When Day Breaks

CHAPTER 23

DESPITE the misgivings over the food at the café Eden had recommended, not a single complaint had been registered when they met Joe who was waiting with their orders. Swanny had seen the look of disappointment on Eden’s face when she’d asked if they could sit at one of the sidewalk tables and people-watch—one of her confessed addictions when she was in the city doing a shoot.

He hated seeing that look. It made him feel like he’d kicked a puppy. But damn it. As much as he’d move heaven and earth to make her happy¸ he damn sure wouldn’t do so at the expense of her safety. And so they’d taken the food the short walk back to the studio and eaten in Eden’s dressing room, which was large—worthy of the star she was—but stick six people in it and it suddenly seemed really damn small.

But then again, since he and Eden had claimed the small settee that caused them to sit thigh-to-thigh while the others either sat on the floor or leaned against walls, he wasn’t complaining about his accommodations.

Just as they were starting to put away the takeout boxes, a knock sounded at Eden’s dressing room door.

“On in fifteen, Miss Sinclair,” one of the assistants called.

Eden scrambled to her feet. “Oh shit. Okay, everyone, shoo. Except you, Skylar. You can help me get into this crap so I’m not late. Lonnie has been in a good mood so far. If I ruin it now we may be here all damn night.”

At that, the men all scrambled to their feet, but Swanny pinned Eden with a stare. “I’ll be standing right outside the door. No one gets in here without clearance from me.”

She waved her hand, motioning that she understood, but she was already hurriedly pulling together the outfit for the afternoon shoot.

A moment later the door closed and Eden grinned at the image of a big-ass surly bodyguard posted at her dressing room door. The assistants were probably drawing straws as to who had to come get her when it was time.

Although Lonnie was a stickler about time, one of his quirks was that he didn’t want the models on his set until everything was in place and ready to go. It was a superstition of his, an inexplicable one, but Eden had always shrugged it off. Directors were a quirky breed, no doubt about it. And she had no problem with not hanging around an unfinished set wearing spiked heels that made her feet and thighs whine from standing so long.

“It must be awesome to wear something new and cool every day of the week,” Skylar said as she helped Eden zip into the vibrant golden gown with the formfitting sequined top and flowing iridescent silk skirt that flared from her hips and fell elegantly down her legs. It gave just enough shimmer and sparkle to match the bolder sequins of the bodice.

Eden remembered in amusement Skylar’s reaction to the dress she’d tried on and then purchased. A Cinderella dress. This one certainly came close to that same feel.

Eden gave her a rueful smile. “I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side. I’m honestly a lot more comfortable in a pair of worn jeans, a hoodie and a pair of flip-flops. But I won’t lie and say I don’t love my job. I do. I’m not one of these people who believe modeling objectifies or degrades women. Modeling is hard work. It’s not just about selling our looks. It’s complicated to explain. A director once told me that some women were just born for the camera and others weren’t, and the ones who weren’t destined for the camera weren’t any less beautiful than the women who did model. They just had the talent to transform in front of a lens. Almost like a chameleon. Become whatever the photographer wanted. But believe me when I say, it’s by far the most demanding job I’ve ever had. Not that I had many before I got into modeling, but I wasn’t ‘discovered’ until four years ago, and I worked through high school and was in the process of putting myself through school waiting tables. Working at the register at a grocery store. Mowing lawns. You name it, I’ve done it,” she added with a laugh.

“Wow,” Skylar said. “I’m impressed. You obviously had ambition from the start. That’s rare in someone so young.”

“Stick your head out the door and holler for Bertrice,” Eden asked Skylar. “She should be hovering close, waiting for me. She’ll have to do a rush on the makeup, and hope Lonnie had a good lunch break or isn’t PMSing. Again.”

Skylar cracked up but immediately opened the door and reappeared a moment later with Eden’s makeup artist.

“Swanny had the poor woman too afraid to knock to see if you were ready,” Skylar said dryly. “He’s standing outside your door like some avenging angel who will wreak havoc with the world if anyone crosses the threshold of your domain.”

Eden burst into laughter. “You have such a flair for dramatics. You’d be a terrific actress.”

