“Yes,” Elena said, not looking pleased about the admission. “A surprisingly long list of things I’d enjoy seeing you in. There,” she added, tossing her a small glare. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Why do you care what I look like? It’s just business, right?”

Elena seemed startled by the reminder. “That’s good to remember.” She placed her drink on a nearby table. “Don’t you think?” She gave Maddie a long look, as though Maddie had somehow been at fault, forcing Elena into thinking unbusinessy thoughts.

Wait a minute… That meant Elena had been having unbusinessy thoughts. Her heart swelled briefly, until her irritation kicked in. Elena’s comment was such a load of…

“Well, okay,” Maddie said. “We agree, it will all be about business.” She gave her a tiny smile and decided to press her luck. “But that won’t take away from the fact you were staring at my back for ages tonight.”

Elena’s cheeks grew pink. Her eyes narrowed. “Well.”

“Well?” Maddie supposed that was the equivalent of agreement in Elena’s world. Or not. It was so frustrating.

“You couldn’t resist asking about it, I suppose. Getting that out of me before the bet expired.”

Getting what out of her? Was Elena saying she was not as indifferent to Maddie as she seemed? Back stroking notwithstanding, of course. Maddie still wasn’t over that and probably never would be.

“So…you, ah, like me, then?” Maddie asked, desperate for some clarification. Because it was her last chance to ask, and Elena was confusing as hell with her cryptic answers.

“I could answer that, but then I would resent you for the temerity of the question. Do you really want me to resent you, Madeleine?” Elena’s voice turned to honey, and Maddie had to admire what a clever little trap that question was.

“You don’t play fair.”

“No, I suppose not.” She looked far too pleased with herself

Maddie sighed. There was a reason this woman ran a media empire, after all. She won at everything. On the other hand, a “no comment” about liking Maddie was way better than a denial.

They regarded each other.

“I suppose this is goodbye,” Maddie said. “Until our media events together, I mean.”

“Really, Madeleine.”

Elena said it as though Maddie was making a huge deal out of something meaningless. Seriously? She was half tempted to re-ask the earlier question about liking her and risk the resentment rather than put up with such condescension. Her jaw tightened.

Elena seemed to sense her raging mutiny. “So irritated at me,” she said with a knowing smile. “You don’t hide much with those accusing eyes.” Elena studied her for a few moments, and to Maddie’s shock, she realised she was openly admiring her this time.

It was just like before, in front of the mirror, only more. So much more. A thrill skittered down Maddie’s spine, as she felt the languid gaze shift and burn across her skin. She almost dropped her glass.

Elena leaned forward and whispered against the shell of her ear. “Madeleine, I have long admired beauty in all its forms. It comes with my job, running the world’s premier fashion magazine. Your unblemished, creamy skin, the way it dips and flows and glows with vitality? What lover of beautiful things could resist looking at it? Especially one as excellent at her job as I am.”

Elena gave her a rich, taunting smile that left Maddie rooted to the spot, as the high priestess of media straightened, turned, and headed towards the exit.

Maddie watched her leave and tried to swallow. She took in a shuddering breath and ran a trembling hand through her hair.

Elena had just called her beautiful. Oh, she’d dressed it up as business, but still.

Elena Bartell thought she was beautiful.

CHAPTER 29

Ivory

Maddie wasn’t feeling too beautiful. Elena might have declared her so at their last meeting, and Maddie had been dining out on that ever since, but right now, five weeks later, she was feeling like a hot, hideous mess. June 20 had whizzed around far too fast, and before she knew it, she’d answered a call to go to Style Sydney. Now here she was, being poked and prodded by Perry and judged by model standards. And failing.

The art director yanked and tugged and pinned and flattened her into an assortment of dresses, each more gorgeous than the last. None, however, were suited to her average-woman proportions. The proportions Véronique had admired so much. She was clearly in a minority.

“God,” Perry said, with a huff, “do you have to be so…” His hands made a curvy shape.

“We’ve known each other for long enough, so I don’t get why you’re so surprised about discovering my boobs now.”

He ran a hand over his dark scalp. “True. They’re just…inconvenient. Still, I am a genius. If all else fails—boob tape.”

Maddie screwed up her face. “Perry, I am not getting strapped down for a publisher’s ball. It’s not the Oscars.”

Perry glanced at his black Cartier watch. “We only have five more hours to Cinderella you, so you will be taped if I say you will.”

“But…”

“No. And stop looking like I stomped on your kitten. By the time I’ve finished, you will be a feast for the eyes.” Perry glanced around, snapping his fingers. “We need cleavage. Oh, what am I thinking? The Alberta Ferretti, of course. The things she does with chiffon and silk! Divine.”

He strode off to several racks of dresses. “So,” Perry called out from between the designer garments, “how is the life of the famous treating you?”

“Good. I get a lot more people wanting me to freelance for them. I’m doing a story for Vanity Fair next.”

He gave a low whistle. “Ooh. Fabulous.”

“Well, yeah.” Maddie smiled to herself. “I was pretty excited when they—”

“Not that, this !”

He emerged like a proud father from The Lion King, holding aloft ivory, diaphanous material.

It appeared far too see-through to cover Maddie’s dignity. “Uh-um… I don’t think…”

“No objections, it’s perfect.” Perry gave the hanger a waggle. The dress seemed to float in the air instead of jiggle. “It was on her short list of dresses for you to consider for tonight.”

Maddie cocked her head. “And just how long was Elena’s short list?”

“Oh,” he waved his hand, “thirty. She narrowed it down to a dozen. Give or take.”

He held the dress up in front of Maddie’s chest and nodded. “Right, underwear off.” He tossed her a nude thong on a hanger. “This on. So you don’t frighten the skittish horses.”

“Perry! I’ll get arrested!”

“Just try it…trust me. Now scoot.” He pushed her inside the changing cubicle in front of them and closed the curtain. His footsteps retreated. “Heels,” he muttered to himself. His voice got farther away. “Tall but not too tall, given you have the grace of a lumberjack.”

“Hey! I modelled at Australian Fashion Week, I can’t be too much of a disaster!” Maddie joked, as she shimmied out of her underwear. She slid on the thong. Ew. She shifted it about a little. Not much better. Thongs were devil spawn.