The Millionaire’s Ultimate Catch (11 page)

T
he photographer and his small crew followed in a van. Naomi sat back in the SUV while Zack drove away from the city into the mountains. They passed large evergreen trees rooted into the ground like sentries guarding the land. An early-morning misty rain enveloped the vivid green landscape, making the area seem touched by faeries.

Later they passed vacation homes that peeked through the trees. The large windows caught the glint of the afternoon sun. Despite the dipping temperatures, the bright sunlight made it look like a summer day. She might not know a thing about photography, but she did know that a sunny day with few clouds couldn’t be a bad thing.

“Here we are.” Zack turned into a driveway and drove straight to the attached three car garage.

“Wow.” Naomi’s admiration waffled between the property or specifically the house.

Zack stuck his head out the window. “You can park here.”

The photographer and his crew parked next to their vehicle. Their muted music blared when they opened the side door. Four men and a woman, the makeup artist, emerged.

“Let’s head into the house.” Zack led the way.

Naomi stayed behind for a few seconds to enjoy the large wraparound porch. She investigated all around, noting that each side of the house had a door that led onto the porch. The rocking chairs and swing chair added coziness to the setting. She imagined Zack and Chantelle coming here for family vacations. The house seemed like the perfect place for a family to enjoy.

“Hey, are you going to join us? Or are you waiting to meet some of our furry friends?”

Naomi screamed and ran toward the door. She punched Zack in the arm when he laughed at her.

“Lorenzo, you and your crew will be staying at the guesthouse in the back.”

Naomi headed to the back of the house and almost gasped. The guesthouse was a duplex that could sit on any city block for young professionals. “I’m falling for this place hard.”

“Thank my dad. He’s a whiz at real estate and getting fantastic deals.”

Naomi turned from the window. “You are too.”

“Not lately.”

Naomi didn’t continue the conversation with the crew present. But she need not have worried, because the crew were equally wowed by the guest quarters and had gone through the back door.

“So where are you staying?” Naomi slid her hand against the high-end marble counter in the kitchen area.

“Don’t even play with me. I’ve had this planned to snatch you away and have you for myself.”

“Ooh, my alpha man, are you going to throw me over your shoulder and take me to your cave?”

“When the sun sets, you just wait.”

Naomi giggled. She had missed his body covering hers and his attention to her every need. By her watch, she had a couple of hours before dusk.

The crew noisily entered through the back door. The five people talked at the same time, exclaiming about the place and their new home for the next several days.

“Can we get started now? I want to do some test shots,” Lorenzo asked. “I won’t take all night.”

“Do I have do makeup, hair and all that?”

“No. Since we still have light, I want to go explore for good locations. If you’re with me, I can also take a few shots to see if it works.”

“Okay.” Naomi didn’t mind getting to work right away. She looked over to Zack to see if he minded.

“You go, earn a living. The other guys and I will make dinner.”

“I’ll go with them,” Martha, the makeup artist, said.

“Cool. Let’s go.” Lorenzo jangled his keys.

“By the way, if you want to ride horses, there’s a stable a mile down the road.”

“Don’t even think about it. My last horse ride was on a merry-go-round.” Naomi shook her head.

“You don’t have to ride, just pose.”

“On a horse? You want me to break my neck. Zack, call my superagent.”

“No, because I don’t want Brent camping out.”

“Okay, how about posing in front of the horse,” Lorenzo asked.

“How about finding a log in the woods and I just stand and pose?”

Lorenzo shook his head. Armed with his camera, he headed out of the house. Naomi and Martha trailed as they chatted about the healthy condition of her skin.

“We’ll head down to the end of this road, as Zack suggested.” Lorenzo drummed his fingers along the steering wheel. “Are you excited about this?”

“Kind of. How about you?”

“I’m stoked. You’ll be awesome. When I looked at the photos from the fundraiser party, I had that feeling that I normally get when I discover a rare beauty.”

“Pressure!” Naomi wished she could pull down the visor and look into the mirror. She wanted to see what he saw.

