“All of Paris is not lights and beauty. Like many cities, there is ugliness and sadness as well,” Jackson tells her quietly. “That wss a shanty development, with makeshift homes for dozens of people. They are somewhat fortunate, not alone on the streets like many, but it’s a very small improvement.” Melancholy washes over her face. “There are lots of unhoused people in New York too. I see them on the streets, sleeping in alleys, begging for food, desperate for help. There are organizations that try—soup kitchens, mobile shower units, placement assistance—but there are so many people.” “Paris is better than some, and there are many volunteer groups here as well. But still,” Jackson whispers, his voice cracking, “people die on the streets every year. Some say it’s because of migrant camps and ‘outsiders’. But it’s not true. That’s only one piece of the problem. The costs of living are rising faster than wages, and people with good jobs are being forced out on the street. Families . . .
“Well, this is Xerxes, my littlest friend and the biggest reason my apartment is never clean. Xerxes, this is Monica, who is very beautiful. So be nice.” “He’s um . . . friendly. Cute.” “He thinks he’s an emperor,” Jackson explains with a chuckle, “and I’m the sole inhabitant of his empire. He does have a bit of a temper, but he will warm up to you.” Jackson puts Xerxes down, who gives Monica a wary look as he walks around her, giving her a wide berth as though afraid she was going to punt him across the room again. “I’m sorry, Xerxes. I hope you can forgive me?” He sniffs and walks on, his nose in the air and booty wiggling left and right. Jackson picks up a folder from the kitchen counter. “Would you like to see the proofs from the shoot?” “That sounds good.” They both sits on the couch as he spreads the 8x10s out across the coffee table. No matter what she look at, her eyes returns to Jackson, his strength and potency leaping from the photos. Regardless of the outfit, regardless o
Jackson's pupils get larger to Monica's trust, nearly obliterating the warm brown of his irises. He picks up the tie from his lap and tells Monica, “Hold still.” It takes her a split second to realise what he was going to do, but as hecovers her eyes with the silk fabric and ties it behind her head, she doesn't feel any concerns. She feels excited. Monica's other senses were sharpened. She can hear her heart racing in time with the music. She can smell the champagne and Jackson’s cologne. She can feel the leather of the couch. Jackson leans in. Monica can’t see him, butshe can feel his closeness, and then his lips pressing to her. She kisses him back, but he keeps the slow pace, reconnecting both of them physically and giving her time to adjust to the onslaught of sensations. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in tighter, and only then does he deepens the kiss. His hand cups her jaw, guiding her to lift her chin, and he lays a line of kisses toward her ear. “I can’t wait
Later, Monica might be ashamed by how easily she come, but right now, all she knows is pleasure, and already on edge, she bucks into his mouth. Jackson fastens his lips around her clit and sucks hard, his tongue fluttering at the same time. It was more than she can handle. “Fuck, fuck . . .” With her eyes already closed, Monica squeezes them tighter and see firework-likesparkles against the blackness as her body spasms. “Yes,” he groans against her pussy, “so responsive.” That is not something a man has ever said to her, not even Julien especially not in bed. He was always so busy and tired that they both had those csrdios like two days a week. Or on a couch, as the case may be. It feels like he was praising her for coming when he was the one who got her there in record time. “I have never . . . not that fast.” He presses a gentle kiss to her inner thigh, and Monica realises her honey must be coating his lips. The thought is sexy, and she wants to taste herself on his lips. “Kiss me
“What do you think?” he asks. Monica swallows as she watches him stroke himself and admit, “You are really big. I don’t know if you are gonna fit.” Jackson groans and a bead of precum appears. He swipes his thumb through it and offers it to Monica. She opens her mouth and licks his thumb, sucking to get every bit. He hooks his thumb into her mouth, keeping it there as he vows, “I will fit anywhere you want me—this mouth, your sweet pussy, your delectable ass.” Monica nibbles on his thumb, soothing it with a lick of her tongue, and he grinshungrily. Jackson pulls his thumb out, holding her face gently, and then leans down to kiss her. Now, they truly have both their juices on their tongues, and the idea is both dirty and sexy. He strokes himself again, hard and fast. Every few strokes, his tip bumps against her pussy. Monica would not have thought she would be able to come again for days, but the image of him jacking himself off over her is sexy as fuck. She reaches between them, s
“Wow,” says Molly, looking around the huge space before them with enormous eyes, “this place is humongous.” She was usually much more dramatic. Monica would have expected her to compare the room to the Grand Canyon or outer space. But she was as gobsmacked as the rest of all at seeing the converted warehouse that House Corbin is using for the fashion show. They have already been feeling the pressure, the five of them working all hours of the day and night on their designs, struggling with choices that feel like life or death but are ultimately mere fabric. But the results of their creativity will affect their lives, determining whether their dreams come true or fizzle. And that was way more important than sleep, food, or calling home. Monica have not seen Katarina consume more than coffee and cigarettes in days. Yori has taken to muttering to herself in Japanese, the sounds so repetitive that they have become melodic. Like a song she doesn't know the words to, but understand on a vis
