Page 26

Story: The Inquisitor

You’re a sex-deprived fool.

She broke the trance and gestured to the couch. “Have a seat. It’ll just take me a few minutes.”

“Take your time.” Instead of sitting, I browsed the tiny cabin.

“No. I’m late.” Kiera raked a hand through her hair.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No.”

It was a lie. Based on the surprised look on her face when she peeked through the curtains, I knew she hadn’t been expecting me.

Had she been expecting someone else? The thought of another man being inside this cabin with her or even touching her bothered me more than it should have. But I had no claim to her.Had she forgotten about our shoot?

She bent over to a bag on the floor and rummaged through it, giving me a view of her beautiful backside. My fingers itched, remembering how firm and perfect her ass had felt against my hands and body. Heat sparked in my chest and traveled to areas that had no business being turned on at the moment. This was a professional meeting, not some sexual rendezvous. Despite that, I couldn’t stop my body from reacting the way it did. When I was around Kiera, I wasn’t the man I used to be. She could command my body without saying a damn thing.

Right now my dick was trying not to burst from the way her hips shifted from side to side. I felt like I was suffering from some kind of ailment that turned me into a crazed man with untamed sexual energy threatening to be released. She drove me crazy.

Needing to do something, I dropped into a chair at her kitchen table where a box of Special K Red Berries cereal greeted me, bringing back memories of my college days. Cereal, chips, and fast food had been my preference at that time. This brand of cereal had been the healthiest thing I’d eaten.

Opening the box, I poured some into my palm and snacked.

She eyed me with an arched brow. “Hungry?”

Yes, I’m starving for you.

“I haven’t had these in years. Forgot how they taste,” I said.

She tossed a few things into her shoulder bag and slung it over her chest. Looping the camera strap around her neck, she offered me one large garment bag and a small duffle bag. “Can you carry these?”

I popped the rest of the cereal into my mouth, got up, and grabbed the bags from her hand. “Anyone else coming to the shoot?”

The last time I modeled, there had been several assistants. But that had been in a studio with many models, brands, and people running around trying to stay on schedule. Today’s photo shoot was just FitFlex, more casual, which meant I had more time to stare at her.

“No.” She closed the door and locked it.

I wasn’t sure if I liked this impersonal treatment. Something had changed after that night. I wanted to fix it, but I didn’t know how. Did I want things to be what they were before our escapade?

Hell, no.

But could we be anything more? What did she want? She’d left my bed without a word.

It was the best night of my life. Had the evening been that awful for her? Several theories came to mind, and I didn’t like any of them. It did nothing for my ego.

No women left my hotel room that soon unless I kicked them out. Why had she left? Why hadn’t she spoken to me after that?

“Good,” I said, glad that Bruno wouldn’t be around.

She gave me an inquisitive look. “Why?”

“Because I like having you all to myself.” I watched her reaction.

Something flickered in her eyes, but then it disappeared. Ignoring my comment, she walked down the porch and dragged over a wagon. “You can put the bags in here. One has clothes for you, the other has shoes and sandals. We’ll be walking to the location. It’s near here, just down there. You okay with that?”

“Okay with what?”

“Walking.” She’d tied her hair back into a ponytail, looking fresh and casual, like a Sunday afternoon.