JOSH WOKE AS he did most mornings, with the crack of dawn lighting his expansive bedroom. He climbed from his king-sized bed, snagged a remote off of the bedside table, and walked in his boxers to the windows. He pushed a button on a remote and the blinds drew open, exposing a radiant view of Central Park. Josh had lived in New York for the past eight years, and at thirty-three years old, he was well aware of his good fortune. He’d built an empire around his name, and he didn’t take his life for granted—how could he, when there was always someone who wanted something from him.
He stretched his arms and legs, as he did every morning, then sank to the floor and began his somewhat impaired exercise regimen of eighty sit-ups and push-ups, working around his all-too-familiar, morning wood. Josh had always had a healthy appetite for sex, even if he’d kept mum about the details to his overly curious brothers. But ever since he’d drawn a mental line in the sand between dating women he wanted to date and dating women he was supposed to date—and coming up short on the wanting to side—his body hadn’t failed to remind him that those needs were still alive and well. Once that settled down, he showered to further warm up his muscles and headed out for his three-mile morning run.
He could navigate the streets of New York with his eyes closed. Every curve of the road, every lip in the sidewalk, every tree in Central Park had been ingrained in his memory from his daily runs. Whether it was raining, snowing, or hot and humid, he was out pounding the pavement. He needed something to relieve the stress of his chosen career. He hadn’t expected to move so quickly up the ladder of fame. It seemed to happen almost overnight. One day he was showing his designs to his boss at an internship, and the next thing he knew, he was a full-time designer and his styles were gracing the red carpet on well-known, respected celebrities.
Josh jogged past a brown-haired woman power walking through the park. As he passed, he thought it might be Riley. At second glance, he realized it wasn’t, but Riley remained on his mind. He’d wanted to help her feel at home in New York, and instead, he’d handed her over to Claudia, the wickedest woman in the business, and then later, he’d headed out for a meeting, which ended up being a big waste of time.
He’d been home in Weston when he and Riley had reconnected, and it had been nice seeing her there, a smile always on her lips, her eyes dancing with enthusiasm about everything from his brother Rex’s relationship with her best friend, Jade, to the possibility of coming to New York. They’d hit it off right away, and now that she was here, he’d like to get to know her even better.
He’d noticed a difference in her eyes before he left the office the prior evening. She’d looked tired, which was to be expected, but he’d seen something else, too. Disenchantment, maybe? Could Claudia have killed her spirit already? The thought angered him, and he picked up his pace. He didn’t think Claudia would be unnecessarily cruel, but she did have a strong reputation for being competitive, and for that reason, Josh had purposely refrained from showing her any of Riley’s designs. He’d have to keep his eyes open.
An hour later, he walked through the front doors of JBD. Mia met him on his way in, dressed in her typical skinny jeans and blouse. She handed him a to-go cup.
“Espresso. I’m calling in ten minutes. You’ve got two messages from Madeline Stein, so please call her back already.”
Madeline Stein. She was the last person he wanted to talk to, his date from the evening before: a willowy model with even fewer brain cells than the hundred pounds she probably weighed. That was definitely the last time he’d agree to a date in order to help the modeling agencies gain the right exposure for their models by being seen draped on his arm.
“Tell her I died,” he said.
“No way. I’m not doing your dirty work,” Mia said as they entered his office. “I did that the last two times, and as I recall, a few times before that, too.”
Josh sat behind his desk. “Isn’t that your job as my assistant? To fulfill my every whim?”
Mia placed her hand on her hip. “Not when your every whim means telling women that you’re not interested in them. I don’t even know why you accept the dates if you don’t want to go out with them.”
He thought of his older brothers Treat and Rex and how happy they’d been since they’d met the women they wanted to build their lives with, and he wondered if he’d be lucky enough to find that same type of connection. With each date he accepted, he looked for the qualities in a woman that he respected: intelligence, empathy, a sense of humor. He had yet to find a single one that he felt compatible with. Compatible in the way I was with Riley back in Weston. He pushed Riley from his mind and thought of an appropriate answer for Mia. Because it’s better than being lonely. Then again, maybe it’s not. “Because it’s part of my job. I’m a designer. Everyone wants to be seen on my arm. Who am I to turn them down?”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Even I don’t believe you’re that generous.”
He lifted his brows and frowned.
“Really? The pouty face? No way. I’m not making the call.” She looked at her watch. “You have seven minutes before the conference call. Why don’t you just pick up the phone and give her the big letdown?”
“Seven?” He wanted to talk to Claudia about Riley’s desk situation. The file clerk’s cubicle was unacceptable. “Give me ten.” He pushed from his chair and flew out the door, Mia’s voice trailing after him.
“Seven!”
HE FOUND CLAUDIA bent over Riley’s desk.
“Claudia, I’m glad I found you.”
“I came in early to go over a few things for the new line. I lost a few hours yesterday helping Riley.” She wore a perfectly fitted Chanel suit, and her hair was pulled back in a smooth bun. Claudia looked every inch the designer, but Josh saw through that manicured exterior, and he’d picked up on the annoyed tone in her voice when she’d said Riley’s name—a tone that anyone else might have missed.
Claudia had never really done anything egregious to any employees, and why she seemed to take issue with Riley was beyond his understanding, but he wouldn’t allow it to continue. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Why is Riley in the cubicle?” He felt his chest tighten when he said her name. He slipped his hands into his pockets, hoping to come across more casual and less personally interested.
“The desks in the pit were taken.” She touched his arm and spoke in an alluring—and he was sure practiced—bedroom voice. “I’ll move her out this week. Don’t worry.”
He had minutes before his conference call and no time for her games. “See that you do. Today,” he said, and walked away. He’d have to keep a better eye on her manipulations. He turned and glanced at her one last time. She stood with her arms crossed, staring at Riley’s desk.
“Was there something you were looking for?” Josh asked.
She spun around. “Not at all. Just thinking.” She stalked away.
It must suck to be that competitive and insecure. If she’d been anyone else, he’d have felt sorry for her, but if she wanted to become a designer, she needed to spend more time honing her design skills and less time worrying about who else might pass her along the way.
Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him into a conference room. “I have Peter on line three. They’re talking the Bliss line. Ready?”
Bliss. His favorite new clothing line. He nodded, plastered a smile on his face, and went to work selling his line to Peter Stafford, the head of one of the first modeling agencies to have taken a chance on dressing his models in Josh’s clothes years earlier. Peter had helped Josh’s name reach the status he now enjoyed, and because of that, he’d hired his niece Claudia. He didn’t know then what type of person Claudia was, and now he was too trapped by loyalty to let her go.