The One He's Been Looking For

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“I get how people view me because of the business I’m in. I don’t agree with it, but I don’t have the time to dwell on it. It is what it is.”

“And your looks,” Jordan said. “People judge you for that, too, I suppose.”

“That was just the luck of the genetic lottery,” Ian said with an irritated shrug. “But you’re right. That’s part of it. Still, people who know me, people who work with me...know that I’m always thinking about the next amazing image. I genuinely love the art form of photography. And, honestly, the rest of the stuff that comes with the job is just white noise to me.”

“I can respect that.” Jordan nodded, surprised that she actually had something in common with him. “You’re a perfectionist. I’m a perfectionist about my artwork, too.”

“Are you a tattoo artist?”

“What?” she asked, confused. Then she remembered where they had first met. “No. I’m a painter. Starving, of course—what else, right? But there’s a fine-arts gallery downtown that’s sponsoring me. I have my first show starting February 1, so hopefully the starving part will change.”

Ian nodded as he listened to her. “So how are you making ends meet until the show?”

“I bartend at Altitude on the weekends,” Jordan said. “And every once in a while I sell one of my designs as tattoo flash to Marty or Chappy. That’s what I was doing the day that we met. I have kind of a small following in the underground music and art scene. One of my friends wanted me to design her tattoo and it took off from there. After a bunch of my friends went to him asking for my artwork, Marty offered me a deal. He does his own custom work, of course, but if someone wants one of my designs as a tattoo, they have to go to his shop to get it, and I get a cut. It’s a pretty sweet deal for me, but the money’s not nearly regular enough to keep me in canvases and paint, I can tell you that much.”

Ian leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. “Then I’d say I have pretty impeccable timing. Because if you agree to model for me, you’ll be able to buy supplies for this show and the next. Isn’t that right?”

Jordan pushed a wayward lock of hair back off her forehead. “I can’t deny that you have a point. I could really use the money right now.”

“Then let’s talk business, Jordan.” Ian sat upright. “I really want you for this project. I can’t say it any plainer than that. I like what I saw today—you’re a natural in front of the camera and you’ve got great instincts for someone who hasn’t modeled professionally.” He lifted his eyebrows. “So? What do you think? Do you want the gig?”

Jordan studied him intently. She crossed her arms over her chest and hunched her shoulders a bit. Part of her wanted to jump at the chance. She needed the money and she’d had a blast modeling today. But there was something inside of her that was making her hesitate.

“What’s holding you back from saying yes?” Ian asked. “Is it me? Do I make you nervous?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” She shrugged noncommittally. “But it’s not like you’re going to go all Silence of the Lambs on me.”

“Then what?” Ian stood up and walked over to one of the copper barrels that were being used as decorative tables. He moved the catalogs aside and sat down so he was directly across from her. “Look, Jordan. I really want us to work together. Tell me what I can do to help you get to yes.”

“Well. I’m from Montana...” she said slowly.

“Okay.”

“And I was raised to believe that if something seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. You catch my drift?”

“Sure,” Ian said. “You think there’s a catch.”

“Exactly. A famous photographer tracks me down?” Jordan pointed to her chest. “And wants to pay me twenty-five thousand dollars to model for him? I mean, come on—what’re the chances, really?”

“Okay.” Ian breathed in through his nose and then let out the breath. “I think I get what’s holding you back.”

“And what have you come up with, oh, Obi Wan?” she asked with a combination of sarcasm and skepticism.

“You think that I have an ulterior motive,” he said as he watched her carefully.

Jordan was unlike any other woman he’d ever met—a rare gem in a sea of semiprecious stones. And he knew instinctively that she needed to be handled with care if he wanted to get her under contract for the book. Unfortunately, he couldn’t rely on his usual bag of tricks—she wasn’t impressed with his fame, his money or his connections. And unlike most women, who he typically had to pry off his couch with a crowbar, Jordan looked as if she might try to bolt at the slightest provocation. She reminded him of a beautiful, untamed mare, wild and unpredictable. He had absolutely no idea how to handle her. And that only intrigued him more. It made him want her under contract even more.

“Well?” she asked pointedly. “Do you?”

“Listen, Jordan. The only thing I can do right now is tell you how things work with me. As a general rule, I don’t get involved with the women I photograph. I’ve learned through trial and error that professional boundaries make for a low-drama life. So when I tell you that I want you for my book, I don’t have a hidden agenda. You’ll have a contract, and when you’re done, you’ll have twenty-five thousand dollars in the bank. I’ll have the images I need for my book, and you’ll have plenty of spending money in your pockets to go wild at the art-supply store. We both get what we want.”

The man had a way with persuasion; there was no doubt about that. Ian was sitting close enough to her that she could see every perfect feature of his face, from his golden skin and strong, determined jawline to his perfectly sculpted nose and lips. He was a walking billboard for what a healthy, handsome, all-American male should be. And, shockingly, she wasn’t repelled by his rock-hard body and handsome face, as she normally would be. In Ian’s case, she was atypically drawn to him, like a moth to a flame.

Before Jordan could say, “Let me think about it,” Ian glanced at his watch as said, “Look, I’ve got to start getting ready to head out of town on Monday. Why don’t we do this—I’ll have my attorney send you the contract via email. You left your information with Violet, right?”

Jordan nodded. This would give her time to think about Ian’s job offer with her head and not her impulses. She had a bad habit of making snap decisions, and often lived to regret them.

“Take a look at the contract—get an attorney to look it over—and if you’re interested, you’ve got a job waiting for you with me. But the ball’s in your court now, okay?” Ian offered her his hand.

“That sounds like a plan.” Jordan slipped her hand into his. As his warm skin touched hers, a spark of electricity jumped between them. Surprised, she looked down at their hands and then up into his face. She could tell by his expression that he had felt the spark as well, but instead of pulling his hand away, he held on to hers and gently squeezed her fingers. Just for a moment, before he let her hand slip away.