Over the Top

Chapter 1

“You told me you had this under control. That was the only reason I agreed to invest in a women’s lingerie line.”

I look down at the sales charts of Curved Intimates, a company we invested in over six months ago. It’s bleeding money, and I’m close to just scrapping the whole project and being done with the headache. I have enough on my plate as it is.

When you invest in as many things as Breakstone Corp does, you can’t be surprised when not all of them work out. But I had agreed with Mark when he brought this proposal to me. It was supposed to be the next Victoria’s Secret. The pitch was good and the women’s market wasn’t one we had worked our way into yet. Mark said it was something he really wanted to take on, so we went for it.

I know shit about fashion. I pay someone to shop for me and pick out my clothes. I know even less about women’s undergarments. Fuck, I can’t even remember the last time I saw a real woman in her underwear.

I run my hands over my face, trying to relieve some of the tension headache that’s starting to build. It’s already six o’clock and it looks like I’m going to be here another four hours at least.

“Lynn from marketing is waiting outside. She seems to think she’s come up with something.” Mark shifts uncomfortably, probably scared I’m going to fire him. But this is the first time he’s ever missed the mark like this before. He’s eager and good at his job, but if I had a wife and three kids, I’d probably worry if I fucked up, too. You can’t win them all, and I can’t fault him for wanting to try to branch us out to something new. It showed enthusiasm, and it’s the very reason I’d hired him

I flip through the last marketing ads in the folder again. They look standard, but there’s nothing special about the pictures, nothing that draws attention. They look like every other ad for women’s underwear you’ve ever seen. There’s no clear branding and nothing that stands out about this line.

“I hope it’s better than this shit.” I toss the folder back across the desk at him.

“I’ve been working with marketing. They have a few ideas I really like and—”

I cut him off. I want to get this show on the road. “Mark, calm down. I’m not going to fire you over this. We’ll hear marketing’s ideas, and we either do them or we drop the whole fucking thing.”

Mark nods before heading over towards the door, letting Lynn into my office. She shuffles over to my desk clutching a pile of binders so high I can’t even see her face. The stack almost looks bigger than her. I’m not sure how she’s made it all the way up here with them.

“Sir, can I get you or anyone else a drink?” Sally, my assistant, asks as she stands in the doorway to my office. I know the only reason she’s offering is because other people are in here. She stopped getting me my coffee years ago, telling me she didn’t have a degree in business so she could waste it on fetching coffee. She’s an expensive pain in the ass I couldn’t live without. Luckily for me, her kids are off in college and her husband doesn’t seem to mind the long hours I often need her to work. I have a feeling she’s made me dependent on her on purpose. There’s no way I could fire her or her smart mouth.

“I’m good, Sally.” I look to Lynn and Mark, who both say, “No, thanks,” before Lynn goes back to trying to get her binders in the order she likes. One falls off the top, landing open, making my whole body go still at the image.

The woman in the photo is lying on a bed, her legs in the air and crossed at the ankles. She has on fishnet stockings that lead up her legs to her thick thighs. She’s wearing high-waisted black underwear that shows off her wide hips, giving her an old-school pinup feel, and a sexy bra that barely contains her full breasts, the material just covering the essentials. Every part of her is thick and luscious. All the blood in my body flows to my dick. I’ve never had a reaction like this to a woman. I’m too old to get a fucking hard-on from seeing a woman in a picture. She’s not even naked. Just the sight of her in her underwear has me nearly bursting in my slacks.

I see Mark out of the corner of my eye as he takes a step towards my desk to see what’s caught my attention. I slam the binder closed, not wanting him to see her. Possessiveness flows through me, and I look at Lynn, who’s still going through the binders. When I look at Mark, he has his eyebrows raised in question.

I pick the binder up and open it to show Lynn. When Mark takes another step to see what I’m showing her, I can’t hold back.

“Don’t,” I bite out, making him pause, the confusion on his face growing. “Who is this?” I demand, needing more information on her. Anything.

