Through The Lens (Creative Hearts Book 1) (16 page)

His mind raced, replaying all the times they’d had together over the years. How could she have this letter and not say a word? How could she sleep with him, make love with him, work with him, use him?

He raked his hand across his scalp. There had to be some mistake. His Mika wouldn’t do this to him. She was honest. If she wanted to leave him or had planned to, she’d be the first to tell him. And she surely wouldn’t sleep with him with this type of news over them.

But then her words came back to him.
You’ll feel different in the morning.
He quickly reread the letter again and noted the date. Fuck again.

It was true. She’d done it. She’d accepted another job and used him in the process. For all her talk of independence and control, he was nothing more than her stepping stone. Just like every other woman before her. Just like his mother was to his father. His blood slowed, turning to lava in his veins, the dream of Venice or any romantic getaway boiling in the pit.

He moved to her side, shaking her shoulder. “What the hell is this?”

*

Mika’s eyes snapped open. Was it tomorrow?
 

“Mika,” Ale’s voice was seething. What happened? She looked up at him, fighting to make him out in the shadowed moonlight. “What’s wrong?”

He grabbed her arm, pulling her up, leaving her breasts exposed. “This,” he said, turning on the bedside light and waving the paper in front of her. “What is this?”
 

She took one look at the wrinkled paper in his hand and dread set in, leaving her cold down to her toes. Please just let her be a corpse on a slab. It would be easier than this moment. But one look at Ale’s angry expression told her she was definitely not dead, only wishing to be. She pulled the sheet up with one hand to cover herself then swallowed the words stuck in her throat.

“Well?” he said, searing her with his gaze. “Care to tell me why you lied to me?”
 

“I never lied,” she finally whispered.

He gave an unfunny laugh that raked at her spine and had the hair on the back of her neck standing on edge. “No, you just decided you wouldn’t tell me about something as big as—” he looked down at the letter—“as a job at
Stylist
. One that starts in couple of weeks!”

“I was going to tell you,” she said in a soft voice.

He cocked a brow. “Oh, really. When? After you were there a month? Because it sure wasn’t during one of the many times I was inside of you.”

She opened her mouth, not able to keep the hurt from her voice. “That is not fair.”

“And this is? You used me.”

Mika flinched but raised her chin. “Please, you should talk. There was no using here. We both got what we wanted out of the deal, and it was wonderful. You said so yourself.”

His eyes darkened. “I don’t even know you. Maybe I never did. I thought you were honest. The Mika I thought I knew wouldn’t keep something like this from me. You could have at least told me you were looking.”

The talk of honesty hurt, but she couldn’t let him know that. She couldn’t let him in any deeper into her soul than he’d already been. This was going to end either way. “And you would have, what, let me go with your blessing? I doubt that.”

Alejandro just stared, a hard look that reached into her gut, shook it, and dropped it back down. “Maybe not. Maybe I would fight to keep you. But at least I’d be up front about it and not sneak around behind your back. Using you for what you’re worth and then moving on.”

Mika swung her legs over the side of the bed, clutching the sheet around her body. “Is that what you think I was doing? Just using you? Man, your ego really does have no bounds, Alejandro the Great.”

“What am I supposed to think? You have plans to leave for one of the top magazines in the country, and you think my name had nothing to do with it? Then, to top it off, on the way out the door you decide to sleep with me for good measure. Double whammy, if you ask me.”

She whirled on him. “Let’s get this straight—it was you who kissed me first. And don’t you forget it. You may think you’re the end-all be-all, Mister Vargas, but maybe I got this job on my own merits. I’m a damn good photographer. Sure, working for you has had its clout,” she let her gaze rake over his body. “But don’t think for one moment I don’t have enough talent to make it on my own.”
 

He reached out to take her arm, but she jerked back. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he started to explain.

