by Anthology
Lacy rolled her eyes. “Some of us haven’t gotten laid in months, Liberty. You can’t say it’s not a date if you went to his place and boned all night.”
“Can’t I? Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s taking me out tomorrow, so it looks like he isn’t just using me for sex.” The worry nagged me until he’d asked—once I’d slept with him would he abandon me? He didn’t seem like that type of guy, but some men had so much practice pretending to care it was impossible to tell if it was all a facade.
“Ooh, where’s he taking you?”
“I don’t know yet, he’ll come and meet me at my building. Other than that it’s a surprise.”
“Surprise date? With a billionaire? I bet he’ll fly you to Paris just for dinner. Do you think he has a private jet?” Lacy stared into the distance, lost in a fantasy about a man she hadn’t even met yet.
I laughed. “Jesus, Lacy, it’s not about the money, okay? I mean, his place is huge and so nice, but I feel he’s not flashy with his money. He acted a little weird when I asked him about it, said he only just got it.”
“Inheritance, maybe?” Lacy asked. “If he was self-made you’d think there would be more about him on Google.” I’d told her about the lack of search results for Stephen.
“I guess so. I didn’t come out and ask but it sounds like his parents aren’t around any more. Something’s weird though—it sounds like he had no idea the money was coming, so he couldn’t have grown up rich.”
Silence reigned as we turned our attention toward lunch and mulled it over.
What would happen if Stephen and I turned into an item? It would be so hard to keep my focus on making a name for myself if I didn’t need to.
Modeling wasn’t a long-term career. If I found myself in a relationship for a few years and then we broke up, I would be in an even worse position than I was now. Skipping college may have been a mistake, but I couldn’t picture myself doing anything that required advanced education.
There wouldn’t be much out there for me except for waitressing. And it would be impossible to make a name for myself and leave an impact on the world the way I wanted to with modeling.
The introspection had solidified my intentions. No matter what happened between Stephen and I, my career would come first.
“I won’t turn into a kept woman.”
Lacy looked up from her salad and stared at me. “Huh?”
It took a moment to realize I had said it out loud. “I’m just saying, there’s no way I’ll ever let myself become dependent on another person, whether it’s Stephen or someone else. I never want to live off someone’s generosity or goodwill.”
“Speak for yourself,” Lacy said. “That’s my dream. Can you imagine how amazing it would be to be a trophy wife to a billionaire? I’m so jealous of your opportunity, girl. You could literally do nothing but work out and tan in exotic locations most of the year if you play your cards right.”
The thought had a certain appeal, but with my newfound insight it made me wary more than it made me wet.
“I’m not saying that wouldn’t be great, Lace, but it seems like a waste of life, you know? We have one shot at it, and I want to make it count.”
Lacy wasn’t a girl into philosophical talk about the meaning of life, so the conversation drifted to other less heavy topics while we finished lunch. There wasn’t anyone in my life who I could have those sorts of talks with.
Maybe Stephen if we keep seeing each other.
If I planned to become a top supermodel and make my mark on the world, I’d have to work my ass off to get there. And that meant taking advantage of every opportunity, even the ones I’d rather turn down because of how they came about.
When I got home I pulled a business card out of the drawer I’d thrown it into. “Paul Goldsmith,” I read. “Hedge Fund manager at GLP Capital.”
Luckily I hadn’t run into Paul at Dorgo’s since the day he’d given me the business card, and the thought of voluntarily hearing his voice filled me with dread.
Come on Liberty, toughen up. You need to take advantage of every opportunity you can.
The line rang three times before it picked up.
“Goldsmith. Who is this?”
“Hi. This is Liberty, the waitress from Dorgo’s. You said to call you about setting up a photoshoot.”
“Ah, Liberty.” His voice teased my name like he owned it. Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck at the sound and I fought off a shiver. “Yes, I’ve got a few contacts who would be more than willing to make use of your looks.”
The words and the way he said them felt slimy, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it. “How do you want to do this? Do you have a number I can reach them at? Is there an office I can drop in to?”
“Don’t worry about all that, I’ll make sure everything’s set up,” Paul said. “I’ll talk with my friends and then I’ll get someone to call you back at this number with the details for the shoot. They’ll make you a star.”
“Can you at least tell me which designer and photographer I’ll be working with?”
“I’m afraid not,” he said. “I won’t know who it will be until I make a few calls. Don’t worry about a thing, it’ll be taken care of.”
The line went dead.
“Hello?” I stared at the phone. “Seriously?”
It was such a pain dealing with entitled assholes. Their time was always more valuable than everyone else’s, and they made sure everyone knew it in the most aggravating way possible.
Well, I guess there’s nothing more I can do with that avenue. It didn’t sound like Paul had anything lined up like he claimed.
I had to hope Stephen’s friend Denise liked the shoot we did with her collection and wanted more from me. With that shoot and the new head shots in my portfolio, it was time to make the rounds of the agencies again, trying to find more work or, if I was lucky, get a contract.