Soon, it was their turn to do an onstage rehearsal, a practice walk in street clothes and show heels that gives the models a chance to get the feel for how it will be tomorrow night. At Jeanette’s urging, Monica even took a practice lap, and it’s . . . intense. There was light directly in her eyes no matter how she turns her head, and as she walks, music starts blasting her, which is even moredisorienting. She was damn near walk off the end of the stage. She was not the only one struggling with the runway walk as the other designers try it too. Molly laughs. “This is impossible and I have on boots! How do you do this in heels?” she asks her model. All the models laugh at their difficulties, breaking the tension of the afternoon. The doors at the far end of the room open, and in walks Jacqueline Corbin, Tobias, a man she have not seen before, and Jackson. Monica haven’t seen Jackson in a couple of days, not since he stopped by the workroom to speak to each designer one-on-one on Wedn
“Breathe,” Yori says, looking over Monica's shoulder and seeing the same thing as she do. She seems completely fine, though, no panic attack in sight. “You panic, you make mistake. You must have mushin.” “Mushin?” Monica asks, dimly remembering the term from somewhere. “That’s like Japanese chill out, right?” “A little. Means ‘no mind’. You do the work, you know you are good. Now let go of the rest.” Monica snorts. “That’s easier said than done.” But she tries, telling herself that everything is fine, but it just feels like more static. Yori takes Monica's hands, tugging her out of her thoughts. “Breathe. In through nose, out through mouth, very slow. Isshoni. Together.” Monica follows her, taking deep breaths, and she feels herself start to calm, but that calm evaporates a minute later when she sees another big name come through the door. “Oh my God . . . fucking Wonder Woman’s here!” Monica gasps. “This is going to be so bad.” Katarina comes over, slipping a flask into her hand. “He
As they both share a passionate time.“Princesse, please.” It’s a beg, Monica will admit, but it’s growled with deep hunger. She flips her hair over one shoulder, putting her weight onto one arm to take Jackson in hand. Standing him upright, she aligns herself with him. “I loveyou, husband,” she says sweetly. “I love you, wiiiiife.” Jackson means to return the sweet words, knowing it will get her off as much as it does him, but Monica sinks her bliss down onto him, taking all thought and word formation skills from his brain. Engulfing all of Jackson in her warmth and wetness, she begins to move, sliding up and down his shaft at an unhurried pace. Jackson murmurs to her in French as he pinchens and plucks her nipples, reaching between them to circle her clit with his thumb, and lay a sharp smack to the flesh of her hip. Tobias once told Monica that a man has three women—his wife, his mistress, and his whore. He was the lucky bastard who has found all three in onewoman. Monica was eve
The reception was full of laughter, dancing, and magic. It must be magic because nothing else could bring that big of a smile to his bright bride’s face. Monica was on the dance floor with her bridesmaids. They were swaying andmoving, lifting their hands in the air as they sing along with the music. “She’s beautiful,” Jamaica grunts from beside him. “Congratulations.” Jackson looks over at him, taking a slow sip of his scotch. “Watch it,” Jackson teases. They have made peace, with each other and their pasts, not letting them affect their precious futures. In fact, Jamiaca was doing much better now, working an apprenticeship in home construction with plans to become a project manager one day. He grins back. “What can you tell me about her?” Jackson follows his line of sight and chuckles and he sees Claire from the coffee shop that Monica prefers. Monica insisted that they fly Claire to France for the wedding. “Good luck. Just don’t fuck it up, or that one will eat you alive.” “That s
His expression was like he had too much on his head already. He grew beards and had an manly scent. Not that she was still attracted to him. But his expression told her that he was not happy with the life he was living. The knowledge of breaking the news of getting married with Jackson had filled Julien with false hope and accusations that she can always come back to him if she wanted to. She can still have a half portion of his heart and stay there for his and hers little boy's sake. “How do I look?” Monica asks her Mom, glancing down at her beautiful dress. “Gorgeous,” she says, on the verge of tears again. “Are you sure you are not going to be cold, though?” Hopefully, she holds up the lacy shawl she found online for her. Once upon a time, she would have heard that as a way to say she doesn’t like her dress or as a critique of the timing of the wedding, or even a question about whether she should be getting married in the first place. Now, Monica takes it for what it is. “I’m no
