The camera goes click, click, click, click and Miles yells, “That’s it, that’s it, beautiful sexy mysterious.”
After I change back into my regular, non-model clothes, I gather my purse, and my laptop, then scan my phone for any updates.
Nothing.
“You did great, Lauren. The photos are going to look amazing. We should be able to choose the one you like best tomorrow morning,” says Daniella.
“Thanks,” I say, feeling like it probably won’t matter anyway.
I open the door to make my way back to my office as Daniella makes her way to another photo session room. A call from André comes through my phone just as I reach the elevator.
“Hey, boss. You may want to head to photo room number three. We’ve got the face of ALLMe here ready to do the shoot.”
I end the call without even saying anything to André. I just run, down the hall, high heels slamming the tile floors past room one, then past room two, then…finally room three.
Shoving the door open, I breathe in and out, feeling like I ran a mini marathon.
André grins and Daniella smiles. And from behind the privacy screen steps Jaxson Malone, all dressed in nothing but a pair of black ALLMe underwear and the luxurious gifts God gave him.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he says, all grins and twinkling eyes.
“Jaxson I—”
“Didn’t think I’d say yes?”
I shake my head as he steps closer to me. The sight of him all yummy and fine-looking, abs, chest, face. I almost pass out.
He grabs me and pulls me into him and whispers, “I told you all you have to do is ask for help, baby.”
“I’ll work on that,” I stammer, knees wobbling.
“I told Ryan no, but then Antonio Michaels called me personally and told me that, not only would he be honored if I become the new face of ALLMe, but he also explained that if this deal didn’t go down as presented in the contract, you would lose your publishing deal.”
I stand, melting in his arms, unable to really speak but finally manage to say, “I should have told you, but didn’t want to make you feel obligated.”
He looks at me with his hypnotic gaze. “Lauren Blake, I’m in love with you and from now on, it is my obligation to do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
He kisses me. Tender. Sweet.
Then breaks away and says softly in my ear, “Uh, baby, as much as I’d like to keep kissing you, I can’t because you’re getting me excited. And as far as I know, Haute Couture is not that kind of magazine.
I giggle and step back watching his photo shoot, looking in awe at how good he looks, the man of my dreams, all sexy-hot. ALLMine.
And all I can do is think how lucky I am that Dixie fucking Lane said, no.
Epilogue
Jaxson
Three Months Later…
Savannah, GA USA
Have you ever had a moment when you find the need to pinch yourself? Like shit is just too damn good to be true?
Yeah, well I’m having one of those moments now.
“Jaxson, where are you taking me?”
That question comes from my too-good-to-be-true. My forever gal, Lauren.
“Shhh, babe. You have to work on being patient. We’re almost there, I promise,” I say.
We’re in her hometown of Savannah, GA. It’s just stopped raining. The sun is shining, and I’m on a mission.
“I can’t see,” Lauren whines.
“Yes, babe. That’s the whole point of the blindfold,” I say, leading her down the path.
Lauren and I arrived in Savannah three days ago after a one-week stay in New York. We’re on what I call, The Meet The Parents Tour.
Now, I had no doubts that my mom and dad would fall head-over-heels for Lauren. The same way Gramps and Nana did. The same way I did.
And I was right.
Mom and Dad are crazy about her. Dad channeled Beyoncé and told me I had better put a ring on it.
But the idea of me meeting her parents, along with her sister Becky and her BFF Arabella, petrified me.
Thankfully, her parents love me. Now Becky, was a little harder to convince. Everything Lauren said about her…true. She is indeed a witch. I personally think she may be a tad jealous of Lauren.
“I would have worn ballet flats had I known we were gonna walk on what feels like sand, Jaxson,” she whines again.
“We’re so close, babe. Then, I promise it will all be worth it.”
I hope.
Anyway, Lauren’s BFF, Arabella, and I hit it off right away. Although she calls me a good BadBoy.
The nearly two weeks we’ve spent here in the States, have been wonderful.
Yet, I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning, when Lauren, Truffles, and I fly back to our villa in Paris, France.
Where this all began.
Not to mention Paris is where our life is.
The successful magazine, the fashion line, which now includes Hot Mess Couture, a brand name I convinced Lauren to bring out of the woodwork, as a children’s-clothing line.
And there’s me, still very much the face of ALLMe. The parodic-like spin of the campaign slogan was all abuzz on social media, sweeping the Dixie Lane incident under the rug.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into wearing this blindfold,” Lauren says, a hint of a chuckle evident.
“Yeah, well, you didn’t mind the blindfold the other night when—”
“Jaxson Malone, hold your tongue,” she orders.
She’s feisty as hell, only one of the many attributes I’ve fallen for.
The last few months spent with Lauren, getting to know her, discovering all that makes her the beautiful, vibrant, sweet—sometimes stubborn—woman she is, left me no choice but to bring meaning to my forever gal.
So, after meeting her parents I got time to get to know her dad a little, let him probe me about my plans for the future. It came to no surprise that my future plans involved marrying his daughter.
