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The urge to keep the flirtation going was an insistent poke in his back, but he was in a room full of people, naked, and for a reason. He’d have time to pursue the spark he had with Jasmine later.
He hadn’t thought about what he wanted to get from this shoot. He’d been asked to pose naked and he’d agreed. He knew a part of the invitation was because his team had won the championship two years in a row. Despite his slipup, he’d been a key component to this year’s playoff win, and bets were circulating about whether or not he’d retire. Rumors he didn’t want to confirm no matter how close they were to the truth. He was thirty-six years old. Ancient in professional sports. The time had come for plan B.
Whatever the hell that was.
“I want you to show my athleticism,” he said. “I’m old compared to the other guys on my team. Show that my age doesn’t mean I’ve lost something.” That his body wasn’t breaking down.
Her brown eyes narrowed slightly. She nodded slowly. He got the sneaking suspicion she could see into him and had read his thoughts. His fears. Or, maybe, he just liked the way she looked at him.
“I think I can do that.” She reached with her left hand and scratched the back of her shoulder.
The white shirt lifted with the movement. He caught a flash of a ring in her belly button against smooth caramel skin. He sucked in a breath, his ab muscles tightening. Jasmine didn’t seem to notice how he stilled at the flash of her belly ring. She’d turned away and rummaged through her bag.
Just like that, he was hooked. The need to discover what else was pierced tempted him like a hunt for the treasures of the universe. He wanted to take his time uncovering all of her secrets. Did tattoos accompany her piercings? His arms, chest and back were plastered with body art, each one significant to him in some way. He had no problems with women doing the same, but he liked that Jasmine hadn’t covered all of her sexy brown skin. That would make discovering what, if any, spots she’d decorated even more fun.
She turned with another camera gadget in her hand and faced him. “So, Kevin, are you ready to get naked for me?”
Considering he was there specifically to be photographed naked and she was a photographer, the words shouldn’t have sent heat shooting through his veins with the force of a charging bull. Coming from her full lips, in her silky voice, with that spark of hidden wildness in her eye, not only was heat charging full steam, but another area rose to half-mast.
Smiling, Kevin unhooked his towel and let it drop to the floor. “Any damn time.”
Jasmine didn’t blush or frown. She boldly looked over his body. Her gaze paused below his waistline. The flash of appreciation that lit her eye made him want to crow like a rooster. Forced thoughts of the drills coach ran them through in practice was the only thing keeping him from getting a full-on erection. His pride wouldn’t let him show her just how much her look made his pulse race.
Her dark eyes met his and she cocked a brow. “Let’s do this.”
* * *
Jasmine had photographed tons of half-and completely naked people in her career. Some of the most beautiful women, the hottest men and captivating celebrities. It was almost impossible to have a career as a fashion photographer and not encounter beautiful, naked people. But never before had she had such a hard time focusing on capturing the scene instead of how utterly incredible the subject looked naked.
She’d appreciated a nice body before. Even accepted an offer or two from people she’d photographed with a no-strings, no-commitment caveat.
As long as there was little chance of messy drama during or afterward. She wasn’t currently looking for anything long-term or even casual. She had other goals at the moment. But her brain was barely letting her separate the job of photographing Kevin from her primal appreciation of his body.
Her woman parts were attracted to everything about him. The man was a work of art. Long lean muscles and tan skin decorated with beautifully drawn tattoos. At first glance, his intense gaze and large muscular body were intimidating. But then his lips cracked a come-here-and-get-all-of-this smile accompanied by a twinkle in his eye that promised hours of I-shouldn’t-have-done-that-but-damn-he-was-good memories.
Only by the grace of God did she survive the photo shoot without drooling down her chest. She had a lot going on right now. She’d finally gotten Angelo to agree to let her exhibit at his gallery at the end of the year. Which meant she actually had an end result after telling the fashion world she was no longer going to photograph beautiful people for a lot of money and instead follow more artistic pursuits.
Despite the skepticism her announcement had received, she was excited. She’d made her money and built her career. She’d earned the right to do what she wanted. Kevin, though very pretty and tempting, was not part of the way she needed to spend her last few nights in New York.
