Runaway Attraction Read online

  An overwhelming sense of rightness washed over her. This was what she lived for; it was what had been missing these past two months. She was back in her element, back to doing the thing she loved the most.

  And it felt amazing.

  * * *

  Micah stood in absolute awe as he watched Bailey come alive in front of the camera. He knew he should stop staring, or at the very least figure out a way to close his mouth. But he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her if his life depended on it.

  From the moment Bailey appeared dressed in that wisp of a bathing suit, every single fiber of his being had been enraptured by her.

  But it wasn’t just the way her incredible body filled out the bathing suit. It was the transformation that had taken place before his very eyes that had him completely and utterly amazed.

  There was something about Bailey’s behavior that had been eating away at Micah since their meeting at the coffee shop a couple of days ago. There was this frailty about her, a vulnerability that was so unlike the vibrant woman who constantly turned heads wherever she went. For the first time since before her disappearance, Micah saw that Bailey again. The minute the photographer began to shoot, the shy, timid Bailey ceased to exist.

  It was hard to tear his eyes away from her.

  When he did, he found Daniel Hamilton staring at him yet again, his expression murderous.

  This was going to be a problem. Why Bailey insisted her brother be part of the production team was beyond him. It was only the first day of filming and they were already butting heads. It probably didn’t help that Daniel had caught Micah staring at his sister as if he wanted to eat her for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

  Which he did. For at least a solid week.

  Micah bit back a groan. He couldn’t look at her in that skimpy bikini a second longer without showing the entire crew just how much he was dying to have a taste of Bailey.

  He turned away from the scene to consult with his cameraman, Ben, about which shots he wanted, and Ben began circling the perimeter of the room, taking in the entire scene.

  The rapid clicks of the photographer’s shutter opening and closing provided the soundtrack, along with his commands for Bailey to tilt her chin up, lower her shoulder, soften her eyes. One of the assistant designers held a portable fan about three feet away from her, the breeze causing Bailey’s luxurious dark and light brown locks to delicately whirl around her face.

  God, she was gorgeous.

  Micah’s mouth watered at the sight of her firm, trim thigh peeking through the slit in the sarong as she posed. The look was casual, her smile sweet but slightly seductive. And unbelievably sexy.

  Micah’s gut tightened. How in the hell was he supposed to make it through these next few weeks? If the lust didn’t kill him, Daniel Hamilton probably would.

  After several more shots, the photographer rose from the crouched position he’d held for the past twenty minutes and said, “I think we’ve got enough to start with.”

  As quickly as Bailey’s shield had come down once the camera had started snapping, it went right back up again. The bold, self-assured woman who’d commanded the attention of everyone in the room was gone, only to be replaced by this reserved shell of her former self.

  It was as if she had a split personality.

  Micah looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but they were all just going about their day as if she hadn’t transformed right before their eyes.

  “That was good,” Brianna told her sister. “You haven’t lost a step.”

  “Thanks,” Bailey said with a relieved smile. “It felt great to be in front of the camera again.”

  “Were you afraid it wouldn’t feel the same?” Micah asked without thinking.

  Brianna and Bailey both turned to him.

  “What?” Bailey asked.

  Micah cleared his throat. It was obvious to him what was going on here, but he wasn’t sure if Bailey was ready to face it, or if she even fully grasped it.

  “This was the first time that you’ve modeled in the past two months, wasn’t it? Were you afraid that it wouldn’t feel the same?”

  She threaded her arms through the robe the assistant designer handed her and belted it at the waist. Then she looked up at him again and said, “Yes. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but I was terrified that I would step in front of the camera and freeze.”

  To hear her admit her fear in that soft, vulnerable voice set off a dull ache within his chest. He knew how much modeling meant to her. It was her life. That she had feared for even a second that she wouldn’t be able to do the thing that was so dear to her made Micah want to kill the person who had abducted her with his bare hands.

  “I was worried that it would take me a while to find my mojo, but it didn’t.” A proud grin spread across Bailey’s face. “I felt right at home.”

  “It showed,” Micah said. “You looked amazing.”

  Brianna cleared her throat, and Micah snapped to attention. For a second there he’d forgotten that he and Bailey were surrounded by a half dozen people, and a camera that was catching every move they made.

  Damn. He had to get it together. He had a job to do, an executive producer position to win. He couldn’t let this mind-numbing attraction to Bailey distract him from his goal.

  Although ever since he’d learned the truth behind Bailey’s disappearance, the driving force behind this project had morphed into something else. His eyes were still on the EP position, but winning it had taken a backseat to something more important.

  He owed it to Bailey to make this documentary the best it could be.

  She might not blame him for what happened to her, but Micah had no doubt that her interview on Connect had played a role. If he hadn’t asked her to reveal her prerunway ritual, her kidnapper wouldn’t have known about the alone time she indulged in before a show. She would never have been assaulted, wouldn’t have had those drugs planted on her. The ugly rumors about her being a cocaine addict wouldn’t be plastered across the headlines.

