Dreams that night were intense, though I didn't remember any details. They weren't wholly erotic, nor wholly terrifying. I'm fairly certain Piper and Lena were prominent in the vivid displays, but waking in the night left no trace of what had occurred. My arm was over Piper, fingers resting near her hairless Mons, she on her side, Piper's round little bottom against my groin. I stretched in place, taking in the amazing warmth of her young body next to mine, and knew my life, and Piper's, had forever been changed.

I should have panicked, frightening the prospects were for what would happen next. Someone would find out what I'd done. Piper would tell, not on purpose but because she was ten and I was a monster and she would tell. I'd be arrested and thrown into a German jail, tortured by those who justifiably hate child molesters, ignored by the American embassy, eventually executed and the threat of my abuse removed from society.

But I didn't panic. It surprised me, actually. Not that I wanted any of that, but what I'd shared with Piper the night before had been so special that it almost, almost, seemed worth whatever happened. It had been so lovely and sweet, the child barely aware of all that we were doing, but her enjoyment of it was obvious and satisfying for us both. I squeezed her body against mine, my penis hardening between her buttocks. I remembered how I'd sprayed my cum all over Piper, her fingers teasing out my orgasm after I'd lapped her immature sex and given her one of her own. It had simply been magical.

Piper didn't wake, so for long moments, I held her and gently touched her body. I didn't explore the private places between her legs. It was a moment for something a little more innocent. I brought my hand up her stomach, past her flat chest, then lightly touched her neck with the back of my fingers, then her cheek, me smiling to see the girl so calm in sleep. She was a striking young girl, even with her black hair in disarray, no longer braided, half flared up in a quarter-oval above her on the pillow, the other strands down the back of her neck and over her shoulders.

I didn't know how things might go with Piper, but I wasn't really thinking about that as I lay there touching her cheek. I just felt comforted and whole, more than I'd ever been before. I couldn't say why this young girl had brought me to such a place, but her orgasm, and mine, had solidified what had been bubbling between us for days, and seeing her so peaceful, hopefully knowing sweet dreams, was a wonderful moment in my life.

- - -

My phone vibrating drew me from my pleasant slumber next to Piper. I tried to slide out of bed so as not to wake her, grabbing my cell and closing myself in the bathroom. I answered and Marilyn said, "So, uh, the Berlin shoots went well?"

I swallowed hard, images of Lena and the others fresh in my mind, "Yeah, um, yeah, went fine."

"You okay, Patrick? You sound tired."

"It's like five-thirty here, Marilyn. Little early for me. And late for you."

"I know, sorry about that. I just got a call from Johanna, the woman who hosted the private event. She was raving about your work and wanted me to know about it even though that was not one of our gigs for you."

"Appreciate that..."

"I've never been to one," Marilyn said quietly, "the private shows..."

She left it hang so long that I realized what she was leaving out, "But the regular ones?"

"Twice, yeah... They're... something..."

I replied, "To say the least."

"You okay working them? Really okay? I know, uh, Milton was... you know, a little twisted, but you... you seem kinda... normal, Patrick."

I swallowed hard again, my tongue once more savoring Piper's lovely dark-pink flesh, "Not completely, you know, like everyone, I guess."

"What'd you do with your niece... she's with you right?"

I tried to cover the truth, "Oh, uh... have a distant cousin here in Berlin, uh... she stayed with her..."

"Ah. Good. I suppose you wouldn't exactly want her to see those shows, especially the private ones, I guess..."

It was like she was fishing, trying to get me to bring up more about the private events without directly asking. I wasn't sure I wanted to say more. "Right, yeah. She's ten... I mean, some of those girls are younger, you know? And... well, yeah, you're right on... Don't want her seeing what those girls were up to..."

"I imagine..." Marilyn paused. This was incredibly unlike her. Always before, our conversations were professional, efficient, and without significant breaks in conversation.

"You okay, Marilyn?" I asked finally.

"Hmm?"

"Just askin'."

