Page 52 of Solar Shadows

I watched some TV on my bed, avoiding the news, and finally turned my phone back on.

Thirty missed calls, one angry voicemail, and several aggressive text messages greeted me.

Oh, shit.

A groan rumbled in my chest as I fired off a text to my agent.

I’d canceled so many meetings since I’d become The Sun, rejected a couple of big jobs because of my new life. But none of the messages told me Nexus Models, my agency, was about to drop me.

Cool.

I sipped on a bottle of water, tapping out a text.

Me: I’m still in Coldharbour dealing with personal stuff.

Helen: Finally! You answer!

Me: Sorry. Shall we set up a lunch to talk?

I trusted her a lot, but I couldn’t tell her the truth yet.

Helen: Check your emails. Now.

I opened my email app.

Dearest Isaac,

You’re booked for a meeting with Hot Candy tomorrow at noon at The Coral Hotel, Coldharbour. If you won’t come back to London, I’ll bring the work to you. They want to make you brand ambassador forthe next three years. It’s a seven-figure deal you willNOTbe turning down.

Don’t disappoint me or we’re going to have some serious issues between us.

Many thanks,

Helen xxx

The news should make me leap into the air, not fill me with dread.

I couldn’t attend a meeting, for goodness’ sake. It’d draw so much attention I didn’t need right now.

“Fuck this.”

I went to call her, but another voicemail came through from an unknown number.

A spam caller?

I opened it, expecting to hear silence. Instead, the voice of my ex-boyfriend tickled my ear, my lungs hitching in surprise.

I’d deleted his number the day he dumped me but didn’t block him. He hadn’t called or messaged until now.

“Hi, it’s me.”He was from Oklahoma with a slight twang in his accent. Whenever he spoke, it drove me wild, enough to melt the underwear from my body.

“I hope this is still your number,”he continued.“I’ve been thinking about you a lot, missing you hard.”He took a deep breath, the sound dripping in sexiness.“I’m in London if you want to meet up. Begood to see you.”

I bit down on my bottom lip, as tight as an elastic band stretched to its limits.

“Call me or message me back. If this isn’t Isaac Davenport, sorry.”He hung up.

My head spun, forcing me to lay down.