Working It

1

Four Months Earlier

Cursing my wardrobe, I grabbed a navy pencil skirt and a cream silk blouse out of my closet. Although I’d already worn them earlier this week, my options were limited. As soon as I got paid, I was going to blow my first check on clothes. If I stayed at this job, that is. I didn’t know which outcome was more likely—getting fired or quitting. For the past two weeks, I’d been working at Status Model Management in New York City. Being a country girl at heart, the experience was proving to be a spectacular disaster, but at least the pay was going to be good. If I could just stick it out.

I tucked the blouse into the skirt and checked my profile in the mirror. Ugh. Bloated. I rummaged through my top drawer and dug out my Spanx. I quickly tugged them up under my skirt, cursing loudly all the while. God, these things are awful. I’d left my rich brown hair loose, and it fluffed out around my shoulders nicely. I could thank my mother for having good hair. I quickly dabbed concealer on the dark circles beneath my eyes and applied lip gloss. There. Much better. Standing back, I gave myself one last look. Not bad. I was far from a supermodel, but I looked decent. I glanced at the clock. Shit! I’m so late.

I shoved my feet into my only pair of heels—nude pumps that I pretended went with everything—and stumbled toward the door. Between the fitted skirt, tight down to my knees, and this damn girdle cutting off my circulation, walking was going to be a challenge today. Quickly grabbing the tray of muffins I’d baked last night as a gesture of goodwill for my new boss and coworkers, I launched myself out the apartment door.

A warm July breeze danced around my ankles as I walked outside onto the bustling street. A swarm of yellow cabs roared past me. The scents of car exhaust, warm bread, and stale urine crammed the air, fighting for attention. A hot dog vendor on my right smiled as I walked past. A bike messenger zipped down the road, nearly hitting me as I crossed the street, and the MetLife building loomed in the distance. I was overpowered with an enormous sense of homesickness. This place was nothing like Tennessee.

Even after living here a few weeks, I didn’t see how the roar of New York traffic was something I’d ever get used to. Some days I wondered if I’d bitten off more than I could chew, yet I kept moving forward, kept putting one foot in front of the other.

When I arrived at work with my tray of muffins I was already late, so I shuffled as quickly as my heels in plush carpeting would allow and made a mad dash toward the executive assistant’s suite outside the boss’s office. A few heads looked up as I hurried past, and I wondered if my heart could give out at the ripe old age of twenty-two.

Deep, exotic perfumes mingling with the aroma of leather filled my nose and I stifled a sneeze. The agency itself was all modern, with thick opaque glass and steel beams, looking very chic and high-end. The twentieth floor provided gorgeous views of Central Park in the distance. I loved looking at those leafy green treetops. I never knew you could miss seeing trees, but New York made that possible.

The top of my desk was littered with at least a dozen Post-it notes, each one containing some nearly illegible message written in Fiona’s messy handwriting. Crap. She’d clearly been at work for a while. Why she preferred to communicate solely on yellow scraps of sticky paper was beyond me. She never emailed me—she’d either yell something from her office or scrawl it on a Post-it when I wasn’t around. It was my job to decipher the meanings. I peeled up the first one from my desk, which was fairly clear. It said, Call Ben in.

I dropped into my seat to start organizing her notes in case I needed to refer back to one later. I shoved one note that was presumably written in hieroglyphics into my plastic-sleeved binder and then set about dealing with the rest of them. First things first, I tried to figure out which Ben she meant. Checking the database, I saw our office had three Bens. Two of them hadn’t booked a job in several months, so by process of elimination I assumed she was referring to Ben Shaw, one of our most popular models. I took a deep breath and dialed his number.

“Yeah,” a deep voice answered.

“Um, yes, hi. This is Emmy Clarke from Status. Fiona would like to see you today.”

“Okay.” He sounded mildly annoyed. “What time?”

I opened her calendar, silently cursing myself for not having that information ready. Thankfully my computer cooperated and quickly loaded the information. She was free all morning. “You can come in any time before noon.”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ll be in later this morning.” He hung up without saying good-bye.

I sighed and returned the phone to its receiver. Okay then. Task one complete. That wasn’t so bad.

Now to take care of the few emails I had. I liked being privy to the inner workings of a modeling agency, and Status Model Management was one of the more powerful New York agencies, often winning seven-figure contracts with major advertisers. It had a fleet of fresh new faces to feed any executive’s desire. The unique thing, though, was that my boss, Fiona, who ran the agency, represented only male models. Fiona made it widely known she didn’t work well with females. She’d once said it was too much estrogen, or something like that.

