Ch 33

After I passed her phone back, I didn't say anything for a moment, keeping my expression inscrutable intentionally, letting her feel the stress of the moment, enjoying the hesitant glare she sent toward the door. 

But I wasn't cruel enough to extend that for more than a moment. 

"I like your determination," I said as I walked toward my camera, leaving Laura standing in front of Penny, shuffling uncomfortably under her piercing gaze. 

I knew that it was just a weak facade Penny managed to somehow fake through practice, ready to shatter at the slightest pushback, but Laura was certainly not the one that would test that. 

Not when she committed to the opportunity to finally have her big break! 

Amusingly, despite having all the hallmarks of a horrible decision, she wasn't actually making a bad choice. I was probably one of the best fashion photographers in the state if not the best, and considering the others weren't desperately struggling to find decent newcomers, forced to do so after ruining their chances in the general market, it wasn't like she had any comparable options. 

And, to her luck, I had just tapped into a lucrative new revenue channel, and needed some new material to enhance the benefits. 

That thought reminded me to check the performance of the business during the night. I reached to my phone first, to check the number of new customers that I had managed to find. After all, it was pretty early last night when I last checked — before I got distracted by Penny's amazing breasts. 

I expected at least a dozen new paying customers, maybe even a couple dozens if I was particularly lucky. 

"I must be going blind," I murmured as I checked the screen, freezing for a moment. There was no other explanation for the number I was seeing on the screen, almost ten times the number I had seen before I had gone to bed. 

"Something wrong?" Penny asked, reminding me that I was looking at the screen for a long while. 

"Nothing, sweetie, I just received a job offer with a nice number of zeroes," I answered, not really wanting to delve deep into the details of the business. No need to ruin the magic, after all. 

Incredible, I thought as I searched where my website was being mentioned, only to find it being mentioned in several niche fantasy and science fiction forums, along with an incredible number of mentions of Nancy's book, with some very glowing reviews. 

Nancy would have a nice surprise when she woke up and see the number of sales. I didn't have access to that, but with the number of mentions, I expected it to be impressively high. 

Yet, as I raised my head once again, the camera in my hand, I had a serious expression on my face. The sudden success was a happy occasion, but I was experienced with the marketing side of things, enough to know that such a sudden flare of popularity would be fleeting unless one reacted in time and fueled it further. 

Luckily, Laura arrived just in time to provide me with that fuel. A few mysterious shoots of a new model, just enough to stir the pot, would give it a push that would keep alive for a few days, which was all that was needed for me to work with my existing models for something more interesting. 

But first, my new model. 

"So, you are determined to be a model," I asked. Laura froze, no doubt surprised by the sudden sharpness of my tone, expecting a much more carnal audition after the photos she had shown me. 

"Y-yes," she whispered after a short delay. Meanwhile, recognizing the shift in my tone, Penny took a few rapid steps back and left a wide area for Laura to work. 

"I expect my models to answer my questions promptly," I answered even as I raised my camera. 

"S-sorry," she stammered. 

"Don't apologize, just do better," I pushed back, deliberately harsh as I tried to understand how she reacted to the pressure under a camera, which would give me the best way to handle her. Some models, like Nicole and Penny, worked best under a firm, unyielding hand, while others, like Nancy, required better challenges and teasing. "Now, give me a neutral pose and a soft smile," I ordered. 

Laura followed that order quickly, and a fleeting smile appeared on my face as I watched the speed she displayed as she followed the direction. Furthermore, the pose she took was decent enough, suggesting she actually had the potential to be nurtured. 

Especially considering just how urgent I needed some decent model assistance. 

"Not bad," I said even as I pressed the shutter several times, taking her pictures. They were useless, of course, as I neither bothered to fix her pose, nor adjusted the lightning accurately, yet they were still vital. 

I needed her to get used to the constant explosion of flash without flinching, and there was no better cure than repeated exposure. 

