Free Picture Perfect by Kate Watterson Page B

quite a lot of bare skin.
    “You, Preston,” Andy said thoughtfully, “are a good-looking guy. One might even say a
very
good-looking guy.”
    The only saving grace in the entire embarrassing afternoon was that Wade’s outraged masculine expression was priceless. He said, “What the hell do you want me to say to that? Thanks? Sorry, but coming from another guy—”
    “If I take in some pictures of a man and a woman, I might be able to pitch my book.” Andy’s voice took on an edge of unmistakable excitement. “The two of you would look great together, and this is perfect. I couldn’t order up the sweaty-off-the-range look any better. Would you mind taking off your shirt?”
    * * * *
    Wade Preston couldn’t decide if he should laugh or swear out loud. First of all, he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating when he walked into the barn a few minutes ago. Tori, bent over in a position he’d imagined her in a few too many times for comfort, was really a sight to see. Long legs, a firm, perfectly shaped ass, her slender arms braced on the hay bales as she looked over her shoulder with a coy smile. Long sun-streaked blond hair tumbled around her face, her features delicately beautiful—small nose, enormous dark blue eyes, high, perfect cheekbones, all model perfect—which was undoubtedly why Andy Kendall pressured her to pose for him.
    She was wearing almost nothing, just a red and white checked bikini that was little more than some inadequate strands of material stitched together, and her athletic body, so smooth and female, had an unfortunate impact on his senses.
    Especially his sense of loyalty.
    She was involved with Ross. If he had fantasies, well, they’d have to just stay his dirty little secret. He loved his brother. Unfortunately, he also loved his brother’s girlfriend in a completely different way. That was one hell of a dilemma, he’d discovered. He and Ross had always been close.
    He felt guilty, frustrated, and about one thousand other things every time he was around her.
    “What?” he asked, forcing himself to focus on Andy’s request with effort, his wayward thoughts jumbled by Victoria’s presence in her
almost
bathing suit. “Why should I take off my shirt?”
    Instead of answering, Kendall turned to Victoria. “Would you? We talked about doing this down the line, but Ross is always so busy and Wade is right here and everything is all set up. Why not just do it now?”
    Would she what
?
    He didn’t even realize he’d said it out loud.
    “Not total nudity. I wouldn’t ask that,” Andy explained quickly in a persuasive tone, glancing at him, but his gaze going right back to Tori. “Just a few sexy shots. Upper torso bare, some touching. Not a big deal. I need shots of a couple.”
    Upper torso bare. Some touching. Yeah, that might just
be
a big deal.
    “I’m not a male model.” Wade affected a nonchalant shrug, but he had a grim feeling he didn’t pull it off. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t have to be. Stand around and look buff. Tori is who everyone will be staring at anyway.”
    “Comments like that don’t make me more comfortable,” she said, adjusting the strap on her top in a self-conscious mannerism. Her cheeks were stained a becoming pink.
    “I’m just telling him he doesn’t have to have any special skills to do this.” Andrew looked back and forth between them earnestly. “This will be great, and you know what? If we do it this way, no one has to sit around and get nervous. There’s no thinking about it. Let’s just run with it and see how it goes.”
    Wade opted for a pretty good out. “It just might,” he drawled, “piss my brother off.”
    Victoria looked at him, her pretty blue eyes serious. “No,” she said with reluctant finality. “Ross and I talked about me posing naked, and he’s fine with it. I guess I will if you will. Andy’s right. I’m not much of an exhibitionist. Getting it over with holds some appeal.”
    What was he supposed to say