hammered so loudly he wondered if anyone else could hear it. She looked exquisite. Ethereal. He thought her the most stunning woman he’d ever seen. She wore a sleek black dress, belted at the waist. A heavy, antique gold medallion hung around her neck, and three tiny crystals in the center flashed in the light.
She took her place on the dais next to Zach, hovering just within his reach. But like a vision, like a wondrous illusion, he had a terrible premonition that if he reached for her, if he touched her, she would dissolve into nothingness right before his eyes.
He still couldn’t quite believe she was his.
A murmur of appreciation rippled through the crowd,followed by a smattering of applause that drew Zach back to the moment at hand. The questions began next, eager queries shot from the reporters in rapid succession.
Anya looked slightly dazed by their aggression. Her smile seemed strained. Her gaze met his briefly, and the look in her eyes startled Zach. She looked panicky. Trapped. Like someone who very much needed rescuing.
He accepted the cue immediately, stepping toward the microphone. “That concludes our announcement, ladies and gentlemen. No questions tonight, please. You’re all welcome to stay and enjoy the champagne, though.”
Quickly, he took Anya’s arm and steered her from the dais, but they were immediately surrounded by people and separated. The reaction of the crowd was exactly what Zach had hoped it would be. They were fascinated by Anya, captivated by her mystique. People would be talking about Seduction long before the ads ever hit the media.
Zach stood back from the crowd and watched her. He should be happy, he knew. He should be thrilled. Elated. Ecstatic. So why did he feel so edgy? So resentful that these people had Anya’s attention and he didn’t? Because you’re an idiot, Christopher.
“You’re a genius, Zach. I have to hand it to you.”
Zach turned at the sound of the voice beside him. Julian Sindel nodded his approval. “I didn’t think you could do it, but you signed Anya Valorian to an exclusive contract when she wouldn’t even give the big boys the time of day. How’d you manage it? What’s your secret?”
Zach’s smile was wry as he lifted his champagne glass and stared at the myriad bubbles spiraling upward. “Finesse, Julian. It’s all in how you handle them.”
The photographer grinned and clapped him on the back. “Not to mention the largest contract ever offered to a model, eh, Zach? How’d that go over with your board?”
“You let me worry about the board,” Zach said. “You just make damned sure you get the best shots of Anya Valorian that have ever been taken.”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to it. If I can just capture that elusive quality on film. Her mystique…” His words trailed off, then he seemed to rouse himself. “You’ll be there, of course?”
There was nothing Zach wanted more. Aside from the fact that this was the most important ad campaign of his career, there was nothing he wanted more than to see Anya again, to watch her light up before the camera. But a deal was a deal.
He shook his head. “I can’t make it. Evan Hawthorne’s heading up this campaign. He’ll be there instead.”
Julian’s brows rose slightly, but he made no comment as he ambled away.
Anya was surrounded by men. Tall men, short men, fat men, skinny men, old men, young men—all of them clamored for a word from her, for one small bit of her attention. But far from looking panicky now, she appeared exhilarated, in her element, as she talked and laughed with the group around her.
She seemed to be relishing the attention, Zach thought with a flash of unreasonable anger. For someone who had agreed to only one public appearance, she looked to be a woman immensely enjoying her return to fame.
With a sharper bolt of anger, Zach saw Roland Sutton standing next to her. The older man said something to her, and Anya turned so that Zach could no longer see
She took her place on the dais next to Zach, hovering just within his reach. But like a vision, like a wondrous illusion, he had a terrible premonition that if he reached for her, if he touched her, she would dissolve into nothingness right before his eyes.
He still couldn’t quite believe she was his.
A murmur of appreciation rippled through the crowd,followed by a smattering of applause that drew Zach back to the moment at hand. The questions began next, eager queries shot from the reporters in rapid succession.
Anya looked slightly dazed by their aggression. Her smile seemed strained. Her gaze met his briefly, and the look in her eyes startled Zach. She looked panicky. Trapped. Like someone who very much needed rescuing.
He accepted the cue immediately, stepping toward the microphone. “That concludes our announcement, ladies and gentlemen. No questions tonight, please. You’re all welcome to stay and enjoy the champagne, though.”
Quickly, he took Anya’s arm and steered her from the dais, but they were immediately surrounded by people and separated. The reaction of the crowd was exactly what Zach had hoped it would be. They were fascinated by Anya, captivated by her mystique. People would be talking about Seduction long before the ads ever hit the media.
Zach stood back from the crowd and watched her. He should be happy, he knew. He should be thrilled. Elated. Ecstatic. So why did he feel so edgy? So resentful that these people had Anya’s attention and he didn’t? Because you’re an idiot, Christopher.
“You’re a genius, Zach. I have to hand it to you.”
Zach turned at the sound of the voice beside him. Julian Sindel nodded his approval. “I didn’t think you could do it, but you signed Anya Valorian to an exclusive contract when she wouldn’t even give the big boys the time of day. How’d you manage it? What’s your secret?”
Zach’s smile was wry as he lifted his champagne glass and stared at the myriad bubbles spiraling upward. “Finesse, Julian. It’s all in how you handle them.”
The photographer grinned and clapped him on the back. “Not to mention the largest contract ever offered to a model, eh, Zach? How’d that go over with your board?”
“You let me worry about the board,” Zach said. “You just make damned sure you get the best shots of Anya Valorian that have ever been taken.”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to it. If I can just capture that elusive quality on film. Her mystique…” His words trailed off, then he seemed to rouse himself. “You’ll be there, of course?”
There was nothing Zach wanted more. Aside from the fact that this was the most important ad campaign of his career, there was nothing he wanted more than to see Anya again, to watch her light up before the camera. But a deal was a deal.
He shook his head. “I can’t make it. Evan Hawthorne’s heading up this campaign. He’ll be there instead.”
Julian’s brows rose slightly, but he made no comment as he ambled away.
Anya was surrounded by men. Tall men, short men, fat men, skinny men, old men, young men—all of them clamored for a word from her, for one small bit of her attention. But far from looking panicky now, she appeared exhilarated, in her element, as she talked and laughed with the group around her.
She seemed to be relishing the attention, Zach thought with a flash of unreasonable anger. For someone who had agreed to only one public appearance, she looked to be a woman immensely enjoying her return to fame.
With a sharper bolt of anger, Zach saw Roland Sutton standing next to her. The older man said something to her, and Anya turned so that Zach could no longer see
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