Chapter2
Gabriella called Julian, and when she suggested a restaurant that she knew would be a good quiet place to talk, he agreed to meet her there. She dressed in a soft periwinkle colored suit and skirt that she knew would bring out her eyes and her dark skin, and give her an air of professionalism, which she definitely wanted to portray to him. She added low heels and pearls around her neck and in her ears, and knew that she looked every bit the way she wanted to. Classy, glamorous, sophisticated, and elegant. She wished that she felt that way just a little bit more inside.
The closer she drew to the restaurant, the more nervous and excited she became, hoping and praying that it would be a successful meeting with Mr. Medici. She walked in and saw him waiting for her in the foyer of the restaurant. He smiled at her and rose up from the chair he was sitting in when she walked through the door. She was glad to see that he had been even earlier than she was. It showed her responsibility and reliability, and that was encouraging to her.
Julian took one look at her as she came through the door with her long braids behind her and her slender figure silhouetted in her blue suit, her sexy legs and her light silvery blue eyes captivating, and he decided that one night with her in his bed just for the cover of the magazine was not going to be enough. He knew he was going to want to take her three or four times before he let her go.
He flashed his most charming smile at her and reached for her hand, bringing the back of it up to his lips as he kissed it softly, and then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. He knew that she was going to be incredibly easy to win over. He could probably have her riding him in the back seat of the limo on the way home.
He thought about how hot she’d be, pushing her skirt up, pulling her panties off, and sliding her down onto him, and he grew hard imagining it. He was careful to hide it when he sat with her in the private booth he had reserved.
“Thank you so much for meeting with me, Mr. Medici.” She smiled at him and watched his eyes as they narrowed at her slightly. He was incredibly handsome, but there was something in his demeanor that told her that he knew it and used it.
There was something else in his eyes, something that she couldn’t quite place, and though it made her feel slightly uneasy somewhere deep in her, she ignored it, certain that it was nothing more than nerves arresting her as she tried to plead her case to him.
“Please, call me Julian.” He winked at her and gave her a little smile.
Gabriella smiled back and folded her hands in her lap. “Well, Julian, I just wanted to thank you for meeting me here this evening. I realize you must be very busy and it means a great deal to me that you took the time out of your schedule to talk with me about my work and the possibility of me being on the cover of the April issue.”
He nodded and watched her as she spoke. “I can see that it means a lot to you, as it should. Getting the cover is a big deal; it’s something that every model on our staff wants, and all of them are willing to compete adamantly for it. You have some stiff competition, but I’m willing to hear you out and see if there’s anything you can do to convince me that you’re the right girl for the position.”
Julian was pleased with himself that he had chosen his words carefully enough that the subtle innuendoes would begin to start sinking in for her and even on a subliminal level, she would begin to start thinking of what she could do to him to convince him. His gaze dropped momentarily to her full, soft, glossy lips and he imagined them moving up and down his erection, which was hardening even more as moments passed.
He glanced down when she turned away from him to reach for a folder in her bag, and he stared at the gentle curves of her breasts, thinking of covering them with his hands and his mouth shortly after dinner. When she turned back to face him, his eyes were looking at hers again, but his groin was growing hot and tight, and his mind was deep in fantasy about everything he was going to do with her in the backseat of his limo after their meal. She would be a deliciously sweet dessert for him.
“I brought this portfolio for you so that you could see some of the work I’ve done for your magazine. It’s really extensive, and it’s all excellent quality. I have this organized chronologically,” she said, leaning closer to him to show him the folder, and as she did, her eyes and hands on the contents of the folder, his eyes were peering straight down her blouse, searching for a glimpse of her breasts and her bra.
Baby blue. Her bra was baby blue, and a demi-cup. He grew harder staring at the upper half of her breast uncovered just inside the opening of her blouse and all he could think of was moving his mouth all over it.
“…so I think you’ll notice that every shoot has gotten better, and even the most recent work is really improved from the work I was doing when I first started.” She looked up at him and found him looking into her eyes deeply.
She was caught offguard a moment by his intense gaze and she blinked. “I mean… just looking through this is enough to show anyone how hard I’ve worked, how much I’ve grown, and how ready I am for the cover of the magazine. Don’t you think?” she asked hopefully, her heart beginning to beat even faster in her chest.
He nodded and looked down at the portfolio, flipping through some of the pages. She was a good model, and he could see that right away. She had done some excellent work over her time with the magazine. He knew that regardless of the fact that he couldn’t care less, she would be good for the cover, but he wasn’t willing to give it up to her for free.
No, he thought, she’s going to have to work for it. She would have to give him a few good orgasms and swallow at least one of them before he said yes to her. He knew he was going to thoroughly enjoy screwing her for a week or so before he let her go and found another plaything.
She watched him going through her portfolio and it felt like her heart was in her chest. Everything she had ever worked for had somehow come to that moment, sitting there with him, asking for what she wanted so desperately. Asking for a chance at her dream and at furthering her career to a level that she had wanted all of her life.
“So, what do you think, Julian?” she asked, her heart right on the edge of hope.
