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“And if I am?” I ask, tilting my head up to look him straight in the eye. It feels defiant. I can tell by the way his nostrils flare a little that he isn’t used to this level of backtalk. “Is this an around-the-clock kind of job?”
He nods. “When I call, you come running.”
I shiver again. Something in the air is electric. It feels… dangerous. Excitingly so. My skin alights like soft fire wherever his gaze lands on my body.
“What if I’m stuck in traffic?”
“Then you speed.”
“Isn’t that breaking the law?”
Hunter crosses the arm. “I own half of Hollywood. What I need takes precedence over the speed limit.”
I snort, rolling my eyes before I have the chance to think against it. “Only half?” I muse.
There’s a long, thoughtful pause before he says, “You’re not as awestruck as the first nine candidates.”
“I see no sense in being awestruck, Mr. Stride. It wouldn’t make me a very good employee if I was too fascinated by you to do my job.”
He squints at me, his lips a flat line. “You’re really familiar. Have we met before?”
I huffed. “About time you recognized me.”
Hunter snaps his fingers, as if stumbling onto a realization. “Rihanna’s birthday party last year. You were one of the exotic dancers.”
Gritting my teeth, I stand up from my seat. “You know what? I don’t think this job is going to be a good fit for me. Thank you for your time, Mr. Stride.”
He stares at me, seeming partially amused and maybe partially stunned. “You’re walking out? Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Actually, I do, but you clearly don’t have any idea whoIam.” I smile politely. “I hope you find yourself a personal assistant willing to put up with your shit, Uncle Hunter.”
I’m about to turn away when his arm shoots out. He grasps my hand and keeps me from leaving. The look on his face is priceless.
“EdenHallowaySpencer,” he breathes. “I knew there was something…” An almost immediate softness washes over his expression. Nostalgia enters in his eyes, warm and fond. But there’s something else, too.
Something almosthungry.
He’s still holding my hand when he asks, “Edie? Is it really you?”
“Yes, it’s me, but I prefer Eden now.”
“Eden…” he murmurs, staring. “You’re beau— You’ve grown.”
“That’s what happens when you disappear for over ten years.”
“I didn’t disappear. Thomas and I…”
I take my hand back and step away at the mention of my father’s name. “I should get going.”
“Don’t you want the job?”
“I do, but… I didn’t realize I’d be working for you. My Dad’ll have a cow if he finds out I’m even here. He’s not exactly a big fan of yours or your studio.”
Hunter’s face hardens. “Do you even know why?”
I shake my head. “No. He never told me. He just said that you weren’t going to come around anymore and that we shouldn’t speak to you.”
He huffs. “Leave it to Thomas to poison the truth.”
