Chapter Five

Well, this is awkward.

And I don’t mean nervous-giggle awkward. I mean turn-around-and-run-for-your-fvcking-life awkward.

Recognition flashes in his dark eyes when he sees me. Heat flares briefly, too quickly for Clara to notice it, but slowly enough that I know I wasn’t imagining it.

That same heat flushes up my neck and colors my cheeks. Yep. This is going from bad to worse.

“Thanks, Clara. Shut the door on your way out.”

Alone?

“But—”

“Sheila knows I shoot alone. Get out and shut the door.” He’s talking to her but his eyes are focused on me. I lick my lips as Clara makes another half-hearted attempt to argue and he shuts her down once more.

I lick my lips as Clara makes another halfhearted attempt to argue and he shuts her down once more. I trace his face. His unruly, dark hair is swept to one side, keeping out of his equally dark eyes. His cheekbones are defined and his jaw is strong, angular. And his lips are…curved in amusement at having caught me staring at him.

The slam of the door jolts me back to reality. Kind of. I still have hot-man haze. I mean, crap.

“This is a turn of events I wasn’t expecting.” His accent is crisp and what the hell is it about the British accent?

“Yep.” I fiddle with the belt on the robe. “It’s certainly a surprise.”

It’s not every day that your one-night stand becomes your photographer.

“At least there’ll be no…awkwardness.” He drops his gaze to my hidden body and I swallow. Oh, no. He’s definitely seen my body. And touched it. And licked it.

I shift uncomfortably. Nope. Not even going there. Eyes off the bed please, Olivia.

“Let’s get unnecessary introductions out of the way, shall we?” He steps toward me.

My lips curl into a smile. “It’s not unnecessary if you don’t know the other person’s name.”

“Very true.” He told his hand out. “Ivan.”

Half intros it is, then.

“Brenda.” I put my hand in his larger one. He pulls me against his hard body and settles his lips close to my cheek.

He pulls me against his hard body and settles his lips close to my cheek. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Brenda.” His words are smooth like melted caramel, and I fight the urge to close my eyes at the easy sound.

A pleasure indeed.

Ivan steps back with a brush of his lips across my cheek. My hand instantly feels cold when he releases it, and I raise it to my hair before realizing that Dean will pitch a fit if I mess up these curls.

I drop my arm lamely, aware of Ivan’s eyes on me as he gets his camera. He looks at me for a long moment.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Are you taking off the robe? I can’t do a lingerie shoot without lingerie.”

My lips form a small ‘o.’ Of course I have to take off the robe.

Please, someone pinch me. This can’t be reality. I mean, I’m all for coincidences, but this puts the ‘fvck’ in ‘fvcking joke.’

I turn away from him and slide the robe down. I hang it on the hook on the back of the door. I flex my fingers to rid the slight tremble there and spin back to face Ivan.

My breath catches at the way he looks me over so obviously. He’s completely unashamed as his gaze touches every part of my body in a way that makes shivers rocket up and down my spine until my skin is buzzing.