While Jennifer and Rick discussed how they were going to shoot the couples massage, Taylin was surprised when Luke interrupted them.
“What do you mean a couple’s massage?” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “This whole thing is getting ridiculous. Miss Nichols and I are not a couple. We’re co-workers.”
Taylin flinched, as if his sharp words had cut into her. She glanced at the mineral pool to her right and wanted to jump back in and sink below the surface again.
Rick swallowed hard and glanced at Jennifer. She moistened her lips and then forced them into a smile. “I apologize, Luke… Mr. McKay. I didn’t mean to imply y’all are a couple.”
One look at Luke’s incredulous face made Taylin pray he wouldn’t vocalize the argument she could see written there. He narrowed his eyes. “I’ve heard of couple’s massages before, and since Miss Nichols and I are nothing more than friends, I think it would be very uncomfortable for us both to participate in something so… intimate.”
Jennifer’s eyes widened. “Mr. McKay! This is a respectable establishment. I don’t know what you’re thinkin’ I want y’all to do, but I wouldn’t dream of asking you or Miss Nichols to do anything inappropriate.”
Taylin could only take so much humiliation. She clutched her stomach, which actually did feel sick, and stepped forward. “Excuse me, but I’m going to go back to my room now. I don’t feel very good.”
She didn’t wait for permission, but hurried toward the exit. As she fled out the wrought iron doors, she heard Luke call her name. His possible pursuit made her quicken her steps toward the elevator.
Winding through the passageway, she was grateful for her keen sense of direction she’d been gifted with. It was like she had an internal GPS system that allowed her to see a map in her head of where she’d been previously.
The elevator doors opened just seconds after pressing the button. She touched the number four and was grateful when the doors slid closed. As the elevator ascended, Taylin debated about just cutting her losses and leaving for home. This retreat was nothing like she’d imagined.
The elevator dinged, and a moment later, she stepped out into the hall. She found the Aquamarine Suite, but groaned when she realized she didn’t have her keycard. Pressing her forehead against the door, she tried to think of what to do next. Obviously, she was going to have to find someone to let her in.
“Ma’am? Are you okay?” a voice questioned.
Taylin turned to see the porter who’d brought in her luggage. “I don’t feel well and I forgot my keycard. Could you please let me in?”
“Sure.” The man stepped forward. “Do I need to send Miss Jennifer up to assist you?”
“No, thank you. I think I just need to lie down. It’s been a very long day.”
The porter opened her door, and Taylin slipped inside her room. The plush carpet felt good beneath her feet as she crossed the room to the bathroom vanity. Her fingers shook as she removed the tropical flower from her hair. Unable to resist the lovely fragrance, she put it to her nose and sniffed.
The last time she’d worn a flower in her hair had been in Hawaii. It made her wish her sister were here with her. They could’ve had so much fun on this little excursion. Instead, she was stuck shooting some dumb commercial with a guy who wanted nothing to do with her.
Taylin slipped off the bathrobe and started to strip out of her wet swimsuit so she could rinse it off in the sink. A knock on her door made her jump, and she scrambled to put the wet top back on. Turning, she leaned back against the counter, wondering who had come after her. Jennifer the romantic marketing lady, Rick the fun camera guy or Luke the toad.
More knocking ensued, and Jennifer softly called out her name. Taylin wanted to ignore the woman, but didn’t want to come off as rude as well as childish for running away.
“Just a minute,” she said, once again donning the bathrobe. Before opening the door, Taylin rose up on her toes and peered through the peephole. Thankfully, Jennifer was by herself.
“Hey,” Taylin said as she opened the door.
Jennifer smiled and handed Taylin her sarong and sandals. “I thought you might want these back.”
“Thank you.” Taylin accepted the items.
“May I come in?” Jennifer asked.
“Sure.” Taylin closed the door and turned around to face her guest.
“I owe you an apology,” Jennifer said. “I assumed too much and was rude and thoughtless to make you and Mr. McKay interact romantically. It’s just that…” She trailed off and lifted one shoulder up. “That night at the Halloween party I really got the vibes y’all were into to each other.”
