Amazonia Read Free Page A

you.”
    An unexpected wave of jealousy hit, and Jefferson
quickly tamped it down. What right did he have to be jealous? Layla
didn’t know how hard he’d tried to kill his attraction to her since
the day they hired her. He knew she wasn’t married and didn’t have
a boyfriend, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t flirt with every guy
she ran into if she wanted. Unfortunately, he had no claim to
her.
    Tommy dropped a hand on his shoulder. “Talk to me,
man. How’d you get her to agree to this?”
    “We’re working on another ad campaign, and we agreed
these shots will be used for research purposes only.”
    The photographer shook his head. “Man, she could
totally be your model. Have you suggested she do the real thing
instead of test shots?”
    “I tried, but she shot me down before I could mention
it.” Jefferson grinned and patted Tommy’s back. “Be happy you get
to photograph her. This is likely to be your only opportunity.”
    “I’ll be sure to make it worth everyone’s while.”
Tommy headed to the table holding his cameras, leaving Jefferson
alone with his thoughts once more.
    Thankfully, Layla didn’t take long choosing her
costume. Jefferson’s heart stuttered when she stepped into the
studio. If he’d thought she was beautiful before, she was drop-dead
gorgeous now.
    She’d traded her battered jeans for a pair of
charcoal-gray, pinstriped slacks that accentuated her slim waist
and curvy hips. A pale cream tank top showed off her toned and
enticing upper body. The pointy black shoes she’d added to complete
the outfit made her look much classier than he’d expected for this
impromptu photo shoot.
    Layla held her arms out and did a quick spin. “Do I
meet with your approval?”
    “Always.” The word slipped out before he could think
about it, and he mentally kicked himself as he tried to cover his
slip up. “But there’s something missing.”

    “What?”
    “You’ve lost that rocker look. Let me see what I can
find to bring it back. You talk to Tommy about the poses you think
would be best.” Jefferson hurried to the wardrobe closet, hoping he
could find the right accessory to give her the tough as nails
yet soft as a kitten look that appealed to him so much.
    He dug through boxes and drawers before he finally
found what he was looking for. Carrying his find back to the
studio, he held them up with a smile. “This should do the
trick.”
    Layla joined him and raised her eyebrows. “Arm
warmers?”
    “Trust me, it’ll work perfectly.” He handed her the
black-and-white striped arm warmers and watched her pull them on.
As she adjusted them, he turned to Tommy. “What do you think?”
    The photographer grinned and gave him two thumbs up.
“You guys are geniuses together. From what Layla told me about your
project, I think you’ve got the wardrobe just right.”
    “Thanks, Tommy.” Jefferson released a relieved
breath. He’d been a little worried that he would be the only one
who liked Layla’s improved outfit.
    She finished messing with the arm warmers and headed
for the well-lit white background. “Okay, Tommy, let’s get this
over with so we can all get out of here.”
    Jefferson hung back and watched the two of them work.
Each pose Tommy suggested, Layla executed with a grace and ease he
didn’t often see in first-time models. The woman was a natural; she
just couldn’t see it. He had high hopes that once she saw the
photos, she would finally see herself the way he saw her. Where she
saw only a strong-willed businesswoman, he saw so much more. Her
femininity shone through, no matter what she wore. Even in the
midst of an argument, Jefferson could sense her softer side. No
matter what she thought of herself, to him she was the epitome of
the Amazonia brand—strong yet sexy beyond belief.
    An hour later, they had more shots than they would
ever need. Jefferson planned to ask Tommy for one of each, but
Layla seemed determined to keep as few as possible. Tommy slipped
the