The baby let out a belch that startled Luke and Taylin shot him a satisfied grin.
“Good girl,” Taylin said, rubbing the baby’s back.
She started to hand the baby back to Luke, but he shook his head. “You can have a turn.”
She beamed as she took the bottle from him and slipped the nipple between the baby’s lips. Luke leaned in close to watch the baby eat, but jumped back when the door swung open.
“Hey, Dr. Pam,” Taylin said as the baby finished off the bottle.
“Hello, Taylin.” She turned and smiled at Luke, offering him her hand. “Hi, I’m Dr. Pam.”
“Luke McKay,” he said shaking her hand.
“It sounds like you handled the situation well, Luke.”
“Thanks.”
The doctor picked up the baby from Taylin and carried her over to the examination table. “Now, let’s take a look at you, sweetheart.”
Luke didn’t want to leave until he knew what would happen to the baby. Taylin must have felt the same way. They stayed until the baby was released to a young couple that fostered newborns only, with the hope of adoption.
As he and Taylin walked out to the employee parking lot, Luke thought about offering to take Taylin out to dinner as a thank you, but it was nearly midnight and she’d already yawned several times. He was tired too, but didn’t want his time with Taylin to end. He told himself it was because they were friends now, but the crazy attraction he felt around her was definitely not in the friend zone.
“Thank you again for coming to help,” Luke said as they reached her car.
“You’re welcome.” A slight breeze blew a strand of hair across her mouth. She tucked the errant piece behind her ear and moistened her lips. “I’m glad you thought to call me.”
Luke was suddenly very aware of how close they stood. His eyes dipped down to her mouth, and the temptation to taste her lips again overwhelmed him. He couldn’t kiss her, not when he knew he’d regret it again.
“Well, have a good night.” He took a step away from her and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll see you around.”
A hint of amusement lit her eyes as her lips twisted into a smile. “Good night, Luke.”
“Good night.”
She held his gaze for a moment longer before turning to open her car door and getting inside. Luke stayed rooted to the spot, watching her until her taillights disappeared.
“Friends,” he said out loud, as if he needed to hear it to believe it. “We can only be friends.”
Chapter 13
Due to a car collision with a bus, the one-hour drive to Harmony Springs had turned into two. By the time Taylin inched her way past the accident site, the injured passengers on the bus had already been transported. Thankfully, there weren’t any fatalities.
Once she exited the freeway, she lowered her window to take in the fresh air. The temperature had been warmer this past week, but cooler weather was expected over the weekend with a chance of thunderstorms.
The Harmony Springs resort was impressive as Taylin pulled in front of the large stone lodge. Jennifer, the perky marketing director for the spa stood outside to greet Taylin. She’d called her twice over the past hour to make sure nothing had happened to Taylin.
A valet attendant opened Taylin’s door for her. “Thank you.” She climbed out of the car and handed over her keys.
“Well hello, sweetheart,” Jennifer said, air kissing Taylin on both cheeks. “I’m so glad you made it safely.”
“Sorry I’m late.”
“Not to worry, sugar.” Jennifer snapped her fingers at the porter. “Please bring Miss Taylin’s luggage to the Aquamarine Suite on level four and have one of the maids unpack it for her.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the man answered.
Taylin wanted to protest and unpack her own bag. Instead, she thanked the man as Jennifer led her inside the main doors of the spa. The moment Taylin stepped into the opulent lobby, an aura of tranquility came over her, as if she’d just slipped into one of the spa’s heated mineral pools. The low lighting and lavender and vanilla scented air eased the tension in her neck and shoulders.
Although she was hungry, she really hoped the first thing on the agenda was a massage, followed by a dip into one of the mineral pools. Food could wait.
Taylin’s heels sunk into the plush carpeting, and she longed to kick off her shoes as she followed Jennifer to the elevator.
“I’m sure you’re famished, darlin’,” Jennifer said. “But we’re a little behind schedule with the filming, and Luke’s already waiting for you at one of our private mineral pools for two.”
