For His Eyes Only Page 10

  An uneasy tremor made its way through his stomach. He recalled the other women he had dated, and the way their angelic dispositions had turned sour after he’d made it clear he couldn’t hand them a modeling contract. He could name half a dozen ex-girlfriends who had been in the relationship strictly for the benefits they’d hoped to receive while on the arm of Insomnia’s heir.

  It didn’t make sense. Jacey had passed up every opportunity he had offered her with the company, and she hadn’t left so much as her name after the first three years of getting naked with him at the annual party. Secrecy and isolation weren’t exactly hallmarks of a person desperate to be famous.

  No, she wasn’t like the rest of them. She never had been.

  Something had caused her mood to change in his office, though, and he wanted to know what it was. He planned to go home, sit her down and demand they stop playing games with each other—even if it meant that he had to come clean too. They could make their way through the Kama Sutra every night, but if they didn’t trust each other, he might as well go back to his days of casual sex with any cute girl who wanted it.

  That idea made for a huge turnoff when compared to making love with Jacey.

  He stood to leave, and something on a chair across the room caught his eye—her dress. Guilt gnawed at him. He had never really looked at it, not closely enough to give it a fair chance.

  The fabric grazed his fingers as he picked the dress up and placed it back on its hanger. It was soft. Luxurious. Definitely something he could imagine massaging against a woman’s body before slipping it off. He inspected the garment’s detail before placing it back in the bag, approving of the spaghetti straps and demi-cup bodice. Hot, hot, hot. It looked to be skintight aside from the ruffles at the bottom, which seemed to suggest a good girl being bad.

  It would be stunning on Jacey.

  Her friend was talented, no doubt. Alex probably could pull enough strings to get this costume into the competition, and only his desire to promote his own designs made him reject the idea. But even though he couldn’t open Insomnia’s doors to a new designer right away, Monica clearly knew what she was doing. He owed Jacey a huge apology for blowing off her request. He owed her something very special, and he could think of—

  Wait. The doubts he’d nursed earlier still lingered in the back of his mind.

  Talk first, sex later.

  He released a breath, certain that would be easier said than done. He grabbed the garment bag and his briefcase, then headed out the door and drove too fast all the way home.

  “Jacey!” he called when he walked inside. “Where are you? We need to talk.”

  She came out of his bedroom, a pile of towels in her arms. She looked wary, but no longer angry.

  “What’s up?”

  He glanced at the towels. “What are you doing?”

  “Finishing the laundry. I was bored this morning. Sorry if you can’t find some of your clothes, I’m not sure I put them all in the right places.”

  Laundry? He closed his eyes and willed himself to focus on the things he wanted to talk about instead of the image she planted in his head. Standing there in a T-shirt and shorts with his laundry in her hands, she looked like she belonged there. Like she’d been there forever.

  Like the wife he wanted to have someday, after Insomnia was his.

  He cleared his throat and forced the vision out of his brain. He held up the bag. “We need to talk about this.”

  She brightened. “Did you change your mind?”

  “I’m sorry, no. But I want to know why it’s so important that you wear this.”

  “Because it’s gorgeous and it would help me win.”

  “Is that all?”

  “What other reason would there be?”

  He crossed the room, took the towels from her, and set them on the sofa. Her eyes shifted in every direction, focused on everything in the place except him.

  When he looked at her, the question he wanted to ask about her intentions stuck in his throat. He didn’t want to hurt her, nor did he want to start a heavy conversation that would ruin their limited time together. He wanted to laugh with her, flirt with her, make love with her and forget everything else. Just like they had at the parties.

  But that kind of freedom didn’t exist outside of the no-strings affair they had shared until a few weeks ago. It was impossible to keep their relationship a casual one defined by sex when he cared so damn much about her.

  The room had grown so silent he could hear the air flowing through his nostrils. Finally, he gathered his courage and held her gaze, hoping for the first time in his life that he was wrong.

  “Jacey, is there something you want from me?”

  One of her brows quirked up as though she thought he was referring to something in the bedroom. He rushed on before she could misunderstand him.

  “Because if there is, I want you to tell me. I need you to. Please be honest with me. I won’t be angry.”

  Her lips parted, confusion plastered across her lovely face. Alex longed to drop the issue and kiss her senseless instead.

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” she said. “What does this have to do with the dress or the contest?”

  “I need to know if you’re seeing me for any reason other than the fact that we have a good time together.”

  There. It was out.

  She wasn’t happy.

  Her eyelids flew wide open and gave away her horror. She stepped away from him. “Jesus. You really do think I’m sleeping with you because I want something.”

  He dropped the bag at her feet and pointed at it. There wouldn’t be any turning back now, so they might as well have it out.

  “Why are you so bent on using this design? Why did you get so angry when I told you I couldn’t do it?”

  “Why are you asking me a million questions? I’m only staying here because you asked me to, remember? If I’ve worn out my welcome, I’ll go.”

  Her fists clenched at her sides. She turned toward the door, and within half a second Alex planted himself in front of it.

