by Dani Rene
“I’m the woman who started the Brazen line.” Another smile and I can’t help but be impressed. Once the stylist and makeup artist are done, she turns to fully face me. “When I saw your advert while I was in London, I told my marketing team I needed you to launch my men’s line.”
“Well, I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
“I’m just thankful we got you to fly all the way over here to walk around in …” She glances at my crotch, blushes, and then smiles. “Those.”
“They’re … comfortable,” I admit. “Not my first choice, but they’re not bad at all.”
“You fill them out very well, on both sides.” She laughs easily. She doesn’t seem like the giggly fangirl type, and I’m thankful for that. But then again, she is a businesswoman, someone who’s creating a career for herself.
“Colton,” Blythe calls to me, catching my attention, but it’s not her who steals my gaze — it’s the woman beside her. They head toward us, and I can’t help allowing my appreciative stare to trail from Violet’s long, dark hair to her feet hidden in a pair of running shoes.
She looks innocent and seductive all in one.
I didn’t think she would come, but seeing here makes me smile. When she glances at me, I see the defiance in her gaze.
“Clarissa, my boss, needed me on site to get a feel of the shot and the brand.” Ah, there it is. She’s not here for me; she’s here for work. Dedication. Even though she doesn’t like me very much, which I don’t understand why she came because her boss asked her to.
Disappointment wreaks havoc within my chest, but I tamper it down and nod. “Great,” I acknowledge, faking a smile, and I wonder if she knows it’s a lie. If she even realizes I wanted her here for me, not for her job. “I hope you enjoy it.”
Turning away, I go to the set, ignoring the fact that I can feel her eyes on me. I’ve never had such an intense reaction to a woman before. It’s almost visceral.
“Pretty girl,” Courtney states as she joins me. She doesn’t drape herself over me, which I’m glad about. It’s the last thing I need when I have Violet right there, watching my every move.
“She is.”
“Don’t act like you don’t like her,” she challenges. “I saw the way you looked at her, how your expression lit up when she walked in.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I declare, meeting her inquisitive gaze. “She’s not interested in me. I’m too … destructive for her.”
“Are you?” Once again, she offers up a challenge I can’t shy away from. I’ve always believed I was bad news for a romantic. Those girls who believe in princes and fairy tales only get their hearts broken by guys like me, the bad boy.
“I’m a bachelor, the heartbreaker,” I inform my new boss, for lack of a better word. She doesn’t respond, so I continue. “She knows my reputation, and she’s already refused to give me a chance. Even though I don’t want to give up, seeing her here, not for me or because I invited her, but for her job, confirms that she won’t allow me to show her another side to me.”
“And is there another side?” Courtney asks, genuinely curious. Before I can answer, I grow silent, considering her question. Is there? I don’t know because I never once thought to look. “I thought so,” she affirms as if she can read my mind, and she’s responding to my negative thought.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Look,” she sighs, “If I’m going to work with you, I want to know that you can be honest with yourself, and with me. I’m not sure why I’m telling you this, but if I were her, I’d want you to prove yourself. It will be the only way I’ll ever be able to trust a guy I know is a player.”
“What if I break her heart?”
She smiles, slowly shaking her head before meeting my gaze. “Doesn’t all life come with risks?”
8
Violet
Watching Colton work, changing from briefs to boxers to tight pants while another woman drapes herself over him, affects me more than I expected it would. It happened on Saturday night, and it’s happening again right this very moment. And I don’t know how to deal with it. I don’t know if I should run a mile or agree to his date.
Even though I can’t tear my eyes away from the poses, I notice how professional he is. He doesn’t lean in too close. Even with an intimate shoot like this, Colton remains almost aloof. He grins when he needs to, he even laughs when the photographer says something funny, but he never inches his hand down too low.
It’s unnerving when you’re torn between emotions. Especially for someone in the public eye. I never once imagined I would have to consider agreeing to a date with a famous face like his, but here I am. His eyes catch mine now and then, but even though I notice the glint of mischief in those pools, I attempt acting as if I have no clue he’s even looking at me.
It’s an act.
And if I had to be honest with myself, I want him to look at me. I want his gaze on me every second of the shoot. It’s a stupid, fleeting moment when I consider what it would be like to go out with him. Sitting across from him at a table, I’d have to look into those teal-hued eyes and act as if he’s just another guy. But Colton King is far from that.
There is nothing average about him. But the problem is, he knows it. And he acts as if every woman should fall to their knees for him. I’m not like them though, I’ve fought long and hard to keep my heart intact. However, when he smiles, when he gives me an honest to goodness grin, I can’t deny my heart flutters wildly in my chest.
As much as I may try to fight it, I do want Colton King.
A memory hits me hard as they continue their shoot, and I have to focus on the flash of the camera and the surrounding noise to stop the tears from burning my eyes.
The night is still young, and my dress is perfect. Each time I glanced in the mirror, I thought I was dreaming. But I wasn’t. I’m going to my prom and I have a date. Even though it wasn’t the boy my heart wanted, I made a compromise and said yes to someone else.
