Only then did I remember I was fully nude. “Hey!” I said as I crossed my arms over my breasts and moved behind the island to hide my bottom half from his sight. Despite the looks, I didn’t get a dangerous vibe from him. In fact, he looked familiar. “What are you doing here?”
“Relax. I’m just here to have a chat with my little brother. Been waiting a while, I take it you two made a late night of it last night?”
I blushed—the clock on the stove said quarter past noon. Stephen and I had gone to see a show the night before, and when we got back to his penthouse we’d taken sexy photos together until the sunrise reddened the horizon.
“You’re one of Stephen’s brothers?” He’d told me about them. Two older and one younger, but I couldn’t remember the names. Now he’d said it the resemblance was uncanny. “Which one?”
“Derek Devereux, at your service.”
He held out his hand to shake mine. I looked at it but didn’t shake it. If I did then I wouldn’t be able to keep my breasts contained.
“Right,” he said smoothly. “Wouldn’t want to expose yourself to your lover’s brother. That would be awkward.” He winked and took his hand back.
I smiled despite myself. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t after another eyeful. I may have only just started dating Stephen, but I can already tell how you Devereux brothers work.”
“We are big fans of beautiful women, there’s no mistake there. Forgive me if I push a little too hard, Stephen and I have a long and storied history of teasing each other. And as the older brother, I always win.”
“Is that right?” Stephen said. He leaned against the doorway into the kitchen, wrapped in a thin silk robe. “I seem to remember a certain time with a big stick by the ravine where you didn’t fare so well.”
“That wasn’t teasing, you threw that thing like a javelin and hit me square in the ear, you idiot. It took years before my hearing was back to normal.”
Stephen came into the room and he and Derek embraced.
“Whatever. I still won. This is Liberty. I hope you weren’t giving her too much trouble.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I was the perfect gentleman, at least as much as I could be with a naked hottie running around the place.”
I blushed and refolded my arms. “Derek was fine, Stephen, he just caught me by surprise. It’s my fault for running out with no clothes on, I didn’t know anyone else had access to your place.”
Stephen shook his head. “No, I should have told you, but didn’t think it would be an issue.” He turned to stare at Derek. “Since he hadn’t seen the apartment yet I thought he would tell me when he’d be in town for a visit. What do you think of the place?”
Derek looked around. The kitchen was open to the living room as one big open concept space. Windows filled the exterior walls from the floor to the double high ceilings, opening onto a fantastic view of Manhattan. “It’s a little ostentatious, isn’t it?”
“Ostentatious?” Stephen sputtered. “That’s a bold statement coming from the guy who bought a massive Hollywood mansion so he can rub elbows with the rich and famous.”
“Yeah, well, luckily I fit right in there,” Derek grinned. Now I had the chance to see the two of them side by side, it became even more clear how unnaturally lucky their family genetics were. Stephen’s handsomeness wasn’t a fluke—if anything, Derek was a little more refined from the extra few years he had on his little brother.
“Not that I don’t like seeing you,” Stephen said, “but what are you doing here? You know you can always call if you want to talk about something.”
“I got word from Evan that someone’s been poking around, asking questions. From what he could find out it sounded like it all started when you made a wager in a bar.”
Stephen tapped his chin with a finger as if he was trying to recall a distant memory. “Wager in a bar… wager in a bar… doesn’t sound like me.”
“Really. It doesn’t?” Derek’s voice was flat. “Does four hundred million dollars ring a bell?”
My breath caught in my throat. Derek looked at me, then back at his brother, eyebrow raised.
“Fine,” Stephen rolled his eyes. “I may have bet this jackass four hundred million dollars I would cut a higher card from a deck than him.”
“Jesus, Stephen, why the hell would you do that!”
“He was being an absolute prick to Liberty. And he kept bragging about how he was worth four hundred million dollars.”
Derek choked back a laugh and put a stern face on. Tried to, at least—he didn’t succeed very well. “I wish I could have seen the look on his face when that went down. Still though, Stephen, you know what we agreed on and you’ve got to show a little more tact.”
Stephen shrugged and took my glass of water off the counter. He gulped it down until it was empty. “Whatever, Derek. You would have done the same thing, even if you won’t admit it. The cat’s bound to come out of the bag, unless you want to go back to living like you were before.”
“Stephen,” Derek said, warning in his voice. “This isn’t how people were supposed to find out about us.”
“Who cares, Derek? What’s the worst that could happen? I bet no one will figure it out even if they knew how much money we have.” Stephen glanced at me. “You know how much certain people want things under wraps.”
Derek scratched his head. “That’s true.”
I couldn’t take it any longer. “Okay, seriously, what the hell are you two talking about? Why is it a big secret how you came into your money? What’s the big deal?”
Stephen and Derek shared a look I couldn’t decipher.
“Liberty, why don’t you get dressed, it looks like Derek and I have family business to discuss.” Stephen came over and leaned down for a kiss.
The familiar, heady sensation of being swept away in his arms almost overcame the frustration I felt at him for keeping secrets from me and treating me like a child that couldn’t be trusted with the truth.
