HH01 - A Humble Heart (17 page)

Edward’s eyes.

“Get her wet!” Clay demanded.

Before she could ask what the hell that meant, several buckets of ice cold water were dumped over her. Someone played

with her hair. Another person came over with a spray bottle and sprayed her body. Several more pictures were taken in even

more provocative positions.

“Okay, Dana, you’ve been great, but I just need one more shot. I need this one with one of our other models,” Clay said.

Dana nodded, happy to be almost done. When a gorgeous male model walked towards her she became nervous. She shot a

panicked look at Amy that told her to come immediately before she hyperventilated.

“What I need you to do is take off your top. Zack is going to kneel behind you so he’s not in the picture, but his hands are

going to cup your breasts while you run your hands through your hair,” Clay said as if it wasn’t something to discuss.

“Amy!” Dana said, trying to stay calm. It was one thing to do a sex scene in a movie. She was pretty sure she could do

that. It was part of the story line, but to have a guy she didn’t know hold her breasts because she needed an extra set of hands

was too much.

“Um, Clay, let’s talk,” Amy said, pulling Clay away.

Zack stepped up next to her smiling. He held out his hand. “You’re doing a great job.”

She shook his hand as she watched Amy with great interest. Edward made his way over. His jaw was clenched and he

looked pissed. Apparently he overheard the game plan.

“Whoa, Edward Pierce,” Zack said, holding out his hand. Edward shook his hand quickly.

“Is this something you want to do?” he asked Dana, ignoring Zack's star struck expression.

She hugged herself. “I don’t know. No offense, Zack.”

“None taken. Don’t worry I’ll be gentle.” He smiled pleasantly.

Edward stared him down. “You’re not cupping my girlfriend’s breasts. I don’t care what they say.”

Dana bit her lip to keep from smiling when he called her his girlfriend. She forced her attention on Amy, who was arguing

with Clay now. After a minute they made their way back to Dana. “This is the cover shot. It’s already been discussed. She

needs to do it,” Clay argued.

Amy looked at Edward and then to Dana as she slowly smiled. “You just need Zack’s hands, right? He won’t be in the

photo?”

“That’s right,” Clay said, sighing with relief that she was finally catching on.

“Good, we won’t need Clay then. I have someone who can do it and she’ll be more comfortable with,” Amy said.

Clay looked at her cautiously. “Who?”

She jerked a thumb at Edward. “Him.”

“What?” Dana asked. Edward grinned hugely.

“Let me see your hands,” Clay demanded. Edward showed him his hands. “He’ll do. Okay, Dana, take off your top when

you’re ready.”

Edward took his shirt off, revealing a lean well defined muscular chest. Dana looked him over hungrily. He watched her

eyes roam over each and every muscle. He had to fight the urge to flex.

“Turn around and face the ocean so no one will see. I’ll place my hands on you then you'll turn around slowly. No one

will see. I promise.” She nodded realizing she didn’t have a choice anymore thanks to the contract she'd signed.

She faced the ocean and felt him behind her. The bikini top came off slowly. She dropped it on the beach. Edward’s hands

came around her. He placed them on her stomach before slowly running them up to cup her breasts. “Perfect,” he mumbled to

himself.

Dana pressed her bottom into him deciding two could play this game. “Exactly what I was thinking.”

“Tease,” he groaned as he pulled himself away from her before he got a very embarrassing erection, well, more

embarrassing.

She giggled softly. “Okay, I’m ready to turn around now.”

He moved with her slowly, pressing his hands firmly against her so he wouldn’t slip. “Okay, Edward, drop to your knees,

but keep your hands where they are,” Clay said.

Edward dropped to his knees and came face to face with Dana’s shapely bottom. A mischievous smile took hold of his

lips. He could feel people working around his hands, probably adding makeup and playing with her hair. When he heard them

walk away and heard Clay walking around he decided to have a little fun.

He gently blew on her bottom making her squirm under his touch. Interesting he thought to himself and blew a little harder

against her soft skin. A shudder went through her body.