It also gave me an opportunity to get a better feel of the details of her attitude, from the way her body swayed to her balance, almost like a private trainer, but it was just another facet of being a photographer. 

At least, a good one. 

"Now, try to lean forward, and cross your arms under your chest," I said, moving to a pose that could be construed as revealing. Normally, I wouldn't have pushed for such an adventurous angle that quickly with a new model, but considering her selection of audition photos, I felt like it was not exactly a great risk. 

"How about this," she asked as she leaned forward, even more than necessary as her arms crossed under her chest and pushed it up, enhancing her cleavage beautifully. She might lack Penny's great bosom, but she still had enough assets to make the pose alluring. 

"Not bad," I answered, noting the way she perked up, suggesting that she was not the kind that flourished under an iron fist, nor she was as combative as Nancy. 

A more playful touch would work best, I decided. 

Not exactly a big challenge. I ordered her into several other simple poses with varying revealing aspects. Some, like asking her to stand up, were rather straightforward. The others, making her turn her back and touch her toes, revealed much more thanks to the assistance of her mini skirt. 

I had to admit, for all the challenges it brought, there was a certain charm in working with a new model, watching as her doubts and fears slowly melted away, replaced by a beautiful kind of self-confidence, one that had obedience seeped into its core, each order further reinforcing that core. 

Altogether, it had a certain beauty.

As I took my photos, I glanced toward Penny occasionally, watching as her arousal slowly reached a new level. The direction of her gaze was enough to confirm that it was almost completely about the authority I was reflecting on rather than the increasingly revealing poses Laura displayed. 

It was interesting. Penny was certainly not a bi, but her obedience was intense enough to allow her to treat the other ladies in the room passionately as long as it made me happy. 

Unlike Nancy, who was certainly more enthusiastic about the flavor of the female touch, making her an even better candidate to test Laura properly. 

However, Nancy was still sleeping after her exhausting ordeal — both the convention which was important enough to determine the fate of her book, which she worked on for years, and the carnal activities both preceded and followed the convention — leaving Penny as the only option. 

Not that she seemed particularly broken about that case, I noted as I looked at Penny, just one gesture enough for her to understand my order, and she started walking toward Laura in beautiful, sauntering steps. 

Her sexy obedience was always enough to put a smile on my face even if her lingering steps and the exaggerated swing of her hips didn't loosen her robe even further, giving an enhanced view of her beautiful bosom. 

I had seen her naked many times, but that didn't mean I stopped enjoying it. After all, sunsets didn't lose their magnificence just because of repetition. 

Penny stood behind Laura, almost hovering above her, though it was more about the posture rather than height difference, as while Penny had three inches over Laura, Laura's heels were tall enough to compensate for that difference. 

My initial plan was to give a couple orders to Penny, but seeing her stance, begging for an excuse to make Laura payback for her early morning interruption, I decided to give her a chance. 

"Penny, why don't you take control as the more experienced model and show her the ropes," I said as I looked at her, throwing a wink at her. 

Penny just nodded, her expression shy, but that expression was quick to disappear as she turned her gaze to Laura, her smirk wide. "Let's see you're as good as you think you are," she whispered as she put her hands on Laura's waist. "Let's start with a sexy pose," she added as she leaned forward, stopping just before their lips touched. 

I pressed the camera rapidly, focused on catching Laura's beautiful expression, an abject shock overwhelming her earlier determination, the intervention enough to shake her. 

So much that, she missed where Penny's hands were currently busy, only noticing after Penny managed to open three of her blouse buttons, turning her revealing cleavage into an erotic display, especially since she only had a lacy, transparent bra underneath, one that barely covered her nipples. 

And, considering their transparent nature, that coverage didn't exactly help the nature of the photo, qualifying the photo into the erotic territory. 

Laura whimpered in shock as Penny put her hands on her waist, signaling that things were getting heated. 

