The Model: A Workplace Romance Read online

  The Model

  A Workplace Romance

  Harlow Layne

  Contents

  1. Lexie

  2. Lexie

  3. Lexie

  4. Ryder

  5. Lexie

  6. Ryder

  7. Lexie

  8. Ryder

  9. Ryder

  10. Lexie

  11. Ryder

  12. Lexie

  13. Lexie

  14. Lexie

  15. Ryder

  16. Lexie

  17. Lexie

  18. Ryder

  19. Lexie

  20. Lexie

  21. Ryder

  22. Lexie

  23. Ryder

  24. Lexie

  25. Ryder

  26. Lexie

  27. Lexie

  28. Ryder

  29. Lexie

  Enjoy This Book?

  Acknowledgments

  About Harlow

  Also by Harlow Layne

  Advanced Reader Copy - THE MODEL by Harlow Layne - NOT FOR SALE

  Copyright © 2019 by Harlow Layne. All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-950044-08-5 (Ebook Edition)

  ISBN-13: 978-1-950044-09-2 (Paperback Edition)

  Edited by: Your Editing Lounge - Editor: Kristen

  Cover Design: Harlow Layne

  Images from Shutterstock

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Manufactured in the United States of America.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are use fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  1

  Lexie

  I texted furiously, my thumbs moving rapidly as I repeatedly fumbled for what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell my ex to stop messaging me or I was going to change my number, only I knew he wouldn’t believe me since I’d threatened it before, and he knew I needed my phone number for my livelihood. Otherwise, I’d have changed it six months ago when I caught him having sex with my ex-assistant in my bed. That’s right in my own fucking bed.

  Me: Stop or I will get a restraining order.

  Ben: I’d like to see you try. One cup of coffee that’s all I ask.

  Me: All I asked was for you to remain faithful and that didn’t happen so NO!

  “Lexie.” After a few moments of me not responding, my new assistant cleared her throat. “Um…I think I’ve got everything set up the way you wanted it.”

  Taking in a deep breath that I desperately needed, I closed my eyes and counted to ten. My new assistant, Raine, was sweet and tried to get things right, but bless her heart, nine times out of ten she fucked things up royally. Many days I wondered why I hadn’t fired her yet, but then she’d look up at me with her dazzling smile, and I’d forget about what she’d done to make my day a thousand times harder. I’m not the only one who fell under her spell. When shit hit the fan, I asked Raine to make things right because I knew she’d bring out her secret weapon. A weapon she had no idea she had.

  “Thank you, Raine.” I knew I’d have to change a thing or ten, but that was all right. We still had time as long as I could get off my damn phone.

  “And…Ryder Williams is here.” Interesting. My client, California Tomorrow, had demanded Ryder Williams for the shoot. They assured me he was the next up and coming male model, and I knew with one look I’d be able to tell if they were right or not.

  “Is Lana here yet?” I gritted my teeth on her name. I hated working with Lana, but she was also who the customer wanted, and the customer was always right, even if it caused me a migraine and a trip to the dentist from grinding my teeth.

  “Not…yet,” Raine squeaked.

  Of course, Lana wasn’t here yet.

  “Call her and see where she is,” I barked out as another text came in from my ex.

  I let out a frustrated sigh at the patter of Raine’s feet as she ran across the room. I was such a bitch, but I’d do something to make up for it later.

  Ben: I need back into the apartment. Trust me, I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t a matter of life or death. Your doorman won’t let me up.

  No shit, Henry wouldn’t let him up. If he did, he’d get fired. I’d make sure of it.

  “Ms. Keene?” A deep rumbling voice asked from behind me. It was so rough and gravely. Pure sex.

  “Call me Lexie,” I answered without turning around.

  After I sent off a text to my ex, I turned off my phone, so I wouldn’t be distracted since I knew he would continue to text me until I gave in. Twirling around on my bare feet to see who the most amazing voice in the world belonged to, I stopped dead in my tracks, almost falling to the floor. It wasn’t possible for that voice, a voice I would happily spend the rest of my days listening to, to belong to the god who stood in front of me. Had God felt extra giving that day and graced this Adonis with looks and a voice? He was probably an asshole and had a small dick. He couldn’t be that perfect. Because standing in front of me was the most perfect specimen of a man I’d ever seen. He was a few inches taller than six feet, golden skin to match his golden-brown hair that was short on the sides and long on the top. It flopped over one eye, giving him a boyish charm that had my lady bits tingling. The other eye was mesmerizing; it was the bluest of blue. It reminded me of looking into the ocean waters of my favorite beach in Palawan.

  Ryder Williams was most definitely going to make it big, and it wouldn’t take long. After the magazine we were shooting for today published him, everyone would want him.

  “I’m here,” Lana drawled out from across the room.

  The Adonis and I turned to see Lana glaring over at us. I wasn’t sure what her problem was, but she always had an attitude. It was probably because she hadn’t had a real meal in the last decade.