“You like that?” he asked softly for her ears only.

She didn’t answer him. He looked around, making sure no one was near him or could see him. He leaned forward and

pressed a kiss to one cheek then the other. He felt her nipples harden beneath his touch. He almost forgot where he was and

squeezed them. He stopped himself at the last second, but it had been damn close.

Her skin was still wet. He licked a drop off her lower back, making her shudder harder. “Are you cold?” Clay asked.

“Uh, just a little,” Dana said, her voice unsteady.

“I’ll warm you up,” Edward said softly. He ran his tongue slowly over her lower back again and down her left cheek and

pressed a kiss to it before repeating the action for the other cheek.

“Stop, baby, please,” she muttered quietly.

“Do you like it?” he asked quietly. “Answer me and I’ll stop.”

“Yes,” she stressed softly, hoping he stopped before she embarrassed herself. While Edward was teasing her from behind

she had over fifty people staring at her from behind a closed off section on the beach and another man walking in front of her,

taking pictures.

“Very good, Dana. We’re finished here if you want to get dressed. I’ll send you copies as soon as I can.”

“Thank you, Clay.”

Edward stood up and turned her around quickly. His mouth went to her ear. “Did you enjoy teasing me last night, baby?”

She swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“Yeah, I thought so….do you know what you did to me?”

“Mmmhmm,” she somehow managed to respond. He was now kneading her breasts since no one could see them.

“Let’s say you get dressed then
I’m
taking you home and the teasing ends,” Edward said through clenched teeth. He was

too aroused to think straight. It was all he could do not to drag her into the water and take her there. “And I’m going to fuck you

until neither one of us has an ounce of energy to move never mind think.”

She sucked in a harsh breath. “Can’t. Kids are home. Baby sitter is leaving,” she managed to whisper.

“Okay, we’ll have dinner with the kids. Once they’re in bed you are
mine
.”

“God yes,” she moaned, making Edward growl. She turned her head and offered her mouth to him. He gladly took it and

kissed her passionately while they had people staring at his back. He was aware of several cameras clicking behind them. He

thrust his tongue into her mouth the way he was going thrust into her later as he pinched and pulled her nipples between his

fingers.

Someone cleared their throat behind them. “Uh, guys, you can go now,” Amy said, trying not to laugh. She bent down and

picked up Edward’s shirt and Dana’s bikini top. Edward took his shirt and offered it to Dana. She put her arms through it while

he reached around her and buttoned it up.

“Ready, sweetheart?” he asked, kissing her cheek.

“Yes. I just have to grab my clothes,” Dana said, looking down to make sure no one could see anything. His dark blue

shirt covered her completely from neck to knees. He took her hand and led her to the make-up trailer to retrieve her clothes.

“You did a great job,” Rick said. He walked over and kissed her cheek. “They’re going to do the interview tomorrow at

your house at three. Is that okay? Amy will be there to make sure things go smoothly. I have to say that was a good choice

giving Amy the job,” Rick said, smiling.

Edward looked confused. She shrugged. “I fired her.”

His eyebrows shot up.

“Then I gave her a new position. She’s my representative, basically my agent.”

“Damn,” Edward gasped.

“She’s good,” she said honestly.

He nodded his agreement. “We can share her.”

Edward led her to his car, rushing her before she could pull her pants on so that she was stuck sitting damn near bare ass

on his leather seat. She pulled the shirt down to cover her legs. He looked over and grinned.

He reached over and took her hand into his while he drove. She gently ran her fingers over his skin. He felt warm and

safe. She couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed holding a man’s hand. She hadn’t enjoyed anything with a man for a

while and with Edward it was explosive.

*********

“How was your day?” Dana asked.

“I missed you! How was the photo shoot? What did you wear?” She inquired as she looked to see her mother was

wearing nothing but a long sleeve shirt.

“I wore a black bikini today, sweetie. It was…uh, interesting,” she said, kissing her daughter’s forehead.

