He searched through, looking for a note or something from one of the talent agencies. Who had Lake talked to in order to find this woman so quickly?
Not finding anything, he slammed his hands on the desk. Maybe Lake talked to someone on the phone. Fuck.
He’d have to find another opportunity to take down his brother’s standing in front of the board.
Damn it. It just wasn’t fair. He was two minutes younger than his brother, yet in the eyes of the company, pride, and women, he might as well not exist. Nobody cared about anyone but the alpha heir. Lake this…Lake that. Lake. Lake. Lake. What a dumbass name anyway.
But giving up wasn’t his style. Lyle knew if he wanted to take control, he would have to move his ass and take Lake down. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Not that he’d give a fuck if there were any. His marriage had destroyed any sense of giving a fuck he had at any point in his life.
Getting up from his desk, he thought back to the date with the female Gerri Wilder had set Lake up with. Lyle couldn’t believe someone like that would be the mate to an alpha. The woman was big and insecure. Obviously shy and couldn’t even make conversation to save her life.
An alpha deserved a stunningly beautiful female with long legs and huge tits. She should hate the spotlight, giving it all to him, and be young enough to be continuously pregnant for the first twenty years of mating. And ignore when he found a mistress for him to enjoy while she was fat with the next cub.
He sighed. He was in love with a fantasy female. His ex had some of those qualities, but she had voiced her opinion and wouldn’t let him do everything he wanted, like pick up females at a bar and take them to a hotel for the night. Didn’t the woman understand men needed variety in their lives? Especially with sex.
Whether that female—was her name Pressley?—was worthy or not, Lyle was thrilled that she would never be meeting Lake now. His poor brother would never find his true mate and would have to make do with someone else. He chuckled at the thought of his brother dying alone and miserable.
One down, two more to go: take away the company (again) and then the pride.
Chapter Five
Priscilla couldn’t believe Lake Walker had the balls to show his face around her. And it was her shitty luck to take a job out of the blue for a company he freaking owned. The gods must really be mad at her. Shit! Not like she could have known.
She couldn’t worry about that now. The photographer was ready to continue. Without giving him another glance, she walked around him and headed toward the set. Once again, all the men who worked on the set stood around staring at her.
At first, it bothered her, but the lady photographer was good with directing her, getting her mind off the stares. That was part of modeling, though—so many negatives that it wasn’t worth it to her.
The music started up along with the fan. This set was decorated for Christmas with red, silver, and flashing twinkle lights.
“Okay, Priscilla,” the photographer said, “get rid of the robe. We don’t need it in this go around.”
Priscilla swallowed hard, and her stomach soured. It was like being naked in front of the male judging eyes. In fact, she was practically naked. She stepped to the side and slowly untied the robe.
A loud whistle came from the tables where the snacks and drinks were set up. Lake stood over there waving his hands over his head. “Guys,” he called out, “all of you come over here for a minute.”
Amazingly, every one of them left the set, leaving the photographer and her assistant. When Priscilla glanced at Lake, he winked at her. Had he pulled the men away just for her comfort? The shooting started, and she easily slipped into modeling mode with no distractions.
She remembered what she loved about this profession for the time she’d done it. The freedom to be wild and crazy, letting the camera capture her joy, and in this case, her sultriness.
She should’ve gotten a bottle of water between sets. She’d forgotten how hot studio lights were. Movement next to the set caught her eye. When she glanced over, she saw Lake set a water bottle on the floor then return to the guys still gathered around the snack table.
Who the hell was this guy? Surely not the one she had met a couple weeks ago on a horrible blind date. This Lake was thoughtful, and his smile was knockout heart thumping. This guy she could possibly get to know. It was almost like he was a completely different person. Was he mental?
Before she realized how much time had passed, lunch was called. The caterer had set up the chafing dishes, and the crew was standing in line to get at them. Manny asked her to change into her street clothes to eat, and she couldn’t get behind the canvas curtain fast enough.
When she walked out, she saw two plates filled with steaming food on the table where the makeup artist’s gear sat. It must have been for Manny and the makeup guy. Between the plates sat a sparkly red bow that was used on the set. Her stomach growled, smelling the delicious items.
When she reached the scrumptious layout, almost nothing was left. A few crackers which went with the salad and looked great on the crews’ plates, and a dried-up piece of chicken that looked like a reject. Well, if she drank enough water, at least her stomach wouldn’t make embarrassing noises.
Lake came up behind her and handed her a bottle of water, then placed his hand in the small of her back and guided her toward wardrobe.
He leaned down to whisper into her ear. “Food looks good. I bet you’re starving after all that work.”
Speechless from being so close to the gorgeous jerk, all Priscilla could think to do was stare up at him. Her shyness kicked in full throttle, and her face ignited into flames. God, how embarrassing. She was barely calming down when he pulled out a chair at the makeup table and gestured for her to sit. Her words flew away again.
As she sat, he scooted her chair in, then went around to the other side of the table and took a seat across from her. He slid one of the plates in front of her. The other for himself.
“Thought I’d better snag you a plate before the guys went through. They look like healthy eaters.”