“How far are we from the car? It smells damp. Like it’s about to rain again.”
“Baby, if it rains, I brought an umbrella. Hush, we’re almost there,” I calmly say.
As I lead her, the rest of the way, down the sandy path to a spot on the beach I feel is perfect, the sun peeping in and out of the clouds, I can’t help but feel a sense of wow, flowing through my entire body. The same sensation I felt that day I first laid eyes on Lauren at the airport, the first night we kissed under the Paris sky, the first night we made love.
And the first time she whispered, I love you.
“We’re here, baby,” I say, after taking a deep breath to calm my nerves.
“Yay, wherever here is,” she says in that sexy southern accent, sarcastic-laced tone I adore so much. “I hear ocean waves!” she adds.
“Yes, baby,” I say, facing her. “Now, listen. I’m gonna remove the blindfold, but I want you to promise to keep your eyes closed until I say your name,” I add, ready to pull off the blindfold.
“Keep my eyes closed until you say my name,” she repeats in a whisper-tone. “Okay, got it.”
Hands trembling, I pull off the blindfold, remove the velvet black box out of my pant pocket, then get down on one knee.
Breathe, Jaxson. Just breathe.
“Lauren.” She opens her eyes, sees me on one knee, and gasps. “You are the reason I know true love exists, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life loving you. You once mentioned you want forever. Well, here is forever, baby.”
Lauren places her hands over her mouth as I kneel, holding the five-carat flower-shaped engagement ring. “Oh my goodness, Jaxson, it’s a flower,” she squeals, her hands now shaking.
I chuckle. “Yes, baby. And the inscription inside says, ‘this flower means forever.’”
Tears begin to trickle down her face as she laughs and cries—giving meaning to tears of joy.
Then I finally get up the nerve to ask, “Lauren Blake, will you be my forever
gal? Will you please marry me?”
She looks at me with a playful and happy gleam in her eyes and says…
“Yes!”
Then I sweep her up in my arms and kiss her as light rain begins to fall.
Sprinkles of joy.
“Our first kiss in the rain,” she says laughing.
“Yes. I’m sorry it’s not the Paris in the rain kind of a kiss you’ve been longing for.”
Lauren runs her fingers through my hair and says, “It’s okay, because being with you is like Paris in the rain.”
And the two of us, along with Truffles, and the little bundle of joy we are expecting, will live happily ever after.
* * *
The End
Thank You
Dear Lovely Reader,
Thank you for reading Haute Couture!! I hope you enjoyed Lauren and Jaxson’s Story as much as I enjoyed writing it!!
The music playlist can be found on my website - www.joslynwestbrook.com
Stay tuned for the next book in the Razzle My Dazzle Series—Princessa— where we will get to know Arabella Princessa Royale, the socialite BFF from Haute Couture. Sign up for my mailing list, also on my website or follow me on Amazon for updates.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!
* * *
Joslyn xo
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my Cover Designer pro_ebookcovers for the fabulous cover!
Thank you to all of my author friends who continue to support me in this journey. Maria, Roberta, Julie—you are all STILL rock stars!! XO
My Editor…Kathy you have no idea how valued you are and how I SO appreciate you coming through for me on such a tight deadline to help make this book shine. THANK YOU!!!
Tandy - Thank you again for being that final proofreader - you are a gem!
My Hubby - I LOVE YOU…but you know this!!!
My Kids - LOVE YOU! XO
ARC Team - Thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to read the Advanced Copy.
A special thanks to Krissy Gray-Johnson for coming up with the name Arabella Royale as well the name Truffles for the pooch!
Thank you to my Book Besties Facebook Group!
XO Joslyn
Also by Joslyn Westbrook
Razzle My Dazzle Series
Cinderella-ish
Haute Couture
Princessa May 2018
* * *
Delectables in the City Series
The Fifty-Two Week Chronicles
A Cupcake and A Gentleman 2018
Chef Mate 2019
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents, are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2018 by Joslyn Westbrook. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying and information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author or publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Fifth Avenue Publications.
Cover design by pro_ebookcovers
Edited by Indie Editing Chick
First Edition (January 2018)
www.joslynwestbrook.com
Created with Vellum
About the Author
Joslyn Westbrook has been creating stories since grade school. Her passion for writing often led to teachers and college professors reading her stories to the class, showcasing her creativity. Putting her writing on hold, Joslyn pursued a career as a Business Consultant as she raised her children. While she enjoyed working with business owners, she craved what she believed was her true calling - writing. During her free time, Joslyn began writing her romance novels and series of sexy chick-lit style novels to curb her passion for writing. Her work as a Business Consultant has spawned the concept of several characters featured in her books. Joslyn is a self-proclaimed foodie, enjoys shopping, cooking, binge watching on Netflix, and spending time with her husband and children at home in sunny California.
You can connect with Joslyn via the links below:
www.joslynwestbrook.com
[email protected]
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