“Oh. Just an idea I was thinking about. Going a little old school with some of the looks and appealing to all body types.”

“Her name?” I push, and she reaches for the binder. I pull it back, not wanting it taken from me. Almost like a toddler with his favorite toy.

“If you flip a few pages, it should be in the front. Before her pictures start,” she says, seeing that I’m not going to give her back the binder.

I turn the book around to me and hurriedly flip through the pages until I get to the front.

Cali Carr.

Measurements: 40”/32”/48” (Bust/Waist/Hips)

Dress size: 14 Shoe Size: 8

I turn the page, hoping there’s another picture of her. The one on the bed made it hard to see her face. I flip to the next page, and I literally have to sit down in my chair. She’s smirking in the picture. Her full lips are just as lush as the rest of her. Her skin is flawless, a creamy white making the little freckles that sprinkle her upturned button nose even more noticeable.

But what really gets me are her stunning eyes. They’re a deep green like nothing I’ve never seen before. In contrast with her red hair, they are unmissable.

“Sir,” I hear Lynn say, and I look up at her. I have no idea how long I’ve been staring at the picture.

“I want her.”

“Okay. I’ll put her on the list. I have a few more for you to look at.”

She tries to hand me another binder, but I have no desire to look at pictures of other women. What would be the point? They’d all pale in comparison. I’ve just seen perfection and I know nothing could beat it.

“No. I’ll leave it to you and Mark to handpick the rest of the girls for the shoot.” I stand up from my chair.

“Or course, sir. We’ll get it all worked out.”

“The shoot will be next week,” I tell them. I want to see her as soon as possible.

“I don’t think—”

“It will be next weekend. If the model’s photographer or something can’t make it, book someone else. But she,” I hold up the binder with her picture in it, “better be there. I don’t care what it costs.”

Standing up, I hold the binder in front of my crotch to hide my erection. I click the intercom.

“Sally, can you call my driver? I’m going down,” I inform her.

“Leaving already?” I can hear the shock in her voice.

“Yes.” I release the button. “Feel free to use my office until you’re done. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mark.” I head for the door with the binder still in front of me, hiding my very prominent arousal. I stop before I exit. “Send me any and all information you have on her, Lynn.”

“You’ll have it this evening,” she says, looking at me with big eyes.

I nod before exiting my office. I had better things to do tonight than spend it in my office. I have a binder half-full of pictures of my Cali.

Chapter 2

“Tomorrow?” I can hardly keep the shock out of my voice.

I’ve been in the mountains with my family on a ski trip for the past three days, and I’ve been away from all communication. We were in a cabin in the mountains, and nobody got cell reception up there. It was actually kind of nice to unplug with them for a few days while we all played in the snow.

But when we got down the mountain, my phone came to life, and I had a slew of missed calls and texts telling me to call immediately. I thought someone had died, but no. It was actually Rita, the chick in charge of me, running around like crazy.

Normally I don’t have a problem with a booking because when I get called for a shoot, they’re scheduled months in advance. Now my agency is telling me that I have to get my butt on a plane right now, so that I can be in Los Angeles tomorrow.

“Yes. The marketing director was very specific.” I hear Rita let out a sigh. “If I could have gotten ahold of you when I found out, this wouldn’t all be so last minute.”

I can hear the annoyance in her voice, but I just let it go. We both want me to work. I want to do my thing and make some money, and so does she. This is business, so I pull out my positive attitude and get things moving.

“I can be ready in fifteen. Just tell me which gate my plane is leaving from.”

As Rita gives me the details, I run around my apartment, throwing shit in a bag. I know they’ll have everything I need at the photo shoot, so I just bring essentials. I have a girlfriend who lives in LA, so I toss in a couple of fun outfits in case we feel like going out after I’m finished with the shoot.

