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of fur, do you? It would make a nice contrast to Nicholas."
    Nick jumped at his name. Maybe Damian still meant to use him after all.
    "Yes, and this blond as well. Then we can mix and match, dark with light, or two darks and two lights," Ashley said.
    "Yeah, that works for me. What about this guy as a backup?"
    "Red hair?" Ashley said dubiously. "Always makes me think of Carrot Top. Not hot at all."
    "But he'd be a contrast. And Crispin likes gingers," Damian teased gently.
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    A Strong Hand
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    "That's true, and we have to keep Crispin happy, don't we?"
    "No," Damian said. " I don't. You do."
    "Touché." Ashley laughed.
    "And these two girls in the domme outfits worked out rather well, I thought."
    "That dark one reminds me a bit of Bettie Paige," Ashley commented.
    Nick made a note to himself to Google Bettie Paige when he got home, hoping it might shed some light.
    "She's got the bangs right, but she doesn't have that innocent joyousness that Bettie Paige had," Damian said regretfully.
    "Pity, really. I'd love to have seen what you could have done with the original."
    "Yeah, but I was born too late. Bettie recently passed away. She'll be missed." Damian shuffled through the Polaroids. "What about this blonde woman with the faux tits?
    She looked right at home as a submissive."
    Ashley gave the Polaroid a brief glance. "You know I've no interest in the female of the species. Do we really need to include ladies in the catalog?"
    "Their money is just as good as a man's," Damian said.
    "You're cutting off half your potential buyers if you leave them out."
    "Very well. Choose the ones you like, and I'm sure you'll be right. They all look the same to me." Ashley got up and stretched, and then realized Nick was still hovering behind them and clapped him on the shoulder. "I shall be hoping to 47
    A Strong Hand
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    persuade you to model more than just those leather pants, my lad. You're more beautiful than all the rest of these boys put together and most of the girls. Between you posing and Damian doing the photography, this catalog is certain to go down in history."
    "Th—thanks, I think," Nick stuttered, bewildered at this turn of events.
    "You're still at uni, correct? I expect you're the poor student type; otherwise you wouldn't be working for this maniac," Ashley said, smiling at his friend. "I shall expect to pay just what I pay the others, provided you put out your best effort." He named an hourly sum that made Nick gape at the munificence of it. That was almost enough for him to quit his job and focus on his studies. Only he didn't want to quit his job now.
    Nick nodded weakly, and Ashley clapped him encouragingly on the shoulder before leaving. "Excellent.
    We'll see you tomorrow then."
    "So are you going to let me see you in any of these wicked costumes?" Damian asked with a grin.
    "Well, some of them are a bit ... a bit..." Nick floundered, at a loss for words.
    "Extreme?"
    Nick nodded.
    Damian smiled. "You'll get used to it. The human animal is the most adaptable one on Earth. What shocks you today will be commonplace tomorrow. You'll see." He nodded encouragingly.
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    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    "I wouldn't want my mum to see me in any of these," Nick blurted.
    "Somehow I doubt she's on Ashley's mailing list. And if she is, she probably won't mention it. But if it's any comfort I could show you the shots I took the other day. You'll see; no one will see enough of your face to recognize you," Damian said matter-of-factly, hoping it would calm the young man.
    "The allure of the unknown is always more powerful than dull reality."
    "I would like to see them," Nick said boldly. "I didn't think you'd show them to me."
    "You need to learn to ask for what you want," Damian scolded gently. "How will anyone know how to please you if you don't make your needs known?"
    Nick didn't know what to say to that, but luckily Damian had placed his hand on his back, guiding him into the darkroom.
    "Have a seat,"