Better than Sexy (The Sexy 3)

“No. Nobody else. She’s our first choice, and I’m going to talk to her and see why she’d turn down such a lucrative contract.”

A decent agent wouldn’t share his client’s address, but he had a feeling Owen Rhimes wasn’t as decent of an agent as he claimed to be. Then again, Vivi was an unknown talent, so she’d probably taken what she could get.

He called Owen back. “I’d like to talk to your client. Any chance you can tell me where to find her?”

“Well … it would really be unethical of me to share her personal information, Mr. Bennett.”

He glanced at Jason, who was watching him, amusement in his gaze. Even Tanner had figured out what was going on if his smirk was anything to go by.

“Really? That’s too bad, because I think I can convince her to take the deal, and I know that’s what we both want.”

He heard the pause at the other end of the line, and he didn’t really believe the man was struggling with his conscience; rather Landon figured Owen was trying to make him believe it.

A few seconds later, Landon had Vivi’s address in hand. He’d give her tonight to think about the what she’d given up … and he’d be on her doorstep in the morning.

* * *

When the knock sounded on Vivi’s door the next day, she wasn’t surprised. She hadn’t thought Owen was going to let this go with a voicemail message and a follow-up phone call. Even so, Vivi had made up her mind. After what her brother had done to Landon and his partners, it wasn’t fair for her to take the job. She also had no intention of revealing who she was to them and subjecting herself to their disdain. She didn’t know Landon, but she knew she’d fall apart if he turned his rightful hurt and anger on her.

Preparing herself to deal with Owen, she flung the door open and came face-to-face with Landon instead. “Oh.”

Wearing a pair of jeans and a collared tee shirt, he looked sexy instead of uptight like Owen when he wore a similar outfit. The top two buttons were open, leaving his tanned chest and a sprinkling of dark hair visible for her to see, and she imagined her hand settled there, her fingers running over his skin.

She pulled her gaze upward and met his stare, glad she was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt of her own. Being fully clothed put her on more equal footing than her skimpy gym wear. And it covered her body’s instant reaction to merely looking at him.

“Hi.” He greeted her with a grin.

“Hi.” She didn’t ask how he’d found her. She knew Owen would cross any boundaries to get her to take this job.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

It would be rude if she said no without hearing him out, so she nodded. “Sure. Come on in.” She led him into her small apartment, all too aware of the shabby furniture and chipped paint on the walls.

It wasn’t going to make sense to him why she lived in such a run-down place and was turning down his offer. She gritted her teeth and hoped she could find a way out, short of explaining who she was.

“We can sit here.” She led him to the sofa and they sat across from each other. She clasped her hands together, trying to hide her nerves. “So what can I do for you?”

His addictive grin did funny things to her insides, and she trembled beneath that seductive gaze.

“I’m not here to ask why you said no to my offer,” he said, his words taking her by surprise. “But I am going tell you all the reasons you should say yes.” He leaned back against the sofa and held her stare. “My partners and I have been through hell these last couple of months.”

She stiffened in shock. Of all the things she’d expected, him confiding in her hadn’t been on the agenda. “I’m sorry,” she said, twisting her fingers together.

“When we were younger, we went through an … unimaginable experience and my twin died.” He paused, glancing away, his eyes clouding over. “Actually he was killed.”

Jesus. “Landon, I’m so sorry.” Her throat swelled and the truth swirled around in her head, but she knew better than to admit it now.

He shot her an appreciative glance while running a hand through his hair, messing the long strands. “Then, a few months ago, the bastard who killed him got out of prison and came after us,” he said, jaw tight. “I don’t want to get into the specifics, but the point is the club took a hit. People stopped coming in. The Tangled Royal concert was a way to bring the customers back and to make them feel safe.”

“I assume it worked?” she asked.