Page 48 of The VIP Doubles Down

She stalled. “So, no daytime fooling around?”

His gaze scorched over her. “I can’t guarantee that.”

God knew she needed the money, but she couldn’t work out the right and wrong of the situation. Everyone seemed to expect artists to sleep with their muses. Was it okay to work for a writer you were having sex with?

She understood the problems of having a romance with your boss, but this wasn’t a corporate office, so the power dynamic was different. She could walk away at any time without repercussions to her career. It was clear that Gavin found her input helpful, so was there anything wrong with being paid for her time?

She shook her head, more in an attempt to clear it than in refusal. “I don’t know.”

He reached across the table and took her hand, his fingers closing around hers. “Allie, Ineedyou. I don’t know what the going rate for a muse is, so I came up with this scheme. I can’t ask you to sit around my office and talk to me without paying you. The guilt would corrode the relationship.” He looked away. “I know you can’t be my therapist any longer. I screwed that up.”

“That was a mutual screwing up. I’m the one who’s bound by the PT code of ethics.”

His gaze came back to her, his green eyes storm dark. “Tell me I haven’t pushed it beyond the point of no return.”

The heat and power of his grip seemed to seep through her, undermining her ability to think through all the implications.He needed her.She was a healer and he required healing.

“Let me think about it,” she said, rubbing her forehead with her free hand.

He groaned and let his head fall forward. “Goddamn it, why do you have to have principles?” Then he raised his hand like a stop signal. “No, I don’t mean that. What you are is why I want you.”

“Say that again so I can understand it,” she said, but he had already made her heart dance with pleasure.

“Your principles are part of the person you are, and I want your person.” His smile was strained, as though he was trying to force humor where he didn’t feel it.

But she had heard him the first time, and it had made her decision for her.

“I’ll take the job.”

A look of relief banished the strain from his smile. He squeezed her hand. “Thank you.” The simple words held surprising depths of emotion. “When can you come tomorrow?”

Allie took a deep breath. His honesty deserved the same from her. “Anytime. Here’s the thing: I don’t have any other clients right now. I was working at the Havilland Rehabilitation Center until very recently. I lost my position because my ex-husband showed up drunk and harassed the patients there. Twice. My boss felt bad about it, but he had no choice. I’m still looking for another job.”

Gavin rocked back in his chair. “You were married?”

Chapter 13

That explained the treadmill and the pull-up bar, but it didn’t explain the shock that vibrated through Gavin. He’d thought of Allie as a sweet, fresh, untouched country girl. A hard-drinking ex-husband knocked that image on its ear. He examined her face, looking for signs of bitterness or despair, the things he’d felt when he and Irene blew apart.

But the same Allie looked back at him, her gray eyes clear, her creamy skin unlined, her mouth soft and tempting.

“How do you do it?” he asked. “Do you have a portrait tucked away in basement storage?”

“A portrait?” Her eyebrows drew downward as she puzzled over his comment. “Oh, you’re talking aboutThe Picture of Dorian Gray.” Her jaw tightened. “What terrible sins do you think would show on my portrait?”

“Not sins. Disappointment, disillusionment, despair.”

“Mama always said I was a natural-born optimist. I see the good in everyone, even when it’s not there.” Now her mouth had a bitter twist.

“You were very fortunate in your mother.” And he had not been. “Your ex-husband was an alcoholic?”

“Troy? No. He was an actor.”

Gavin laughed. “You say that as though it’s even worse.”

She flattened her hands on the table. “The constant stream of rejections got to him, so he would sometimes drink too much. We came here with such high hopes.” She met his eyes. “He has real talent. He just doesn’t have a thick skin.”

“I know all about rejection.”