After a tornado of packing and getting to the airport, I text my friend Sasha to tell her I’m coming into town for a few days. My agency booked me a hotel room near the airport and then emailed me the info on the photo shoot.

Once I’m to my gate, I sit down and look over the details of the contract while I wait for my flight to be called. It’s a lingerie campaign for a company called Curved Intimates. I’ve heard a little about them, but I’m not too familiar with their company. They’re owned by a parent company called Breakstone Corporation, but I’ve never heard of them. I Google Curved Intimates and thumb through their website. It’s all pretty basic, some department store looks, generic styles. Nothing really stands out to me, and I’m a tad disappointed. Maybe this shoot will be different. I try to pump myself up about it because if I have to do one more spread for mom jeans, I’m gonna die.

My lookbook is small because most of the photos I’d had professionally done for campaigns weren’t ones I loved. Thankfully, I have a friend who lives close to me who does photography, and I’d lucked out by getting a few sessions with her. She does a lot of boudoir work for couples, and the ones she took of me are my favorite ones to date.

It’s hard being a plus-size model. I love sexy pictures, and modeling is fun to me. But the thinner girls tend to get the good clothes. Everything is always made for smaller sizes, which is okay, but big girls want to be stylish, too. I see comments sometimes where people say I’ve got the body of a “real woman.” I think every size is beautiful. Every woman is a real woman: tall, short, thin, and big. Beauty comes in different shapes. I’d just prefer it if the sexy stuff came in my size more often.

Flicking through my social media, I check in and say hello to everyone. As I’m typing away, my name is called over the intercom, and I get nervous. When someone calls my name like that, it feels like I’m being called to the principal’s office.

I grab my bag and walk up to the gate check to speak to the man behind the counter.

“Ms. Carr, we just wanted to inform you that you’ve been upgraded to first class. If I could see your boarding pass, I’ll exchange it for you.”

I must have a look of shock on my face. After a pause, I pull out the paper and hand it to him, getting the new first class one in return.

Going back over to the seat I was in moments ago, I try to think about why I’d been bumped up. Maybe the cabin is full or something. Hell, maybe they saw I was a big girl and thought I needed the room. Shrugging my shoulders, I let it go and go back to playing on my phone until they call me.

The flight from Atlanta to LA is long, but being in first class is nice. The extra legroom and snacks are the way to go. I just have a small carry on, so once I’m off the plane, I make my way through the airport and towards the exit. I have my hotel reservation saved on my phone, so I’ll just cab it there.

But before I can exit, I see a man in a suit holding up a sign with CALI CARR printed on it. I stop, thinking there must be someone else with that name, but he looks straight at me and smiles. He walks over to me and I stand still, waiting on the punch line.

“Ms. Carr, I’m Donald, your driver. I’ll be taking you to your hotel.”

I try to play it cool as he takes my bag. You know, act like this happens to me all the time, when really inside I’m freaking out at how exciting this is. This company must be rolling out the red carpet for this shoot. So far, I’m down with Curved Intimates.

Donald leads me out to a Mercedes SUV and opens the back door for me. I get in, and he puts my bag in beside me. He shuts the door briskly and goes around to the front. Once he gets behind the wheel, I tell him which hotel I’m staying at.

“Oh. You must have gotten a different itinerary. I’ve got instructions to take you to the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.”

I lean back in my seat, feeling really confused. “Are you sure?” I check my phone but don’t see an updated email, so I sent a quick text to Rita asking her about the change.

“Yes, Ms. Carr. My instructions were clear.” He says it like he takes people there every day.

Well, he’s a driver, so maybe he does.

“And you’re sure you’re supposed to pick up Cali Carr? From Atlanta? I just want to make sure I’m not in the wrong vehicle.”

Donald laughs and shakes his head. “I’ve been employed by Breakstone Corp, specifically Mr. Flynn Long, to take you to the Waldorf.”

“Okay,” I say hesitantly, refreshing my phone for news from Rita.

