The Perfect Kiss (10 page)

Anya’s hands began to tremble again.

Zach raised one brow. “For instance?” he prodded. When she failed to respond, he added a trifle impatiently, “The stipulations, Anya. Let’s hear them.”

Anya mentally shook herself. She stood, dropping the contract onto the table. “My agent has told you that I only work at night. I write during the day, and I won’t change that routine. My poetry means everything to me.”

“I understand,” Zach said. “Sherman has already informed me about your penchant for working at night. That won’t be a problem. We’ll work around it. In fact, we may even use that in our press releases.”

“I can’t work more than a few hours a night. The lights…exhaust me.”

“All right.”

“Personal appearances will have to be kept to a minimum. I really don’t like being in the company of a lot of strangers.”

Zach sighed, casting his gaze skyward. “Anything else?”

“I think that’s about it,” Anya said, folding her arms across her breasts. “Do you still want me?”

The gold specks in his eyes flickered with fire as he walked toward her. His gaze was smoldering, darkly erotic as he swept her with a fiercely possessive look. “Oh, yeah. I still want you. You’re not making my life easy, Anya, but you are making it interesting. I
know
what you can do for my company. I have no doubt at all that, even with all these obstacles, you are perfect for Seduction.”

He was standing right beside her now, so close she could reach out and touch the softly beating pulse in his throat. Her gaze faltered, then lifted once again to his eyes. Her hand went to her own neck, as if in protection.

“Whatever your stipulations may be, Anya, if it’s in my power I’ll grant them. That’s how much I want you. How much I need you.” His hand lifted and whispered through her hair, a touch so light and so brief, it might well have been only a wish. “This campaign is the most important thing in my life. It
has
to succeed.”

The passion in his voice staggered Anya. Passion that she had mistakenly thought was for her. At times, she thought she could read Zach Christopher so well, but at other times, times like this, when his ambition, when this relentless drive for success got in the way, Anya felt as though she didn’t know him at all. It was almost as though there were two different men working from one incredible body.

So he saw her as a business acquisition and nothing
more. Well, that was good. So much the better. It made what she had to say next easier.

“There’s just one more thing,” she said slowly.

“Let me guess. You only want to work during a full moon.”

She moistened her lips. “No.”

“You
don’t
want to work during a full moon.”

“I’m serious,” Anya said.

The smile left Zach’s face. He gazed down at her, apparently resigned. “Okay, what is it then?”

She took a deep breath and looked away, no longer able to meet his eyes. “I don’t want to work with you.”

* * *

“You
what?
”

“You heard me.”

“I heard you all right. I just can’t believe my ears. Who the hell do you think you are?”

Zach shrugged as Roland Sutton glared daggers at him. Ignoring the disgruntled board member, Zach let his gaze roam over the assemblage in the elegant lobby of Renee Alexander Cosmetics. The other board members, as well as several Alexander executives and a few select members of the press, were milling about, nibbling on canapés and sipping champagne. The subdued lighting mellowed the mood. Everyone was talking and laughing, having a good time.

Crystal flacons of Seduction had been passed out at the door, and Zach noted that several female members of the press corps were liberally sampling the expensive fragrance. The heavy, voluptuous scent wafted on the air, stimulating the exact ambience Zach had hoped for.

They all knew they’d been summoned here for an important announcement concerning Renee Alexander’s future. There had been rumors for months about the relaunching of Seduction. That was what they were here for, and
that was what they expected. But Zach had another surprise in store for them. He could hardly wait to announce his coup. The world of glamour and high fashion would be stunned, to say the least.

Across the room, he caught his secretary’s eye, and she tapped her watch. With a satisfied smile, Zach nodded almost imperceptibly. It was nearly time.

“Damn it, are you even listening to me?” Sutton demanded, drawing Zach’s attention.

“Yes, I’m listening,” Zach said quietly. “But I don’t think you have been for the past three months. I’m the CEO of this company now. My contract stipulates I have autonomy in several areas, advertising being one of them. I don’t have to justify my decision to anyone, not even to the board. I signed Anya Valorian to an exclusive contract. It’s a done deal. Shooting will begin immediately. You might as well get used to it, Roland.”

