Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (24 page)

As the elevator slowed and the doors
started to part, my heart thrummed in my ears.
 
To my surprise, Marco Boss was standing
just beyond the elevator when the doors slid open.
 
As promised, he was in black tie, and I
had to admit that he looked dashing.
 
I watched his eyes soak me in, and I wondered if he
’
d have an issue with
how I was dressed this time.

“
Beautiful,
”
he
said.
 
“
In fact, perfect.
”

Well, that was unexpected.
 
“
Thank you.
”

“
Bernie
and Blackwell got it right this time.
 
I
’
m
relieved.
”

I didn
’
t respond to that because, as far as I was concerned, they
got it right the first time.
 
“
So, you like it?
”
I
asked.

I don
’
t think he was aware of it, but when he spoke, it came out
as a low growl.
 
It sounded like,
“
Very much,
”
though
I couldn
’
t
be sure.

“
Ms.
Blackwell and a clerk chose it for me.
”

“
They
may have chosen it, but you
’
re
the one wearing it.
”

Was he flirting with me?
 
If he was, it was inappropriate.
 
I went into business mode.
 
“
We should go,
”
I said.

Outside, a limousine was waiting for
us.
 
The driver stood beside the
rear door, and held it open.
 
To
keep out the cold air, I pulled my cape around me.
 
Marco motioned for me to step inside
first.
 
I tucked my dress behind me,
lowered my head, and slid across the seat, hoping that I wouldn
’
t wrinkle the dress
’
material
too much on our drive to West
’
s
townhouse on Park.
 
Boss stepped in
after me.
 
As he slipped across the
seat, his rock-hard thigh pressed against mine for a moment, before he righted
himself in his seat.

“
Sorry,
”
he
said as the limousine cut into traffic.

“
No
problem.
 
Who are you hoping to see
tonight?
”

“
Obviously,
West.
 
He asked to meet you for a
reason
—
he
’
s interested in your
book.
 
That interest means a
potential movie deal, so I
’
ll
be teasing him in that direction.
 
And there are others.
 
Have
you ever been at one of these kind of parties before?
 
With Jennifer and Alex?
”

“
One
of what kind of parties?
”

“
The
over-the-top kind.
 
The pretentious
kind.
 
It can be a bit much.
 
Writers will be there, a huge Hollywood
contingent will be in place, and then there
’
ll be society, which is the worst of all.
 
I grew up in Texas, just outside of
Dallas.
 
It took me a few years to
get acclimated to Manhattan.
 
At
this level, most of the people you
’
ll meet tonight put on airs.
 
They
’
re fake.
 
I don
’
t do fake.
”
 
He shrugged and looked at me with a
smile.
 
“
That said, I obviously
do direct.
”

To say the least.
 
“
I have to ask
—
did you grow up on a dude ranch?
”

“
Very
funny.
 
I actually grew up middle
class.
 
Dad is an engineer.
 
My mother is a teacher.
 
I have six brothers and sisters, so you
can imagine how financially tight things were, especially since all of us kids
are so close in age.
 
I still don
’
t know how my parents
did it, but they did, likely through a hell of a lot of personal sacrifice on
their parts.
 
I only got out of
Texas because my grades in school were good, especially in English.
 
I received a full scholarship to NYU,
and that was that.
 
I visit home
when I can, but when I graduated, I stayed here, and worked my way up the
publishing ladder.
”

Why was he opening up to me like
this?
 
I decided not to question
it.
 
I
’
d rather have him be polite than be a prick.

“
When
did you lose your Texas accent?
”

He laughed at that.
 
“
You noticed?
 
That was a long time ago.
 
Here in the city, my accent stuck out like a sore thumb.
 
I wanted to assimilate, so I willed it
away.
 
And what about you?
 
You certainly don
’
t sound as if you
’
re from Maine.
”

“
Have
you ever been to Maine?
”

“
I
haven
’
t.
”

“
Well,
here
’
s
the thing about Maine,
”
I
said.
 