Like the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosers. And it’s true. Even though my sister, Vickie, got the boy she wanted, I would never be her. I grew up in the shadow of her beauty and perfection. That’s what the world wants to see, which always led me to stand behind her.
“You look lovely,” Mom says with a smile on her face. But it’s not the same happiness that glows from her when she talks to Vickie. It’s okay though, I’ve grown used to it. I’ve become hardened to the look on everyone’s faces when they see the average sister of the beauty queen. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
Shaking my head to clear the memory, I focus back on the here and now. As a teenager, I grew accustomed to the idea that beauty was the be all and end all. It was what I had focused on, not realizing that there is more to it than just looking good. There is a life out there for everyone. Even though I haven’t found love, I know that someone out there will see me for me. And delve deeper than just appearances.
As the commotion winds down and everyone heads off to get changed, Colton nears me with a big grin on his face. He stops inches from me, his warmth washing over me as he reaches for a lock of hair and tucks it behind my ear.
“Did you enjoy the show?” His brow lifts in question.
“I guess.” I shrug it off, trying to appear calm, however inside, I’m anything but relaxed. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.” This time, I taunt him, earning me a deep chuckle that makes me smile.
“Nice try, darling,” he tells me. “I could tell those pretty eyes were all over me, even if you deny it.” His confidence is cocky, brazen, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. “Wait for me?”
“Uhm…”
“Come on,” he pleads. “You know you want to.” And there’s the self-assured bachelor we’ve all come to know and fall for. “We can talk on the way out.”
“Sure,” I agree, because honestly, I want to spend as much time with him as I can get. Even though I should be careful, a talk will not amount to
much. At least, that’s what I tell myself. But Colton King doesn’t do things by half-measure. He’s already got a plan brewing in mind which I see a glint of in his eyes as he walks away and offers me a glance over his shoulder before he disappears through the doorway which leads to the change room.
All I have to do is watch my heart.
It can’t be that difficult. Surely. But then again, with the expression of confidence on his handsome face, I have a feeling I’ll be fighting more than just these stupid feelings that pop up every time he’s near. Because when Colton is around, my stomach flutters, reminding me it’s been a while since my last date, and it’s also been far too long since a man has looked at me the way he does.
As if I’m the only person he wants to look at. And that’s what scares me the most.
Inhaling a deep breath, I exhale just as he walks out of the dressing room in a pair of jeans that hug his thighs, and I’m almost sure, if he were to turn around, I’d be drooling at the way it hugs his ass.
“Ready, gorgeous?” he asks as he nears me.
“Yes.” He takes my hand which shocks me silent, and even though I know I should pull away, I don’t, not for a while anyway because I can’t deny I love feeling his fingers tangled with mine.
This is dangerous.
This is going to end in heartbreak.
But I hold on and walk along with him.
I’m in such a lot of trouble.
9
Colton
“Come on,” I tease her as we walk through the hallway toward the elevator after the long shoot. She came down to collect me at the reception desk at her company, thankfully saving me from swooning women who were staring at me nonstop.
“You love it,” she states. “I can see how your face lights up when they look at you like that.”
“Like what?” I ask before we step into the waiting elevator. She doesn’t meet my eyes, and I realize she’s shy. She doesn’t want to tell me that the women in her office were looking at me as if they’d jump me right there on the floor. “Come on, darling,” I challenge in the most seductive voice I can muster. “You have to tell me what you meant.”
“I … Ugh, you’re so infuriating,” she snaps. I watch as she folds her arms across her chest. The movement makes her tits look delectable from where I’m standing. My jeans are tightening by the second as she breathes in and out, the softness of her making every part of me hard.
“Am I?” I ask. “Because I think you actually like me, and you’re just trying to deny your feelings. You’re pushing them down when you should just let go.”
It’s silent for a while, and I wonder if she’s contemplating slapping me again. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. Something tells me Violet doesn’t mind feeling the sting if she gets the satisfaction afterward. That thought, in turn, makes my blood heat with need for her.
This girl seriously is making me lose my mind. The elevator stops with a ding before she can respond, and as soon as the doors slide open, she’s out of the small space, leaving me to trail behind her naturally curved ass.
“Stop that,” she bites out.
I chuckle at her angry tone and ask, “Stop what?”
Suddenly, she stops, causing me to slam into her. My hands land on her hips, holding her steady, and I feel it in that second, the way her body shivers in my hold. She does want me, so why is she playing hard to get?
“I don’t think this is going to work, Colton,” she insists.
I lean in, my lips at her ear before I whisper, “What isn’t going to work, darling?” Another shiver trickles through her. I can’t help but smile when she sucks in a sharp breath.
“Us. This. You and me,” she mumbles. Her pulse point in her neck rioting. I’m so close I can almost taste her, taste the way I make her body respond, and I know right then and there I want that.