I walked away without looking back. The silence behind me was deafening, and I could almost see the way both brothers stared at my naked body as I strutted back to the bedroom.
“Where are you taking me this time?”
Stephen smiled and squeezed my hand. “Just wait and see.”
It had become a game between us. Every time we went out on a date, the goal was to surprise the other. Stephen had the money so his tended to be grander in scale, but I did everything I could to keep the tables even as far as novelty went.
When Stephen brought me to the opera, I took him to an open yoga practice in Central Park. After he treated me to dinner at Atera, I convinced him we were going to a comedy show on Broadway but instead took him to see the Sleep No More.
The car rolled up to an open gate. I craned my neck around trying to spot a sign that would give me a clue where we were going, but found my efforts frustrated—the only sign said Pier 6.
Past the gate, there was a small parking lot in front of a squat building perched on the pier.
“Where are we?” I asked Stephen. He winked without answering and got out of the car as the driver opened my door and gave me a hand up.
Stephen put his arm around me and we walked around the building until the pier appeared behind it.
A few helicopters sat like mechanical dragonflies resting in the sun.
“Is this what I think?” I asked.
Stephen’s eyes crinkled as he nodded. “Have you ever been up in a helicopter?”
“No!” My heart jumped into my throat. “I’ve never even flown in a plane before, I took the bus to the city when I moved here. Are you serious, we’re flying around?”
“You got it. I’ve heard the city is incredible from the sky, it gives you an appreciation for the accomplishments of man when you are up among the gigantic skyscrapers.”
A short safety talk later, and I settled into the rear seat of a chopper next to Stephen, fitted with a helmet that had speakers built in and a microphone stick
ing in front of my mouth.
“Are you ready?” he asked. The sound came in loud and clear through the helmet’s speakers.
I laced my fingers through his the way I’d grown to love. “Of course.”
At Stephen’s signal the pilot started the rotors and moments later the ground fell away. Cars became smaller and seemed to move much slower, and the buildings shrank until they were toys on the ground.
The pilot turned the craft toward Manhattan, flying over the Hudson. The skyscrapers reached skyward like fingers of metal and glass clustered together.
“This is incredible,” I said, my voice crackling in my own ears over the sound of the engine and rotors.
“Look at that,” Stephen said. He pointed to the west, where the sun perched on the horizon and turned a reddish hue. Long shadows stretched over the city, cast from the behemoths downtown.
“Wow.” I held onto Stephen’s arm as we shared the view. Over the weeks we’d been dating I’d been able to see how much he appreciated the little things in life, like a gorgeous sunset or a well-cooked meal. It was one thing that had me falling for him.
The helicopter flew along the river, showing us fantastic views of the city like I’d never seen it before. After an hour and with the last traces of light fading from the sky, the helicopter zeroed in on a helipad. It was on the opposite side of the river from where we’d started.
“Stephen, are we going to somewhere in particular? I thought we were just going to fly around and see the sights.”
He gave me his trademark grin. “I thought while we were flying around we might as well grab dinner.”
He refused to say anything else except to enjoy the view while we had it. Shadows drew longer and the land grew darker as we came in to land on a platform.
“And we’re here,” Stephen announced as the engine cut out and the rotors braked.
The pilot came around to open the hatch and assist us out of the helicopter. I wouldn’t have been able to manage it on my own—the tight dress and heels I wore weren’t cut out for clambering over heavy machinery.
“Where are we going now?” I asked as Stephen put his arm around me and we walked across the pier.
“Not far.”
He steered us toward a large boat moored alongside the pier, and Stephen’s arm steadied me as we climbed the ramp onto the vessel.
The back half of the boat was open to the night air, and a table set for two sat square in the center of the space. Glimmering flickers of candlelight shimmered against the white linen as we approached. The majesty of the city lights on the horizon spread out in front of us, a view unlike any other place on the planet.
A man dressed in fancy waiter attire waited beside the table. “Please have a seat, sir and ma’am.” He pulled out a chair and waited as I finished taking in the scene.
“I can’t believe you set this up,” I said to Stephen. I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Thank you.”
We kissed lightly, and as always I fought an internal struggle to not let it go deeper. I always wanted more when it came to Stephen.
I smiled at the waiter as I sat down and he pushed the chair in behind me. He poured glasses of champagne and then left the deck.
“This will take a hard brainstorming session to top,” I said. “Don’t think I’ll let you get away with doing something so outrageous without payback.”
Stephen laughed. He knew my feelings on him spending more money on a date than I made in a year. “Come on Liberty, we shouldn’t limit ourselves when we don’t have to. I like spending the money on you, and it’s not a burden. I don’t feel you’re taking advantage of me.”
It was nothing we hadn’t discussed before.
“It’s not that I think I’m taking advantage of you,” I said. I hesitated. In an effort to shield him I’d hid some of my true feelings so far in our budding relationship. “I don’t want to grow accustomed to a decadent lifestyle and then find myself unable to cope when you move on.”
