Burning Desire

In fact, she was almost certain now that he would be the model she used for the front cover.

“I’m not sure why I said what I did,” Sabrina explained. “It was an off-the-cuff remark. Certainly unfounded. Your chest is flawless.”

“Thanks,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled down at her.

Was he flirting with her, or was she out of her mind? Maybe her libido was simply clouding the sense God had given her.

There was a knock at the door, and Sabrina turned. “Come in,” she called.

Nya opened the door, and her eyes instantly went to Mason, sweeping over his naked upper body. Her expression said that she liked very much what she saw.

“Oh, wow.” She couldn’t hide her wanton appreciation of Mason’s body. Her eyes steadfast on him, she said, “Sorry to disturb you, but it’s after five, so I was going to head out. I’ve got that date to get ready for. But I wanted to see if you need anything else from me first.”

“I’m fine.” Sabrina turned to Mason. “You need anything?”

Mason shook his head. “Nope.”

When Sabrina looked at Nya again, she saw that her friend was still gawking at Mason, as though he was a public display of priceless art. Sabrina began to walk toward her. “We were going to head out soon, anyway, so feel free to head on home,” she said when she reached her friend. She then took Nya by the arm and physically led her out of the studio. Nya craned her head over her shoulder to say, “Bye, Mason. It was nice to meet you.”

“Nya, what’s gotten into you?” Sabrina asked once they reached the front office.

“Are you kidding me? That is one of the finest men I have ever seen.”

“Yes, he is. But remember, I run a professional studio here. I don’t want him thinking that he can’t be comfortable taking off his shirt.”

“I know, I know. But damn, he is fine. I can’t wait to see those photos.” Nya paused. “Did you find out if he’s single?”

“Nya! Aren’t you going on a date this evening?”

“Hmm, are you getting a little territorial?” Nya’s eyes narrowed as a look of playful curiosity crossed her face. “You like him, don’t you?” It was more of a statement, than a question. “Yes, you do!”

“He’s an attractive guy, sure, but am I supposed to be losing my mind over him?”

“I know you,” Nya began. “Look at you, there’s actually a bit of a spark in your eyes! Thank God, because I was beginning to wonder if you were dead from the waist down.”

Sabrina placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “Nya, this is completely inappropriate.”

“Look, I just wanted to know. Because if you’re not interested, and my date tonight doesn’t go well, then I’d love to get to know Mr. Firefighter better. But I can tell you like him, so I’ll back off.”

Sabrina stared at her friend in complete shock. “I don’t even want to know what you’re going on about. Mason is here to take photos. This is all about business.”

Nya looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe it should be about a little pleasure, as well. After all, you haven’t even dated since your divorce.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Sabrina spoke sweetly. “Get your bag.” Once Nya had her purse slung over her shoulder, Sabrina put her hand on her back and guided her toward the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Go for it,” Nya told her before Sabrina closed the door and locked it.

Through the glass, Nya held her gaze, giving her a thumbs-up gesture to imply that she had meant what she’d said.

Sabrina flipped the CLOSED sign on her door and turned away from her friend who was still beckoning at her in sign language.

Nya had clearly lost her mind.

Chapter 4

With Nya gone, Sabrina headed back into her studio. There, she found Mason texting on his smartphone. When he saw her walk in, he slipped the phone into his pocket and faced her. And for some reason, Sabrina’s mood went down a notch. Had he just been texting a girlfriend?

What did it matter if he had been? Maybe Nya’s nonsensical talk had gotten into her psyche, because it didn’t make sense that she should care about whomever he was texting. Just because he was an attractive man didn’t mean she had to act on what she was feeling. Even if her heart was racing simply from being in the same room with him.

She almost laughed at the thought that had entered her head. Was she actually thinking that Mason might go for someone like her? Not that she wasn’t an attractive woman. She had certainly had her fair share of attention from men. But guys like Mason—men who were in another league of hot—went for a specific type. And she wasn’t it. She didn’t dress to show her sexuality, she didn’t wear makeup to highlight every feature. She wasn’t Plain Jane, but she was fairly conservative. She pegged Mason for the kind of man who went after the hottest women. Women who loved to wear revealing clothing and parade themselves as eye candy. Sabrina was definitely not that kind of woman.

Pushing any ridiculous thought about dating out of her mind, she faced Mason and said, “You all set?”

“Ready when you are.”

Sabrina instructed him to stand in front of the new backdrop, and then she went back to work, taking picture after picture. The backdrop of the flames looked amazing, and the contrast of his dark skin against the bright reds and oranges of the fire was striking.

She stepped away from the camera and walked toward a shelf where she kept supplies. She picked up a spray bottle filled with a concoction of water and baby oil and started toward him. “I’d like your chest to be glistening for these shots. As though you’ve just finished battling a fire, and you’re sweating. Do you mind if I spray something on your chest? It’s water and baby oil.”

“You can do whatever you’d like with me,” he said, his grin both sexy and playful.

She tried her best not to show a reaction and approached him. She sprayed his chest, and he flinched. “Too cold?”

“No, it’s fine.”

She continued to spray his chest. She then smoothed her hand over one of his biceps, spreading the mix. And though she was the consummate professional, she couldn’t deny the rush of heat she felt just by touching his body. He felt incredible. Strong and powerful. Tipping up on her toes, she stretched to rub her hand over his shoulder.

“I usually don’t let a woman grope me like this until the second date.”

Sabrina’s face flushed, and she halted.

Mason chortled. “I’m just messing with you.”

Of course he was, so why did she feel so ruffled? It had to be the feel of his amazing body, and the undeniable sexual charge she felt.

Once she made sure his other arm was adequately glistening, she returned the bottle to the shelf, dried her hands with a towel, and took her position behind the camera. Over the next twenty minutes, she took a good hundred pictures.

“I think I’ve got all that I need in here. I’d love to head to the beach, as I mentioned before. The spot I’ve picked is about fifteen minutes away. I think it’s perfect. We can go in my SUV, and then I can bring you back. I figure it’s best if you just stay in your uniform. Obviously, you can put your shirt back on for now. I’ve got towels in the bathroom you can dry off with. When we get to the beach, I’d love to get shots of you with the T-shirt and suspenders, as well. But definitely also more shots of you without your shirt on.”

“Fine with me,” Mason said, “but if you don’t mind, I would prefer to take my car and follow you. I’ll have to get going once we finish at the beach.”

“Oh.” Sabrina nodded. “Sure. That’s fine.”

She already had her camera bag pretty much set. But she dismounted her Canon 5D from her tripod, put it in its case and added it to the bag. In the meantime, Mason put on his shirt and gathered his own belongings.

Minutes later, they were heading out the door.

“My car’s in the back. I’ll drive around to the front. I’ll be in a red Chevy Equinox.”