“How do you know?” It’s a challenge because she can’t be sure. There’s no way she can see into the future. She’s looking at my past and not giving me a chance. If she did, I’d prove I’m not the bastard everybody calls me. Actually … I guess I am. But, can’t a man change? “Give me a chance, I’ll prove to you, I’m not what you think I am.”
Violet spins in my hold, but I don’t release her. I can’t. She feels too good in my hands, and I dig my fingers into her hips, pulling her closer. She allows me to.
“I just know that I can’t get my heart broken, Colton.” Her admission slams into my chest in a way I can’t describe, in a way I’ve not allowed myself to feel in a long time—guilty.
“I’m not asking you to fall in love with me,” I tease in an attempt to lighten the mood, but she’s not having it. Her gaze flits with emotion—fear and trepidation—and I want nothing more than to make it disappear.
“I know, but one thing leads to another. I can’t be a notch on your bedpost, and you scare me,” she confesses more of what’s bothering her. The hallway is so quiet, and I’m thankful for that.
“You won’t be a notch of any sort,” I assure her confidently. “I want to know you. To get to know you.” Shaking my head, I step back, finally giving her and me some space. When I’m close to her, I want to kiss her. I want to do more than that, but she’d not only slap me, she’d kick me in the crotch, and that’s not fun at all.
“Getting to know someone means dating them,” she debates. “And it was specifically clear in the contract my boss signed with your boss that can never happen.”
Wait, what?
“Contract? What do you mean?”
“Blythe gave us the first interview with you since arriving in New York. Her only stipulation was that I can’t get involved with you in any way. So, even if I wanted to go on that date, I can’t. My job means everything to me.”
“Blythe is the reason you’re not willing to give this a chance?” I ask, shock clear in my tone. I cannot believe my agent would stoop so low. What the hell is she playing at?
“No, that’s not what I said. I mean … I don’t know.”
“You’re not willing to go on a date with me because you’ll lose your job. I get that.” Nodding, I round Violet and head for the boardroom. I know Blythe is here because she texted me this morning and told me she’d be sitting in the meeting.
Violet’s racing up behind me, but I don’t listen to her whisper-hissing at me to stop. Instead, I shove open the boardroom door and find my agent sitting in one of the leather chairs.
“We need to talk,” I assert, my voice giving away how angry I am.
“Oh?” She arches a dark, perfectly sculpted brow at me.
“Now, Blythe,” I bite out before turning to Violet and looking into her pretty eyes. “Can you give us a moment?”
Her mouth falls open. She’s about to protest, but I glower at her, trying to tell her with my eyes that I need her to trust me. She nods, turns, and shuts the door behind her.
I turn on my agent before I have time to calm the fuck down. “What the hell is your problem?” Leaning my palms on the smooth, mahogany surface, I glare at her as rage fuels me.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replies coolly. That’s her, the ice princess of the modeling world. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, and I respect that, but when she starts meddling in my personal life, that’s another matter altogether.
“The clause in the contract,” I advise. “I’m not allowed to date anyone from the magazine?”
A small smile dances on her lips, and she sighs slowly as if I’m a child, and she needs to take me aside and explain something very simple to me. I’m not amused at her, and it shows in my demeanor.
“Bloody hell, Blythe,” I fume. “Tell me what the hell is going on?”
“I marketed you to Brazen as a bachelor. You are labeled the Brazen Bachelor for a reason. I don’t need my boss shitting all over me when you get all swoony for some girl.”
“That’s not your call to make,” I counter. Frustration bursts in my chest, and my heart is thudding wildly against my ri
bs. She’s acting like she owns me, but she doesn’t. I can walk out of here now and find a new agent. It’s not like there’s a shortage of them.
“It is if I’m getting paid for it,” she insists calmly. I watch her pick up the espresso cup, take a sip, then set it back down.
“I don’t give a shit what you think you’re getting paid for. Your job is to work with me professionally, to look out for the business side of my life, not, and I repeat, not the personal.”
She doesn’t look at me for a long while. Pushing up from the chair, she turns to the window and gazes out at the city below us. The busy streets of Manhattan are filled with tourists and workers alike, rushing from one place to another, but up here, we’re free of that noise.
“I don’t mean to be a pain in the arse,” I add and note how she grins at the way I say the word. “But this is my personal life, and if I choose to see someone outside of the studio, then it’s my choice.”
A long silence greets me, and she sighs, shaking her head. “If they feel you’re not living up to the brand,” she articulates finally, turning to face me. “Your arse will be out of a gig, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. Yes, I can find you another job, that won’t be a problem, you’re perfect for a multitude of clients I have, but it won’t have the limelight that this one does.”
She looks at the folder on the table, her face creased with concern, but she doesn’t need to be. I’m a big boy. I can live without the fame. As long as I can get an income, I’ll survive.
“Is she worth that?” Blythe questions, lifting her blue gaze to meet mine. That’s the million-dollar question. How can I know if I don’t try this with Violet?
“Since you’re taking away my choice to see where this is headed with her, I cannot answer that.” It’s the truth, and she knows it.
I don’t know how long we stand there, staring at each other, gazes locked in a standoff. Finally, she nods.