Finally, words came from her brain. “Thank you. That was very kind of you. I’m surprised you didn’t just get me a salad.”
Okay, so maybe that was an unnecessary jab, but fuck it, he’d been an asshole to her the last time she’d discussed food with him.
“Why?” The frown and obvious confusion in his gaze gave her pause.
“Because I’m a big girl,” she said with a bite to her words.
Confusion grew in his eyes. “Okay?”
She sighed. “Never mind.” She cleared her throat. Maybe he didn’t remember what a jerk he’d been to her. “Thanks.”
“It’s the least I can do to thank you for saving my ass from the board.”
And, oh, what a fine ass it was. Hoping she hadn’t said that out loud, Priscilla’s face went up in flames again. She stuffed a piece of roll into her mouth. Oh god. This would be as disastrous as their first date. Should she ask him about that night and why he seemed so different? He’d been so uptight and super standoffish.
“Do you…uh…handle stress well?” She asked, watching his reaction.
“Honestly?” He seemed to think about it for a moment. “I think when I’m this stressed, I can bite people’s heads off and not even mean to.” He sighed. “This is a stress-filled job.”
She nodded. That might be a clue to his change in personality. Though, it didn’t seem intentional on his part. Still, maybe she should find out more of why he’d been so mean.
Let that shit go, girl. A part of her wanted to question him and another part of her told her to forget about it. Why ruin a good thing? She didn’t want to bring up bad memories from that day. He was being so proper and going out of his way to be nice. He probably felt bad and bringing it up might be embarrassing for him.
An idea occurred to her. He was probably going out of his way because he was guilty and felt bad he’d been so rude that day. She nodded to herself. That
was had to be it. Maybe she’d just accept this new Lake and watch out for his evil twin to appear when he was stressed.
She cleared her throat. “Manny tells me you’re the CEO of Lush Lingerie.”
He nodded. “My brother and I run it. Our grandfather started out in a two-room store in our small town. My dad expanded into the next town. And Lyle and I took it international.”
“Lyle being your brother?” she asked.
He nodded, taking a drink from his water bottle, then asked, “Tell me about yourself. What are your likes, hobbies and everything in between. I want to know everything about you.”
Her eyes widened at his probing questions. Why did he want to know so much about her? During their date, he’d chosen to make assumptions. He was acting so different. It threw her off a little.
A smile lit up his face as he dropped his chin to his chest. “I apologize. That was a bit too personal of me to ask, being a stranger to you.”
“A stranger?” She nodded. He was right. They’d barely gotten any conversation off the ground last time they met. “I guess.”
His cheeks flushed a shade of red. “I’m sorry, Priscilla. I’m just hoping to get to know you better.”
She laughed at his mix of contriteness and bravado. He wasn’t sorry, just mortified from coming on so strong—negative points for his man card. He still wanted to know all about her. And that was flattering. Nobody had been this interested in her for a long time. As in, years long time. He was definitely making up for the last time.
“I’m a graphic artist when not on holiday vacation.”
His brows dipped. “Wait. You are not a professional model? That can’t be right?”
She froze with a fork of green beans halfway to her mouth. “Are you serious?” She’d already told him this. He gave no indication of remembering meeting her, and she wanted to shake him. She had made zero impression on him, but she couldn’t say the same. After their date, she had decided she didn’t need a man. What a fucked up realization.
“You’re perfect model material,” he said, his gaze eating her up. Why wouldn’t you be a model full time?”
She raised her brows. “Look at me. If I want to eat, I need a real job. Hardly anybody advertises clothing in my size.”
His face lit up again. “That’s exactly why we’re starting this new line. It’s time for real women to show up in ads, not the Photoshopped fake looks. You and all your curves are beautiful.” His eyes wandered down what little he could see of her body.
Oh god. Lava erupted under Priscilla’s face and neck. She was sure she looked like a tomato.
Lake laughed. “Sorry if I embarrassed you. But it is the truth. You take my breath away.”
All she could do was stare at him. His green eyes turned darker. Her heart triple timed. What happened next had to have been her imagination. She thought she saw his pupil elongate and get narrow. Like a cat or a reptile. Shit. Was she going mental?
Before she could reply, Manny put his plate next to hers on the table. “Hey, boss. You met Cilla, I guess.”
Cilla? She kind of liked that. Sort of a stage name. What was she thinking, again? She wasn’t getting back into something so destructive to the body, mind, and psyche. Then again, with Lake around, it didn’t seem all that demeaning.
Now she must’ve been hearing things. She would’ve sworn a growl came from Lake’s chest. But his mouth remained closed even though his eyes shot daggers at her new girlfriend.
Manny gasped loudly, eyes as wide as beach balls. He clasped his hands against his chest. “Oh. My. God! Really?” he squealed, staring at Lake. Manny threw his head back and his hands up in the air. “Praise the Lord, the perfect match has been found.” He bounced on his heels and grinned widely. He picked his plate back up and walked away, saying, “It’s about damn time.”