Chapter Eight
“I’m glad you agreed to come out with me today,” Stephen said.
I looked at him and caught his smile. My own spread in response. “I’m glad you asked me. I feel like we’ve been doing things all jumbled out of order.”
“So it’s not just me then?” He laughed and grabbed my hand to give it a squeeze. “I’d apologize for it but I can’t be too upset—I’ve enjoyed myself with you far too much for that.”
He kept my hand, so I laced my fingers through his.
Slick move.
“I’ve had a great time, too. Tuesday night was mind-blowing, I wouldn’t mind having a repeat performance of that!”
“I’ll let Denise know that you’ll enthusiastically model the next lingerie collection she puts out. She loved the photos, you know. Said the passion you brought to life embodies her vision.”
“With you on the other side of the lens, how could I not?”
We strolled along the street, traffic bustling and the midafternoon summer sun beating down. Stephen still hadn’t let on to where he was taking me, but I had a suspicion the further down the street we went.
“Are we going to Central Park?”
He looked at me and grinned. “Maybe. I wanted to check it out, I haven’t been before. Have you spent much time there?”
“No. It’s something you know is there and you should see, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Just seems too touristy, you know?”
“If touristy isn’t your thing, then you’ll hate this,” he said, but he didn’t seem worried.
We got to 59th Street, and the buildings dropped away as the vast green space opened in front of us. “It is beautiful,” I admitted. I couldn’t imagine what Manhattan would be like without the park in the middle.
There was a row of horse-drawn carriages waiting for customers and I made to walk past until Stephen tugged on my hand and pulled me back. He shook the hand of the driver standing next to the first conveyance and the men exchanged low words I missed under the sound of a horse neighing.
“Your chariot awaits, milady.” Stephen
looked at me with a sparkle in his eye.
“A carriage ride? Really?” I pretended to be unimpressed, but excitement simmered underneath. My family never had horses of our own, but neighbors in our small country town did and I loved them.
“Just for a little while. And I believe this is for you.” Stephen played around with his sleeves and then pulled his hands apart, a rose appearing twined in the fingers of his right hand. He held it out.
“You are ridiculous,” I said, laughing. “This is fantastic.”
He slid his arms to my lower back and pulled me close for a kiss. A light, easy kiss that was the perfect level of respectability for such a public place.
It didn’t stay that way for long. The taste of his lips reminded me of the way he had ravished me in his apartment, and we sunk deeper into a passionate embrace. I lost sense of where I was, barely treading water through the masterful way his hands and mouth played me.
Stephen broke the kiss. “Shall we?”
I struggled to pull myself together as he helped me up into the carriage and climbed after me. Once the driver was certain we were safely inside, he started the horses into motion.
The carriage moved at a sedate pace, the steady clop of the horses’ hooves acting as a noise screen that kept our conversation private from the driver and the pedestrians we passed along the way.
“This is nice,” I said, placing my hand on his. He swung his arm around my shoulder, and I let myself be drawn close against him as we watched the trees and water roll past.
“It is, isn’t it? It’s very calming.”
“Stephen?”
“Yes?”
“Where do you see yourself five years from now?”
It felt cheesy to ask a standard interview question on a date, but I felt as though the answer would give me guidance on my own feelings.
“Five years? That’s a long time,” he said. He grew quiet.
I liked that he didn’t answer immediately—it meant he was giving it genuine thought instead of saying the first thing that came to mind. As he thought, I pondered the question myself.
“I want to be doing something meaningful. Not just meaningful, but something only I can do. When I decided not to become a surgeon, it was because I didn’t feel like it was my life’s work. It’s vital to have someone in that position doing that job, but it doesn’t have to be me. Any person properly trained could do the same things.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. I understand the feeling. There are things I want to accomplish in this life, and I want to be unique. The thought of doing the same things everyone else does is too constricting.” I let my hand wrap around his. “What about a relationship? Where do you want to be five years from now?”
He looked down at me, his eyes staring into my own. “That’s a loaded question for the third time we’ve seen each other, isn’t it?”
I shrugged. “You don’t have to answer, it would just help me know what to expect.”
“Again, five years is a long time. By then, I would hope I’ve found a partner, someone I feel on equal footing with and who shares the same values and goals as I do. I was single for most of medical school because the course load was so demanding, so I’ve been ready for something more serious for a long time now.”
He leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against mine. His words had reassured me he wouldn’t use me and throw me away when he bored of me. I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t all a front, a lie he told to keep me on the hook, but I had to take him at face value for the time being.
“What about you?” he asked. “Do you know where you’ll be in five years?”
“I know it’s ambitious, but I want to be at the pinnacle of the modeling world. I want the fame, the fortune, and the ability to change the world. There are so many things going on out there that aren’t right, and the people with the ability to do something about it aren’t doing enough. It’s frustrating to watch, and I want to make a difference.”
It felt like I’d been making the same impassioned speech for years. When I told friends or family I might as well have been speaking to a blank wall. They would nod, barely listening. Stephen, though, took my hands into his own and looked at me with intense eyes.