At the mention of Luke’s name, some of the tension returned. Ever since they’d helped take care of the baby girl together a few nights earlier, Taylin couldn’t get him out of her head. The image of him holding such a tiny baby in his impressive arms was permanently etched in her mind. She also couldn’t erase the memory of the look in his eyes when he’d walked her out to his car. He had wanted to kiss her. But then, as if someone had turned off a light switch, the desire was gone. The man was baffling, and she had no idea what to expect from him when she saw him again.
“You’ll need to change into a bathing suit.” The gold elevator doors slid open, and she and Jennifer stepped inside. “If you don’t have one, I can have something sent up from the gift shop.”
“No thank you, ma’am. I brought a few different choices, so I’m good.”
“Wonderful.” Jennifer tapped a message on her phone and sent it off as the elevator rose.
“Do I have time to touch up my makeup?”
“I don’t think you need too much work. Maybe just add a little lip-gloss.” Jennifer eyed her critically. “We don’t have time for a spray tan, but you already look beautifully bronzed so I think we’re okay.” She laughed. “Luke wasn’t very happy about the spray tan we insisted on, but the man had a farmer’s tan going on like my granddaddy after the harvest.”
Taylin’s mouth went dry when she conjured up an image of a shirtless Luke. She’d kind of forgotten she wouldn’t be the only one in a swimsuit.
“I’m surprised he agreed to it.”
“Oh, trust me, honey, it’ll cost me. He refused unless we comped an overnight stay for a friend and his wife.” The elevator came to a stop, and they stepped out into the corridor. Jennifer clutched Taylin’s arm and winked at her. “But, boy was it worth it.”
The Aquamarine Suite was incredibly beautiful, making Taylin momentarily forget about Luke. Thick, white carpet covered the expanse of the room. Taylin kicked off her heels and let her feet sink into the plush flooring. Glancing around, she saw one corner of the room had a mini bar and kitchenette. The other side had a fireplace with a large screen TV hung above it, surrounded by a white leather couch and loveseat that were accented with aqua blue throw pillows. It looked very inviting, and she was very tempted to stay in for the night to watch a marathon of The Bachelor.
Jennifer had other ideas and whisked Taylin into the large bedroom where her suitcase had already been unpacked for her. Laid out on the white comforter were several of Taylin’s swimsuits, including a particularly skimpy bikini her sister must have snuck in. Of course, that was the suit Jennifer wanted her to wear.
“Ma’am, if my daddy saw me in that itty-bitty thing on national television, someone might find themselves on the other end of his shotgun.”
A frown puckered Jennifer’s face. “All right, sugar. You pick out a suit your daddy will allow on TV.”
Taylin could tell the marketing director was annoyed when she picked the new hot pink tankini. But her expression changed once she saw Taylin in it and she declared her perfect.
While Jennifer tapped her foot and kept glancing at her watch, Taylin quickly added some tinted lip-gloss and touched up her mascara. Thankfully, the casual updo Ashlee had styled just before she left for the resort still looked good. In fact, a few more strands of wavy hair had come loose, but it made it appear imperfectly perfect.
“Beautiful. Simply beautiful.” Jennifer beamed. “Now let’s get going.”
Before leaving the room, Taylin tied a white sarong around her waist and slipped on a pair of white sandals. Her stomach was a tangle of nerves as the elevator descended to the main floor. Only this time, the doors on the opposite side slid open, bringing them to an atrium adorned with lush, jungle-like plants and a tranquil waterfall tumbling down a realistic rock facade.
Jennifer led her through a maze lined with colorful flowers until they came to a set of wrought iron French doors. A black oiled bronze plaque above the doors said Tahiti Vaïhéré in fancy script.
Before opening the doors, Jennifer turned to Taylin. “This is one of my favorite rooms. In the Polynesian culture, Vaïhéré means love waters.”
Love waters? Taylin bit at her bottom lip. “Um, you know Luke and I aren’t together, right?”
A bemused smile appeared on Jennifer’s face. “Of course, sugar.”
Jennifer opened the door and motioned for Taylin to enter. Stepping inside the low-lit room, she was immediately assaulted by warm, humid air scented with sandalwood and gardenias.