He shrugged and gave her a small smile as he closed the portfolio and looked back at her. “I think I want to see a little more of you, a little more of what you can do, see how hard you are willing to work for it, and what you’re really willing to do to get to your goals. I can’t just hand out the cover to every pretty face who asks me, can I?” He leaned closer to her and his eyes dropped to her lips for a moment as his groin tightened again, and then he looked back into her silvery-blue eyes. “You’re going to have to work a little harder to convince me. Be creative. Show me how much you really want it. Make me want to give it to you.”
He already wanted to give it to her, but he wasn’t thinking about the cover of the magazine.
She watched him and nodded, wondering to herself if he was talking about work at the office or not. She hoped that she had misunderstood the innuendos that he seemed to be was hinting at, but she couldn’t be sure if he was flirting with her or if she was just reading too much into it.
“I want it more than anything. It’s what I’ve worked toward for years; my whole modeling career,” she began, hoping she could find the right words to say to help him see how much it truly meant to her.
Julian held up his hand and paused her in her thoughts. “Listen, I’ve just seen your portfolio, and I am aware of how much you say you want it, but I’m hungry, so let’s eat and you can tell me more about yourself. That will give me some insight into who you are and I’ll just give you a little hint; letting me see more of you is going to be a big help in convincing me that you should be on the cover.” He looked at her intently and saw the confusion in her eyes. It filled him with a feeling of power and control, and it turned him on even more.
Gabriella tried to discern whether he was flirting with her or being straight; his words were so ambiguous that there was no real way for her to tell. She nodded and picked up the menu, searching it as she tried to focus on the words describing their dinner offerings.
Her mind was so focused on what she wanted to hear from him that she read through the selections three times before any of them made any sense to her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her heart and calm her nerves, and she told herself that she had all of dinner with him to convey just how important it was to her to reach her dreams.
They ordered their meals and drinks, and Julian kept his watchful gaze on her, asking her about her life, her hobbies, her friends and family, and she answered all of his questions, not quite certain what any of them had to do with her getting the cover of the magazine, but willing to let him get to know her a little better.
She tried to ask him questions in return, but every time she did, he would circumnavigate them and bring the discussion and focus back to her. His methods were so subtle that she didn’t realize that she still knew next to nothing about him by the time the evening was coming to a close.
After dinner, drinks were brought to the table and Julian’s eyes were still trained on her. “I feel as though I’ve gotten to know you a little better, but I’m still not convinced,” he said, taking her in and leaning closer to her.
He knew that she wasn’t going to get in the back of his limo that night. She wasn’t quite anxious enough, she wasn’t hot enough for him; which surprised him as most women were ravenously hungry for him, his power, and his money. He knew he might have to work just a little bit to get himself inside of her.
She frowned slightly. “I’m not quite sure what else I could tell you that would be relevant or helpful. You know now how much it means to me and how much I want it,” she said, trying not to sound disappointed that she hadn’t gotten what she wanted from him.
He smiled slowly and gazed at her. “I know how much you want it…” he said in a low voice. “And I want to give it to you… I do, but I want you to show me just how hard you’re willing to work for it. What kind of sacrifices you’re willing to make to get it?” He leaned closer, his eyes locked on hers.
“Come with me tomorrow. I’m taking my sailboat out to sea. Come sailing with me and spend the day with me out there. Let’s talk some more.” He lifted his glass of brandy and sipped it without ever taking his steady gaze from her.
She sighed. “Kathy was going to have me do some photo work tomorrow…” she said hesitantly. She was telling the owner of the company that she couldn’t go with him because she had to work for him. The irony of that situation was not lost on her at all.
He chuckled. “I’ll call Kathy. Your schedule will be cleared tomorrow. Come with me.” He spoke firmly, as if it wasn’t an option or a request. She knew he meant it. She realized that she may have convinced him just a little more than she had first guessed, and that if he was that serious about spending time with her, he might very well be considering giving her the cover. She wondered just how close she was to having it.
“Okay,” she said, lifting her chin and giving him a nod. “I’ll go. Thank you for the opportunity and for talking to Kathy. I really appreciate all that you are doing for me.” She did appreciate it, but her eyes and her mind were ever on the cover.
Julian grinned and tipped his brandy snifter back, swallowing the dark amber liquid in one take. He set the glass down heavily on the table and a quiet laugh sounded from deep in him. “Good. Good girl. I’ll give you the address before we leave. Be there at ten in the morning.”
Gabriella wondered what she was really getting herself into. “I will.” She nodded. “Thank you for your time and thank you for dinner,” she told him with a smile. There was a knot of uncertainty in her belly, but she knew that she was much closer to her goal than she had been that morning, and any kind of progress was good.
He walked her out of the restaurant and just as she was about to say good night, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. She gasped, breathing in his cologne as he nuzzled his mouth close to her neck and her ear for a moment. He pressed his lips lightly to her cheek and held them there for a fleeting instant before letting her go completely and smiling at her surprise.
“Good night, Gabriella. I’ll see you in the morning. You’ll want to bring your swimsuit and a change of clothes.” He winked at her, giving her a nod, and then he turned and stepped into the back seat of his limousine.
She stared after him as his car pulled away. She was still completely uncertain about what she had gotten herself into. Her fingers drifted up to her cheek and brushed the place where he had kissed her, hoping that it was nothing more than a farewell gesture.