are at a department mixer. He seduces her in the back of his car
upon leaving. Bam. Story. Go.”

“
That works!” Andrea
yells.

“
But my hair and makeup…
it’s not done right. It’s not typical Rylan.”

“
What is your deal, dude?
You need to relax about this whole people-recognizing-you
thing.”

Dallas puts his arm around my shoulder
as Andrea returns with the case. I look into his concerned gaze.
“You don’t want to do this right now.”

“
It’s not that,” I say
meekly. “I’m just… caught off guard. I need a few moments to—you
know—get in character.”

“
Let me help,” he says
throatily, lowering his head. His lips catch my neck, and I release
a gasp.

“
Yes, please get her in
the mood so we can shoot this thing before a security guard comes
around,” I hear Britain say. “That would be awkward.” She directs
Andrea to hold up the mobile lighting at a certain
angle.

Dallas’s tongue darts out and swipes
at my throat. The crook of his finger finds my jaw, and he forces
me to look those stunning eyes, rendering me utterly
useless.

“
What do you want me to do
to her?” he asks Britain without freeing me from his
grip.

“
Slide your hand beneath
her dress so it looks like you’re fingering her. And kiss
her.”

I hold my breath as I wait for him to
position me. He pushes me against the crook of the car door and the
seat. “Spread your legs,” he murmurs. I follow his orders, his hand
slipping up the inside of my thigh. The alcohol pulsing through my
veins heightens every sensation. I’m not expecting him to go as far
as to swipe his thumb along the crotch of my panties, so when I
tense, he smirks and bends forward, lips brushing against my
ear.

“
I can already tell how
wet you are,” he whispers.

A strangled whimper escapes my throat.
Is Britain directing us? I hear nothing over my own thrumming pulse
and Dallas’s hot breath.

“
Forget about Britain,” he
urges me secretly, pushing my panties to the side. “Forget she’s
here. Pretend it’s just you and me, Evan. Pretend this is
real.”

He drags his fingers all the way up my
slit until his thumb finds my clit. He rubs in slow circles,
capturing my gasp with his mouth. I part my lips for him, and this
time, he accepts greedily, tongue flicking across my lower lip and
delving to meet my own. He increases the pressure of his hand until
I’m mewing softly into his mouth, my entire body on
fire.

I don’t know if Britain’s instructing
him, but I feel his free hand dance along the collar of my dress.
He pulls the left sleeve all the way down until my breast is
exposed. Cupping it, he roughly pinches my nipple, a powerful wave
of ecstasy ripping through my body. I buck against his lower hand.
A dark chuckle bubbles from his throat, and he pulls away from my
mouth just long enough to whisper, “Patient,” before kissing me
deeply again. He thrusts two of his fingers into my pussy,
increasing the speed of his thumb against my clit.