“I’m looking forward to trying a few new eye designs.”

“Nothing too weird. I’m not doing avant-garde.”

“I’d like to be recognizable.” Naomi tended to wear makeup when she had a formal function to attend. Otherwise, she used soap and water and a light lip gloss as her usual daily wear.

“I’m going to park here. I see a spot already.” Lorenzo hopped out the van and headed into the woods.

“Is he always this hyper? It’s like being locked in a room of a hyper teen.”

“He’s harmless,” Martha explained. “He loves photographing models. Got him in trouble when he was in high school. People thought he was just trying to be fresh.”

“You know a lot about him.”

“He’s my younger brother. I do the makeup and he takes the photos.”

Naomi looked at Martha for the first time, noting the similarities. She’d never have guessed they were siblings. She found their relationship comforting.

“Let’s go find him before he loses us or his way.” Naomi followed the path that she saw Lorenzo head down.

The foliage wasn’t friendly, with large, protruding tree trunks and thick, mossy underbrush that was slippery.

“Lorenzo?”

“Over here.”

Naomi turned toward the sound of his voice. She and Martha climbed over huge boulders and stood looking down at a serene paradise. A small river snaked through the land adding its own decorative power. Too bad the sounds of the environment weren’t going to be recorded. The thrilling tweets of the birds, along with the lazy winding fall of the water against the rocks and general calls of the wild would fit an audio track for outdoor listening pleasure.

Lorenzo snapped several photos with and without her. Martha stepped in to provide her input. Together they managed to get samples of satisfactory shots. More important, she enjoyed every painstaking minute of the process.

“Tomorrow, you may not be smiling at the end,” Martha warned as they made their way back to the house.

“She’s not kidding. I’ll be very exact. My crew will probably want to toss me off a cliff. You may want to quit.”

“I’m a big girl. I don’t tend to buckle under pressure.”

“Cool. That’s what I like to hear.”

They blasted the radio and sang at the top of their voices. Naomi couldn’t believe how her life had changed in a short space of time. Playing Superwoman certainly had its rewards.

Zack waited on the porch rocking in one of the many chairs. Dinner was done. The crew had eaten and headed back to their quarters. Now he waited for Naomi. He would finally have her to himself. They could have a candlelit dinner before he scooped her into his arms.

He heard the van before it turned into the driveway. The music blared, but the sounds of their voices contributing to the din made him smile. Judging from their smiles, he suspected that they had a successful first day of test shooting.

“I’m starved,” Naomi exclaimed. She ran up to him and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

Heaven help him. Thank goodness for her sake there were witnesses to any acts of seduction.

“Something smells fantastic.”

“Help yourself. Your other crew members took their food and left.”

“Why are you chasing them away?” Naomi whispered.

“Only two options exist.”

“A slow seduction without curious eyes. Or a public spectacle.”

“I would test you, but I don’t trust you not to try and make a point. So I’m going for choice A.”

Obviously, Lorenzo and Martha got the hint. They packed their plates with hot dogs, roasted corn on the cob and baked beans. With a cheery goodbye, they left.

“I’ll lock up.” He headed for the front door.

“I’ll clean up. Doesn’t look like much, since they used paper products.”

Zack locked the doors and windows and then turned on the security alarm.

“Are you sure you’re only trying to keep out the burglars?” She sashayed up to him. “Maybe you’re trying to keep me in.”

“There are other ways to have you stay put.” He walked up behind her at the sink and twisted the blind closed.

She arched her back against him, swinging her hips from side to side against his pelvis. He trailed a finger up her spine, enjoying the twitches of her body.

His hands worked the muscles near her shoulder radiating outward to her arms. He loved touching her skin. Gently he laid his forehead against the back of her head, inhaling her smooth scent.

She turned suddenly. Zack placed two small kisses on her chest.

“Let’s head upstairs.” She moaned as his lips brushed her nipple.

He lifted her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck. With little effort, he mounted the stairs and headed upstairs to the master suite. He knew she hadn’t seen the rooms.

Tonight only one room mattered.