However, before she could push for more, a shocked gasp came from the bedroom. "Impossible," Nancy shouted, suggesting that she had decided to check her sales numbers. A more inexperienced man might have cursed the sudden twist ruining the mood. 

Me, I decided to push the opportunity to the next level. 

"Penny. I need to check with Nancy. Why don't you help Laura pick a swimsuit for the next stage of the set, the room comes with a good selection," I said, enjoying Laura's shock. 

Though, whether it was about the reminder that Penny wasn't the only model currently in the penthouse, or the sudden realization that she had to undress together with the handsy blonde, that was to be seen. 

A mystery for later, I decided as I walked toward the bedroom, leaving them behind for their mischievous adventure.

I found Nancy in the bed, still naked, the cover pulled haphazardly to the half of her chest, barely hiding her perfect breasts. Her skin shone on the crisp covers, while her beautiful red hair sprawled over the bed, giving a much-needed contrast to make it a striking view. 

If it wasn't for the great shock in her beautiful green eyes while she furiously browsed her phone, I would have assumed it to be an intentional pose, tempting me for some early morning fun. 

Albeit, knowing the source of her shock, I wasn't exactly surprised. 

"Impossible," she gasped repeatedly as I closed the door and walked toward her at the cost of isolating us from the fun Penny and Laura might have in the other room. Watching them was fun, but it was a level of fun I could forgo to deal with business aspects with Nancy — especially considering the great financial implications it held. 

"Why don't you tell me what's impossible, sweetie," I said as I took a seat next to her. 

She looked at me blankly, not even noticing that as she shuffled, the covers slipped down to reveal her beautiful breasts completely, still carrying the bruises from the last night's adventure. "The sales number of my book, there has to be a mistake." 

"Really, why don't you pass it to me so I can check it," I said, and took her phone before she could even answer, checking the dashboard. 

I had to admit, I actually had to count the number of digits to make sure I was seeing correctly. Based on the number of mentions, I was expecting four digits. Selling a couple thousand books was certainly a small measure of success, but doing so in less than twenty-four hours was impressive even with a huge marketing campaign. 

Without that, it was a small miracle. 

Yet, on the screen, I could see a large miracle, consisting of five whole digits, not exactly the low end as well. However, while I understood the enormity of the success, I was also sufficiently familiar enough with such numbers — though, until the moment exclusively for other's businesses with no profit sharing — to hide my surprise. 

Not to mention, my earlier browsing prepared me for the great success we would have on the book angle as well. Not to this level, certainly, but my shock was certainly not about the money I made. Even after selling in mid-five figures, it didn't make as much money as the private photo sets I was selling. Still, the cut I would take was a nice boost. 

"Yeah, a good start," I said casually as I passed it back to her. 

"S-start," she gasped in shock as she looked at me, her eyes wide in shock. "What do you mean it's a start? Forty thousand books —" she tried to continue, only to be silenced as I pressed my hand on her lips. 

"I know how to read, sweetheart, but that was my point, it's just a start. It's just the start of success." 

"But —" she started, only to be silenced once more, this time by a flick to her nipple. 

"Cut it out. This is just a start," I said. "Didn't I tell you that you will have success as long as you trust me," I said, acting like I hadn't been struggling to get a fraction of that money just days ago.

"I … see," she murmured, still unable to process the financial implications of our great achievement. 

"We just need to decide the best way to use this as a starting point, to see whether we could reach a number that we can call successful." 

"N-nonsense," she stammered in shock. "What is success if over forty thousand doesn't qualify as one?" 

I shrugged. "I'm not exactly a master of book publishing, but if it was a magazine, ten million yearly," I said, throwing a deliberately aggressive number, one that was only possible for some of the more successful international magazines. "So, maybe we should aim for a million, for a start." 

I couldn't help it. After the great success that completely changed my financial state, I was feeling rather ambitious. 

"A m-million. T-to start," she gasped, her beautiful green eyes even wider. "You're crazy." Yet, even as she declared that, I could see her believing my words. 

