Authors: Cheryl Douglas
“Only when you’re around.” Rosie hated Drew even more than he hated her. “Do you do that all the time when I’m not here? Is that why you like me to call or text when I’m on my way home?”
He shrugged, his eyes glued to the TV.
“Do that again, and you’re the one who’ll be sleeping under the goddamn bed!”
“Why’re you in such a pissy mood?”
“Gee, I don’t know,” I said, throwing up my free hand. “Maybe it has something to do with my lazy boyfriend refusing to get a job, clean up after himself, or help take care of my dog when I’m out busting my ass to pay our bills.”
“Don’t you mean selling your ass?” he asked, smirking.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What did you say?”
“Come on, that’s exactly what you’re doing, and you know it.” He popped a shelled peanut into his mouth. “Parading around half-naked, posing for those rags men use to get off.”
“It’s not a porn magazine! It’s a lingerie catalogue. Women are the ones who look at those.”
“Ha! Whatever. You think their husbands and boyfriends don’t sneak into the bathroom with them?”
“God, you’re twisted.” I secured Rosie’s leash and grabbed my purse.
“Where are you going? Aren’t you gonna make dinner? I’m hungry.”
“Then make it yourself.”
I’d walked half a mile before I finally felt as though I could breathe again. Never had it been more glaringly obvious to me that Deacon and Eleni were right—I had shacked up with a loser. Even worse, I’d wasted eight years of my life with him. What the hell had I been thinking?
I knocked on the door of Eleni’s apartment, praying she’d be home to watch Rosie while I went for the fitting.
“Hey you,” Eleni said, grinning. Her eyes fell on Rosie, and her smile got bigger. “This is a nice surprise. Come on in.” She opened the door wider as she stepped back. “I was just sautéing some shrimp and scallops for dinner. You want some? I have plenty.”
“Thanks, it smells great.” I had some time to kill before my appointment, and I really needed a little more quality time with my bestie. “Could you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
That was one of the many things I loved about El—she was always there when I needed someone. “Could you watch Rosie for me? I have a fitting for the show in a bit.”
“Sure, but what’s the deadbeat doing? Don’t tell me he actually hauled his ass off the couch.”
“No,” I said, smirking. “He and I got into it, and I didn’t want to leave Rosie there with him.”
“You got into it?” Eleni sounded hopeful. “Does that mean you’ve got one foot out the door?”
“I’m not leaving! I came up with the first and last month’s rent. He can leave.”
“Oh Lord…” Eleni carefully stirred the spattering seafood with a spatula. “If you’re waiting for that, you’ll be living with him until you’re old and gray.”
“He can’t be any happier than I am.” Stroking Rosie’s curls, I whispered, “We haven’t, you know, had sex in almost three months.” It wasn’t entirely his fault. Every time he’d tried, I faked a headache or a stomachache or that time of the month. I was getting pretty good at giving him excuses.
Eleni’s jaw dropped as she raised the dripping utensil. “Shut up! And I’m just hearing about this now?”
“I didn’t want to give you any more ammunition.” I set Rosie free to explore before claiming a stool at the tiny breakfast bar.
Eleni’s place was little more than one big room, but with her flair for decorating and fearless use of color, it was fun and quirky—like her.
“I wasn’t sure I was ready to end it, and I didn’t need anyone, not even you, trying to influence me.”
Eleni turned the burner off and plated the seafood before reaching into the fridge for a large stainless steel bowl brimming with fresh greens. “Does that mean you’ve made your own decision? Please, please, please tell me you’re ready to kick him out. My lease here is up next month. I could move in with you, help pay the bills. That would allow you to save some for a rainy day.”
As models, we both knew our next paycheck could be our last, and living in a city where rent on a shoebox was sky high, we’d both sworn to be frugal—except when it came to clothes and shoes… and makeup, spa appointments, gourmet coffee, hair… okay, so maybe we were a little reckless with our money. Splitting the rent would definitely help us both save more.
“I’ll think about it.” I thanked her as she set a plate of food in front of me. I wanted to tell her about Deacon, but I couldn’t. He’d sworn me to secrecy because he wanted people to find out about our relationship when the time was right, whatever that meant.
