Her stormy eyes reacted to the way he said, special.
“I also want a life with you that goes beyond sex.” His short and succinct answer left no room for follow-up or a discussion. His brows dipped down, creating that dramatic expression he liked to lay on people to get what he wanted. “And I’m willing to sacrifice my pleasure, even in the limited moments we have to share things with you. That’s the relationship I want, Gwen.”
She didn’t respond, because there were no words beyond what Andrew had just said.
A sidewalk café still had tables outside even in the brisk weather. Andrew ordered pastries and espresso. Listening to him speak the language turned her on to the point she pulled at her jeans. His square jaw and taut mouth made him look like he was posing in a photo shoot.
Drenched in winter sunlight, Gwen eagerly scooped up the tiny cup and sipped the espresso.
“Holy crap, that is so rich.”
“Enjoy. Refills are free here.” He leaned back and crossed his legs, watching cars going by.
Short trees lined the quaint street. They could have easily been sitting on Center Street in Darling Cove. Andrew looking out at the simple neighborhood with ease and pleasure, filled Gwen with hope. Perhaps this tall, gorgeous, Prada-wearing ex-model could one day fit into the laid-back North Fork culture. Her neighbors, however, would have a heart attack. She could hear the whispers: Did
you see the handsome man from New York City yet? They really said, ‘New York City’ like in that old salsa commercial. She chuckled into her cup.
“Something funny?” asked the handsome man.
“No, but can I ask you a personal question?” She leaned forward. When a startled look crossed his face, she backpedaled. “Never mind.”
He reached for her hand. “Of course, you can. I’m just surprised you prefaced it that way. After what you’ve done to my body all week, there’s very little personal information I have left.” He glanced down and cleared his throat. “Do you want to ask me about Cate?”
She bit her lip. He still didn’t know she’d stalked Cate’s blog and had all the info she needed.
Gwen had been dying to know something else. “No, not right now.”
“Okay.” He took a relaxed sip and resumed his pose. “You can always ask me anything. So, what then?”
She tilted her head and asked, “I have to know... How did the whole modeling thing come about?”
Andrew’s eyes flickered and he pursed his lips, suggesting she could ask anything, but that.
Her chest tightened. “I’m sorry. I don’t need to know.”
“It’s fine.” He put his cup down. “But Gwen, is that all you see when you look at me? A model?”
“Of course not,” she said dumping her hands in her lap. After so much time studying his face, she saw beyond the crushing good looks and appreciated the man underneath. Small flaws made him real like the faded scar on his chin and the way his left eye tended to drift when he was tired. “I just suspect it’s an interesting story.”
He studied her for a moment and a small smile formed. She wanted to know why he made that career choice, and wanted to peel back the layers to prove her interest went beneath the beautiful surface.
“I was working in my father’s law firm when I was in my junior year at NYU. Yes, my father had expected me to go to law school, and yes, he expected me to become a lawyer just like him. He was actually very cool with my career choice, though. Anyway, I’d been in the law library looking for something when one of the partners in charge of the entertainment side of the firm introduced me to one of his clients. He gave me his card and told me to call him.”
“I’ll bet it was someone from Ford, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. What he proposed sounded interesting enough. I had the height and I was thinner. My hair was a little longer then. It was a look that was in demand at the time. I got a portfolio together and I started working almost immediately. Mostly runway stuff, some catalogs. The agent tried to push me to do commercials, but that included trips to L.A. for auditions. I liked the runway work. Then it got tedious. And the scrutiny... If you think this business objectifies women, wrap your pretty head around this one. The ratio of women to male models is six hundred to one. To say male modeling is competitive is an understatement.”
What a journey, she thought. “So how did you end up at Prada?”
“I was in a show for Lanvin, and I met Enrico. We bumped into each other at other shows after that, and one day he asked me to lunch to talk about working for him.” Andrew checked his phone for the time. Again. “Enrico asked me brand related questions. My major in college was marketing, so he must have done some research on me. I didn’t realize he was looking for a brand specialist. But he wanted my take on Lanvin. I’d been modeling for them almost exclusively and knew the creative director well.”
The mention of Lanvin made Gwen’s heart spike. Cate had modeled for them. That must be how they met. Two married models. Wow. What a fairy tale that must have looked like. She swallowed
and self-consciously touched her face, knowing she wasn’t model-material. Her follow-up question had gotten lost in the back of her mind.
After a throat clearing, she found it. “Was it hard adjusting?”
He blew a large puff of air from his cheeks. “You have no idea.”
She’d only known Andrew in his brand manager role, and he owned the position with command and power. It showed in every facet of his marketing campaigns and strategies.
As she opened her mouth to respond, he appeared lost in his thoughts. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“You’re better at all of this than I am. You realize that, don’t you?”
The unexpected compliment set her back. “I don’t know if I would say ‘better.’ Maybe just different. We basically had the same education, and we both worked in fashion our whole careers.”
A thought tickled her deliciously. She and Andrew could be a fashion power couple. Prada’s most beautiful couple behind the scenes.
“Enrico wouldn’t give you Marcello’s job, if you weren’t...”
The idea that she could be the Milan brand manager had taken a back seat to this whirlwind romantic week with Andrew. What a boon for her. The whole point of walking away from Starlight Elegance was to propel herself forward and have the career she’d worked so hard for.
Getting the job she’d always wanted could make her lose a man she never knew she needed.
ANDREW HELD GWEN’S hand as they walked through the shopping district of Milan. He could feel her happiness and excitement. He loved that he could now read her thoughts and what every curve of her face meant.
She wore very little makeup and only took time to darken her lashes, dab peachy lip gloss on her mouth, and off she went every morning. Her natural beauty and fresh even skin tone gave her face a warm shimmer. What frightened Andrew was the striking beauty who emerged when she spent more than five minutes on her appearance. Part of her charm. Quiet beauty. He wanted to keep her that way.
Her golden highlights gleamed in the sunshine. He loved her hair...so long, rich, and thick. He adored how it felt in his hands, how it felt on his body when they made love. Gwen fit him perfectly.