bitterness mounting in spite of his resolve. “Regardless of what you, or anyone else thinks, I’m doing this for the good of the company. There’s nothing personal involved at all.”
He turned back to the crowd, letting his gaze scan the laughing faces until he spotted Anya. She was still talking to Roland Sutton, but at that exact moment, she looked up and her eyes met Zach’s. He felt the impact somewhere inside his gut, felt his objectivity take a flying leap out the nearest window.
It’s nothing personal, he reminded himself. Just business.
But he still couldn’t look away. Not even when Anya broke the eye contact first. Not even when his mother’s grip on his arm tightened. Not even when he mentally called himself nine kinds of a fool.
He and his mother stood in awkward silence for a moment, then Kathryn said, “What do you know about that woman?” Her tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp, intuitive. Not pleased.
Zach frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I remember the furor ten years ago when she dropped out of sight. I still remember the talk within the industry. At seventeen, she was one of the most sought-after models in the world, and then, overnight, she just disappeared. Walked away from all her commitments. What’s to stop her from doing so again? A lot of time and money had been invested in her career, Zach. A lot of people were hurt because of her. I can’t help wondering…”
“What?”
She hesitated. “I can’t help wondering if perhaps youshould have listened to your father this time, if you should have heeded his advice. It’s not too late to go to him—”
Zach looked at her in disbelief. “Is
that
what all this is about? I’ve been racking my brain for months, trying to figure out your motives. Now I know. You set me up to fail, didn’t you, Mother?”
“That’s ridiculous—”
“Is it? I don’t think so. I’ve never known you to do anything without some hidden agenda. You wanted me to have to go running back to him, begging for help. You wanted to assuage his pride at the expense of mine. That’s it, isn’t it?” In spite of his control, Zach felt a great wave of anger rolling over him. What a fool he’d been not to see it. “Well, don’t hold your breath, Mother,” he said harshly. “What you’ve done is made me more determined than ever. There’s no way this campaign will fail. I’ll see to that.”
* * *
Exhausted, weak and trembling, Anya slipped down a darkened hallway in the Renee Alexander offices. The party had been going for hours, it seemed. The champagne had continued to flow, and the crowd had become loud and boisterous, even more aggressive. Anya had smiled until her jaws ached. She’d evaded question after question concerning her past.
And somehow, God knows how, she’d managed to beat back the growing panic inside her.
So many people crowding around her.
So much temptation.
The heat of their bodies had surrounded her, enveloped her in a living, breathing blanket of need. The echo of their heartbeats had pounded in her head, had vibrated all the way through her, touching, arousing, tormenting the darkness deep down inside her. Their emotions, their innermostthoughts had clamored through her mind, demanding attention. Demanding to be used against them.
How easy. How very simple to single one out, to use his admiration and his secret desires to lure him closer and closer and closer….
She thought about Roland Sutton, about his greed and jealousy and ambition, emotions that could so easily be used to manipulate. Sutton hated Zach, and that would have made it even easier for Anya.
Disgusted by her thoughts, she leaned against the wall, steadying her breathing. Control, she ordered herself. She’d had ten long years to learn it, but being put on display had been every bit the ordeal she’d feared it would be.
She’d agreed to one public appearance, and now that part of the bargain was over. She could relax. She could breathe
He turned back to the crowd, letting his gaze scan the laughing faces until he spotted Anya. She was still talking to Roland Sutton, but at that exact moment, she looked up and her eyes met Zach’s. He felt the impact somewhere inside his gut, felt his objectivity take a flying leap out the nearest window.
It’s nothing personal, he reminded himself. Just business.
But he still couldn’t look away. Not even when Anya broke the eye contact first. Not even when his mother’s grip on his arm tightened. Not even when he mentally called himself nine kinds of a fool.
He and his mother stood in awkward silence for a moment, then Kathryn said, “What do you know about that woman?” Her tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp, intuitive. Not pleased.
Zach frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I remember the furor ten years ago when she dropped out of sight. I still remember the talk within the industry. At seventeen, she was one of the most sought-after models in the world, and then, overnight, she just disappeared. Walked away from all her commitments. What’s to stop her from doing so again? A lot of time and money had been invested in her career, Zach. A lot of people were hurt because of her. I can’t help wondering…”
“What?”
She hesitated. “I can’t help wondering if perhaps youshould have listened to your father this time, if you should have heeded his advice. It’s not too late to go to him—”
Zach looked at her in disbelief. “Is
that
what all this is about? I’ve been racking my brain for months, trying to figure out your motives. Now I know. You set me up to fail, didn’t you, Mother?”
“That’s ridiculous—”
“Is it? I don’t think so. I’ve never known you to do anything without some hidden agenda. You wanted me to have to go running back to him, begging for help. You wanted to assuage his pride at the expense of mine. That’s it, isn’t it?” In spite of his control, Zach felt a great wave of anger rolling over him. What a fool he’d been not to see it. “Well, don’t hold your breath, Mother,” he said harshly. “What you’ve done is made me more determined than ever. There’s no way this campaign will fail. I’ll see to that.”
* * *
Exhausted, weak and trembling, Anya slipped down a darkened hallway in the Renee Alexander offices. The party had been going for hours, it seemed. The champagne had continued to flow, and the crowd had become loud and boisterous, even more aggressive. Anya had smiled until her jaws ached. She’d evaded question after question concerning her past.
And somehow, God knows how, she’d managed to beat back the growing panic inside her.
So many people crowding around her.
So much temptation.
The heat of their bodies had surrounded her, enveloped her in a living, breathing blanket of need. The echo of their heartbeats had pounded in her head, had vibrated all the way through her, touching, arousing, tormenting the darkness deep down inside her. Their emotions, their innermostthoughts had clamored through her mind, demanding attention. Demanding to be used against them.
How easy. How very simple to single one out, to use his admiration and his secret desires to lure him closer and closer and closer….
She thought about Roland Sutton, about his greed and jealousy and ambition, emotions that could so easily be used to manipulate. Sutton hated Zach, and that would have made it even easier for Anya.
Disgusted by her thoughts, she leaned against the wall, steadying her breathing. Control, she ordered herself. She’d had ten long years to learn it, but being put on display had been every bit the ordeal she’d feared it would be.
She’d agreed to one public appearance, and now that part of the bargain was over. She could relax. She could breathe
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