Page 10 of Mr. Scandalous

Ashley spread her palms. “There you are. Problems solved.”

Eden gulped. “All right, smarty-pants. Here’s the biggie. Worst-case scenario. What if he’s repulsed by my burn scars, can’t get it up when he sees me naked?”

Undaunted, Ashley jutted out her chin and challenged, “Best-case scenario. He thinks you are beautiful no matter your scars and your crazy worst-case-scenario voice. He’s a great kisser with minty breath and he’s got a gigantic penis. You have splendid sex and get your creativity back. Business booms, you fall madly in love, get married, buy a house in Connecticut, have three kids, two cats and a Pomeranian named Kibble and forty-five years from now you’re still playing Tarzan and Jane with each other just like Mr. and Mrs. Lockerbie.”

Eden sucked in her breath. Did she dare to dream that dream? Was she brave enough to take a step toward claiming her sexuality?

Do it. Take a chance. What have you got to lose?

What indeed?

She’d been holding herself in reserve for too long. By not taking risks, she’d closed herself off to her creative wellspring. She needed more intimacy, not only with her work, but with her body as well.

She glanced at the basket in the window, the one completely lacking in pizzazz.

That boring basket made her decision for her. If she wanted to get her inspiration back she had to take charge and move toward her goals.

She was going to lunch with Alec Ramsey. How else would she ever discover if those sparks between them would come to nothing or might lead to something wickedly wonderful?

* * *

The next morning,excited about his upcoming date with Eden, Alec prowled the hallways of his West Chelsea offices. His exuberant edginess, as it so often did, spilled over onto his employees.

He was walking fast and talking faster, sorting through focus-group data, sending his content creators back to the drawing board for a brand launch that had fizzled, confabbing with his assistant Holden about upcoming appointments.

Everyone took their cues from Alec’s go-go-go energy. They were keyed up and working at a frantic pace.

Everyone, that is, except taciturn Holden, who remained calm no matter what was happening around him.

The young man’s unruffled aplomb was the reason Alec had hired him. He needed an assistant who balanced Alec’s high-octane traits. Holden kept him grounded when Alec might have otherwise gotten off track following his quicksilver mind wherever it chose to flow.

“Reschedule my one-o’clock workout with Randy,” Alec told Holden. “Something’s come up.”

Holden, who at twenty-two was more efficient than many executive assistants twice his age, swiftly made a notation in his cell phone. “Oh, and by the way, your uncle is in your office.”

“Mac?” Alec broke into a grin. “He’s back from Fiji?”

Holden nodded. “Helping himself to your twenty-year-old Scotch, I might add.”

“He can help himself to anything he wants. I am what I am today because of Uncle Mac.”

“I’ll restock.”

Alec pushed into his office to find his tanned, lean-muscled uncle sitting cocked back in the plush leather chair that had once belonged to him.

Mac looked a little tired, however, that is until he flashed Alec a row of straight white teeth and raised his tumbler of Scotch in a salute.

“You old dog!” Alec exclaimed, slipping around the desk to embrace Mac in a bear hug as he rose to his feet. “You’re back early!”

“There’s only so much of those warm tropical breezes and sultry island girls a man can take.”

“Yeah, right.”

Mac set his glass down and feigned a boxing move. Alec feigned in return. They embraced again, slapping each other on the back.

His father’s younger brother had never been married and never aspired to live a conventional life. He was the consummate free-spirit and Alec’s mentor, teaching him everything he knew both about business, commerce and marketing. For forty-nine years Mac had lived the very life he extolled—rich, single, jet setting.

“So,” Mac said. “Meet any interesting women while I was gone?”

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