Free Pleasure Me by Tina Donahue Page A

“What are you doing?”
    Ethra arched one eyebrow. “I want to look good.”
    “You’re as gorgeous as your daughter.” Wylder grinned.
    Ethra ignored him. “Take a picture first. I want to see how I look.”
    God. “You’re perfect.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest. Starr caved and did some test shots, directing her mother to act naturally, seem enthused, smile on occasion. Unfortunately, the woman’s acting skills were as bad as Starr’s had been.
    Wylder rubbed his fingers over his mouth trying not to smile.
    “This color’s awful on me.” Ethra fingered her blue top. “My pink one would be better. Be back in a sec.” She stopped in the doorway. “I did good, don’t you think?” She beamed.
    Starr forced a smile. “Once you’re in pink, you’ll be perfect, but we should rehearse a lot before actually making the video.”
    “Why?”
    “Just part of the process. Every photographer and Hollywood director I met rehearses a lot.”
    “If you say so.” She padded down the hall.
    Wylder’s shoulders bobbed with suppressed laughter. Starr slapped his arm. “Control yourself.”
    “No fucking way.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her so deeply, she relaxed better than if she’d downed several slugs of booze. Too bad he couldn’t work his magic on her mom.
    In front of the camera, Ethra was as stiff as a corpse, her movements unnatural and jerky, her voice an emotionless drone only a zombie could love. Rather than speak to the red light as Starr had directed, she kept glancing at the monitor to the side, stopping to ease back a wayward strand of her hair, lifting her chin at an impossible angle to reduce the slight sag in her jaws.
    She was so worried about her looks, she didn’t watch what she was doing and burned her fingers twice. Soon, she was sweating as badly as Starr was.
    Still, her mom smiled. “This is fun. It’s going much better than I thought.”
    “You’re great.” Wylder applauded.
    Giggling shyly, Ethra curtsied. “Thank you, sir.”
    Starr sagged against one of the tables. “Let’s break for lunch.”
    And a few acting lessons.
     
    With the video to make and Starr accompanying Wylder to deliver the metal artwork, she’d never been busier or happier. The other pack members had finally stopped giving her the evil eye, accepting her as one of their own again. She and Wylder made love most days, always in the woods. She still wasn’t okay with the idea of anyone in the bar hearing them going at each other upstairs.
    Eventually, she and Wylder would have to make a decision whether to get a place together. She wanted nothing more, butdespite their claiming bites, Starr didn’t rush, content with their current situation.
    Summer wound down, the nights crisp, the days still delightfully warm. Her mom put the video and other promo aside in order to meet a huge order from a new store. The proprietor had been in one of the local towns, checking out shops, and had come upon her work. It was love at first sight. She emailed pictures of the pieces she wanted made for her shop and commissioned even more, these original designs just for her.
    Starr brought a tray of burgers and chips into the workroom since her mom refused to break for meals. There was so much material lying around, projects started but not finished, she wasn’t certain how her mother would ever catch up. “Can I do something to help? Maybe paint? I couldn’t screw that up too badly.”
    “I’m good.” She darted from one project to the other. “As long as I don’t sleep or eat, I should be finished in time.”
    “Hey.” Starr rubbed her mom’s back. “Killing yourself won’t get this done. Come on.” She pushed her onto one of the stools and pulled the tray of food in front of her. “Eat. Do you want coffee or water?”
    “Neither. I don’t have time for this.”
    “Make it.” Suddenly, the daughter was the mother. “These pieces will get to where they’re supposed to be, on time, even