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Women would eat up how romantic that backdrop was. Even women who didn’t normally enjoy country music. The only thing missing would be a dog. That thought made me wonder if he had a dog. Had to. Didn’t all handsome men come with a canine best friend?
My phone buzzed with an incoming text alert. I glanced at the screen, knowing there wouldn’t be time to answer anything before Callan arrived. It was a text from Naomi, wishing me luck. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the message from my unknown contact that had come in while I’d been driving to the park. This one said that their day had improved. I might not know the texter, but I did a little happy dance for them.
The rumble of a powerful engine bounced off the trees and the paved lot, disrupting the quiet that always came as sunset approached. Had to be Callan.
Blasted flock of birds in my gut swooped and twirled again. I had to get this attraction to my client’s client under control or I was going to mess this assignment up for sure. Yeah, maybe my awareness of his striking looks would help with the composition of the images I was about to snap, but that was only going to work if I wasn’t distracted by how much I may or may not have wanted to jump him.
I was facing the parking lot when he coasted in for our meeting. My heart skipped a beat or three as I caught sight of him, straddling the powerful bike, face shadowed by his helmet, shoulders impossibly broad. Using his torso and leg muscles, he easily balanced the weight of the heavy machine as he drew to a stop. He lowered the kickstand with a flick of his boot, and let the bike lean to rest on the thin metal rod.
Damn, I wanted to lean into him, press my breasts to his back. Or his front. Feel the iron rod in his well-fitting blue…
I sucked in sharp breath and busied myself with grabbing my bag and then locking my car. When I turned to face him, I had all my emotions under control, and had fixed a professional smile on my face.
“Hey, Red.” The timber of his voice as he greeted me told me exactly why he was a successful recording artist. Deep and rich, sultry and friendly. With just enough drawl in his words to make my mouth water. And the sound of his nickname for me on his lips—Ooh la la.
I clenched my fingers around the strap of the camera bag, purposely digging my nails into my palm. “Callan. Thanks for meeting me tonight.” I dug inside the bag and pulled my Nikon out.
He fastened the helmet on the seat of the Triumph, never taking his gaze off me. “Do you think the lighting will be right for the cover?”
Nodding, I pointed to the clouds. “Yeah. It’s a perfect evening for sunset pictures. See that awesome reflection of the setting sun on those clouds? In about twenty minutes, the sky is going to be a blaze of colors.” I checked the settings on the camera and pointed it at the sky, snapping a series of images. I might not use them for his cover, but I would use them at some point. I’d be sure to take some more as the setting sun painted the clouds in reds, purples, and oranges.
He finally looked away from me and scanned the horizon. “Always loved a good sunset.”
I tipped my head to the side. There was a melancholy note in his voice, and his face seemed masked in pain. He looked wistful, and unbearably romantic. I aimed the camera his direction and clicked the shutter. The quiet noise drew his attention back to me and I captured a few more images as his expression morphed from quizzical smile to a broad grin.
Lowering the camera, I cleared the sudden clog in my throat and mentally threatened the flock of birds in my gut with annihilation if they didn’t knock it off. I searched my bag for an elastic for my hair but came up with nothing. So, I grabbed my ball cap and jammed it on my head, with the brim at the back. When I looked up, the approving look in his eyes set off a wave of warmth, like a tropical ocean flowing through me.
Damned attraction.This was really inconvenient. It had been a long time since I’d felt this type of insta-lust.
“Um… If you’re ready, I want to go to the observation tower. The scenery there is good, and by the time we get there the light will be perfect.”
“Okay.” Callan moved toward the trail. He passed into a pool of sunlight and the golden highlights in his hair blazed.
“Hang on.”
He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder.
I gestured to his bike. “Can you move the bike there, right next to you in the sunlight?”
With a shrug, he returned to his motorcycle, lifted the kickstand, and rolled it over to where I’d indicated.
“Perfect.” I set the bag on the ground and moved around him, snapping pictures from several angles. “Just…uh, lower the kickstand and lean on the bike. Please.”
“Like this?” He complied and rested his lean hips against the machine. Propped one hand behind his hips on the bike’s seat; the other one he dug into his pocket. He tipped his chin down and glanced up at me.
“Yeah.” I clicked the shutter a few more times. He stretched out his legs and crossed one booted ankle over the other.Gawd, I needed a bucket of ice water.Biting my lip, I inclined my head to the side. “Don’t move your torso, but look to the side, chin almost in line with your shoulder.”
His grin widened as he did as he was told. “Damn, Red. Feeling like a supermodel here with all this posing direction.”
Click, click, click.That smile.
I grinned behind the camera and moved to the left. “I’ve never been called a fashion photographer before. I guess those Bryant Park hotshots better move over.”
“Bryant Park?” His brows snapped together, and I triggered the shutter again.That’s the money shot right there.
I lowered the camera and switched the control to review the images I’d already grabbed. “It’s one of the locations for Fashion Week. You know, where the best designers show off their collections. Especially the really ‘out-there’ designs.” I switched back to camera mode.
“Got it. I guess I prefer Cheekwood Park.” He mentioned a popular Nashville attraction and threw his head back and laughed. I lifted the lens and clicked the shutter again. He looked back at me, sincerity vying with amusement on his face. “The only feathers you see there are on the birds.”
