Page 105 of Brooke
“Perhaps,” he said, stroking her cheek, “but you also give everything you can to those you love, and I was a fool to toss that kindness back at you.”
A reluctant laugh emerged from her mouth. “Well, I’m not sure you’ll think it’s a kindness when I tell you that Giulia isn’t just throwing me to the sharks. She’s stirring up trouble for you as well.”
She filled him in.
His mouth twisted into a frown that could rival a thundercloud. “Madison mentioned Giulia. That woman! I have never had an enemy, but I believe she has made one of me.”
That caused a spurt of easier laughter to rise up her throat. “Everyone is Giulia’s enemy, and I’m exhausted thinking about how much energy I have spent trying to stay out of her petty and dangerous games. I know the highs and lows of fashion, Axel, but I’d never imagined being in the gutter. Crawling back out will take Herculean strength, and even then, I will be tainted by it.”
Rubbing her back, he shook his head. “We must do everything we can to prevent that.”
The edge to the precipice she was on suddenly seemed a little farther away. “Axel, the horrible irony is that I did everything I could to protect my reputation, my career, and in the end, it still ended up in the shredder.”
He was suddenly flexing his impressive muscles. “Good thing you have me on your side.”
She hugged him again before pushing back and caressing his jaw. “Yes, and I am so glad I do.”
“What do you want to do?” He tucked her hair tenderly behind her ear. “Madison mentioned an ultimatum from your boss.”
“Yes,” she said tersely, a flash of fire pulsing in her lowerabdomen. “My boss says I must serve only one master. Her. And fashion.”
“The other path is what brought us together,” he mused, walking over to the front steps and setting her down before joining her on the cool stone ground. “Do you want to focus solely on interior design?”
She blew out a breath. “I had a five-year plan. That isn’t going to work anymore. I need to do something big—drastic—to salvage things.”
“You could come and work with me,” he said, holding out his hand. “I have never had a partner, but we have done well together. I would make room in my creative life for you. Brooke, for the first time in my life something else has been more important than work—you—and when I thought things were in trouble between us, it terrified me. Ever since I was a lonely, misunderstood young boy, my work has always been my sacred place of solace and happiness. I didn’t know what to do in a reality where that had changed.”
She took his hand and pressed it to her heart, which was rapidly beating now. A smile transformed her mouth, and her whole being suddenly seemed to be flying. “I’m sorry it scared you, but you have no idea how grateful I am to hear you would make room for me in that special part of your life. I would love to work with you—when it suits us both. Because Axel, we are both two creatively independent people. We need to have our own things. I remember you talking about how you’d blended too much of yourself into your relationship in the past. I did the same with Adam. We don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
“No, we don’t.” He cupped her cheek lovingly. “How wise my partner is.”
She could feel her confidence returning, only at a higher level. “Damn straight I am. Besides, don’t take this wrong, but I’m no damsel in distress.”
He tilted his head to the side, his gaze running over herfeatures. “No, you most certainly are not. So what do you want to do?”
“I’ve been wracking my brain all morning, but between the crying and the raging, my mind’s been murky and racing with too many thoughts. Sitting here with you, I find myself calming down, and a famous fashion scandal comes to mind.”
“Which one?” he asked with a short laugh. “It is an industry famous for them.”
She nodded. “The one in 1973 where there was a joint American-French fashion show. The old French guard—Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Marc Bohan, Pierre Cardin, and Emanuel Ungaro—went up against their new American rivals of Halston, Bill Blass, Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows, and Oscar de la Renta. The Americans showed up with their A game and pretty much stormed Versailles. From then on, American designers were on the map. I need to do something similar, and I keep coming back to that piece of real estate I showed you.”
He winced. “I’m still not seeing what you see, Brooke, but that does not mean I won’t.”
She tapped her fingernails together, searching her mind. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I know it’s a huge space, but that’s why it has the power to make such a splash. Wait! Marcello!”
“Marcello?” Axel asked, his brows raising to his forehead. “I am sorry I did not thank you for introducing me to him. I hope he truly did not take offense to my behavior.”
“He didn’t,” Brooke assured him. “Trust me, there would have been much huffing and marching off if he had.”
“Brooke, I was a complete ass last night,” he admitted, making a face. “Please forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “If I’m forgiven too.”
He settled her closer to him, his arms caressing her as softly as his eyes. “Always.”
“Everything going okay out here?” Dean asked in a halting voice.
They both turned and looked behind them. Her friend had his sandy head out of the cracked door, making an awkward face.