She followed Jennifer until they came to a grass-covered cabana. A middle-aged guy carrying a large camera bag greeted them. “Hey, Luke just left to use the restroom. He’ll be right back.”
Taylin hoped he hadn’t ditched the place and gone home. From the look of concern on Jennifer’s face, Taylin guessed she hoped the same thing.
“Great.” Jennifer touched Taylin on the arm. “Taylin, this is Rick Crawford. He’ll be shooting the commercial.”
“Hello,” Taylin said, reaching out to shake his hand briefly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” The man winked at Taylin. “Y’all are gonna make my job easy.”
A slash of light brightened the room as a single door opened behind the grass hut. Luke walked in with a towel draped around his neck.
Taylin tried not to ogle, but he looked too good to ignore. The spray tan looked as natural as any of the guys at the beach and complimented his finely developed body.
“You made it,” he said as his eyes did a brief once over of Taylin.
“I’m sorry I kept y’all waiting. There was an accident and a lot of traffic backed up.”
“No problem,” Rick said, bringing out his camera. “Let’s get going, though. We still have a massage and supper to film.”
“Do we actually get a massage and eat real food, or is it only for the commercial?” Luke asked, his voice sounding slightly irritated.
“Since we’re running late, the massage will have to be cut short and rescheduled for another time.” Jennifer gave a nervous laugh. “The supper, however, we can shoot and then leave y’all alone to finish your meal.”
Taylin felt as disappointed as Luke looked. She’d envisioned a weekend of being pampered, not followed around by a cameraman. Next time she entered a contest she would read the fine print more thoroughly.
Rick had his camera out. “Okay, first we’re going to take a series of still shots in the grass hut, and then we’ll shoot video once y’all are in the hot tub.”
Taylin and Luke both entered the small hut. On one side sat a small table with two chairs, and on the other side was a bar with a mini refrigerator.
“Where do y’all want us?” Taylin asked.
Rick looked toward Jennifer. “Do you have any special requests?”
“Yes.” Jennifer’s eyes lit up as she directed both Taylin and Luke to stand close to one another. “You need to lose the towel, Luke.” She tapped her finger against her mouth. “Taylin, keep the sarong on for now.”
Luke mumbled something under his breath as he tossed the towel on the ground outside the hut. Taylin didn’t catch much, but enough to know he wasn’t very happy about this whole set up.
Rick wanted a profile of them looking at each other. It gave Taylin a wonderful opportunity to admire Luke’s bronzed body up close.
“Nice tan,” she whispered.
His gaze narrowed a fraction. “Very funny.”
“I’m serious.” Her eyes swept over him again. “It looks very natural.”
“Do not breathe a word about this at work. Zach will never let me live it down.”
“Luke, sugar, you’re scowling,” Jennifer said. “We need relaxed, happy faces.”
The muscle in Luke’s jaw tightened. Taylin could tell he was holding back a sarcastic reply.
Their eyes met, and Taylin leaned in close. “My lips are sealed.”
At the mention of her lips, Luke’s eyes dipped down to her mouth. She felt her breath quicken as his gray eyes slowly met hers again. “Promise?” he asked in a low voice.
“I promise.”
“Perfect!” Rick called out. “Keep that pose for a few more seconds.”
They remained just inches away, so close Taylin picked up on the woodsy scent of Luke’s cologne.
“I want some close-ups,” Rick said, coming forward. “Great. How about y’all move a little closer so your foreheads are touching.”
She and Luke only hesitated a second before complying. Taylin’s skin tingled with the contact. Standing this close brought back memories of their kiss in the moonlight. She could feel Luke’s warm breath and fought the impulse to tilt her face up to taste his kiss again.
“Fantastic,” Rick said. “Jen, you good with those?”
“Absolutely!” Jennifer said. Both Luke and Taylin pulled back and turned to look at her. “Y’all are so adorable.” She clapped her hands. “Okay, Taylin, go ahead and take off the sarong and your sandals. Let’s get video of y’all walkin’ toward the mineral pool.”