“Like hell you didn’t. For too long I’ve been told I’m not good enough, and I won’t take it from you.” Mika stood as tall as she could and wished in that moment she could add another few inches to it. She put her chin up and, with the sheet wrapped around her naked body, looked down her nose at Ale. She blinked quickly forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. “Well, boss. Let this be my official notice. This will be our last job together. It’s been a unique experience.”

She felt Alejandro’s piercing eyes on her back as she ran off into the darkness to her own flowerless hut on shaky legs. Yes, tomorrow was here and it was a real bitch.

Chapter 11

Damn, that motor was loud. Mika turned over in her bed as the sound rumbled through her brain and the sunlight hit her in the face. When did she even fall asleep? The last thing she remembered from the night before was trying to muffle her cries in her pillow to silence them and that was at around five a.m. and now this motor was like a jackhammer in her head.
 

Wait, motor? She jumped up, ran to the window and proceeded to panic. Shit! There they were. Four large boats were anchoring to the docks, and here she was, stark naked in full sunlight in front of a huge window. She quickly put her hands over her breasts, ducked down and went running back to the bed, grabbing for the sheet. She wrapped it around herself and ran to Alejandro’s room. “Ale, they’re here. They’re here.” Perfect—now she was Tattoo from old school
Fantasy Island
, yelling for Mr. Roarke.
“The plane! The plane!”
 

Mika circled around. Alejandro’s room was empty, his bed made. She peeked up and out the window again, squinting. There he was, already out on the dock alongside Tong.
 

“Bastard,” she muttered to herself as she stalked back to her hut to change. So he couldn’t even wake her. Was she already obsolete in his eyes after last night? Well, she had news for him. She still had one last job to do, and she damn well was going to do it. She went into the bathroom for a quick one-minute shower, threw on some cargo shorts and a tank, then ran a comb through her hair before grabbing her clipboard and stomping off to the dock.

No way was this ending on his terms alone. Despite what had happened between them the past few days, she would end the working relationship the way she started it. Professionally.
 

Mika hit the dock just in time to see Karina easing herself from the boat and into Alejandro’s arms. Her tall, willowy form slipped into his seamlessly, and she let out a light laugh as he brought his perfect lips way too close and whispered something into her ear.

“Freaking bastard,” Mika hissed low. Professionalism could go hang it.

They both turned at the same time and looked at Mika. “Ahh, there is your little assistant now,” Karina said. “Mika, isn’t it? I was wondering where you were. I’m afraid I overpacked for such a rustic place. Can you get some more help out here?”

Mika fought the urge to snatch the woman’s spider-like arms from where they currently twined around Ale’s neck and rip them from her body. Hard. Instead, she raised her chin high and smiled. “Sure, I’ll see what I can do.”

Ale’s eyes narrowed on her. He seemed about to say something when Mika was tapped on the shoulder.
 

She turned to be engulfed in a warm embrace. Robin.
 

She smiled genuinely for the first time that morning. “I was hoping it was you.”

“Well, who else would attack you with a hug?” Robin asked in her thick southern accent. Robin was one of the best makeup artists in the business, a quickly rising star and Mika’s closest work friend. Robin looked around her, planting one hand on her round hips and smoothing her already perfect strawberry-blonde coif with other. “Looks like The Great has gone all in on this one, hon. Are we doing a couture shoot, or is this really some crazy reality TV thing and we’re all being punked?”

Mika shrugged, fighting not to look back at Alejandro, who was now surrounded by the other models, Paloma and Ula. “Nope, this is real. We’re shooting here. It may not be the easiest location, but it really is beautiful. Don’t worry, it will be worth it,” she said wistfully.

Robin then peered at her with skeptical green eyes. “Hmm, that I can see. It looks like it’s had quite an effect on you. Despite the dark eye circles, the sun has done you a world of good.”

“Is there supposed to be a compliment hidden in there?” Mika asked, screwing up her face.

