Danny (Models On Top #1) (43 page)

“Eh, I think it will work out.” I open the door. “Next time, I want you to meet Reese. It’s late and she’s taking a bath, so you need to take off so I can take advantage of my naked girlfriend.”

He steps out. “Rub it in. Rub it in, man.” Backing down to the porch, he says, “I’m not gonna give you a hard time for that. I would be doing the same thing. I’m happy for you, Danny. You deserve to be happy after all this time. Just remember I’m your man when you’re casting the best man role.”

Chuckling, I say, “You’ve got it.”

“Thanks for the hug,” he yells way too loudly. I look around, hoping none of my neighbors hear him.

“Never mention it again.”

He’s smiling as he walks away. I feel better knowing he feels better. If that makes me a chick, then I guess I’ll have to own it. Now back to the previously scheduled program. I lock the door and run into the bathroom to join my girl.

REREADING THE TEXT,
I smile, happy Jane finally called him. I have no idea what Jane will do, but Reese thinks she’ll go back to Luke. Women don’t talk to their exes like she has been if she hasn’t already
emotionally
left the other guy. I’m pretty sure Reese is speaking from experience. Luke played a good game of pretending he was over her, but it’s been obvious he wasn’t. Hope still exists. Maybe he’ll get his second chance to make things right like I have.

I get up from the couch and go into the bedroom. Those leggings she insists on wearing—the ones she had back in college that drove me nuts, lay on the bed. How pants covered in cats smoking pipes survived our breakup and I didn’t, I’ll never understand. I guess that’s just something I’m going to have to let go. I grab what I came in here for and head out back.

Reese is lying on the back balcony. She’s in a very fucking distracting bikini when I go and sit on the chair next to her. I have to mentally make myself stop staring at her fantastic tits and focus on the mission. Trying to act natural, I ask, “Remember how we used to spend the first snow of the year together? No matter where we were, we would find each other?”

“I remember,” she says, taking her sunglasses off and smiling at me. “It was our tradition. What made you think of that?”

I shrug nonchalantly. “How about we revive that tradition?”

She laughs her gorgeous laugh. “I’d love to, but I think you’ve forgotten that we live in Southern California. How do you propose we do it? Take a trip?”

Offering my hand, I stand up. “Come with me.” I lead her by the hand through the living room and upstairs. We cut through the room that has become her office and out to the balcony. I open the door and start to walk out but she stops, my body jerking to a halt. Her free hand covers her mouth in surprise.

Despite wanting to give her my million-dollar smile, I’m only capable of a completely cheesy
I-pulled-off-the-greatest-of-grand-gestures
grin. Her eyes are wide in joy. “Come on.”

She comes with me this time. We step out onto the terracotta tiles and look up as the snow falls down. “Danny, it’s snowing. In Los Angeles. In May.” Even though she’s barefoot and bikini-clad, Reese runs to the ledge and looks over. The machine is down there, working full time to fight the seventy-degree weather. When she turns back to me, she says, “You did this for me?”

“I do everything for you. Come over here, baby.”

She runs and jumps up, her body wrapping around mine, and kisses me, kissing me like this is the last kiss we’ll ever share. I kiss her with just as much passion. “I can’t believe you did this. It’s amazing.”

Snowflakes land on her lashes and she shivers. “I guess my timing’s off. You’re not exactly dressed for the snow.”

“Your timing has never been better. I love this so much.”

“How about this for timing?” I kneel down on one knee—the left to be precise—and pull the box from my pocket.

Her gasp is loud, both hands now covering her face. I chuckle and pull her hands down gently, until I see her smile, tears filling her eyes. “I want to see your blue eyes when I do this.” I thought I’d be nervous, but for some reason—or because of my
someone
—I’m not. Holding her left hand, I rub my thumb over her knuckles. “Ten years ago I let you walk out of my life and didn’t fight hard enough to get you back. It’s the only regret I’ve lived with, the only one I didn’t think I would ever get a chance to rectify. But here I am, on bended knee before you, silently praying you’ll give me the opportunity to make things right, to let me put us back together the way we were always meant to be. Reese Carmichael, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and partner in this life and for eternity? Will you marry me, pretty?”

I open the black velvet box that was hidden in my drawer under the boxers in the back. The two-carat ring is still as stunning as it was years ago when I bought it in Paris. It’s perfect for the stunning woman with shaking hands and tears streaming down her face, standing in the goddamn sexiest bathing suit I’ve ever seen. For a brief second I think about covering her with my shirt so no one else can see her. But I tame the inner caveman… for now, because I paid a lot of money to make it snow in May. I’m pretty sure she’s starting to get cold, but I’m still waiting for her to answer so I can swoop her inside and make love to her to seal the deal.

“You don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed of this moment with you. This is better. You out-dreamed any dream I could have ever had. But I would have said yes even without this, because I have you and you are my dream come true.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

She’s nodding while tears run over her smiling lips. “Yes. A zillion yeses.”

I don’t waste a second. I scoop her up into my arms and run back inside. Kicking the door shut, I’m quick to the bedroom where that teeny-tiny bikini is off in seconds. I warm her body like I warm her soul—with my body, with my soul.

I’M EVERYWHERE.

Billboards.

Magazines.

Malls.

Stores.

Bus stops.