"Oh, yeah, fine, I suppose. I'll let you get back to bed, Patrick... just wanted to let you know how things went. I'll call you once I'm in the office with a new assignment. I think it's gonna be another trip back to the states, Boston, most likely. I'll call you..."

I hung up the phone, made uneasy by Marilyn's familiarity. Maybe it was just the late hour back where she was in LA. I shrugged, urinated strongly for a few minutes, then reached for a wash cloth.

"Uncle Patrick?" Piper's voice called into the bathroom.

"Yeah..."

"I really gotta pee..."

I almost left, but after the night we'd shared, I knew immediately things had changed all over. "Just come in..."

I watched her enter, the girl brushing past me, naked, seating herself on the toilet, the ten-year old pissing strongly, "Mmmmmm..." she sighed contentedly. I just stared between her legs, still in awe that I'd been blessed to know what Piper tasted like down there.

She caught my eyes on her crotch and giggled, "Are you watching me pee?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

"Well," I replied, "it's not so much the pee... but... your vulva... is beautiful..."

Piper smiled, "Thanks..." Her eyes drifted down to where my penis had hardened. "Ohhh... is that cause of my vul-va?"

I nodded again.

"Neat."

Piper finished urinating, then carefully wiped herself front-to-back a couple of times, flushing the remains and standing up.

Somewhere, I found nerve to say something, "Wanna shower with me, Piper?"

"Sure!"

She started the water and flipped on the spray.

I stood behind the girl, gazing at the soft curve of her buttocks. They were rounded, lovely teardrops pressed together tightly, her cleft narrow at the top and disappearing out of sight below. She bent forward to adjust the water, and Piper's bottom opened a little, shadows obscurring her inner flesh, but I saw a hint of her bare pussy this time, my erection pulsing with excitement.

Piper turned back and said, "Okay, it's good." She realized I was staring at her. "Like my butt?"

"Beautiful," I squeaked.

The girl giggled, leaned forward, then swayed her bottom back and forth, teasing me, her buttocks jiggling, tight but soft flesh pale and a little rosy. My hand moved on its own. Forward. Forward. Piper's warm flesh was in my palm, then under my fingers. I caressed her gently, squeezing her buttocks. Piper watched me carefully, not pulling away.

I could almost take Piper's whole bottom in my hand. The lower curves of both buttocks were in my palm as I squeezed, letting my middle finger draw up and in. I brushed past her tiny, tight anus and found her vagina nestled just inside her thin labia. I shuddered with arousal. My urge was to enter Piper right then, so turned on and not believing what I was doing.

But the she laughed and stepped into shower, "Come on!"

I controlled the nearly-overwhelming urge to fuck the ten-year old and followed her. The hot water helped clear my head a bit, but just a bit. I still watched her flesh shimmer and sparkle as she ran soap over her body before handing the bar and cloth to me. I mechanically did the same to my skin, then used my fingers to help wipe away the suds from Piper's flesh.

Her little nipples were tiny and hard over the girl's flat chest. I teased the tips a moment. Piper was more interested in watching my face than reacting to a couple of light pinches. I let my hand run lower, down over her stomach. It tickled her and she giggled and jumped. I smiled, then did it again, and again, tickling her sides until she was nearly convulsing with laughter. "Stop," she giggled, "you're making me pee!"

I looked down to see a small stream of yellow running down one of her legs. I laughed and said, "Oh, that is sexy!"

"You're weird, Uncle Patrick!"

I sank lower until my face was close to Piper's. I asked her, suddenly desperate to know her mind, "Did you like what we did together last night?"

Piper nodded and grinned, "Yes! I had sooooo much fun orgasming you! Can I do it again right now?"

My cock had been leaking precum for several minutes. There was no chance I was going to say no. I showed Piper how to take hold of my penis and stroke it in the water. Her skin was soft though already starting to wrinkle. I stepped back so that we were mostly out of the steamy water, the spray hitting Piper's lower back and running over her bottom.

