Читать книгу Burning Desire - Kayla Perrin - Страница 13

Chapter 4

With Nya gone, Sabrina headed back into her studio. There, she found Mason texting on his smartphone. When he saw her walk in, he slipped the phone into his pocket and faced her. And for some reason, Sabrina’s mood went down a notch. Had he just been texting a girlfriend?

What did it matter if he had been? Maybe Nya’s nonsensical talk had gotten into her psyche, because it didn’t make sense that she should care about whomever he was texting. Just because he was an attractive man didn’t mean she had to act on what she was feeling. Even if her heart was racing simply from being in the same room with him.

She almost laughed at the thought that had entered her head. Was she actually thinking that Mason might go for someone like her? Not that she wasn’t an attractive woman. She had certainly had her fair share of attention from men. But guys like Mason—men who were in another league of hot—went for a specific type. And she wasn’t it. She didn’t dress to show her sexuality, she didn’t wear makeup to highlight every feature. She wasn’t Plain Jane, but she was fairly conservative. She pegged Mason for the kind of man who went after the hottest women. Women who loved to wear revealing clothing and parade themselves as eye candy. Sabrina was definitely not that kind of woman.

Pushing any ridiculous thought about dating out of her mind, she faced Mason and said, “You all set?”

“Ready when you are.”

Sabrina instructed him to stand in front of the new backdrop, and then she went back to work, taking picture after picture. The backdrop of the flames looked amazing, and the contrast of his dark skin against the bright reds and oranges of the fire was striking.

She stepped away from the camera and walked toward a shelf where she kept supplies. She picked up a spray bottle filled with a concoction of water and baby oil and started toward him. “I’d like your chest to be glistening for these shots. As though you’ve just finished battling a fire, and you’re sweating. Do you mind if I spray something on your chest? It’s water and baby oil.”

“You can do whatever you’d like with me,” he said, his grin both sexy and playful.

She tried her best not to show a reaction and approached him. She sprayed his chest, and he flinched. “Too cold?”

“No, it’s fine.”

She continued to spray his chest. She then smoothed her hand over one of his biceps, spreading the mix. And though she was the consummate professional, she couldn’t deny the rush of heat she felt just by touching his body. He felt incredible. Strong and powerful. Tipping up on her toes, she stretched to rub her hand over his shoulder.

“I usually don’t let a woman grope me like this until the second date.”

Sabrina’s face flushed, and she halted.

Mason chortled. “I’m just messing with you.”

Of course he was, so why did she feel so ruffled? It had to be the feel of his amazing body, and the undeniable sexual charge she felt.

Once she made sure his other arm was adequately glistening, she returned the bottle to the shelf, dried her hands with a towel, and took her position behind the camera. Over the next twenty minutes, she took a good hundred pictures.

“I think I’ve got all that I need in here. I’d love to head to the beach, as I mentioned before. The spot I’ve picked is about fifteen minutes away. I think it’s perfect. We can go in my SUV, and then I can bring you back. I figure it’s best if you just stay in your uniform. Obviously, you can put your shirt back on for now. I’ve got towels in the bathroom you can dry off with. When we get to the beach, I’d love to get shots of you with the T-shirt and suspenders, as well. But definitely also more shots of you without your shirt on.”

“Fine with me,” Mason said, “but if you don’t mind, I would prefer to take my car and follow you. I’ll have to get going once we finish at the beach.”

“Oh.” Sabrina nodded. “Sure. That’s fine.”

She already had her camera bag pretty much set. But she dismounted her Canon 5D from her tripod, put it in its case and added it to the bag. In the meantime, Mason put on his shirt and gathered his own belongings.

Minutes later, they were heading out the door.

“My car’s in the back. I’ll drive around to the front. I’ll be in a red Chevy Equinox.”

“And that’s my car right there.” Mason pointed to the sleek black Mercedes, the CLS version of the car that came with a hefty price tag. She knew that from having dated a real estate agent who had driven the exact same car, except in white.

It affirmed for her that Mason liked flashy cars—and by extension, flashy women.