It was good, as while I was being ambitious, I actually trusted to reach such a number, though it would mean investing most of the money we made back into marketing, maybe even forcing me to spend some extra from the money I was making from selling the bonus photo set. 

After all, they were two businesses reinforcing each other. No harm in supporting it a bit more.

 Especially since it would put Nancy deeper into my debt, which was always nice leverage to have over such a passionate model. Not that I would use to push her, but sometimes, it was enough to have the leverage. 

"Well, then it means you're in the bed with a crazy person," I said as I tugged her covers, revealing her naked body, showing that it wasn't just a figurative statement. 

She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, my lips were over hers, capturing them in a searing kiss that would unbalance her further. 

I had a smirk on my face as I pulled back. "Though, I'm certainly glad we signed the contract that clearly outlines my share and responsibilities," I said, making her eyes widen. 

"Oh, honey, don't tell me you forgot that part, or think that I'm going to arrange a marketing campaign for free," I whispered. "I'm not saying you're not beautiful enough to make it worthwhile, but I have my professional needs. Don't forget that I'm trying to build a business as well. I don't intend to spend my life in Nicole's basement, sweetheart." 

Nancy's blush was spectacular, and any question she might have about a possible renegotiation of the deal died under my fingers. 

I didn't want to discuss it, but not like it was a bad deal. She certainly had more share than a publishing house would have given her, and there was no possibility of them actually giving her a campaign that was actually worthwhile. 

"Don't call me sweetheart," she answered reflexively, though it might have been more effective if a moan didn't follow it as my fingers slipped into her wetness. 

"As you wish, honey," I said, enjoying the familiar back and forth. "Now, let's talk about the next stage of our marketing plan," I said. 

"Right now?" she asked as she glanced down, looking between her legs, where my fingers were dancing over her core, testing her intensifying wetness. 

"What better time, we need to hurry up," I answered, yet my finger slipped deeper inside, showing I had no intention of slowing down, and stopping was just impossible. 

"What do you have in mind?" she asked. 

"I have already found a model for the next stage, and we were going through the test session before you rudely interrupted," I said, only for her to stiffen. 

"The other room, here," she said, a blush suddenly spreading on her face. 

"Yes," I said smugly as I caught her gaze. "Don't tell me that you're feeling shy." 

"Of course not," her answer came predictably, showing that despite suffering under the same trick several times, her pride was still strong — though, it might also be about the fact that she wasn't particularly against the 'suffering' she experienced as a result. 

"Good," I said as I let my fingers quicken while I leaned to kiss her neck, teasing one of her weaker spots, making her moan cutely, which was, without a doubt, loud enough to be heard from the other room. "Now, let's talk about your tasks," I added, but only after a minute later. 

"You want me to…" she whispered, her blush intensifying while her voice disappeared. 

"Such a dirty mind," I interrupted her with a chuckle. "No, I don't want you to come and molest her, you naughty minx," I said. She blushed, but didn't try to claim that she wasn't trying to say that.

"What do you need?" she asked, but only after a minute, and three failed attempts as I continued working on her body, the amazing success she just experienced made it particularly easy to push her toward the climax this time. She was yet to arrive at that final destination, but only because I slowed down my fingers. 

"You need to select a character from the book, one that's fitting for a thin brunette with a lithe body," I said. "And then, you'll show your tailoring abilities to rapidly create a costume for the stuff that's available in the room. Do you think you can handle it?" 

"Well, we have a priestess that wears white," she said as she glanced at the bedsheets.

"Excellent," I said even as I grabbed her shoulder and pushed her down, my fingers lashing out aggressively, helping her to take the last step, then pulled back after one last kiss, leaving her trembling on the bed. 

"But wouldn't they mind about the sheets? What if they make us pay back—" she said, only for me to press my finger to her beautiful lips once more. 

