Читать книгу Burning Desire - Kayla Perrin - Страница 12

Chapter 3

Sabrina held the receiver to her ear and listened to the phone as it rang. On the third ring, she was pretty certain that Mason Foley wasn’t going to pick up.

Again.

She had already left him two messages to confirm their appointment, but he hadn’t gotten back to her. Now, she had no clue if he was going to show that afternoon.

“How unprofessional can a person be?” she muttered, and pulled the phone away from her ear to hang up. She halted. Had she just heard someone say something on the other end of the line?

Quickly, she brought the phone back to her ear, still uncertain if she had heard anything other than the beginning of Mason’s voicemail greeting.

“Hello?” said the groggy voice.

“Oh, hi,” Sabrina said lamely. She had expected no response and wasn’t actually prepared to speak to the man.

“Yes?” Mason said.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

She heard him yawn before saying, “It’s okay. Who’s calling?”

Sabrina glanced at the clock on her computer screen. It was minutes after ten in the morning—a time when most people were up. But Mason was a firefighter, and she knew that they worked twenty-four hour shifts. It was likely that he had worked the night before and barely had a full night of rest.

Either that or he had spent the night pleasuring a woman. She’d seen his picture, and just looking at his gorgeous face and immaculately toned body, she knew he was the type who had to fight them off.

“Hello?”

“Um, this is Sabrina Crawford,” Sabrina quickly said, wondering why her thoughts had ventured to Mason’s likely night of making love. “I’m the photographer working on the Firefighter’s Calendar. I’m sorry to call so early. But you’re supposed to come in today for your shoot.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

What did that mean? “So you’re going to make it?” Sabrina asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Oh. Oh, good.”

“Why do you sound surprised?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure. I left you a couple of messages to confirm, and I didn’t hear back from you.”

“Sorry about that. I’ve been busy with work. I meant to call you back, but didn’t get around to it.”

“It’s fine,” she told him. At least she’d gotten through, because she had started to worry that he would be a no-show. “So today at three o’clock?”

“Actually, is there a chance we can do it a bit later?”

“How much later?”

“Like four p.m. I had a late night due to a fire. You may have heard about it. The restaurant on Maple Avenue. And I’d like to head into the firehouse before seeing you. I need to follow up on something.”

“Four o’clock will be fine. Again, I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“No problem.”

“Just to confirm, you’re bringing your fire gear including helmet, as well as your dress uniform.”

“Yep. I’ll bring some tools, as well. Accessories for the shoot.”

“Sounds great,” Sabrina said. “I’ll see you at four.”

Sabrina hung up. She then loaded up a picture of Mason on her screen. It became all too clear why she had thought about him in bed. He was gorgeous, and everything about him oozed sex appeal, which would work out well for her shoot. She was certain that he would be an easy model to work with.

With each of the firefighters, she had taken shots of them in her studio. She had also taken some photos at the firehouse with the engine and ladder trucks as backdrops but she had also utilized local parks, the waterfront, and the forest the bordered the eastern side of town. With Mason, she wanted to travel a little bit north along a stretch of the Pacific Ocean that had a beautiful rocky backdrop. She was certain to capture what would be stunning photographs there. She wanted the calendar to be pleasing not only because of the male models, but because of the lush scenery in Ocean City. It was what would make this particular calendar unique.

And he had a feeling that Mason was going to be an ideal model.

* * *

It was just minutes before four o’clock when Nya entered Sabrina’s studio to announce that Mason Foley had arrived.

“Oh, good.” Sabrina climbed down from the stepladder. She had just finished putting up the background she wanted to start with for the shoot. It was a cityscape of Ocean City at night. Turning to face Nya, she saw a huge grin on her friend’s face.

“Nya, what is it?”

“Giiirl.” Nya all but pranced toward her, the grin on her face growing even bigger. “I have seen some fine men in my day, but Mason— Oh, my Lord. He has got to be the finest man to step foot in this studio!”

Sabrina looked beyond Nya’s shoulder toward the door that led out of the studio, in case Mason had followed her in. Not seeing him, she said in a lowered voice, “So the man is fine. Get a hold of yourself.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You haven’t seen him yet! I’m just trying to prepare you!”

“Okay, I get it.” Sabrina sounded nonchalant. She had photographed all sorts of people in her life. She wasn’t the type to lose her head over an attractive man. “Go ahead and tell him to come on back. I’m ready for him.”

“Oh, you think you’re ready.”

What the heck had gotten into Nya? “You know what you need?” Sabrina said, smiling sweetly. “You need a man.” It was obvious that her friend had gone too long since her last relationship, because her extreme reaction to this Mason guy was over the top. Sabrina only hoped that Nya had been professional with Mason in the reception area.

“Maybe I can help you here while you do the shoot?” Nya offered.