So had Taylin... on more than one occasion.
“It’s okay.” Taylin fiddled with the sash of the bathrobe. “We are just friends, though.”
Taylin frowned. That really wasn’t accurate.
“Actually, we haven’t even known each other that long, so we’re more like acquaintances.”
“I know. Mr. McKay… Luke and I had a talk in the elevator on the way to his suite. He feels bad and wants to continue with the shoot, but only if you’re okay with it.”
Taylin bit at her bottom lip. She wasn’t as enthusiastic as she’d been before. “I don’t know.”
“Tell you what,” Jennifer said. “Since we got a late start, how about we just shoot the scenes in the dining room this evening? We can reschedule the shoot for the massage tomorrow.”
“He’s okay with that?”
“Yes, after I explained to him how our couple’s massage works, he realizes he overreacted.”
Taylin was curious about the kind of facility Luke was talking about, but didn’t think it would be wise to search the Internet for an answer. Besides, she kind of had an idea about what might go on, and didn’t need details.
“All right, but I’ll need at least thirty minutes to dress for supper.”
“Perfect.” Jennifer’s face glowed with happiness. “Luke’s suite is across the hall from yours. I’ll have him knock on your door in thirty minutes to escort you downstairs.”
“He doesn’t need to do that,” Taylin said. “I can just meet y’all there.”
“If you’d rather do that, then I can let him know. But, just so you know, he’s the one who volunteered.”
The last thing Taylin wanted was to come across as a drama queen. If Luke didn’t have a problem with escorting her to the dining room for a few candid shots, then she didn’t either.
“No, it’s fine.” Taylin smiled. “But I better hurry and get ready so I won’t make us late again.”
Jennifer gave Taylin a brief hug. “Thank you. I promise we’ll make it quick and painless. After the massage shoot in the morning, y’all will be free to do whatever you want.” She turned to leave, but paused by the door. “By the way, as another thank you for being such a good sport, any of our body wraps or facials are on the house. Just let me know what you’d like and I’ll be sure and set it up for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll look over your website tonight to decide.”
Jennifer nodded and left Taylin’s room. As soon as she was alone, Taylin didn’t waste any time in getting ready and hurried to rinse off in the shower. If she was going to be on television, she still wanted to look her best. And the teal colored chiffon dress she and Ashlee had found on their shopping trip was going to look fabulous.
Chapter 14
Fresh out of the shower, Luke stood in front of the mirror with a towel wrapped around his waist. The white cloth accentuated the evidence of his humiliating experience of getting a spray tan this afternoon. He still couldn’t believe Ms. Dawson had told Taylin about it.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, he applied underarm deodorant before pulling on a white T-shirt. At least he’d scored an overnight stay for Dave and Rachel. They would have a fantastic experience as long as an annoying marketing director and her cameraman didn’t follow them around.
Luke found his boxers in a drawer instead of in his suitcas
e. This place was nice, but he preferred unpacking his own bag. He reached in the armoire and removed the charcoal dress shirt his sister had given him for his birthday. He slipped the shirt on, grudgingly appreciating the resort’s dry cleaning amenity where his wrinkled shirt had been freshly ironed and then magically returned to the closet.
As he buttoned up the fitted shirt, the alarm on his phone beeped, reminding him he only had five minutes before he needed to walk across the hall to get Taylin. After his little freak-out about the couple’s massage, he was nervous about what to say to her. If she would talk to him, he should probably try to explain why he’d reacted the way he did.
Revealing more about his failed marriage wouldn’t be easy or comfortable, but maybe once she heard his story, she’d understand.
He tried to relax as he knotted the blue and gray striped tie around his neck. He had other reasons for being so stressed, mainly the glaring attraction between Taylin and him. He was fighting it, but their staged romantic interludes weren’t helping him out any. Not to mention the sexy swimsuit she’d had on. Unlike skimpy bikinis that left little to the imagination, the hot pink suit she’d worn had his imagination in hyperdrive.