I started to sway with her movements, uncertain and uneven as they were. Her little fingers were simply magic around my shaft. I put my arms around Piper's shoulders and moved her a little closer so that the head of my penis was pressed against her lower chest. Her warm, wet skin felt amazing, and her fingers danced up and down my shaft as the child jerked me off.

"Piper..." I groaned.

"Yeah?"

"Will you use your mouth on my penis? Like I did for you?"

"Okay... I... I don't know how..."

"I'll show you..."

I turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, handing Piper a towel then drying myself before sitting on the toilet and pulling her to her knees between my legs. God, what a sight she was! Beautiful, dark hair, gorgeous face, kneeling in front of me, and about to let me put my cock in her ten-year old mouth. I swelled and felt precum bubble out the tip of my dick. I was not going to last long.

"Gently, just open your lips and take it inside, like a lollipop. Lick it a little, careful not to scrape it with your teeth... Oh, that's it... that's it..." Piper's warm, wet lips slid first over the upper half of my glans and stopped, her tongue moving over the tip, tasting it.

"It's sweet!" she said, my precum on her tastebuds.

I was quickly about to lose my load and I knew it. "Just a little more... I'm... I'm right there, Piper..."

Her lips slid down further this time, the ridge around my glans popping in and I surged. I panicked as I felt a flood of semen rising up, and, not having a chance to warn her or explain, and definitely not wanting Piper to choke, I wrapped my fist tight around my cock, pulling it out until the tip was against her cheek.

It was like a dream, one full of waves of pleasure, as I watched my cum explode on Piper's face. It was everywhere. One spurt splashed off her cheek and hit her hair and left a thick rope all down her strands, another hit her chin and drooled down her flat chest, one even shot right between her gasping mouth.

Piper sputtered and flinched, more cum coating her face. I tried to aim it lower, the last couple of spurts hitting just above her left nipple. She looked at me, red-faced, her breathing quick, my semen all over her face, some hanging from her lip, more inside her mouth.

"Sorry," I groaned, still shuddering, "sorry..."

"Wow! You pwainted me wiff your baby stuwff!" she said, clearly holding my cum in her mouth by the way she muddled her words.

I chuckled, shaking my head, "I didn't want to choke you." I could see her running her tongue inside her mouth. Thinking she might be grossed out, I told Piper, "Some girls swallow it, but... you can spit it out if you don't like it..."

She looked at me a moment like she was going to do so, then steeled herself, closed her lips, and swept my semen from her mouth in a big gulp. Piper came up gagging just a little, "Gack! It's salty!" She looked down her body, then said, "Guess I need another shower!"

"I'll help... Hey..." I said softly, pulling her up, "I love you, Piper... thank you for doing that... I'd love to use my mouth on you, too..."

"Ummm, maybe later, okay? I kinda just wanna get your baby stuff off me..."

"Semen..."

"Se-men," she replied, then she kissed my lips, "and I love you so much, Uncle Patrick! So much, I let you shoot your se-men on my face!"

How the hell had I lucked into being part of this wonderful young girl's life?

- - -

I was buzzed and drained and watching every shadow as we ate breakfast at a cafe near our hotel. Piper, it seemed, wasn't nearly as stuck thinking about our intimate moments in the night and early that morning as I was. I couldn't stop remembering her soft fingers and face, her delicious little cunt, the way my cum, sticky and warm, drooled from her face. Piper, though, was chatty and observant, not bringing up sexual questions or comments, instead, after telling me how much she liked that woman's dress or that man's umbrella, she asked me about what came next for us.

"Not sure," I said, sipping a third coffee. "My boss, Marilyn, she'll call this afternoon to let me know. Last I heard, it might be Boston."

"Oh, I like Boston. Beeeeeantown," Piper said, drawing out the nickname. "I've been there twice already. Have you?"

I nodded, "Once, yeah. A couple years ago."

"Did you like it?"

"Sure. Didn't get to stay long, just one night."

"Oh. I didn't know that." Piper munched on a flaky pastry coated in some sort of rich, sweet syrup, leaning over the table and squirming a bit.

