Page 59 of See You There

Dahlia’s lips twitched at his obvious discomfort. He was certainly handsome enough to be a model. Luke’s eyes sought Dahlia’s in a silent plea, but she only gave him a sweet smile.

“Please? The photoshoot won’t be as good without these shots,” the assistant said coyly.

Peter smirked nastily. “And if I can’t get enough variety to choose from, I’ll just have to use all the shots I got from the first set of pictures.”

Luke glared at the man’s implied threat before his shoulders slumped. “What do I have to do?”

Fifteen minutes later, Luke emerged from the dressing room, and the butterflies woke in her chest with a vengeance. She had never considered herself as someone with a thing for a man in uniform, but the way Luke looked in the Army dress uniform…

From the makeup artist’s audible sigh, clearly Dahlia wasn’t the only one affected. The costume was intended for Chandler’s smaller frame, meaning that on Luke, the olive-colored jacket fit his broader shoulders like a glove, and the pants pulled at the hips and thighs.

“It’s too small,” Luke grumbled when he reached her side under the tree, tugging at his pants.

“I’ll need to shoot from the knee up or put something in front of him.” Peter gestured at the skin visible above Luke’s socks.

“You look nice.” Dahlia tried to get her heartbeat under control. What was it about this man that set her hormones into overdrive every time she saw him?

Luke looked down at her, his gray eyes shadowed by the brim of the regulation hat. “I look ridiculous. I can’t believe I agreed to do this. My brothers will never let me live this down.”

“Music!” Peter yelled, and then directed Luke and Dahlia into different positions. Luke was stiff at first, but after a couple of minutes, he caught her eye and she giggled. His face relaxed.

“Try to have fun!” she whispered. “Pretend you’re someone else. It’s what I do. In this dress, I’m Irma. You are my beau home on leave.”

“Your beau, huh?” Luke smiled into her eyes.

“Some ’40s lingo from the script stuck.”

“That’s good, just like that.” Peter snapped several shots. “Now move in. Bring your faces closer.”

Dahlia took a step and angled her head to Luke’s. His head bent toward her until they were only inches apart. She was vaguely aware of Peter’s instructions, but the surrounding people had faded away.

Dahlia closed her eyes and breathed in Luke’s spicy cologne. Her pulse galloped and her lips tingled where his exhale coasted across them. She swayed forward, and when Luke made a sound low in his throat, her eyes popped open. His eyes searched hers, the tension between them palpable.

At Peter’s instruction, Luke placed his hand on her waist, and the heat of his palm seeped through the fabric until Dahlia was convinced it would leave a mark. His fingers curled into her just above the thin belt of the dress, and he tugged on the strip of fabric, bringing her closer. Dahlia’s breasts tightened, the constant low throb of desire becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

When Luke tipped his head closer to hers, Dahlia wasn’t sure if it was because Peter had given the direction, or if it was masculine instinct. Luke’s hand opposite the camera lifted to cradle her face, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. The look on his face…

“You’re a natural,” she breathed, desperately trying to hold on to her composure.

“I’m trying to get into character,” he murmured, as the pad of his thumb traveled to graze her sensitive earlobe. He tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear and leaned closer. His nose brushed through her hair, and she shivered at the warmth of his breath against her skin.

“But it’s hard. If you were mine and we’d been apart…” he murmured, his lips just barely skimming the curve of her ear. “I certainly wouldn’t be wasting time on a picnic.” He pulled backslightly, his gaze falling to her lips. “Unless you were naked and spread on the blanket beneath this tree. And it wouldn’t be food I was devouring.”

Holy hell!Desire, hot and furious, slammed through Dahlia, and she squeezed her thighs together against the delicious ache in her core. She was going to make a fool of herself… right here… in front of the entire crowd.

It might just be worth it.

Luke’s gaze rose to hers, the black of his pupils bleeding into the gray. His breath picked up, making the scratchy material of his Army jacket abrade her skin above the low neckline of the dress, as his chest rose and fell. Her nipples pebbled at the motion, making her realize how sensitive her skin had become.

Luke chuckled low and turned his head slightly so the crew couldn’t read his lips. “Would you like that, Dahlia?” He whispered into her ear. “If I were to strip this dress away and lay you on this blanket? I have about twenty different ideas about how I would use that honey to drive you wild.”

Dahlia forgot where she was. She forgot to breathe. What he was saying was outrageous.

It was also the hottest thing she’d ever heard.

She leaned into him, tingles racing up and down her legs. Luke’s hand slid from her waist to the small of her back. They swayed together in the semblance of a dance, neither able to look away. Luke’s eyes burned into hers, promising things she couldn’t wait for him to deliver.

“Take her other hand and pivot toward me.”