  He was the one who had caused this mess in her life.

  And why?

  Because he’d wanted—no, he’d needed—to know as much about her as she was willing to share. It was because of this insane attraction to her that he’d pressed so hard during their interview. Back in September, as she’d sat across from him on the set of Connect, Micah had been enchanted by her. He’d gone off script, asking questions that had not been preplanned, pressing her for details about her life. It had made for good television. How could he have known that he’d inadvertently driven her right into the clutches of a kidnapper who could have easily taken her life?

  The fear of what could have happened to her stole his breath, and guilt over the part he’d played in it ate a hole in his gut.

  His insatiable need to learn all he could about Bailey had created this mess, and it was his job to clean it up. As difficult as that was sure to be, he would have to figure out a way to put a lid on his feelings for Bailey. His attraction to her could have cost her her life. He wouldn’t allow it to cloud his judgment again.

  Chapter 6

  Micah couldn’t help but be mesmerized as he sat across from Lila Hamilton. It was more than obvious where the Hamilton daughters had acquired their beauty and their sense of style and grace. The woman still had it. To say she had aged gracefully was an understatement. Lila Hamilton would be considered a knockout by anyone’s standards.

  And she was fiercely protective of her youngest daughter.

  “If you had to describe Bailey in one word, what would it be?” Micah asked.

  “Loyal,” she answered without hesitation.

  “Loyalty seems to be a central characteristic of every member of the Hamilton family.”

  “We appreciate what we have, and we understand that we must s
tick together in order to keep our family’s vision alive.”

  Micah nodded. His admiration for the way the family operated grew every day he was around them. He and Ben had been coming to the studio for a week, and not once had Micah encountered anything more substantial than a quiet disagreement between the siblings. If anyone were to look for drama when they watched the documentary, they would be in for major disappointment.

  A nerve in Micah’s jaw twitched as he recalled a discussion he’d had with Rebecca Barrington, one of the producers at WLNY, before he’d come to RHD this morning. Rebecca had stressed the importance of getting the dirt on Bailey. She was looking for exactly what Micah had promised Roger Hamilton he wouldn’t deliver—some sleazy drama-filled exposé.

  Micah refused to go that route. He wouldn’t break his promise to Bailey by creating drama where there was none, simply for the sake of ratings.

  “Just a couple more questions,” he said, returning to his one-on-one with Lila Hamilton. “A couple of your older children followed in your husband’s footsteps and became designers, but Bailey decided to try your first love, modeling. Were you surprised?”

  A gorgeous smile drew across Lila’s face as she laughed. “Not at all. Both Bailey and Brianna loved playing dress-up as children, but where Brianna was all about making sure that the outfits were coordinated, Bailey just wanted to strut across the living room. She didn’t care what she looked like, as long as all eyes were on her.”

  Micah could just imagine a five-year-old Bailey draped in her mother’s oversize clothes, trying to walk in shoes that were too big for her.

  “Having been a model yourself before you became a designer, were you ever afraid of the type of things Bailey might encounter in the modeling world?”

  Lila folded her hands in her lap. “I’ve always been a bit overprotective of Bailey, probably because she will always be my baby. When she told me she wanted to become a model, I tried to prepare her for the darker side of the industry. She’s worked mainly for RHD, so she has been somewhat sheltered, but unfortunately, she has had a taste of the more sinister aspects of the profession. There are only a few top spots in the fashion world at a given time, and Bailey has had to deal with her share of jealousy.”

  “It must be hard as a mother to see your child suffer.”

  “It is.” Lila raised her shoulder in a hapless shrug. “I can protect her for only so long. After a certain point, I have to let her live. Bailey is a lot stronger than many people give her credit for.”

  Over this past week, Micah had witnessed Bailey’s strength on several occasions. Although she was still reserved, she didn’t hesitate to make her opinions known. She’d stood up to Daniel a few times when he’d tried to change aspects of the shoot.

  She’d also stood up to him. It had turned him on way more than it should have, to the point where Micah had begun to suggest things that he knew she would disapprove of, just so he could see that fire in her eyes.

  Once Lila’s interview was done, he gathered RHD’s in-house photographer, Julian; one of the younger up-and-coming designers whose work had been featured in the Fashion Week show; and Suzanne, a makeup artist. All three worked closely with Bailey on a regular basis. Micah tried not to be jealous, but damn, how could he not be? He was jealous of anyone who didn’t have to make up excuses to be around her.

  He wondered if these three knew just how lucky they were.

  The retro ’70s-style chair that Lila Hamilton had sat in for her interview had been replaced by three stools, set up against the nondescript bluish-gray backdrop. Micah perched on the stool facing them and began.

  “What is it like working with Bailey Hamilton?” He posed the question to the entire panel.

  “It’s horrible,” Julian said.

  “She’s a slave driver,” Suzanne put in.

  “And a diva,” said the designer.

  Micah was stunned speechless, until all three laughed to the point that they nearly fell off the stools.