"Do you need the bathroom?"

"Nope," she told me, "I'm just super happy today and I can't sit still!"

I whispered, "Any reason?"

Piper grinned at me, flicking her lovely dark hair away from her left ear, "Oh, you know, Uncle Patrick."

So, she wasn't completely oblivious to what we'd done. Not that I thought she'd forgotten, but given that she hadn't brought up our intimacy since the intense moments in the hotel bathroom, it was like she'd compartmentalized our play and kept those thoughts locked away for another time. I was rather happy about that, honestly, it meant she'd be less likely to let slip our relationship, though seeing the sparkle in Piper's eye when she said, you know, was a rather arousing moment. "Oh," I replied, "I do know..."

"And we can't tell anyone, right, Uncle Patrick?"

"No one. Promise? Our secret?"

"For sure! Promise!"

I stirred, shuddering, forced to close my eyes to avoid trying to stare at where Piper had bent over to pick up a fork from the floor, her tight black leggings hugging her lovely curves nicely, the same curves I'd fondled in the shower, the ones which had made me cum so quickly when the girl wrapped her lovely little lips around my glans.

I tried to shelve those thoughts for a time. I knew I had to keep us busy that day until I knew where my next assignment would take me. Checking my email, I saw that, hours eariler, Marilyn had forwarded me a message from the ModelLight team, listing the next several events. Next month was Sydney, followed by Belo Horizonte, Brazil, then Medellin, Kuala Lumpur, Copenhagen, and Porto, Portugal. I'd been to all but Medellin and Porto in my travels. I asked Piper which she'd been to in her life, and she told me she wasn't completely sure she'd been to any of them but Sydney.

As I watched her dance in her seat, I wondered if the ten-year old grew aroused in an adult sense. Her pussy had been wet when I'd tasted her, her body clearly capable of producing the lubrication necessary for penetration, and she'd shown a clear intellectual curiosity towards sexual things, but was it arousal at a more mature level? I really didn't know. In some ways, I hoped she did, the knowledge that Piper's mind might be imagining arousing ideas quite exciting to me. In other ways, her age, her relative innocence, those were equally exciting.

- - -

We strolled around Berlin with a free day, stopping to have a late lunch at a German diner, and we were just finishing up when my phone rang and I picked up Marilyn's call.

"Got your next gig, Patrick," she told me, "emailing the itinerary now. It will be a shareholders meeting and product demonstration in Boston next week, starting Monday."

"Okay," I affirmed, "I'll get myself back to the States in a day or two, then up to Boston on Sunday."

"Good..." Marilyn paused, then said more softly, "sorry about last night, Patrick. I was... sleepy, that's all."

There was an edge of something unsaid in her words, but I didn't press her. "No problem. Trust me, I know how out of sorts things get with weird hours."

"Wasn't that, but... yeah, just a late evening."

I knew Marilyn was an early-to-bed, early-to-rise sort of person, so perhaps it was just that she was handling work affairs long after she was usually winding down for the night. Perhaps.

I hung up with Marilyn and checked the email she sent. I whipped out my laptop, connected to the cafe's wifi, then booked plane tickets for me and Piper to head back to LAX the next day.

- - -

"You had a caller while you were out," the English-speaking desk clerk told me when I arrived back at our hotel in the mid-afternoon, pulling up a small piece of paper and passing it to me.

I read it. Need to speak with you immediately, it read, along with a phone number. "Did they leave a name?"

The clerk shrugged, "Dunno, I wasn't on shift yet. Elsa said it was a short man, but that's all she told me."

I nodded and thanked the clerk, then headed up to my room with Piper in tow.

To say I was troubled was an understatement. Why would some stranger come looking for me at my hotel? I didn't know anyone in Berlin, nor was it common to have someone who needed my attention leave a note with the desk where I was staying. While Piper used the bathroom, I dialed the number.

When someone picked up, speaking German, I said, "Hi, uh... someone left a note for me?"

