Page 24

"Lloyd?" My tone implies I think that name is something—not what I expected for my new assistant. My last one was named Sarah. She married a producer twice her age and is having babies in Calabasas now. I liked her fine. We were never friends, but we worked.

"Yes, Lloyd Sinclair. He's an Oxford graduate."

"Why would he want to work for me?" I ask, glossing over the fact that she compared hiring him to gifting me a puppy.

Mary sighs like I don't understand anything. Especially not about how the world works. "Angela. Sometimes I'm shocked by your naiveté."

I huff a laugh. I may not know why an Oxford graduate wants to be in charge of my schedule, but I am far from naive. Elliot Kendricks’s affable face comes into my mind's eye.

It's been a day since he showed up. Since I learned that "something" happened to Temperance. Since I had mind-blowing sex with Omar—which totally worked to take my mind off the whole Temperance thing.

I'm back on my balcony again. Today is warmer; pale sunlight caresses the surrounding buildings and pedestrians below. My coffee is still hot and the pastries untouched.

I hadn’t bothered getting dressed yet since I have the day off—well, from the press tour. I have a photo shoot for my fragrance Violet Kiss today. I'm also going to the London office of my cosmetic company, Violet Glamour. Can you see why my eyes are insured for so much?

But none of that starts for at least another hour. I think.

"Lloyd will be there in thirty minutes. I let Ash know,” Mary says. My call waiting beeps. I hold the phone away from my face to see an unknown number. I send it to voicemail. "Angela, are you listening?"

"Yes, Lloyd will be here in a half hour. I better go get dressed."

"He's gay, so you don't have to worry about him, you know?"

"Falling madly in love with me the way all my straight employees do?" I joke.

"Exactly." Mary doesn't think I'm joking. "At least I can count on Ash." She says it like every other man on the planet is powerless against my charms.

"Yes, I agree, you don't have to worry about Ash falling in love with me. He doesn't seem to like me much."

"What?" Her voice is sharp. "If he's not treating you with respect, he needs to go."

My coffee churns in my stomach. "I…"

"Angela, he's very good but if you're not comfortable with him, you let me know. There are other agencies out there. We can find you a replacement." I don't answer fast enough. "I do think Ash is very good, though. Is he just cold or is the man rude? Because we can't have that."

"He's just…" I swallow. "He's fine. I'm sure it's a part of the job to be somewhat robotic." Though Alesana isn't. That guy is a like a giant teddy bear who'd kill for me. And Chris has a sense of humor even if he tries to hide it. But I can’t sayI'm afraid one day Ash will be ordered to kill me.

Even if he was as affable as Elliot Kendricks, our relationship would be strained. Because it’s notus, it’s this fucked situation.

"Look, Ash has been a real godsend since Sarah left. He's an excellent communicator." I stifle a laugh. "But the most important thing in this business is relationships, and if you don't want to work with his company anymore, we can find another."

"It's his company?" I ask, knowing I sound like a bit of an idiot. I never even read the contract I signed—Temperance simply put it under my pen.

"Yes, Angela. Of course it's his company. He has an excellent reputation, but if he makes you feel bad, we can't have that."

"You were just praising him for not falling in love with me," I remind her, a smile pulling at my lips.

"Well, there is a fine line between professionalism and undermining your confidence. I won't allow that. You're the most gorgeous woman on the planet, and anyone who makes you feel differently shouldn't be in your life."

Zade's voice floats in from the other room. "Speaking of people who make me feel gorgeous," I say as they come into view. They grin at me as they cross to kiss my cheek before taking the chair Elliot sat in yesterday.

"I'll let you go. Say hi to Zade for me. Get dressed. Lloyd will be there soon."

We hang up, and a voicemail alert pops up from the unknown number. "Mary says hi," I tell Zade as I click on the message. Omar's voice plays over the speaker. "Angela." The prince saying my name sends tingles of pleasure through my bones.

Zade fans themself dramatically, making me laugh.

"I hope you'll still consider dinner with me. I await your call."