“Move on?” His eyebrows narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t know, not anything bad. We’re both young, you’ve come into a life-changing amount of money, and relationships are hard work.” I took a sip of champagne, more as an excuse to gather my thoughts than because I was thirsty. “I’m just saying I can’t rely on us staying together forever.”
“Liberty, come on,” he said. “Can’t we enjoy the time we spend together without planning our entire futures around what may or may not happen?”
I shook my head slowly. “It’s a lot easier for you, Stephen. You have the money, and if something comes between us you won’t lose anything except me. This is why I have to keep trying to break into modeling and doing what I can to be successful. Not only to prove my worth and to make a difference, but as protection just in case something ever happens.”
He took a deep breath looked me in the eyes.
“I completely get what you’re saying Liberty. I understand. But we don’t have to pretend like we’re normal people. I have a lot of money, and you’re an up and coming model. We should be able to enjoy this. I don’t pretend to know what the future has in store, but I know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
He reached across the table and took my hand. His eyes burned into my own. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Liberty.”
My heart jumped in my chest and skipped a beat.
He loves me?
I hadn’t let myself over think things too much. I knew what we had might be a passing fling, a small albeit interesting chapter in each of our lives. I hadn’t dared let myself think of the L-word.
When he said it, I knew I’d been feeling the same thing. We meshed too well not to.
“I love you,” I said.
We stood up from the table at the same time and closed the distance for a fierce kiss. Any concern for whether the waiter or boat crew might watch fled my mind, the only thing that mattered was the man with his arms around me and mouth on mine.
“Yes!”
I jumped up and down, almost bashing into the walls of the small apartment as I celebrated.
“Finally! Fuck yeah!” I screamed until my neighbor pounded on the thin wall separating our apartments.
I threw myself back on the bed and reread the email from one of the best modeling agencies in the city.
Ms. Tilset,
We have reviewed your letter and the accompanying head shots and wish to have you come in for an interview at our headquarters. It will involve a few questions and a test shoot to make sure the photos you provided were not altered in any way. The shots you provided fit the look we strive for, and if there is no discrepancy when you arrive then we may want to sign a contract to have you work with us.
“It’s happening.” After so long struggling, the doors were opening. As much as I wanted to accomplish everything on my own, I owed a lot to Stephen and the photos he’d taken of me. The head shots and the lingerie shoot were my ticket to getting noticed after so long being rejected. The ads for Denise’s collection were running in the papers and online, and I featured prominently in the campaign.
I bounced to my feet and couldn’t help but break out into my happy dance once again, flinging my arms around and bouncing on the balls of my feet. With a dire look at the shared wall, I refrained from screaming my happiness even though I dearly wanted to.
I have to call Stephen. He’ll be ecstatic.
The phone rang before I could dial out. It was a blocked number, but that wasn’t unusual—half the time Stephen called me it was from a blocked number. One downside of great wealth was not being able to use phones like a normal person.
“Hello?” My voice was jovial even to my own ears.
“Is this Liberty Tilset?” The voice on the line wasn’t familiar and had a heavy eastern European accent.
“It is.” My heart beat fiercely and my breathing was heavy from the jumping around. “Can I help you?”
“Paul
Goldsmith told me to call you and bring you in for a photoshoot, said you were exquisite.”
It had been weeks since I’d spoken with Paul about modeling. The success I’d seen with Denise’s campaign and positive reactions had all but wiped my memory of it. I’d never expected him to follow through on his promise.
“Oh. Right, I forgot about that.”
“The shoot is tonight. We’ll pay you five thousand dollars to come and model a few things. It will be a big advertising campaign.”
“Whoa, hold on.” The man spoke quickly, and it was hard to make out the words through his accent. “Five thousand dollars? Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Holy crap. That kind of money was unheard of for any but the top echelon of models. The only possible explanation was that Paul felt so badly about what he’d done that he was throwing money at me since he had so much of it.
“Tonight? I don’t know if I can make that. Can’t I have a little more warning?”
“Tonight or never.”
I chewed my lip. “Who is the designer? And the photographer?”
The reply was unintelligible—I couldn’t tell if he spoke English names with a bad accent or Russian names.
“Ah, can you repeat those?”
It wasn’t any clearer the second time.
“Okay, I don’t know. Can I have time to think it over?”
“Half hour. That’s it.” He gave me the number to call back. I made him repeat it three times to make sure I wrote it down properly.
Wow. Photoshoot tonight.
I was supposed to meet Stephen for a simple dinner at his place tonight. And I had the interview with the agency next week. If that went well then I would have a reliable source of income and steady stream of work, get my name out there and earn recognition.
I didn’t have a contract yet though. For the past two months I’d said I couldn’t justify turning down work, and my relationship with Stephen shouldn’t change that even though he paid for almost everything when we were together.
And five thousand dollars. That’s an insane amount of money!
When I tried calling Stephen’s cell it went to voicemail. I stared at the screen. There were only fifteen minutes left to respond to the photoshoot offer.
Steal: A Bad Boy Romance Page 19