Sabrina headed toward Pacific Coast Highway. She took it north until she reached the exit that would take her to the stretch of beach she wanted. It tended to be quieter than other spots along the Pacific, which was ideal.

As she searched for parking, she spied Mason’s vehicle behind hers. She had offered him a ride in her vehicle, but now she was thinking that it was best that he had not come with her, after all. Something about her session with him still had her heart beating a little faster than normal, and she couldn’t help thinking that Nya was right.

She had come alive in a way that was shocking. For the past two years, she had been all about her career. Her marriage had failed in large part because her husband had not been able to deal with her being a career woman.

She parked at a meter on the street where two spots were available, and Mason parked alongside her. Then she got out of her truck, opened the back and began to unload her camera bag.

“Here.” Mason, who was suddenly beside her, spoke. “Let me help you with your stuff.”

He had his own bag with gear, yet took hers, as well, before she could take it out of the trunk. She grabbed the portable stand and umbrella setup for her Quantum Q flash, which she would need in order to erase any shadows as she took pictures of Mason facing the water. She also grabbed her tripod.

“This is a heavy bag,” Mason commented. “What do you have in it?”

“Two of everything,” she said. “A couple different types of flashes, extra batteries, different lenses, a variety of filters. Pretty much everything I need in order to shoot away from my studio.”

“And where are we heading?”

“Straight ahead. To those steps that lead down to the beach.”

It was the first weekend in June, and the beach was sparsely populated, unlike the weekend before. For the Memorial Day weekend, Sabrina had headed to this beach with Nya, thinking it would be quiet, but it had been jam packed with people.

Thankfully, today the closest people to where she planned to set up were a good fifty yards away, allowing for privacy.

Forty-five minutes after arriving at the beach, Sabrina told Mason that they were done. She was beyond satisfied with the shots. With the rocks as a backdrop, the beach, and the stretch of Pacific, they all looked stunning. Mason would certainly be a top contender for the front cover, but she would finalize that once all the photos had been taken of the remaining firefighters. There were still five more to go. But with his status as captain at the station, it made sense that he be featured.

She was elated that everything had gone so well, and hated for the shoot to be done because Mason had been incredibly easy to work with.

“All right,” Sabrina announced. “I think I have everything I need. Thank you for a great shoot. I know the pictures are going to be amazing.”

“I had fun,” Mason said.

Sabrina disassembled her umbrella light, folded the tripod and light stand, and returned everything to her camera bag. Mason was stripping out of his fire pants and boots while she packed up. Once he had the pants off, Sabrina’s eyes ventured to his bare feet. Good grief, even his feet looked sexy. From her vantage point, they looked long and perfectly formed. Manly.

While Sabrina figured out a way to juggle all of the items she’d brought, Mason came over to her and extended a hand. “Let me take your bag,” he offered.

“I got it,” she told him, finally securing the light stand and tripod under each arm, the camera bag already slung over her shoulder.

“I can see that. But I’m offering to help you.”

“And I appreciate it, but I’ve carried my camera bag and gear around a gazillion times. I don’t need—”

“Are you always this stubborn?” Mason asked.

“Stubborn? I wouldn’t call it stubborn because I’m used to handling myself in all types of photo shoot situations. It comes with the territory.” Besides, for some reason, she was ready for Mason to be on his way. The sooner the better.

“And I like being a gentleman. Come on, give me one of the bags.”

Looking at him, Sabrina conceded. The car was parked a good ways down the street and the gear was heavy. She passed him the large bag.

“I can take the tripod, as well,” Mason said.

“I—” She stopped herself midprotest, and said, “All right.” She gave him a sidelong glance as she looked up at him. “I guess I am a bit stubborn. But I’ve always been used to taking care of myself.”

“And why is that? No man to take care of you?”

Sabrina stopped and looked up at him. “I don’t need a man to take care of me.”

“So that’s it.”

“You make it sound like a curse.”

“It’s neither good nor bad. But perhaps you can tell me all about it over dinner.”

Sabrina’s eyes widened. Had she just heard Mason correctly? She decided that even if she had, it had been a slip of the tongue on his part.

