Page 1 of Her Cover Model Daddy
Chapter 1
Lacy Grey followed her cousin-in-law into the ballroom, wondering if she’d made the biggest mistake of her life by saying yes. Rebecca had agreed to be the official photographer for the state’s biggest romance book convention, and as her assistant, Lacy was able to attend the event for free.
She thought that had been a great deal, until she realized she would have to act as Rebecca’s keeper, pack mule, and timekeeper. Her cousin had never been known to be organized, and this trip proved no different. Lacy spent the night before double-checking that Rebecca had everything she needed for a weekend of taking pictures. She’d nearly forgotten extra memory cards and filters for her camera, as well as the bag of props she wanted to use with the models who had agreed to do sessions with her during the three-day event.
Though she had sold a few photographs for book cover art, Rebecca was still working to get her name out there. As an avid romance reader, Lacy could not wait to meet the authors she’d read for years.
Shifting the bags on her shoulders, she looked around the room. “Where do you want me to put these?”
Rebecca was so busy looking around, she didn’t answer.
Lacy sighed and decided the far-back corner of the ballroom would be a safe place to leave their bags. If Rebecca didn’t like it, she could find a better place.
“Need a hand, Little girl?” a deep voice asked as the weight on her right shoulder disappeared. At the same time, a deliciously masculine spice-and-smoke scent surrounded her.
Lace turned, freezing when she saw who was standing beside her.
It was him. Drake Snow. The model whose image appeared on a couple hundred covers and who had become a huge influencer in the erotic romance world.
The man she’d been secretly stalking online since seeing him on his first cover several years earlier.
Meeting him here while she wasn’t wearing any makeup, butwaswearing an oversize t-shirt with a glitter-covered unicorn on the front was not what she’d planned. Even as Rebecca’s assistant, she’d hoped to appear more polished and put together when meeting this man.
“Uh, um,” she stuttered. “You don’t have to do that, Mr. Snow.”
“Please, call me Drake.” The man gave her a smile that engaged his entire face, including his beautiful hazel eyes. “Now, where are we taking these?”
Lacy swallowed, suddenly unable to speak. Instead of responding, she headed to the corner of the room that appeared to be farthest from where the activities would be taking place.
Once there, she set the bags she carried down and turned to take the others from Drake. “Thank you,” she whispered, staring at the second button of his navy-blue Henley shirt.
“You’re very welcome. Can I ask a question?”
“Sure.”
Lacy wondered what he would want to know about her. She was nobody, though her dream was to be a photographerand have her photographs on romance book covers and be in demand to work with the likes of Drake Snow.
“What’s your name, little one?”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I’m Lacy Grey.”
She froze when Drake took a step toward her, spreading his arms. Was he going to touch her?
He took another step and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug that felt like coming home. “I’m glad to meet you, Lacy Grey.”
Sliding her arms around his waist, she was able to return the hug before he released her and stepped back. Lacy wondered for a second if he could feel the full-body shiver racing through her.
Before she could think of something to say, someone across the room called, “Drake, we need you!”
And with that, the bubble she’d built around them burst. He wasn’t there for her, but for all the readers, all the authors, all the women who spent money to come to the conference. She would get in serious trouble if she dragged him away from the growing crowd of attendees and kept him locked in her room for the next three days.
Drake looked over her shoulder at the person calling for him. He then looked back into her eyes and smiled. “I’ll be seeing you, Lacy Gray. Don’t work too hard.”
“Okay,” was all she was able to whisper before he walked away.
Normally, Drake Snow loved his second job as a cover model for erotic romance stories, but at that moment he wished he was just a nobody. But then, if he wasn’t who he was, he wouldn’t be atthe convention, and would not have just met a sweet woman he wanted to learn more about.
Being a model allowed him a strange sort of fame and a platform on social media to not only address issues that affected his own life, but also touched others’ lives as well.
