Burning Desire. Kayla Perrin

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СКАЧАТЬ of heading to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of his smooth dark skin, and quickly averted her gaze. Mostly. But she couldn’t quite help glancing in his direction.

      “Do you want some help?” he asked.

      “No,” Sabrina responded. She had pulled the lever to wind up the canvas, and it was ready to come down. “I generally don’t put the talent to work.”

      “That’s not what I call work. I’ve got no problem helping you do this. What do you need to do? Unhook it?”

      “It’s okay.” Sabrina stretched to reach the top portion of the heavy canvas, and when she looked down, Mason was at her side. “Certainly you’re not opposed to someone helping you? And for what it’s worth, I don’t consider myself the talent. We’re in this together, aren’t we? You’re helping the fire station create a great calendar that’s going to bring us lots of money, which, of course, is going to help out local charities. Let me help you do this, even if you are completely capable of doing it yourself.”

      Sabrina looked down at him. The glimpse of his hard muscles and strong arms made her suck in a breath. He extended his hand to her, and she took it, feeling a zap of heat as he helped her down from the stool.

      “Thank you,” she said. “And once that’s down, I’m going to put up the canvas that’s resting in the corner.” She pointed to it.

      “No problem.”

      Sabrina watched as he easily put up the next backdrop for her.

      Finished, he said, “There you go.”

      “Thank you,” she told him.

      Mason gestured to his upper body with a hand as he walked toward her. “So, does my chest meet with your approval?”

      Sabrina’s eyes bulged. She wasn’t even sure how to answer.

      “Do I look good with my shirt off?” he added.

      And then she remembered the comment she had made earlier, and understood. “Oh, of course. Yes—”

      “You seemed to be concerned that I might not be up to snuff,” he said, his lips curling in a grin. “So that’s why I was wondering. I want to make sure that you think I’m up to standard for the calendar.”

      Sabrina swallowed. Surely he was joking or perhaps searching for a compliment. But his body—with an eight-pack and hard planes and muscles in all the right places—was more than satisfactory for the calendar.

      It was phenomenal.

      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 СКАЧАТЬ