Part of my job required a ton of travel, particularly press tours. We were always flying from New York to LA, anywhere really. For the next week, my ass was stuck beside Locke’s. Where he went, I went. Submerging myself into his life was the only way I was going to guarantee he didn’t fuck this up.
For the both of us.
He was already proving to be everything the media had made him out to be. I had seven days to change him into the man I used to know.
Before he’d broken my heart.
I could do this.
“You can do anything,” I reassured myself, sinking further into the jacuzzi tub made for several people while sipping the wine I had delivered from room service.
Out of nowhere, the hotel phone rang, and I answered from the tub. “This is Autumn.”
“How did it go with our Alpha CEO?” my boss inquired, catching me off guard.
I replied, “It went great,” with my voice steady and calm.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“He agreed to your week-long press tour?”
“Not in so many words, but we’re getting there.”
“You’re getting there? His first editorial interview with The New York Times is tomorrow afternoon, Autumn.”
“He will be there.” Even if I have to drag him by his balls.
“Has he signed your contract?”
“Laurel, I know what I’m doing.”
“I don’t need to remind you what’s at stake here.”
She usually wasn’t on my ass with any of my clients, but he wasn’t just anyone. The notoriety we’d get from changing his image would take High Society to the ultimate level. We’d be number one, and that was a spot Laurel wanted more than anything.
We both did.
“You don’t need to remind me. Once I’m made partner we’ll be unstoppable.”
I could tell by her silence she was smiling on the other end of the line.
“Keep me posted on how tomorrow goes.”
“Will do.”
“Try to get some sleep, alright? You have a busy and demanding schedule ahead of you.”
Yeah, and that was only his press tour.
“Of course.”
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
I hung up, about to breathe a huge sigh of relief when the phone rang again.
I answered, “Laurel, I can deal with Julian, I promise.”
“So when you’re talking about me to other people I’m suddenly Julian?”
I jerked back, staring at the phone as if it had suddenly grown a head. “How did you get this number? Wait, how did you know where I was?”
“I asked you a question, and I expect an answer.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Miss Troy.”
“What the hell? How did you—” I looked around the bathroom. “Are there cameras in here? Are you watching me?”
“Would you like me to be watching you while you’re naked in your bubble bath?”
“Juli—” I caught myself, fully aware he was grinning that I’d almost said his name to him. “Mr. Locke, how do you know what I’m doing?”
“Unlike you, I’m not pretending to not know everything about you.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know your hair is held back by an ink pen right now, and you’re drinking Merlot while you’re soaking in a warm bath, contemplating how you’re going to get me to agree to your little press tour.”
My mouth dropped open. “How do you—” I sat up, peering around the bathroom again, covering my chest that time.
“You don’t have to hide your breasts, Miss Troy. I’ve seen them.”
Through a clenched jaw, I threatened, “If I find out you set up cameras in my suite, I swear to God, Mr. Locke, I will—”
“You’ll what? Play with your perfect pink pussy so I can watch?”
“You’re unbelievable!” I gasped. “How dare—”
“Relax, kid. My company set up your accommodations.”
“Oh yeah … right. But how do you know—”
“I don’t have to watch you through cameras if I want to see you naked. All I have to do is think about all the times—”
“Enough!” I roared, losing the last bit of patience I had with him. “You cannot talk to me like this. I won’t stand for it.”
“You used to love the way I talked to you. Especially when my face was buried in between your—”
I hung up on him. “The fucking nerve of that man!”
Of course, the phone immediately rang again, but I didn’t answer.
Instead, I heard his rough, husky tone on the voicemail of the hotel suite as it echoed off the walls.
“If you don’t pick up, I’ll walk right into your suite. I don’t even need to knock, Autumn. I have a key. You’re staying in one of my hotels.”
Tired of his bullshit, I picked up the phone and dialed his number. “Are you fucking insane?” I seethed into the phone as soon as he answered.
“No, but I won’t go ignored either.”
“You own hotels?” This was news to me. I had immersed myself into Julian’s world without realizing just how deep I was in.
“I own a lot of things, kid. Locke Enterprises is just one of them.”