Free A Soldier For Bella (Love Conquers Life #4) by Alison Mello Page B

and sitting up straight and tall. My padfolio, which also matches my attire, is in my hand. I’m about to pick up one of the magazines when Madeline appears and says, “Bella, it’s so good to see you. How are you?”
    I smile, rising from my chair. “I’m well, Madeline. How are you?”
    We air kiss one another’s cheeks and then make our way into her ridiculously large office. As I walk through the door, I realize her office has been redone. She has a stunning mahogany table that can easily seat eight. Her desk matches the table, and there’s a huge sofa with matching seats directly in front of her desk.
    “Please have a seat,” she says, pointing to one of the chairs at her oversized conference table. I take the offered seat as she pulls out my file and places it on the table in front of me. “Bella, I have here another contract for you to sign as I told you over the phone. However, this contract is a bit different then some of the others you have done. In the past, you’ve typically done high end catalogs, acting as the face of a top brand. Well, being the face of top brands has brought you to a new level. Maximum Men’s magazine wants you for their swimsuit edition and calendar. Not only do they want you, but they want you on the centerfold,” she says, bursting with excitement.
    Holy shit, this is huge. This is one of the top rated men’s magazine in the US, and I’m honored. I open the contract and see that I’m going to make some nice money from this contract. I continue reading through to see what is required of me. I refuse to do nude photos, which Madeline knows. I find what I’m hoping for, the clause that says I will actually wear a bathing suit.
    “Please say something,” Madeline says.
    “This is amazing. I’m floored and speechless. I’m really glad they agreed to the swim suit.”
    “You’ve worked hard and it shows. I want you to know they came to me looking for you. I just negotiated a fee that I thought you would be happy with and was adamant that you wear the suit.”
    “Thank you so much.” This is a modeling dream. So many women wait for the moment in their career where they’ll be able to say they’ll be in a swimsuit edition. Most never make it. I can’t wait to get home and talk to Derek. “You did a great job. Thank you so much. I can’t believe I’m going to be on the centerfold of Maximum magazine.”
    She giggles at my excitement. “I’ll let you know when you’ll begin shooting, and I’ll have the contract for your fall shoot soon.”
    “Sounds good. Thank you so much, Madeline,” I say. I stand up to shake her hand. We once again air kiss and hug before I walk out the door with so much pride. This is so much better than I could have ever expected. Now I need to go home and change so I can get dinner ready.
     
    ***
     
    Dinner is ready when Derek walks in the door. I’ve made baked mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli. The house smells amazing, and although I’m going to really enjoy this, it’s going to mean a few visits to the gym. If I’m going to be in a magazine and in a calendar, I need to look my best.
    “Hey, baby,” Derek says just as he plants a sweet, soft kiss to my lips.
    “How was your day?” I ask, holding my glass of wine. I take his beer mug from the freezer to pour him a beer.
    “Good. It smells delicious in here. I take it you got some good news?” he asks. I bite my lip and nod.
    “Are you ready for this?” He nods. “I am going to be the centerfold model for the Maximum’s Swimsuit edition and in the calendar.”
    He freezes mid sip, his eyes going wide and his brows shooting up, and takes a deep breath. “Say again.”
    “I’m going to be the centerfold model for the…” He cuts me off, holding up his hand.
    “I heard you, Bella. Are you crazy? You can’t do that. You have a fucking stalker, and you want to give him material for his spank bank by posing half naked in a magazine and a calendar? What are you