A Picture of Desire by Victoria Hale

A PICTURE OF DESIRE
     
     
    When the phone rang, Ava answered it with a sultry, “I’ve been thinking about you, my love.”
    But the man on the other end of the line was not her soon-to-be husband.
    “Have you?” he chuckled. “In that case, we might have to slip between the sheets together before your wedding next month.”
    Twin spots of crimson colored her cheeks as she glanced around the jewelry store with her emerald green eyes. But her co-worker, Beth, gave no indication that she could hear the man who spoke to Ava in such a brazen tone.
    Todd Rogers, her fiance’s brother, had relentlessly flirted with her since the day they met. The entire family believed it was just his attempt at innocent fun, but Ava always felt the undercurrent of meaning hidden in his words. She heard the husky promise in his voice. And she felt the heat behind his gaze. Sometimes—every once in a while—her body betrayed her by responding to Todd’s dark eyes and lean body as he brushed past her at a family gathering, and she would hurry away to the bathroom until her nipples softened and the tingle between her legs no longer commanded her attention.
    “Should I assume your silence means that you’re considering my offer?” Todd asked, lowering his voice even further.
    The lust she heard sent a sharp bolt of desire through Ava, but she countered his words by keeping her tone light.
    “There’s only one man whose offer I ever consider,” Ava said, “and he’s your brother.”
    She heard him exhale an exaggerated sigh. “Ah, yes. Ken always manages to snag the good ones. Aren’t younger brothers supposed to live in the shadow of their older, wiser sibling? Unfortunately, that’s not the brotherly relationship I have with Ken. He’s just a child compared to my own advancing years, but he always gets the girl.”
    Despite her intentions to remain aloof and cool, Ava laughed. “You’re only four years older than Ken,” she said.
    “Practically a geriatric,” Todd said with mock grief. “Although if you were ever to spend the night with me, I promise I wouldn’t let my old age impede your enjoyment of the evening.”
    Unconsciously, Ava reached for the collar of her blouse as she felt another flush spread across her cheeks. For just a moment she had allowed herself to imagine her body intertwined with Todd’s—with nothing except a thin layer of sweat between her naked skin and his muscled torso—and a warm fire stirred in her belly.
    Something must have been apparent in her appearance, because Beth glanced at Ava’s face and raised an eyebrow. Ava turned away from the jewelry counter and walked toward the back stockroom. The jumble of boxes and the ancient safe were reminders that the failing jewelry store was in need of serious maintenance, and no one had heard from the owner in weeks. Ava chewed her bottom lip and twirled a lock of her chestnut hair with her finger, fears of losing her job momentarily overpowering her reaction to Todd’s words. She seized on her change in mood to end his banter.
    “Is there something you wanted, Todd?” she asked briskly.
    “Yes,” he said. “You.”
    He paused, but Ava refused to participate in his game. She exhaled heavily, trying to sound exasperated. “Why did you call me?” she asked.
    “Ah,” he said. “I see you’re done having a fun little chat with me. Now you’re all business.” His tone was still light and sexy, and Ava almost smiled.
    “I’m very busy, Todd,” she said.
    “Well, my soon-to-be sister-in-law, I am calling to schedule a time for your photo shoot. Remember?”
    Ava cringed. Her mind had been busy with wedding plans and the possibility of losing her job. She had completely forgotten that Ken wanted Todd to spend an hour or two taking some “practice” photographs before the wedding.
    Todd had offered to be the photographer at their wedding as a gift, but he had no experience in a professional capacity. He was, however, an avid hobbyist and