I guess their marketing director is the Flynn Long guy. Maybe it isn’t a mistake. After a few moments, my phone vibrates in my hands, and I see a text from her.

Rita: Looks like you got upgraded. Enjoy!

I smile as I put my phone in my bag and slide on my sunglasses. I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Chapter 3

Riding in the car, I clench and unclench my hands as I try to release some of the anticipation that has been building for days. I know it’s only been four days since I first saw her picture, but my every thought seems to be consumed by her. Can you be obsessed with someone just from a picture? If you had asked me that a week ago, I would’ve laughed.

Women haven’t been at the forefront of my mind in years. Since I lost my father five years ago, my only thought was keeping the business he’d built thriving. I wanted to make it bigger and better, to make him proud. He loved Breakstone Corp and had built it from the ground up. Sometimes I even thought he loved the place more than his own family.

Now, something besides work has moved into my mind. I’m no longer spending hours going over things for the office. No, I’ve been obsessively searching the internet, looking and re-looking at pictures of Cali Carr. I flex my right hand again, thinking about the ache there. I’ve taken myself in hand so many times to try to ease some of the lust I’ve been feeling. But it hasn’t worked.

Thoughts of her spread out on my bed as I rip those garments from her body plague my mind. As I’d feast on every inch of her lush curves, she’d beg me to take her, but I’d take my time, wanting to taste all of her. Touch all of her soft body. Dig my fingers into her wild red hair as I thrust in and out of her with nothing between us. My cock getting his taste, too.

Fantasy after fantasy played through my mind as I stroked myself over and over again. All it did was give me a sore wrist and a very hard cock that refused to go down.

Fuck.

Maybe once I see her in person, the ache will start to dull. Maybe I’ve build it up to be bigger than it really is.

“Sir, we’re here,” my driver says, pulling me from my thoughts of Cali.

I don’t wait for him to open the door for me. I hop out, anxious to get inside and see her. I’ve never gone to a shoot for an ad campaign. I give my ideas and wait to see the finished project. Sometimes I’ll get updates of what’s happening with them while they’re going on and I’ll add my thoughts from my office. But this is very different.

When I enter the studio, I see Lynn’s face fill with surprise. She jumps out of her chair and rushes towards me. Her short blonde hair bounces with each step as she totters in her ridiculous high heels. She’s extremely short, even in those shoes.

“Sir, I didn’t know you’d be coming. Did I miss something?” She pulls out her phone, probably looking to see if I’d called or sent an email that she’d missed.

“No, Lynn. I’m just here to watch.”

She eyes me, still seeming a little nervous that the boss is going to be watching everything today. “Okay. I’ll get you a chair, or you can have mine.” She points to the chair she just vacated.

“I’m fine. I think I’ll just stand in the back,” I tell her. I want to stand out of sight and watch her first. Get a feel for her and see if I can learn something else about her. I refrained from going to her hotel last night and it almost killed me. I drove by twice and debated going into the bar just to see if she was there.

I’d finally broken and asked my head of security to go in and check it out. If she was at the bar, I was going in. I knew someone would make a move on her if she was there. She is perfect and I couldn’t blame them, but that shit wasn’t happening. From what I could find out, I believe she’s single, but I don’t give a fuck if she isn’t. Whatever she had going on before today is over. She’s here in Los Angeles, and I won’t be letting her go.

I’d let out a sigh of relief when my guy informed me that she was in her room and had just ordered room service and rented a movie. I still made him stay and keep an eye out for her. If she moved from her room, I wanted to know about it. It was then I finally let myself go home. She was here and within my reach. That had helped calm my inner battle a little.

“Oh good, the photographer is here.” I look over my shoulder to where Lynn is looking, and my jaw clenches so hard I’m shocked I don’t crack my teeth.

The photographer looks like he should be on the other side of the camera. He’s young, maybe college-age.

“That’s not happening,” I tell Lynn, looking back at her.

“What?” She looks confused and panic starts to set in on her face.

