Chapter 1

A yawn erupted from my cracked lips as the door thumped behind me, closing off the endless hubbub of the convention’s last day. From the river beyond a small outdoor patio, a languid, humid breeze swept rolling paper cups and discarded trash across a dozen ancient, discolored plastic tables. The combined stench of stale cigarette smoke, cheap nachos, burned popcorn, and sickly sweet, spilled soda flooded my nostrils. Sigh slipping from me, I plonked my tired frame into a cheap molded chair on the stained concrete.

With a groan, I stretched out a taut calf. After leaning forward, I tried not to spill from the ridiculously tight, strapless short dress that Allen, my boss, insisted I wear. He always insisted my outfits be revealing.

At least he was honest. Dressed as I was, it brought in more clients, one almost nipple-slip at a time.

Why do I even listen to him?

The money.

And maybe, deep down, something else.

“No, fuck that. Allen is a sexist bastard,” I muttered to myself while massaging an achy ankle.

He always seemed so happy, though. His smile, even as he ogled me, was somehow reassuring. At my age, to get such stares from him and others was conflicting. On the one hand, it was condescending. On the other, it was kinda nice to still be worthy of being ogled.

A heavy breath escaped my lips.

No matter, it had been another long day of walking, smiling, and avoiding bending too far. Not to mention surviving the crowds of sales and marketing “geniuses” as they tried to sell me useless crap.

The aches of spasming muscles flashed as my fingers dug into the swollen leg. Also, Allen liked to show me off more than my husband, Dave.

And I let him. It got me what I wanted, more clients for him and ... Well, it kept Allen happy. Why that was important to me, I didn’t know.

Really?

Just as I slipped from the well-worn heels and leaned further to dig my fingertips into both ankles, the door opened again, unleashing the cacophonous roar. With a quick tug at my dangling bodice, I sighed. Whoever it was, they took the flimsy chair across from me. Shiny gray silk suit trousers. And expensive leather shoes.

Great! After three days of being hit on, one more jerk has to try.

“I’m married,” I said. My tone not taking any pains to hide my frustration at turning aside yet another asshole.

“I know.”

He knows? So, what the hell? I swallowed and raised my chin. The most amazingly brilliant gold-flecked, light hazel eyes met my gaze. Oh! Oh, wow!

Although married, I wasn’t dead. My mind froze as those gorgeous pools bored deep into me. When the bright white teeth of a wide smile gleamed, my breath seized. Only then did my brain process the swarthy, chiseled features of the beyond handsome younger man sitting motionless before me. Air caught in my throat as I licked my upper lip and sat upright.

“Sorry to intrude.” His smile somehow widened. “But today is the last day...”

Here it comes. Boys only want one thing. My fists balled as his shiny lips moved. He had such pretty, full lips.

Focus, Laura!

He’d want to take me to dinner or something else. With a sigh, I braced for the usual dull pickup line.

Instead, his hand slid across the table toward me. “I find it best to be direct. You’re beautiful and I’ve been watching you for the past several days...”

Unlike any other guy, when beautiful left those perfect lips, the swarthy man spoke matter-of-factly. It wasn’t a compliment. No, the way he uttered the word, with a serious look on a stony face, he was stating a truth. Even more impressive, he kept his eyes on mine rather than gawking at my barely concealed boobs. And that was nice, for a change.

Wait! He’s been watching me? Several days? Oh.

My mind spun as I tightened my gaze on the mystery man. Hmm, there had been a tall figure in the crowd nearby a few times during the week. As his hand slid away, my view flicked to the table. It had left an elegant business card behind.

“Derrin Hall,” I muttered, reading the bold golden letters.

“That’s me. And again. I’ll be brief. For the past few days, your boss has been using you. You’re also a very intelligent woman.” He paused to let me process what he said. His eyes flicked to the name badge hanging precariously from the almost-overflowing bodice. “Yes, Laura, I’ve been listening as well.”

It was true. With my advanced degree, I ended up answering as many, if not more, queries than my counterparts. Of course, although Allen didn’t appear to notice, I think he did, anyway. He was just toying with me.

God, I want a new damned job. Do I? It isn’t bad being a toy if it results in extra income, is it?

Besides, Dave and I needed that money. Two boys in college ate through cash as fast as they’d plowed through the refrigerator. Our older home, almost as ancient as our cars, and a growing mountain of debt was proof of that.

The hunk’s pretty lips moved again. “I’m offering you the chance to control your own image.”

For the first time, his gleaming eyes roamed my exhausted, aching frame before returning to my face. That relaxed inspection wasn’t unpleasant, unlike the usual ogling.

“Rather than give away almost all of your exquisite beauty, as you’re doing now, I can help you monetize your natural assets.”

“Oh, so you want me to be a model?”

About to chuckle at the thought of a thirty-seven-year-old mother of two being any such thing, it died at his serious visage. No, he wasn’t kidding. Instead, I gulped as my chest tightened. While Derrin’s eyes remained fixed, that pretty grin reappeared.

“All I’m saying is that a woman as remarkable as you”—with a quick cough, he cleared his throat—”could earn a substantial sum of money. Should she choose to do so.”

As my brow scrunched and lips pursed, he folded his hands on the table and looked around the dozen or so drab, stained plastic tables on the patio. It was a nasty place to take a break, yet still better than back inside the main hall.

“Also, you’d decide what’s too risqué. Control the marketing and distribution of those images. I can help with that.”

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Owning My Image

INtrinSicliValud

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