Perfect Picture [The ShadowDance Club 7] (Siren Publishing Classic) (4 page)

Just thinking about taking Ilaina’s picture in a couple of the sets he’d created was enough to send his blood rushing south. He couldn’t wait to make love to her and then capture her sated spirit on film. Those pictures would always be for his own enjoyment, that side of his
cara
wasn’t for anyone else to see. The only picture he’d ever taken of her had been locked in a vault for years because he’d been unwilling to share it with the world. The damned thing was worth a fortune now that she was an international fashion and modeling icon, but it would never be for sale. He was apprehensive about showing it to her because it showed the vulnerability that was at her core, but he also wanted her to see herself as he had remembered her all these years.

She had been quiet on the drive over to the warehouse and he watched her eyes widen as the hidden door along the river side of the building slid open and he drove inside. She surprised him when she giggled and then looked at him shyly. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing because I’m pretty sure that kind of technology wasn’t available when this building was closed down and it sure wasn’t around when it was built. So I’m sure there are a lot more surprises yet to come, am I right?”

“Yes, you are. And I’m impressed that you made that observation so quickly. I’ve worked with the Lamonts, Bryant Davis, and Mitch Grayson on the security of this building. This is one of the safest places around I can promise you that,
cara
. I’ll make sure you have a key fob so you can always come in if you need a safe haven.” He saw her curious look and appreciated that she didn’t ask him to explain. There would be plenty of time for all of that later. But right now, he felt like a kid with a new toy and he couldn’t wait to show it off to the prettiest girl in the class. “I usually take the freight elevator, but if you feel uncomfortable with it, we can use the new one.”

He saw a glint of mischief in her eyes when she answered. “The freight elevator sounds like fun. Lead the way…you have piqued my curiosity now. I’m anxious to see what you have created.” Smiling at her prophetic words he helped her from the truck and then placed his hands at her lower back as he led her to the large elevator. When he raised the metal gate he saw her eyes widen when she saw how large the elevator was. “Wow, you could get a car on here. This is amazing. I’ll bet this was a big help with your renovations.”

He laughed because the old elevator had been one of the last things he’d managed to get restored. “Actually, not so much since it’s only been functional for the past few weeks. It turned out to be pretty difficult to find parts for the blasted thing. I had to get a small company in New Mexico to make the pieces we needed. And while their work was flawless, it wasn’t exactly speedy.”

She smiled and he was happy to see she seemed perfectly at ease. “How long did it take you to complete this project?”

He laughed out loud because he would probably always consider the building to be a work in progress. “Well, as you’ll soon see, it isn’t exactly finished yet. I sometimes get called out – often at a moment’s notice – as you well know. But now that I’m planning to retire from all that, I hope I can finish up the last few loose ends and at least start taking pictures again.”

They had finally reached the ground floor and he watched her take in her surroundings as he raised the metal gate. When they stepped off the elevator he saw her eyes go wide when she saw the pictures he’d taken of children all over the world. He’d hoped for that exact reaction because so much of what he had to tell her involved kids. She already knew his last call had involved a child and he could hardly wait to get his most recent pictures of Myla uploaded so they could be printed. Placing his hand on her back again he gently steered her toward the wall of pictures where he’d hung all but the very latest shots of the little dark-eyed beauty that had stolen his and so many of his friends’ hearts.

He knew the minute she’d seen his little doll just by the way her eyes went wide and her voice was a reverent whisper. “Who is she? She is absolutely exquisite.” Noah didn’t answer her at first, he was enjoying watching Ilaina’s eyes as she perused the photos like the professional she was. “And her beauty radiates from deep in her soul. Her heart has bled, but her soul sings.”
As does yours my sweet cara.