She began to walk briskly, thanks to the fact that she was no longer weighed down by her heavy bag.

“That was a question. Customarily, questions are followed by an answer.”

Sabrina turned around to face Mason, who was looking at her with a disarming grin. “You were serious?”

“Of course I was serious. I’d love to take you to dinner. I can’t do it tonight, but perhaps we can make arrangements for tomorrow. I’m back to work on Friday.”

“No, thank you,” Sabrina said without preamble.

“Just like that? You’re not even going to consider it?”

Sabrina hesitated before speaking. She was trying to digest the fact that Mason had even asked her out when she was certain she wasn’t his type. “This isn’t uncommon,” she said after a moment. “Feeling close to someone after spending some time in a photo shoot.”

Mason’s laughter was instant. “Are you saying that in the last two hours, you think I’ve developed some sort of savior complex where you’re concerned? Or do you call it a photographer’s complex? I’m not familiar with the term.”

Sabrina inhaled a breath and continued. After hearing Mason’s response, she conceded that the idea sounded a little silly. But she persisted, nonetheless. “To a degree, yes. We connected well. We enjoyed some flirtatious banter. I’ve seen you with your shirt off. I even rubbed your body down with that solution. And now you think it would be a nice idea to take me on a date.”

Mason looked amused. “So you’re telling me that hitting on the photographer who just took photos of me is typical?”

Sabrina was flustered once again. She hadn’t exactly come off as eloquently as she’d hoped to. But he had to understand the idea that she was getting at. That simply because they had spent time together, he was feeling that they’d connected. That was what was making him think that going on a date would be a good idea. But whatever attraction he was feeling wasn’t really founded in reality.

“It’s not an official complex or anything,” Sabrina said, not quite meeting his eyes. “Just...you know how people who work together often end up dating? Simply because they spend so much time together during the work week. That’s sort of what I’m getting at.”

“Ahhh.”

“And typically, they end up regretting it.”

“Right.”

Thank God, he understood.

“Thanks for the warning,” Mason went on. “I appreciate your consideration for not wanting to blur the lines between business and pleasure, if that’s what this is. But all the same, my reason for asking you out has nothing to do with the fact that you’ve seen me with my shirt off. Plenty of people have seen me with my shirt off, and I didn’t ask them out on a date.”

Sabrina’s face flamed. “Like I said, that came out the wrong way.”

Then she started walking again, grateful that Mason did the same, in silence. At her SUV, Mason helped her get the bags into her trunk. Sabrina was ready to be on her way and forget about this strange interaction with Mason.

Until he said, “Despite what you said, I actually would like to take you out to dinner. Would tomorrow work for you?”

Sabrina looked up at him, shocked. So he was serious. This wasn’t going according to plan, not at all. She was truly hoping that they could simply part ways, so she could put the unprofessional parts of the day out of her mind.

“Why?” she found herself asking.

“Call me old school, but I’d like to take you to dinner because I find you incredibly attractive and I’d like to get to know you better.”

His words stumped her. She hadn’t expected him to say that. He was way too gorgeous to be single, let alone interested in her.

“Mason, I’m flattered, but—”

“Don’t say no. I’ll take you somewhere nice, we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and we’ll talk.”

“I’m flattered, I really am. But I’m sorry. I—I’m just not interested.”

Mason looked at her, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Oh. You’re involved with someone?”

“Do I have to be involved with someone to say no to you?” Sabrina asked. She crossed her arms over her chest, unaware of the defensive gesture.

“That would be one explanation.”

She laughed without mirth. “Quite the ego you have, don’t you?”

“Maybe I’m completely off base, but I thought I felt something between us. Some sparks. Especially...”

“Especially what?”

“Especially when you had your hands on my body.”

Sabrina felt a rush of heat, which she attributed to embarrassment. “Really? Well, you couldn’t be more wrong.”

“Oh. Ohhh.” Mason’s eyes widened, as if he finally understood something. “Are you telling me that you’re not into men?”