“Nya!” Sabrina made a face. “What’s gotten into you?”

Sabrina shooed her silently, hoping that Mason had not overheard any of their conversation. She had to admit that this behavior was a little out of character, even for man-crazed Nya.

And it wasn’t that Sabrina didn’t enjoy a good-looking man as much as the next woman, but she certainly knew how to be professional.

“Go get him, please,” Sabrina reiterated. “And please be professional,” she added in a hushed voice.

Once Nya left the room, Sabrina went over to the octagonal softbox light that she had set up, and fussed with it. She heard his footsteps, but still didn’t look behind her, preferring to appear busy.

“Ms. Crawford?”

Sabrina turned. And just like that, the air left her lungs in a rush. Instantly, she understood why Nya had been out of sorts. Mason Foley was indeed a stunningly gorgeous man.

When Sabrina had seen his picture on her computer, she had deemed him to be a fine specimen of a man. One who would surely be a hit with the ladies when the calendar was produced. In fact, she had already figured that a picture with him would be great on the cover.

But her reaction to him now was visceral. And for a moment, she was bereft of words.

Totally unlike her.

He took a step into her studio, seeming to fill the space with his tall muscular frame. “You’re Ms. Crawford, right?”

It was then that Sabrina realized that she had not moved since seeing him, and she forced one foot in front of the other until she reached him. She outstretched her hand and offered him a smile. “Sorry. I just...” She just what? Was taken aback by his good looks? Surely she couldn’t tell him that. “I didn’t expect that you would be so tall,” she finally said. “How tall are you?”

“Six foot six,” he told her.

“Oh, wow.” Realizing that her tone had been filled with awe, Sabrina frowned slightly. What was wrong with her? She felt flushed, and her heart was beating faster than normal. It had been a long time since just looking at a man had set her heart aflutter like this.

The pictures she had seen of him did him no justice. In person, there was a quality to him that radiated throughout the room. A charisma that made him instantly likable.

Glancing beyond Mason, she saw that Nya was standing in the doorway, a dreamy look on her face. Sabrina cleared her throat before speaking. “Nya, would you put the kettle on?” She faced Mason. “Would you like some tea, coffee, water? We also have a variety of juice.”

“Just a bottle of water, that’d be great.”

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” Nya asked. “I can run out and get some sweets from the bakery across the street, if you like...”

Sabrina widened her eyes as Mason turned to look at Nya, silently trying to tell her friend to take it easy.

“Just the water,” Mason told her.

And when he turned back to look at Sabrina, she felt a definite charge. Goodness, it wasn’t simply that he was good-looking. What Sabrina felt was undeniable attraction for this man.

She turned, walking toward the backdrop, determined to rid herself of whatever had taken over her being. “You brought your gear?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s in the reception area. I figured I would ask you how you want to do this first. You might want to take a couple of shots of me wearing this before I change.”

Mason was wearing jeans and a white cotton shirt that was unbuttoned down to his mid chest with the sleeves rolled up. There was an easy confidence to the way he walked, and Sabrina got the sense that he knew exactly how he affected women.

Sabrina could easily take photos of him in what he was wearing, and probably make a fortune selling them to GQ magazine. But this shoot was for the firefighter’s calendar, and that meant taking photos of him in his uniform. In full gear, partial gear and in his dress uniform. She would take a variety of pictures and decide which ones were best. But if he looked as good without his shirt on as she expected, she had a feeling that the best photos of Mason would be ones with him wearing only his fire retardant pants and suspenders. She was certain those would be a hit with the women.

“Actually, if you could show me what you brought, that would be great.” She spoke the words and knew that her voice sounded a little wispy. “We can decide from there what’s best for you to wear, but I definitely want you in your uniform.” She paused. “How do you feel about going shirtless?”

“I have no problem with it. I’m yours to do with as you please.”

Sabrina had to do everything in her power not to react with a sound of carnal lust. The suggestive nature of what he’d said had her coming undone.

Which was ridiculous. Obviously, his words hadn’t had any secret meaning. She had seen many attractive men before, photographed plenty of them. Why was she so flustered around this one?

“It’ll all be tasteful, of course. And as long as you look good with your shirt off, I’m sure the shots will come out great.” She smiled. “Oh, there’s Nya with your water. I’m not sure if I actually introduced you, but Nya is my personal assistant and also one of my best friends. So anything you need, feel free to ask her.”

Nya approached him with the bottle of water, her eyes wide, as though she were a deer caught in headlights.

“Thank you,” Mason said as he accepted the bottle of water.

As he took it in his left hand, Sabrina surreptitiously checked out his ring finger. It was bare.

Nya continued to stare, and Mason gave her an odd look. “I—I’m sorry that I’m staring. It’s just that I don’t see men like you coming into the studio.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “Forgive my assistant—”

“It’s just that you’re so tall.”

