Model Attraction

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “Are you sure you want to do that? The last time I was near you and had a drink in my hand, it didn’t end well,” she said, the sultriness of her voice a reminder that she was all grown up now.

  He chuckled. “I’ll take my chances. What would you like?”

  “Ginger ale.” Austin lifted an inquiring eyebrow. “Two alcoholic drinks, which I have already consumed, is my limit.”

  “I see.” He turned to the bartender and placed their order.

  Silence loomed while they waited for their drinks, and Austin’s gaze lingered to her right hand resting on the bar. The promise-me ring with the small diamond he’d given her was on her middle finger. He had worked months, saving every penny in order to purchase it before her special day. He couldn’t believe she still had it, let alone was wearing the jewelry.

  He still recalled the day, her sixteenth birthday. He had taken her on a picnic in Roosevelt Park in Edison, New Jersey. The memory made him smile. It was a beautiful autumn day when the leaves on the trees were starting to change and the air was a little crisp. They’d sat huddled together near the gazebo overlooking Meadow Lake as he fed her fruit and entertained her with corny jokes, loving the fact that she’d laughed at all of them. That was also the day he had proposed marriage to her, as only a seventeen-year-old boy could do.

  Austin shook his head, hoping to rid his mind of the unwelcome thoughts. He didn’t want to think about the absurdity of proposing at that age. And now realizing he had proposed marriage twice, to two different women, in the last ten years made him feel like an incompetent loser. Sure, Janna and Zoe had accepted, but he still hadn’t been able to close the deal with either, which in hindsight was lucky for him. Clearly he had a problem making good decisions when it came to matters of the heart.

  “Here you go.” The bartender placed the drinks in front of them.

  “Thank you.” Janna lifted her glass to Austin in a silent toast before taking a sip.

  “My pleasure.”

  Austin took a long drag on his beer, hoping the bitter liquid would tamp down his desire to question her decision to leave him years ago. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for her response, but a part of him needed to know.

  “I like a woman who plays hard to get,” Timothy slurred when he saddled up to the other side of Janna. She rolled her eyes and groaned, moving slightly closer to Austin, but Timothy was not to be ignored. “I don’t give up easy.” He dropped his arm around her shoulder.

  Austin’s protective instincts kicked in and he almost grabbed Timothy, but he stopped himself. Janna was no longer his responsibility. He kept quiet, hoping Timothy didn’t go further than a little flirting.

  “What part of ‘I’m not interested’ don’t you understand?” she ground out only loud enough for those right next to them to hear. She shook his arm loose. “Besides, I’m already with someone.”

  She turned, and before Austin could form his next thought, she stepped in front of him. Her hands rested on his chest, and her mouth covered his.

  Sweet. Soft. Potent. Her kiss was everything he remembered. All rational thought fled his mind and, as if on autopilot, one of his hands went to the back of her neck, the other to the small of her back. He pulled her against his body and his tongue explored the inner recesses of her mouth, tasting champagne. How many times had he dreamed of touching her, holding her, kissing her?

  She moaned into his mouth, spurring him to deepen their kiss. The heady scent of her perfume was even more captivating now that her body was molded against his. Her arms eased around his waist, stoking the fire the kiss had started. She still fit perfectly in his arms.

  Some sane part of his mind screamed, Danger! Stop and slowly back away. He couldn’t. He couldn’t stop the heat that soared through his body as their tongues tangled. He couldn’t stop the desire that singed every nerve ending, making him want so much more than a kiss. He couldn’t stop the possessive thought—mine—that floated to the forefront of his mind.

  He knew at that moment that he would never really be free of her. She would always hold a part of his heart.

  * * *

  Janna’s heartbeat thumped faster when Austin’s large hands moved from her body and cupped her face. She might have started the kiss, but with the demanding mastery of his lips, he had quickly taken charge. His fresh, clean scent was more potent than the alcohol on his tongue.

  That peace she’d always felt in his presence settled over her like a soft silk-wool sweater. God, she had missed him. His closeness, his warmth and his hands on her felt so familiar. Like old times.

  She heard herself moan.

  His body stiffened.

  Her heart lurched, and the wistful murmurs from people nearby penetrated the fog in her head caused by the toe-curling kiss. The last thing she wanted to do was open her eyes, but then she heard what sounded like a camera.

  Her eyes flew open.

  Oh, crap.

  If Austin had hated her before, the scathing look in his dark eyes now said that he was beyond angry.

  “Let’s go,” he growled under his breath and held her elbow, guiding them through the small crowd that had gathered. He pulled her along, using his large body to block their faces from any additional photographs, and didn’t stop moving until they were outside. “What the hell was that all about?”

  “Austin, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think—”

  “Yeah, that’s the problem, Janna. You never think about how your actions are going to affect someone else. You’re still the selfish, careless, impulsive person you were years ago.”

  Fury rumbled inside her and she placed her hands on her hips, stepping closer to him.

