Sammy in Italy (Single Wide Female Travels #2) by Lillianna Blake Read Free Book Online

strange, but I didn’t want to argue. I stood up and rested my hands on the table.  
    “Step away from the table, please.” He perched two fingertips on the slope of his chin, which was peppered with silver stubble.  
    “Is something wrong?” My body tensed. Most of my fans were women. Why was this man so interested in what I looked like?
    “Not if you do as I ask. Step out here, please—where I can see all of you.”  
    The words “all of you” set off alarm bells. Was it my weight that he was referring to? I glanced around for any sign of Isabella. When I didn’t see her, I looked back at the man. “Are you here for the book signing?”
    “Sort of.” He tilted his head back and forth. “Is there a reason why you are hiding yourself behind that table?”  
    “I’m not hiding.”
    “Then step out here.” He tapped one foot on the floor in front of him.
    I narrowed my eyes. Who did this man think he was to order me around? I didn’t want to cause a commotion. I decided there could be no harm in stepping away from the table, but I did keep a good distance from the spot he’d touched on the floor.  
    “What can I do for you?” I frowned.  
    “I have to say that I’m a little disappointed.” He tapped his chin.  
    “I’m sorry?”
    “You should be.” He sighed so hard that his shoulders drooped.
    My eyes widened. “What are you talking about? Have I done something to upset you?”
    “In your books you present yourself as this confident force of nature, but here I see you hiding behind a table, hesitant to present yourself to me. I might have made a mistake.”  
    “Why would I present myself to you?” I raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?”  
    “Alistair Gordon.” He held out a hand to me.
    I took it in a quick shake that I hoped disguised the sweat on my palm. I recalled his name from dinner with Isabella. He was the designer.  
    “I’m sorry, Mr. Gordon, I didn’t realize who you were.”
    “I didn’t want you to. I thought it might make you nervous.” He studied me as he took a few steps closer to me.
    I held my breath as I endured the inspection.
    “I guess you’re just the nervous type. Which does disappoint me, I’ll admit.”  
    I bit into my bottom lip. It was a shining moment and I was dim. “I didn’t expect you to be here this early.” I cleared my throat. “The dress you designed is beautiful.”
    “No, it isn’t.” He scowled. “The dress is a rag. It’s nothing. What matters is the woman who wears it. Now it will likely be a flop.”  
    “There’s no need to be mean.” I crossed my arms.  
    “Isn’t there? From your books you come across as a groundbreaker—a troublemaker—but what I see before me is a shrinking violet. What happened?” He stared into my eyes.  
    “I just was surprised about the fashion show. I aspire to be many things, but I’ve never claimed to have accomplished all of them.” I shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ve been struggling a little lately. I won’t lie about it. If you have time to find another model, it would probably be a good idea.”
    “Really?” He placed his hands on his hips. “That’s your response?”  
    “I’m not sure what else I can say.”
    “You can tell me that you will wear that dress and make me even wealthier than I am. You can tell me that you are exactly who I expected you to be, and that you will prove it on the runway.” He took a final step toward me and ended up so close that I could smell his cologne. “You might think that you are not the woman I want, but you are. I just need you to let that woman out.”
    “Okay. I’ll try.” I inched away from him.

Chapter 13

    “Samantha, don’t try—do.” Alistair snapped his fingers right in front of my face.
    A surge of annoyance rushed through me. Rude behavior always got under my skin.  
    “I am only who I am.” I frowned. “That’s all I can be.”  
    “That’s exactly who I want you to be. When you are on the