Eleni pulled a stool up on the other side of the breakfast bar so we sat facing each other. “I got a weird call from Alabaster’s. They said there’d been some last-minute change to Saturday’s line-up and they need me to come in for some extra fittings.” She snorted. “I still think it’s funny they have to alter bras and panties to fit us perfectly.”
I rolled my eyes as I took a bite of shrimp.
Mmm
. The flavor just exploded on my tongue. Eleni was a much better cook than I was—another reason to consider the whole roommate angle.
“I think it’s more the clothes that need alterations, not so much the undergarments.” Though they did seem to tweak those endlessly too. Half the time I expected them to superglue the underwear to my butt to keep it from riding up before I stepped out on the runway.
Alabaster’s sold everything from swimwear to workout gear and outerwear, but they were best known for their lingerie and the flawless models who made every woman want one of their signature pieces. I could hardly believe it when they’d asked me to replace one of their leading models, who was going on maternity leave. They thought I fit their flawless mold, but that was only because they hadn’t seen the real me: oversized sweats, bedhead, bloodshot eyes, and pre-wax. Definitely not a pretty sight.
“I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing resembling clothes in my line-up for Saturday,” she said. “It’s all lingerie.”
“Yeah, me too.” I wasn’t surprised. The other girls had told me the launch parties usually featured the new lingerie collection since that had always been Alabaster’s staple.
“I’m modeling the bridal collection,” Eleni said, spearing her lettuce with a fork. “Can you imagine? Me in bridal lingerie?” She shuddered. “Never.”
Eleni had decided she would never get married. Her traditional Greek parents had broken the mold and separated when she was ten, and the experience had apparently scarred her for life.
“I think you’ll look great in the bridal collection.” I sliced a scallop so I could pop half into my mouth. “White with your coloring? It’ll definitely be the highlight of the show.”
“I don’t know. We’ll see, I guess.” She took another bite and chewed carefully. “So I’ve been thinking about calling Starkis. You think I should?”
I reached for one of the bottled waters she’d set on the counter, hoping to buy some time to think of a plausible reason why that was one of the worst ideas she’d ever had. “I wouldn’t if I were you, El. That guy has a reputation.” God, I was such a hypocrite. Wait ‘til she found out I’d been corresponding with him for months. She was going to hate me.
“I don’t wanna marry the guy. I just want to sleep with him.”
I covered my mouth when water threatened to spew across the counter. I didn’t know why I was shocked. Eleni was never looking for a relationship—only the kind of sex that made her eyes roll back in her head. “Still, he’s our boss.” There was a special place in hell for people who deceived their best friends, and I’d just secured my spot.
“So what? All the more reason for him to want to be discreet. You think he hasn’t banged other models?” She rolled her eyes at my naïveté. “Please. I was beginning to wonder what was taking him so long to get around to me. I bet he would have propositioned you too, but he probably heard you had a boyfriend.”
I pushed my plate away, my stomach plummeting. “He’s slept with other models who work for him?”
“Of course.” Eleni giggled. “Come on, Mia. Don’t look so surprised. He’s a real-life Greek god with more money than… hell, anyone I can think of. Every model wants to do him, thinking she’ll be the one.”
“The one?” My mouth dried up as I tried to swallow.
“The one he’ll decide he can’t live without.” Eleni gave a bitter laugh. “They all want the big rock, designer clothes, the mansions on both coasts, flashy sports car…”
I felt sick when I thought of all the gifts tucked away at the back of my closet. He was trying to buy me, just like he’d bought all the others! I was a challenge to him because I had a boyfriend. As soon as I dumped Drew, he’d get me into bed and move on to his next conquest. How could I have been so stupid?
“Does he, uh, give them gifts? The girls he sleeps with?”
Eleni shrugged. “Sure. You know Melanie?”
I nodded, afraid I’d give myself away if I spoke.
“He bought her those big-ass diamond earrings she won’t take off.” Eleni leaned in as though we weren’t the only two people in the room.
I snuck a peek at Rosie basking in a pool of sunlight under the window. I was pretty sure our secrets were safe with her.
“She said he’s hotter than hell in the sack. I mean, he’s got the biggest—”
“I’d love to hear the rest,” I lied, sliding off my stool, “but I’m gonna be late for that fitting. I’ll pick Rosie up as soon as I’m done. Thanks for dinner.”
