Danny (Models On Top #1) (34 page)

All eyes in the room turn to me, but my eyes stay right where they need to be—on her.

“What did you just to say to me?”

My gaze shifts to her right. “Don’t touch her again.”

“Jealousy is an ugly look and considering your looks are all you’ve got to offer, I suggest you watch your threats.” Surprising Reese, he wraps his arm around her waist.

While she wriggles free, I’m already in motion before I have a chance to think this through. The thing is—while I watch him fall to the ground—I don’t regret punching him. I only regret that I didn’t do it sooner.

Gasps fill the room, one of them Reese’s as she holds her hands over her mouth. When our eyes meet over the sniveling, bloody-nosed man lying between us, an understanding is shared through that look. I see beyond the blue and into her soul. It’s not about him. Everything we feel for each other is only about us. Us alone. He doesn’t matter, and that’s when I feel it. She loves me.

I smile ’cuz I love her too. Then I’m knocked down, falling head over feet—literally. I slam to the floor, landing on my ass. No the fuck he didn’t. I’m back on my feet before he can blink. One more fast swing connects, sending him down for the count.

He holds his face, wailing, “You are so fucking dead. You’ll pay for this, pretty boy!”

“That’s fine,” I reply. “It was worth it.”

He gets to his knees, still threatening as loudly as he can. “I’m going to sue your ass. I’ll see you in court, motherfucker.”

Reese stands in shock, as does Becs. Becs rushes to my aide. “Are you okay? That looked like a nasty fall. You came this close,” she says, holding her fingers two inches apart, “from hitting your head on the desk.”

Brushing her off, I tell her, “I’m fine.”

Claudia stands from the leather chair on the other side of the desk, looking bored. “Are we shooting anymore or what?”

We all stare at her. Bryker says, “I think I got all we need.”

She replies, “Good. Today’s my day to eat and I’m starving.”

Reese’s dramatic sigh can be heard as she rolls her eyes. “Can I please buy you a burger?”

Claudia looks at her. “I don’t eat meat. But I’ll take a bowl of peas.”

The asshole stands in a huff. “Peas? What the fuck? Are you people insane? Why is no one helping me? Get me a fucking icepack.”

Becs makes a move to the door. “I have one in my first aid kits. Come with me. Danny, I’ll bring one back for your hand.”

As soon as they’re out of the room, I laugh. Reese smiles. Bryker just shakes his head.

Then
he
comes back in, and demands, “Reese! Let’s go.”

I watch her shoulders slump as she debates. She looks at me but knows how I feel about his demand, yet she still insists, “I’ll handle it.”

Knowing she needs my support more than my judgment, I nod, but I’m still pissed. “What about the flight to Paris?”

“Be on it. I’ll talk to Vinnie and explain, but we’re moving forward with this campaign whether Klein Advertising is involved or not.”

I watch her walk away, hating the dread that fills me. I know I need to let her go, to handle this on her own, but it doesn’t take away the twisting in my gut knowing she’s going to see him. I wouldn’t give him the courtesy of even telling him I quit if I was in her shoes. But that’s not Reese and I respect that about her.

Becs comes to the door and hooks her finger. “Come on, let’s get you out of that suit and hope there’s no blood on it.”

I’M STANDING AT
the entrance to the airplane, anxiously waiting. There’s been no sign of Reese and she hasn’t called or answered her phone. I got one text telling me to go to Paris even if she doesn’t make the flight.

“Sir,” the flight attendant taps me and says, “we need you to board. This is the final boarding call.”

I look down at the text once more
: I’ll see you in Paris. I promise.

I board per her wish and settle into the first class seat. Just as I power off my phone, a flurry of commotion happens at the entrance to the plane. I look up to see Reese coming toward me. She flops down in the seat next to me and tucks a large purse under the seat. She’s radiant. Wild hair, bright eyes, casual clothes. She says, “I quit.”

I look at her in shock. And awe. My pride in her taking over my tone. “You did?”

“I did.” She’s nodding and exuberantly giddy.

“What about your responsibilities?”

“I’m seeing this campaign through. We’re going to get the shots we need and then… I don’t know. I have some savings. Not much, but some. I’ll come back and find a new job.”

Taking her hand in mine, I lean back. “And you did this for?”

“For me. For us. For my soul. God, I feel so good right now.” She looks at me with a new hope I haven’t been privy to since we laid eyes on each other in that first meeting back in LA. “What a weight lifted.”

But beneath the relief she’s feeling, the high she’s riding, I start to wonder how she’s going to feel when she comes down. “What happened?”

“I told him. I told him everything.”

“Be more specific, Reese.” I try to keep the sternness out of my voice, but through her hope, I can’t help but think I’m going to be the reason she loses it.

The flight attendant makes us pause. I order water and Reese orders wine. She turns to me, and laughs. “You should have seen the look on his face, Danny. You would have been so proud of me.”

“I was already proud of you. Now please tell me what happened.”

“I went back to the office and told him how I really feel about him. Then I told him I’ll finish this campaign and gave my two-weeks’ notice.”

It would be easy to get swept up in her delight, but my instincts regarding a man like Keaton Klein are usually spot-on. With dread entering my stomach, I ask, “How did he react to that?”

“I don’t even care anymore. He’s controlled me for too long. I felt I had no options, no outs. I bought my apartment because I had that job and security. But over time I realized he wasn’t going to just let me go. It didn’t even matter that he didn’t want me. I was just this thing he didn’t want anyone else to have either.”

