Read Online Loved By The Hero (Hero Romance 3) by Kalena Lyons - Free Book Online

those flowers,” Marie corrected.
    “I think people call it an olive tone.” Claire finally got the note opened and smiled as she read it. Before she could hide it in her desk, Marie snatched it from her well-manicured hands and sucked on the inside of her cheek as she read over the line.
    “Looking forward to tonight,” she read aloud before she handed it back.
    Claire placed it neatly on her desk and rearranged the flowers a little more before she put them off to the side. “So am I,” she said mysteriously as she leaned back and looked up at her friend. Marie’s dark green eyes narrowed and she opened her pouty, red lips to say something, but the makeup artist saved Claire.
    “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. It’s about time we prettied you up a little,” the old woman said as she waved a blush brush and put a fist on her ample hip.
    “I’ve been right here all morning,” Claire told her as she stood and kiss Marie on the cheek before she left. “I’ll catch up with you at lunch,” she called over her shoulder, a little thankful that she was making a clean get-away. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spill the beans to her best friend, but it felt taboo to talk about it so soon after the event. Not only two hours prior had she been sitting at her kitchen table eating eggs naked with a man who had been kind enough to cook them. Poached them, no less.
    What if she jinxed the whole thing by talking about it out loud? She didn’t have to worry about that, though, as she sat down at the makeup station and closed her eyes so Denise could get started.
    “So what’s the weather going to be like for the next week?” It was the same question the woman asked every time Claire sat down, and the familiarity of it put her at ease immediately. While last night had changed a lot of things for her, this was still the same. Not even Eric Slate could mar the peaceful moments she had in her plush, cushy chair.
    “It’s going to be sunny most of the week, but a few rain showers on Thursday,” she said as she felt the sweep of the foundation brush over her cheeks and forehead. Denise knew how to make magic with that brush.
    “Aw, couldn’t it rain another day?” Denise complained as she stepped back to admire the work she’d done on Claire’s cheeks. She’d added a little bronze to the midnight colored flesh that really brought out Claire’s amber eyes. A dash of dark carmine to her lips and some dark gray eyeshadow and the girl would look like a runway model.
    “Sorry, I’m still working on the weather machine,” Claire told Denise as she opened her eyes and allowed her to put on the mascara. “You always know how to make me look my best,” she said warmly as she stood and gave Denise a quick hug. “I know it’s Terrance’s birthday, Thursday, so maybe I’ll try to send up a prayer to the weather gods for you.”
    “That’d be much appreciated,” Denise told her before she went back to her desk. Marie had gone on to deal with whatever it was she did in the accounting department. She’d be back at lunch, of that Claire was sure.
    Her roses were still sitting on the desk where she had left them, and Claire took a moment to admire them. There wasn’t one that had a touch of brown on the edges or even a sign of wilt. It had been a long time since a man had paid any special attention to her.
    “Claire, you’re up!” her director popped his head into her door and she smiled at him to let him know she’d heard. Then she grabbed her notes to make sure that she had everything in order. There really wasn’t a need for notes, but she liked to be prepared when she was reading the prompter.
    Her heels clicked through the hall as she strode down it and her heart hammered in her chest just like it did every time before she got in front of the camera. It was a well-kept secret that she was terrified of being in the public eye, and she’d never let that slip to any of her co-workers,