After stepping out of her sandals, Taylin tugged at the knot at her waist and let the sarong flutter to the floor. She glanced up at Luke only to have him quickly look away.
“Okay,” Rick said. “Slowly walk toward the hot tub.”
She and Luke only made it down one step before Jennifer chimed in. “Could y’all hold hands and maybe look at each other while you walk?”
Taylin felt Luke stiffen beside her. She was about to tell Jennifer they were done with the romantic scenes, but stopped when Luke ran his hand down her arm and slipped his fingers through hers.
“Make eye contact,” Jennifer said with a laugh. “We need to believe y’all are on a romantic getaway for two.”
Taylin looked up at Luke through her lowered lashes. His gray eyes looked troubled, and his jaw was clenched tight.
“Relax,” she teased. “Or we’ll never get to eat supper.”
“I’m trying.”
They continued to gaze into each other’s eyes as they strolled toward the hot tub. Taylin winked at him and coaxed a genuine smile out of him.
“Watch out!” Jennifer hollered out, but it was too late.
Taylin’s next step hit the edge of the mineral pool, making her lose her balance. A second later she plunged into the heated water, pulling Luke in after her.
As her feet hit the bottom, Taylin pushed back up until her head broke the surface. Luke shot up right after her.
“Oh my goodness, are y’all okay?” Jennifer asked.
Taylin glanced at Luke and then up at Rick. “Please don’t tell me you got that on film?”
He snickered. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”
She groaned and sank back under the water. She wanted to stay there indefinitely. Just when she was about to come back up for a necessary breath, Luke pulled her above the surface.
“Drowning with me around won’t work. I know CPR,” he said dryly.
Luke looked like he was enjoying this way too much. “Ha ha.”
“This actually feels really great.” Luke lowered himself onto a seat and stretched his arms out along the outer edge. “I think I need one of these at my house.”
“Taylin,” Jennifer said, standing at the edge of the pool with a white towel. “Here’s a towel for you, honey.”
“Thank you.” Taylin climbed out of the h
ot tub, and quickly wrapped the towel around her. She turned and caught Luke watching her. The smug grin on his face made her want to stick out her tongue.
Rick snapped a few pictures of Luke, and immediately his smile transformed into a frown. “Don’t we have enough pictures?” he grumbled.
“Not yet,” Jennifer said. She touched Taylin on the arm. “I can see if one of our stylists can do something with your hair.”
“Okay.” Taylin removed the pins from her updo while Jennifer made a call to the salon with her cell phone.
Taylin didn’t need to look to know Luke watched her. She wished the man didn’t affect her, but every part of her was mindful of his presence. A few minutes later, Sierra, one of the resort’s stylists, arrived with an arsenal of products. After spraying something that smelled delicious on Taylin’s hair, the young woman combed through her naturally curly hair with a wide-toothed comb.
“Your hair is gorgeous,” Sierra said.
Jennifer agreed. “Let’s leave her hair down for the rest of the shoot.” She plucked a pink tropical flower from a nearby plant and handed it to Sierra. “Try this.”
Sierra tucked it behind one of Taylin’s ears. “Perfect.” She quickly repaired Taylin’s makeup, and five minutes later Luke was out of the hot tub ready to try again.
Once more, Rick had them walk towards the pool, but this time they made it to the edge of the hot tub without a mishap. Although Luke had relaxed considerably, he was still pretty uptight. She could tell his patience for Jennifer was growing thin, especially when she continued to try and cajole them to act like a couple.
It shouldn’t hurt so much to have him so averse to being near her, but every sigh or groan of protest he made took its toll on her self-esteem. Was it really such a stretch for him to pretend to be romantically interested in her?
By the time Rick and Jennifer were satisfied with the footage, all Taylin wanted to do was go back to her beautiful room, order room service, and call her sister. She climbed out of the pool of heated water, her skin prickling with goose bumps from the air circulating in the room. She quickly dried off with a towel and was grateful for the thick, white robe Jennifer handed her.
Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 Page 12
