London Bound: New Adult Romance (Chase Brothers) (6 page)

What the hell am I doing?
Her brain tried desperately to take control of the situation. But she didn’t fell like listening. For the first time in longer than she cared to think about, she liked having someone’s hands on her. She wasn’t afraid. Instead, she craved it, that connection. Her body hummed with vibrant sexual energy. An energy she hadn’t felt in six long years. There were nerves, but not from fear or trepidation. It felt good. Better than good. It made her remember how much she needed to be touched. Or rather touched by someone who could make her feel safe.

But just as the last of the tension ebbed out of her body, his thumbs pressed gently against her hipbones, moving her back several inches. He raised his head, and they stood like that for several seconds before Abbie realized Jasper had switched the music.
Oh, God
. She’d been standing here with a total stranger, practically melting into him.

Heat rushed to her face. “I—”

He smiled, and she was too blinded to finish. Gently his thumbs traced across her hipbones once more, and he let her go. “Thank you for the dance.” Then he turned around and walked away.

Abbie spent several seconds staring after him. What the hell had just happened?

“Hey, there you are.” Tamsin’s voice broke her out of the fog. “Who was that you were dancing with?”

Abbie stared into the crowd feeling empty. “I have no idea.”

Chapter 6

Two days later, Abbie stood in front of Xander’s door wishing she hadn’t stayed up so late again. She’d need to be careful hanging out with Sophie and crew. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans.
Come on. Get it together. You’re here to learn
. She couldn’t be afraid forever.

Taking one more deep breath to marshal her nerves, she knocked quietly.

“It’s open.”

“Here goes nothing,” she mumbled.

The moment she opened the door to Xander’s office, she felt like she’d walked into an episode of
Hoarders
. There were piles everywhere and books and boxes of photo equipment.
Wow
. “Uhm, is this a good time?”

He grinned as he stood. “Of course. It’s your time to use. Here, let me clear you a spot to sit.” Quickly, he cleared a stack of coffee table books off a chair and placed them on the floor beside his desk. “There you go. Have a seat, Little Bird.”

She flushed. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

He plopped into his seat across from her with a lazy ease. “What, Little Bird? It’s how I see you. I go through every single one of the photos that you all submit for review. Occasionally, one or two stand out. From that point forward, I can’t help but look at my students that way, as if that photo encompasses everything they are.” He shrugged. “Hence, Little Bird.”

There was no way she’d be able to concentrate with him staring at her like that. Like she had his full focus. She tried not to squirm under the scrutiny of his direct gaze. “So, can I ask, what are you looking for in your assistant position?”

His bark of laughter was rich and low. “Right to the point, I see.”

Abbie shrugged. “It’s why I came to London. I want to work with you.”

Something flittered over his expression, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. “I’m looking for a damn good photographer who can put up with me. Right now, all of you show promise, but I think with some hard work, we can make you shine.”

Way to be vague. “I’d just like to know the criteria you’re using to measure my work.”

His lips tipped up in an oddly familiar smile. “Ahhh, the artist with a type A streak. I understand. Composition, command of the light around you, the basics, but to an expert level. I don’t want to be able to tell the difference between your work and an Ansell Adams. But you have to infuse heart into your images. That and confidence. If it’s not there, I can’t use you.”

Heart
.
Confidence
. Considering hers had been ripped out of her chest, and her confidence lay under a pile of shit, she’d have to figure that out. “Okay. I can work on it.”

“So, tell me what you’re thinking of for your first assignment.”

Abbie detailed her plan to photograph the architecture of London and how she hoped to get that gritty urban feel that somehow still managed to convey joy. He listened intently before speaking.

“It’s a decent plan. But honestly, I want to push you outside of your comfort zone. I don’t want you to take pretty pictures of landscapes. Your portfolio was a little light on portraits. Maybe you can try some this week.”

Abbie forced her breathing to even out. Portraits. Absolutely her weakest kind of photos. “I uh—”

“Hold that thought.” He stood and strode to the bookshelf. Xander pulled out a dusty hardcover and handed it to her. Then he got on his hands and knees and searched the lower shelves before finding what he was looking for. “And this.”

His fingertips brushed hers, and she jumped. He immediately withdrew his hand and sat on the edge of his desk, giving her plenty of room. Great. Now he thought she was nuts.

“I don’t understand.”

Xander studied her carefully. “You’re here to learn, right? And to push your boundaries?”

Abbie nodded.

“Then try something new. Have a look through those two books. Jonathan Frazier is one of my favorite photographers. The first one is a book of his landscapes. The other is of his portraits. Next meeting, tell me which ones moved you the most.” He glanced at the clock. “It looks like our time is up for today.”

Wow, an hour had gone by that quickly? “Sure. I can do that.” She thanked him and picked up her bag to leave.

He stopped her in the doorway. “Abbie.” His voice was low as he leaned forward. “You can’t photograph honestly when you’re shuttered from the world. You’ll have to open yourself and show your vulnerability to hit your true potential.”

Abbie tipped her chin up. “I can do that.” At least she could try. Landscapes had always been easy for her, but if he wanted to push her, then fine. She’d get some portraits done. Even as she waved goodbye, her brain was already formulating a plan for the kinds of portraits she might be able to do.

Checking her watch again, she hurried out of the media building to meet Ilani for lunch. She’d already hit up most of the campus spots for a potential job before her meeting with Xander. Hopefully, something would come up in the next couple of days.

Her friend arrived mere seconds after she did. “So how did your meeting go with Mr. I’d-consider-a threesome-for-you Chase?”

Abbie barked out a laugh as she and Ilani grabbed a seat at the campus café. “Seriously, Ilani?”

