"I have no idea," I admit again.

"I think you will. Lift up for a second."

I lift my hips and he slides his c**k back and forth across my slit, murmuring approval as he enjoys the wetness he created with his fingers. And then I feel the pressure. His hands have a hold of my hips now and he urges me to push down on him and I feel him stretch me as he pushes up.

"Fuck, Rook, I can't believe how good you feel." Ronin stares up with me, his eyes barely open as I lift up and then push down one more time. I shift a little as I come down, my clit rubbing up against the base of his shaft, and holy f**king shit, that feels good. I do it again and this time I exert a little more force as I come down, making Ronin growl out a few unintelligible words.

His hands thrust me up and then slam me down, and everything I just experienced is magnified, I can feel the pressure building inside me again. I lift up, getting into his faster rhythm, and we slam together harder and harder with each movement and just when I think I'm going to come again, he slows it down, and instead of the thrusting, he draws me down onto his chest and grabs my ass with both hands, sliding me, sliding my clit, back and forth across his body. We come together this time, a collective of pleasure and panting, as his mouth crashes against mine once more, our tongues still desperate for each other.

When the shock waves subside I burrow my head into his neck again, then collapse against his chest. He turns me over so I'm on my side and then slips his arm under me, pulling my ass up against his stomach. "It was better than the fantasy, Rook. I'd just like you to know that."

I lie there for a few seconds, so happy I can hardly stand it. So satisfied with his body pressed up against me, his breath lingering on my neck as he relaxes. And I fall asleep with a man I might love for real, for the first time ever.

Chapter Thirty-Five - ROOK

A loud knock jolts me out of my sleep and I turn so fast, I fall out of bed.

I'm naked.

And when I look around in a half-asleep daze, I also realize I'm alone. I'm pretty sure Ronin was here when I fell asleep.

The knocking comes again and I wrap the sheet around me and hustle my ass down the hallway to the door. I can see Elise's face peeking through the window so I relax a little.

"Jesus," she says. "Heavy sleeper or what?" Her hands are clasping a clipboard piled with papers.

I can barely see her though the gunk in my eyes, so I don't answer, but that should be her second clue that yes, indeed, I am a heavy sleeper.

"Why are you here?" I manage to croak out.

"Time to work."

"What time is it?" I ask, confused. I look around, still trying to put things together.

"Seven-thirty."

"What the hell? I just went to bed a few hours ago, Elise! You guys had me out in the freaking rain in the middle of the night!"

"Yeah, well, today we need to make you look like shit for this shoot, so what better way to look like shit than to feel like shit? Besides, Ronin is gone for the day and Antoine wants to shoot you with Billy for this."

"Billy! But—"

"Hey, don't push it right now, Rook, you guys pissed him off last night pretty bad. He needs some slutty shots and he wants someone to take care of you in the shoot, so that's Billy for today."

"Yeah, because that went so well last time," I mutter.

"That was a misunderstanding, Billy is just fine. He's worked for us for almost two years so relax. Don't shower, just put some clothes on and come right to make-up."

She turns on her heel and some of her papers flutter off the clipboard and float down at my feet. I reach down, still slightly dazed from sleep, and go to hand them back to her when I realize what I'm holding.

It's a contact sheet filled with pictures. Pictures of Ronin and me from yesterday.

The view in each one is from below, like whoever took this shot was on the ground looking up at us. Front and center is Ronin's hand inside my boxer shorts and there is no way to miss the fact that his fingers are definitely between my legs. The other hand gropes my breast with a force that appears to be bruising. My head is tilted back, my mouth open in what I can only imagine was a groan of pleasure, but it's Ronin's face that stops me cold.

He's looking straight at the camera. His electric blue eyes blazing like a predator, his brows furrowed together, and his lips in a snarl. He looks like an animal ready to take down a kill. And I get it, it's theatrics for the sake of art. Or whatever. But he made such a big deal about not looking at the camera, and here he is, staring directly into it?

It feels like a betrayal.

"What the f**k is this?" I ask Elise.

She draws in a deep breath and takes the photo back. "That is the winning image, Rook. They loved it. Congratulations, you're about to be famous."

And then she turns around and walks off, leaving me standing in the doorway.

Is this what I signed up for? Of all the images they got of us yesterday, that was the one they have to use? Where the hell did Ronin go? That's really not cool. And slutty shots? I don't even want to know what that means.

"Hurry up!" Elise calls out as I stand there thinking.

I slam the door and go put on some clothes, brush my teeth real fast, slip on my ratty old Converse, and head over to make-up.

Why I am sent there I have no idea because when Josie turns me around to look at myself, I look like shit. Just like Elise wanted. I have raccoon eyes from the smeared eye shadow, my lipstick is splotchy, and she has applied some kind of make-up in just the right way to make my face look hollowed out.