  “Now that the comedy hour is over,” Julian said, “we’ll tell you about the real Bailey.”

  And, just as he’d expected, the praise the three heaped on Bailey made her seem almost too good to be true.

  “I’ve worked with more models in the industry than I can count, but none are as low-key and low-maintenance as Bailey,” Suzanne said. “I remember years ago, during her very first Fashion Week, there was some mix-up with the dressing room, and we couldn’t get in to do her makeup until twenty minutes before she was scheduled to hit the runway. I was running around like a madwoman, but Bailey was as cool and calm as can be. You would have thought she was the seasoned veteran and I was the newcomer.”

  “She just has this vibe about her, as if nothing can go wrong, and even if something does, she’ll just work through it,” Julian said. “Compared to the divas in this business who are ready to fall away in a dead faint if a single hair is out of place, Bailey is a breath of fresh air.”

  As Micah listened to them heap praise upon her, the yearning he’d developed for Bailey blossomed into an all-consuming need. He’d known she was special. And, apparently, everyone else knew it, too.

  He had counted on today being a reprieve from the nearly debilitating desire that seized his brain whenever he was around her, but the interviews with Bailey’s family and coworkers only made Micah want her more. Despite his best efforts, Micah found himself falling—hard. He knew he should fight it, but damn, it would be easier to wash the windows of every skyscraper in Manhattan.

  Today, he’d learned that Bailey was so much more than the pretty face and incredible body that had filled his dreams with mind-bending fantasies for the past week. She was genuine, giving and fiercely loyal. She was the kind of woman a man would give anything and everything just to be near.

  She was the kind of woman worth falling in love with...and Micah found himself doing just that.

  * * *

  Bailey accepted the insulated cup from Zoe as she came around the table.

  “The coffee shop was out of raw sugar, so I used honey instead.”

  Bailey took a sip of the lavender-scented tea. “This is perfect,” she assured her.

  Zoe had just begun her new career as host of an hour-long show called Fashion Express, but when she wasn’t filming, she could be found at RHD. Usually huddled up in Kyle’s office.

  Bailey nodded toward Kyle’s computer screen. “What do you think of outer space as a theme for the fashion show?”

  Zoe’s scrunched-up face told Bailey exactly what she thought of the idea.

  “Fine, so outer space is out of the question.” She laughed. She’d been racking her brain, trying to come up with a fresh, authentic theme for the upcoming show.

  “Exactly what’s wrong with the beach theme again?” Zoe asked. “The show is for the resort-wear collection.”

  “It’s just so predictable,” Bailey said. “All eyes are going to be on RHD. We need to come up with something that will have people talking until the next Fashion Week and beyond.”

  Benjamin sneezed and both Bailey and Zoe looked up.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “Bless you,” Bailey replied with a smile. For a moment, she had forgotten that he was even there. She’d become surprisingly used to Ben following her around. She was still overly cognizant of what she said and did, but she was no longer hyperaware of the camera tracking every step she took.

  She was aware, however, of Micah Jones’s larger-than-life presence. He was everywhere, like a constant feeling on her skin. Even when he wasn’t physically present—like now, when he was conducting interviews on the fourth floor—just knowing he was in the building was enough to make her stomach flutter and her breath hitch.

  But he’d stayed stubbornly true to his earlier assertion that their relationship should remain strictly professio
nal. Other than those instances when she’d caught him watching her with that intense, raw desire in his eyes, Micah had maintained his distance.

  It was for the best. She knew this. But knowing that it was wise not to fall for him and actually stopping herself from doing so were two entirely different things.

  How could she not fall for him? Not taking into account the obvious—that he was smart, handsome and had enough sexy swagger to make her mouth water—he was also the most thoughtful man she’d encountered outside of her father and brothers.

  It was the little things, like bringing her crumpets from an uptown bakery she’d mentioned the other day, and, now that she thought about it, the big things, too, like actually listening to her ideas about the documentary. Those were the things that had thoughts of Micah—some of them highly inappropriate—wandering around her brain much too often lately.

  “I still think the beach theme is the best option,” Zoe said, knocking her out of her lustful musings.

  “I don’t know,” Bailey hedged.

  “Something nautical. Think soft blues and white, something that reflects cool and comfort.”

  “Ice!” Bailey exclaimed.

  “What?”

  “How about a winter theme?”

  “For resort wear?”

  “Why not?” Bailey asked, excitement building as she pictured the scene. “It’s the perfect contrast, and it would be totally unexpected. Think about it. We’ll have snow-covered boulders, icicles, maybe a few barren trees. Then we bring out RHD’s resort wear, perfect for shaking off the cold of winter.”

  Zoe tilted her head to the side and tapped her polished nails against the desk. “You know, that may not be such a bad idea.”

  “It’s a great idea,” Bailey said. She nudged Zoe’s arm. “Admit it, you like it.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes, but a playful smile inched up one side of her mouth. “Okay, I admit that you just hit it out of the park. A winter theme is fabulous.”