“Was it as good for you as it was for me?”
Kevin’s voice caressed her body like a warm ocean breeze. She could almost forgive him for such a cheesy line. Almost.
She stopped packing her camera to look up at him. She was tall at five foot nine. In her black boots, she brushed six feet, but she still had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. And there went her pulse, accelerating from the eye contact. He’d wrapped the towel back around his waist, but his incredible chest and forearms were bare. Despite the cold room, heat radiated off him in waves. That, or her body temperature rose in his presence.
“Do you really think you’re the first person who’s tried that line with me?” She leaned back against the table and rested her hands on the top.
“I don’t care who’s tried it in the past. I want to know if it’s working for me today.”
His confidence was a turn-on. She was drawn to sexy, confident men. Discovering whether the confidence was warranted or just overcompensation was fun to figure out. She had a feeling Kevin’s was warranted.
“Working for you in what way?” she asked.
“Is it increasing the likelihood I’ll be able to see you again?”
She tilted her head to the side. “How is photographing you today supposed to make me want to see you again?”
He shifted his weight and rubbed his hands together. The movement made the towel dip lower. Her gaze dipped before she could stop herself. When she met his eyes again, he lifted a brow.
Yeah, you look good and yeah, I know it.
“You were behind the camera,” Kevin said. “That’s very impersonal. I thought you’d want a more up close experience.”
Seriously? Was that all it took for this man to get a woman in his bed? She didn’t doubt it. Hell, her body was responding, her nipples hardening and heat building in the apex of her thighs just from the promise in his eyes. The man was the embodiment of dangerous sex appeal with those dark eyes, tattoos, muscles and good looks. A combination that had caused women to make regrettable decisions since the beginning of time.
“Oh, no need. My camera has a zoom lens, you see. I’ve already got an up close and personal view of everything I wanted to see.”
His smile scattered her thoughts for a second. “And you’re not interested in seeing more?”
She was definitely interested in seeing more. If she didn’t have plans for tonight, and she didn’t have to start packing to leave New York, and she had a little more time to feel him out and decide if he was worthy of getting in her bed, she would have said yes.
Not going to bed with Kevin was good for other reasons. Guys like Kevin had the pesky potential to become more than just a fling if she wasn’t careful. Guys like him got in her blood, her head and before long, had her thinking she was in love right when he was ready to move on.
“I’m sure it would be fun, Kevin, but I’m going have to say no, thank you.” She didn’t smile with her letdown but kept her voice casual. Kevin seemed flirty and laid-back, but she’d witnessed how volatile some guys could be when faced with rejection or how others would view an accompanying smile as an excuse to keep hounding.
He raised a brow. “You sure?”
She took a deep breath and gave him one last once-over. Yeah, Kevin would definitely be fun, but she didn’t have time for that kind of detour. “I’m sure.”
He placed a hand over his heart and stepped back. “You break my heart, Jasmine, but I won’t push.”
Score more points for him not behaving like an idiot. “I appreciate that.”
“I’m in town for a few days. You change your mind, give me a call.”
If only she were in town a few days. “I don’t have your number.”
The man miraculously pulled a pen from his towel. The towel shifted dangerously low, so low she could see the dusting of hair below his waist. Magically it held in place.
“You have an ink pen in your towel?”
He chuckled and stepped close. “Always be ready.” He took her hand in his. His was large and warm but surprisingly gentle.
Heat zipped up her arm and through her chest, right down to her toes. There was a hint of cologne combined with an underlying peppery spice that heated her even more. He turned her hand palm up, uncapped the pen with his mouth and wrote a number on her wrist.
The movement of the pen tickled. The heat of his fingers branded her. Her pulse fluttered and her breathing stuttered in her chest.
His eyes lifted to hers. Desire and a dare flickering in their depths. He lifted her arm higher, blew on the ink. Goose bumps rose all over her body. Her sex tingled and her nipples tightened.
“You’ve got it now,” he said in a low voice she felt all the way in her toes. Kevin ran his thumb over the number, smiled at her, then dropped her hand. “Call me.”
