Page 12 of My Playboy Neighbor

Chapter Four

Dom

The email notification chimed on Dom's phone just as he stepped out of the shower, water still dripping from his hair.He wrapped a towel around his waist and glanced at the screen, expecting another update from Jake about potential bookings.

Instead, he found career suicide in digital form.

"Regretfully, Versace has decided to move in a different direction for the upcoming campaign.We wish you the best in your future endeavors."

Dom stared at the screen, reading the words three times before their meaning sank in.Versace.The brand that had discovered him ten years ago, that had made him a household name, that had been loyal through every scandal and controversy.

Gone.

His phone buzzed again.Another email, this one from Bulgari.Then Armani.Then Omega, the watch company that had been his most reliable client for the past five years.

One by one, they were all cutting ties.Politely, professionally, but decisively.

Dom sank into the leather chair by his window, staring out at the dense Connecticut forest without seeing it.What the hell had just happened?

His phone rang, and 's name flashed on the screen.Dom considered letting it go to voicemail, but he needed to know exactly how bad things were.

"Tell me you have good news," Dom said without preamble.

"I wish I did."Jake's voice sounded strained."Dom, I'm going to be straight with you.The Milan thing...it's not blowing over like we hoped.The brands are spooked."

"How spooked?"

"Cartier just called.They're reconsidering their options for the holiday campaign."Jake paused."That's a fifteen-million-dollar contract, Dom."

Dom closed his eyes, feeling the walls of his carefully constructed world crumbling around him."What about the smaller brands?The ones looking for edgier campaigns?"

"They want edgy, not unstable.There's a difference."Jake sighed.

The irony wasn't lost on him.He'd built his reputation on being untouchable, unshakeable.Dominic Valenti, the man who could sell anything to anyone, who commanded seven figures for campaigns because he embodied the kind of masculine power that made people want to buy whatever he was selling.

Now that same power was his downfall.

"Look, I'm working every angle I can, but right now you need to focus on proving you're still bankable.Whatever Colleen is planning with you, make it count."

After Jake hung up, Dom sat in silence, staring at his phone.Yesterday, he'd been one of the most sought-after models in the world.Now he was toxic.

The worst part?He didn't regret defending Sophia.He'd do it again in a heartbeat, consequences be damned.But that didn't make the reality any easier to swallow.

Dom pushed himself out of the chair and walked to his bar cart, pouring three fingers of twenty-five-year-old Macallan.The whiskey burned going down, but it did nothing to ease the knot of frustration and rage building in his chest.

What made it worse was knowing that just hours ago, he'd been distracted from all of this by Maya.Her taste, her responsiveness, the way she'd melted under his touch in that darkroom.For a brief moment, he'd forgotten about his imploding career and focused entirely on claiming the fascinating woman who saw through his carefully constructed facade.

Now reality was crashing back down, and Dom was torn between the need to fix his professional life and the overwhelming desire to find Maya and lose himself in her again.

His phone rang, displaying Sophia's name.Dom hesitated—he wasn't sure he could handle more drama tonight—but guilt won out.

"Dom?"Sophia's voice was stronger than it had been in months."What’s going on?You never called me back after Milan."

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