He placed her gently onto the bed but didn’t release her until he kissed her squarely on the mouth.

“Do you want to see some of the lingerie?”

“I won’t refuse, although I hold no promises that you’ll be wearing it for any length of time.”

“Go away.” She waved him away. “I want it to be a surprise.”

Zack took the wait time to clean up.

“Ready.”

He entered the room, now bathed in muted light. Naomi sat against the pillows in a soft beige silk lingerie with delicate lacing. Her skin glowed, the muscular, toned legs drawn up where she sat. She’d fluffed her hair into a wild mane framing her slender face. Lip gloss turned her mouth into a sexy pout.

Zack took his time walking to the bed. He could have launched himself like a kid playing Superman to land on the bed next to Naomi. Instead he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside.

She crawled on her knees toward him. That wicked smile made him want to melt.

“I want to do that.” She brushed his hand aside from his pants. She kissed his stomach, smiling wickedly when the muscles crunched as his breath hitched. He balled his hands into fists to keep from grabbing her head.

Her hands unfastened his pants and then unzipped the opening. Complete with a giggle, she bit her bottom lip while her hand slipped into his pants and cupped him.

He was already aroused. Her personal attention solidified his commitment to the moment. When she eased her hand into his underwear, he jerked back.

“Shh.” She attempted to soothe him but was having the opposite effect.

His hands could no longer stay at his sides. He grabbed her arms to hold her still. He couldn’t take one more stroke against his arousal. He couldn’t survive her tongue addressing his stomach.

“So you like what you see?” Naomi looked up at him.

Zack released her arms. He took a step back, not too
much because he didn’t want the air to cool the warmth that they generated between them.

“You’ll be posing in this?”

“Yep. Something along these lines.” She raised up on her knees. Her fingers slid the edges of the lingerie up her legs. The movement was slow, deliberate, teasing.

Her quadriceps flexed and relaxed as she moved.

The hemline continued its ascent until the apex between her legs made a bold presentation. He reached for her, but she scooted back, providing him with a broader view of the final treasure.

She smiled, teasing him with her tongue brushing over her top lip. He rested his knee on the edge of the bed, trying to keep up with her game.

On her back, she pulled up the hem to her hip.

“Think you’re up to satisfying me?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She had no idea what a dangerous game she played with him.

Naomi straddled her legs open, drawing up one on top of the other. “I’m pretty hungry tonight. I’m just trying to make sure that you can take care of fulfilling any seconds.”

Zack saw the flickers of desire radiate in Naomi’s face. Her body looked ripe for the plucking, and he was straining against his willpower as he watched her stroke the tender flesh between her legs.

He grabbed her ankles and pulled her toward him. At the last minute, he flipped her over, enjoying the sight of her round buttocks facing him. He stroked the length of her legs, massaging her behind as she whimpered. Now it was his turn to stroke and cajole her body to respond for him.

He kissed her bud, flicking her essence with his
tongue. She cried out softly in the pillow. He stroked her gently, creating his own rhythm to stir her passion.

Her moist state excited him further. But he wasn’t done taking her near the peak. His fingers took charge, slipping in to play with that mysterious spot that heightened her pleasure to epic levels.

Her cries grew more intense and she rocked back and forth under his ministrations. He felt her tighten against his touch.

Gently he turned her over and slid the lingerie completely off. Her breasts, pert and aroused, cushioned his face. While he took her nipple into his mouth, he entered between her legs with a powerful thrust. She moaned and hooked her legs around his hips.

Zack grabbed the sheets and continued thrusting in perfect match with Naomi’s grinding movements. He buried his head against her long neck. Her entire body had the power to arouse him.

Her hands slid along his back. Her legs tightened around his hips. He sensed the proximity of her climax. Together they jumped headlong, tumbling and rolling through the waves of desire. Each wave roared in, growing stronger and more fierce.

“I love you, Zack,” Naomi softly said.

His eyes shot open. The release burst from him meeting hers halfway. The intensity brought difficulty, seeing, hearing and even breathing. His heart pounded in his head.