Priscilla glanced over her shoulder at the retreating form in his tight purple pants. What the hell was that all about? When she turned back to Lake, he shrugged with a grin. “I just work with him. I don’t claim to understand him. But he’s wonderful at keeping my shit together.”
Priscilla laughed for the first time in a long time. She realized how happy she was at that moment. She didn’t feel lonely, depressed, or any of those negative feelings from living alone and staying home all the time. She was very uplifted. Hell, she was almost in the Christmas spirit, which was hard to do when you’re alone all the time. She’d even begun considering adopting a cat.
They chitchatted about this and that and laughed some more. Sitting back in her seat, Priscilla looked at Lake and wondered what kind of Christmas he traditionally had. She could imagine him being surrounded by family and having a huge Christmas turkey.
“Do you have any special traditions for the holidays?” Pris asked as she took the lid off her water bottle.
Wiping his mouth, he tossed the used napkin on his plate and rested his elbows on the edge of the table. “Nothing fancy. One of our community members has a cabin out in the woods, so we bring kids in the foster care system and children’s home up there the week before Christmas and celebrate with them. The guys take some of the older boys out, and they cut down trees while the women and teenagers help the younger ones make ornaments.” He shrugged.
“Go on, this sounds fascinating.”
“Once the trees are decorated, we have dinner and homemade hot chocolate around the bonfire. Sing carols, and then Santa shows up to give the kids the gifts our community has collected for them. If the weather cooperates, Jeff has a team of horses and sleigh, and we take the kids on the sleigh ride.”
Tears formed in her eyes. She was so touched at how much he cared for kids who didn’t have a family. Now this was a man she wanted to get to know better.
“Why do you do that every year?” She had to understand this level of commitment and kindness.
“Every kid deserves to know they are valued and loved, and if we can spend one day a year reminding them of this, why not?” His response was so casual, not one of seeking praise or needing to be told how wonderful he is. He approached this like it was a given, kids need love, and his community was willing to provide that.
“You and your community are wonderful, and I wish more people were like you. My mom works at a children’s hospital, and I see families who are devastated when their child is sick. I try to give to them during the holidays, but kids in foster care are so often forgotten.” She wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled at him.
She was so glad she hadn’t brought up their first meeting. Now, as far as she was concerned, that never happened. It was just a bad dream. This Lake was definitely the reason Gerri matched them. It was obvious he was truly a good man. This man was someone she wanted to be with. Really, really wanted to be with.
Her body came to life. She would’ve insisted her pussy had shriveled up with cobwebs by now. But Lake brought it back to life. He was more than just eye candy.
When their thirty-minute lunchtime limit was up, Lake took her plate to the trash and helped her clean up their area. When that was finished, he grabbed her hand. She looked down at their joined hands. She should pull away and stop the insanity. What would happen if he went Jekyll and Hyde on her? But it was so good for him to hold her. So natural. No embarrassment or feeling of awkwardness filled her. Instead, something like hope bloomed in her heart.
“I have to get back to the office, but I’d like to see you again. Would you like to go through the pictures from this shoot and select the ones we want to use?”
“Me?” Her mouth fell open. “You want my opinion on what to use for your ad campaign?” She couldn’t believe he cared about what she thought.
“Well, you are a graphic artist, so I’m sure you’ve got a great eye for this kinda thing. I could use the help. I’ll get hundreds of photos from today.”
“Uh, sure. I’d love to help. When and where?” she asked, surprised her brain was still working.
“How about five this afternoon? I’ll text you the addre
ss of my office. We’ll order pizza and eat in,” he stopped abruptly, “that is, if you’re okay with eating pizza or would you like something else?”
“Pizza is great. I love pineapple and Canadian bacon.”
“Whew,” he wiped away pretend sweat from his forehead. “Wonderful, for a moment there, I was worried you only eat rabbit food.”
She raised a brow but watched his face. “No, I enjoy eating, as you can tell.” She gestured at her body. His eyes slowly roamed from her eyes, down her neck, to her breasts. Heat bloomed in her lower stomach. Her legs were almost too weak to hold her up. His look was a killer.
“All I see is a gorgeous woman, inside and out.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back. “I’ll text you the address.” With that, he swept out of her sight. But the image of him was branded into her mind. She couldn’t wait until later. Damn hormones. Okay, so maybe she was already developing unnecessary emotions for him. What if he was her fated mate after all? Maybe Gerri had been right.
Chapter Six
Priscilla could tell Lake took the company name to every level in his office. Plush, buttery, leather chairs and a sofa occupied half of his huge office. His desk was large and appeared to be mahogany. It filled the side of the room by the windows that held a beautiful view of the city below. Normally being in such opulence would be intimidating for her, but she found herself feeling at home. It wasn’t the richness that gave her the feeling; it was being with Lake.
“I love this one where you had your hand on your backside. The expression on your face is the attitude we want for this line.” Lake admired her pictures as he enlarged the current one on the screen.
Pris leaned over and smiled as she took in her image. “I was feeling very confident in that one.” She remembered this was one of the first pictures taken before Lake appeared at the studio.
Scrooged Over: Paranormal Dating Agency Page 3
