Page 41 of Building Courage
But could he act like he didn’t know anything about what had happened to her?
There were possibilities here for them both. The chemistry was there, the shared drives. And God, she was beautiful, and he wanted her. The way she responded to him…she wanted him.
Maybe they could just ride it out. And maybe with enough time…
But did he want to take all this on? He massaged his temples.
He had forty-eight hours to make a decision.
Chapter 13
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Brynn breathed in the sun-warmed salty tang of the ocean breeze and focused on the crisp, azure blue sky in the background of the shot. She missed clouds. In the Adirondacks, there were beautiful clouds and gorgeous sunsets, but in San Diego, she saw few clouds during the summer months. Something about the reflective heat from man-made concrete structures raised the air temperature and forced out the moisture that would help form clouds.
Luckily, the sky wasn’t the focal point of the photographs she was taking, only the bathing-suit-clad models posing on the yacht, reclining in deck chairs, eating lunch in the dining area, sipping champagne, and splashing in the pool. She called out instructions for poses and movement as the women played in the pool. The women weren’t the focus of this particular shoot, but the customer wanted to give the impression the clients sailing with them would have more scenery to enjoy than the ocean and the ports of call they traveled to along the coast.
Whether that was the truth, she didn’t know or care.
She dismissed all but one of the models and focused on Isabella. The woman’s rich chestnut hair and bright blue-green eyes seemed to mirror the colors of the water. She’d be the icing on the cake to represent the yacht company.
Another vessel crept into her shot behind the model. It was a blue boat that looked very similar to the cabin cruiser she’d photographed before. One of the crew walked into the frame, and she straightened and moved around the pool to another angle, turning her back to the man. She’d heard someone call him Tim. He’d been hanging around, watching her work and watching the models. She kept her focus on the glistening water and the model’s damp skin as she raised a glass of wine to her lips.
The movement of the yacht gliding over the water, though subtle, was just enough to make her really work for the shots. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep, bracing breath. Then she opened her eyes and pushed the button. She’d been on board the vessel nearly all day and was ready to go back to port and head for home.
“You can get out of the water whenever you like, Isabella. We’re through.”
“Thanks. The last time I did a pool shoot, my hands and feet were pruned by the time we were done,” the model said as she climbed the shallow steps to the deck. “That was totally painless.”
“Could be because I’m used to photographing children, and they’re often a moving target. You were perfect.”
Isabella laughed and slipped on the silk robe the crew member Tim held for her. “Give me a call if you need me again.”
“I will.”
As the woman sauntered away up the stairs to the cabin deck, Brynn closed her eyes for a moment. When she looked around, she was relieved that Tim had finally left.
“You’re not getting seasick, are you?” Jess, her assistant, asked from her position on the steps leading up to the second deck, where she stayed out of the shots.
“No. The ocean isn’t choppy enough for that. But the glare off the water is stinging a little.” Not being able to wear sunglasses while taking the shots was a bitch. “I’m ready to go into the dining area to cool off and rest my eyes while I take a few more shots of the bar area. The colors of all those whiskey bottles might be an attractive composition for an upload to my site. I think we took enough of the models eating lunch and so on.”
“I’m with you. Too bad we’re not being plied with champagne like the models.” Jess gazed longingly at the chilled strawberries floating in pale gold wine stationed at the bar close to the pool. Her sun-flushed cheeks played against the deep blue of her eyes, as did the pale blue T-shirt she wore with her dark blue shorts. She’d bundled her thick wheat-colored hair into a messy bun atop her head.
Brynn raised the camera and took a candid shot of her.
“Hey!” Jess protested, “I look windblown and hot. And I don’t mean sexy.”
Brynn climbed the steps and opened the view screen to show her the shot. “You’re too hard on yourself. Your boyfriend, Oliver, will love it. I’ll print him a copy. And if Liam Bryant wants to use the photo for his yacht promotion, I’ll make sure you get some money from it.”
Jess’s pout transitioned into interest as she studied the photo. “How do you do that? Instead of the messy wreck I feel like, you make me look halfway attractive?”
“It’s all about light and shadow, and you’re just being modest.” Brynn motioned for her to follow her through the open doors to the dining area inside the main deck of the yacht.
“Have you ever thought about giving photography lessons as a sideline?” Jess asked.
“No. I’ve always been too busy trying to hone my own skills and searching out jobs to keep the lights on.”
“If you hone those skills any sharper, you’ll have to apply to National Geographic or News Week and go on the road. You could open your own studio now and make it a success.”