“
Most Mainers have no
accent.
 
It
’
s only right along the
coast where you find what Jennifer and I call
‘
the elusive Maine accent,
’
which Hollywood has stereotyped for years.
 
Now, if you want a really strong accent,
Boston is your place.
”

“
Agreed.
”

We were quiet for a moment.
 
I looked out the window, and watched the
city go by in flashing vignettes framed by the window.
 
Then Marco cleared his throat.

“
I
’
m sorry that we got
off on the wrong foot,
”
he
said.

“
You
’
ve already
apologized.
 
It
’
s fine.
”

“
I
really do want your book to be the best it can be, Lisa.
 
I know I come on strong.
 
I know I can be an asshole.
 
You probably think I
’
m arrogant, and after
the other day, I can
’
t
say that I blame you.
 
The thing is
that I love my job.
 
I care about
the books my authors and I work together on, and sometimes I
’
m a bit too protective
and possessive of them.
”

“
Three
weeks to rewrite that book is ridiculous, Marco.
”

“
I
’
ve thought about that,
but I still think you can do it.
 
If
you come close to fixing what I
’
d
like to see fixed, I
’
ll
consider it a win.
”

“
You
’
re being awfully nice
tonight,
”
I
said.

“
That
’
s because I
’
ve felt guilty after
our last meeting.
 
I
’
m trying to show you
that I
’
m
not the pure piece of evil that you
’
ve likely
—
and
rightfully
—
cast
me as.
 
I don
’
t have flames coming
out of my nose.
”

“
What
about your ass?
”

He grinned at that, and, at that
moment, I felt that all hope wasn
’
t lost for him.
 
Somewhere within him, he had a sense of humor.
 

“
I
have my issues, but give me a chance.
  
Let
’
s work together on your book and make as many changes to it
as we can, and then
—
together
—
we
’
ll outline your next
book before you even start it.
 
That
way, no crazy rewrites.
”

“
I
’
ll give it my best
shot,
”
I
said.
 
It wasn
’
t what I really wanted
to do, but I sensed that, if tonight didn
’
t go well, I might have no choice.
 
“
But with only three weeks to get it done, the only thing I
can guarantee you is that I
’
ll
work very hard.
”

“
And
I appreciate that.
”
 
He looked up through the front
window.
 
“
Looks like we
’
re here,
”
he
said.
 
“
Did Blackwell prepare
you for the paparazzi?
”

“
She
tried, but I don
’
t
think anyone can prepare me for them.
”

“
Point
taken.
 
Just smile and wave.
”

The car pulled to the curb, and the
driver got out and opened my door.
 
I stepped out, and a brisk wind caught my cape and made my dress fan and
ripple in the breeze.
 
The wind was
unexpected and freezing.
 
I wrapped
the cape around me, and turned while Marco got out of the car.
 
He then quickly reached for my hand as
the paparazzi started to take our photographs.

His touch sent a jolt through
me.
 
He gripped my hand tightly in
his own and looked down at me with an unabashed shot of smoldering sexuality,
all of it caught by the paparazzi.
 
I quickly pulled my hand away, but not before dozens of photos already
had been taken.
 

Tank is going to see these
, I
thought.
 

Had Boss done that on purpose?
 
Did he just set me up?
 
That, I could never know.
 
He was looking bewildered at me now,
likely because of my own surprised expression, so maybe it had been
innocent.
 
What I did know is what
was in front of me
—
these
people knew that Boss was my editor, and they likely knew that he was
single.
 
He was, after all, one of
the city
’
s
more sought-after bachelors because of his position and good looks.
 
But what did they know about me?
 
Nothing.
 
I was an unknown to them.
 
The press had yet to write my story.

But they
’
ll
write it soon
, I thought with a sinking sensation in my gut.
 
By tomorrow morning, they
’
ll
have turned us into a couple.
 
And
what the hell am I going to do then?

I decided to keep my cape on and get
inside Julian West
’
s
townhouse as quickly as possible.