"Patrick Barnes?" the thickly-accented masculine voice replied.

"That's me..."

"You are photographer, yes?"

"I am..."

"I have need of you this evening. I understand you were shooting the private show last night, yes?"

"Who is this?" I asked, rather concerned that this unknown person had personally come to my hotel.

"My name is Otto Schmidt... I believe you know my... friend, Johanna Mayer?"

"Johanna... yes, the host from last night?"

The man replied, "Yes, this is her."

"How did you know where to find me, Otto? Why not just get my number from Johanna?"

"I prefer," Otto told me, "to do things in person if possible." He ducked my first question quite clearly. "Are you available for a private shoot this evening?"

I looked at Piper as she left the bathroom, and replied, "What is it you need?"

"A photographer," the man replied without more detail. I had no doubt it would be related in some way to ModelLight and the private events.

"Look... I'm flying out in the morning, plus... I've got my niece with me right now..."

"I will make it worth your time, I promise you this," Otto replied. "Please, name your fee..."

I really wanted to tell him I wasn't able to help, but I admitted to myself that the fat roll of cash I'd gotten from Johanna had been a rather tempting draw to do such things again. I wondered how far I could push him. "Tell me what I need to do first..."

"Take photographs, that is all. I will handle the model and the preparations. I have my own equipment, you need only bring yourself and your skills."

Given my reluctance and my creeping unease about the situation, I decided to highball him and force him to balk at my price. "Two grand. Euros. Before I start taking shots."

There was no pause, "Of course, of course, this is fair."

I wrinkled my nose, astonished that the man had not even tried to negotiate. I let out a sigh, "Fine. Where is this shoot?"

- - -

I told Piper as soon as I was off the call and decided I was going to leave her in the hotel.

The girl threw an epic tantrum.

I mostly sat quietly while she wailed and cried and told me how horrible I was being to her. I tried to calmly emphasize that I felt the situation was a little scary and that I didn't want to chance something terrible happening to her by taking her to some private, surely adult-oriented, photo shoot. "You're ten, Piper... It was bad enough I took you to the private show last night, but this is even more sketchy. I'm half-tempted to not go myself..."

"Fine, don't go!" Piper pouted, her crocodile tears dried up moments earlier, "I'll just go and make the money for you."

"That's not happening."

"But why, Uncle Patrick?"

I'd been over the 'why' at least three times, and I ended the circular argument by trying to redirect her attention. "Well, you don't know much about photography, Piper. You can't go in my place because... you need to learn first."

"So teach me!"

"I will, but first, you need to pick up some basics on your own. Show me you're interested by learning about focal length and negative space and hot shoes."

"Hot shoes?"

"See?" I replied, "You need to learn this stuff first, before you can start learning how to actually take the pictures."

Surprisingly, it seemed to work, "So... what should I do?"

I grabbed her tablet and bookmarked a few sites I knew were great beginner resources. "Start reading those tonight and be ready to tell me what you've learned when I get back. I'm gonna quiz you. Once you've got a grasp on the terms and ideas, then we'll see about leveling you up with a camera."

Piper, it seemed, had a strong thirst for knowledge. Or maybe, I admitted, she really just wanted to impress me. Either way, it bought me the evening.

I ordered room service hamburgers and ate little of mine before telling Piper, the girl already buried in the sites I'd given her to study, "Stay in the room, Piper. Promise me!"

"I will. I promise."

"If you have an emergency... if anyone comes knocking... if anyone calls the room phone and it isn't the desk... you hit zero on the phone and tell them you need help, okay? Do that first, then call me immediately, promise?"

"I promise. I'll beat your quiz, Uncle Patrick. I'll beat it sooooo much."

I grinned at her, "I'm sure you will, Piper." The door closed behind me, I went down to meet the cab already waiting for me outside the hotel lobby.

- - -

It was an apartment building which looked rather normal, like many I'd seen in Berlin and other big cities, nothing special, reasonably manicured in front of the building, age showing in both design and brickwork. I checked the apartment number and rang the buzzer for it near the entrance. Otto answered and then buzzed me through. Up three flights of stairs, I knocked on the door.

