Read Online Luxury Model Wife by Adele Downs - Free Book Online Page B

was hardly the end of the problem. If she were being honest, she’d have to admit her physical attraction to him was stronger than anything she’d felt before. She’d been devoted to her husband, and though James was a skilled lover, who always satisfied her in bed, their sex life lacked the fireworks she’d heard other women talk about.
    What did those women know that she didn’t?
    If the firecrackers that popped when Steve barely kissed her were any indication of how great sex could be, Victoria was in deep, deep trouble.
    There was no denying her attraction to Steve Carlson was flat-out dangerous.
    She shivered at the memory of his mouth on hers and the arousal she’d known—and felt instantly ashamed of her disloyalty to James. He was the reason she’d entered Carlson’s life in the first place. James had been her rock and had kept her safe in an often frightening world.
    And what about Steve’s wife? What would happen if she learned of their betrayal? Victoria would be damned if she’d smear the Van Orr name and destroy an innocent woman’s marriage in the process. She’d been derided as a trophy wife. She refused to stoop to the level of “The Other Woman.” What could she have been thinking when she let him kiss her?
    Obviously, she hadn’t been thinking at all.
    Though he had awakened something inside her that begged to be explored, she had no choice but to concentrate on their business arrangement. Dissolving their agreement was not an option. Carlson was the name James had trusted most.
    Never mix business with pleasure.
    “We won’t mention it again,” she said evenly.
    Steve blew out a breath. “Thanks. Still, I’d like to make it up to you.”
    “That’s not necessary. Really.” He seemed to have no concept of his visceral effect on her. Or was he blocking that out in the best interest of their financial deal?
    “I won’t take no for an answer. I want to make things right.”
    She titled her head and met his eyes. “You’re serious.”
    “Absolutely. Tell me what else I can do for you.”
    “Well, okay…there is something I’d like to run by you.”
    “Have a seat. Shoot.”
    She took the seat opposite his desk. “I’ve been thinking about hosting a private charity auction in the Van Orr name to raise money for the local domestic violence shelter. I’ve been a volunteer there for years—long before my marriage.” She leaned forward. “After I got married, I wanted to spend my time on activities that mattered. The wives of rich men don’t work in department stores, but volunteering on a board of directors is acceptable, particularly when the need is urgent.”
    Flashbacks of a dark-haired girl shivering beneath a thin blanket on a narrow cot in a bare room invaded her thoughts, but she chased the unwanted memory and continued her pitch. “If we set a goal to raise one million dollars for charity from a portion of James’s estate, I’d expect you to reduce your commission on the items sold for that purpose. I’d take nothing from the auction proceeds for myself except expenses. Though your commission rate would be reduced, a charity event might be a big draw and bring higher prices than we anticipated. If we do things right, I think this could be a win-win.”
    “I didn’t realize my kiss was equal to a million-dollar event. I’m flattered.”
    She smiled. “That was one great kiss.” They stared at each other for a heartbeat or two, but then he smiled, and the earlier tension in the room dissolved.
    “I’d like to discuss this with Jimmy—but only as a courtesy,” Victoria added. “Though I don’t see why he’d object to a charity auction as a first step to creating a Van Orr memorial. He might even pitch in to help.”
    It wouldn’t hurt to pretend she still had family.
    Steve’s expression softened. “James was a lucky man. Your proposal’s generous.”
    “The shelter needs a relocation fund and a boost to its operating expenses. There’s never enough