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“You are getting ahead of yourself.” His deep voice turned harsh and was just what she needed to bounce back.
“You are right.” She took another swallow of the water and felt the calm surfacing. “I am okay now. I am okay.”
“Good. I am here, you know that. Night or day.”
She felt the tears pricking the back of her lids. He was not just saying it to comfort her. He had proven over the years that he was always there for her.
“I know.” Huffing out a breath she felt herself settling. “What were you doing?”
“I was in bed.”
“Alone?”
He chuckled. “Yes. Alone. I was going over some briefs and trying to unknot the damn tension of dealing with a witness. A very hostile one.”
“And I interrupted your train of thought.”
“Timely interruption. Will you be able to go back to sleep?”
“Yes," she told him and meant it. “Like I said, tomorrow is a- well, it’s tomorrow now technically. It’s a big day and I have to be at my best.”
“I suppose I will read about it.”
“I suppose you will. Thanks Corey.”
“Any time hon. Now go and get your beauty rest.”
She hung up and finished the water. Passing a hand over the messy bun she had made before dropping into bed, she dumped the bottle into the recycle bin and climbed back into bed.
*****
Anika was not the only one having a difficult time getting some sleep. Jaylen had left his father’s suite and had thought about heading out to take a walk to clear his head. But he could not just go for a damn coffee without being harassed by hopeful fans.
He was the son of a multi-billionaire music producer and on top of it, he was an international model. He could not very well take a stroll along the streets. Unless of course, he had an entourage with him and he had never been the type to have one.
So, he had done the next best thing. Flinging himself into his suite, he grabbed a bottle of expensive scotch and went out on the patio. They were in Milan, one of the most famous fashion capitals in the world—he knew the place like the back of his hand and he should make an effort to enjoy the week he would be spending here.
He had assignments lined up—a photo shoot for Romano’s latest cologne, and a spread for ‘Glamor’ magazine. He would be kept busy, busy enough to stay away from the old man.
Leaning back against the plump cushions, he ordered himself to chill. He had these breathing exercises he practiced, especially when he was harried or anxious.
People naturally thought that he was not nervous, whenever he walked on stage and the spotlight was on him.
But deep down, he was shy and much preferred his own company. He had made that revelation to a talk show host during an interview and she had burst out laughing.
“We do not believe that," she had told him with a glint in her eyes. “A man like you, looking the way you do, there is no way you have a shy bone in that beautiful body of yours.”
He had not bothered to refute her comment but had smiled and moved on to the next question.
Putting the bottle to his head, he took a healthy swallow and relished the burning in his gut. He had tried for calm, had he not? He had decided to take the path of peace and it had failed.
There could never be any common ground between them. Too much had happened in his life, his father had done irreparable damage that would not be soothed with a few apologies and regrets.
He was a grown man now and he was going his own way. After this damn trip, he was hightailing it—he needed the space and the time to get his head on straight.
James Monteith was not going to dictate to him. That was over and done with. Sighing deeply, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He had liked Anabel, but when she mentioned how much his dad would love to see them as a couple, that had been it for him. No more!
Chapter 3