“Really? Can I wear one like it?” Elizabeth asked excitedly.

“Over my dead body,” Edward growled, giving Elizabeth a kiss. Dana smiled and put her daughter down. Edward was a

sweet man who honestly cared about her children. He was so different from Jeff.

“Cole?” Edward called loudly, walking through the house.

A high pitched scream froze all three of them in place.

Chapter 8

“Cole?” Edward took off running towards the scream that wouldn’t stop. He shoved open the kitchen door to find Cole on

the ground, holding his arm against his body. All the color in his face was gone.

It only took a few seconds for Edward to figure out what happened. The burner was on and a turned over saucepan was on

the floor. Water was all over the floor and Cole’s shirt and shorts.

“Oh god, baby boy!” He ran forward and shut the burner off. He picked up Cole and ran with him to the guest bathroom

with Dana hot on his heels. He turned the shower on and set it to cool. He gently stripped Cole’s clothes off. Large blisters

were forming all over the bright red skin that covered his arm, stomach and leg.

“Baby, call 911!” he yelled.

Dana dropped her clothes and pulled her cell phone out from her pants. As the phone rang she pulled on her pants and

comforted Elizabeth, who was now hysterical. She watched as Edward placed Cole in the shower and held him down. Cole

screamed as the water touched his skin.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“I need an ambulance at 623 Long Point Road. My three year old son just burned himself with boiling water. He has

second degree burns covering more than half his body,” Dana said, trying to remain calm and put all her old EMT training to

use.

“Okay, an ambulance and fire are five minutes out. What are you doing for him now?”

“My boyfriend has him in the tub cooling his burns off,” Dana said, not realizing or caring at the moment what she called

Edward. Cole was her only concern.

Cole’s screams got worse. Edward stepped into the tub and cradled Cole in his arms holding him under the water. He

kissed Cole’s head repeatedly. “It’s okay, little man. I’m here, I’m here.”

“Ma’am, what happened?” the operator asked.

“I don’t know. I just came home. I left the kids with a babysitter from the White Sands agency.”

“Where is she?”

“That’s a damn good question. I’m going to find out right now.” She dropped to her knees in front of a sobbing Elizabeth.

“Baby girl, where’s the baby sitter?”

“The green guest bedroom with her friend,” Elizabeth sobbed. Edward’s eyes shot up. There was pure fury in his eyes.

“Hold on,” Dana told the operator.

“Stay here with Uncle Edward, sweetheart, and help out.” She made her way out of the bathroom to the guest room. She

opened the door to find a very naked babysitter and man passed out on the bed. Liquor bottles littered the floor. She closed the

door slowly, deciding to leave them to the police. “She’s passed out in one of the rooms with a man. There’s alcohol in the

room!”

“Is she still there, ma’am?” the operator asked.

“Yes, I didn’t wake her. Please send the police, I’m filing charges,” Dana said.

“I’m way ahead of you, ma’am.” the dispatcher said.

She made her way back to Edward. Cole was still crying. “It hurts!”

“I know, buddy,” Edward said. He was completely drenched now. He looked up. “Where is she?”

“She’s in the bedroom passed out with a man, alcohol everywhere,” Dana said, trying to hold back her own anger. She'd

never seen anyone look more furious that Edward at that moment.

A loud knock had her running to open the front door. Several fire fighters and EMT’s entered followed by two police

officers. She showed them where her son was. They each held several bottles of sterilized saline. The officers made their way

to the bedroom. They walked in and dragged each adult to the floor, screaming at them. Unfortunately they were too drunk to

realize what was happening.

Dana left them to go to her children. She stepped into the hallway just in time to see her little boy passed out with a face

mask placed over his mouth and nose. An IV was already in his uninjured arm. He lay limply in a fireman’s arms. Tears

streamed down her face as she watched him rushed out of the house.

Edward walked next to the fireman. He held Cole’s limp hand in his. “Ma’am, the boy’s father is coming with us. We’re

going to Mercy. Do you know where it is?”