  “You’re late. Again,” I gritted out. I swore a layer of enamel was rubbed off as I looked at her. Lana was beautiful. No doubt about it, but she was the ugliest person on the inside I’d met in a long time. Too bad that wasn’t translated through pictures.

  Lana paid me no attention as her death glare turned to lust. Turning to my left, I saw why. The robe of the man beside me had come undone.

  And I came undone right along with it.

  * * *

  With his robe open, Lana and I couldn’t stop ourselves from taking him in. His golden skin glistened from the oil; I was sure Raine had told him to cover himself with it. I wanted to throw myself at her feet for giving him to me all shiny and slick. If she had done it herself, I might cut off her hands or break a finger. In that moment, I was jealous. Irrationally so, but I wanted him all to myself. My gaze trailed down his long, lean body. I didn’t care how unprofessional it was. He had pecs that I wanted to simultaneously lay my head on and swirl my tongue along the flat disc of his nipple. My gaze trailed down to the ridges of his abs. No, he didn’t have a six-pack but an eight pack. One I wanted to run my hands over and lick down the ‘V’ that led into his white boxer briefs.

  The sizable bulge in those briefs made me bite my bottom lip. Okay, so maybe he was only an asshole because his flimsy briefs hid nothing as they tried to contain his anaconda. My brain short-circuited for a moment before I continued down his long muscular legs. Legs I wanted to feel brushing against me from behind as he thrust into me. Even his feet were gorgeous.

  Closing my eyes, I wasn’t sure how I would work with him when all I could do w
as ogle him. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had drool at the corners of my mouth.

  He’s an asshole.

  He’s an asshole.

  He’s an asshole.

  I kept chanting it repeatedly in my head. He had to be. Otherwise, he’d be perfect, and we all knew there was no such thing as a perfect man. But the Adonis standing in front of me was as close as it got, I was certain.

  Today it was going to be hard to stay focused on my job.

  “Are you who I’m working with today?” I heard Lana chirp from only a few feet away. Her tone had changed. She was ready to hook her claws into the new guy, and I couldn’t blame her, but I would since I hated her. Lana would do anything, and I meant anything to further her career. Little did she know it was her own actions held her back her back because word had gotten around; that and her shitty attitude when she was around people she knew she couldn’t influence. A Swedish filmmaker had let it be known how unprofessional Lana had been when he was filming a commercial with her and Luke Sandström a couple of years back. When word got out that Lana was trying to hit on Luke while his girlfriend, Alex, was there watching, Lana’s reputation went down the drain. Everyone loved Luke and Alex, and even though they never commented on it, other’s who’d worked with Lana had spoken out.

  I loved it, but unfortunately, some clients (probably those she’d blown or slept with) still wanted to hire her. I wished she’d move to New York so I wouldn’t have to work with her as often as I did.

  “I believe so. I’m Ryder.” Even his name was hot. I wanted to write a letter to his parents, thanking them for creating the man before me.

  “Lana,” she purred.

  I simultaneously rolled my eyes and shifted in my wet panties before I noticed Lana’s long manicured finger trail up his arm. I saw red. I wanted to grab her finger and break it, or better yet, cut it off. Both wouldn’t work well for the photo shoot, so I tried to tamp down my unexplained rage. It wasn’t as if I had a shot at Ryder. If anyone did, it would be Lana with her perfect supermodel body. It pissed me off even more that I’d never have a chance with the most physically perfect man on the planet. I knew I wasn’t ugly; I was cute. I looked like a rocker with my long blue hair, nose piercing, and tattoos covering my arms. A cute little rocker chick who never attracted the interest of gods like Ryder.

  Internally, I sighed. I didn’t need to start feeling like shit about myself before a big photo shoot and have it affect the vibe. Or me. I didn’t want to start stumbling down that road when I’d been doing so well.

  Ryder pulled away from Lana and took a step toward me as he tied his robe. Moving to stand fully next to me, he bit his bottom lip, and in that moment, I knew exactly how Christian Grey felt when Ana would bite her lip. I wanted to pull it out with my own teeth so I could suck and nibble on his full, kissable bottom lip.

  Heaven help me. Not once in my thirty-two years of life had I ever felt the urge to tackle a man to the ground and have my way with him. I worked with beautiful men and women daily, and not once had I had such a visceral reaction like I did with Ryder. I could feel the heat radiating from his body next to mine, causing beads of sweat to pop up all along my skin and my panties to dampen further, adding to my discomfort.

  “Lana, we’re ready for wardrobe,” Raine called from across the room. I couldn’t help but give her a smile. Raine knew how much Lana annoyed me. Lana knew there was nothing she could do to further her career with me, so she didn’t even try to be civil with me on most days. Luckily, Raine was saving me from turning an already shitty day into me losing my shit before the shoot even started.

  I watched as Lana swayed her hips for Ryder, but when I looked back at him, he wasn’t watching Lana strut away. He was watching me.