“Have you heard Cash mention a child that a member of his SEAL team fathered? A young girl the rest of the team has sort of adopted after her father was killed?” When she nodded without ever moving her eyes from Myla’s photos he continued. “Well, Ilaina Red Cloud meet Myla Smith.” When she turned to him with wide eyes, he smiled and continued. “And, before you ask—no that is not her real surname. But I’ll explain more about that later. This little beauty steals the heart of everyone she comes in contact with. She is the reason Alex called me away from our date,
cara
. The nuns that have been caring for her needed my help. I’m not certain that she is safe yet, but until Alex clears a few more hurdles to get her to the United States, all we can do is send up our prayers.”

“What sort of danger is she in? She is just a child. Who could possibly want to hurt her? And isn’t she a United States citizen?” Noah watched as Ilaina’s eyes went from soft and appreciative to dancing with a defensive fire for a child she didn’t even know.
Definitely my kind of woman.

“It’s a long story, but basically, Myla was
safe
with her mother’s family as long as her father was sending cash for her care. After he died the mother’s family decided to sell the girl into marriage, which is a common practice in that part of the world. Unfortunately, Alex and the rest of the team found out too late to stop the money from changing hands. Now the ‘future husband’ wants Myla delivered to his home. He is a powerful man and is making a lot of trouble. We are trying to negotiate with his representatives, which is a polite way of saying we’re trying to pay him off so we can get her out of the country. Yes, technically she is a U.S. citizen, but as I’m sure you are aware, that doesn’t mean anything in that part of the world.”

This conversation was getting more involved than he’d intended and he wanted to move her along before she got so bogged down in this problem she forgot they were here to spend time together. He had other things he wanted to show her. He gently moved her forward and smiled when she looked back over her shoulder at Myla’s pictures. “Promise me you’ll show me her updated pictures and keep me posted on her.” She blushed and then added, “I know if you just returned from there, you have pictures in that camera you carry everywhere that are more current and I can’t wait to see them. There is just something about her that calls to me. I can’t explain it.”

“I promise. And
cara
, just so you know, I’m deeply touched by your interest in Myla. She is a joy and we’ll talk more about her later, but right now I have other things I want to show you.

“People don’t surprise me very often, Noah, but I have to say, you are turning out to be one surprise after another.” Noah was taken aback by her words and knew his faltered steps had probably given him away. But standing back watching as she strolled contentedly through his gallery he could tell she was genuinely surprised at the quality of his work and at the breadth of the subject matter. Most people only knew him as a fashion photographer and had very little knowledge of what all he’d done professionally.

He was completely gobsmacked when she turned to him and inquired, “Why didn’t we ever work together? Why did you purposefully avoid working with me? I know you turned down some very lucrative offers that would have put us together. What I don’t know is…why?” She must have read his stunned expression because she finally added, “I’m sorry if I surprised you. I guess I’ve gotten to be a lot more direct as I’ve gotten older. But I’ve found it saves a lot of time if you know what I mean. I always assumed you left that night because you had gotten what you wanted and preferred to avoid the awkward morning after talk. But earlier, you made reference to the fact that you were called away and then tonight, Alex said there might be another reason you have acted as if I’ve had the plague all these years.”

Was she fucking kidding? Oh course he’d avoided her. If his enemies – and they were many – knew how much he cared about her, there wouldn’t have been a safe place on Earth for her.
He knew he was taking too long to answer, but honestly he was working awfully hard to pull the words together without sounding like a paranoid bastard. It was going to be a fine line to walk and he knew it. On the one hand, if he didn’t tell her the truth straight up, she’d know he was lying. And if he told her everything, she’d think he was a nut-case or just trying to make excuses.

“
Cara
, there is so much I want to tell you and I will in good time. But suffice to say, I didn’t work with you because I knew I could not have done it without everyone knowing exactly how I feel about you. And quite frankly, I’ve made some powerful enemies during my years of traveling and I really didn’t want them to know how important you were to me.” He took a deep breath and then met her coal black eyes once again. “I don’t know exactly what Alex told you, but I’m betting it’s something along that order because it’s the simple truth and I’ve never known Alex Lamont to lie—ever.”

