Deep and Silent Waters

‘So professional,’ he mocked, but with warmth in his eyes. ‘Okay, let’s go. This time I want you to hold this.’ He turned and picked up a sword, which had been leaning against the wall. ‘Be careful, only hold it by the pommel. The edge is sharp.’

She was reluctant, but warily let him put it into her hand. Her wrist gave way under the weight as she tried to lift it. ‘It’s very heavy.’

‘Lean on it, make it part of your pose, okay?’

‘Like this?’

‘Beautiful! The Donatello statue is androgynous, faintly perverse. Can you get something of that in your expression?

‘I’ll try,’ she said, amused. ‘You don’t ask much, do you?’ She felt weird, modelling again, but she fell into it without difficulty and hardly noticed half an hour go by, unaware when Nico switched cameras and went on shooting more film of her, in the transparent gauzy tunic, the boots, the flower-decked hat, leaning on the heavy sword.

They both jumped at a tap on the door.

‘What the fuck is going on?’ Sebastian exploded into the room towards them, face rigid, skin an angry red.

Nico said coolly, ‘What does it look like? She’s posing for photos I can work with while she’s acting – I told you I wanted her to model for me.’

‘You didn’t tell me it would be porno stuff!’

Nico’s eyes were contemptuous. ‘Look at her again, you moron! She’s dressed as the Donatello David. Surely even you recognise that?’

‘She looks pretty undressed to me!’ Sebastian’s eyes raked over her body in the flimsy tunic, which showed everything from her breasts to the curly red-gold hair above that cleft between her thighs.

‘The hat’s cute, though,’ Laura tossed at him, so furious she wanted to hit him but hiding it under a bright, phoney smile. ‘And the boots are very sexy.’ She put one foot up, posing. ‘Don’t you think so?’

Without looking at Nico, Sebastian said, through tight lips, ‘Get out of here before I smash that camera. She’s under contract to me and I need to talk to her. When I need her, she can’t work for anyone else.’

‘This isn’t work, it’s fun,’ Laura said, offering the sword back to Nico.

His eyes smiled. ‘You’re wonderful.’

‘Get out, will you?’ Sebastian grated.

Ignoring him, Nico told Laura, ‘I’ll take the sword, but keep the rest of the costume up here for the moment. Let me know next time you have a few free hours to work with me.’

He began to dismantle his equipment without hurry; Sebastian watched, eyes smouldering, and opened the door for him when he left, carrying his tripod over his shoulder, cameras strung around him.

Laura walked towards the bathroom, intending to change out of the costume, but Sebastian caught her arm. ‘What was really going on in here before I arrived?’

‘I was posing. He was taking pictures.’ She looked down at the curled fingers around her arm. ‘Will you let go of me? And don’t grab me like that again. I’m not some piece of meat and I’m not your property. If I want to pose for Nico, I will.’

‘He wants you! Are you blind? If you let him into your bedroom he’ll be in your bed next.’ His mouth twisted into a sneer. ‘Or is that what you want? Do you fancy him, too? And I thought you were different!’

She hated the way he was looking at her. It made her feel dirty. Pulling free she tried to run to the bathroom, but he caught her again before she had got to the door, his hands on her waist.

Her hat fell off and she struggled helplessly, but he lifted her into the air and carried her to the bed where she sprawled, heart beating so fast that she was gasping for breath. Sebastian got on to the bed and knelt over her, taking her face between his two hands and gazing down at her.

‘Don’t sleep with him, Laura, don’t. I’d have to kill you,’ he muttered. Then he began to kiss her hungrily, and her body responded as it always did to him, melting, trembling, turning to wax under his caressing hands. He could do anything with her and to her, and she would never stop him; the pleasure of his touch was too intense, she needed it with an ache she had never felt for anyone else.

Her eyes closed, her arms went round his back, she lifted her legs to enfold him, groaning with pleasure as he stroked her breasts, her thighs, his fingers sliding inward, finding the soft, moist, hot centre of her body and making her gasp with desire.

Sebastian lifted his mouth and looked at her with half-closed, gleaming eyes. ‘I’ve been waiting months for you – it’s been torture.’

She was desperate to have him inside her, she couldn’t pretend. ‘Sebastian …’ She groaned, clutching him, arching against him.

‘Laura … God, Laura, you’re unbelievable,’ he said, tearing off his clothes with hands that shook visibly.

‘I ought to take off these boots!’ Laura said, laughing wildly.