“He will not be seeing my Cali in her underwear,” I bite out, trying to stay cool, but not caring that I’m giving myself up about wanting Cali. I don’t care if everyone knows. They’ll all know soon enough.

Realization sets in, and a smile pulls at her lips, but one hard look from me makes it drop quickly.

“He’s gay, sir.”

“He won’t be when he sees her.”

I find it completely unbelievable that there would be a man on earth who wouldn’t want her. I’d only seen a picture of her and I was obsessed.

Consumed.

Maybe I should just take the pictures myself. I debate the idea in my head.

“I can send everyone home and get something else set up.”

Fuck.

“Just start with the other girls. There are other girls doing the shoot, right?” I ask. I actually don’t know anything about the shoot now that I think about it. My mind has only been on the fact that Cali would be here.

“Yes, there are some right there.” She turns, pointing to the corner of the room. Sure enough, there are eight women standing there, all made up and wearing almost nothing. I hadn’t even noticed them, but they’re all looking at me and whispering. I’m sure they’re wondering who I am, or else they know who I am and are wondering what I’m doing here.

Great. That’s the last thing I need right now. I didn’t want to attract attention. Well, I only wanted to capture one person’s attention.

“Where is she?” I ask, pulling my eyes back to Lynn. I know she’s already here. Security told me when she left this morning, and I had a car bring her here.

“There was a problem with the lingerie.” Lynn looks around as if unsure how to word what she wants to say. “The bra. She was spilling over the top. They’re trying to fix it as we speak.”

I crush down the image of someone helping her into a bra. I take a deep breath.

Someone calls Lynn’s name, and she dashes back over to the set area to break up something between two of the models.

Taking a few more breaths, I try to get myself under control. She doesn’t even know who I am. I calm myself down and try to be cool and relaxed. I can do this. I can behave like a normal person instead of a caveman. I can’t let this be the first time she sees me, a fucking jealous nut case.

Then I see her step out from backstage.

Looks like I might not have a choice.

Chapter 4

I’m a busty girl, always have been. So when they put me in the skimpy lace bra, I knew it wasn’t going to work. I put it on, and not thirty seconds later, one of the seams started to tear.

In my defense, the product should have been made a bit stronger, but the design is good. One of the wardrobe ladies backstage is literally sewing me into it this time. I’m standing in the middle of the room in a pair of sheer black panties as the lace bra is being fixed.

Looking up, I see a group of models enter the room, all dressed in lingerie as well. I’m sure some women would be embarrassed by being so much bigger than the other girls, but I got over that a long time ago. I love my body and all my curves. They may not look appealing to some people, but I think I’m beautiful. I just wish I could find underwear and clothes that reflect that without having to have them altered.

“God, did you see him flexing his fists? I bet he’s so aggressive in bed.”

“I think he’s probably playing for the other team. He didn’t even notice me.”

I look over to where two of the models have sat down at the vanity in front of me to touch up their hair and make-up.

“Who?” I ask, not caring if they know I was listening. I’m a friendly person in general, and if I’m on a shoot with other girls, I try to make conversation.

One of the girls looks at me from her mirror and talks while she curls her hair. “Flynn Long.”

“Oh, the marketing guy?”

She raises an eyebrow at me and turns around in her chair. “No, he owns the company. He owns half of the companies in LA, but I guess he’s getting into lingerie now, too.”

The other girl turns around to look at me and leans back in her chair. “He’s got a stick up his ass about something. He didn’t seem happy to be here.”

“Looks like I’m gonna have to shake him out of his bad mood with all of this,” I joke, shaking my booty a little. The girls laugh, but the woman sewing up my bra makes a grunting sound. “Sorry,” I apologize and try to stay still.

