The Lying Season (Seasons #1) - K.A. Linde Page 0,69

camera nowadays.”

“Gorgeous, huh?” I asked, nudging her.

She rolled her eyes at me. “Not Josh gorgeous. Just objectively a handsome man. Come on. You’ve slept with a Kensington. You can appreciate them.”

“Oh, I can. They’re like perfect specimens. But I don’t really think of Penn as gorgeous anymore. He’s just…Penn.”

“Well, Court is just Court too.”

The doorbell rang, interrupting us. English straightened her perfect white suit and opened the door. The woman who ran the magazine that Court was going to be featured in gushed over English’s outfit, made introductions, and then immediately got to work, figuring out the game plan.

“Where is Court?” the woman, who had introduced herself as Evelyn, asked.

And then Court materialized. He was every inch the gorgeous specimen that we’d been describing before Evelyn’s team appeared. He was mouthwateringly hot. The hair and makeup team had only amplified his features. The hollowed cheekbones and chiseled jaw. The piercing blue eyes, cropped and styled dark hair, the full, perfect lips. English had dressed him to look preppy and effortless. Like a prep-school boy, all grown up.

“Hello,” Evelyn said after she stared at him in shock for a few seconds. “I’m Evelyn Rothschild. I’ll be working here with the team today. We’re going to start by having you walk us around the house on camera. Our readers are going to die to see this house on display. When we’re done, we’ll end with a photoshoot. Shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”

His eyes shot to English’s, as if to say, A few hours?

But to Evelyn, he just smiled that charming Kensington smile and said, “Let’s begin then.”

It took the better half of the day for Evelyn to get everything she wanted from Court. And though I couldn’t see what she was looking for, I didn’t doubt her talent. English had said she was a genius at what she did. And that she had the kind of reach they were looking for.

“Thank you so much, Evelyn,” English said. She removed what I could have sworn looked like a couple hundred-dollar bills and passed them to Evelyn as they shook hands once more. “I cannot wait to see you run the feature on my client.”

Evelyn smiled like a Cheshire cat. “Our readers will love him. I can just see this house tour going viral. Who knows? Maybe our readers will want to see a bit more of him next time.”

English just kept on smiling. “Maybe if they’re lucky.”

Then Evelyn laughed and left with her camera crew.

English shut the door with a snap and leaned against it.

“Did she just ask to see him without his clothes on?” I asked. “I wasn’t misreading that, right?”

“She definitely did,” Court said. He ran his hand back through his hair, perfectly mussing the do that had taken a stylist a half hour. And then he unbuttoned his sleeves and began to roll them up to his elbows. “God, does this look better?”

I laughed. “Much. Looks more like you.”

“Rumpled?” he asked.

“Just real instead of polished.”

English was still leaning her forehead against the door. She slowly straightened. “That went well. I thought she’d ask for him shirtless a lot sooner. A second feature with you shirtless is better after we see the audience reaction to this one.”

Court just shook his head. “Your job is strange.”

She quirked a smile at him. “Tell me about it.”

“But we’re done, right?” I asked. “No more photo ops for the weekend?”

“We’re done,” English confirmed.

Court sighed. “Good. We’re all getting fucking drunk tonight at my party.”

English smirked at him. “Why wait for the party?”

“Now, you’re speaking my language,” he said, following her into the kitchen.

“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

Which was how the rest of the group found the three of us already nice and drunk, lying out on the back deck in our bathing suits, not at all prepared for a party.

Sam just smirked down at me. “I hope you put sunscreen on.”

I turned my head to English. “Did I put sunscreen on?”

“Uh…hours ago. I think.”

“Fuck,” I muttered and then burst into laughter. “I’m going to be a lobster later.”

“Come on. Let’s get that pale skin out of the sun.” He took my hand and helped me up. “We should probably get ready for the party before anyone else shows up.”

English nudged Court. “Hey, party boy. Get your ass dressed.”

He snorted and then sent her the most charming, intoxicating Kensington smile. “You get my ass dressed.”

English rolled her eyes. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’d have to get someone into clothes when