Skylar looked befuddled and then she laughed, and laughed some more, holding her stomach in an effort to catch her breath.

“Oh God. Can you see me on a movie or television set? Unless it was something like Rambo. Now that would be killer. A woman version of Rambo. Me and P.J. could star. That would be a riot.”

Bertrice looked baffled but said nothing as she hurried through the motions of redoing Eden’s makeup. By Eden’s count they had about twelve more minutes before Lonnie would either send someone to summon her like a subject to the king or bellow for her himself and ask her if she intended to hold up the entire production while she sat on her lazy fat ass.

She prayed for the former, because if he got all rampagy today, Swanny would likely kill him over the lazy fat-ass part. It was certainly something she’d heard before from Lonnie, but she knew how to take him, and after that first crying jag years back, she quickly figured out the best way to blow his bluster to smithereens was to blithely ignore him and kill him with kindness.

There was nothing Lonnie wanted more than to pick a fight and cause an emotional uproar when he was in one of his moods. But he’d only gotten that once from Eden and never again. She hadn’t gained the reputation as being cool under fire for nothing!

“So who is P.J. exactly?” Eden asked, glancing at Skylar in the mirror. “I’ve heard her mentioned but was never sure exactly who she was or what connection she had to KGI.”

Skylar grinned. “You’d like her, though she’d argue she doesn’t want to be liked and doesn’t really care if people like her or not. She’s the original female member of KGI. I’m the second. I’m hearing down the grapevine that Sam has an eye on a female recruit for Rio’s team but no idea where in the process they are with that. Rio . . . Well, he and Steele both kind of answer to themselves, as do their teams. To them, I mean. Technically you could say they work for KGI, meaning the founders—Sam, Garrett and Donovan. But Rio is two men down. He lost one during a clusterfuck of a situation when Frank Kelly had a heart attack and Marlene, his wife, was kidnapped from the bathroom of the hospital, killing one of Rio’s men in the process. He lost the other when some bad shit went down on a mission Rio took a very personal interest in. Meaning, he had it bad for the woman he was protecting and one of his teammates risked her life for his own interests. He’s lucky to be alive. I was shocked when I learned that Rio had let him live.”

Eden’s mouth dropped open, eliciting an instant frown from Bertrice, who was just finishing her lips.

“I’ll be finis. Just few seconds more. Then I leave and you talk.”

Skylar grimaced and clamped a hand over her mouth with a groan, but she waited until Bertrice finished up Eden’s lip gloss and then stuffed her bag full of the stuff she’d taken out and left the room.

“Shit,” Skylar muttered. “Shit, shit, shit!”

Concern wrapped around Eden’s throat, squeezing her airway tight. “Skylar, what is it? Surely it can’t be so bad.”

“You shouldn’t know anything about all the crap I just told you. Classified. All of it. That wouldn’t earn me any brownie points for sure with the powers that be. But I swear, you’re so down-to-earth and easy to talk to that I find myself just spouting out the least little thing. Like we’re BFFs or something, for God’s sake.”

Eden smiled and then reached up to hug Skylar, squeezing her as lightly as possible so she didn’t muss her hair or makeup.

“One, I’d never tell a soul what you just told me. And two, I’d very much like to consider us friends. Despite my profession being dominated by so many women, I’m not actually friends with any of them. This is a competitive, cutthroat business, and if the opportunity presents itself, they’d step all over me to climb higher in the ranks. So I have no illusions of true friendship or loyalty. I’m well aware of what’s at stake in my career. If fucking me over will get them ahead of the game, they’d do it without a second thought.”

Skylar pulled away frowning. “But, Eden, that’s terrible. It’s a terrible way to live and work. How do you handle knowing all of that? How can you even be nice to women you know would turn on you in an instant? In my job loyalty isn’t just something. It’s everything. We depend on one another for our very lives and I know without a doubt that any of my team would put themselves on the line for me in a heartbeat.”