“You can do it, Liberty. I’ve only known you for less than a week, but I already know you’re different from any other women I’ve met in this city. There’s a realness to you that’s unique—too many people are shallow and skin-deep, with nothing worthwhile under the surface. That’s why I like spending time with you.”
“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said about me for a long time,” I said. I put my hand on the back of Stephen’s neck and pulled him to me, kissing him softly, tenderly as I strove to show him my appreciation.
Flashes of green were all I saw of the park from that point on as Stephen and I grew more and more wrapped up in each other. It was hard to remember how public we were as I fought to restrain myself from taking things further in the carriage. I wanted to feel all of him again—he was a drug I couldn’t resist. One taste of him and I’d been hooked.
“Do you want to come back to my place?” he asked during a break for breath.
“You’d have a tough time trying to keep me away.”
Chapter Nine
I slowly came to consciousness and stretched, careful not to hit Stephen where he lay still asleep beside me.
The sheets on his bed were luxurious, velvety smooth against my skin—a stark contrast to the subpar linens I used in my small apartment.
I could get used to sleeping here.
Naked from our activities the night before, I rolled out of bed and padded toward the kitchen. It was massive, and I was eager to persuade Stephen to let me cook dinner for him soon. I loved to cook, and after a few months in a studio apartment with only a single hot plate and a microwave at my disposal I was way past due to try out some new recipes.
On my third try I found the glasses in a dark red cabinet next to the fridge. I filled one with water from the faucet and swiveled to look out the windows while I took a drink.
There was a man standing there, looking at me.
I almost choked on the water, sputtering and spilling it down my front as I tried to figure out what to do. I couldn’t yell for help through the coughing fit that racked my body.
The entire time I couldn’t take my eyes away from the man. A sharp suit clad his lean frame, an impish smile on his face as he watched me try to gather myself.
With a final hard cough I cleared my throat and put the glass of water down. “Who the hell are you?”
“I see Stephen is having a grand old time here in New York. And he always said he wasn’t into models.” He raised an eyebrow and looked down my body.
Only then did I remember I was fully nude. “Hey!” I said as I crossed my arms over my breasts and moved behind the island to hide my bottom half from his sight. Despite the looks, I didn’t get a dangerous vibe from him. In fact, he looked familiar. “What are you doing here?”
“Relax. I’m just here to have a chat with my little brother. Been waiting a while, I take it you two made a late night of it last night?”
I blushed—the clock on the stove said quarter past noon. Stephen and I had gone to see a show the night before, and when we got back to his penthouse we’d taken sexy photos together until the sunrise reddened the horizon.
“You’re one of Stephen’s brothers?” He’d told me about them. Two older and one younger, but I couldn’t remember the names. Now he’d said it the resemblance was uncanny. “Which one?”
“Derek Devereux, at your service.”
He held out his hand to shake mine. I looked at it but didn’t shake it. If I did then I wouldn’t be able to keep my breasts contained.
“Right,” he said smoothly. “Wouldn’t want to expose yourself to your lover’s brother. That would be awkward.” He winked and took his hand back.
I smiled despite myself. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t after another eyeful.
I may have only just started dating Stephen, but I can already tell how you Devereux brothers work.”
“We are big fans of beautiful women, there’s no mistake there. Forgive me if I push a little too hard, Stephen and I have a long and storied history of teasing each other. And as the older brother, I always win.”
“Is that right?” Stephen said. He leaned against the doorway into the kitchen, wrapped in a thin silk robe. “I seem to remember a certain time with a big stick by the ravine where you didn’t fare so well.”
“That wasn’t teasing, you threw that thing like a javelin and hit me square in the ear, you idiot. It took years before my hearing was back to normal.”
Stephen came into the room and he and Derek embraced.
“Whatever. I still won. This is Liberty. I hope you weren’t giving her too much trouble.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I was the perfect gentleman, at least as much as I could be with a naked hottie running around the place.”
I blushed and refolded my arms. “Derek was fine, Stephen, he just caught me by surprise. It’s my fault for running out with no clothes on, I didn’t know anyone else had access to your place.”
Stephen shook his head. “No, I should have told you, but didn’t think it would be an issue.” He turned to stare at Derek. “Since he hadn’t seen the apartment yet I thought he would tell me when he’d be in town for a visit. What do you think of the place?”
Derek looked around. The kitchen was open to the living room as one big open concept space. Windows filled the exterior walls from the floor to the double high ceilings, opening onto a fantastic view of Manhattan. “It’s a little ostentatious, isn’t it?”
“Ostentatious?” Stephen sputtered. “That’s a bold statement coming from the guy who bought a massive Hollywood mansion so he can rub elbows with the rich and famous.”
“Yeah, well, luckily I fit right in there,” Derek grinned. Now I had the chance to see the two of them side by side, it became even more clear how unnaturally lucky their family genetics were. Stephen’s handsomeness wasn’t a fluke—if anything, Derek was a little more refined from the extra few years he had on his little brother.
