The Photographer's Assistant

When I attended Authors After dark in Philadephia this summer, I met the editor and publisher for Ravenous Romance and we struck up a conversation and came up with the idea for an anthology.  The result is In Bed with the Boss.  I did this with Ryan Field.  We each wrote a novella and my contribution is The Photographer's Assistant.  The anthology is being released December 19.  Here's an excerpt, I hope you like it.

Excerpt of The Photographer's Assistant.

“Move that light just a little more to the left,” Christian said as he paced around the room, looking at the photoset from every angle. “Okay,” he added almost to himself. “David, stand right there,” he pointed, and David did as he was asked. He’d been working as Christian’s assistant for about three months now and he knew better than to question anything, even though he could see that to really test the light and shadow, Christian needed to have David lie on the bed. Not that David would have second thoughts about doing that. Fuck, if Christian asked, David would be naked and have his legs wrapped around Christian’s waist in two seconds flat. The man was a genius, and David Weatherby found his boss the hottest, most intriguing man he’d ever met, but Christian Pierre Coulliet, the foremost erotic photographer in the country barely noticed him at all. Not that David could blame him. No one had ever really noticed him, and certainly not for his looks, which were plain and extremely ordinary. David Weatherby was invisible, especially around here, where gorgeous men paraded through the studio wearing only ripped t-shirts, skimpy briefs, or more likely nothing at all.

“Is this what you want?” David asked, moving slightly so Christian could check to see how the shadows fell.

“No,” Christian said absently, still looking for what was wrong. David could tell him, but he’d found out the hard way that it was best if he let Christian figure it out. The man was as temperamental as they came. “Move that light just a shade to the left,” Christian said absently, and David moved it just to the right. Christian grunted before standing up and smiling. If he’d been wrong, he could have played a mistake, but David could sense what Christian wanted and he gave it to him.

A knock sounded on the studio door, and David moved out of the set and toward it to answer, knowing that Christian hadn’t even heard it. “I’m Stavros, Mr. Coulliet’s expecting me.”

David stepped back and let the olive-skinned beauty enter the studio. He had deep eyes and carefully trimmed stubble on his high, sculpted cheekbones. Christian’s camera was going to love him. “Stavros,” Christian called with a smile on his face as the model approached him. The two men shook hands. “We’re ready for you. This is David, my assistant. It’ll be just me and him during the shoot, so I don’t want you to be nervous or intimidated. What I do is very intimate. You and I are going on a journey that will result in some amazing photographs that people will remember for years.”

Stavros swallowed, and David could see Christian intimidated him a little, but that wasn’t unusual. Christian intimidated almost everyone, but he was a master at putting them at ease and getting the absolute most from his models. “What do I need to do?” Christian walked to his camera, and David stood just outside the ring of lights that encircled the white-sheeted bed. “Should I start clothed?”

“No,” Christian answered without turning around. “Behind the curtain in the corner are packages of black briefs; put on a pair and lie face down on the bed.” Christian didn’t even look at him as he spoke, and David could see the man’s nerves begin to ramp up. Without being asked, he walked to where Stavros stared at Christian and lightly touched his hand.

“Right this way.” David showed Stavros where he could change, and waited until he came out from behind the screen. “You look great,” he told the model, and motioned him back toward the bed. “Lie with your face down, but facing him. Christian is the best, and you’re amazingly beautiful.” David didn’t have to lie, because Stavros was stunning. And when he stepped into the light and descended onto the bed, his skin shone and played off the stark white sheets and the small strip of black fabric around his waist.

“That’s perfect,” Christian nearly purred, and the camera began shooting. “Lovely, now look up at me.” The small click of the camera shutter sounded. “Perfect. You’re absolutely perfect.” Christian kept shooting and moving. “Let your arm hand off the edge of the bed and turn to look at me.” Christian kept taking pictures, and David stood back and away, but close enough to be there if Christian needed anything. “Lovely.” Christian moved closer and then backed away, taking photograph after photograph. He had Stavros moved in a number of ways, on his stomach and then onto his back, taking dozens of photographs. “I need you on your stomach again after your slip off the briefs.” Stavros complied, and Christian began taking more photographs. “That’s lovely, you look superb,” Christian crooned in his deep voice as he moved to the foot of the bed. “Lift your head to look at me.” The shutter sounded softly. “Now lift your hips,” Christian said, and Stavros complied. “Perfect,” Christian told him. “Look at me like you want me, yes, like you want to get fucked more than anything in the world.” The model’s expression shifted, and David could see exactly that. Without words, he could see that was exactly what Stavros wanted. He looked wanton, glistening with sweat from being under the hot lights. “That’s it. All you want right now is a big, thick cock sliding right into your body,” Christian said in his resonant voice, and Stavros shuddered. “Is that what you want?”

“Fuck, yes,” Stavros muttered as Christian took picture after picture from all angles. “I want you to fuck me right now,” Stavros muttered, and David shifted back slightly where he couldn’t be seen and adjusted himself before trying to clear his mind and remember that this was a photo shoot.

“Not yet, pretty one,” Christian said and continued taking photographs. “Roll onto your side.” Stavros did as Christian asked, his cock hard and bobbing as he moved. “That’s lovely, arms over your head and stretch your body for me. Make yourself look as long and tall as you can. Reach for the headboard.” The camera never stopped. “Perfection.” Christian took picture after picture, and David stood mesmerized by what Christian got his models to do and how he made them look.

David watched as Stavros writhed on the bed, Christian’s sultry voice telling him what he wanted, and Stavros moving exactly that way. “Lie on your back,” Christian told his model as though they were making love, and Stavros did, running his hands over his skin as Christian continued shooting. David had seen this many times before. Stavros was in a world of his own, where it was only him and Christian. Stavros reached out for Christian, and he continued shooting as Stavros descended into passion. Before coming to work for Christian, David had never dreamed that something like this was possible, but Christian lured all his subjects in with just the sound of his voice, and for the last three months David had gone along for each and every ride.