He turned and walked away. The towel dipped. Jasmine sucked in a breath. He caught it before it fell. Jasmine released a disappointed breath. Yeah, he was definitely a get-in-your-blood kind of guy. Thank goodness she was leaving New York in two weeks.
Now, to keep from calling him before she left town.
Chapter 2 (#uaaee1d1d-9f66-529d-a955-ac55901217d5)
“Come on, Kevin, tell me. Are you retiring?”
Kevin chuckled and took a sip of the red wine in his hand. He leaned against the balcony of photographer Rafael Sim’s penthouse overlooking uptown Manhattan. He stretched out his hands reflexively. The nearly constant ache didn’t subside. Pretty soon he wouldn’t be able to ignore it. He put down the glass of wine and looked up from his failing hands.
“Rafael, when the decision is made, I’ll let you know.”
“You really think you have one more season left in you?” Rafael asked. There was no judgment in his voice. If anything, there was a hint of admiration in his friend’s tone.
A month ago, Kevin would have lived up to that admiration.
“I’m not quite ready to be put out to pasture,” Kevin said. Carefully, he picked up the wineglass and took another sip. He didn’t admit defeat easily and he wasn’t ready to give up his place in the league.
“Well, you know retiring will free up your time to pursue other things,” Rafael said. His curly dark hair was cut in a fashionable style that would have looked ridiculous on any other guy, but Rafael was able to pull it off, along with his white pants, flowered button-up shirt and dark-rimmed glasses. That was Rafael, fashionable to the core.
“Things like what?”
Rafael shrugged and leaned his forearms on the balcony next to Kevin. “Things like sponsoring the art exhibit of your good friend.”
Kevin laughed at the blatant request. He’d met Rafael several years ago during New York Fashion Week. That was right after Kevin’s divorce, when he’d chosen to bury his heartbreak in the arms of a supermodel he’d met. She’d dragged him to a fashion show and instead of being bored out of his mind, he’d ended up sitting next to Rafael, talking about art. Kevin had agreed to sponsor Rafael’s next exhibit and they’d been friends ever since.
“You know I got you,” Kevin said. “What are you showcasing this time?”
“Chronicling life in my hometown in Texas. The place once thrived... Now the jobs are gone and it’s dying out. My family is still there, and they’re trying to hold on like everyone else.” Rafael’s voice was bittersweet. “The loss of jobs is sad, but the hope of the people still shines, ya know?”
“I know.” Kevin’s own hometown in South Carolina had gone through the same thing. Loss of industry, people moving out and a stunted tax base had nearly killed the place his mom and grandmother still called home. He’d done what he could to help bring business back and the place was finally making a comeback. “I think that’s a good idea. Maybe it’ll help shine some light on your hometown.”
Rafael nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
The sound of conversation inside the penthouse increased. Kevin straightened and glanced toward the door. “Sounds like we’re missing your party,” he teased. There were other people on the balcony, too. Music played from the speakers and conversation and laughter flowed, but it definitely sounded like something had excited the people inside.
“I know,” Rafael straightened and walked toward the balcony doors. “Let’s go see what’s going on.”
Kevin followed. He glanced through the glass at the people still inside. He spotted a pair of beautiful brown eyes and a flash of blue-tipped hair. A slow smile spread over his face while pleasant surprise and the thrill of a chase played a pickup game in his chest. “Jasmine Hook.”
Rafael nodded and grinned. “She made it.”
Kevin glanced at Rafael. “You know her?” Obviously, if she was here. He wanted to know how Rafael knew the woman he’d thought of repeatedly since the shoot earlier that day.
“We worked a couple of shoots together. How do you know her?” Rafael threw Kevin a curious look.
“She photographed me this morning.”
Rafael’s eyes widened. He ran his hand through the curly bangs that had fallen over his eyes. “No shit. She saw you naked.” He didn’t say anything else, but his tone begged Kevin to spill some dirt.
“She did, but she wasn’t impressed.”
Rafael flicked his wrist. “I should have known. Jasmine isn’t easily impressed. She dated Julio for a while and they broke up about two years ago. After that, she hasn’t gone out much. I was hoping you and your raw animal magnetism would have broken her dry spell.”
