His grey eyes are calm. “That’s not begging. That was a request.”
My mouth falls open. “Please! You saidplease!”
He shrugs. “It was a polite request. I’m a polite man.” He leans in, and my entire body heats as his lips brush my neck. “You, on the other hand, begged so prettily for me,” he murmurs. My mouth falls open as he trails his lips down the side of my throat, biting softly at the hinge of my jaw.
And then he pulls back and takes a sip of coffee.
I grab a fistful of his shirt, furious. “I swear,” I declare, “Iwillhave you begging for me before I leave.”
He looks amused. “You can try.”
“You’ll be on your knees,” I inform him. “You’ll probably be crying.”
Alec throws back his head and laughs. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him laugh, and I’m a bit taken aback. Both Fraser and Cameron look up and stare, like they’re surprised too.
Alec collects himself. “Your phone has been ringing, by the way. You left it in the lounge last night.” He slides it across the table towards me.
Wow. When was the last time I slept without my phone by my bed? I take a bite of eggs, chewing as I check the screen. I muted all of my social media notifications yesterday, but I’m still getting emails through. My stomach sinks as I read through them.
SUBJECT: A Change in Our Partnership
SUBJECT: Parting ways
SUBJECT: Notice of contract termination
Oh God. I feel sick. Clearly, the article has had an effect. I put my fork down and force myself to take a deep breath, but I feel panic bubbling up inside me.
What if this just keeps getting worse? What if I lose my job completely over a drunken breakdown? I keep scrolling through my emails. It doesn’t take long until I find the one I’m looking for. The email I hoped I’d never, ever get.
SUBJECT: ICONS ONLY COLLABORATION—PLEASE READ
I know what it’ll say, but I open it anyway.
Dear Summer,
We at Icons Only want to thank you for your enthusiasm in partnering with our brand. Unfortunately, due to recent developments, we have to rescind our offer of a prospective partnership at this time.
Wishing you all the best,
The Icons Only Content Team
I feel flat. Well, that’s that then. I won’t be designing my own clothes after all.
I’m not really surprised. I’ve already failed at this dream once before.
“Problem?” Alec says.
I try to school my face into something normal. “Oh, um, I’ve just been dropped from a big deal. This company called Icons Only wanted me to do a fashion design collaboration with them,but—” I force a smile onto my face. “Guess they’ve changed their minds.”
Fraser groans loudly. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry. I know that one was really important to you.” He takes my hand, squeezing my fingers. “You don’t need them. You went to fashion school. You can design clothes without them.”
I don’t answer. Alec opens his arms. “Come here,” he orders. I obediently perch on his knee, and he looks over my shoulder, reading the email. “Is it just this one?” he asks.
“Nope.” I show him my inbox. “I’ve lost most of my sponsors. No one wants to touch me right now.” I can’t even blame them, to be honest. It’s just business.
He’s sombre as he reads the subject lines. “You should delete your social media,” he says eventually. “Email too. All of it. If you’re taking a break, no one should be able to contact you.”
I nod. It’s the most logical thing to do, but it feels massive. Before the scandal, I probably checked my accounts fifty times a day. Responding to comments, chatting with followers, charging up my self-esteem.
