Page 30 of Lavish Loving

“Glitter,” he mumbled.

Lucien stepped closer. “The gold works better, huh?”

Ace nodded. “I thought the leather was it for sure, but seeing it on her, you’re right. With her body shimmering with glitter. That, the dress, nothing more.” Who needed jewelry when one shined as bright as his muse?

He tapped his phone and put the call on speaker. “Dent, is hair and makeup here?”

“Yes. Where should they set up? Where are we shooting?”

Ace eyed London thoughtfully, looked around the warehouse and then out the window at the overcast sky. “Bring them to one of the spare rooms over here. We’re shooting on the roof.”

Once set up, London went for hair and makeup. Ace returned to his office, closed the door, had his calls held and paced. He knew making love to her was wrong. Now he questioned the wisdom of choosing her as the face of OTB Her. Being anywhere around her turned him on. He didn’t even have to see her, just know she was in the room. Everything about her was amazing, even the parts of her personality that got on his nerves. This woman had been kryptonite years ago. She was even more beautiful now. What in the heck was he thinking?

Ace hadn’t a clue, but in times like these he knew he could reach out to his best friend for an intelligent answer. He pulled out his cell phone and sat at his desk. It was the middle of a workday, but sometimes life had to be interrupted.

The call was answered on the second ring.

Ace exhaled. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hello, son. How are you? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” Not. “I know you’re still in the middle of your school day and won’t hold you long.”

“Your timing is perfect, actually. My kids are in study hall. I was on my way to the teachers’ lounge but will slip outside instead.” He heard Christine speak to someone and could tell from the shift in background noise that she was now outside. “Whew, I didn’t know it was so chilly out. Feels good, though. The day’s been dragging. This will wake me up.”

Crap! He hadn’t even considered the weather. Was it too cold for them to shoot outside? And on the roof, no less, where it would be even colder? Granted, it was the showing of their fall collection, so the clothes would provide some warmth. Models often braved much worse—fur coats in summer, bikinis in snow. London was a professional and was sure to pull off whatever look the photographer required. Were it anyone else it wouldn’t have mattered. He wouldn’t have given the model’s comfort a second thought. But this wasn’t just another model. It was London. Clarisse Alana. His muse.

“Sorry for rambling. Even though you said you’re fine, I know you didn’t call to chat about the weather.”

“Remember that makeup commercial you loved, the one where the model came up out of the water? You went and bought some of it even though I’ve never seen you wear makeup much. Remember?”

“Of course, I remember that pretty girl. When you told me you knew her, I suggested y’all get married. Do you remember that?”

Ace laughed. “I was hoping you’d forgotten that part.” At that time she’d also said Ace and London would make pretty babies. Hopefully she’d forgotten that, too. Even though doing what it took to make babies with London was the best time he’d ever had.

“I ran into her last weekend.”

“Oh, really? In San Francisco?”

“No, I took a little break, went out of town.”

“You? A break? You stopped working and didn’t tell me?”

“It was a last-minute decision, one I didn’t make. I was being a bear in the office. The partners threatened to oust me if I didn’t go get some rest. Anyway, Frida booked me at a resort in Southern California. London was there.”

“Really? Tell me more!”

“Turns out her family owns the property. Crazy coincidence, huh?”

“You know I say coincidence is just God being anonymous. Is she still modeling?”

“Absolutely.”

“I read where she broke up with that rich director. He’s cute enough, but I never thought he was the right one for her.”

“You read the tabloids?”