It opened and a very short man stood before me, no more than four-five or four-six, maybe in his late-forties. Otto had an enormous mustache which stuck out several inches to either side of his cheeks, a bit of fresh stubble on his chin, dark eyes, bushy brows. I suppose he struck me as someone out of some Alpine fantasy story, the sort of look which you might see dancing and singing alongside Heidi. His brown vest and brown slacks and brown durban only enhanced the effect. "Patrick, thank you this night," he said, a rumbling German accent adding significant weight to his reasonable English.

"Hello," I greeted him as Otto ushered me in.

The apartment was immaculate, nothing like the building outside. Lights brightened what seemed to be new or nearly-new white and cream furniture, a sprawling kitchen and dining area equally spotless. The wooden floor was shiny, covered only in a couple of places by orange area rugs. Lamps were slender and modern, tables of glass and metal matching the style. Otto shook my hand, passing a small bundle of euros into my grasp, then offered me a drink which I declined. He poured himself a dark beer from the tap of a mini-keg sitting on the kitchen counter.

"What, uh... what am I shooting tonight, Otto?"

"Oh, my man, a special moment, you'll see!" He turned back towards a hallway leading further into the apartment, then called out, "My dear! We are ready for her!"

I watched as a tall woman, easily six-foot in height, walked down the hallway. Long, light-blonde hair fell over her shoulders. She was casually attired in a simple black dress which hung low around her ankles, large curves on her chest suggesting heavy breasts, large curves of her hips rounded and easily visible despite the rather loose fabric. "Ah," she said, a sing-song tone in her nearly accent-free words, "you must be the photographer."

"Patrick," I told her.

"Klara," the woman said, "and this," she told me, turning to the side and motioning down the hall, "is my daughter, Heidi."

Before I could think, I chuckled.

"What is funny?" Otto asked me.

"Oh, sorry, just... well, I'm American, and... I dunno, Heidi is kinda the only German name most of us would know... you know, from the movie."

Otto grinned, "Ah, yes. A lovely tale of a lovely girl. Our dear is even more lovely..."

I looked to where a tall girl was joining us in the main sitting area. Despite her height, I placed her at no more than eight or nine. She had pale, straw-blonde hair with many braids, some hanging down and gathered with orange and pink ribbons, others drawn tightly back over her crown and falling behind her head. Heidi wore a black overcoat covering her body from neck to mid-calves. Her face was already made up, darkened brows, enhanced lashes, a glossy pink coloring on her lips, off-cream accents on her cheeks. She looked like a perfect German doll.

"So, uh, what is it you want me to shoot for you tonight?" I asked.

Klara turned back to me with a smile, "Heidi has gotten preliminary acceptance into the ModelLight network just this morning! We need to send them professional shots of her so that she may be permitted to officially take part in the events. Oh, we're so wonderfully happy for her!"

I watched the girl's face. She looked a little rosy, reserved, but she was also clearly smiling at her mother's words.

"Okay... Uh... Well, how about you get Heidi set up and, uh, show me your equipment?"

Otto stepped past me and laid a big hard case on a table, opening it to show a camera, tripod, and a few accessories inside. It was a decent camera, one I'd handled before, so I knew exactly how to work it, refusing Otto's offer to show me the features. Heidi sat, a little nervous, her legs shaking back and forth as I got set up. Otto pulled a large screen out, blocking the view into the kitchen behind the plush, cream-colored couch, then asked, "Which would you prefer?"

I stopped my setup and saw him holding two different tapestries, one a darker scene of a candlelight dinner, the other a more brightly-lit one showing what looked like hand-painted flowers, butterflies, and hummingbirds. "That one," I said, pointing at the brighter one, "it will show better behind her."

