London Bound: New Adult Romance (Chase Brothers) by Nana Malone Read Free Book Online

like listening. For the first time in longer than she cared to think about, she liked having someone’s hands on her. She wasn’t afraid. Instead, she craved it, that connection. Her body hummed with vibrant sexual energy. An energy she hadn’t felt in six long years. There were nerves, but not from fear or trepidation. It felt good. Better than good. It made her remember how much she needed to be touched. Or rather touched by someone who could make her feel safe.
    But just as the last of the tension ebbed out of her body, his thumbs pressed gently against her hipbones, moving her back several inches. He raised his head, and they stood like that for several seconds before Abbie realized Jasper had switched the music. Oh, God . She’d been standing here with a total stranger, practically melting into him.
    Heat rushed to her face. “I—”
    He smiled, and she was too blinded to finish. Gently his thumbs traced across her hipbones once more, and he let her go. “Thank you for the dance.” Then he turned around and walked away.
    Abbie spent several seconds staring after him. What the hell had just happened?
    “Hey, there you are.” Tamsin’s voice broke her out of the fog. “Who was that you were dancing with?”
    Abbie stared into the crowd feeling empty. “I have no idea.”

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Two days later, Abbie stood in front of Xander’s door wishing she hadn’t stayed up so late again. She’d need to be careful hanging out with Sophie and crew. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Come on. Get it together. You’re here to learn . She couldn’t be afraid forever.
    Taking one more deep breath to marshal her nerves, she knocked quietly.
    “It’s open.”
    “Here goes nothing,” she mumbled.
    The moment she opened the door to Xander’s office, she felt like she’d walked into an episode of Hoarders . There were piles everywhere and books and boxes of photo equipment. Wow . “Uhm, is this a good time?”
    He grinned as he stood. “Of course. It’s your time to use. Here, let me clear you a spot to sit.” Quickly, he cleared a stack of coffee table books off a chair and placed them on the floor beside his desk. “There you go. Have a seat, Little Bird.”
    She flushed. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
    He plopped into his seat across from her with a lazy ease. “What, Little Bird? It’s how I see you. I go through every single one of the photos that you all submit for review. Occasionally, one or two stand out. From that point forward, I can’t help but look at my students that way, as if that photo encompasses everything they are.” He shrugged. “Hence, Little Bird.”
    There was no way she’d be able to concentrate with him staring at her like that. Like she had his full focus. She tried not to squirm under the scrutiny of his direct gaze. “So, can I ask, what are you looking for in your assistant position?”
    His bark of laughter was rich and low. “Right to the point, I see.”
    Abbie shrugged. “It’s why I came to London. I want to work with you.”
    Something flittered over his expression, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. “I’m looking for a damn good photographer who can put up with me. Right now, all of you show promise, but I think with some hard work, we can make you shine.”
    Way to be vague. “I’d just like to know the criteria you’re using to measure my work.”
    His lips tipped up in an oddly familiar smile. “Ahhh, the artist with a type A streak. I understand. Composition, command of the light around you, the basics, but to an expert level. I don’t want to be able to tell the difference between your work and an Ansell Adams. But you have to infuse heart into your images. That and confidence. If it’s not there, I can’t use you.”
    Heart . Confidence . Considering hers had been ripped out of her chest, and her confidence lay under a pile of shit, she’d have to figure that out. “Okay. I can work on it.”
    “So, tell me