Lewis Double Down and Dirty

1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-79512-5
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 200 Seiten

Escaping Louisiana was the best decision Jade ever made...or so she thought. Living the life of a high fashion supermodel was all she dreamed it would be, until her past found her at the height of her career and everything, and everyone she loved was about to be destroyed.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Lewis, L. A.

Leseproben

A visit to hell would’ve felt better for Jade Bordeaux. It certainly couldn’t feel any worse. The cool air that greeted her when she entered Wright, Phillips & Bradshaw was soothing to her skin but did nothing for her internal temperature, which was past boiling. Without a doubt, this meeting that wealthy real estate tycoon Sean Wright demanded was a total waste of time. A raven-haired receptionist sat at a desk on one side of a room and greeted well-dressed executives as they came and went. Jade scanned the space and tried to inhale the calming neutral tones it offered. “May I help you?” the eager greeter whose desk plate said ‘Rachel’ asked. “Yes, I’m here to see—,” She noticed her agent, Reggie, standing on the other side of the room in front of a dark brown leather sofa, admiring the wall art. “I’m with him.” Jade pointed to Reggie before excusing herself to join him. “Thank you for coming.” Reggie glanced at her, then returned his attention to the picture of the sunset over the Brooklyn Bridge. Jade sat and crossed her long golden legs, causing her black skirt to rise above her knees. “Don’t thank me yet.” “Don’t do this today,” Reggie pleaded. “You know how huge this could be for us.” “Us or you?” She crossed her arms over her chest. Reggie had been Jade’s agent for the past ten years since she signed with Ford Models. No one would guess that Reggie—an average, middle-aged white man—knew anything about the fashion industry. His expanding waistline hadn’t stopped spreading since Jade first met him, and he was trying desperately to hold on to the thinning wisp of hair on top of his head. The Donald Trump swoop hadn’t worked for Donald, and it certainly wasn’t doing much for Reggie. Neither was forcing her to take this meeting. “I’m begging you to give this idea a chance before you shoot it down.” Reggie pleaded. “You mean like he gave all those people at the plant a chance? That man put hundreds of people in the unemployment line, all because it didn’t meet his bottom line. Do you know how that feels? Because I most, certainly do.” Her childhood flashback caused her heart to race. Reggie took a deep breath. “My mother worked the line at one of those factories,” Jade snapped. “Then some government idiot decided saving a few pennies was more important than feeding a family. She was out of a job, and we were struggling so hard we never knew which way was up, ‘cause all we knew was down.” Reggie gasped, then moved to the end of the sofa to be closer to Jade. Jade leaned forward, so they were eye to eye. “I can’t work with someone like him. I tried to tell you I wasn’t interested, but as usual, you didn’t listen.” “There has to be more to it than that,” Reggie shot back, lowering his voice when the receptionist shot a curious glance their way. “He was doing his job, Jade, which is exactly what I’m trying to do. Just hear him out, please.” She would listen, but she refused to be strong-armed into agreeing. “Mr. Wright can see you now,” the receptionist announced, gesturing to the silver doors behind her. Sean Wright’s office was a contrast to the reception area, which had been small, but still impressive. To the left of the room was a sitting area with a fireplace and a flat-screen television. A mini bar in the corner displayed the kind of top-shelf spirits she would expect from someone accustomed to entertaining high-end clients. The man himself was situated behind a mahogany desk in front of a window with a panoramic view of the New York skyline. He looked as though he had just stepped out of the pages of GQ magazine. Smooth cinnamon skin, dark, wavy hair and a chiseled face were part of the reason he was voted one of Manhattan’s sexiest men and eligible bachelors. None of that meant one thin dime to Jade, who had learned that sexy and rich seemed to be synonymous with arrogant and entitled. “Good afternoon, Mr. Wright,” Reggie said, interrupting what seemed to be the middle of a document review. Sean looked up and smiled, showing a row of perfect white teeth. Six-feet-five-inches of pure confidence crossed the room to greet them. His swagger said that he owned this joint, along with everything—and everyone—in it. “Mr. Anderson,” Sean said extending his hand towards Reggie. “Thank you for coming.” Jade couldn’t deny that he was ruggedly handsome and dangerously sexy, but even that wasn’t enough to entice her to take this spokeswoman job. How could a man with so many businesses and charities be so good, yet manage to be so bad at the same time? “This is ...” Reggie motioned towards Jade with a dramatic flourish. “Jade Bordeaux. Fashion model and owner of JB Realtors. Beauty, brains and business.” Sean smiled, showing one very deep dimple in his left cheek. “You’ve done your homework,” Jade quipped, taking the seat farthest away from Sean. He winked. “Always.” She pushed aside the uneasy feeling that small gesture caused in the pit of her stomach. “Then you already know I’m very selective about the projects I take on.” Sean’s eyebrow winged up and his lips pursed in disapproval, probably more at her dry tone than at the fact that she was already letting him know, again, that he was going to fail in his efforts to get her on board. He parted his lips to speak but wasn’t given the chance. “Sorry, I’m late,” a blond lady of average height, wearing a navy blue pantsuit said as she swept over the threshold. All eyes shifted to her. The temperature in the room lowered with the woman’s presence. “Natalie Philips,” she offered, sliding a dismissive glance in Jade’s direction. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” “Didn’t seem like I had much choice,” Jade said, failing to smile at the woman’s near- frosty tone. “Tell me more about your spa,” Jade said after the newcomer settled into a seat closer to Sean, obviously putting some distance between her and their guests. Natalie flipped open a folder and held it toward Jade. “Well, it’s not a—” “I’d like to hear it from Mr. Wright if you don’t mind,” Jade said with a curt nod toward Natalie. Her time was too valuable for second-hand information. She shifted her attention to Sean. “This is your business venture, am I correct?” “That it is,” his deep voice confirmed. “Then, I want to know your vision for your company.” Jade crossed one leg over the other, which, unfortunately, showed a flash of golden skin that caught Sean’s attention as he followed the action, then locked a gaze on her face. “Before you begin, I just have to say that I find it amazing that you can find money to fund an exclusive spa for men, but somehow couldn’t manage to keep two factories open that employed people who were living from paycheck to paycheck. I guess seeds are only planted where there’s a harvest for the farmer. Forget the rest of the village.” Reggie cleared his throat, then shifted in his seat. “Mr. Wright, what value would your spa bring…other than to your bank account, I mean?” Jade continued. “Jade,” Reggie said between clenched teeth. “For me to be involved, it would have to serve a higher purpose than mere money.” She calmed her tone a bit. “I feel the same way,” Sean replied evenly, flickering a gaze at Reggie. “My goal is to design a place that caters to a certain type of man. A place that has a sports bar, massage parlor, and everything a man could want to relax and unwind. Hence the name Obrero’s. It means ‘hardworking man’ in Spanish.” “Sí, lo sé,” she retorted. “That means ‘yes, I know’ in Spanish.” Sean’s smiled widened, sending a quiver of warmth through her. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s done a little homework.” “Obviously. Why a woman?” she asked, flipping through the first pages in the presentation which she couldn’t deny was impressive. “Shouldn’t you use a man in your ad campaigns? Someone who they’d want to emulate?” “I could, but men don’t respond to other men.” He leaned back in his chair. “Seeing a beautiful woman would draw in business. Those gray eyes alone would sell the place. They certainly caught my attention.” His tone had changed from businesslike to flirtatious. Natalie’s eyes filled with venom. Evidently, Mr. Debonair was unaware that his attentions were wanted elsewhere. Jade stood slowly and leaned over his desk. “I’m sure Reggie will be more than happy to assist you in...