Boss Games

by Victoria Quinn

  I took his dismissal in stride. I rose to my feet and buttoned the front of my suit. “I’ll stop by in a few days to see Tatum.”

  “She’d like that.” Diesel walked me to the door. “And have fun tomorrow night. Let me know how the article turns out.”

  “I will.” I’d missed out on a decade of hugs from my son, so I hugged him now.

  He reciprocated and patted me on the back. “See you later, Dad.”

  I would never get tired of hearing my children call me that. From the first time I’d heard it, it felt special to me. “See you later, son.”

  I arrived in my Bullet, and the valet took my car. Cameras were immediately in my face, the various flashes no longer affecting me because I was used to the annoyance. A reporter stuck out her microphone and blurted out a question about Tatum.

  I ignored her and walked inside.

  It was nice not having a date because I didn’t have to drag her through this bullshit.

  I made it inside the old opera theater and saw the stage lit up for the show. Models in their finest dresses passed me as they rushed off to talk to someone. Most of them were in dazzling gowns with endless glitter. Heavy makeup was on their faces, so when they weren’t under the stage lights, it didn’t look quite right.

  I made my way to the reception room and was immediately offered a drink.

  I skipped the champagne and went straight for the scotch, not interested in bubbly drinks in pretty glasses.

  I saw a few friendly faces and mingled.

  Thirty minutes later, I spotted Alessia across the room. Judging by her eyelash extensions, voluminous hair, and the dark eye shadow that was painted across her lids, she was one of the models for the evening. With classic Italian looks and untouchable beauty, she stared at me with the same devastated expression she gave me the night I broke it off.

  I didn’t want to ignore her. I could do the awkward thing and pretend I didn’t see her, even though we both knew I saw her. But that wasn’t my style. I finished my glass and set it on an empty tray before I walked up to her. She was in a ruby red gown covered with diamonds that made the dress worth tens of thousands of dollars. It was perfect to complement her Tuscan skin and dark hair. “Alessia, you look lovely.” My arm circled her waist, and I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

  “Thank you…” She let me kiss her before she pulled away, still wearing the same forlorn expression. For a woman so beautiful, she shouldn’t be sad over a man like me. Right now, she didn’t see it, but moving on from me was the best thing for her. She should be with a young man, someone still excited about life. She shouldn’t be with a man who was over thirty years older than her. At least, she shouldn’t have gotten so attached to me. She shouldn’t have fallen in love with me—especially when I told her not to.

  “This dress fits you perfectly.”

  “I know. Connor is a genius. He understands my body better than I do.”

  But not better than me. “You’re going to outshine everyone tonight.”

  She smiled slightly and looked away. “Still charming, huh?”

  “I mean it.”

  She chuckled, but in a cold way. “Have you been taking this as hard as I have?”

  I didn’t answer because the truth would make me an asshole. Her company was pleasurable, and I enjoyed our adventures on my yacht and through the countryside. But her presence was just a way to pass the time. She made me laugh, made me smile, gave me good sex when the sun was down, but that was the extent of her purpose. “It’s never easy for a man to let such a beautiful woman go.” I didn’t want to hurt her, ruin her. She had a long life ahead of her, and when she found the man she wanted to spend that life with, she would understand the love she had for me would never compare. I would be nothing next to her husband, just a memory she hardly recalled. I knew that from experience…because meeting Isabella completely changed my life.

  “I know you told me how it would be. I know of all the women before me…all the women after me. But young men aren’t like you, Vincent. You’re so mature, gentle, sophisticated…I miss you.” She peered at me through her thick eyelashes, her bright blue eyes gorgeous. “I miss what we had…our friendship.”

  “I miss it too, Alessia. I enjoyed your company a great deal.”

  “Then why did you leave?” Music played overhead, so her words weren’t audible to those around us. We could have a private conversation even in a room full of people.

  Alessia was one of the women who didn’t seem obsessed with my money. She was easy to talk to and asked about my sons a lot. But she did seem smitten with my power, the invisible protection I wrapped around her. Standing in my shadow made her feel more powerful. She felt safe with me, looking up to me almost as a father figure. She had a difficult time growing up because her family was poor, and there were a lot of bumps in the road. With me, she knew she had a man who would take care of her. “It had nothing to do with you, Alessia. I know you’re sad right now, but trust me, you deserve someone better than me.”

  “There is no one better than you, Vincent. You’re the kindest man I’ve ever known.” Her hand moved to my forearm. “You’re such a gentle giant. They don’t make them like you anymore.”

  “When you meet a nice man your age, you’ll feel differently.” She wanted a family and a fulfilling life. That was something I would never compromise on. I already had my children, and they were grown men now. I didn’t want to start all over again, taking care of a baby in diapers. I already had a legacy to carry on my name. “But you know I’m always here for you. If you ever need anything at all, all you have to do is call.” I leaned into her again and kissed her on the cheek, bringing a sense of finality to the conversation. It almost felt idiotic having this conversation when Alessia was such a beautiful woman. She was pouring her heart out to me when I was far beneath her. I might have money, but I didn’t have her elemental goodness. She was soft like silk, easy to the touch. I was hard and callused, far too broken for someone so innately good. “Good luck tonight. I know you’ll do wonderfully.” I dropped my hand and immediately stepped away, knowing I had to put space between us. I didn’t want to upset her before her performance. Perhaps seeing her wasn’t the best idea.