“I already gave some to Simon. You got yourself a good one here.” Monica's mother's gives Jackson a smile of approval as she fans herself playfully. “I think I’m the fortunate one to have captured Monica's heart,” hereplies, looking deeply into her eyes. Monica thinks Mom flat-out swoons at his poetic words, French accent, andgrumbly voice. She was pretty sure she hears her whisper to Jacqueline, “I think we are going to be grandmas soon if he keeps saying things like that.” “Mom!” Monica exclaims aim, flushing brightly in an instant. “Oh, I’m only teasing,” she says. She turns to Jacqueline and Nora. “Has she told you how she struck out from our little town, with nothing but piss and vinegar in her blood and a dream in her heart? I was so worried, but this one . . . you can’t tell her a thing!” Monica's mother goes on to tell Nora and Jacqueline how she had worried about her being in the big city, had waited for her to come home with her tail between her slender legs, and how proud
Most of the models are local to NYC, but she had lamented that her Amour mourning dress was meant for Jeanette and that she was sad she would never get the chance to walk it. So Jackson secretly surprised her by flying Jeanette in to do it. She was not wishing the show away, but she truly can’t wait to see Jeanette strut in that gown. No one can do it justice the way she can. Monica swears, she blinks and the time flies past until she was standing backstage with Jeanette in the voluminous black gown. “Remember, slow. Eyes forward.” Monica demonstrated the defiant gaze she wants on Jeanette to have, tackling the future with strength after the loss of love. “Pose, small smile of hope. Then back like a queen.” “Slow. Strong. Hope. Queen,” she repeats clearly. Her English has gotten much better. Monica's French was improving daily, too, from listening to Jackson. “Tue cette piste, fille,” Monica tells her, snapping her fingers. Jeanette looks at her in surprise. “Oui, I will kill the run
Molly pushes Monica's shoulder. “You would bust ass to get as much done as possible, and then leave to ‘work at home’ or ‘visit the park for inspiration’ and come back the next day with barely anything else done since you left.And you would have a dreamy smile on your face.” Molly makes a vacant-eyed, open-mouthed smiling expression that Jackson thinks is supposed to be what Monica looked like. Jackson did that to her, he thinks cockily. Katarina nods, agreeing. “We thought you had found a French Romeo, and then we saw Jackson wearing the same necklace you had started wearing. It didn’t take much to put one and one together.” Beatrice adds quietly, “We were a bit worried for you, as he has quite the reputation. And it didn’t seem to be helping you in the competition. We weren’t concerned about that until . . .” She trails off, and he knows that his aunt turned that particular screw to get Beatrice to do her bidding. “Okay, so no hard feelings?” Monica asks them all. Molly leans over
“I should have told you,” she whispers back. Monica pushes at him, nearly shoving him out of his chair. “Get up and hug her, or I’m going to have to do it, and I’m not getting snot on her jacket. It’s too fabulous for that.” Jackson gets up to come around the table, and for the first time in he doens't know how long, he enfolds his aunt in a hug. Jackson knows it’s been long enough that he have forgotten how thin she truly is. And he doens't think he have hugged her when he have been taller than she is, even in her power heels. How long ago must it have been since they embraced? It must have beenwhen he was truly a child, before he was a teen growing inches seemingly overnight. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs into his chest. “Me too.” They sit back down, and he looks to Monica, silently asking what she thinks about his aunt’s request for a fashion showplace. They have a conversation consisting solely of raised and lowered eyebrows, pursed lips, and smiles. Finally, Monica turns back to J
She has let that go and is looking toward the future. With Jacqueline, Monica was only concern is him and his little feelings. He squeezes her hand tightly so she knows how much he appreciates her. “Yes, well . . . I guess . . . when I found out that you were gallivanting all over Paris together, I will admit that my first thought was that you’d seduced Jackson to improve your chances in the competition.” Monica points to her own ample chest. “Not a gold digger, just so that’s clear.” Jacqueline nods, accepting that fact now. “At the time, though, it made sense. It wasn’t the first time.” She looks to him for confirmation, and Jackson grunts in agreement. “There was that idea in my mind. But also, if the reverse were true, that Jackson had in fact pursued you” —she flicks her eyes to Monica this time— “I felt like it would be doing you a disservice. I didn’t want you to be distracted by him and miss out on your opportunity, because I know what something like this could mean to a youn
They sit in folding plastic chairs at Jackson's folding plastic table after he closes his laptop. In the awkward silence, Monica can hear the loud buzz of a drill every few seconds as the crew hangs new drywall. “What are you up to, Jacqueline?” Monica was not doing niceties or waiting for her to launch into a practised speech. She wants to throw her off, make sure she knows that they were not under her thumb and have no problem calling out her game play. She has come all the way here to talk about something, after all, so may as well not delay. She presses her lips together in response but gives in. “The reactions to the fashion shows have been quite exciting. Perhaps you have heard?” Monica doesn't look at him, but Jackson stays quiet, and something Jacqueline sees in his expression must give her pause because her nostrils flare. “Or maybe not. But the media buzz has been quite positive. For House Corbin and the designers themselves. Seeing as two of the designers are from America,