"Don't forget that we have enough money, sweetie," I said as I stood up. "You have thirty minutes," I said with a chuckle and walked back, curious what the others had been doing in my absence.

I was somewhat conflicted as I returned to the living room, wondering whether playing with Nancy was a better option than giving her a task and leaving. Admittedly, to leverage the sudden popularity we found ourselves in, a lot of work needed to be done. 

But that was hardly helping the uncomfortable hardness of my midsection, pushing my dressing gown up aggressively. 

Well, at least I wasn't wearing any pants. 

However, when I looked at the other end of the living room, the little surprise Penny prepared for me was more than enough to address my surprise. 

They had followed my request and put on swimsuits, but in a daring choice, and wore only the bottom part of the bikinis from the room. 

I couldn't see their breasts, at least not fully, but it was not about the direction they were facing. Penny was standing behind Laura, using her body as cover. Unfortunately — fortunately — Laura's lithe body wasn't the most appropriate cover, and combined with the angle, it still gave me a beautiful side view of her breasts. 

Laura's breasts were also hidden, but her coverage relied on Penny's hands resting on her breasts, revealing even more thanks to Penny's 'careless' hold, not that things would have been significantly better with Penny's dainty hands even if she was working better. 

Though, she certainly wouldn't have given a glimpse of her beautiful areolas, that was for certain. 

"We're ready for the next stage," Penny said with a chuckle, her tone implying that she was slowly getting into the same mood that turned our bath adventure into a very memorable threesome. 

"Excellent," I said as I grabbed the camera once more as closed in the distance, but this time, I didn't start taking photos immediately, instead started playing with curtains and the lights, trying to get more appropriate lighting. 

The photoshoot was certainly more for fun than work, but there was no harm in multitasking. 

Luckily, thanks to my experience, the grueling task of arranging the lighting setup only took a couple minutes — though already the design of the room helped, not to mention I was targeting just decent rather than my usual perfection, not wanting to girls waiting. 

Meanwhile, I watched as Penny's hands moved occasionally, caressing Laura's bosom, who was busy experimenting with reaching new heights in terms of blushing, her beautiful brown eyes darting all around the room to avoid contact. 

Yet, she stayed in place despite Penny's surprising aggression, showing she was truly determined. 

"Now, let's start with some real poses," I ordered as I raised my camera. 

"How about this?" Penny asked, even more exorbitant than the previous night, feeling particularly confident dealing with a brand new model as she moved one of her hands down to Laura's stomach, moving her hand a bit to the side to compensate for the absence, trusting her forearm to hide Laura's other breast. 

Which wasn't exactly working considering her arm was misaligned. "Umm," Laura murmured shyly, but that was the extent of her complaint, dying when Penny acted like she didn't hear it. I walked around them, taking photo after photo, immortalizing the beautiful view, Laura's honest shyness much better than any order I could give. 

And Penny was certainly not a good enough actress to fake her great enthusiasm. 

The contrast in their expressions made me glad that I had spent a few minutes fixing the lighting, as the results were enough to actually satisfy me, which was certainly a difficult level of achievement to reach. 

I might even use those as a bonus set for my newest business venture — only some of the tamer ones, of course, as the real fun ones were destined to stay in my private stash. 

As I walked for some close-in shots, Laura's gaze slipped down the floor, enough to ruin the shoot if I wasn't leaning on her shyness in the first place. 

"That's enough for this pose," I whispered as I took another deliberate step, getting closer. "Why don't you girls change places." 

Laura jumped at the opportunity as she moved, her hands jumping up to her chest to hide her beautiful bosom before she took a step away from Penny, who was considerably less concerned about hiding her breasts even as I pressed the shutter a few times. 

As Laura hid behind Penny, she pressed tight against her body, managing to hide her breasts successfully. Her attempts to hide Penny's breasts behind her hands, on the other hand, were considerably less successful. 

It wasn't her fault, not with Penny's amazing boundless bosom. 