As Fiona’s assistant, my job description included maintaining the agency database of models and passing their info on to her for specific jobs. Requests would come in for certain looks, hair color, eye color, height, and weight, and I would comb through the files to find the right beautiful men for the job before sending their headshots and files over to Fiona for approval. The position certainly had its perks. Ogling delicious man candy daily was the main one. Did that make me shallow? No. I didn’t think so. I’d had a bunch of crappy jobs and crappier relationships before all of this. If I wanted to be surrounded by completely delicious and highly unattainable men all day, I felt that was a God-given right. And getting paid to boot—yes, please. Sign me up.

It was my job to know the nitty-gritty details of each model, to help determine which one was right for each type of job—editorial, high fashion, fitness, lifestyle—before giving their comp cards to Fiona. This entitled me to intimate information on the couple hundred or so young men we worked with. Their shoe sizes, personality quirks, and even little-known facts, like that Nico couldn’t work with Sebastian because they’d once dated and it had ended badly. Or that Leo had a phobia about anything fluffy and couldn’t be around tulle or feathers.

I made sure things ran smoothly on set, and many times the photographers were worse than the models—demanding and pissy, with a tendency to degrade the models when they couldn’t get the shots they wanted. I’d already learned part of my job would be to act as a mediator, helping to smooth things over and finding out about the expectations of the photographer and explaining them to the model.

Of course, my biggest challenge was dealing with Fiona Stone, the ultra-British, ultra-bitchy head of Status Models. She was truly a rare breed. Somewhere between thirty and forty, she was stunningly beautiful. She definitely fit in among the pretty people working at the agency. Smart as a whip at business, but with the social skills and politeness of a mosquito. She was cunning, conniving, and most of all, ruthless. She negotiated hard for her models, often earning them higher rates and better contracts. But she ruled with an iron, though well-manicured, fist. And I had the distinct pleasure of dealing with her day in and day out. Lucky me.

My little desk sat right outside her office. From her immaculate red leather perch, she could glance up whenever she wanted and see my computer screen and whatever I might be looking at. So online shopping, catching up on Facebook, and personal emails were all a big no-no.

I’d applauded myself that I wasn’t the receptionist out front or one of the production assistants. They seemed even more miserable than I was. Nope, I’d landed the executive assistant position—yay me! Rolling my eyes, I remembered how extremely self-conscious I had been my first day among all the toned and stylish women already working here. Little did I know that working for Fiona would prove to be a special kind of torture. She criticized everything, from my brown hair to my nonexistent sense of style to my southern accent.

My first Friday night, I’d gone out to happy hour with Gunnar and a few of the other assistants. He’d informed me that Fiona didn’t hate me, that the sharp tongue was just part of her way. Apparently I’d already lasted longer than her previous three assistants combined. Gunnar was a production assistant and occasionally worked with Fiona, too, so he knew what I was talking about. After that pep talk, I’d convinced myself I could endure anything. I would win her over. I would succeed where others had failed. No way was I going to hang it up and crawl away with my tail between my legs. No ma’am. This was my first real job, and in New York City no less. I would make this work. And with the promise of the travel schedule taking us to Paris and Milan soon, I wanted to make this work. Back home, no one got opportunities like this. I would be stupid to quit just because I didn’t like my boss.

Fiona’s British accent cut through my thoughts like a siren. “Stop drooling over that boy, and get your arse in here.”

Crap! My screen had been sitting idle on the seminude photo of a male model. Oops. I shuffled my tight-skirt–wearing-self into Fiona’s office. She was dressed immaculately, as always, in a Versace linen dress with a bright royal purple scarf and a pair of the highest Prada heels I’d ever seen. Those suckers put the Empire State Building to shame. Her hair was pinned back in a loose chignon, shiny dark tendrils framing her elegant face.

“Yes, Miss Stone?” I asked.

“Do you know what time it is?” Her expensively clad foot tapped the floor and she didn’t bother looking up from her computer screen. Tap, tap, tap.

Oh, shit. Was this a trick question? “Uh, it’s ten o’clock—”

She leaned back in her chair, peering at me intently. “And?”

And? And what? She gave me an icy glare, making my heart pound and a cold sweat break out under my arms.

After ten seconds of stony silence, during which she looked me over from head to toe in disgust, making me want to hide behind the big potted plant in her office, she finally spoke.

“It is time for my tea.” She grunted and waved a dismissive hand in my direction.

