CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – TRISTAN #3
He nods, and for the next half hour we walk through each frame of the storyboard as I explain the vision I have for the campaign.
It centers around a cute-as-a-button girl in pigtails and overalls doing her morning chores and finding chocolates in the strangest places.
In the henhouse, she finds gold-wrapped Eros Kisses instead of eggs; in the veggie patch, she unearths Eros Bounty Bars instead of green beans; and in the barn, instead of milk in the pail, it’s filled with an assortment of Della’s sweetest treats.
“I love it,” Della says, just as Lily joins us in the barn, an ecstatic Bloomer at her side.
She looks curiously at my tablet, and I’m just starting to show her what I’ve come up with, when Della adds, “Of course, it would be even better with a little extra something at the end. Maybe she takes her bounty to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, who’s standing on a sun-dappled rise, like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
That would sell a ton of chocolate, don’t you think? ”
I frown at him, but he’s already plucking one of Lily’s bows off the wall and handing it to her. “I saw this in one of the pictures Tristan showed me. Do you think you could give me a demonstration?”
As Lily takes the bow, she looks at me, and I give a rueful shrug. It was a great picture, but it never occurred to me that Della would seize on it, which is kind of stupid in hindsight.
“I’m not an actress,” she says warily. “And I really don't want my face plastered all over the television.”
“Oh, this is going to be much bigger than that,” Della says with a cocky grin. “Movie screens, billboards, Times Square. Hell, we might even buy a Super Bowl slot if it turns out as good as I think it will.”
Lily gapes at him, already shaking her head. “You’re kidding, right?”
But Della waves off her concern. “We can use a double. Your prowess matched with some actress’ face. No one will ever know it’s you.” Lily looks at me again, but Della steps between us, blocking my view. “I’ll double your fee.”
“I don’t think...”
“Triple.” He grabs the quiver of arrows and dangles them in front of her. “Look, I’ll pay you a thousand dollars right now if you give me a little taste.”
Not in this lifetime or the next, buddy.
Before I can stop and remind myself that this is a very influential client, I grab his arm and growl, “Don’t harass her, Carlos. She’s a businesswoman, not one of your Hollywood starlets. We’re lucky she’s even letting us use her farm.”
His smile just grows at my irritation, but Lily presses a hand to my shoulder, easing me back. There’s concern in her eyes, but also a hint of gratitude, and that’s worth stomping on a dozen clients’ toes. “It’s okay, Tristan. Why don’t we just go outside and see if I’m really worth all this fuss?”
I huff out a sigh, but Della crows like that obnoxious rooster Logan was badmouthing earlier.
Lily ignores him, clearly already preparing herself for the demonstration, so I focus on carrying the target outside and setting it up.
She’s a picture of poise and strength as she hammers three arrows into the center of the target, and it’s hard to miss Della’s appreciation as she turns to give us a lopsided smile. “Something like that?”
“Exactly like that, you goddess!” Della hoots, and while she packs up her equipment, he slaps me on the back. “That’s screen gold right there. And if you convince her to plaster that pretty face all over this campaign, I’ll double your fee, too.”
There’s no missing the covetous gleam in his eyes, but I just shake my head. “Stick to the storyboard, Della. Lily is off limits.”
His dark eyes narrow, but there’s a thoughtful look on his face as I stalk towards the barn without a backward glance.
I’m fairly certain I’m leaving a trail of steam in my wake, but I forget about him the moment soft hands grip my shirt and Lily pulls me in for a hungry kiss.
“I loved the way you growled at him for me, Tristan.”
I hum against her mouth, pleasure rolling over me in addictive waves. As she twines her arm around my neck, I have a hard time remembering anything that happened before stepping into the barn, but I manage to say, “Della’s a pushy asshole, but if you want to be the face of the campaign….”
“I don’t care about that. I just want to make the most of this while it lasts…
” She breaks off, her gaze catching on the collection of old toys in the corner.
There’s that hint of something again – sadness or nostalgia, I can’t tell - but then she shakes her head and pulls me closer.
“I just want to thank you for looking out for me, Tristan.”
“Always.” Equal amounts of pride and protectiveness bloom in my chest, and I nuzzle into her neck, close enough to her mating bite to make her shiver. “This job is just a blip in time, but the way I feel about you, that’s inching closer and closer to forever…”
“Tristan.” She melts against me, her eyes gleaming as I press a soft kiss against her lips. It’s not frantic and hungry, like I imagined when I teased Ellis about claiming her in this barn, but it makes my heart fill with so much yearning I’m surprised I don’t light up like a camera flash.
Instead, we’re jerked apart by someone clearing their throat in a loudly obnoxious way. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell Della to go for a hike when I take in the tall, elegant alpha standing in the doorway, a sneer on her perfectly painted lips.
“Well, well, Tristan,” Tahlia says with a satisfied purr, “so this is what you get up to when you’re hard at work.
” She folds her arms across her chest and cocks her head like the barn cat that just got the cream.
“What’s the saying again? While the alphas are away, the frisky little mate will play? ”