Kevin seemed to recall that Julio was Rafael’s cousin. He wasn’t in fashion but he was a popular DJ in the New York club circuit. “What happened with her and Julio?”
He had expected his animal magnetism to have gotten Jasmine to at least agree to see him again. He didn’t typically strike out when it came to women. He wasn’t arrogant, but he also knew some women were easily drawn to a professional athlete. A lesson he’d learned the hard and fast way early in his career.
“He got back with his kid’s mom. They’re married now.”
“He broke her heart?” That would explain why she’d backed off. Broken hearts made getting back out there difficult. He knew; he’d been on both ends of that particular ailment.
“Doubtful,” Rafael said. “She seemed okay afterward. None of the usual dramatics, and she’s still okay with me.” Rafael shrugged as if that explained everything.
“Why wouldn’t she be okay with you?” He didn’t bother to ask what the usual dramatics were. Rafael was a bit of a drama king himself. Last year, Kevin witnessed one of Rafael’s post-breakup meltdowns. That had not been pretty.
“I hooked them up,” Rafael explained. He pulled open the door and stepped inside. “Come with me to greet her,” he said over his shoulder.
Kevin followed Rafael over to Jasmine. She looked even better hours later. She seemed chill and relaxed as she greeted Rafael’s other guests. Her smile was easy and her laughter infectious. She still wore the black boots from earlier with a different pair of jeans, torn this time, and a gray tank with MTWTFSS on the front. Days of the week, the WTF in the middle in bold. Kevin smiled at the hidden question.
Rafael strolled right up to Jasmine and encased her in a huge bear hug. Jasmine laughed and hugged him right back. The two were obviously friends. Whatever ill will she had toward Rafael’s cousin had not spilled over and ruined their relationship.
She glanced at Kevin over Rafael’s shoulder. Surprise flashed across her features. He didn’t know what divine intervention put her at the same house party as him, but he was thankful for it. He acknowledged her with a nod of his head. She blessed him with one of her killer smiles before she pulled back and looked at Rafael.
“I hear you got a good look at Kevin’s goodies,” Rafael teased.
Jasmine’s answering chuckle made various parts of Kevin’s body tighten. “He did well. Not a trace of shame or embarrassment in the middle of a room full of strangers.” Her brown eyes met his. The light hit them, adding a golden hint to their brown depths. He wanted to step closer to gauge their hidden secrets. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said to Kevin.
Rafael answered before Kevin. “He’s a good friend of mine. Even more so today because he agreed to sponsor my next exhibit.” A woman across the room called Rafael’s name. He turned toward her and nodded. “Well, since you two know each other, I’ll go see what Livie wants.” He waved his hands at her and Kevin as if they should keep talking and left them.
Jasmine turned the full impact of her sexy smile Kevin’s way. The dull ache in his hands was easily forgotten when she smiled at him that way. Everything was forgotten except thoughts of what he might need to do to see that smile more often.
“So, exhibit sponsor, huh?” she said with a raised brow. “Maybe I should call you.”
“I like Rafael’s work. I haven’t seen yours.” He actually had and knew it was good. The pictures they’d gone over after the shoot were impressive. He knew the “Bodies in Motion” issue wasn’t just about gratuitous naked athletes, but she’d done a great job of capturing his athleticism as he’d run, jumped and dunked the basketball in the studio. She was talented, but he liked teasing her.
“You’re an art critic now?” She brushed her long, blue-tipped bangs out of her eyes and met his gaze through thick lashes. The silver bangles on her slim wrist slid down her arm almost to her elbow.
He pursed his lips and nodded to try to look serious. “Oh yes. I’m very selective. My opinion is highly sought after by those in the know.”
Full lips twitched and her eyes brightened with laughter. “Hmm. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I can’t have you criticizing my photos of you.”
“Yours will be judged extra hard.”
He placed his hand near her lower back but didn’t touch and nodded his head in the direction of the bar on the left side of Rafael’s spacious living room. There wasn’t a bartender and Rafael’s guests could mix their own drinks. Jasmine let him lead the way. He was pretty sure let was the right word. He doubted she would ever let anyone direct her if she didn’t want them to.
“And why will mine be judged harder than the others?”
