To Save His Mate(7)

Ethan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell a soul,” he promised.

They followed the trail of extension cords through the trees to the spot Landon had selected for their photos. Ethan thoroughly enjoyed walking behind little Ms. Lacy. The way her delectable rear end swished in those short shorts, just barely concealing those rounded mounds of firm flesh…

Shaking his head, Ethan growled when a familiar—yet irritating—voice cut into his fantasy. “Fabulous,” Landon sang. “Don’t you just love this set? It gives an eerie vibe I’m totally feeling right now.”

The lunatic had placed fog machines all about so that a mist crept over the ground and through the surrounding trees. A fallen tree was nearby with lights stationed all around, so apparently, they would be posing there.

“Relax,” Lacy whispered. “This will be painless.”

“I doubt that. Does he realize there are snakes in this area?”

“Snakes?” Lacy quickly dropped her gaze to the ground, trying to survey her immediate surroundings. “Are you serious?”

“Well, yeah. You are in the woods,” Ethan pointed out.

“Relax, baby cakes, we checked this spot over really well,” Landon assured her. “Now, I’m loving this manly man thing more and more. I want Lacy at the base of this tree trunk, and I want you,” he jabbed his perfectly manicured finger toward Ethan, who raised a brow, “up at the branch sticking out there. I need you to look predatory. We’re talking the wild jungle man stalking its prey. Can you handle that?”

Ethan smiled. “Oh, I can handle it.” It would just be more like a wolf after a tasty treat.

“Perfect. Now, Lacy, you sit here,” he gestured to the lower portion of the slanting trunk, “and run this water bottle over your upper chest. You’re hot and trying to cool yourself, but you’re unaware you’re being preyed upon.”

“Got it,” Lacy replied.

Ethan gave a smart-ass salute and quickly scaled the trunk to his perch. He turned in time to see a large man spritzing Lacy’s chest, arms and face. He supposed the goal was to have her look a little sweaty, but the water must have been a bit cool.

A low, rumbling growl slipped past his lips when he saw her nipples pucker beneath the tight material of her halter. The sound didn’t escape the big guy’s notice either.

Ethan watched with primitive glee as the big guy backed away, but Landon just clapped his hands.

“Perfect! I love it when a model jumps right into their role.”

If only the little prick knew just how into the role Ethan actually was.

His attention back on Lacy, Landon positioned her and instructed her on how to pose. “I want that curvy profile of yours on display, Lacy. You’re exhausted and leaning back against the trunk. Then just run the water bottle across your chest with your head tilted back… Perfect!” he exclaimed as Lacy struck her pose. “Now, Ethan, you just keep looking the part of the dangerous predator. You see her, and you want to devour her.”

Boy, did he ever.

A few shots later and Landon was back. “Ethan can you creep down closer without falling?” At his nod, Landon shifted to Lacy once again. “All right, now, you hear something behind you. I want you to turn and look startled but a sexy startled.”

“You’ve got a few screws loose, you know that, right?” she asked with an arched brow.

“If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that, I’d be on a beach somewhere, sipping a fruity drink and working on a fine case of melanoma,” he sighed. “Now, let’s get back to work before the sun gets too high.”

“All right, all right,” Lacy grumbled.

“Back to your original pose. Good. Now, let me get the camera into position. Perfect. Now, turn and give me that sexy, startled look,” Landon ordered.





Chapter Four





Lacy just barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the ridiculous order. There was no way to look sexy and…

Her mind ground to a halt once her eyes landed on the man crouched above her.

Ethan was all muscle and animal grace as he took her in from his vantage point. His eyes had an eerie silver hue that seemed to reflect the light when he held his head just right. He definitely resembled the wild man Landon wanted him to be.

In fact, the hungry look in his eyes when he raked them over her body startled her a bit. He seemed to be sizing her up, but then he winked and gave her a little grin before nimbly jumping to the ground.

Belatedly, Lacy realized Landon was absolutely gushing. The man was hugging his camera and babbling about perfect chemistry or some such nonsense.