Chapter 7: SMALL THINGS MEAN NOTHING, BUT TOGETHER? ITS NOT A COINCIDENCE

MIA

"Turn your head slightly to the left."

Dante adjusted and I took the shot but something was off. The angle wasn't working. I lowered the camera and walked toward him without thinking.

"Here. Let me—" I reached up to adjust his collar and realized too late how close I was standing. Close enough to smell whatever soap he used and feel the heat coming off him.

I fixed his collar, cleared my throat and stepped back. "Better."

He said nothing but his eyes followed me as I returned to the camera. I felt them on me the entire time I was checking the shot and adjusting the settings. It should have made me uncomfortable but it didn't. It made me hyperaware of every movement I made.

"Okay. Try tilting your chin down just a fraction."

He did. I took the shot but it was still not right.

"No. More like—" I closed the space between us again and this time I didn't hesitate. I put my hand under his jaw and guided it to the exact angle I wanted. His skin was warm under my fingers.

"Like this," I said.

"Like this," he repeated and something in his tone made me look up. We were close again. Too close for professionals.

I dropped my hand and moved back to the camera. "Perfect. Hold that."

I took several shots quickly, grateful for something to focus on besides the way my pulse had kicked up. This was the second session and it already felt different than the first. The air felt more charged like we had crossed some sort of invisible line and now, there was no going back.

"Can you stand?" I asked.

He moved away from the chair and I directed him through a few standing poses. Each one required adjustment. His sleeve needed to be rolled up differently or his weight needed to shift to his other foot or his hands needed to be repositioned.

I kept finding reasons to touch him and he kept letting me.

"That's good," I said, stepping back to review the last batch of photos. "Really good. The light is—"

I turned too quickly and my foot caught on my camera bag. I felt myself falling and then I wasn't. His hand was on my waist in an instant pulling me back against him.

We froze.

His hand wrapped around my waist properly, I could feel his finger pressing into the flesh on my belly through the shirt. He drew in a shaky breath beneath me and so did I. For a second we stayed like that.

"Careful," he said finally. His voice was deeper than usual.

"Sorry. I'm so clumsy." I tried to laugh but it came out forced. "I should watch where I'm—"

I moved to pull away but his grip tightened for just a second as he pulled me further into him, making my breath catch.

Then he seemed to realize what he had done, let go and stepped back.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine—yeah. I'm fine." I bent down to move the camera bag away even though he had already done that but I needed anything to avoid looking at him. "I think we have enough for today actually. I got some really great shots."

"Already?"

"Yeah. I mean, we've been at it for over an hour and I have more than enough material to work with." I was talking too fast. "Plus I'm sure you have other things to do."

"I don't."

"Well. I do. Editing and everything." I started taking down the lighting setup even though I usually left it for later. "Thanks again for doing this."

"Mia."

I stopped and looked at him.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No. Why would you think that?"

"You're rushing me out."

"I'm not—" I stopped. He was right. "Sorry. I'm not trying to be rude. I just think we should probably end the session here."

"Why?"

Because I almost kissed you. Because your hand on my waist felt like it was burning into my skin, sending a wave to arousal n between my legs. Because every time you look at me I forget why this is supposed to be professional.

"Because I have what I need." I said instead.

He studied me for a moment and I knew he didn't believe me but he nodded anyway. "Okay. When's the next session?"

"I'll let you know."

"You said that last time."

"And I meant it last time too."

He smiled slightly and I felt my resolve weaken. "Okay. I'll wait to hear from you then."

After he left I stood in my studio for a full minute trying to figure out what had just happened. We'd had a moment. No—multiple moments. And I'd panicked and ended the session early like a teenager who didn't know how to handle a little physical touch.

Which was ridiculous. I was a twenty-six years old woman who has had enough sexual experience to be immune to such things. I just hadn't expected to feel it this strongly for someone I barely knew.

I finished packing up the equipment and tried not to think about how he'd tightened his grip before letting go.

Did he also feel the way I felt? What would have happened if I didn't move?

This was a bad idea. Getting involved with my neighbor who I was using as a model for a project I needed for my career was bad on multiple levels.

But I wanted to anyway.

That was the part that scared me.

I didn't start editing until after dinner.

I needed to get my goals back on check and stop thinking about Dante. I just got out of a relationship and didn't need another one.

The photos loaded and I sorted through them with a blank mind. They were good. No, better than good. I was halfway through the batch when I found it.

There was a photo I didn't remember taking.

It was me shot from where Dante had been standing, mid-laugh, looking completely at ease. I was looking at something off camera and smiling when he took it.

I checked the timestamp and it was taken during today's session. But my camera had been on the tripod when I was laughing. I remembered because I'd made some joke about the lighting and then stepped away to adjust the backdrop.

Which meant someone had picked up my camera and taken this shot without me noticing and that was probably Dante.

I stared at the photo for a long time trying to understand how I'd missed it. How he'd picked up my camera, framed the shot, taken it, and put it back without me hearing or seeing anything. I was observant because it was literally my job to notice details.

But I hadn't noticed this.

I scrolled back through the other photos from the session looking for more but found nothing. Just this one image of me.

It was weird. Not just that he'd done it but that he'd done it so silently. How many other things had he done around me that I hadn't noticed?

All the small things from the coffee, to knowing my route and now this. They were individually small but together? He seemed to be more integrated into my life than I realize for someone I just met.

I saved the photo to a separate folder and told myself I'll ask him about it tomorrow.