Sun Catch Her (Book 1: Three Rivers Deep series) COMPLETE

Chapter Twenty-Eight | A

"We need to get a shot of the back, and then I think we can call it," Indy said from behind the camera.

She lowered it and looked toward the front door while I switched positions. After standing to stretch, I moved the barstool I was using as a prop. My attention wandered to the thick, white drapery hung in the windows to block out the afternoon glare.

The downstairs of the house next door had been transformed into a photography studio. The front room was draped with white sheets to direct and buffer spotlights, most set on tripods and aimed in purposeful directions. Indy really had the place looking like a studio. Fancy that. But then again, at one time she used to work out of motel rooms.

The kitchen was functioning as the dressing room. A rack was set up with clothing bags crowding its steel bar. These bags held our spring formal collection, eveningwear that spoke of Whyte Wine's signature style: retro 1920s with a modern bohemian touch.

This was our shipment of samples arrived from L.A., all in my size so we could make a catalog for our records, a routine thing that was known in the fashion industry as a "fit model shoot." That meant I had to put on my modeling hat.

Readjusting the mint colored flapper and gathering my long hair over a shoulder, I turned my back to the camera and tilted my chin to strike a pose as Indy snapped the shutter twice. The fringed ends of the mint-colored dress were covered in a dark wax that gave it the appearance of being dipped in chocolate—it was also scented as such. Alternatively, the pink version of the dress was dipped in white.

"Damn it all, I've got to get Micah to hang that other spotlight," Indy was muttering about her need for more lighting when her head snapped around again to stare at the front door.

"Expecting somebody?"

"No," she said.

I squinted with suspicion when her gaze finally met mine in its transformed version, eyes liquid lavender void of dark middles. It felt strange between us now that she was no longer hiding her true self. "No, nothing's wrong," she said, blinking away her spectral sight. Okay. That in no way answered my question.

Frowning, I walked over to the nearest tripod with the scent of chocolate following and switched off the light to make the area an instant three degrees cooler. It was a day and a half ago that Micah had found me huddled behind a waterfall and going into adrenal convulsions. Since then, my ability to maintain a normal body temp had finally returned, so there was no need for oversized sweaters or three layers of socks.

I switched off another light and spun to face Indy, waiting for her to give the signal to strip. It was good to be a steady temperature again. Although, I did miss Micah's arms around me for warmth. A sigh slid through me, and I wondered if he was still out on patrol with the wind devvis.

Intuition tingling, I studied Indy's expressionless face as she went through the photos on the camera. Last night, Micah and Alex had their overdue discussion about the sun devvi incident at the movies—a conversation that happened without me present—and then, later, after their private talk, Micah kept going out to run a circuit of the valley with Alex's people.

Indy signaled that she was finished taking pictures, and I spun on my heel, stride wide and much surer today as I headed for the kitchen. While I wasn't picking up on any outright lies from either of them, my aunt's heightened alertness and Micah's frequent absences were making me jittery.

My movements edgy, I was down to just a pair of taupe colored boy shorts and nothing else as I stood in the makeshift dressing room with the flapper draped over an arm. Modesty took a backseat when one was in modeling mode. Though I would never be tall enough to walk a runway, I could lightning-strip out of one outfit and into the next with the best of 'em. Tyra Banks, eat your heart out.

Tucking the dress into its bag, my gaze settled on a garment bag hanging on the end of the rack by its lonesome. Walking up to it, I searched for the designer's tag, debating if I wanted to holler to Indy that we missed one.

Hmm, no tag. I pulled down the zipper, and a whisper of champagne sparkles slipped out.

"Holy Swiss," I exclaimed, pulling out the dress to hold it against my front in the full-length mirror Indy had nailed to the kitchen wall.

I ran fingers down the delicate fabric as it refracted light like hints of magic. The strapless gown tapered off just below the knees, the fabric shifting like dry sand as I stroked it. It was... warm. Almost alive. "What type of material is this?"

"Aether."

I turned with wide eyes and almost bumped into Micah. "I didn't hear you come in." I clutched the dress to my front, suddenly very aware of my extreme bareness. "Aether? I didn't get the memo that such a thing existed."

"Aether in its raw form is in the highest part of the sky before the earth gives way to space. It can only be twisted into thread by a few wind devvis who still specialize in the craft—someone owed me a favor. And you...um, knowing you, inspired me to try my hand at designing something. You guys are always being so creative." Micah's explanation rushed toward the end. "Indy helped, a little."

"You did a wonderful job with the shape," I complimented, studying the garment's construction with my artist's eye. Wow, maybe we need to get him into design classes.

"Only because I know you so well." His head tilted and he made an indulgent sound. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Better than I was," I answered, my attention briefly shifting away from the gown. His mane was wind tousled. He had been out patrolling with the wind devvis, as I'd suspected.

"Indy ran some tests," I told him. "She says my adrenal gland has bumped up its output from forty percent to eighty-five. And my heart rate, the beats-per-minute has nearly doubled."

By physical plane standards, a devvi's vitals resembled a big cat, like a lion or puma, with a heart rate around double that of a human.

I was staring at the dress in the mirror again. Micah's gaze was expectant when my eyes met his.

"The color suits you." A shiver rippled through me when he touched the top of the bodice. "Do you like it?"

"Yes." My nod was slow, timid.

My skin became hotter the longer we stood inches apart with only sparkles hiding me, but he didn't do much more than offer a mystified smile. Apparently he thought it was interesting that I found a reason to be shy with him. For goodness sake, I was pretty much naked here!

"I had it made for you for the autumn formal." A quiet chuckle rumbled through him when, with a purposeful tilt of my head, a curtain of black spilled from behind my ears to further cover my front. Seemed my coyness was amusing.

"You're going to take me to the dance?"

"I wanted to surprise you." He sent a finger through my hair, searching for my eyes. "I thought it might be interesting to take you out and have a little fun with you."

"That sounds like a plan." Surprise pinged through me when the fabric gave a pulse, reacting when my newly enhanced heartbeat fluttered. No one had ever offered to take me to a formal before. At least I wouldn't have to sulk behind the punch bowl all evening while I watched Reese with Aaron. "I like the dress. It's beautiful."

"Beautiful," Micah echoed, but he was no longer looking at the dress.

I closed my eyes as he exhaled, and I took it in, parting my lips to taste a honey-sweet flavor I'd never experienced from him before: natural with a hint of wild.

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Well that's it folks! See everyone back here on Friday for the second half of Chapter 28! And, as always, thank you so much for reading!