While Otto draped the tapestry over his screen, I double-checked that the memory card was in place then snapped a few test shots of Heidi. The girl was watching me but indirectly, looking past me, her nerves starting to show more strongly. Her face was flushed a rosy-pink. My experience with more innocent shoots kicked in. "Hey, Heidi," I told her, "this is gonna be really simple for you, okay? I just want you to take a few deep breaths, close your eyes a moment."

She did as I instructed.

"Now visualize yourself somewhere you love to be... Do you have a favorite place?"

Heidi was quiet a moment, eyes still closed, "Papa's cabin," she said in a light voice in perfect English. "It's in the Alps..."

Of course it was. I didn't outwardly chuckle, but I did find it amusing that a girl named Heidi spent time in the Alps. "Perfect. Now imagine how being there makes you feel. Do you notice warm sunshine on your skin? Cool breezes blowing through your hair. Are you running and playing? Relaxing by water? Napping with your best friends?"

She smiled, slowly opening her eyes. "Yes," she said simply.

I could see the difference. I was sure she was still nervous, but the imagery had calmed her a lot.

I nodded to Otto and Klara that I was ready to begin, then said, "You can remove your coat now and we'll get started."

When she unwrapped herself, I was not surprised to see her clothed in revealing and sexually-stimulating attire. Heidi's flat chest was covered in a thin, sheer white blouse, ruffles along the shallow vee neckline, the blouse hanging only down to her navel. Her tiny pink nipples were hardened beneath. Lower, her panties were likewise sheer, and a garter was strapped to hold up stockings which were more white than sheer from her mid-thigh down. She sat down before I had time to look more closely at her crotch, Heidi's legs closed tight.

I tried to be very professional, taking a few quick shots of her seated on the couch with the butterfly and hummingbird backdrop, then I had her take on more sensual poses. One knee slid out to the side, opening herself a little. Just a hint of pale pink features could be seen between her legs. Completely hairless, of course. I instructed her to turn and prop one leg up on the couch, rolling back her head slowly, pushing out her flat chest.

More poses, more sensual sights. She was on her back on the couch, staring at the camera. Heidi had a look of sensualness to her that I had only really ever seen on one little girl's face, and that, obviously, was Piper. It came naturally for Heidi, as it had for Piper, the German girl following my instructions perfectly.

I had her rise up and turn over, onto her knees and elbows, pointing her small, slender bottom up into the air. I shifted the tripod, first to one side, then the other, capturing the beautiful young girl from several angles. There was a decided shadow of her cleft visible and I ensured that I got many close ups of where her immature, hairless flesh was showing just below. A hint of wetness was dotting the gusset. My cock hard, I ignored my arousal, moving Heidi through more shots, more open sexuality.

I lost track of all time, of the girl's parents, of what I was doing. My focus was on the girl, and Heidi was an excellent model. More daring, I had the girl begin to put her hands in interesting places. First on her chest, then sliding down her sides to her thighs. She sat on the couch, spreading her legs and leaning back. I had her slip two fingers just under the edge of her panties, her mouth slightly agape, a look of youthful lust perfectly captured in my shots.

More daring still, I told Heidi to press her fingers deeper, deeper, just until they were brushing the very tip of her slit. Heidi's breath came more rapidly the closer her hand came to her young sex. While the camera could not see that delightful meeting of finger and hairless vulva, the shots made it clear what was going on.

I was sweating by the time I'd finally decided we'd done enough. I had no idea how much time had passed.

I thanked Heidi, saying, "You were perfect, Heidi. Any photographer would be lucky to shoot you."

Klara was congratulating her daughter then, wrapping the girl up in a big hug and covering her again with the overcoat, soon ushering her back down the hallway.

Otto shook my hand then said, "I don't know how you gents do it," he said quietly, "without going crazy..."

"Hmm?" I said, watching Heidi disappear out of sight with her mother.

"These girls, yes? Like my daughter... they... they bring a fire in the pants, yes?"

I chuckled, a touch uneasy when I understood what Otto was admitting about his daughter. "Yeah, uh... a fire..."

"Can I see what you've given us?"

He plugged the camera's memory card into a laptop and one-by-one, Otto showed delight at the results. "These are wonderful!"