For a moment, Sabrina was too speechless to react. Then her lips parted, and she gaped at him. “Because I’m not interested in going out with you, that means I’m gay?”

“It’s a possibility.”

Sabrina was suddenly enraged. There was a part of her that wanted to throttle him. He was smiling good-naturedly, as if this was all just fun and games for him.

“No, I’m not gay. I don’t appreciate your caveman tactics. If no one has ever had the guts to tell you no before, let me be the first one.”

Instead of being frazzled by her comment, Mason’s eyes lit up with humor. “Caveman?”

“Well, you certainly seem to have Neanderthal attitudes about dating.”

“Caveman, Neanderthal. Go ahead, don’t hold back. Tell me what you really feel.”

Sabrina gritted her teeth, and then closed the door to the back of her vehicle. She was beyond ready to get out of there.

She went to the driver’s-side door, but Mason followed her. “Are you planning to take off? Without even a goodbye?”

“You are getting on my last nerve,” she muttered.

“What was that?” he asked.

Sabrina spun around to face him. “You want to know what I think about you? I think you’re attractive man. One who has an honorable job. But a guy like you has a hard time hearing no. And because no one tells you no, you expect everyone you ask out to say yes. Right now, you’re completely baffled as to how I could possibly reject you. So you assume I must be gay. That’s why I said you have a caveman attitude. It is offensive for you to assume that I’m not interested men, simply because I’m not interested in you.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever called me a caveman before.”

“I call it as I see it. And with your archaic—”

Before Sabrina even knew what was happening, Mason suddenly bent down, slipped his arms around the back of her knees and hoisted her over his shoulder.

Sabrina screamed. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

“I’m going to take you somewhere so I can have my wicked way with you.”

“Let me down!”

“Why? According to you, this is how I operate, right?”

Sabrina could see people’s heads whipping in her direction, smirks across their faces. Two people who had just exited a car nearby raised their cell phones and began snapping pictures.

“This is humiliating!” Sabrina went on.

“But I’m only doing what you expect of me. You said I’m a Neanderthal. In fact, you said that about three times.”

“Let me down!”

“Not until you take back what you said.”

“Mason! I swear—”

He then slowly slipped her down his body. Her breasts pressed against his rock-hard chest as he lowered her. Her heart was racing, her pulse pounding in her ears. She gripped his shoulders instinctively, for balance, but the moment her feet hit the ground, she pounded on his chest.

She should have slapped him, but he had already made a spectacle of her and she didn’t want to draw more attention to them.

“How could you?” she asked, her chest heaving up and down. “People are staring! Taking pictures! I’m probably going to end up on the internet somewhere!” Mason grinned down at her, an easy smile on an undeniably handsome—and arrogant—face. “And you think this is funny?”

“One thing you’ve got to know about firefighters is that we like to joke around. Our jobs are so intense, it’s important to find ways to make it light.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And, you did call me a caveman. I believe, from what I’ve learned about caveman, that they’re prone to knocking woman over the head and taking them over their shoulders.”

Sabrina turned away from him, her breathing erratic as she tried to calm herself. She was angry. But she was also turned on. Being in his arms like that, she’d felt a purely sensual reaction to him.

Two young women in their early twenties walked toward Sabrina and Mason en route to their own car. “Are you really a firefighter?” one of them asked, looking up at Mason’s helmet.

“Yes, I am.”

“Lucky you,” the other one said to Sabrina, before remotely unlocking the car behind Sabrina’s Equinox.

The two women then giggled as they got into their vehicle. Sabrina turned back toward Mason, leveling an angry stare in his direction. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s my view that everyone can benefit from a little lighthearted goofing around. Maybe some more than others.”

“Are you trying to say I’m uptight?”

“The only thing I know about you for sure is that you’re a tough cookie. But I look forward to learning more about you at dinner. Unless you’d prefer we only go for a drink.”

Sabrina marched toward her driver’s-side door and opened it. “Mason, it was nice working with you. Now, I must be on my way.”

She climbed into her car, slammed the door and quickly started the engine. She then she drove off, leaving Mason standing at the curb, looking after her.