  I grabbed another drink and swallowed half of it in a single gulp. The fire seared my throat all the way down to my belly, and it ignited me with a warmth that was intensely soothing. When I looked across the room, my eyes fell on Ms. Alexander. The last time I saw her, Thorn had been in deep conversation with her. I wondered if their words had amounted to anything—or they just burned out.

  I kept walking until my eyes spotted a brunette I thought I recognized. In a bright red dress with only one sleeve stood a woman I’d seen not too long ago. Around the waist, the dress was missing cuts of fabric, showing her bare skin. The dress fit snugly around her wide hips and down her thighs and hinted at her abs through the fabric. It stopped above her knee, and black stilettos were on her feet. She held a black clutch embedded with diamonds.

  It was a classy look.

  She fit right in with everyone else.

  Her brown hair was loose that night, trailing to her shoulders. It was straight and shiny. Her makeup was heavier than it’d been the other day, and now she looked like one of the models about to hit the runway. The only difference between her and the girls was her age. It was noticeable in some places, but in every other way, she could compete with the girls on the stage. She had the perfect size and grace. It made me wonder if she used to be a model in her prime.

  She was speaking to a woman who appeared to be the same age. They exchanged a few more sentences before the woman was pulled away by someone else.

  Scarlet turned her gaze on me. A slight flash of recognition came into her eyes. Her pupils dilated before they relaxed again. Then she gave me a smile that was completely different from the one she’d just been wearing.

  Now it looked real.

  I crossed the room then stopped in front of her. “Ms. Blackwood,
how are you?” I liked her name. It was filled with such historical reference and power. It was heavy with elegance too, the kind of poise that she carried. My hand moved to her hip, and I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

  A thrill immediately went down my spine at the contact. I didn’t touch her that way when we met last week, but at a function like this, it was the cordial way of doing things. I just didn’t expect to enjoy kissing her—or how natural it felt.

  She didn’t flinch at my touch, and her smile widened. “I’m well. How are you?”

  I was doing a lot better now that I was talking to her. “Good. Can I get you a drink?”

  “No, thank you. I’ve had way too many already.” She was standing in front of a framed image of Platform magazine. It was protected behind glass with an art light pointed directly at it. A famous actress was on the cover.

  I nodded to the wall. “Looks nice.”

  “Yes, that was a special edition.” She turned to examine the cover with me. “And she’s very sweet. I think people find her intimidating because of her beauty, but she’s very down-to-earth.”

  Instead of looking at the picture, I stared at Scarlet instead. I watched the way her face lit up with a smile as she stared proudly at her work. In the short amount of time I’d spent with her, it became apparent how much she loved her work. It wasn’t just a job to her, but her entire life. “Can I ask you something?”

  She pivoted her body back to me. “Considering the way I interrogated you last week, I think that would be okay.”

  “Have you modeled?”

  Instead of just smiling, a blush filled her cheeks. “You flatter me, Mr. Hunt.”

  Employees and acquaintances called me that. It didn’t feel right hearing her address me so formally. We were surrounded by alcohol, half-naked women, and loud music. This wasn’t a business meeting. “Please call me Vincent.”

  “Very well. Then you must call me Scarlet.”

  “I will.”

  “To answer your question, yes. I did a very long time ago. That was how I got started in the business. I modeled evening gowns and lingerie. When I retired from that career, I still wanted to be involved in fashion and beauty. That’s how I got here.”

  The idea of her modeling lingerie got my attention. “How long ago was that?”

  “I retired when I turned thirty. That was twelve years ago.”

  She was forty-two. She was fourteen years younger than me. That didn’t seem like such a big difference when most of my companions were in their early twenties. “What do you love more? Modeling or running the magazine?”

  “I don’t love one more than the other. They’re completely different. I had a very illustrious modeling career, and it gave me such an adventurous life. But once it was time to close that chapter, I wasn’t too upset about it. It was time to move on. Now I’m in a different chapter of my life, and I’ve embraced it.”

  I liked her perspective on life. “That’s a good way to look at it.”

  “Thirty is very old for a model, as young as that seems. I could have continued, but it would have required cosmetic surgery, and that was a route I didn’t want to take. It looks great on some women, but I knew it wasn’t for me. Aging is nothing to be ashamed of, and I feel just as beautiful now as I did then.”

  “I agree with you.” It was one of the things I’d first noticed about her. She had hints of age, but that didn’t deter from her beauty. She was definitely gorgeous, and her natural looks highlighted her features even more. She reminded me of myself, embracing age while taking care of her appearance as much as possible—naturally. I’d been with models for a long time, but I found Scarlet far more beautiful than all of them. I couldn’t explain why.

  “I just don’t think a woman should change her appearance to be considered beautiful.”

  “You’re right. And you don’t need it, Scarlet.”

