Model Attraction (7 page)

“Really?”

“Of course. To this day it's one of the best gifts I've ever received.”

“In that case, you need to start hanging out with some better gift givers. Oh, and I see you still have the ring.”

She held her right hand out in front of her, gazing at the ring he'd given her, one of many gifts over a two-year dating period. Despite the way her young life had started, Austin had given her some wonderful memories.

“I never leave home without it. The only time I take it off is if I'm doing a photo shoot. Other than that, I wear it wherever I go.”

“Why?”

She glanced at him, caught off guard by the question. She stared at him for a moment before returning her attention to the ring.

“It makes me feel as if you're with me. Going to Milan at sixteen by myself was the scariest thing I'd ever done. I think I cried every day for the first month. So many times, I considered returning home. Returning to you. Even when I finally admitted that things were over between us, I couldn't part with it. I lost you, but somehow wearing your ring made it not hurt as much.”

Austin didn't speak. Instead, he reached over and held her hand. This was a good sign. Maybe they could be friends...if not more. Guilt had been her companion for years for choosing her career over the person she had planned to spend the rest of her life with.

They continued talking and Austin told her how his parents had relocated them to Atlanta a month before he started at Morehouse. Hearing him talk about his college life and the glimpses of what he'd been up to after graduating made her wonder how different her life would have been had she chosen him over her career.

She turned to the passenger side window and watched the city pass in a blur. For years, she'd assumed that he had ignored her letter, not bothering to contact her. The thought that this could have been cleared up many years earlier made her mad at herself...and angry at Nelson. And there was a part of her that was a little disappointed in Austin. He should have tried harder to get in contact with her. Then again, at this moment, none of it mattered.

Once they arrived at the hotel, they took the elevator up to her penthouse suite. Janna couldn't ever recall being this nervous around a man, especially Austin. During the ride to the hotel, they'd talked and laughed like old friends. Though her feelings for him were as intense as ever, she didn't expect him to forgive and forget. It was a good sign that he was talking to her, willing to teach her the basics of managing her finances and look over her business plan.

They stood outside her hotel room and Janna wondered how she'd handle being in such close quarters with him. Even now, he hovered behind her as she fumbled with the key card, his warmth doing wicked things to her. She was tempted to lean back into his arms and soak up the heat radiating off him, making her even more nervous about going inside.

“Come in,” she said when she finally pushed the door open. “Make yourself comfortable.”

The one-bedroom king-size suite was beautifully decorated with a gold-and-brown color palette, accented with big, comfortable furniture.

Janna set her handbag and the key card on the table near the door. Austin took a slow glance around, then walked over to the wall-to-wall windows that gave a magnificent view of downtown Atlanta.

“I'll be right back. I'm going to grab the business plan.”

“Okay,” he said, his gaze still on what was beyond the windows.

She hurried into the bedroom, kicked off her high heels and stepped into a pair of flip-flops. After a quick glance in the mirror to check her makeup, she pulled her hair into a ponytail. Now comfortable, she returned to the living room with the binder that had become like a companion.

Austin turned and gave her a once-over. His appreciative gaze finally made it back to her face. Was he like her, feeling that this time together was surreal? Janna handed him the binder. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“How about water?” He made his way to the sofa and opened the binder.

“Coming right up.”

“Did you do all of this yourself?” he asked when she handed him the bottled water and sat next to him.

“Yes.”

The heat that propelled through her when their legs touched was almost her undoing, their attraction much more intense than she remembered. It was as if she was fighting against an invisible force. She was trying to keep her distance. Yet there was a pull between them that made her want to move closer. Much closer. It wasn't just the scent of his cologne that drew her; it was everything about him. Gorgeous without even knowing it, Austin was the type of man who drew women's attention. There was such a presence about him. Tall with a muscular build, he was not only
fine
, but highly intelligent. She'd always been attracted to intellectual men.

“Yes, I used business planning software,” she finally responded to his question. “I've been working on this project for over a year.”

“It shows. It's very detailed and it looks as if you've covered everything that an investor would ask about. Impressive.”

She couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her mouth. Coming from him, that was high praise. It seemed as though the decision to continue her education was paying off.

Janna had left for Milan before graduating from high school, but obtained her GED. She had always wanted to return to school and recently started an online program to obtain her bachelor's degree. Instead of majoring in fashion design the way she'd planned to do after graduating from high school, she'd enrolled in an accelerated business program. Despite her success as a model, she had always felt inferior to her sisters—one being a doctor, the other a lawyer—and needed to prove to herself, if no one else, that she could obtain her degree.

“Since you said that you would give me some pointers on how to oversee my finances, do you think you can help me with the budget for this project?” She was prepared to use any excuse to spend more time with him, but she really did want to hear what he thought about the financials.

“How long are you in town for?”

“I'll be here for two more weeks before heading back to New York.” Just the thought of leaving him when they were getting reacquainted left an emptiness in the pit of her stomach.

“What does your schedule look like?”

“I'm on vacation. Since you're willing to help me, I'll be more than happy to work around your schedule.”

He closed the binder and set it on the table in front of the sofa before standing. “If you're free tomorrow evening, maybe we can have dinner, then spend some time on the budget, as well as discuss your accounting situation.”

Excitement rippled inside Janna, but she tried not to let it show. She so wanted to get to know him again and would do almost anything to make it happen.

“I'd like that.” They exchanged contact information and she walked with him to the door.

“I'll give you a call in the morning with the details about dinner,” he said, his hand on the doorknob.

Instead of opening the door, he turned and their gazes collided. Janna's heart stuttered when his dark stare bored into her and the desire she saw in his eyes matched what she felt deep in her soul. She didn't know who moved first, but without saying a word, their lips touched. All she could think about was how much she wanted this. Needed this.

His tongue nudged her lips apart and his arms eased around her waist, pulling her gently against him. He deepened the kiss and electric jolts shot to every nerve ending in her body. His kiss was slow and thorough. Janna melted into him. Her hands glided up his rock-hard chest and one went easily to the back of his head, pulling him closer, hungry for more of what he was offering.

Flattened against him, she felt the proof of his desire rubbed up against her stomach, sending a sweet thrill through her body. Her heart pounded harder. She wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and ask him to stay.

All too quickly, Austin ended the kiss but was slow to pull away. They stood, staring at each other, lost in the strong connection they shared. He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers before completely releasing her.

“I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night.”

Janna continued staring at the closed door long after Austin's departure, her lips still warm from his kiss. He had never been shy about what he wanted, and apparently that hadn't changed. But what did it mean? Her feelings for him were as strong as they'd been years ago, but she had no idea how he felt about her. If the passion she witnessed in his eyes and the kiss he had planted on her were any indication, it was mutual.

She moved across the room, still shaken, and dug through her handbag for her cell phone. There was something she needed to take care of and she needed to do it sooner than later.

She speed-dialed the person who could have impacted her life in a different way years ago.

“Hi, doll. I'm surprised to hear from you, since you're on vacation.”

“How could you, Nelson?”

Silence. “How could I what?”

“How could you have not told me that Austin Reynolds called me more than once when you first signed me?”

He hesitated again. “I did that for your own good. You were young and had one shot to make it big. I didn't want you distracted.”

“That wasn't up to you, Nelson!”

“Well, technically it was. Janna, you were a minor and you were my responsibility. I did what I thought was best for you.”

Anger singed every cell in her body and it was probably good they weren't face-to-face.

“You knew how I felt about him. He was the most important person in my life and you knew that. I can't believe you did that to me.” Had she heard from Austin, she wasn't sure what would've happened, but Nelson had taken the decision out of her hands.

Hurt and rage coiled inside her. She struggled not to say something that she might regret later. Then again, he deserved any tongue-lashing she gave him. Because of him, she had missed the most valuable years of her life with the only man she had ever loved.

“Just so that we're clear, Nelson, you don't get to decide who I talk to or who I don't. I want all of my messages and then I'll decide whether or not I'll call someone back.”

