Page 52 of Elite Player
Of course he saw. After the fiasco last week and my resulting breakdown, he hired a social media manager, a young college graduate who was recommended by the PR firm he works with. Aside from helping Nico, she agreed to monitor my emails and DMs as well, pass on anything pertinent to my business, so I don’t have to worry about being bombarded with the dark side of it. I’d briefly brought up the idea of stopping my personal photography altogether and only sticking to being Sean’s assistant, but Nico immediately talked me out of it, reminding me that my long-term dream wasn’t to be Sean’s assistant, but to sell my art. Be featured in galleries. Josephine Atkins Photography, that’s my dream.
Nico and I talked a long time about attention and how I could harness good out of what happened. I could build an audience and create something positive out of the negative.
That’s what I’ve been doing the last few days. I’ve been focusing on the positive. Since I have so many new followers, I’ve made it a daily goal for myself to post one image to Instagram, showing off what I can do, my point of view, and Nico always comments. His are the only ones I look at.
Beautiful, babe!
You are so talented!
Or my personal favorite from this morning when I posted a black-and-white photo of a dog I passed, his owner having atough time pulling him away from the trash. I snapped a photo of the scraggly looking dog, its mouth open, tongue out, like it was smiling. Nico commentedAlmost as pretty as me.
If there is one thing I’ve learned from the last few days, it’s that Nico Tremblay makes me happy. He has a way of knowing exactly what to say to make me feel confident or calm or excited. Sexy, even.
We haven’t touched each other in that way since the day I did the photo shoot with him and Gus in his apartment, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. Didn’t miss how desperate he made me feel. Comfortable and unafraid.
Since I had never been with a man before, never had an orgasm with one before, I didn’t know what it would feel like to go without. But after learning what it’s like to be with Nico, I miss it.
I miss him.
Not only his laugh and his company, but his hands and mouth on me.
I’ve tried to make up for it, under the covers at night. I touch myself, but it’s not the same. We didn’t even take our clothes off that day, but I want to know what his palms on my thighs would feel like, the warmth of his naked skin along mine. I think it might be addictive.
And I would just be another girl who fell for Nico Tremblay.
Except right now, I don’t necessarily care.
Not when his blue eyes spark with a familiar lust on my cell phone screen, and his mouth quirks to the side. “What are you thinking about, Jojo? What’s got you chewing on your lip?”
“Nothing.”
He shakes his head. “Come on, tell me.”
“No.”
He gasps. “Josephine, are you thinking about something naughty? Is that why you won’t tell me?”
“No.”
He readjusts his position on the mattress, moving his arm outfrom behind his head so it’s out of sight, and my belly flips. He lowers his voice. “Two more days until I’m home.”
I silently nod, fearing if I speak, I’ll give myself away.
“Two more days until I can see you in person.”
I nod again.
“Two more days until I can touch you.”
“Nico.” His name is nothing more than a breathy whine.
“Has it been as difficult for you as it’s been for me? I’ve been thinking about you every day. Thinking about how you say my name just like that when you come.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, my skin prickling with desire. It’s familiar, the heat and the tingling sensation gathering between my legs, but hearing and seeing Nico makes it all so much better.
“Cubby is out for the night,” Nico says, setting his cell phone somewhere to the side—I assume a nightstand—so I’m able to view nearly all of his top half, from his gorgeous face with an impish smile to where a trail of golden hair leads down from his navel to a spot out of frame, bracketed by muscles above his hips.
He is art.