“If he wants you, he’s not going to let you go that easily.”

“He doesn’t have a choice. Once I realized I could sell the apartment, I saw that I have options. I don’t want to be tied down by stuff when I can be living a fuller life. I don’t need that job. I can find another.” She touches her chest. “I have control of my life again. Danny, we can be together. I can live anywhere. We should be celebrating. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“I want all that. I want you to be happy. I never want him around you again—”

“I’m not going to be after this campaign and that makes me happy. Being here with you makes me happy. A future full of possibilities scares the shit out of me, but I’m happy because I need to be scared. I need to be challenged again. I need to start living my dream.”

“What do you dream of?”

“I dream of you.”

“You don’t have to dream of me. I’m right here. I’m yours already. I always was.” Leaning over the armrest, I kiss her on the forehead and hold her hand a little tighter. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. So much.”

Sitting back when the attendant returns with our drinks, I can’t ignore my gut. This is gonna blow back in our faces. If there’s one thing I learned about her ex, it’s that he’s not afraid of the low blow. The fucking weasel.

“WE’RE MAKING OUR
descent.”

I open my eyes to find Danny rubbing my leg gently to wake me. I stir, feeling groggy. “I only meant to close my eyes for a minute.”

“Being a badass heartbreaker takes energy.”

His smile warms me so I reach up and adjust the air vent above my head, hoping to cool down before he notices. Massaging my temples eases the pain in my head, a headache forming.

He asks, “How are you feeling?” I hear the trepidation in his voice.

“I’m fine,” I reply resting my hand on his thigh, wanting to touch him more, but knowing now is not quite the right time.
Later. Most definitely later.
“Why do you sound so worried? Everything with the shoot is still moving forward.”

“I’m not worried about me, Reese. I’m worried about you.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you acted spontaneously last night.”

“I thought you’d be happy? He’s out of our life now.”

“His firm is still in charge of this shoot. And Klein doesn’t seem like the type of guy to let it go. I shouldn’t have hit him. Twice. But he provoked me. I just hate that I lost my temper at all. He’s not worth it.”

“He was demeaning, Danny.”

He chuckles. “I’m not naïve. I know how people feel about models. They only look at the surface. No pun intended. But I take my job seriously, and it’s given me a life I couldn’t otherwise experience or afford. But more than that, I respect everyone who’s a part of this industry. I’ve met a lot of great people because of modeling. So when he demeans me, he’s demeaning all of them. And that’s why I hit him. Twice.”

“It was hot.”

“What?” He looks my way smiling.

“You hitting him. It was hot. And the hotness doesn’t come from the fact it was
him
you hit. It was the way the suit was taut around your biceps and how your eyes were set on him. He didn’t stand a chance against you. Reminded me of college.”

“Of all the things I’ve tried to remind you of, that wasn’t meant to be one of them. I’m getting too old for that shit. I’m supposed to be maturing.”

“Oh, you’ve matured,” I say, sliding my hand higher up his leg. “Yes, indeed.”

“Are you drunk?”

“No,” I answer, wondering why he asked that. “Why?”

His eyes are narrowed, but his lips are amused. “You’re just so… not like you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. It’s a good thing. And you’re like you, but not like the Reese you put on for work. The business you.”

“The business me?” Now I’m squinting my eyes, puzzled. “I didn’t know I was putting on anything. You make it sound like I’m not fun. I’m fun. Tons o’ fun.”

Pointing, he laughs. “That. See? Right there. Tons o’ fun. What is that?”

“I don’t know. Just popped in my head and I said it.”

“That’s what I mean. Usually you don’t say anything unless it’s carefully crafted and then presented with caution and care.”

“I don’t craft what I say.”
Wait, do I?
Damn, he might be right. I think I might actually craft what I say. “Not much anyway.”

He smiles and takes my hand that has been very touchy feely. “You’re making me hard. Unless you plan to follow through right the fuck here in first class, let’s hold off.”

Why is it so hot when he swears from sexual frustration and sexual release? Just everything sexual. It’s even hotter when he’s swearing. “I’m willing to follow through
right the fuck
here. If you want me to.”

“Drugs?”

I hit him, and as he laughs blocking the second hit, I say, “No, I’m not on drugs either. Geez, you make me sound awful.”

Lifting the armrest up, he then wraps his arm around me and pulls me as close as he can. “I don’t mean it like that at all. I find you incredibly sexy whether you’re in business mode or not, so don’t take it the wrong way. I’ve only gotten glimpses of the carefree Reese since seeing each other again. I got
her
in Marfa.”

The memories of Marfa make me smile. “You did.” I sit up as the plane touches down. “I’m happy. I feel more alive with that noose no longer around my neck.”

“For the record, Reese, I like every side that smiles.” With that million-dollar smile of his own, he says, “And if the offer for the
right the fuck here
is still open, I’m game.”

The plane comes to a stop at our gate and I shrug, feigning indifference. “I’m afraid the offer’s expired.”

Leaning over, he puts his lips against my ear, and whispers, “I’ll take a rain check.” He leaves me with a kiss to my neck and sits back in his chair like that didn’t send a surge of sex-tricity throughout my entire body. It did.
It sooo did.

At baggage claim, because our closeness has become obvious to everyone—Bryker, Becs, Claudia—we don’t bother hiding our feelings any longer. Danny takes hold of my hand while we’re waiting for our luggage to come down the belt. I glance at him, but don’t pull my hand away. Instead, I squeeze it, holding his just as tight.