  “You don’t have to go. Jacey, I’m sorry. You’ve in no way worn out your welcome. I just don’t understand why you got so worked up in the office—”

  “Because I’m trying to do something nice for my friend, okay? She saved my life. I owe her everything and I have nothing to give. I thought I’d make a bigger name for her if her shop was mentioned during the competition.”

  The fury in her eyes turned to desperation. Alex was ashamed for even considering the idea that she might be like the opportunistic women he’d known in the past.

  He clutched her elbows, his voice low. “Why didn’t you say so? You told me I should help you out because we’re sleeping together.”

  “I was upset. I didn’t mean it.” The blue depths of her eyes locked onto him and she buried her hands in his hair. “Don’t you know how you make me feel? Do you think I need any other reason to be with you?”

  Her words poured into his veins, warming his body like brandy on a cold night. No other woman had ever said such a thing to him.

  “My temper is short at times, I know,” she said. “I just get scared sometimes that I won’t make it.”

  Alex shut his eyes, pulling her closer to him. Her breath grazed his neck.

  He was a fool. Jacey’s young life had been filled with pain, yet here she was offering him sincere tenderness while he accused her of using him—the spoiled rich boy whose worst problems had involved too many women or not enough status.

  Despite his father’s wishes, he couldn’t deceive her for another minute. He had the means to ease her pain and make her feel secure for once in her life. She wouldn’t spend one more day being afraid, not if he could help it.

  He took her face in his hands and smiled. “What would you say if I could guarantee you a source of income after the contest?”

  “I’ve never come close to being guaranteed money, so I’d say you’re crazy.”

  “You’re go
ing to win.”

  She gawked at him. “How do you know that?”

  “Of all the contestants, my father picked you as the most beautiful and talented, and he wants you to win. I’ve agreed to arrange it. The money will be yours.”

  Silence. He watched her, barely able to contain his happiness at the joy this news would bring her. He waited for an excited squeal or an embrace filled with relief, but she just stared…and stared. Then, so quietly he almost didn’t hear her, she spoke.

  “God damn it, Alex.”

  Huh?

  Maybe he hadn’t explained everything. “I know you don’t want to be a model, so I’ll get you out of the contract. You can use the money for school or whatever you want.”

  A crazed look crossed her face. She looked down, then up, then directly at him. “Right. Great. You and your dad, saving the world one model at a time.”

  She turned, walked into his bedroom and closed the door.

  Monica hugged Jacey before taking the bag from her and hanging the slip on a nearby garment rack. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know you would have looked fabulous wearing this.”

  Jacey shrugged, and a routine feeling of hopelessness settled within her. But this time, it wasn’t about losing a chance at success. It was about losing a chance with Alex.

  All this time she’d thought he was beginning to understand her and what she wanted out of life, but he had completely missed the ball. He had money and power, and he wanted to use it to provide her with a safety net in case she couldn’t make it on her own.

  She hated that. She wanted him to believe wholeheartedly that she could make it on her own.

  If only she could make herself believe it too.

  Monica glanced inside the empty bag, and Jacey realized she had forgotten half of the outfit. “Oh, crap. I left the shoes in Alex’s office yesterday. He must not have seen them. I’m sorry, I’ll go get them tonight.”

  “No problem.”

  The bell attached to the shop’s door rang.

  “Hey, honey,” Monica greeted her daughter. “How was band practice?”

  Danielle shrugged. “It was okay. One of the drum majors got a modeling job at Insomnia and it was all she could talk about.”

  The hollow sound of her voice caught Jacey’s interest. Dani followed in her mother’s fashionable footsteps and she’d always wanted to be a model. But when she mentioned Insomnia, her gaze fell straight to the floor.

  Jacey pictured the young woman she’d run into outside of Alex’s office. “Hey, does this girl happen to be tall with straight blonde hair?”

  “No, she’s a redhead. A senior. She was in the competition but got voted out after the first round, so they offered her some kind of deal for the new winter collection. Nothing huge if you ask me, not nearly enough for—whatever.” Dani shot a worried look at her mother, then waved at Jacey and hurried to the back office.

  Jacey gave Monica a curious look. “What was that about?”

  Monica shook her head, wearing a disgusted expression. “I wanted to talk to you about that. Apparently this band girl was offered a modeling job last week in exchange for a favor.”

  “A favor?” The flushed face of the girl at Insomnia entered her mind once more. “Not that kind of favor.”

  “That’s what she’s telling everyone, though she could just be looking for attention. But Danielle swears it’s true, that she’s heard similar things from some of her friends.”

  Jacey’s gut tied in knots. “Who exactly is requesting these ‘favors’?”

  “The man himself. William Vaughn.”

  She gasped. “No way.”

  “That’s the word on the street.”

  “Does Alex know about this?” she asked out loud, even though Monica couldn’t possibly know the answer.

  “Don’t know, hon. You’re going to have to tackle that one yourself.”