“Doll, you should be thanking me for all that I've done for you and for your career. You're wealthy and one of the most sought-after models in the industry because of me.”

Janna paced the length of the living room, breathing hard and struggling to keep her anger at bay.

“You know what, Nelson? I appreciate all that you have done for me over the years, but let's not forget what I've done for
your
career. You are wealthy because of me. None of your other clients have brought you as much business as I have. So don't get it twisted.”

Silence fell between them and Janna was tempted to hang up, knowing that Nelson was slow to ever admit any wrongdoing. She wondered what else he had taken upon himself to do as it related to her. This was a good example of why she needed to get better control of her life.

“You're right,” Nelson finally said. “I had no right to withhold calls or messages from you. It won't happen again.”

“You're right. It won't. You're fired!”

Chapter 7

A
ustin started his car and blasted the air conditioner. Only May, and already the temperature was in the mideighties.

What a day.
A day full of meetings, crunching numbers and thoughts of Janna. He was doomed if a simple kiss could distract him from his everyday life. The night before, he had only planned to kiss her on the cheek and bid her good-night, but their gazes collided. It was as if his brain had short-circuited. All he could think about was having her in his arms and tasting her again. The desire he saw brimming in her beautiful eyes got the best of him and without warning, his body overruled his brain and his mouth covered hers.

He shook his head and drove toward her hotel. “What the heck am I doing? She's my past,” he said aloud. He couldn't understand it. So many years had passed since he had last been with her, and after only a few hours, it was as if no time had elapsed. He still didn't know if she had really tried reaching out to him after leaving for Milan, but he wanted to believe her.
God, I want to believe her.
Unfortunately, there was still that little twinge of doubt lodged in the back of his mind. For so many years, he'd believed that she had given up on him, on them, to pursue her career.

I can't let her back into my life.
No matter how strong the attraction between them, they couldn't go back to what they once had. She had almost broken his spirit when she walked out on him to pursue a modeling career. If he let himself fall for her again, who was to say that she wouldn't do the same thing? He wouldn't be able to recover from something like that again.

He pulled up to the front of the hotel and parked. Before he could exit the car, he saw her through the glass doors, sashaying toward him. His breath hitched when his gaze took in her denim short shorts and went lower.
Those legs.
His body rumbled to attention with thoughts of having those long, shapely legs wrapped around him. The self-talk on the ride over flew right out the window at the sight of her.

He swallowed hard but snapped to attention when a man she passed whistled at her. The guy's friend made a comment to her just as Austin stepped out of the car to open her door. He narrowed his eyes at the small group when Janna drew closer.

“Oh. My bad, man,” the guy who whistled said. “I didn't mean any disrespect.”

“Hi,” Janna said, snatching Austin's full attention when she stepped to him and ran her hand up his arm seductively. Then she surprised the hell out of him. When she placed a lingering kiss on his lips, all thoughts of gawkers were pushed to the back of his mind. “It's good to see you.”

He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. You, too.” He opened the car door and helped her in.

“Lucky bastard,” one of Janna's admirers grumbled before heading into the hotel.

Austin had a feeling Janna's actions were intended to get a rise out of the men watching. It worked. Hell, it also got a rise out of him.

He released a frustrated breath as he tried to get his body under control while strolling toward the driver's side. He felt like an adolescent crushing on the lead cheerleader, his body having a mind of its own.

He glanced over the roof of the car, where onlookers continued to watch. Any other time, he would have hated the attention they drew, but for some unexplainable reason, he was glad they had witnessed the interaction.

He climbed into the car and was immediately assaulted by Janna's seductive scent, which was potent enough to bring a man to his knees. Austin's gaze dropped to her smooth, crossed legs, and suddenly the decision to cook dinner for her at his place didn't seem like such a good idea. How the hell was he going to keep his hands off her? He groaned inside when he noticed her beach bag, probably holding the swimsuit he'd suggested she bring in order to take advantage of his pool.

I'm so screwed.

