Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
I turned and froze when I saw it was Jasper. He stopped dead in the doorway when his gaze collided with my own. My heart kicked into a sprint the minute our eyes met, and ice shards trickled down my spine as his dark-brown gaze began to rove hungrily over my face and my freshly styled hair. Jasper licked his lips and appeared completely unabashed that he liked what he saw.
No, no, no . . . All my resolve I’d built against him of late began to fall away.
I flicked my hair off my shoulder, and finding my voice, tried to greet him normally. “Jasper.” I discreetly let myself drink in my fill too—I couldn’t help it. He was dressed in dark jeans and a plaid shirt with a KE-branded fleece gilet over the top. The outfit was effortlessly stylish and screamed country gentleman. I, however, became suddenly aware of being only in a dressing gown. A thin one at that.
In my dreams of late, in a scenario like this, this man would be pushing me against the wall, loosening the gown’s tie around my waist, and wrapping my legs around his hips.
He is your boss. He is your boss, I chanted to myself. Keep it professional.
“Ms. Oakley,” he eventually greeted, although tightly. It seemed keeping things professional between us was his goal too.
He stiffly nodded his head to leave when I couldn’t help but blurt out, “Hallie.” Jasper stopped dead and looked at me over his shoulder. That was okay, right? Ms. Oakley just seemed so . . . cold. We could remain professional and still be on a first-name basis. Right? It seemed weird not to be. “Call me Hallie,” I repeated, confidently. Jasper stalled for a second, whether in shock or something else, I didn’t know. But he eventually gave me a single nod again and left, just as Sage walked in. Her eyes bugged out of her head when she saw who had passed by.
“Jasper Knighton!?” she said, half question, half surprise. I had forgotten that Sage hadn’t seen Jasper at Golden Oaks yet.
“Jasper,” I echoed in confirmation, and busied myself looking at the clothes. Sage wasn’t having any of that bullshit and grabbed my arm.
“Um . . . Why aren’t you freaking out?” Her dark eyes searched mine. “You just met your icon and teen crush, and you play it off nonchalantly?” I opened my mouth to say something when a knowing look came over her face. “You’ve already met him! Before today.” It wasn’t a question. The problem with having such a close friend was that, at times, they knew you better than you knew yourself. Sage pulled me away from the door and into the privacy of a corner. “Spill.”
Sage had her arms folded across her chest in her I’m-taking-no-shit-from-you stance. “I briefly met him the other week when I was training with Leon.”
Her eyes narrowed at me and her head tipped to the side in assessment. “And why am I just hearing about this now?” She was right to be suspicious. If I had just met him then, I would have told Sage immediately.
“You need to tone down your animosity toward Atticus,” I fired at her. It was a shit move and I knew it. “Don’t jeopardize your place here because of your sour history with him.”
A pissed-off smirk was etched on Sage’s perfectly made-up face. “Oh, interesting. You don’t want to talk, so you’re using my wrath toward Dickface against me.” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she cocked her hip at me. “I’ll let you keep your secrets for now, lady, as we’re in a public place. But I’m onto you, and you will be telling me everything.” Sage leaned in so close I could smell every note of her sweet perfume. “All of it, Hals.”
“Okay,” I said in defeat. It had only been a matter of time anyway.
Marco came back into the room, followed by another member of the team. I’d met so many staff members of late my head was spinning—the Knighton family had a dizzying number of people in their employ. This lady was the KE head stylist, Audrey.
Ten minutes later and dressed in a butter-yellow, long-sleeve base layer and matching riding tights and black boots, I was led to the studio. Sage was behind me, dressed in the same outfit but in scarlet. The color suited her dark eyes and blond hair so well. Atticus was already there, dressed in his signature black. The photographer called us over and arranged us with Atticus in the center, Sage and me on either side of him.
“A rose between two thorns,” Atticus said when we were in position.
“Careful, fuckface, or I’ll prick you,” Sage replied between her teeth while smiling for the camera like a professional model.
“Oof. Is that a promise?” Atticus said, under his breath.