Ronin won't tolerate the distraction, his hand dips between my cheeks and his finger tickles me between my legs.

My head drops back as I gasp and then he's holding my face again, his mouth taking me completely. I begin to rake my fingers through his hair when he abruptly spins me around so I'm facing forward, straight at the cameras.

"Do not look at them, Rook. Forget about them, OK?"

The throb between my legs is making it very hard to even open my eyes at this point, so I have no intention of looking at anyone, let alone the photographers. Ronin's fingers resume their undoing of the shirt buttons and I know this is the scary moment. Up until now it's just been a public makeout session. A heady one, for sure. But nothing obscene.

"Tell me what to do, Rook. You're in charge."

I don't even have to think about it. I turn my head up to him and he leans down in response, tilting his ear towards me. I breathe out, and I feel him shudder as it tickles him like he just tickled me, then whisper, as softly as I possibly can, "Go."

"I'm going to bare you to them, are you sure?"

"Go," I repeat.

I expect him to rip the clothing off me in a rush, but he doesn't. Two fingers grasp the collar of the shirt and tug it slowly, fractionally, down one shoulder. He leans down and nibbles my neck and I almost lose it right there. My clit is throbbing, pulsating to the beat of my racing heart.

I reach my arms up and back so I'm grasping the back of his head. This must be magic for the photographers because they go wild at this move. I tip my head back so far, I'm almost looking at Ronin upside down. He claims my mouth and pulls one arm down and slips that half of the shirt off. I pull my arm out, exposing my breast. His fingers are instantly there, flicking my nipple and then pinching it, making me whimper.

I bite his lip in response and he growls, forcing my other arm down.

The shirt slips all the way off and drifts to the floor.

He claims my wrists and brings them back over his head and I respond by pushing my ass into him. He is so hard.

I wiggle against it and then one hand is caressing my breast while the other travels down my belly, slips inside my boy shorts and goes right between my legs where the throbbing is so profound I think he might actually be able to feel the pulsations against his wet fingertip.

He flicks my clit and pushes his finger inside me and a feeling I have never felt before begins to build in me.

The moan escapes my mouth and it is loud, but all I can think about is Ronin's fingers as they play with me and then that feeling is there, like a wave getting ready to break on the beach, rushing forward, building and building, just beginning to crest and—

"Stop!"

What?

Who the f**k said stop?

"Ronin, what the hell are you doing? Rook, this is over now." Elise drapes a white robe over my shoulders and escorts me away from the crowd of people. Everyone stares at me, their eyes wide and their mouths gaping open as I pass.

"What? What happened? I don't understand!"

"He's got you way too worked up, Rook, this is not how we typically operate."

"I don't get it, isn't that his job? To work me up so you guys get good pictures?"

She opens my studio apartment door and pushes me inside but doesn't follow.

"He's supposed to make it feel real, not bring you to orgasm in front of a dozen people!"

And then she slams my door and leaves.

And I'm standing mostly naked in my new apartment, very pissed off that my clit is still throbbing like crazy and Ronin's magic fingers are outside and he is at this very moment—I know because I'm peeking out the front window—being bitched out by his sister.

Chapter Thirty-One - RONIN

"What the f**k, Ronin?"

Elise is so angry she's stabbing me in the chest with little staccato pokes of her finger. Her nails are long and pointy, so this does not feel pleasant. I glance over at Rook's window and find her face and grin.

"Ronin, stop smiling at her! I assured her this wouldn't happen and you made me a liar."

"She told me to go, Elise. Why would I stop? She was enjoying herself."

She pulls me along until we are back inside the studio. I'm assuming so Rook cannot see us.

"Ronin, this girl is fragile, do you understand? Much too fragile to make a rational decision about what is and is not appropriate on her first serious modeling job. You are the professional here and you know better!"

"Yeah, but this one's kinda like my girlfriend."

"All the more reason to protect her from this, you stupid piece of shit! Why do you think Antoine has me doing make-up and hair?"

I sigh and scrub my hands across my face. She's right. What the hell was I thinking? "OK, I get it. It's just that she drives me crazy and she said go, so…" I have no excuse. "Sorry, I lost control." I look down at Elise and nod. "I won't let it happen again, OK? I promise."

Elise and I both stop talking as the photographers come back inside. Roger laughs as he passes. "Way to go, Flynn. That was quite a show. This campaign is in the bag."

When I look back to Elise she's shaking her head. "You better make this right, Ronin. She's all worked up with the passion right now, but once she realizes these pictures are going out to clients, she's gonna be pissed."

I walk over to the terrace window and peek through at her window. Her face is gone now and I wonder what she's thinking. "Will you go talk to her?"