“Wait! I can’t eat all these!” I gestured at the box still sitting next to me as he jogged away.

“Feed the gulls!” he suggested, halfway back to the boardwalk.

Uh, no. I was not giving those pesky creatures perfectly good doughnuts. After nibbling my way through one more and draining my coffee, I headed back to my Jeep, taking the box with me. If Rue didn’t want them, maybe I could look up recipes online. I’d heard there was a good bread pudding recipe that called for day old Krispy Kremes.

* * *

After dawdling at the cottage as long as I could, I headed out to Aubrey’s. This time, I’d dressed in head-to-toe black, trying to look the part of a professional photographer. My hair was twisted into a low bun, and I wore light makeup, a silky black top, and cigarette pants. Not real exciting, but then, I already knew today’s shoot was going to be all about Aubrey Perotti.

Her family’s old, plantation-style house with its large, white columns in the front didn’t faze me. The fact that Aubrey opened the door wearing only a short, silky robe over lingerie didn’t surprise me either. But the genuine smile of delight Aubrey greeted me with threw me for a loop. I’d expected her to be more cool, more calculating, the whole afternoon more of a business transaction.

“You came!” she exclaimed, reaching out to clasp both my hands in both of hers.

I raised my eyebrows. Of course I came. I’d been half-threatened, half-blackmailed about the consequences if I didn’t. I forced a smile back, unsure of how to react. Had I misjudged her the other day? “For you, of course I did.”

If she caught my slight sarcasm, she didn’t let on. Instead, she hurried me through the showpiece of a house and up to the third floor. By elevator. I tried not to be impressed, but damn it, who has an elevator in their beach house? Her room, well, her suite of rooms, was in a rounded part of the house, kind of like a lighthouse, or a turret. Aubrey literally lived like a freaking princess in a tower. Her bedroom was light and gauzy with antique furniture, authentic I was sure, and heavy moldings.

Aubrey drew me to a little alcove off to the side. “I’ve got some ideas. I mean, I’m sure you know what you’re doing and all, but I wanted to make sure we were on the same page.” She was as excited as a little girl playing dress up. I started to feel guilty for judging her so quickly.

She pulled up a Pinterest board she’d made, and I reviewed the photos. They were all sultry without crossing over into sleazy, and I got the feel for the general vibe she was going for. She’d done her eye makeup dark and dramatic, and her hair was in big, sexy, loose curls. She was styled perfectly for what I had in mind.

“We’ll shoot it so it’s all about the tease. For you, I’m thinking black and white. Make it more classic and sophisticated. High-end editorial style.” I saw her eyes light up at the end. Bingo! Nailed it. “Let me see what you were thinking of for clothes.”

Nine outfits were displayed in her dressing room. Yes, her dressing room. As in, a separate room from her closet with a settee and a big, round ottoman and even a little mini fridge, all done in pale Parisian pink and black. “You like?”

I looked over the ensembles with a critical eye. Classic men’s white dress shirt, yes. Oversized, chunky v-neck fisherman’s sweater, yes. The other choices all consisted of lace, satin, mesh, and feathers.

Feathers?

“There’s too much going on in some of these lingerie sets,” I said. “The focus needs to be on you. Your skin, your curves, and maybe even your hair, but not so much on the clothes. They’re more background. You’re the main attraction.”

She nodded, digesting my words. “I like the way you think.” She moved through the lingerie options and tossed all but two in a pile. She kept one black and one white. “We’ll use these. Angel and devil.”

I had to force myself not to comment on that last part. It was just too easy. “All right, so let’s get down to the details. How much do you want to show? What are you comfortable with?”

She’d clearly already thought this all through. “From the back, everything is fine. From the front, underwear down below, and as long as no nipples show up top, I’m good.”

I set my bag down and pulled out my camera, all business now. “Let’s start with the men’s white button down. Nothing underneath. And I want you to pin your hair up high, so we can see your neck for these first shots. Just pin it up quick so it’s messy and haphazard. And throw on whatever music makes you feel sexy. I need you to be as relaxed as possible for this.”

Aubrey smiled, seemingly delighted, and clapped her hands together in glee. “This is going to be so fun!” While she sat at her dressing table to fix her hair, she nodded at the mini fridge. “It’s fully stocked, so feel free to help yourself.”