  “Now, you wait just a minute! You have every right to be mad at me for kissing you, but I will not stand here and let you call me names. You don’t know me!”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  Janna stared at him. Hurt flickered in his eyes, but disappeared so quickly she thought she might have imagined it. Guilt churned in her gut. He wasn’t only talking about tonight. Tension bounced off him like heat from a roaring fire as she struggled for the right words to say. So many times she had imagined what she would say to him when she had a chance to apologize. Yet nothing seemed to be good enough.

  “Austin, listen.”

  “No, you listen. I don’t know what that kiss was all about back there, but count me out of any games that you’re playing. You gave up your rights to kiss me on a whim years ago. Now stay the hell away from me.”

  Instead of going back to the event, he stormed away along the concrete path that led around the building.

  Remorse settled in her chest. She and Austin had once been so good together. He was her first love. The first person outside of Mama Adel who’d made her feel special. She had vowed back then to love him forever. Instead, she had discarded their plans for the first opportunity for fame and fortune that had come her way.

  Janna toyed with the promise ring that went everywhere she did. She knew now that Austin would never listen to anything she had to say. He would never forgive her.

  Chapter 4

  Two days later, Austin sat in a meeting, half listening to the weekly report from department heads. Due to traveling, he had already missed two meetings that month and needed to be brought up to date, but he couldn’t focus. He couldn’t shake the confusing emotions left behind by that kiss Janna had planted on him. It might have been unexpected, but he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t enjoyed finding out that her lips were still cushiony soft. But damn his treacherous body for wanting more than a kiss from her.

  “We’ve had to hire a different carpenter contractor for the San Jose project.” Clarence Golding, the project director, cut into Austin’s thoughts. “The one we were using is under a federal investigation, and no, it has nothing to do with Rey
nolds Development,” he said, as if knowing Austin or his father would ask.

  “That’s good to know.” Patrick stood and walked across the room, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “How are things with...”

  Austin’s mind drifted again as he stared out the conference room window, exhaustion consuming his body. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since the fundraiser. Flashbacks of the way he had spoken to Janna continued to trouble him. There was a time when he wouldn’t have even considered raising his voice to her or uttering a mean word. And after he’d told her to stay away from him, the night had gone downhill from there. He had intended to leave the event early but not before the dinner. Of course, the first call he received Sunday morning was from his mother. To say she was pissed would be an understatement. But she’d definitely gotten his attention when she pointed out his recent failures where women were con—

  “Is everything all right, son?”

  Austin’s gaze lifted to where his father stood near the chair at the head of the conference table, staring at him, concern in his eyes. Glancing around, Austin was surprised to see that everyone else had cleared out.

  He closed the file in front of him and stood. “Yes, sir, everything is fine.”

  “Then why have you been distracted since you arrived this morning? This is our third meeting of the day and you have only interjected maybe once or twice. Normally on a Monday morning, you’re full of information, bringing us all up to date on the financials for each project.”

  Austin gathered his files and pen. “Sorry, Dad. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Does your lack of focus have anything to do with this?” Patrick unfolded a newspaper and dropped it in front of Austin. “Looks like you put on quite the show Saturday night. I’m not sure how your mother and I missed this.”

  Austin groaned and picked up the newspaper, zoning in on the picture of him and Janna kissing.

  Catwalk Queen Has a New Beau was splashed across the top of the article.

  Janna Morgan has been on the arms of many leading men, music moguls and professional athletes, but this is the first time she’s been caught kissing anyone. According to our sources, the mystery man is an Atlanta business executive, Austin Reynolds. Is Reynolds just another notch in the model’s designer belt, or could this be more serious?

  Austin quickly skimmed the rest of the article as anger simmered within him. For almost twenty-eight years he’d managed to stay clear of any negative publicity, and Janna showed up in town and suddenly he was top entertainment news.

  Cursing under his breath, he dropped the paper on the table. How should he handle this? If he kept quiet, maybe it would just go away.

  “I didn’t realize you two had reunited. I spoke briefly with Janna Saturday night and she’s as sweet as I remember, but she didn’t lead me to believe that you two were back together.”

  “That’s because we’re not. That...that,” he stuttered and pointed at the photo, “shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Well, you can’t tell by looking at the picture.” His father chuckled. “As a matter of fact, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you two were very much in love. A man doesn’t kiss a woman like that unless he still has feelings for her.”

  Austin didn’t want to have this conversation. It had taken him weeks after Janna had left for him to even tell his parents that she’d gone to Italy to pursue a modeling career. And even then the only thing he’d told them was that they weren’t together anymore.

  “Well, this is a good example of the media getting it all wrong.” Austin made a move to leave but stopped when his father called his name.

  “When will I have the numbers for the Dunkin project in Alpharetta?”