Noah watched as her face flushed a pale rose color. He’d always marveled at the amazing light caramel color of her skin and how her blush was still so easy to see. Ilaina’s Native American fathers had given her all the very best features of their heritage and she’d also gotten the best of her mother’s Anglo features as well. The combination had been heart-stopping from the time she had been a very young girl. Noah had always understood why her oldest brother Cash had been an overprotective bastard, but it hadn’t made him hate it any less.

“Okay, I’ll let it go for now, because I’d really like to see more of your work and what you have done here. This whole place is such a wonderful surprise. The modern interior is in stark contrast to the old brick functionality of the exterior. And the functionality of the design is amazing. This is exactly the kind of place I’d have chosen for myself.” Her smile lit up the room and he was grateful to move on through the gallery. Hiding his smile at her admission that it was the kind of place she would have chosen for herself pleased him more than she could imagine. He’d hung her picture in his office and he was saving that stop for last.

When they’d reached the closed door that led to his office he turned her so that she was facing him. Reaching up he used his fingers to lift her chin so that he could look into her eyes. “
Cara
, this is my office and there is a very special picture hanging in here. It seems like I have waited forever to show it to you. I want you to see the woman I loved enough to stay away from, but I never forgot the moment in time when this picture was taken.”

He quickly opened the door because he could see the clouds move through her eyes, and he damned well didn’t want to give the storm a chance to break. When he stepped aside he saw her eyes go straight to the picture hanging over the mantle of the native stone fireplace that dominated the wall facing them. All he could do was stand back and watch as she slowly advanced until she was standing directly in front of the most meaningful picture he’d ever taken. He didn’t say anything, he just waited.

* * * *

Ilaina had heard Noah’s words and for just a second she had thought he was going to show her a picture of another woman. But when he’d thrown open the door to his office and she had seen the picture she’d been completely bowled over. In a split second she remembered exactly when that shot had been taken. And the fact that he’d truly captured exactly how she’d been feeling at that moment was as thrilling as it was humbling. For long seconds she just looked at the picture and saw for the first time the vulnerable young woman she had been in that moment. And she realized that she’d become someone entirely different in the years since. She was much more jaded and she wasn’t sure she liked the person she had become.

“Noah…I don’t know what to say. I really don’t. I’ve had hundreds of thousands of pictures taken since this one, but none that I liked as much.” She heard his breath release in a huff and wondered if he had even realized he’d been holding it. No doubt he’d feared her reaction, but he shouldn’t have. She felt her eyes fill with tears because she remembered the words he’d spoken in the hall. And then it occurred to her that he’d kept it for himself. She didn’t doubt that he’d known its value, yet he’d never shared it with anyone. “Where has this been?”

He smiled at her and she noticed the wistful look in his eyes. “I kept it wrapped and in a vault. Alex and Zach knew that if anything ever happened to me, it was to go to you or your family. It was never intended for public display despite the fact that it is the most beautiful, sensual picture I’ve ever taken. The truth is I just didn’t want to share this intimate side of you with anyone else.” She hadn’t even realized tears heavy with emotions were rolling down her cheeks until he leaned over and kissed them away.

“This picture was the only tangible thing I had to hold on to from that night. I can still look at this picture and still feel the dewy velvet feel of your skin as it brushed against mine. I remember exactly how your sweet honey imprinted itself as the most erotic perfume I’d ever smelled and the look of wonder in your eyes as I slid into your heat for the first time. Everything about that night was pure magic. The windows welcomed the moonlight and invited it to dance over your beaded nipples. The shadows created by the moon dancing with the clouds as it worshipped you only served to add to the allure and mystery of the night. I have looked at the smaller copy of this picture a million times just so I could let my mind drift back to that night. This picture allowed me to freeze frame that moment in time. There were many nights that I’d look at it just before falling asleep so you would be the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes. It let me dream of you in colors that I don’t think have even been named yet.” Ilaina let her own memories drift over her and closed her eyes as she became more and more lost in his words.