Sutton’s dark eyes narrowed. “So that’s the purpose of this little soiree. You’re making the official announcement tonight. Why wasn’t I notified earlier, Zach?”

Zach met the older man’s gaze. “You were out of town. Your invitation was mailed last week, just like everyone else’s.”

“Damn it, that’s no excuse,” Sutton swore viciously. “You purposely tried to keep this from me. You knew I’d never let you get away with it. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here.”

“It’s no big secret. We’re holding a press conference.”

Sutton’s temper blazed. “You smug bastard. I can’t wait until this whole fiasco blows up in your face. You’re risking everything on this one campaign—your career, your father’s company and Renee Alexander’s good name. All I can say is, I hope to hell she’s worth it.” With that, Roland Sutton turned and stalked away.

As he watched Sutton’s retreating back, Zach caught a glimpse of another familiar face in the crowd. Kathryn Christopher, his mother, in all her regal elegance, was talking to another member of the board, but her thoughtful gaze kept returning to Zach. She’d witnessed the exchange between him and Roland, and she looked worried. Was she, too, starting to doubt him?

His father’s absence seemed more conspicuous than ever. Zach wondered how much flak his mother had had to take at home because of her decision to hire him. Was she beginning to wonder if it was worth it? Zach hoped not, but he’d warned her from the first he had no intention of being a mere figurehead until his father could return.

He turned, making his way through the crowd, chatting with members of the press as he headed toward the dais. When he took his place behind the microphone, an excited hush fell over the crowd. The lights dimmed even more except for the overhead floodlight trained on him.

Zach felt nervous. Not because of the crowd, or for the brief statement he was about to read. Not because in just a few short minutes, he would be reintroducing Seduction to the world, or because he’d made perhaps the most important business decision of his career. Zach felt nervous because soon, very soon, he would be seeing
her
again.

He hadn’t seen Anya in nearly a week, not since the night they’d signed the contract, the night she’d told him she didn’t want to work with him. Oh, she’d been polite about it, but she’d remained adamant, even when he’d bullied her for an answer. He made her nervous, she’d said. His expectations and demands would thwart her creativity. Far better that she work with someone else in the company, someone with a more objective attitude toward the campaign. Zach would have final say-so, naturally, but he wouldn’t be involved directly.

So Zach had played it cool. He’d let her know that he’d had no intention of running the campaign personally, anyway. He was the CEO, for God’s sake. He had a million details to oversee. Of course, someone else would head up the campaign. Was
that
the only thing worrying her?

Zach grimaced, remembering the awkward exchange, his hasty retreat. Still, the lady had a point. Perhaps he did have an unrealistic expectation for this campaign. He certainly had a vested interest in it. Perhaps it was better that he’d assigned Evan to head it up. Hawthorne was objective, if nothing else.

Within moments, Zach had concluded his statement concerning Seduction. He paused dramatically, letting his gaze sweep the murmuring crowd. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, the real reason I invited you here tonight. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Seduction’s new signature model, Anya Valorian.”

Edna opened a door to the left of the dais, and Anya stepped out. She blinked once or twice as her gaze automatically went to the crowd.

And for one painful moment, Zach forgot to breathe.

His heart hammered so loudly he wondered if anyone else could hear it. She looked exquisite. Ethereal. He thought her the most stunning woman he’d ever seen. She wore a sleek black dress, belted at the waist. A heavy, antique gold medallion hung around her neck, and three tiny crystals in the center flashed in the light.

She took her place on the dais next to Zach, hovering just within his reach. But like a vision, like a wondrous illusion, he had a terrible premonition that if he reached for her, if he touched her, she would dissolve into nothingness right before his eyes.

He still couldn’t quite believe she was his.

A murmur of appreciation rippled through the crowd,
followed by a smattering of applause that drew Zach back to the moment at hand. The questions began next, eager queries shot from the reporters in rapid succession.