Oh. Right. Her midmorning tea. How very British of her. I dashed for the kitchenette as quickly as my restrictive skirt–Spanx-heels combo would allow to heat some purified water for her tea. I added the package of English Breakfast to the cup and scuttled back, just in time to see a man entering her office. Great. Another blunder. I was sure I’d catch hell later for letting a guest inside unannounced.

I stepped into her office behind him, still carrying the tea.

“Ben, love, come in,” Fiona drawled and gestured to the leather seat facing her desk.

Oh. So this was Ben Shaw. Seeing his photos on the computer was one thing. Seeing this delicious piece of man meat in person was quite another. My damn mouth was watering. He was tall and poised, with dark hair, broad shoulders, an angular jaw, and a pouty mouth built for kissing.

I briefly wondered if I’d be scolded for letting someone into her office unannounced, but Fiona was all smiles where Ben was concerned.

Benjamin Riley Shaw, the agency golden boy. Our most in-demand model and top earner by a wide margin. Seeing him in person for the first time, it was obvious why. He had a certain aura about him, a glow. My eyes were unconsciously drawn to him. He was by far the most captivating thing in the room. Having just reviewed his file, I felt slightly pervy knowing so many personal details about him, but it also made me feel just a little bit smug. Height:6 feet 3 three inches; Eyes: Hazel; Hair: Brown; Shoe Size: 12; Suit: 42L; Inseam: 34 inches.

I watched in stunned silence as Fiona rose and went around the desk to lean in and brush her boobs against his chest. She air-kissed both of his cheeks. He remained still, politely allowing it but not returning her affections. Something inside me liked that about him. Fiona was a grade-A bitch, and to see a fine specimen like Ben pretend to fawn all over her would have twisted the knife in my heart.

“Of course it’s lovely to see you, but did you need something, darling?” she asked him, pulling back only slightly. Ugh. Personal space much?

Ben shifted his tall, statuesque form moving away from her in the most elegant way. “I was asked to come in today,” he said flatly.

Fiona’s eyes landed on mine. Panic coursed through my system and I felt the teacup rattle in my hands. Her icy glare pinned me in place, imploring me to explain.

“But your, um, note . . . said to call Ben in,” I stammered.

Ben’s gaze traveled to mine and my stomach did a little flip. Whoa. His eyes were a brilliant hazel color with flecks of deep mossy green, and they held such sadness, such mystery that I was stopped cold. As he continued to stare at me, my ovaries did a little happy dance, totally defying the strictures of my Spanx. This guy was wreaking havoc on my libido.

With difficulty, I turned my gaze and attention back to Fiona, who was sighing dramatically.

She scoffed. “I meant for you to call Ben’s sizes into the designer for his shoot next week.” She shook her head like I was a complete moron to mix up the message. Crap.

My eyes flicked to Ben’s again and the cup and saucer shook in my hand. I attempted to cross the room to deliver the tea to her desk, but Ben’s heavy gaze following my movements proved to be too much and the teacup and saucer went tumbling to the floor.

The teacup shattered and scalding hot water sprayed my exposed skin. Mother, that was hot. I winced and took a step back, assessing the damage. Shit. The dark stain was spreading over the beige carpet in front of me, and I looked like an overexcited puppy that had pissed itself in front of one of the world’s top models. Pull it together, Emmy!

Ben’s eyebrows drew together and Fiona let out an exasperated huff.

“It’s a wonder she can even walk and talk at the same time. She’s from Tennessee,” Fiona said by way of explanation. Ben’s attention slowly pulled back to Fiona.

My face heated with embarrassment. I liked my quaint country upbringing, and I wouldn’t change it for all the glamour and designer labels in the world. So I wasn’t from London, big whoop. I wouldn’t let her make me feel like I was two inches tall.

“I’m sorry. I’ll handle this.” I picked up my chin and scurried to my desk.

Ben

Tennessee huh? That explained the sweet little lilt to her voice. She wasn’t Fiona’s usual assistant. First, she was female. Secondly, she was still female, and Fiona didn’t play well with those of her own kind.

The assistant, with her tight little, knee-length navy skirt and proper tucked-in blouse, would have looked like an innocent schoolgirl if it weren’t for those curves. Holy hell, those curves. A luscious ass and the swell of a generous chest. Eyes up, buddy. No getting wood over the new girl.

Her innocence was cute, different. A hint of pink blossomed across her cheeks and her teeth were buried deep in her bottom lip. She had dark hair tucked efficiently behind her ears, and her hands shook, unable to stop the teacup from rattling. She stared up into my eyes, looking lost before the teacup went tumbling to the floor. For a split second I worried that the city of Manhattan—or Fiona—would chew her up and spit her out. A surge of protectiveness flared up inside me, the feeling strange and foreign. Also, not entirely welcome. I didn’t know this girl. Shouldn’t care. Yet I did. I couldn’t deny the instant chemistry and intrigue that buzzed between us, the suppressed shudder when I met her gaze, the soft inhalation of breath. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel something when watching her fidget in front of me.