“How was work?” Janna asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. When he looked at her closely, he noticed for the first time since she walked out of the hotel that she didn't have that usual sparkle in her eye.

“It was all right,” he said slowly. “What about you? How did your day go? Is everything okay?”

She nodded, her silence speaking volumes.

“You sure?” He slowed at a stoplight, giving her his full attention, noticing that her usual smile seemed forced.

“Yes. Everything's fine.” She glanced away, which was when he really knew something was wrong.

Instead of pressuring her for details, he continued driving in silence until she spoke.

“I talked to my manager, Nelson, last night,” she choked out. A quick glance in her direction showed no tears, but the emotion in her voice made Austin wonder if it weren't just a matter of time. He had only seen her cry two other times—once when she sprained her ankle playing volleyball, and once when her birth mother, whom Janna wanted nothing to do with, called her on her fifteenth birthday.

“I fired him.”

“What?” Austin tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He slowed when the traffic suddenly started moving at a crawl. Normally he didn't leave work until seven in the evening in order to avoid rush hour. Today he'd made an exception. “Janna, I didn't tell you about the calls for you to fire him.”

“I had to. He ruined a portion of my life. Granted, it was my decision to go to Milan, but if I had known you called, we would have been together. I wouldn't have spent these years feeling guilty or being disappointed because I thought you didn't want me.”

He definitely wanted her. Heck, he ached for her.

She rubbed her bare legs, drawing his attention to the way her hand moved slowly up and down her smooth skin. He wished it was him she was touching.

He reached for her hand to stop the movement, knowing it was the only way to regain his focus. He diverted his gaze back to the road. The traffic still hadn't moved. Her hand shook within his and he held it tighter.

“Baby, I'm sorry about everything. But it wasn't his fault. I shouldn't have given up. I could have...should have tried harder. I was young and my ego took a big hit when you left, but I shouldn't have given up until I heard from you. Until I heard you say with your own mouth that you didn't want to be with me.”

“I never would have said that to you. I know the way I left gave you doubt, but I swear I never stopped loving you. If I could do things differently, I would. I have missed you...” Her voice trailed off and she quickly turned her attention to the passenger side window as if she'd said too much. It went without saying that Austin had missed her, too, but he didn't want her to jeopardize her career by acting too hastily regarding her manager.

“Janna, we were so young. What we had happened a long time ago.”

She turned sad eyes to him. “That doesn't lessen what I felt for you. What I'll always feel for you.”

Austin loosened his grip on her hand. The traffic started moving again and he used that reason to release her as the silence inside the car grew heavy. Her admission caught him off guard. Was it possible that their feelings for each other could have really stood the test of time? She still held a special spot in his heart, but he couldn't let himself believe that she felt the same way.

“Nelson has managed my career...my life for almost ten years. Who knows what else he has done that might not have been in my best interest?”

Austin hated seeing her like this. He wanted the happy-go-lucky girl he once knew to show herself.

“I also talked to Mama Adel last night,” she continued without prompting. “I asked her why she never told me that she'd given you Nelson's telephone number. I would have been happy to know she'd given you the number. All of these years, and I can't believe she never told me. Until yesterday, I had no idea you tried reaching me. They both knew how hard it was for me to stay in Milan with you being in the States.”

He understood her pain. He knew about the ache in her heart that she probably thought would never heal. He knew about the constant questions running through her mind as she experienced sleepless nights thinking about him. And he knew the feeling of hopelessness that had followed for months after they parted ways. He prayed she hadn't felt the same pain that he'd experienced. He wouldn't wish that time in his life on his worst enemy.

“My mother said that we were too young to be talking about marriage. She said that when I told her that I hadn't heard from you, she thought it was for the best. We both had great opportunities, me with the modeling and you with several scholarships. We needed to pursue our own individual dreams, according to her.”

He exited the highway, trying to shake the melancholy that suddenly filled the space. He turned up the air conditioner and gave himself a mental shake to clear his mind of memories he wanted to forget.