With only a minute to spare, he combed his damp hair and used the expensive cologne his sister-in-law, Kate, had given him for his birthday. Diane and Kate wanted to find him a wife, and their birthday gifts were supposedly meant to help him with that goal.
Grabbing his phone, he slipped it into his pocket, along with his keycard. He crossed the hall and knocked on Taylin’s door. Seconds ticked by with no response. Honestly, he didn’t expect her to be ready. Thirty minutes had gone by quickly for him, but in his experience, girls were always late.
He knocked again and waited to hear any kind of sign she was inside her room.
Nothing.
Luke rapped his knuckles once more, and then stepped back to eye the door. Either she wasn’t inside or she wasn’t going to answer. He pulled out his phone, intent on texting the marketing guru. He and Ms. Dawson had exchanged numbers in the elevator in case something went awry with the tentative plans they’d made without Taylin present.
Swiping his finger across the screen, he saw he already had a text message from Jennifer.
Hey, Taylin was ready early and is already here in the dining room. Come on down whenever you’re ready.
Feeling slighted by Taylin’s early departure, Luke typed in a quick message that he was on his way. He shoved his phone back in his pocket as he strode toward the elevator. The doors immediately slid open, and he stepped inside and punched the button for the main floor where the dining room was located.
As the elevator descended, he grappled with his mixed emotions about Taylin Nichols. She intrigued him in a way that unsettled him. It wasn’t just her beauty that drew him in. Sure, she was gorgeous, but he knew she had a good heart. Dave had filled him in on Taylin’s service hours at the youth center that had started while she was still in high school. He’d seen her tenderly care for newborn babies and heard other employees remark about how sweet and kind she was.
So why was he fighting his feelings? He could tell she felt the same pull of attraction he did. And he couldn’t get that kiss they’d shared out of his head. Still, he resisted. Deep down he knew it had to do with trust. Vivian had trampled on his heart so many times he was surprised it still beat in his chest some days.
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Luke stepped out and walked toward the plaque on the wall that mapped out the facilities. After orienting himself in the right direction, he made his way toward the dining room.
The delicious smells coming from the kitchen sharpened the hunger pangs in his stomach. As he entered the waiting area, he scanned the dining room, looking for Taylin and the marketing entourage of two. At first he didn’t see them, but near a partition of tropical plants, he caught sight of Rick and his camera.
“Hey, I’m Missy. May I help you, sir?” the hostess asked in a Southern accent so thick it almost sounded comical.
“Yeah, Jennifer Dawson is expecting me.”
A confused look entered the brown eyes of the teenaged girl. “Who?”
“Jennifer Dawson? Harmony Springs’s marketing director?”
“Oh,” she said, stretching out the single word. “You mean Jen, the commercial lady.”
Luke smiled. “Yes, that would be her.”
“Sorry, I’m new and usually work in the kitchen with food prep, but my manager, Marcus, he called me up here to cover for him.” Missy leaned in and whispered, “He’s totally smitten with the girl in the commercial.” She wrinkled her brow. “I can’t remember her name, I think it’s Taylor.”
“Taylin,” Luke said in a tight voice. Just thinking about another guy moving in on Taylin made every muscle in his body go rigid.
“Oh my gosh! You know her? She is soooo gorgeous and just about the sweetest thing I’ve ever met. Marcus, he wanted to be in the commercial— if you saw him you’d know why… he is kind of hot— anyway, Jen had talked to him a couple of weeks ago about being in the new commercial, but then she up and found some doctor and nurse from Mitchel Creek Hospital to be in it and Marcus was really bummed.”
“I’m—” Luke started to reply, but the chatty girl cut him off and continued with her monologue.
“Anyway, before Taylin came down here a few minutes ago, I guess Marcus heard Jen and the cameraman talking about the commercial and how the doctor guy wasn’t very enthusiastic and they weren’t even sure if he was gonna show up to shoot the rest of it, so Marcus decided to bring me up front, which he never does because I talk too much, so he could hang out by Jen in case they need him for the commercial.”
