Juho’s fingers were warm when they brushed the back of her neck.
Kaija had chosen a clover-shaped emerald pendant the size of a coin, its gold chain cold, as though it had been left untouched for a long time.
"What made you choose this piece?" Juho asked, helping her fasten the hook. "The sapphire earrings would’ve gone perfectly with your eyes."
"They would have," Kaija agreed, "but this emerald reminds me of the shade of your eyes."
Juho’s fingers paused just as the clasp clicked into place. He turned Kaija around, wanting to see what kind of expression she wore when she whispered those words.
Just moments ago, her voice had been calm, not a hint of teasing in it. Now, surprise was written all over her face.
"What are you doing?" Kaija asked.
"You really know how to wear down a man’s patience," Juho murmured. His words came low, brushing warmly against her skin.
The blue in Kaija’s eyes trembled at the sensation. "What do you even mean?" She’d only spoken her honest thoughts when she chose the pendant, not trying to seduce him or anything.
"Don’t make that face. I’m not trying to kiss you." Juho straightened, a soft smile lifting his features. "I made a hasty move on you once, and I don’t intend to repeat that mistake."
"Hah...?" Kaija frowned, her confusion deepening.
Did he really have to bring up that kiss so suddenly? She hadn’t even been thinking about it until he mentioned it, yet now the memory surfaced, her heart beating wildly all over again.
Without further explanation, Juho took a step back, then moved to her side. What Kaija didn’t know was that he, too, was trying to calm his racing heart.
The glass cover was lowered once more, the lock still left open. He also needed to set up his camera, which remained in the bag he’d left on the divan.
"Come on, over here," Juho invited as he walked toward the divan. "I was thinking of having you sit here for the shoot."
Kaija followed, her gaze lowered to the pendant resting against her chest. "You should’ve told me I’d be shooting with something this beautiful. I would’ve stolen one of those bridal dresses from the magazine. It’d fit this jewelry better than a plain white sweatshirt."
Soft chuckles slipped from Juho’s lips. "As much as I enjoyed seeing you in those gowns, you don’t need such extravagance. For this shoot, I only need you, and the jewelry."
The words were sweet, but Kaija barely registered them. She was already preoccupied with figuring out how to pose with the pendant.
In her training with Juho, he’d given her bags and hats to work with. Never jewelry, and certainly nothing this valuable.
"Just lie down. Pose the way you normally would without it on your neck," Juho’s voice came again. "Don’t overthink it. You’re wearing the jewelry. It’s not wearing you."
His guidance didn’t ease her. She kept adjusting the pendant, struggling to find a pose as she leaned against the divan’s armrest.
Sighing, Juho set the camera down. "Here, let me help you find your first pose," he said, both hands settling on her shoulders.
Kaija shifted into the pose under Juho’s guidance. With her upper back leaning against the head rest, her eyes were at the same level with Juho’s hips.
Her focus was entirely on the shoot, until her gaze accidentally landed on the prominent bulge beneath the black fabric inches away from her face.
"Juho?" Kaija stammered, "You... you feeling alright?"
Juho stiffened for a moment, wondering what Kaija meant, until his gaze followed hers, and he finally realized what she was looking at.
"It’s been like that since we’ve arrived here," Juho admitted plainly, not even trying to deny anything, not even flustered. "You just haven’t been paying enough attention to me to even realize that I’ve been hard."
Kaija blinked, heat rushing unbidden into her face. "What... what... what did I even do?" She wasn’t even half naked like in the previous photoshoots, and she hadn’t done anything other than feeding him.
"The problem is, you don’t even have to do anything." Juho replied, still completely unfazed. "Apparently, my body reacts very well when I’m alone with someone I like." He kept on adjusting her pose like they were only discussing the weather.
His explanation only made the blush on Kaija’s face deepen. Speechless, she decided to keep her mouth shut, continuing the assumed professional situation they were in.
The red tinging her cheeks couldn’t escape Juho’s keen observation. "What is it?" he teased. "You’ve already regretted trusting me so much with yourself?"
"I don’t regret anything," Kaija pouted, her gaze shyly falling away from his. "In fact, I am amazed of how you keep yourself so composed without trying anything on me, if you become like this whenever you’re with me as you claimed."
A smirk curled at Juho’s lips. He took a step back, lowering himself to his knees, lifting her hand up with care.
"What... what are you doing, Juho?" Kaija’s face went blank, as she saw Juho’s face lower to her hand.
"If my arousal disturbs you, then stop looking at it," Juho murmured, lips grazing gently on her knuckles. "My sex drive might be higher than any normal man, but I’d always treat you with the respect you deserve. You won’t regret trusting me with yourself, my dear Kaija."
Kaija’s hand started trembling, and Juho could feel those subtle movements with his lips. The smirk turned into a satisfied smile.
He stole a glance at her, and in that moment when their eyes met, Kaija thought she had only truly seen Juho clearly for the first time in her life.
"I think I know what I should do with the shoot now," Kaija said, her voice soft and calm, no longer trembling.
"Do you?" Juho asked, a hint of surprise crossing his face.
"I won’t disappoint you, or these beautiful pieces you’ve entrusted me to pose with."
Juho blinked, entirely captivated by the conviction in her calm blue eyes. His lower body itched, and the sensation was buried down helplessly.
This woman truly knew how to turn him on in ways he couldn’t possibly expect. Swallowing down with great difficulty, Juho straightened to his feet, grabbing his camera, and found a good distance from the divan.
When the viewfinder was lifted, her face settled into serene confidence. Her soft lips curved into a faint smile, her luminous eyes sharpening into sapphire firelight.
What were these aching sensation tearing his chest?
At that very moment, Juho Isota was starting to suspect what he felt for Kaija Sepala wasn’t just feelings.
He was already deeply, madly in love with her.