Commercials.

Red Carpets.

Airports.

The King of Times Square.

The signs are huge, the ads fill pages, and I’m all over the TV.
With the ads out, Mark says I’m back on top, but I say I never left it. Vittori has made me a household name. Well, let’s clarify—a household
where I wasn’t already a famed
name.

I have my pick of jobs from the modeling world to acting. I can do and have anything,
except
the privacy I once enjoyed. I’m adapting. Reese is doing a good job, though she cracks under the lens of the paparazzi microscope some days and threatens to kidnap me and hide me in Manhattan. She’s adorable like that, when she gets all protective and possessive. I don’t blame her. I feel the same about her.

I’m just glad she’s got Holli to rely on, to vent to, to hang out with. They have a lot in common—ambitious, kind, and funny. But Reese is so much more to me. She knows me, the real me before the fame, and before the money. She knows the present-day me as well, and
still stays
. I chuckle.

I look up at the Illustrious sign as I walk inside. It’s always been a source of pride to watch this agency grow into an international success and to know I’ve been a part of that journey.

Mark is in his office when I arrive. In typical fashion, he doesn’t look up, but says, “Good work, Danny.”

“Thanks,” I reply, sitting down in front of his desk.

“We booked GQ. Sebastian Lassiter has been pushed back a few months.” He looks up. “Guess you still got it.”

I pop my imaginary collar. It’s good to be king.

Mark adds, “And because Mr. Vittori insists on you for his next campaign, the new deal with Vittori closed this morning. He didn’t even balk at your new fee.”

Vinnie has been very generous with us professionally, to both Reese and me. As for his friendship, the man knows no bounds
or boundaries
. Literally. But it all comes from a good place. We’re glad to have him in our corner.

I’ll be wearing a Vittori suit for the wedding and Vinnie’s designing Reese’s dress for the wedding as his gift, in trade, for letting him plan it with her. I’m afraid to see the purple spectacle this will become, but if it makes them happy, it makes me happy.

“We’ve worked together a long time.” Setting his pen down, he says, “I think you have a long career ahead of you and I’m happy I get to share it.”

“Me too, man.” I reach forward and shake his hand, but he stands and pulls me in for a hug. We pat each other on the back.

When we stand back, he says, “Jody has the contract for you to sign. Stop at her desk on your way out.” And like that, we’re back to business.

“Okay. Thanks for everything.”

“You’re welcome. Now get out of here. I have to close this deal for Sebastian before he flips out over GQ.”

Laughing, I say, “Good luck with that one.”

“I need it.”

I don’t even make it to The Pit before I hear Lassiter, for some reason, having enough nerve to talk to me. He says, “That’s one smokin’ hot girl you’ve got there.”

Stopping, I look back at him. Letting my scowl speak for me, but decide he needs to hear it as well. “That’s your one free pass. Say anything about her, even uttering her name will get your ass taken down.”

Lassiter doesn’t take anything seriously. “So, you don’t want me to tell you how I think I’ll hire her sexy ass as my up-close-and-personal ad advisor? I’m sure she’ll enjoy spending late nights together working on our—”

My fist is flying, but I stop just shy of a half-inch from his jaw. Cocky motherfucker. “Finish what you were saying.”

Nervous, he laughs. “I think I’m done.”

So close, but I give him the second chance. “Yeah, I thought so.” Let’s hope he doesn’t make that mistake again.

Mark runs out of his office, shouting, “Shit, Danny! He has a job in two days.”

“I gave him a warning.”

Mark comes between us. “So I guess you’re not up for mentoring him?”

I laugh, moving to Jod’s desk and crossing my arms. “Thanks, but no thanks. Good luck with that.”

“You’re lucky I like you or I’d fired you.”

Jods hands me the new contract to sign. Ever since the Vittori campaign hit, my asking price just went time and a half. I cock an eyebrow with my signature smirk. “You love me too much.”

“I love the money you make me.”

I shrug as I walk to the door. “Same thing. See you soon.” I take the elevator down and pass the reception desk, sending the security guard a nod. When I push through the double doors and walk under the silver Illustrious letters set atop the modern stainless steel awning, I stop to appreciate the life I’ve been given, the second chance I’ve stolen back from destiny.

I live the life many envy, more crave—fame, traveling the world, big paychecks, hot women. But only one thing matters and that’s what has me grinning from ear to ear. It may not be my million-dollar smile, but it’s worth a billion to me. She’s worth more to me.

Reese sits in the driver’s seat of the fresh-off-the-showroom-floor dark sapphire convertible Jaguar F-TYPE. I would have called it navy, but that would be an insult to the perfection of this shade of blue. Her engagement present brings out the blue of her gorgeous eyes, which are fixed on me now.

After I hop over the car door and land in the passenger seat, she asks, “How did it go?”

“Good.” I won’t go into the gory details of almost pummeling that arrogant asshole. I don’t want to ruin a perfectly beautiful Southern California day. In the end, Sebastian Lassiter doesn’t matter. I got the gig. I got the girl. I’ve got a damn good life. Winking, I say, “It’s good to be me.” It’s good to be a model on top.

Smiling, Reese shakes her head, and starts the car. “You ready, Romeo?”

Taking her hand in mine, I bring it to my lips and kiss her. “I was born ready, baby.”