Despite privately acknowledging her feelings, she wasn’t ready for that.“I’m still starving,” she said in a hurry.Brushing past him, she escaped into the kitchen.“Let’s eat!”
Sighing again, Ben was gracious enough to chuckle.He followed to collect the food bag and put it on a square dining table.“Almost had you,” he said.“Just barely missed out.”
Ignoring him, she found utensils in a drawer and began scooping mashed potatoes onto the included paper plates.“Gravy?”she asked, innocently.It wasn’t easy, beating back the building attraction she felt for him, and every minute it grew more difficult.
Since she’d only known him three days, the blazing heat level simmering between them seemed crazy.Irresistible.
But it was too soon.Too shallow.Did he want her for the same reasons so many others had—because of her fame?Her celebrity?Had he seen her striking poses in airbrushed magazine ads, in commercials carefully designed by Lighting, Wardrobe, Makeup and Hair, to show her at her best?
Because that wasn’ther.That was only a picture, or a short clip on television.It was a product presentation carefully fashioned to convince people to part with their money.She was merely the vehicle, the surface, the face.
No, it wasn’t her, not the inner her.
And while she instinctively trusted Ben Paxton with her life, she barely knew him.In the past, she’d had gentlemen friends, but even in her wildest days she’d never slept around.
In her deepest, most feminine self, she hoped to be wanted for who she truly was, the person inside.She wanted to beknown.To be understood.To be cherished.
And she yearned to give those things back to a man with all the full force of her beating heart.
Nobody could learn those things and come to that place in only a few days.The conclusion cooled her, helped clarify her mind.
Ben made no further offers or suggestions.However, at all times he seemed to keep her under constant watch.
By the time they managed to eat companionably and clean up the mess, it was late afternoon.
“Are we off to your company?”she asked.
“Yep.I’m way behind at work.”
“I won’t get in your way,” she promised.
Within minutes, they parked in an industrial section of Austin, mostly concrete tilt-up buildings housing large manufacturing and packaging companies.The several-building complex, which fell under the Paxton Security contracting business, was outwardly unremarkable from the other businesses in the area.
Ben pushed open the glass front door and held it for Sarah.She preceded him into an air-conditioned and carpeted office featuring four women at work on telephones or computer terminals.All eyes latched onto Sarah and all four mouths dropped open.
After a brief hushed silence, Sarah made a shy wave to them.“Hi,” she said.
“Super Sarah,” the oldest woman, perhaps in her forties breathed.She had dark hair cut short and wore jeans and a tank top.Her desk plate read:Marge, Amazing Office Manager.
Sarah offered her hand.“I’m Sarah Lang.You’re Marge?”When the other woman extended her hand, Sarah enclosed it in both her own.“You must be amazing to organize this guy’s office.”She sent a thumb Ben’s way.
“Ben didn’t tell us he was bringingyouin,” Marge said, sending him an accusing glance.“You’re a wicked, wicked man, Ben Paxton.Why’d you keep this secret?”
“Uh, for her safety,” he replied, as though it was obvious.“Nobody else can know, understood?”
He received four nods, then told them, “She’s Rio’s sister.”
The women gasped.“Rio’s sister!”Marge exclaimed.“He’s mentioned a sister named Sarah, but we didn’t know it washer.”Marge turned to Sarah.“Here and there we’ve gotten a few celebrities needing our services.Never someone like you—asupermodel.”
“Oh, forget about that.”Sarah dismissed the comment.“I’m not in the industry anymore.Now, I’m a rancher.”
“And up in Montana she’s opening a feed barn,” Ben added.He introduced her all around.“Sarah, you’ve met Marge.This is Tulip, Sunny, and Linda.They work the phones, the computers, wrangle paperwork, deal with the guys.They do it all.”
Tulip, Sunny, and Linda came around their desks to meet her.
“I’ve got every magazine cover you’ve ever done,” Tulip, a tall thirtyish woman said.“I love them all.Especially theSports Illustratedones.”
“You’re even more attractive in person than in photos,” Sunny, a plump black woman remarked.