Anya looked slightly dazed by their aggression. Her smile seemed strained. Her gaze met his briefly, and the look in her eyes startled Zach. She looked panicky. Trapped. Like someone who very much needed rescuing.

He accepted the cue immediately, stepping toward the microphone. “That concludes our announcement, ladies and gentlemen. No questions tonight, please. You’re all welcome to stay and enjoy the champagne, though.”

Quickly, he took Anya’s arm and steered her from the dais, but they were immediately surrounded by people and separated. The reaction of the crowd was exactly what Zach had hoped it would be. They were fascinated by Anya, captivated by her mystique. People would be talking about Seduction long before the ads ever hit the media.

Zach stood back from the crowd and watched her. He should be happy, he knew. He should be thrilled. Elated. Ecstatic. So why did he feel so edgy? So resentful that these people had Anya’s attention and he didn’t? Because you’re an idiot, Christopher.

“You’re a genius, Zach. I have to hand it to you.”

Zach turned at the sound of the voice beside him. Julian Sindel nodded his approval. “I didn’t think you could do it, but you signed Anya Valorian to an exclusive contract when she wouldn’t even give the big boys the time of day. How’d you manage it? What’s your secret?”

Zach’s smile was wry as he lifted his champagne glass and stared at the myriad bubbles spiraling upward. “Finesse, Julian. It’s all in how you handle them.”

The photographer grinned and clapped him on the back. “Not to mention the largest contract ever offered to a model, eh, Zach? How’d that go over with your board?”

“You let me worry about the board,” Zach said. “You just make damned sure you get the best shots of Anya Valorian that have ever been taken.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it. If I can just capture that elusive quality on film. Her mystique…” His words trailed off, then he seemed to rouse himself. “You’ll be there, of course?”

There was nothing Zach wanted more. Aside from the fact that this was the most important ad campaign of his career, there was nothing he wanted more than to see Anya again, to watch her light up before the camera. But a deal was a deal.

He shook his head. “I can’t make it. Evan Hawthorne’s heading up this campaign. He’ll be there instead.”

Julian’s brows rose slightly, but he made no comment as he ambled away.

Anya was surrounded by men. Tall men, short men, fat men, skinny men, old men, young men—all of them clamored for a word from her, for one small bit of her attention. But far from looking panicky now, she appeared exhilarated, in her element, as she talked and laughed with the group around her.

She seemed to be relishing the attention, Zach thought with a flash of unreasonable anger. For someone who had agreed to only one public appearance, she looked to be a woman immensely enjoying her return to fame.

With a sharper bolt of anger, Zach saw Roland Sutton standing next to her. The older man said something to her, and Anya turned so that Zach could no longer see the expression on her face. But Roland looked as though he’d just been struck by lightning.

Zach knew exactly how he felt.

It took all his willpower not to muscle his way through the group around her, not to shove Sutton out of the way,
not to let each and every man in that room know that she was
his.
Anya Valorian belonged to him. They could look, but not touch.

But, then, neither could he, he thought ironically.

Anya Valorian was his only in a business sense. She was his for Seduction. But not for—

“She’s very beautiful, isn’t she?” Kathryn Christopher touched Zach’s arm, drawing his attention down to her. His mother was dressed in white tonight, Zach noticed, and her ash blond hair was pulled back from her face, highlighting her still smooth features. Her hand on his arm seemed cool and detached.

Zach had never seen even a glimmer of warmth in his mother. The white suit she wore seemed to say it all. She dressed the way she did everything else—with pristine perfection but very little passion.

And yet, somewhere inside her, there must be some shred of feeling, Zach thought. She had offered him the CEO position in spite of enormous opposition. In spite of the way she knew his father would feel about her decision.

“Your battle is already half-won,” Kathryn remarked softly. “You’ve got people talking about Renee Alexander again. That’s quite a feat, Zach, in such a fickle market.”

She was smiling up at him, but there wasn’t a drop of affection in her crystalline green eyes. Zach frowned. “You call that a feat? Believe me, I’ve just begun. The whole world will be talking about Renee Alexander when this campaign hits the market.”