Fiona turned to face me, curling her hand around my bicep, bringing me back to the situation at hand. “Well, since you’re here, love, you might as well take me to lunch.”

“Sure,” I responded automatically. I could see through Fiona’s ploy. She wanted to see me today—but didn’t want to admit it. I knew her games. This pretty young thing didn’t. And she was left to feel like the village idiot.

If she understood Fiona’s true motivation for calling me in, she wouldn’t be staring up at me with those innocent gray-blue eyes. If she knew the depravity lurking inside me, she’d flee for Tennessee without a backward glance. I’d devour a girl like her. Own her. The thought was intoxicating. I watched her with interest, considering my next move. “I’m sorry. I’ll handle this.” Tennessee picked up her chin and scurried to her desk, her confidence broken.

Watching her retreat while Fiona touched up her lipstick, I decided her assistant would be fun to play with. She’d be all soft feminine innocence, and those perfectly proportioned curves were begging for my hands. Fiona’s claws would come out though, so it might not be worth it. Fiona had done too much for me. Shit, she was my manager. I wasn’t about to do something stupid, like sleep with her assistant to piss her off. Bad career move. My dick would have to stay in my pants.

Emmy

The low murmur of voices coming from Fiona’s office kept me from reentering. I searched my bottom desk drawer for the emergency roll of paper towels I kept there. I was waiting for them to leave before I scampered in on hands and knees to clean up the mess. But they seemed to be taking their sweet time. I couldn’t hear the discussion but their postures were tense and they spoke in hushed voices.

Every time I thought about the way he’d gazed into my eyes, my heart did a funny leap. There was a certain depth to this man, one that his beauty kept hidden. I doubted most people dug below the surface. Yet strangely, I wanted to know him. It was a stupid thought and I had no idea where it came from. Perhaps it was my upbringing, southern hospitality, or something like it. But I wanted to take care of this man, ease that little worry line creasing his forehead. The depth and complexity in his eyes had held me captive a moment too long.

As if my thoughts had lured him away from Fiona’s clutches, Ben came striding out of the office and hesitated at my desk. “Did you get burned?”

His question took a moment to resonate. Oh yeah, my legs. The humiliation had blocked out the pain. But now that he mentioned it, I realized they were tingling where they’d been splattered with the searing water. With his gaze so intent on mine, it took me a moment to remind my mouth how to work properly.

“Just on my legs,” I stammered. Brilliant. Put a gorgeous man in front of me and I became a bumbling idiot. This job did not bode well for my self-esteem.

His eyes fell to my naked shins and I forgot all about the burn.

Fiona appeared, dropping a tube of lipstick into her Fendi handbag. That thing cost more than I made in a month. She lifted her chin, sniffing the air. “What is that smell?” Her face twisted in repulsion. She looked from Ben to me. All I could smell was the mouthwatering goodness of baked treats emanating from the container on my desk. “It smells like processed sugar.” Frown lines deepened around Fiona’s mouth.

“I baked blueberry muffins for the office.” I opened the lid and the most delicious scent wafted out, reminding my stomach that I’d skipped breakfast in lieu of taking the time to dress in something presentable and straighten my hair. “Would you like one before I put them in the kitchenette?”

Ben’s gaze flicked down to the floor as he tried to hide a smile. Fiona looked at me like I was mentally unstable, like I was trying to serve her a pile of manure rather than a homemade blueberry muffin.

What was her problem? Guess my gesture of goodwill was a dumb idea. I sniffled and raised my chin. I was damn proud of my muffins. But the look of disdain dripping from Fiona’s pouty red mouth instantly told me bringing baked goods into a modeling agency was akin to killing a puppy. Slowly, Fiona groaned and strode away. I looked down at my burned, tea-splattered legs and my self-confidence fell to an all-time low.

“Hey, Blueberry Muffin Girl . . .” Ben’s voice was low and authoritative, drawing my eyes back up to his. He fixed me with that sexy stare. “Make sure you put some ice on your burn.” His expression was flirty and kind, even if his concern felt out of place.

Forming words wasn’t possible at the moment, but I managed a nod. Ben followed after Fiona, chuckling to himself. I heard snickers around me. They’re probably taking bets on how long I’ll stick around.