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NO WOMAN HAD EVER WALKED the earth without having been stripped naked by the male gaze.

The male gaze made me uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with me not liking my body, but everything to do with how men perceived it. Like they believed that it belonged to them. That it was made for them to adhere to their desires.

Yet, the man standing a few feet away wasn't stripping me naked — no, he was... appreciating me. His dark brown eyes held both a flicker of fire and a glimmer of interest.

I didn't think it was possible to be looked at in that way. Not like I was an expensive piece of art in a museum, or sex on legs, but like I was a living, breathing, human being with a complexity of layers.

And I hated it.

"Sorry for intruding, but I couldn't help finishing my favorite part in the song," he shut the door behind him and broke the silence, lips curling into a youthful smile. "It's nice to meet you all."

I couldn't help but feel like the last part was directed at me. His deep voice was magnetic, leaving me feeling aflame.

He was young, obviously well built beneath his plain white tee and black jeans, and tall, well over six feet perhaps. Around my age probably, no older than twenty-four.

"Right back at you! I hope you enjoyed the show!" Eddie smirked and I wanted to cringe.

I hoped Nyx deleted the video she still had going.

"I'm sure he did," Nyx remarked jokingly and finally stopped recording. "I'm glad you made it. Now we can finally get the real show on the road!"

I sent him a dumb half wave and then wrapped my robe closer together to cover the top part of what I knew was showing.

Carefully, I bent down to pick up my phone, and when I stood up after awkwardly lingering close to the floor to gather my wits, Nyx and Eddie had already started to tug him to the clothing rack.

"So, you go change into this first," Nyx pointed to the long sleeved black button up and pair of tight black boxer briefs Eddie held up, which had my face burning up. "The bathroom is down the corridor to the right. Then we'll start with the photos, and by the way, you two won't introduce yourselves until the interview. Gotta keep some mystery."

"Sounds fantastic." He sent a quick glance my way when he passed by, as if he was teasing me and I gulped.

My mind tried to wrap around the fact that he was who I would be getting to know. The stranger, who's voice and Adonic-like features had my heart trying to explode out of my chest.

"Why are you just standing there honey?" Eddie asked and then wiggled her brows. "He's a sight for sore eyes, am I right? I found him at a modeling gig I styled him for a few months back and thought he'd be perfect for this."

So he was an actual model? He certainly had the appeal of one.

"Yeah, he's nice looking," I responded to her question coolly, walking over to where she and Nyx stood.

I set my phone on the kitchen island. Nyx looked at me like she was reading my mind and some how knew exactly what I thought about the stranger, but wasn't going to tease me about it or pressure me to admit anything.

"You still okay with this?" She questioned.

I nodded and despite her hesitance, she took it as a solid yes.

"I'm ready!" We all heard a shout and in came the stranger, who's appearance left me stupidly in awe.

From what I could see between his opened button up, his naturally tanned physique was all muscle and sharp contours.

He was defined from head to toe. Even his briefs, did a poor job at hiding his... endowed lower bits... and I felt guilty for staring down there.

"Sweet nipple piercing!" Nyx complimented.

Yes, he had a piercing on his right nipple, two on his right ear, and one on his left ear, but who was counting?

"Thanks. Glad you like it." He looked to me again and I felt electric.

Nyx must have caught on to the energy and grinned at me. "Let me adjust my camera a bit and then we'll start."

Eddie clapped and pulled her Polaroid camera out from her bag on the floor. "Let me snap a polaroid of the two of you standing next to each other!"

He came over to my side and I sucked in a breath, remaining stoic when his arm just barely grazed mine.

I tried keeping my attention on Eddie. I was already tall, standing at 5'8", but she still had to back up to get us in the frame since he completely towered over my frame. When she finally found the right position, she snapped the photo.

"How do you both look so otherworldly without having to try? Geez," Eddie teased as she waved around the polaroid to dry. "Okay baby, take it away," she placed a big kiss on Nyx's mouth and took a spot standing near the corridor so she wouldn't be distracting.

"Alright, both of you position yourselves in the middle of the sofa please," Nyx directed with one hand while holding up her heavy canon camera in the other.

We both sat down side by side on the velvet, goldenrod colored sofa, thinking that's what she meant, but we were wrong.

"No, I want you straddling him."

Oh f*ck me. I mean, I knew what to expect from the shoot, but what I didn't think would happen was my nerves being all over the place at the sight of a man who's name I didn't even know yet.

"Sure thing," I mumbled.

I was pretty sure it was the first time I'd said anything since he'd arrived.

"Great," Nyx lifted up her camera to ready herself for the shot.

I turned my body to the side and scooted closer to him, swinging my leg around so that I was hovering over him. I inhaled lightly and noticed that he had a calming scent. Faintly of lavender, and a tinge of mint.

"Great, now just... you know... sit down completely and wrap your arms around his neck. And then you wrap your right arm around her lower back and then rest your left around her upper back," she told the both of us.

We did as we were told, and noticeably tensed up at the contact. I could hear the pattern of his breathing. It was the same as mine. Sped up and mangled.

"Absolute magic!" Nyx shouted and started to click, moving all over the place to get the angles she wanted. "Put on some music please, Eddie!"

Suddenly, the voice of one of my favorite artists, Celeste, filled the room through the surround sound system. Yet, all I could focus on was him.

I could feel the heat of his skin. His hands touching my back, his chest pressed against mine, his spread legs underneath mine... It wasn't like we were shooting a porno, and yet it felt way too close.

His steady, almond shaped eyes had a startling clarity. I'd been trying not to look directly at him, but it was almost as if he were drawing me in.

I almost wanted to trace his face. From his perfectly full eyebrows, to his wispy lashes, down his prominent nose, around his plump lips and the high peaks of his cheekbones, to where they carved down and met his chiseled, clean shaven jaw.

"You're not a talker are you?" He wondered and I shook my head. "That's okay. We don't have to talk. Your silence is just as captivating."

I was sweltering with emotions I didn't want to feel when he said that. Although it had been quiet, I wondered if Nyx or Eddie heard him, but there was only more clicking and Celeste's song 'Love Is Back' booming in the background.

Unintentionally, I felt through the ends of his dark curls at the back of his head with the tips of my fingers and he shut his eyes, as if basking in it.

After a few moments he opened his eyes again and smiled that staggering little smile before leaning into my ear and whispering so only I could hear, "My name is Nicolau, but you can call me Nico."

He wasn't supposed to tell me that yet, and I wasn't supposed to feel jittery from someone telling me their name.