  Jacey tried to wrap her mind around the absurd idea of William Vaughn sleeping with high school kids. She had noticed the models getting younger over the past couple of years, and Insomnia often held model search interviews at campuses across Miami to find new faces. But she’d always assumed they were trying to appeal to younger consumers.

  A sickening thought occurred to her. “Danielle had an interview with William, didn’t she? And she’s beautiful. Tell me he never pulled that on her.”

  Monica’s gaze darkened. “She’d never tell me if he did, but she came back from that interview looking more pissed off than I’ve ever seen her. I’m not convinced that nothing inappropriate took place, but I thank God she didn’t take the job.”

  A foul-tasting lump formed in the back of Jacey’s throat. She was thankful that unlike her own mother, Monica had kept her sexual escapades tucked away from her daughter’s sight. Danielle was a smart girl with good morals, and at least if William or anyone else had made an offer, it sounded like she had done the right thing.

  “I have to go,” she said. “I’ll bring your shoes back tomorrow, as soon as I can. I promise.”

  “No rush, honey,” Monica replied as Jacey left the shop, but she was definitely in a rush. She had an overwhelming urge to sever any connection between Monica, Danielle and this possible corruption. The dress that had just yesterday been so important to her, she now wanted in no way used at Insomnia. She had to get those shoes from Alex, and she was suddenly grateful he had turned down her idea to use Monica’s design.

  She tapped her foot in the back of the cab while it inched through rush hour traffic. Alex had expressed his fear that more photographers lurked and he didn’t like that she wasn’t hiding in the condo, but there was no way she could do that. Especially not now, when she had her own scandal to uncover.

  It was almost seven by the time she reached Insomnia’s corporate office building. She punched the elevator button several times, and after an eternity it deposited her on the sixteenth floor. The doors were locked, so she used the key card Alex had given her in case Kim ever decided not to let her in.

  The suite was dark except for remnants of sun that trickled in through the windows. Alex had already left. He hadn’t known she was out and would probably wonder where she’d gone when he got home. She crept into his office and used his phone to leave a quick message at his condo telling him she’d be back soon. Then, after a quick search of the room revealed he may have found the shoes and taken them home with him, she left.

  A noise from down the hall stopped her. She waited, hoping she was imagining things. But she heard it again. And again.

  She looked around to make sure she was alone, then tiptoed across the lobby and through a corridor until she found herself in front of William’s closed door. The lights were dimmed and the blinds closed. She bent close to the door and listened.

  A giggle, followed by a man’s voice.

  Her stomach turned. This couldn’t be happening.

  But it was, and if she wanted to know the truth she had to find a way to see what was going on in there. She spotted a tiny gap between the bottom of the blinds and the windowsill, and she squatted down and took a peek.

  What she saw drained her lungs of air. Across the room, a blonde girl of maybe seventeen sat on the edge of William’s desk wearing a black lace bra. He stood in front of her, kissing her and fondling her chest. Jacey stumbled away from the window before she could witness anything worse.

  Though she shut her eyes, the disgusting scene continued to play in her mind. She fought the urge to vomit and left the building as fast as she could, hailing another cab and directing it back to her apartment. It wouldn’t be hers in another twenty-four hours, because the final rent payment she’d scraped together had only gotten her through tomorrow. Maybe she could crash on Monica’s couch after that, or she’d just sleep in her car. Any place free of emotional pain and dirty old men, things that had haunted her since she was a child.

  She stepped inside and locked the door behind her, leaning against it and trying to catch her breath. Her chest still heaved and the con
tents of her stomach threatened to spill over. She poured a glass of water and sat down on her threadbare couch to examine what was left of her home. Most of her things had been packed, but since furniture didn’t fit in her car, she would still have a bed to sleep in tonight.

  For the first time in her life, the small room comforted her. In it, the high-class, messed-up world she’d been a part of for several days melted from existence. And for once, she preferred it that way.

  Alex would never believe her if she told him what she’d discovered. And if he knew she wanted to make the information public, he would try to stop her. He would have to, to save his company. She had no choice but to avoid him until she figured out how to incriminate his pig of a father.

  Chapter Ten

  Alex examined his watch for the twentieth time in as many minutes. Nine o’clock. Where the hell was Jacey?

  He rose from the sofa and paced in front of the living room windows, scanning the cluster of buildings and wondering if she was somewhere among the millions of tiny lights. Her message had stated she’d be back soon—two hours ago. He had no idea where she had called from or what she’d been doing, and he wished for the umpteenth time she would have stayed in the condo. Her restless roaming was bound to get them into trouble.

  They hadn’t spoken much since he had admitted to rigging the competition. He hadn’t even mentioned that his promotion depended on her win—he thought she might have been flattered, or at least satisfied, that he was going to make sure she got the money regardless of whether or not she accepted the modeling contract. He would never do that for anyone else. But Jacey was so bent on doing everything herself, she refused to accept that his actions were meant to show how much he cared about her.

  And now she was gone. A beautiful woman like her didn’t need to wander the streets of downtown Miami alone. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her because he had agreed to do something he should have known would piss her off—and then he’d been crazy enough to tell her about it.