Model Perfect Passion. Melanie Schuster

thick bath sheet around her dripping-wet body and went back to the bedroom to slather her skin with body butter and lotion. She’d learned from her mother that putting moisturizer on damp skin helped it absorb better. Billie wasn’t vain about most things, but keeping her skin smooth and moist was a must. Once that was done she picked up the remote control and turned on the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. She smiled when she saw that one of her favorite shows was on and she danced along to the theme song as she put on underwear. “It’s time to pimp my ride,” she sang loudly, although she stopped when her cell phone rang.

      “Hello?” she said breathlessly.

      “Good morning. You sound bright and cheerful this morning.”

      Billie smiled widely when she heard Jason’s voice. She sank onto the bed and focused all her attention on him. “I’m always cheerful in the morning,” she said. “I have to confess to being one of those obnoxious people who wake up early in a good mood every day. How are you, Mr. Wainwright?”

      The sound of his rich laughter had a strange effect on Billie. An odd tingle started somewhere in the vicinity of her navel and an equally foreign warmth radiated from the same place. His words lured her back to reality and she had to stifle a soft sigh as she listened to him.

      “Wilhelmina, please call me Jason! When you say ‘Mr. Wainwright’ I think my father is in the room.”

      Billie raised an eyebrow. “Only if you call me Billie. That’s what’s on my birth certificate. Wilhelmina is the name I used for modeling and only people who don’t know me call me that,” she said in a pleasant voice that was nonetheless firm.

      “I apologize, Billie. I assumed, wrongly it seems, that Billie was a shortened version of the other name,” he said silkily. “I certainly meant no offense.”

      “None taken,” she assured him. “It was something my agent made up to make me seem more exotic,” she admitted.

      Jason laughed again and the effect on Billie was even more intense. She shivered a little and looked around for her green terry-cloth robe. For some ridiculous reason talking to Jason in her sheer, scanty underwear made her feel exposed even though there was no possible way he could see her.

      “How about lunch at one o’clock—does that work for you? I can pick you up and we can go from there.”

      Billie deftly issued a counter suggestion. “I’m going to be running errands all morning, so why don’t I meet you at the restaurant?” He seemed to hesitate for a second, but he agreed to meet her. The name of the place he was taking her was Pax and he gave her excellent directions.

      After they ended the call, she continued to sit on the bed to collect herself. Jason Wainwright had a remarkably potent voice. It had the same heady effect as a sip of brandy. She thought about their brief conversation at the party and wondered why she hadn’t noticed how sexy he sounded last night. Too much background noise, she thought. There was also music, noisy chatter and just too much going on. After talking to him today, though, she understood why Dakota and Nick felt compelled to caution her about Jason. It wasn’t just his voice—he had some serious sex appeal happening.

      Shaking off the feelings generated by the phone call, she stood up and went to the closet. There was no time for idle daydreams. She had to get dressed to impress and she finally knew just what she was going to wear: a pair of high-waisted black trousers with her favorite turtleneck sweater, which was ivory cashmere and midriff length. She would wear her low-heeled lace-up boots and a short, black leather jacket for the perfect business casual look.

      Billie arrived at the restaurant first and looked around with a little apprehension. Pax was light and airy with a minimalist lack of decor. Other than simple pale-oak tables and chairs and a few austere green plants, the place was devoid of decoration. There was soft music playing. Unfortunately it was the tinkling, quasi-classical, new age stuff that drove her mad. There wasn’t a hint of anything cooking in the place, although there were a few people scattered about the room who seemed to be chewing. In Billie’s opinion, a restaurant should smell like food. The servers wore neat khaki slacks and white tunics with mandarin collars and they spoke in soft, soothing voices that made her want to scream. I just hope he’s on time, she fretted. If I have to be in this place too long I’m liable to flip out.

      Her worry dissipated when Jason walked in. In the broad light of day she could see him without any interference and this time she understood what Dakota had meant. As he greeted her and took his seat across the table, Billie took a good hard look at his smooth dark skin and his chiseled features. It hit her that he was one of the best-looking men she’d ever seen, and that was saying something, considering all the pretty men she’d modeled with. His tawny eyes were seductive and his lips were beautifully shaped. They looked like they would be the sweetest things in the world to kiss.

      Heat surged into her face as she tried to squash all inappropriate thoughts, but it was difficult. He smelled clean and masculine and he was dressed almost like she was. He had on a pair of expensive-looking black jeans, an ivory crew-neck sweater and a black lambskin blazer. He also had on a pair of black leather boots that looked both costly and comfortable. He smiled at her again.

      “You look beautiful,” he said. “I think you’re going to really enjoy this restaurant.”

      “It’s pretty,” she said as she looked around again. “What kind of food do they serve?”

      “Raw.”

      Billie made a face before she could stop herself. “Raw? Like raw meat?”

      Jason laughed gently at the horrified tone of her voice. “No, no, no. This is a vegan restaurant. They specialize in raw foods, totally organic and uncooked but prepared in a gourmet style,” he explained.

      “Oh,” Billie said with a slightly deflated air. “So you’re a vegan?” This time she tried to sound interested and neutral, but she didn’t quite achieve that goal. The question hung in the air like a guillotine about to fall.

      Jason laughed again. “No, I’m not. I follow a mostly vegetarian regime but I do eat fish and poultry.”

      A look of pure relief swept over Billie’s face.

      “So you’re not morally opposed to eating chicken or fish or cheese or eggs and things like that?”

      “Not at all,” he said.

      “Can we?” she asked eagerly.

      “Can we what?”

      “Go eat some cooked chicken?”

      “Your wish is my command,” he said with a slight bow in her direction.

      Jason was still smiling at Billie an hour later as they finished their meal in a cozy bistro that served great soups and sandwiches. He’d had a cup of minestrone and half of a turkey sandwich while Billie had devoured a bowl of chili and a grilled ham and cheese. Her appetite was good and her table manners were impeccable, something he noticed right away. He’d had an opportunity to observe many women dining, and the number of them who lacked social graces was appalling. This was definitely a point in her favor, although she didn’t need any more. He’d noticed other things about her, like her sense of humor and that she’d been direct enough to let him know she couldn’t deal with the raw-food experience at Pax. The women he was accustomed to were so eager to be accommodating that they wouldn’t dream of demonstrating their own opinion about anything. They also shared a tendency toward eating very little, especially the models. He was used to being around women who picked at their food in tiny little bites. To see Billie really enjoying her meal was a new experience for him, new and very sexy.

      Being with Billie was an unexpected pleasure. She was lovely to look at, of course, but so were all the women he dated. There was something else fueling the attraction he was feeling for her. It was beyond the sexual pull that was the norm at the beginning of a new conquest, although he was feeling the familiar primal stirring as he looked at her flawless, animated face. There was something unusual about Billie Phillips. She was obviously bright, as evidenced by her intelligent conversation.