  Patrick and his brother had built the company from the ground up and within five years had made it into a million-dollar business. While in college, Austin had interned for his father, working six days a week while carrying a full class load. He had always had business sense, even from a very young age, and had been good with numbers. His father had groomed him to one day fill the role of chief financial officer. His BA in business and finance, as well as his MBA, enhanced what he had learned on the job.

  “I had planned to have that information to you this morning, but you’ll definitely have it on your desk before I leave today.”

  Austin got to the closed conference room door before his father spoke again.

  “Son, I know it’s none of my business, but when are you going to let the past go?” He nodded toward the newspaper. “It’s clear you two have some unfinished business. And I have watched you the last few years, getting in and out of relationships, looking for something you apparently haven’t found. Is it possible that you’ve been looking in the wrong place? Maybe Janna is what’s missing in your life.”

  “Dad.”

  “Hear me out.” His father grabbed the newspaper from the table and refolded it, sticking it in the file that was in his hand. “There’s nothing I want more than for you and your brother to find women who will make you as happy as your mother has made me. But there’s something you need to understand. Getting hurt is a part of life. Staying hurt is a choice.”

  Austin stood stunned. His father was an intelligent man, a man he’d always looked up to. Hearing him go deep on him was a new experience, though.

  “You are never going to find what you’re looking for until you deal with whatever happened between you and Janna. You’re also not going to find it if you continue to spend every waking hour here at the office or holed up in your workshop.”

  When most people went home to their families or out for drinks after work, Austin spent his spare time at home in his workshop. Since he was a kid, he’d loved working with wood and as an adult built cabinets and chests in his spare time.

  “Search your heart and reevaluate your priorities. I guarantee you’ll get the life you long for.”

  Silence fell between them until Austin asked, “So when did you know Mom was the one?”

  His father chuckled. “The first time I kissed her. From that moment on, she was the first person I thought of when I woke up each day and the last person I thought of before I fell asleep each night.”

  A sick feeling swirled around inside Austin’s chest. Hearing the same words Zoe had spoken made him realize that he hadn’t thought about her all weekend. What the heck? How could he have planned to marry someone whom he could forget that easily? The day before the fundraiser, she had flown to Tampa to check on her mother, who had taken a fall.

  Shaking his head, he followed Patrick out of the conference room.

  “I’m sorry things didn’t work out with you and Zoe, but in a way, maybe it was a blessing in disguise,” his father said before he headed down the hall toward his office.

  Austin stared after him before returning to his own office, feeling the weight of his father’s words. He was right about one thing. It was time Austin put the past in the past. But how could he? Each time he saw Janna, the hurt she’d caused came back to him as if it had happened yesterday.

  Austin placed the files on his desk and dropped into his chair, his head in his hands. Janna came crashing back into his life as only she could do. He shook his head, unable to stop the smile that came with the thought. Even without trying, she had shaken up his world as she used to do. He had always been a slave to routine and normalcy, while she was the opposite. There was never anything normal about their time together. Either she was doing something that would eventually get them into trouble, or she was trying to loosen him up. Her words, not his. That was something he had loved about having her in his life. She made him want to live out loud instead of living in a nice, neat and simple existence.

  Austin lifted his head and sat back in his seat. Thinking of Janna was only going to make him frustrated. He could forgive her for leaving him in New Jer
sey, but he didn’t know if it were possible to forget.

  * * *

  “Thank you,” Janna said to the driver holding the door as she climbed into the back of the town car. It felt as if she’d put in a full day of work arguing with the owner of the management company that handled her finances. She couldn’t believe that the accountant assigned to oversee one of her smaller retirement accounts had mishandled her funds. For years, Iris had told her she needed to learn everything she could about how they were managing her money or at least learn how to read the monthly reports they sent her. Janna had finally decided to do just that.

  She had started making money so fast that she hadn’t kept up very well in how her finances were being managed. And though she would hate admitting this to anyone, she’d been too busy to keep track of the money coming in and going out lately.

  Her brother-in-law, Nash, planned to give her the contact information to his accountant as well as a crash course in finance, while Iris looked into criminal charges.

  Seeing how backed up the traffic was, Janna sat back and got comfortable for the ride to Nash’s office.

  Janna’s cell phone rang and she wondered if that was Nash calling to make sure she was still stopping by his office.

  “Hello,” she said once she located her cell phone at the bottom of her handbag.

  “For a person who is trying to clean up her image, you have a funny way of showing it,” Iris said.

  Janna rolled her eyes. She had hoped no one she knew saw the photo and the article, but the call from Macy the day before proved otherwise.

  “Hey, Auntie Janna! Nice photo!” Iris’s daughter screamed in the background. When Iris met Nash, he’d been raising Tania, his niece, by himself. He and Iris officially adopted her after they were married.

  “Tell Tania she’s not funny. And tell her that I want to see her before I leave Atlanta.”

  “That’s going to be a little hard, since I’m taking her and one of her girlfriends to the airport as we speak. They’re starting their summer vacation in South Beach.”