I make small talk with the girls. This is the part of modeling I enjoy most. I like wearing clothes and taking pictures, but if I’m honest, half the clothes I wear never fit right, and it’s always a lot of work to make them look good. I can never slide something on and pose like the thinner girls. And I’m really trying to enjoy modeling while I can because I don’t have much time left in it. This industry is ever-changing, and the closer I get to twenty-five, the fewer calls for jobs I get. I’ve got some money saved up, but it’s not enough to do what I really want to. Starting my own clothing line has been my dream ever since I was a young girl and couldn’t find the clothes I wanted in my size. But it’s an expensive dream, and unfortunately, the plus-size modeling world isn’t booming like I’d hoped. Maybe when I get back to Atlanta I can look for a job. I have a degree in fashion design. Maybe I can find someone to hire me.

“Okay, Cali. We’re ready for you.”

Lynn, my contact person for Curved Intimates, comes back and informs me. I check over my hair and make-up one last time, then walk out into the studio, ready to work.

The space is big, and the photo shoot is set up at the end of the room. An expansive, wrought-iron bed sits in the middle of the floor. The bed is piled with over-sized, fluffy, white pillows and a white down comforter. It looks cozy, and I’m sure the black lingerie will look sexy against the white backdrop.

“Hi, Cali. I’m Ryan, your photographer today.”

Ryan is a young guy with dark hair just past his ears and pretty blue eyes. I shake his hand, and I like him immediately. His smile is kind, and he makes me feel at ease as he explains what he envisions for today’s shoot. It also helps that his eyes don’t roam. Some male photographers can make you feel uncomfortable, but I don’t think this one is even playing for my team.

“So I’d like to see you on the bed, surrounded by the pillows and blankets. Maybe have you over the edge to get all the angles of the lingerie. I’ve been thinking we could even tie you to the bed for a portion of it, just to push the boundaries a bit.”

I hear an audible growl off to the side, but the lights are so bright that I can’t see beyond them. It’s nothing but black shadows behind the lights, so I ignore it and go back to listening to Ryan.

“The feel today is classic pinup, so the pictures will be softened a bit after they’re taken. I just want to add a little punch to the innocent poses by throwing in some BDSM. Do you think you’d be okay with that?”

The sound of something crashing against a wall has us both turning our heads. But when it’s followed by silence, I turn back to Ryan to see what he does.

He just takes a deep breath like he's annoyed but just shakes his head, turning back to me. “Okay. So let's get you on the bed.”

I go over and climb up, getting in the center. The bed is soft and so are the pillows piled around me, and it makes me smile.

“Perfect. I love the smile. Let me have you up on your knees in the middle. Legs spread and arms above your head.”

I hear another loud crash as I get into position, and I look to Ryan, wondering what the hell is going on. Maybe there’s another shoot next door or something and they’re being really loud. After a second, Lynn comes over and whispers something in Ryan’s ear. He says something back to her, and they exchange words for a few moments. Finally, after what looks like a heated discussion, he nods.

He walks over to the side of the bed as Lynn scurries away.

“Looks like we’re going to have a closed photo shoot, and we’re going to have to adjust some of the poses. If you don’t mind, one of the owners has decided to call the shots, but I want to make sure you’re comfortable with that first. I realize this is a bit unusual.”

The fact that he’s checking with me to make sure it’s okay makes me like Ryan even more. Normally the relationship between the model and the photographer is the thing that makes great pictures. Someone coming between us and dictating how everything goes down might not be something either of us wants. But Curved Intimates is paying me to be here, so it’s not really up to me who calls the shots. If I ever feel uncomfortable, I can walk, and knowing that makes me okay with letting someone else handle things.

“I’m willing to try it if you are,” I say, giving him the reins.

He winks at me and gives me a smile. “Let’s go for it.”

Ryan walks over to the side as a man approaches, and I feel a little weak in the knees. Good thing I’m sitting down. A dark-haired giant of a man comes forward, his eyes locked on mine. His hands are clenched in fists at his side, but he doesn’t look angry. No, this man looks hungry.

Suddenly I’m aware that I’m half-naked and on a bed.

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