Chapter 29
Lauren
He’s like finding a Unicorn.My morning coffee. Sweet Iced Tea on a hotday.
In other words, Jaxson Malone iseverything.
We’re back in the villa now, preparing bacon and veggie omelets. Even Truffles has joined in on our kitchen party, albeit only to pick up anything that slips onto the floor. Particularlybacon.
I like it here. Peaceful. Serene. I cringe at the thought of going back toChateau De Grenelleand bumping into Simon the Snake. Mainly because I don’t know what I’lldo.
Slap him.Probably.
Arabella is beside herself with a mix of bittersweetness. I reached her via FaceTime while I was at the office today and while she was pissed off that Simon is a leach, I swear the woman is a hot-mess-happy things are happening between me andJaxson.
So amI.
“Hey, why so quiet?” Jaxson asks, ripping me from my thoughts. He’s the one doing the actual cooking, I’m just acting as the sous chef, cutting upveggies.
I bring my eyes up from the cutting board and on to him. “Oh, I’m just thinking, that’sall.”
He picks up a piece of crispy bacon and feeds it to me. “Thinking aboutwhat?”
“You know, stuff,” I say, playfully nudginghim.
He grins. “Good…stuff?”
“Absolutely.”
We sit down to eat our omelets, Truffles off in the corner, munching away onkibble.
Jaxson pins a set of curious eyes on me and says, “I got a call from my agent earlier today. I had been avoiding him since I got toParis.”
I tilt my head. “Really?Why?”
“Honestly, I didn’t want him to bug me about doing another reality TV show, or some ridiculous spin-off. So each time he called, I sent it to voicemail. Never did listen tothem.”
“And what did he have to say, assuming you spoke with himtoday?”
He shifts in his seat, chewing a bite of food. “Well, he said he’d been trying to reach me about posing for an ad in a digital magazine. For a new line of men’sunderwear.”
My eyebrows raise; wouldn’t it be a strange coincidence if the new line of underwear his agent is calling aboutis—
“For AntonioMichaels.”
My jaw drops. “No. Way.” Ismile.
His mouth goes flat. “Yes. And the digital magazine isHauteCouture.”
I put my fork down and shift in my seat, tucking one leg under me. “Jaxson, why do I get the impression this isn’t something youwant?”
He rolls his shoulders, looking to the ceiling, before his eyes land back on me. “Truthfully, my interest was highly piqued. I mean, Antonio sought me out to be the face of his new line.Me.”
I nod, reaching over to his hair, running my fingers through it. “But?”
“But, the caption he wants to use isUm Yes, Just Yes, a takeon—”
“What that witch Dixie Lane said in front ofmillions.”