“Six foot six.”

“And you went into firefighting instead of basketball?” Nya shook her head, as though she couldn’t understand what he had been thinking.

“Nya,” Sabrina said. “Can you please call back the Johnsons to make sure they got my message about changing their appointment time?”

“Of course,” she said. Then, to Mason, “You’re sure I can’t get you anything else?”

“We’re fine,” Sabrina said, her tone firm.

“Okay. Well, you know where I am if you need me.” Nya’s smile was syrupy as she stepped backward out of the studio, before finally turning and heading toward the front office.

“All right.” She faced Mason again. “If you’d put on your entire outfit, helmet and all, that would be good.” She figured it would be best to start with him in his full uniform, and then he could take off the layers, as she deemed necessary.

“Sounds good. Where should I get changed?”

“When you go back out to the front, you’re going to see a door on your left. That’s the washroom. Feel free to get changed in there. Or, if you need more space, I can let you get changed in here and I can wait out front until you’re ready. Whichever works best for you.”

“I’ll figure it out.”

As Mason headed out of the studio, Sabrina couldn’t help eyeing his long, muscular frame.

She then mentally reprimanded herself for being so distracted by the man’s good looks and made her way over to her Canon 5D. She checked to make sure that the battery was full, which she knew it was. However, she had others in the room charged and ready to go if that one lost power. Then she went to her camera bag and verified that all of the accessories she would need for their trip to the beach were indeed there.

When Mason came back into the studio dressed in his fireman’s uniform, Sabrina felt the same bodily reaction toward him as she had earlier. Obviously, it had been way too long since she had been involved with anyone. But he was definitely not her type, so her pull of attraction toward him made no sense.

He took a step toward her, and her pulse sped up. Okay, so she was lying to herself. The man was definitely her type. In terms of the kind of man that turned her on, Mason may as well be pictured in the dictionary. But he was also the kind of man who turned on lots of women, and Sabrina was wise enough to know that that kind of guy was dangerous to a girl’s heart.

Her heart in particular.

She’d dated the kind of man that everyone liked back in college, and had ended up heartbroken because of it. She had long since vowed never to date someone that every woman had to stop and gawk at ever again.

“What do you think?” he asked.

That was a loaded question. She thought he was smoking hot. He would look—at least for the calendar—like the hero he was. A man in uniform here to rescue the damsel in distress.

“Looks great.” She averted her eyes. “Why don’t you come up in front of the canvas? I like this one, and I’ve got plenty more that we can try, as well. Let’s start with some shots of you in your full uniform like this, and then we can go to shots where you take off the upper portion. You know, give the ladies what they want.”

Mason’s smile was enigmatic. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, it was a smile just for her.

Again looking away from him, she first closed the door to the studio for privacy, and then headed toward her camera. He walked past her and stood in front of the wall where the canvas was set up. Sabrina looked through the lens of her Canon, getting a sense of how she wanted the photo to be framed. She manually zoomed the lens out to see his entire body, and then half pressed the shutter release button to focus the shot. Easing her head back, she eyed the lights that she had set up on either side of the room, satisfied that they needed no adjustments. She snapped off a test shot, and looked at the viewfinder to see how she liked it.

“I wasn’t ready,” Mason said playfully.

“That was just a test shot, but you look great. You’re a natural.”

Mason was definitely one of the most photogenic men she had ever come across.

“Okay, keep standing the way you are. But look at the camera. And don’t smile. Give me a serious face.” Mason did as she asked, and she snapped shot after shot. “Good, let’s do a couple more just like that. Turn your head slightly to the left. No, my left.” She grinned. Then she took a couple more pictures. From her viewfinder, she was very impressed with the results. “Excellent. Now, how about you give me a smile?”

Mason’s smile was instant, and it lit up the room. He looked good in his more serious shots, as well, but his smile was like a giant gold foil bow on a Christmas present—the perfect final touch on an extravagant package.

Sabrina took photo after photo of Mason in his full uniform. Then she had him hold his helmet against his chest for some of the pictures, and under his arm, as well. Almost all of the shots looked great. It was going to be hard to choose the right one, but that was a good dilemma.

Now it was time to get a little sexier.

“As we discussed, you can take off the upper portion of your uniform. I’m going to change the backdrop.” She had ordered a backdrop from a photo she had taken of flames, and she loved how it turned out. She went across the room to the far wall to get the stool so that she could use it to unhook the current backdrop. She looked in Mason’s direction, surprised that he had begun to disrobe right there, instead of heading to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of his smooth dark skin, and quickly averted her gaze. Mostly. But she couldn’t quite help glancing in his direction.

“Do you want some help?” he asked.

“No,” Sabrina responded. She had pulled the lever to wind up the canvas, and it was ready to come down. “I generally don’t put the talent to work.”

