‘I saw the other piece about you in the newspaper this morning.’ He pointed to the paper lying on a table to one side of the studio as he began to set his camera up on a tripod facing a chaise longue. ‘You will be so famous soon that I fear I shall have to make an appointment to see you.’

She dimpled prettily. It was nice to be admired as she was discovering more and more, particularly by someone as handsome as Richard. But then glancing around she asked, ‘But where are the clothes I am to model?’

‘Ah, I thought we would use today as a trial run,’ he explained. ‘And it will give us more time to get to know one another properly. It always helps when the model is fully at ease with the photographer.’

‘Oh, I see. So … what do you want me to do?’

‘You’ll find a dress behind the screen. Pop that on while I finish setting the camera up, would you?’

Kitty obligingly disappeared behind the screen but when she saw the dress that Richard expected her to wear she sucked in her breath. It was the sort of thing she had become accustomed to seeing Ruby in, so low cut that it was almost indecent. Even so, she shrugged out of her sensible blouse and skirt and slipped it on, hoping to be able to adjust the bodice a little when it was in place. However, the many tiny buttons that ran all the way up the back of it proved impossible to manage by herself so after struggling with them for a few minutes she asked timidly, ‘Could you help me with the buttons on this dress, please, Richard? I’m afraid I can’t do them up by myself.’

He appeared so quickly that she jumped, and clutching the dress to her breasts she turned her back on him, blushing furiously. She blushed even more when she felt him trail his finger gently up her bare back.

‘Your skin is just perfect,’ he breathed huskily and she flinched. He was awakening very delicious but also very frightening feelings within her. She’d never been in a state of partial undress with a man before and while it was exciting she was also terrified and feeling torn in two. Half of her wanted to turn towards him and fling herself into his arms, the other half wanted to run for home and safety. Thankfully he must have sensed her unease for he then gently did up the buttons and after turning her to face him he kissed the end of her nose and led her to the chaise longue.

‘Just lie back against that and try to look relaxed,’ he instructed.

She tried to do as she was asked but his close proximity was making it very difficult. The fact that she kept trying to yank up the bodice of the pale blue silk dress didn’t help either. She was afraid that he’d grow impatient with her but to her surprise after a few minutes of her fidgeting he began to laugh.