  The blush filled her cheeks again. “You’re very sweet, Vincent. I understand why the girls adore you.”

  “The girls?” I wasn’t sure to whom she was referring. I’d seen in the tabloids that the media considered me to be a very sexy man despite the slight gray that had come into my hair. They said I’d aged phenomenally well, and people couldn’t believe my age when I said it. But I didn’t have fangirls the way a boy band did.

  “The models,” she explained. “Meredith, Natalie, Alessia…you’ve been mentioned quite a few times.”

  I supposed it was naïve to think they didn’t talk about me when I wasn’t around. I never spoke of them to anyone because it wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do. And it must be awkward between them, knowing they all dated the same man.

  “Don’t worry, they only said good things.”

  I always treated them like goddesses, so I hoped they didn’t have any ill feelings toward me. If I ever ran into any of them, I would always stop and say hello. “That’s good to know.”

  “Alessia seemed to take the breakup hard. She’s been eating even less than usual.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” I didn’t want any woman to be sad over me. I wasn’t worth their time, not when there was something so much better out there.

  Despite the heavy subject, her opinion of me didn’t seem to change. “Have models always been your type?”

  “I suppose.” I didn’t plan for it on purpose. It just seemed to happen that way. Whenever I met them at a social event, I recognized them. We started talking, and one thing led to another.

  “Was your wife a model?”

  I didn’t talk about Isabella. I’d already made that clear. “Is this off the record?”

  “Vincent, nothing is on the record unless you want it to be. And I know you don’t want this printed.”

  She could be leading me into a trap, but she didn’t seem like that kind of person. Instinctively, I felt like I could tell her things I couldn’t share with others. She seemed understanding, compassionate. “Yes. We met when I was in college. I told her I wanted to take care of her, so she quit modeling so we could have a family.”

  “You must have been young at the time.”

  “Very. I was twenty when I met her.”

  “I had my daughter at the same age. It must have been love at first sight for you.”

  “No.” I stared at the picture on the wall, thinking of the first time I laid eyes on her at a party off campus. “It was more than that.” Isabella had looked at me, a smile on her lips. I had no idea how I’d looked when I stared at her. In that moment, I somehow knew that beautiful brunette was destined to fill my heart for the rest of my life.

  Scarlet’s eyes softened, filled with emotion. “You had Diesel when you were twenty-one?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then she must have had Brett…”

  I didn’t like talking about it. “Yeah, she was very young.”

  “And her being a young mother didn’t bother you?”

  “No.” Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have been interested in a woman like that. But Isabella was different.

  “So then you must have gotten married almost immediately after you met.”

  “Yeah. I asked her to marry me six months after I met her.”

  Scarlet seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. It didn’t seem like she was asking out of politeness. “Wow, then your relationship must have been intense.”

  “It was.” I asked Isabella to marry me, took care of her while I finished college so she could raise our family, and when I launched my first company and became a millionaire, I bought her a small apartment in the city. As my wealth grew, I lavished her with more things. We had Jax shortly afterward, and then our family was complete.

  “I’m sorry about what happened,” she whispered. “I know it doesn’t mean much, especially since she’s been gone for so long, but I mean it.”

  “Thank you, Scarlet.” As the years passed, some things got easier. But I never stopped missing Isabella. I never stopped dreaming of her. Some days were better than others. Some days,
I could think of her fondly and appreciate the memories I had of her. But other days, it was difficult just to get out of bed.

  I noticed Scarlet didn’t wear a wedding ring, but that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t married. “Do you have someone in your life?”

  “No. I’ve been divorced for almost ten years now.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, don’t be,” she said with a scoff. “I shouldn’t have married him in the first place. I was young when I had Lizzie, and getting married seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But we did it for the wrong reasons, and it wasn’t a good relationship.”

  “Your daughter’s name is Lizzie?” I asked.

  “Yeah. She’s a sweet girl.”

  “Do you have a picture of her?”

  “Of course.” She smiled brightly as she pulled out her phone. Her wallpaper was a picture of her daughter, a young brunette that looked just like her. She had a nice smile, the same colored eyes, and she had the appearance of a kind person. “She’s at NYU right now. She wants to be a nurse.”

  “That’s nice.”

  She put her phone back in her clutch.

  “She’s a beautiful girl.”

  “Thank you. I’ll never say this to her, but having her was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. It was twenty at the time and getting started with modeling. Money was always difficult, and my husband wasn’t a good man. But she’s the most important thing in my life, and she’s my whole world. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She completes me more than any relationship I’ve ever had.”

  That was exactly how I felt about my sons. The fact that I could still see Isabella when I looked at them made me cherish them even more. “I think that’s how every parent feels about their kids.” I noticed it was the second time she’d spoken ill of her ex-husband, and she unleashed a harsh insult. “Your ex-husband wasn’t a good man?”

  Her gaze shifted away, and her smile died. “Yeah, but that doesn’t matter anymore. It’s in the past—where it belongs. My daughter keeps in touch with him, but she doesn’t have a clue what happened between the two of us—and that’s how I want it to be. I don’t want Lizzie to hate her father—even if she should.”