“I think that’s awesome,” Eden said wistfully. Then she laughed. “Listen to me. I sound like a poor little rich girl. I do have that. My father and brothers would lay waste to any threat to me. Hell, they hired you. But as far as outside my family, I don’t have confidantes. People I know I can trust absolutely or who I don’t feel have a motive for wanting to get close to me. Isn’t that horrible?”

Skylar shook her head as Eden bent to pull on the pair of crystal heels with the hint of sparkle that matched the dress.

“I don’t think it’s horrible at all. It’s called reality, Eden. I’m sure you’ve had your share of hanger-ons and a number of people who would take advantage of you in a heartbeat. I’m sure it’s something all celebrities have to contend with. There’s nothing wrong with being discerning about who you place your trust and faith in, and for reserving judgment and not wanting to be BFFs with the first woman who crosses your path.”

Eden chuckled. “You are extremely astute. However do the men put up with you? I can’t ever imagine them winning an argument with you. You have a solid, intelligent comeback for everything.”

Skylar grinned. “Well, you mix intelligence with a streak of evil and that way they never know what they’re going to get. Works best when you keep them off balance. Way easier to manage them that way.”

“I seriously heart you,” Eden said as they walked to the door where Swanny waited. “We are so keeping up after all this is over. No way I’m letting go of my first real potential girlfriend.”

“Does that mean I get to accompany you on the red carpet at some swank Hollywood get-together sometime?” Skylar asked slyly.

“Yup. You and me both in killer dresses and fuck-me shoes? We’d have the room of men on their knees. Now carry that image with you while I work the rest of the afternoon.”

Skylar laughed but Eden could see she was doing just that. Imagining her and Eden, partners in crime at some posh get-together where neither would give a rat’s ass what anyone thought of them.

“Do I even want to know what the two of you are plotting?” Swanny asked warily.

“Nope,” they said in unison. “Just girl stuff.”

Most men couldn’t back out of a conversation quick enough when the dreaded words girl stuff were mentioned, and Swanny was no exception. He cupped Eden’s elbow and Skylar fell into step on Eden’s other side as they hurried her down the hall to the studio.

There with two whole minutes to spare and Eden knew without false modesty that it didn’t look as though she’d hurried through any of her preparation. She exuded calm and stood waiting patiently on Lonnie to bark his first instruction.

He glanced up at Eden, lifting one eyebrow as he checked his watch. Eden suppressed a smug grin. He’d so been itching to start bellowing insults and now she’d taken the wind from his sails.

And so the rest of the afternoon went. Lonnie—a completely different person than he’d been during the morning session—bellowed, bullied and was all-around difficult, and Eden only smiled wider, performed to his expectations and was completely unruffled by his bullshit.

Swanny, on the other hand, looked as though he was a breath away from choking the life right out of the director. Eden caught his eye once and gave a quick negative shake of her head and then mouthed “Later,” hoping he’d catch her meaning that she’d explain everything afterward.

One had to know how to yank Lonnie’s chains back. The minute Swanny got into his face and let Lonnie know how much he pissed Swanny off, it would become Lonnie’s sole ambition in life to torment Swanny by tormenting Eden. It was far more satisfying to deny Lonnie what he wanted, which would only enrage him further and make him feel a fool when it was all over with.

Still, Swanny spent the rest of the afternoon glowering in the corner, looking as though he’d swallowed a lemon. The sad truth was that him all broody? Was sexy as hell. It made her want to go bite him. Where she wasn’t even sure. Maybe on the thick column of his neck. Or even his chin. Or that rock hard abdomen. Either way she was salivating over the prospect.

His ass. Oh, now that was definitely a tempting prospect.

“Whatever the hell you’re thinking about, keep thinking it,” Lonnie barked. “Give me more of that. Love it. Sultry as hell, Eden. You’ll have the world eating out of your hand.”

She lifted her gaze to purposely meet Swanny’s so he’d know exactly what she was thinking about. Or rather who.

His eyes became half-lidded and he returned her stare with a smoky, desire-laden one of his own that nearly had her squirming in her awkward pose. Hell, they were practically making love on the set of a commercial and they were half a room away from each other.