"Not bad," I said, doing my best not to insert a saucy comment that would ruin Laura's fledging confidence. For all her daring to use her naked pictures as audition material, she was woefully inexperienced in displaying her body when someone else was taking those pictures. 

If Nancy wasn't bustling in the other room to put together a costume for her, I might have been more aggressive, but I didn't want to send Laura away, packing, ruining her work. 

Especially since that work had the potential to earn us another several thousand dollars, maybe even tens of thousands of our newly discovered customer base maintained their enthusiasm. 

Yet, despite my decision, the situation suddenly escalated in a way I hadn't been expecting. 

The responsible, Laura. 

As I took the new photos, Laura's hands started to slip down, revealing even more of Penny's breasts. Completely accidental, of course, and certainly not working to make her pay back or anything for putting her in just bikini bottoms. 

Yet, at this point, Penny was certainly familiar enough with my presence to not care about an accidental nip slip or two, a fact Laura was smart enough to catch on to. 

And, rather than abandoning her strategy, she doubled down, and when she raised her hands on Penny's chest, she let her fingers dig into their great expanse, teasing her flesh. 

The moan Penny let out in response was simply spectacular, though it was less about Laura's great skills in teasing her, and more about Penny's great sensitivity, combined with her arousal. Unable to catch that subtle nuance, Laura thought herself to be wholly responsible for that beautiful moan, and her fingers started to dig deeper into Penny's bosom. 

A beautiful coping mechanism, one that I had no problems encouraging. 

"Daring choice," I whispered as I caught Laura's gaze, enjoying her sudden blush as she realized what she was doing. The reminder seemed to be enough to make her stagger, so I pushed her a bit more. "Now, why don't you show me just how far you can push it." 

"R-really," she whispered. 

"Yes, impress me," I said, which earned a glare from Penny, but a short-lived one. Her eyes closed as she let out another moan when Laura's fingers found her nipples, twisting with surprising aggression. 

A bad choice. 

Not in terms of photographing, as I certainly enjoyed the outcome, but in terms of the vindictive expression it awakened on Penny's face, promising a spectacular payback. Unfortunately for Laura, due to her position, she missed that expression, and kept one hand on Penny's breasts, tugging and squeezing. 

Even more, her other hand moved down steadily, landing on top of Penny's bottoms, teasing her core over the fabric. 

"Wow, daring," I said, catching Laura's gaze, and giving her another encouraging smile. She smiled back, and I recognized the reckless nature of her smile, just like someone learning skiing for the first time. 

Thinking that a double black diamond trail was a challenge she could face. 

Seeing her lost in a beautiful combination of elation she was feeling from finally fulfilling her dream, the excitement of posing naked, and the intense pleasure she was getting from making Penny suffer — for a very liberal definition of suffering — under her fingers, her next action hardly came as a surprise. 

As she tugged the strings of Penny's bottom, leaving her naked as her only piece of clothing fell on the floor, I was pressing the shutter repeatedly, immortalizing the view. And, when Laura's fingers landed on her core, dancing aggressively around her clit to push Penny toward the climax that she was already not too far away, I walked around them, taking more and more photos. 

While Penny slowly developed a sharper, surprisingly vindictive edge to her personality as we worked together, that hardly meant that her physical quality changed. She still had her beautifully sensitive body, created by Aphrodite, and under the unfamiliar touch of Laura, it only took less than a minute for her to collapse on the floor, trembling helplessly. 

"Daring," I said as I caught Laura's smug gaze, her elation strong enough to make her miss the fact that her beautiful breasts were completely bare without Penny's body blocking the view. 

What an interesting audition, I thought, trying to decide what to do next. 

But before I could make that decision, Penny pushed herself up despite her trembling legs. "I don't think I can model for a while," she whispered, making Laura smile smugly. "Why don't you pass the camera to me so I can take a few photos while you accompany her," she added, her vindictiveness almost physical.

And just like that, Laura's smile faded, replaced by trepidation.