Luke waited to see if Missy was done. Her ability to talk without taking a breath was sort of impressive. He wasn’t about to tell her he was the unenthusiastic guy for fear she’d start talking again. Instead, he pointed out the area where Rick stood with his camera.
“I see them over there. Thanks for your help, Missy.” He quickly walked away before she could start up again.
Luke felt bad. He didn’t mean to be difficult. He was just uncomfortable. Jennifer spotted him and waved at him. He forced himself to smile back at her as she crossed the floor to meet him.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, obviously relieved he’d shown up. “You look very handsome.”
“Thanks.”
He looked past her and felt his breath catch when he saw Taylin. She wore a beautiful blue dress the same color as her eyes. She laughed and Rick took several pictures of her while a man stood nearby, watching Taylin with interest.
“Marcus was hoping you wouldn’t show up,” Jennifer joked. “I think he’s in love.”
The collar of Luke’s shirt seemed to shrink, and a possessive heat curled in his gut. Here he’d just made a big deal about he and Taylin not being a couple, but seeing another man drool over her was making him crazy with jealousy.
Marcus leaned close to Taylin, placing his hand on her bare shoulder. Luke felt his irritation flare when the guy whispered something in Taylin’s ear to make her laugh.
“Marcus is out of luck,” Luke said under his breath. He strode across the room and took a seat next to Taylin. “Hey, sorry I’m late.”
Marcus’s hand fell away from Taylin when she turned toward Luke, a smirk curving her mouth. “I think I was early.”
Her voice held a hint of a challenge, like she dared him to say something about her leaving without him. Checking the impulse to make a snarky reply, he offered her a smile.
“Hungry?” he asked playfully.
She held his gaze, her lips stretching into a true smile. “Starving.”
Jennifer fluttered over, clasping her hands in front of her. “I know y’all are ready to eat, so we’ll make this quick.” She glanced at the kid hovering next to Taylin. “Marcus, we’re ready for the food to be delivered.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Reluctantly, Marcus turned and made his way toward th
e kitchen.
Rick held up his camera. “I’ll be right back. I need new batteries.”
Jennifer gave both Taylin and Luke a nervous smile. “I think y’all are gonna love the meal our chef has prepared. We’d also like to offer you a bottle of our finest wine.”
“I don’t drink,” Taylin and Luke said at the same time.
The two of them laughed and looked at each other.
“Jinx, you owe me ice cream,” Taylin teased.
Luke grinned. “Deal.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Technically, you’re not supposed to talk unless someone says your name.”
He shrugged and didn’t speak, content with watching her. Not only was she beautiful, she was also fun and didn’t appear to hold a grudge.
“Luke, you won’t have to go far to pay your debt because Harmony Springs has the most amazing gelato.” Jennifer’s eyes widened. “Whoops, I guess I just un-jinxed you.”
“Thank you,” Luke said.
Rick returned with his camera just as Marcus and another employee came out of the kitchen with their food. It smelled incredible and looked even better.
Jennifer tentatively asked if they could sit a little closer. Luke immediately complied, secretly enjoying the surprised look on Taylin’s face. Rick continued to shoot still photos. The video portion would be of the chef in the kitchen preparing the meal.
“I think that’s it,” Rick said, looking at Jennifer for confirmation.
She nodded her head. “Yes, thank you.”
Rick grinned. “Y’all enjoy your supper, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
After he left, Jennifer stood before them, twisting her hands together. “Thank you again.” Her gaze flickered to Luke. “If you’re still not comfortable with the massage, y’all could take an early morning horse ride to see some of the fall leaves that are starting to change.” She moistened her lips. “We’d only have Rick shoot video of y’all saddling up, and then maybe a few still shots before you hit the trail.”
Luke’s collar felt like it was choking him again. He felt stupid about all the drama he’d caused and avoided looking at Taylin. “I’m fine with the massage, but the horseback riding sounds good too. Maybe we can do both?”
Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 Page 13