Lonnie was oblivious to the undercurrents, too deliriously happy with the results he was getting from Eden. But Skylar glanced between them with an almost wistful look in her eyes. But she also looked happy. She looked at Swanny with pride and at Eden with a warning in her eyes.

We may be becoming friends but if you hurt him you’ll answer to me.

Eden acknowledged the silent message with a subtle dip of her head.

Eden listened to her instructions on autopilot, too absorbed in the moment with Swanny, imagining him undressing her. Her undressing him. Them making love. Her lips parted unconsciously and she licked them, ignoring the yelled encouragement from the director and photographer.

Her focus was solely on Swanny, watching his reaction to their mental lovemaking. His gaze promised her all she was imagining and so much more. His eyes bore into her until she could literally feel the heat between them, all consuming. And yet through it all she never faltered. She never moved. She was too much of a professional to allow herself total distraction. But still, she drifted further and further under Swanny’s spell, counting the minutes until they could be alone again. Skin to skin. Mouth to mouth. Joined as intimately as a man and woman could be joined.

An ache began between her legs, spreading through her body until her breasts were heavy and she was hyperaware. So sensitive that any touch would border on pain.

“Whoever he is, he’s a lucky bastard,” the photographer muttered as he snapped another series of photos.

That yanked Eden’s attention away from Swanny and she glared down at the photographer, unsure of whether she’d heard what it was he said.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded.

The photographer grinned. “Your lover, gorgeous. You must be thinking of him. Never seen you look quite so sexy as today and you’ve always been off the charts. But there’s definitely something different about you now.”

“Well since he isn’t you, then I’d say it’s none of your business,” Eden said icily, staring him down until he had the grace to look way, color staining his cheeks.

“Get the hell off my set,” Lonnie said in disgust. “And leave the memory card behind. You’re fired.”

The younger photographer paled. “What?”

“You ruined what was, up until now, one of the best shoots I’ve ever had the pleasure of directing with your big mouth. You think we’re going to get that back now?”

He turned, acknowledging KGI for the first time, since he’d spent all his time trying to ignore their presence altogether.

“See that the gentleman is escorted from the building.”

Swanny stepped forward before his teammates could, a scowl darkening his features. “With pleasure.”

“I’ll go with,” Edge quickly said. Eden could see the slight concern in Edge’s features that the photographer might have an accidental fall on the way out, courtesy of Swanny.

“The memory card goes with me,” the photographer said firmly, his features changing from shocked surprise to ugly anger.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Lonnie said silkily. “Read your contract, boy. Those pictures belong to Aria. So take it out, and if you ruin it, I’ll make sure you never work in this business again. Not to mention you’ll be sued for millions of dollars that Aria will claim they lost because those photos wouldn’t be able to be used in their campaign.”

With a sullen look, the photographer carefully withdrew the memory card and thrust it toward Lonnie. But Lonnie still stood there expectantly, hand held out for the camera.

Swanny had gripped the man around his upper arm and now squeezed until the photographer winced.

“Give him the camera,” Swanny said in a menacing voice.

Looking like a petulant child, the photographer handed over the camera and Lonnie proceeded to make sure every photo was saved to the card, and then went through deleting every single photo stored on the camera itself.

Lonnie nodded at Swanny. “He can go now.”

Swanny turned him around and Edge fell into step on the photographer’s other side and gripped his arm in the same fashion Swanny had as they propelled him from the studio.

When they got to the entrance they all but threw him out and he stumbled onto the sidewalk.

“I’ll sue you for this,” the photographer yelled. “I’ll have bruises. I’ll file assault charges.”

Swanny gave him a bored look. Edge merely studied his fingernails, digging at invisible lint underneath one.

“Whatever makes you happy,” Swanny drawled. “But understand me on this, boy. You fuck with Eden in any way, and I mean any way at all, and I’ll come after you. There isn’t a rock you can hide under where I can’t find you. That’s what I do for a living. I get rid of cockroaches just like you and crush them underneath my boot.”

The young man went white as a sheet and then turned and fled down the busy street.

Edge laughed and clapped Swanny on the shoulder. “Let’s go get your girl. I think Lonnie has pretty much called it quits for the day after that stunt.”