The blonde shrugged. “I’m not into girls, but if that man asked me, I’d say hell yes, whatever you want. Come on, he’s certainly worth the shag.”

“You’re ridiculous. Have you had your meeting with him yet?”

Ilani shook her head. “Mine’s this afternoon.”

Abbie eyed her friend. Ilani had gone for a short corduroy skirt and low-cut fitted sweater. “I see you dressed to impress.”

Ilani beamed. “Well, you have to put your best assets on display and see what happens. I mean, he might have said he’s not interested, but I know for a fact he’s slept with a student before.”

Intrigued, Abbie leaned forward. “Really? Who?”

Ilani glanced around surreptitiously. “She was a year ahead of me and in his undergraduate class. Rumor is, she made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

“So what happened with her?”

Ilani shrugged. “Well Xander is notorious. Maybe she couldn’t keep up.”

“Uh huh.”

“Okay, fine, she caught him with some model on a shoot and went ballistic on him.”

“Explain ballistic.”

“Well, rumor is that their little tryst was all about woman on top. She allegedly grabbed the model by the hair and yanked her clean off Xander, then well, threatened him with bodily harm if you know what I mean.” Ilani waggled her eyebrows. “She went completely mental. Screaming and shouting that she was going to end his career. Of course, she’s the one who was carted off. He emerged unscathed.”

That sounded like something from a soap opera. “Don’t you think if all that happened, he’d be a lot less likely to sleep with another student?”

Ilani grinned. “Difference is, I only want him for his body. I have no desire for a relationship of any kind. What about you?”

The waitress arrived with water and took their orders.

Abbie shook her head. “Oh, I’m off relationships. I just got out of a bad one, and I’m not eager to repeat the experience.”

“Oh no, I meant Xander. What do you want him for?”

“Xander? The only thing I want from him is an excellent job recommendation, if not a job, by the end of the year. Other than that, he’s all yours.”

Ilani studied her. “Are you sure about that?”

Abbie frowned and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “What do you mean?”

Her new friend shrugged. “It means I saw you guys in the hall earlier. It looked like he might kiss you or something.”

Abbie blinked. “No. He was
not
going to kiss me. He was busy imparting some knowledge about how I’ll need to be more vulnerable. Besides, I’m not interested. I’m staying far away from guys right now. He’s all yours.”

“If you say so. But from where I was standing, he looked plenty interested in you.”

The look of seriousness on Ilani’s face was the only thing keeping Abbie from laughing out loud. “I promise you he’s not. I’m just a student to him. Besides, with that skirt on, you’re sure to catch his attention.”

Ilani looked temporarily mollified, but then she added, “Look, all kidding aside, you seem like the kind of girl who would get hurt. I like you, and I don’t want to see that happen. Just be careful.”

Chapter 7

“You ready for dinner?” Lex asked his brother as he narrowly avoided stepping on a box of lens filters.

“Yeah, just let me put away the student portfolios,” Xander replied.

Lex looked around his brother’s tiny office. “Just where do you plan on putting them, Xander? It’s not like you have a lot of room in here.”

“Take the piss all you want, mate. I have a system.” He stuck the portfolios on an already overflowing shelf. “Besides, it’s not like I have an assistant right now. Most of this stuff will move to my studio anyway. Once that’s done, it’ll be downright neat in here.”

Lex just laughed. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

His brother studied him as they left his office and took the back hall to the staff parking lot. “So, what’s with you?”

Lex shoved his hands into his pockets and kept his gaze looking ahead. He didn’t need Xander probing into the dark recesses of his mind. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

Xander dropped his camera bag in the boot, then strolled around to the driver’s side of his Pagani Huayra. “Seriously, Alexi? You seem to forget it’s my job to study the nuances of human features and emotion then capture those moments.”

Lex wasn’t in the mood for his brother’s attempts at psychoanalysis. He carefully opened the passenger door of the Huayra. The car was both the fastest and the flashiest of Xander’s vehicles. Lex preferred to run around in something more subtle, but his brother liked the attention. Although, Lex had to admit, the thing was cool.

“I’m not biting, Xander. Let it go.”

“I can’t. It’s written all over your face. The tight set of your mouth. When you smile, it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. Your body has a rigidity to it. Especially in your shoulders. Like you’re poised and ready to take action on something. Not to mention you’re fidgety as hell.”

Lex immediately stopped playing with the hem on his hoodie. “I am not fidgety.”

“Come on. Why don’t you just tell me what it is? Is it Gemma?”

Lex was careful to keep his voice neutral. “When did you become an agony aunt? I’m fine.”

Xander narrowed his eyes and studied him as they came to the stop sign at the campus exit. “No, it’s not Gemma, but it is a woman. Go ahead and tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong.” He kept his face averted toward the window. Maybe dinner with his brother had been a bad idea.

“You forget I know you better than anyone. Who is she?”

Lex dropped his head against the headrest. “She’s no one. Just a girl. I don’t even know her name.” But as luck would have it, he’d seen her with Max’s girlfriend. So if he was so inclined he could track her down.

Xander shook his head. “See, I’ve got the skills of a detective. Maybe when this photography thing is over I should join Scotland Yard. Screw that I’m going big. MI-6 all the way.”

Despite himself, Lex laughed. “You’re full of shit.”

“Maybe, but I figured out some woman is tying you in knots. Gemma got a clue?”

Xander was the only one who knew the truth behind his relationship with Gemma. And he thought Lex was insane to go along with it. “There’s nothing to tell Gemma. I haven’t done anything. And I’m not going to.” He said through ground teeth. He couldn’t pursue it. He wanted it too much.

“Yeah right. You’ve got the look of a man on a tight string.” His brother shook his head as he easily navigated the streets of Ealing on his way to the motorway. “Though I have to say, I like this look on you.”