“That’s not what I call work. I’ve got no problem helping you do this. What do you need to do? Unhook it?”

“It’s okay.” Sabrina stretched to reach the top portion of the heavy canvas, and when she looked down, Mason was at her side. “Certainly you’re not opposed to someone helping you? And for what it’s worth, I don’t consider myself the talent. We’re in this together, aren’t we? You’re helping the fire station create a great calendar that’s going to bring us lots of money, which, of course, is going to help out local charities. Let me help you do this, even if you are completely capable of doing it yourself.”

Sabrina looked down at him. The glimpse of his hard muscles and strong arms made her suck in a breath. He extended his hand to her, and she took it, feeling a zap of heat as he helped her down from the stool.

“Thank you,” she said. “And once that’s down, I’m going to put up the canvas that’s resting in the corner.” She pointed to it.

“No problem.”

Sabrina watched as he easily put up the next backdrop for her.

Finished, he said, “There you go.”

“Thank you,” she told him.

Mason gestured to his upper body with a hand as he walked toward her. “So, does my chest meet with your approval?”

Sabrina’s eyes bulged. She wasn’t even sure how to answer.

“Do I look good with my shirt off?” he added.

And then she remembered the comment she had made earlier, and understood. “Oh, of course. Yes—”

“You seemed to be concerned that I might not be up to snuff,” he said, his lips curling in a grin. “So that’s why I was wondering. I want to make sure that you think I’m up to standard for the calendar.”

Sabrina swallowed. Surely he was joking or perhaps searching for a compliment. But his body—with an eight-pack and hard planes and muscles in all the right places—was more than satisfactory for the calendar.

It was phenomenal.

In fact, she was almost certain now that he would be the model she used for the front cover.

“I’m not sure why I said what I did,” Sabrina explained. “It was an off-the-cuff remark. Certainly unfounded. Your chest is flawless.”

“Thanks,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled down at her.

Was he flirting with her, or was she out of her mind? Maybe her libido was simply clouding the sense God had given her.

There was a knock at the door, and Sabrina turned. “Come in,” she called.

Nya opened the door, and her eyes instantly went to Mason, sweeping over his naked upper body. Her expression said that she liked very much what she saw.

“Oh, wow.” She couldn’t hide her wanton appreciation of Mason’s body. Her eyes steadfast on him, she said, “Sorry to disturb you, but it’s after five, so I was going to head out. I’ve got that date to get ready for. But I wanted to see if you need anything else from me first.”

“I’m fine.” Sabrina turned to Mason. “You need anything?”

Mason shook his head. “Nope.”

When Sabrina looked at Nya again, she saw that her friend was still gawking at Mason, as though he was a public display of priceless art. Sabrina began to walk toward her. “We were going to head out soon, anyway, so feel free to head on home,” she said when she reached her friend. She then took Nya by the arm and physically led her out of the studio. Nya craned her head over her shoulder to say, “Bye, Mason. It was nice to meet you.”

“Nya, what’s gotten into you?” Sabrina asked once they reached the front office.

“Are you kidding me? That is one of the finest men I have ever seen.”

“Yes, he is. But remember, I run a professional studio here. I don’t want him thinking that he can’t be comfortable taking off his shirt.”

“I know, I know. But damn, he is fine. I can’t wait to see those photos.” Nya paused. “Did you find out if he’s single?”

“Nya! Aren’t you going on a date this evening?”

“Hmm, are you getting a little territorial?” Nya’s eyes narrowed as a look of playful curiosity crossed her face. “You like him, don’t you?” It was more of a statement, than a question. “Yes, you do!”

“He’s an attractive guy, sure, but am I supposed to be losing my mind over him?”

“I know you,” Nya began. “Look at you, there’s actually a bit of a spark in your eyes! Thank God, because I was beginning to wonder if you were dead from the waist down.”

Sabrina placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “Nya, this is completely inappropriate.”

“Look, I just wanted to know. Because if you’re not interested, and my date tonight doesn’t go well, then I’d love to get to know Mr. Firefighter better. But I can tell you like him, so I’ll back off.”

Sabrina stared at her friend in complete shock. “I don’t even want to know what you’re going on about. Mason is here to take photos. This is all about business.”

Nya looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe it should be about a little pleasure, as well. After all, you haven’t even dated since your divorce.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Sabrina spoke sweetly. “Get your bag.” Once Nya had her purse slung over her shoulder, Sabrina put her hand on her back and guided her toward the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Go for it,” Nya told her before Sabrina closed the door and locked it.

Through the glass, Nya held her gaze, giving her a thumbs-up gesture to imply that she had meant what she’d said.

Sabrina flipped the CLOSED sign on her door and turned away from her friend who was still beckoning at her in sign language.

Nya had clearly lost her mind.