Exposure - Kelly Moran Page 0,99

on her arms raising in warning. "What do you mean?"

Mom shrugged and sipped her water. "Well, being raised by that group during your impressionable age had to leave marks. They weren't allowed to show any public displays of affection. Can you imagine? And once the children were old enough to be potty trained, they were put in different housing with other kids. That kind of separation, with no love? No wonder you're the way you are."

With every sentence, Raven's heart pounded louder and louder. She hadn't been abused. She'd had clothes on her back and food in her belly. But she'd never been shown any sign of love until her mom adopted her, and by then she'd grown to hate touch or attention. It made a lot of sense, really.

Except, even with this knowledge, how did she change for Noah to give him all of herself? Already, she'd sensed him backing off, pushing away. As if he'd done all he could and there was nothing left in him to give.

God. She didn't know how to??ove.

Her throat closed, but she picked up her glass and forced a sip of water to cool it.

Mom blathered through the rest of the meal about her current boyfriend, and by the time Raven got back to the gallery, she'd been so shaken she didn't even say hello to Nicole. Walking past her assistant, she climbed the steps to her office and sank behind her desk, shaking. She had no idea how long she'd been staring at her blank monitor when Nicole strode in later.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, missy."

Raven looked up, taking in Nicole's blonde locks and green eyes. Now that was the kind of woman Noah deserved. Nicole was kind and gave her all in everything she set about doing. She loved hard and often, was pretty and sweet. And she was talking to Raven, but she hadn't heard a thing.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

Nicole sighed. "I said Michael Hawthorn dropped off Hoan Dwell's photos for next week's exhibit. You never mentioned you were one of his models. You little skank." She grinned wide. "What was it like posing for him? Is he as intense as everyone claims?" She gasped. "Did you sleep with him?"

Max coughed from just outside her office door where he stood sentry, and she swore his shoulders moved in a laugh.

Raven eyed Nicole. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't positive we'd use my pictures, and the rest is private. Even from you," she added with a smile to soften the words. She tapped her fingers on the desk. "How do they look?" She hadn't seen the final product after posing. Now she was curious.

Nicole's grin turned sly. "You look hot. I mean, it's Hoan Dwell, of course they're good. But yeah. You look hot."

Raven rose. "Thanks. I'll check them out in a minute." Or as soon as her assistant left her office. They kept all pieces in a storage room off the back of the gallery, so Raven wouldn't be fooling anyone. She'd have to walk right by Nicole to get to the hallway.

Max followed her down the stairs and to storage, where she entered a key code for access. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, kicking in from the sensor.

This room was the only one without direct heat. She rubbed the chill from her arms and took stock of the shelves lining two walls, floor to ceiling. Some held pieces they never sold and others stored props for exhibits. Several tables lined the back wall next to the emergency exit, as well as easels and extra lighting. Noah's photos were on the matting table in the center of the space, having not been framed by Nicole yet.

Raven picked up the first shot, an eleven-by-nine of her from behind while she sat on the boulder halfway down the valley on their island. The mist in the background gave the mountains a mysterious quality. It was the pop of color that was most intriguing. Her black hair falling down her back, white snow dusting the ground, the red blanket--all mesmerizing.

She set it down and picked up another, the one where she lay in the snow. From the top of the hill, Noah captured her looking at the lens as if begging for a companion. The next shot was a close up of her with her eyes closed, snow clinging to her lashes as if asleep. Again, the photos were brilliant and catching and??eal.

There was something different about these