Chapter 13

Getting to know Zoe was different from what he expected. She was intelligent and articulate. They spent the afternoon talking about many things, as she seemed to have put aside her contempt of him. As far as he was concerned, how they met didn’t matter. What mattered now was that he found himself wanting to know the woman that she was.

It was rare that he met a woman who stimulated his intelligence. He could not remember ever meeting a young woman her age that had life figured out. As he spent time knowing her, he realized she was a woman of simple tastes. She didn’t care about the things girls her age cared about, like clothes, jewelry, and other trivial stuff he usually got bored hearing. She never once mentioned fashion or her hair. He was intrigued.

“Why aren’t you employed?” he asked after talking about marketing and how the advertising industry fed on the individual’s emotions to sell products.

“I never said I was unemployed. I said I was between jobs,” she corrected.

“What does that mean … do you freelance?”

She hesitated before responding, “Yes, you could say that.”

“What exactly is it you do? You talk a lot about marketing, are you a marketing agent?”

“Somewhat?” she replied.

Her answers were vague, but it didn’t matter. He was beginning to see that she was more than met the eye.

“How would you like a job?”

Her eyes widened, and she stared at him. Something seemed to be happening behind her hazel eyes. While he waited for her response, he pondered the familiarity of those eyes, especially when the amber flecks appeared in them.

“What kind of job?” she finally asked. She didn’t sound as enthusiastic as he thought she would be.

Their eyes locked, and the space between the armchair and sofa seemed to close. Everything faded, and she was the only thing in the room. It took some effort to refocus and concentrate on the discussion.

“We’re in the process of finding a spokes-model. If you work with me, I think we would make a great team.”

“As a spokes-model?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“No, you’ll be my public relations officer or marketing executive. You could also help me find the ideal spokesperson for the job,” he informed her.

He examined her face as she rose from her seat and moved to the mantle. She stared into the fire contemplatively. The blue and yellow flames of the faux fire flickered, reflecting off her face.

On autopilot, he followed her, getting close. It wasn’t a deliberate act. In fact, he found himself doing things he wouldn’t normally do when he was around her. Gael felt the need to figure out why he was drawn to her, and in the process, he needed to know what made her tick.

“What are you thinking?” he drawled.

She turned, their eyes connecting. “I don’t know. Can I think about this?”

“Take all the time you need. I’m still waiting for the agency to call me about that girl,” he replied.

“What girl?”

He sighed. “A model who supposedly possesses a degree in communication, who I’m told is in very high demand. I heard she has the looks and brains.”

“What a coincidence … I have a Master in Communication,” she exclaimed.

He leaned his head to the side, studying her bug eyes and bright smile. She was different from the models he’d interviewed, articulate and graceful when she wasn’t being difficult.

“I have an idea,” he said, not taking a second to make up his mind. “How about you do it?” It was a kneejerk reaction upon seeing her up close. Being able to observe her fine features took his breath away. Her beauty astounded him. Why hadn’t he noticed before?

Her beautiful forehead creased, and she looked at him puzzled. “Do what?”

“The spokesperson. I want you to do it.”

Her face fell, and she twisted her lips. “I thought you said we should get along and put our differences behind us?” Her voice rose a notch.

He drew a blank at the sudden change in attitude. It was obvious she was upset by the way her lips set and the flushed tone of her skin.

“What did I say?”

She inhaled and let it out quickly. “First, offering me a job as your PR person and then suddenly offering me your precious spokes-model position. Weren’t you the one who said you needed a model with brains?”

“Yes, and you fit the role perfectly,” he replied, baffled at her outburst. “What’s the problem?”

“I don’t need anyone doing me any favors. I’m not desperately looking for a job, so I don’t need your pity.”

“Where is this outburst coming from? Why would I offer this job out of pity? Do you know how much time and effort I’ve put into finding the right girl?”

“All the more reason that it’s fishy you offering it to me.”

“Do you know how much I was planning to pay the right person?” he asked.

“I don’t care,” she snapped. “If you’ve taken so much care finding the right person, why would you offer it to me just like that?”

“Because I think you’re her.”

“Bullshit, and you know it, Gael Matheson. You very well know that you prefer big busted blondes like the ones you interviewed!”

His eyes narrowed while she stared at him with mouth agape. “How did you know that?” he growled, stepping closer to her.

Mouth still open, she stepped back. He continued his advance until her back was against the wall near the window, and he was within inches.

“I asked, how did you know the models I interviewed?”

She straightened, looking directly into his eyes. “Because I was the one you so rudely rejected!”

That didn’t make sense; he stared into her hazel eyes with their blazing ember flecks. His mind went back to the day before yesterday. The day of the auditions when he ran through the girls. She wasn’t among them.

He looked away, squinting his eyes, trying to remember his every move. He’d left the office after Beth informed him they were ready; as he walked in, he almost bumped into a boy. Then he realized she was a girl but she … his eyes flicked back to her hazel ones. That’s why they were so familiar. But he’d completely blanked the incident from his mind.

“My God,” he muttered under his breath, stepping back. “The baggy jeans and sweat suit hoodie.”

“Finally, your brain can function without tits,” she snickered.

“So that’s it; your attitude this entire time was because of that?”

She brushed past him to the sofa, dropping onto it. “What did you expect when you didn’t even give me a chance? I flew from New York after a long assignment, just to talk with you, and you dismissed me because I didn’t have long blonde hair and big silicone boobs!”

“Your breasts are fine the way they are.” The moment he said the words was the second he regretted them. She shot him a cutting look while her cheeks painted bright red.

Still, her breasts were just the right size for her body. He’d spent most of his life admiring that particular part of the female anatomy. Hell, he obsessed over them, but the truth of the matter was, there was hardly a woman these days with the real deal. She had the real thing, and he was dying to touch them, taste them and lick their peaks until she begged him to stop. A jolt in his crotch alarmed him. The heat in his scrotum wound its way to his gut and settled there.

“You … you … I knew this was all just an act. You saw me naked, and you thought I’d be easy prey. After all, we’re stuck in a snowstorm; you must be craving some hot flesh … right?” she said, springing from the sofa.

Breathing heavily, her fists to her sides, Gael was amused. He leaned against the mantle and watched those breasts rise and fall with every heavy breath she took.

“What are you looking at?” she spat, her eyes on fire.

“You know what you need? A damn good screw,” he easily replied.

First, her face went blank, and then it went red before she smirked. “And who’s gonna do it, you?”

“Why not. Why are you fighting the fact that you’re attracted to me?”

“You’re so full of yourself, you arrogant bastard. What on earth made you think I was in the least attracted to you?”

Gael was on a path, a dangerous one, and he could not stop himself. The game had gotten out of his control, and now his blood was hot, his cock was hard, and he wanted her. The more she fussed, the more he was drawn to her. The more she denied her feelings, the more he wanted to possess her.

Zoe was a valuable commodity, a rarity he wasn’t sure existed inside his world. There were plenty of women he could bed at a moment’s notice, but this was not one of them, and that made her special.

She was a challenge that he wasn’t about to lose. He eased himself from his post at the mantle and sauntered over to the sofa where she stood in ready defense. She looked like she was ready to pounce should he try anything.

“Don’t come near me,” she warned.

“I thought you said you weren’t scared,” he teased, advancing.

“Of course I’m not scared of you.” She laughed.

“Good, now let’s talk about this little vendetta of yours,” he said backing off and returning to his seat.

He could hear Zoe’s sigh of relief as he moved off. She was one feisty thing, but underneath that was a girl scared of getting too close. As he dropped himself into the armchair, he inhaled deeply. His heart was beating out of sync and his blood running hot.