“No worries,” Eleni said, clearing our plates. “She and I’ll eat some popcorn and watch a movie.”
I frowned, knowing she wasn’t kidding about feeding Rosie snacks. I’d come back in a couple of hours to find them passed out on the couch with an empty bowl between them.
***
I stared at my reflection. “I don’t understand, Barbara. I thought Eleni was supposed to be modeling the bridal collection.”
She pinned the white bustier until my full breasts spilled over the top. Then she artfully arranged the white sheer robe so it revealed just enough of her handiwork to be enticing without looking trashy. “What the boss wants, the boss gets. Even if it means we have to lose sleep to get these damn alterations done on time.”
“Remind me to give you a raise, Barbara.”
I turned so fast that the pin Barbara was holding jabbed me in the thigh, but I barely noticed.
It was him.
Oh God. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to pass out right there.
“Mr. Starkis,” Barbara said, a blush stealing over her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I’d like a moment alone with Miss Barnes, Barbara.” He gave her a pointed stare before he said, “I’ll try not to keep her too long. I understand you’re on a tight schedule.”
She lowered her head before gathering her measuring tape and pins. “No problem, take all the time you need.”
He waited until Barbara had closed the door and we were alone before he whispered, “Theia, you look breathtaking.”
I still didn’t know what
theia
meant, and I was beyond irritated to be meeting him under these circumstances, especially armed with the knowledge about his penchant for young models.
Closing the gap in the sheer robe, I tried to stare him down, but it wasn’t easy. Even standing on a pedestal and wearing four-inch heels, I was still slightly shorter than he was.
“We meet at last.” He stepped closer and ran a fingertip over my cheek. “You’re even more beautiful in person than I imagined you would be.”
His accent was more pronounced than it had been over the phone and sent delicious chills up my spine in spite of my annoyance at my body’s betrayal.
His bright blue eyes flashed with irritation. “You are annoyed with me. Again?”
“I’m not having this conversation here.” I looked around, wondering if he’d seduced other women in that very room. “I’m working. Kindly leave.”
His irritation blossomed into anger. “I own this goddamn building. No one tells me when to leave.”
Oh.
Feeling properly chastised, I did the only thing I could. I turned away from him and fixed all my attention on the mirror in front of me.
He walked around me in a slow circle, his hand rubbing the dark stubble on his square jaw. “Mmmm, this looks even better than I imagined it would. It’s so easy to imagine unwrapping you on our wedding night.”
My eyes flew to his. Had he just said
our
wedding night? No, I must have been hearing things.
“I can picture you spread out in the middle of a king-size bed…” He reached for the satin sash on the front of the robe and untied the bow Barbara had carefully fastened. He opened the fabric, his breath hitching when he saw the garters and white silk thong. “Waiting for me.”
I knew it was his show, his company, his
product
, but I didn’t appreciate the way his eyes drifted over my body as though he owned me too. My mind told me I resented it, but my body didn’t agree. His intense appraisal, coupled with his words, aroused and captivated me, making my anger fade away.
“You will wear this for me,” he said, his eyes devouring every inch of me as his hand drifted up the side of my silk-clad thigh. He stepped onto the platform and slid the robe off my shoulders. As it fluttered to the ground, he dipped his head to inhale the perfume on my neck and closed his hands around my hips. “I think I’ll let you keep this on.” Hooking a finger inside the panties, he whispered, “Except for these. These will definitely have to go.”
My breath was caught somewhere in my throat, and I felt as if I were suffocating. I was sharing my personal space with a billionaire I knew but didn’t know—one who’d admitted he was obsessed with me, but I now suspected he was more obsessed with the idea of having sex with me.
“How many?” I asked, finally able to find the will to whisper.
“Excuse me?”
“How many of your models have you slept with?”
His blue eyes darkened a shade as he looked at me, his fury evident in the tension in his broad shoulders. “Do not ask me that question again.”
“Then you’re not denying it?”
“Why would I? It’s none of your business.”
I stepped back, forgetting I was on a raised platform until he grabbed my arm to prevent me from stumbling or falling. I tried to quash the hurt, telling myself I had no right to feel as though he’d betrayed me somehow by making me feel special when I was just one of many.