Robin laughed. “You know there is. Now, stop.” She looked at Mika more closely. “If you weren’t you and this island weren’t supposed to be semi-deserted, I’d say you got some.” She looked around. “Did you? Are there hot natives hiding out on this sand dune?” She gave Mika’s arm a smack that reminded her of Tai.
 

“Oww, my arm. And no, it’s not totally deserted. But as for the hot natives, no, not that I’ve seen.”

Now Robin shrugged. “Too bad. I was hoping for yours and my sake.” Then she suddenly stiffened a bit. “Uh-oh, barracuda at twelve o’clock.”
 

Mika snorted as she watched Lulu Simone teeter toward them on wedge heels. A formidable woman of about sixty, she was the creative director of
Jazz
magazine. A former model and short-time designer, she was also a full-time queen bee.
 

Impressive at five foot ten inches in stocking feet and well over six feet in heels, Lulu marched up to Mika in a cloud of cloying cologne and cracked a grimacing smile. “Mika, I’m so glad you decided to join us this morning. I will admit I was surprised you weren’t here to greet the boat, but we all know good help is hard to find, especially in Alejandro’s case.” She sighed and looked over at Alejandro dramatically.
 

Mika silently seethed, the heat traveling from her toes to the tips of her ears. She pulled herself up, making herself taller, but still only reached Lulu’s shoulders. Nevertheless, she met Lulu’s eyes. “I had other duties to attend to, but I’m sure all will run as smoothly as ever, Lulu. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to see Tai and make sure the huts are ready.” She walked past Lulu, fighting to keep her head held high. If she didn’t truly love the art form, she’d leave this nutty, narcissistic business and people like Lulu behind forever.

She sighed to herself. But she did love it. She loved the clothes and the pictures and, more than anything, helping to create something beautiful in the end.

She walked by Daniel, the head hairdresser who had his arms crossed and had taken in the exchange. “Don’t let that one get to you. She bitched the whole way over here.”

Mika rolled her eyes. “And now I pity you the ride.” She gave him a warm hug. “It’s no biggie. And besides, this is a remote locale. It probably put her off a bit.”

At that, Daniel gave her a pointed stare, and they both burst out laughing.
 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mika continued. “Hell with central air conditioning would put her off. You ready to work your magic? Alejandro is looking for something spectacular.”

Daniel beamed, his blue eyes brightening, blond dreads waving in the breeze. His exotic looks had Mika itching to take his picture with the waves crashing at his back. “Sweetie, you know spectacular is my middle name.”

Mika grinned back at him. “Of course it is.”

She was about to walk down the dock to help secure the equipment with Brian, the head rigger, when Daniel pulled her back. “Hey, is this island really deserted? Are there some smoking natives here or something? Because you’re looking a little too good.”

Mika stilled. Not even out half an hour, and already she was caught. “What is with you and Robin? You both must need to get out more. What, New York not have enough action for you?”
 

“Hey, we’re a long ways from home. And what happens on the island stays on the island, right?”

Mika felt a wrench in her stomach. Daniel didn’t know how close he’d come to the truth. She watched as he went over to Robin and the other crewmembers, then tried to casually peek over at Ale. He was deep in talks with Brian and didn’t look her way. Was he even thinking of their fight last night, or was he over it and her? She gave a small head shake. What was the use in thinking it over now? Today had arrived with its beautiful, six-foot models—his usual fare. There was no use trying to hold on to her hope a moment longer.
 

She sighed and walked ahead, making her way to Tai and giving her directions on whom to place where. She put Brian and his crew near her and Ale, Lulu and the models furthest down the beach. Tai, thankfully catching her no-nonsense tone, followed orders without much comment for once and Mika was starting to feel comfortable in her usual role when she glanced again at Alejandro and Brian, their heads close together—Ale’s dark good looks in contrast to Brian’s fair Irish ones. They both looked over to her at the same time. Brian’s mouth spread into a wide grin, but Ale’s expression stayed stony.