They arrived at Austin's home and he pulled into the long driveway. Anger rattled inside of him. Back then, everyone thought they knew what was best for him and Janna. Sure, they'd been young, but Austin had known what he wanted, and it was to spend the rest of his life with Janna.

“Your home is incredible.” Janna quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand. He'd been so busy trying to rein in his anger, he hadn't noticed the tears or her red eyes.

“Thanks.” He pulled into the three-car garage and lowered the automatic door, trying to figure out what to say to her.

Instead, he shut the engine off, unhooked both of their seat belts and pulled her into his arms. Holding her close, he placed a kiss against her temple and just held her. He'd missed having her in his arms.

They sat silent for a few minutes and he kissed her again before releasing her.

“I'm sorry...for everything. I have ruined our lives, and now I'm ruining our evening,” she mumbled against his chest.

“Stop. Baby, just stop.” He rubbed the back of her neck. “All of that was in the past. Let's agree to leave the past in the past for good. No more talks about what could or should've been. No more talks about who's to blame. Agreed?”

She nodded and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “We leave the past in the past.”

Austin felt her tension ease as she glanced around his oversize garage.

“So are you going to feed me, or are you going to make me sit out here in this ridiculously clean garage?” Her beautiful smile returned and he laughed.

He released an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, all right. I guess I can feed you. Come on.”

* * *

Janna had known his house would be gorgeous, but this exceeded her expectations. She stood in the middle of the wall-to-wall hardwood floors where she could see the huge kitchen, the family room and the formal dining room. She had often considered buying a single-family home instead of her Manhattan penthouse, but thought it would be too much for one person.

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes,” he said after a short hesitation. She wondered what that was all about but didn't ask.

She set her bag in a comfortable-looking chair in the family room and strolled around the first floor, taking in the top-of-the-line fixtures and expensive furniture. By the looks of things, Austin had done very well for himself. Not that she was surprised. Anyone who knew him knew he would be a success.

“Make yourself at home. I'm going upstairs to change.”

“Okay,” she said absently as she made her way to the mantel, where several framed photos were. She smiled at what appeared to be a recent picture of his family. Her gaze moved along to several others but stopped when she got to the one of Austin with a very pretty lady. Considering how close the two stood, their arms wrapped around each other, it was safe to say this was someone special to him. She lifted the frame. If their pose and smiles hadn't given it away, the way the woman stared up at Austin said it all. Janna recognized the look. She had worn it plenty of times when she and Austin were together.

She set the photo back down but didn't immediately walk away. There was still so much she didn't know about him. One thing she did know, though, was that he wouldn't have invited her over for dinner and a swim if he was involved with someone else.

Janna finished her tour of the first floor and then stepped out onto his impressive back deck. The covered outdoor kitchen would be a griller's dream space and she wondered if Austin entertained out there much. Everything, from the appliances to the cozy sitting area and table for eight, appeared brand-new. He had always been a neat freak and apparently that trait included his backyard space.

Gorgeous
and
private
were her first thoughts as she perused the yard that was hidden from others by tall cedar trees. She leaned against the railing and took in the in-ground lap pool surrounded by lounge chairs. The numerous flower beds, strategically placed, had to be the source of the scent of roses that had permeated the air the moment she stepped outside.

“Did you want to eat first or go for a swim?” Austin said, stepping out onto the deck. Janna turned and an intense quiver raked over her flesh when he stood before her, all tall and sexy. The light blue T-shirt he wore stretched across his chest and showed off his thick biceps. Her pulse kicked up when her gaze went to his flat abs and the denim shorts that hung low on his hips. She loved that he opted for boat shoes versus sandals or flip-flops, which she hated seeing men wear.

“You look
good
,” she said before she could catch herself. “I mean...I'm starving.”
And not for food
was what she wanted to add, but she kept her mouth closed, letting him think whatever he wanted to think.

The corners of his lips lifted into a grin. “Then I guess I should feed you.” His voice was seductively deep and by the desire in his eyes, Janna was reminded that they weren't kids anymore.

He extended his hand to her and she took it, wondering where he was leading her.