"Hope that helps her get what she wants..."

Otto continued to flip through the shots.

I had to know something right then. "Otto... My fee... it's kinda high, don't you think? Just to do a shoot?"

The man shook his head, "Not at all... the cost of becoming a ModelLight participant is even more! Plus, the rewards of doing so are well worth this investment."

"Rewards?"

He looked at me carefully. "How long have you worked these events, hmm?"

I was honest. "Just Tokyo, and Berlin. And the private show last night."

"Ah, so you are new, then. You see, our eldest daughter, Mia, she was a model, too. Now too old for these events, but she has moved on to... other things. So, my wife and I know how rewarding participation can be. The competitions pay the girls very well, the winners even better, and those who get to work the private shows, well... Mia can spend some years choosing carefully her work thanks to those payouts..."

"How are they able to pay so much to the models?"

Otto frowned, pursing his lips, "I suspect, though I do not fully know... there are... buyers... of the photos, the videos..."

"Buyers... like... child pornography?"

He shrugged, "I like to think of it as art, Patrick. Not pornography..."

I struggled with his deflection but didn't protest. I solidified what I'd begun to suspect. The photographer, me, got a nice sum of money only because the organizations and individuals hosting the events were selling the results and making even larger piles of money doing so. I felt a little dirty at that realization. At least, I figured, it sounded like the models were being paid well, and so far, despite what I'd seen at the private show, no one was directly assaulting the girls. I hoped there wasn't something darker just beneath the surface of these things.

Klara returned, telling us that Heidi was taking a shower. She offered me coffee or tea, but I declined, saying, "I should be going. I have an early flight tomorrow."

"Where to now, Patrick?" Klara asked.

"Boston. A... mundane sort of gig this time."

"Well," Klara replied, "it has been quite wonderful to meet you, and we certainly appreciate your talents. I hope our daughter will be able to join the next competition in Sydney. Will you be working that one?"

"I expect so," I told her, "seems I'm the guy for ModelLight these days."

"There was a man before, the one who took photos of Mia, oh, bother, what was his name dear?" Klara asked her husband.

"Milton, I recall."

"Ah, yes, what has become of him?"

I answered her, saying, "He died, unfortunately."

"Oh, so sorry..."

Silence descended and I took that as my opportunity to leave. Before I did, Otto shook my hand and Klara hugged me, kissing my cheek and saying, "See you in Sydney, I hope!"

I called a cab from outside the apartment and rode it in silence back to the hotel.

- - -

The room was quiet as I stepped inside. Piper was on the bed, on her side, asleep, her tablet screen dark beside her head. I just watched her breathing softly a moment, smiling at what I saw. Piper was a beauty, awake or asleep. She still wore her top and leggings, on top of the sheets.

I carefully closed myself in the bathroom, using the toilet then showering. I came back into the room naked and gently took the tablet and sat it aside, then scooped Piper up in my arms, just enough to tug the sheets from under her lithe body. She stirred lightly but didn't seem to fully wake. I tucked her under the covers then shut off the lights, crawling into bed and wrapping an arm over Piper's body, then doing the same with a leg, pulling myself against her and kissing her cheek and neck. "I love you, Piper," I whispered.

She didn't respond, and I let myself drift while listening to the sweet sounds of the girl's slumber, too tired to fully take in what I'd seen that night.

Patrick, Male, 25

	- Narrator, professional photographer

	- 5'9, beige skin, 165lbs, muted-brown bangs

Piper, Female, 10

	- Child model

	- 4'7, tanned beige skin, 90lbs, blue-green eyes, straight raven-black hair

Otto, Male, late-40s

	- Client of Patrick, husband of Klara, father of Heidi

Klara, Female, ~40s

	- Client of Patrick, wife of Otto, mother of Heidi

Heidi, Female, ~8-9

	- Prospective child model, daughter of Otto and Klara

	- 4'8, 95lbs, pale golden skin, pale straw-blonde hair in braids