Narrowing his eyes, Carter glares at us. “I’m the man with the camera, not a fucking technician!”
I’ve never seen him angry before, but this still isn’t quite anger...it’s something else. There’s no doubt that he dislikes Dex, but the way he’s watching us makes a shiver run down my spine. I’ve never felt uneasy around Carter, he has this quiet way of calming me normally, however in this moment it feels like the tension is rising steadily in the studio.
“So, what about the feed?” I ask softly, shrugging off Dex. Tonight's show was supposed to net us all quite a bit of money. But if we couldn’t stream, then no show. No show means no money. It was a loss for all three of us. I mean, it wasn’t the end of the world, but it would have been a nice little pay-out.
“Look…” Carter turns the screen, and there’s nothing, just a ‘This stream has ended’ message. “I think we should call it a night.”
People were going to be annoyed. We’d started something, and it had stopped abruptly. We’d just have to issue an apology tomorrow with some exclusive images and hope that was enough to keep the viewers happy.
I turn my head, not realising that Dex has leaned closer and his hand hasfound my hip, once again his fingers gripping onto my flesh. “We can try again when you have space in your schedule.”
My words come out breathier than I intended, and he shifts a little closer so that his mouth brushes over mine gently. “I will always make time for you, Rubes.”
Carter coughs, interrupting us, crooking a finger at me. “Ruby, a word.”
“What’s up?” I shimmy off the bed, ignoring Dex as he starts pulling his clothes back on. Whatever he thought was happening between us, was not. This was work.
With a dismissive wave, Carter growls, “Take your wig and contacts off first, it’s strange looking at you like this. And tell that octopus to pack up his shit.”
Titling my head, I watch him for a moment. He was on edge, and I wasn’t sure why. Was it jealousy? I give him a small nod and approach the bed again where Dex sits, wide grin making me unsettled.
“Dex, I think maybe you should head home first. I’ll call you,” I lie smoothly. I wouldn’t be calling for a while. There was something in the way he kept invading my space that set me on edge and not in a good way. I liked being watched, I liked being touched, but even so, I couldn’t relax around him, not when he kept clinging to me.
The corners of his mouth drop momentarily, before he zips up his hoodie. Cancellations in this industry weren’t unusual, we were a streaming service after all, and technical issues were common. Once he’s dressed, he steps towards me and leans in, lips brushing against my wig. “I’ll be waiting for your call, Ruby. So don’t forget.”
He runs a finger down my cheek as I force a small smile, before he winks and gives Carter a salute, vanishing through the studio doors into the night. Exhaling slowly, I head over to the bathroom and remove my contacts and wig, as Carter requested. With Dex leaving, it’s like some of the tension dissipates. What was I thinking inviting him here? Carter didn’t seem jealous, so my little scheme had backfired anyway. I wasn’t going to be in a rush to bring in another partner for a while, that was for sure. Dex earlier had even sniffed my hair, he tried to hide it, but I’m sure that’s what he did. The joke was on him, because even though it was human hair and I regularly washed it...it still wasn’t mine.
Stepping back into the studio, I freeze. The lights are all off and the normally open, airy space has been plunged into darkness. A single light remains on, one of Carters filming lights with a softbox surround illuminates the bed, the black silk sheets beckoning. Even the screens that usually give off an eerie glow while we shoot are turned off except one.
“Carter?” My voice reverberates through the air, filling the room. Silence. I can’t even hear him breathe. “Carter? This isn’t funny.”
I move closer to the light, watching it cast shadows across my skin as I stand in its path. I’m in the spotlight, literally, and something about that makes my skin tingle. All the tension I felt with Dex seems to melt away as I peer into the blackness, trying to find the camera man with the brooding eyes.
I’m still wearing my harness, and every now and again, the metal loops glint in the light as I shift, trying to detect any sign of Carter. I rub my palms on my thighs, swallowing as my fight or flight response begins to kick in. It tastes delicious. The tension. The nerves. The excitement. He could be anywhere. He could be watching me as I grip the edge of my skirt, bunching the fabric in my fists, or he might not even be here at all.
No, I feel eyes on me. I can feel them roaming over my skin. And it’s making me hot, as I stand under the light, exposed. The air shifts somewhere behind me, and I feel him closing in. If it even is him.
“Carter…” Even my words seem to tremble, as they brokenly slip from my lips.
I flinch when he reaches out from behind and brings a blindfold over my eyes. He was closer than I thought, and for some reason, that just thrills me more as his hands move to my waist.
His mouth brushes against the shell of my ear. “Safeword is ‘Oranges.’ Say it, and I’ll stop.”
Pushing me backwards onto the bed, the silk clings to my skin as I crawl up towards the headboard and rest on my elbows, waiting for him to join me.
