Burned Deep (Burned 1)

Granted, that seemed just like him. So I didn’t balk or tell Amano—an extremely professional and nice man, despite the scare factor that came with his six-foot-six-inch stature and the I could kill King Kong with my bare hands disposition—that I didn’t need a shadow.

Though I had a feeling Kyle would take one look at him and head for the hills, never to contact me again.

That could be another Dane tactic. He operated in varying degrees I simply couldn’t keep up with.

On Wednesday afternoon, I received a call I wasn’t the least bit interested in taking.

Since I hadn’t yet hired my own assistant, Molly announced over the speakerphone, “Kathryn DeMille on line three.”

I stared at the handset, debating my options. But if I ignored her, she’d only show up at my townhome. She’d already proven that.

I snatched up the phone. “Hello, Mother.”

“Aria Lynne, darling.”

The double suck-up. I rolled my eyes.

She said, “I just saw the fabulous spread on the executive team of 10,000 Lux, and there was my little girl, front and center. My, oh, my, how you’ve climbed the corporate ladder. So quickly. I’ve told all my friends. They’re so impressed I have such a successful daughter.”

I reached for my pen and absently tapped the end on the blotter before me. I had a bad feeling about this call. My mother’s sudden interest in me did not bode well for any part of my life.

God forbid she should ever discover I was involved with Dane. She’d latch on to that like a dog with a bone, given his social and financial status. When it came to the two of them, I was definitely of the never the twain shall meet mentality.

“I’m in the middle of work at the moment,” I said, “so if we can talk la—”

“Well, I was just thinking,” she interjected. “A trip to New York would be so wonderful this time of year. All the fall colors and festivities. And I’ve never been to Manhattan.…”

I felt the knife twist. “Why would you be going to New York?”

“To meet with agents, of course. For my book.”

I had to curb my temper. “I thought we’d agreed that was over.”

“For five thousand dollars?” She made a soft tsking sound. “Aria Lynne, you are a senior executive at 10,000 Lux and you’re going to let your mother suffer through her last pennies?”

Really?

I wanted to scream. Cry. Nothing would ever be enough for this woman!

And now that my name was showing up in papers and magazines, she wanted to swoop in and pretend to be the doting mother she’d never once been?

I didn’t know what to make of her. I didn’t know what to do with her. After I’d turned eighteen and no longer had to legally spend any time with her, I’d stayed in Sedona with my dad, not venturing to Scottsdale to visit her. She hadn’t complained, nor had she traveled up the hill to see me. Birthday gifts from her? Nonexistent. College graduation congrats? Not a peep.

She’d cut me off long ago, clearly finding no value in our association.

But now that it seemed I had some relevance in the world—a little more clout and a little more money—who was beating down my door?

I was furious that she’d do this to me. I’d moved past the drama. The trauma. Everything.

Yet here she was, suddenly threatening my dad’s reputation and perhaps even his livelihood. Not to mention hinting at a scandal that could damage my image and career.

I abandoned the tapping of the pen and demanded, “What is it that you want, Mother?”

“Well, I’ve been watching a lot of Oprah lately—I would just love to be on her show—and it seems that a book such as mine could land me an advance somewhere in the hundred-thousand-dollar range.”

My heart nearly stopped. “I don’t have that kind of money.”

“But you must be making six figures at 10,000 Lux. Correct? I’m sure we can come to an agreement.”