  “Lexie,” he whispered my name. It had never sounded so good on anyone’s lips before. I wanted to hear him say my name like that while we were both naked.

  I tried to stay calm and professional as I turned to him. He was still biting that delectable lip, so I attempted to look him in the eyes. Everything about him was a turn on. Maybe I just needed to get laid, or maybe he really was my own personal aphrodisiac. Either way, I planned to get laid tonight and work off some of the tension that had been building in my pants since the moment I saw him.

  “This is my first shoot like this.” His voice was quiet as he looked off into the distance.

  “Are you nervous?” I picked up the camera that was around my neck and aimed it at him.

  “What if…” he blushed, and I nearly threw myself at him. It was the hottest thing ever, and I knew from that little blush that he wasn’t an asshole. He really was perfect. Fuck me. Really, he could fuck me if he wanted to, but I knew he wouldn’t. He was only talking to me because Lana was a bitch, and he probably sensed she would take advantage of him.

  “What if, what?” My own voice was quiet, as if we were sharing a secret.

  Ryder turned with his back to everyone and stared at me for a moment. “What if I get a hard-on?”

  “Then think about your grandmother naked.”

  Ryder sputtered twice and then let out a booming laugh. He threw his head back, clutching his hands to his chest. I couldn’t help but watch the way his throat bobbed with each guttural laugh that came out of him. Why was everything he did so damn sexy?

  Righting himself, Ryder wiped a tear from his eye. “That will work.”

  Lana came out then in a bra and panty set, and I hated thinking of Ryder getting hard because of her. I knew what the customer wanted, and they wanted the shots to be hot. They would be practically fucking in front of me the entire day. If anyone was getting laid tonight, it would be them, and I’d be alone with a migraine after keeping my jaw clenched for hours of watching them.

  I got them into place and had Raine help me adjust the lighting before I took my place behind my camera and started shooting.

  Shot after shot, Lana acted as if this wasn’t a photo shoot, but her personal bedroom where she was trying to seduce the man she was with. At first, Ryder kept looking to me for direction, but after an hour, he found his stride and landed everything I gave him. They looked perfect together, and I knew the client would be happy with the shots. Hell, they’d have a hard time trying to narrow down which ones they wanted to use because they were all amazing. They could use them all and have the entire magazine filled with this shoot. Besides the fact that Lana was all over Ryder and seemed to know I found him extremely attractive, she actually did her job without causing problems. Probably because I didn’t hide very well how much I hated her touching him.

  Once we finished for the day, I watched as Lana whispered in Ryder’s ear. She didn’t see his grimace, but whatever he said back to her pissed her off. The Lana I was used to seeing returned. Her head snapped in my direction, and her eyes narrowed before she stomped out of the room.

  “What’s up her ass?” Raine asked from beside me.

  Saving all the photos to my external hard drive to go over later, I shrugged. “No idea. Lana being Lana, I presume. Why don’t you go make sure she doesn’t cause any damage before she leaves? Once she’s gone, you can get out of here, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to help clean up?” She motioned toward the bed we had set up. The one Ryder was currently standing in front of.

  “I’m sure. I’ve got nothing better to do, and you did well today. You deserve to go have some fun.”

  Raine beamed up at me with her damn smile, and I knew even if it took me twice the time to get everything put away and ready for the next day, it was worth it. I had a feeling after today, she wouldn’t be messing up as much as she normally did.

  Walking over to the bed and Ryder, I stopped when I heard him muttering and squeezing himself through his robe.

  Maybe he wasn’t as perfect as I thought he was.

  Moving closer, I could have sworn I heard him say, “Sexy Lexie,” but I had to be hearing things after hours upon hours of my lady bits throbbing an
d lusting after him. There was no way in hell Ryder would call me sexy.

  “Ryder?”

  Turning toward my voice, Ryder’s robe fell open. His boxer briefs were stretched to their limit as his stiff cock pushed against the fabric.

  He really did have an anaconda in there. My hands twitched at my sides, wanting to remove those briefs and touch him.

  Ryder licked his full pouty lips. His eyes, which had been the color of my turquoise water had darkened. His pupils dilated.

  “I held myself back as long as I could,” he growled out.

  My stomach sank, knowing this was his reaction to Lana.

  “If you’re quick, you can probably catch up with her.”

  It wasn’t uncommon for models to hook up with each other, especially after a shoot like the one we had today.

  Tilting his head to the side, Ryder furrowed his brows before a slow smile crept onto his handsome face. “It’s not Lana I want.”

  2

  Lexie

  Ryder’s hands grabbed my hips and pulled me into his strong, firm body. The smell of pine infiltrated my senses. How did he smell so good after hours of posing and almost fucking Lana? His erection jabbed into my stomach, making me groan and forget everything else.

  “Did you think I was talking about Lana?” Ryder shook his head with a mischievous smile. “You’re so fucking sexy, Lexie. It’s been you I’ve wanted since you turned around.”