by April Angel
“Oh yes. He was torn, pissed-off, unsure, and in the end he just gave up and decided to approach you on the dance floor.”
She grinned when Jazz waggled his brows. “I loved how you just walked away and left him standing there. You should’ve seen his face. Priceless. He looked like a little lost puppy.”
“I highly doubt Jared Thomas has ever looked like a lost puppy.” Just the image made her chuckle.
Jazz tore out the insides of his bagel and dumped them on a separate plate before applying a thick coat of cream cheese to the toasty brown skin. “That’s because you didn’t see what I saw. Trust me, girl, you can make him do flips if you wanted.”
She bit into her croissant and watched Jazz cut his bagel into quarters before he took a tiny bite. “I don’t want him to do flips. I just don’t want to be lied to again. Is that such a big deal?”
He waved his hand in a negative and drank his coffee. “No, it’s not. And I really don’t think he’ll be playing those games with you.”
“Who knows, Jazz? I’m taking this one day at a time. The last thing I want is another rich man who’s going to use me as his personal game and leave me heartbroken again.” She had a feeling if she continued to spend time with Jared, her feelings would be in jeopardy. She glanced down at her vibrating cell phone.
“What’s going on?” Jazz asked when she stared at her phone for a while.
She bit her lip. Her stomach did a flip as she reread the message. “Jared wants to see me again.”
Jazz bounced in his seat, excitement visible in his sparkling dark eyes. “So see him! What are you waiting for? Do you want me to reply for you?”
“Heck, no!” She put the smartphone closer to her chest and hit Reply.
“When are you going to see him?”
She grinned and knew exactly how to see if he really wanted to get to know her, or if he just wanted to have a warm body every time he wanted a good fuck.
“I think the day after tomorrow.” She typed her reply, hit Send, and locked the screen before she changed her mind.
“Wait.” Jazz frowned. “Don’t you have catering stuff to do then?”
She grinned. “I do. Nobody said he can’t come with me.”
Jazz’s eyes widened. “Ooooh you evil, awesome woman! You’re going to make him sit through tastings and decoration talk!”
She giggled and shrugged. “I am. Can’t wait to see how he handles it.”
Chapter Seven
Lucky made her way to Jared’s waiting sports car with a smile. He was lucky Nina lived in one of the suburbs, and he didn’t have to fight city traffic. She headed for his car with a spring in her step. So what if she’d worn one of her prettiest sundresses and took extra care to do her makeup and hair for her appointments. It wasn’t for him. OK, maybe it was for him. But she hadn’t seen him in two days, and she’d come to the decision, after seeing Nina with Max and Alex with Andrew, that she would take it all in stride.
He was leaning back on the passenger side of his car, wearing faded blue jeans and a white T-shirt that showed off the tattoo on his left arm. She gulped, remembering how sexy it had been to trace the lines of ink with her fingers and then her tongue. His searching gaze met hers.
“Hi.” She stopped in front of him.
Her skin warmed with the way he licked his lips and raked his gaze over her. “You look incredible.”
Tamping down her enthusiasm over his words was harder than she thought. “Thank you. I hope you don’t mind running around with me today.”
She had yet to tell him what they would be doing. Even after multiple calls and texts, she’d kept him in the dark. Now she wondered if it had been a good idea after all.
“Not at all. Let’s go wherever you need.”
He closed the distance between them and wrapped one hand around her waist while the other cupped her cheek. There was passion in his eyes but also something else. Her breath hitched. From where she stood, it appeared he was content. Bursts of joy filled her chest at how light and relaxed he seemed. She slapped her hands around his neck, hauled him down, and attached her lips to his. The intensity of the kiss was explosive. Not because they were ready to tear at their clothes—though she felt as if she could—but because he wasn’t dark and broody today. Instead, his kiss was a soft attack on her feelings and her mouth.
Their lips and tongues danced; a slow dance of pleasure and teasing that could make the toughest woman weak-kneed. He was still possessive in his swipes, but now there was softness to his touch. She believed he had two different men inside him: the wild lover who could wet her panties with one look, and the smooth charmer who could melt her into a puddle.
“We need to go, before I decide to kidnap you and hold you at my mercy for the rest of the day.” He pressed his forehead to hers and stared deep into her eyes. “And if I have you to myself, I won’t be letting you go anytime soon.”
Mind and body in an emotional upheaval at the rough sound of his voice, she pulled away. He opened her door and waited until she had put on her belt before shutting it for her. Curious to see how he’d react, she mentally prepared herself for his excuses on needing to go elsewhere so he wouldn’t have to put up with her to-do list.
“Where to first?” He started the car and turned to look at her.
“The venue. I have to go ensure the table setups are according to my e-mails and Nina’s requests.” She gave him the name of the functions facility the wedding was being held at and went back and forth between watching his profile and the road.
“Sounds good.”
She gaped at him. Waited for the imminent “you’re on your own,” but it never came.
He glanced over at her and laughed, a full, booming sound that slid over her skin like warm butter. For the first time, she saw laugh lines appear at the corner of his eyes. Her heart filled with joy. She liked hearing him laugh, and it was clear he didn’t do it very often.
Jared glanced at Lucky’s shocked face and laughed again. She had the cutest wide-eyed look of surprise; it made him want to stop the car and kiss her lips, which were currently forming an O of surprise.
“I am guessing you weren’t expecting me to agree?”
He glanced at her again. A flush covered her cheeks. “I didn’t think you’d be so accommodating.”
“Why not? I said I wanted to spend time with you. That means any way that I can get it, even if it’s being your Jazz while we’re at the venue.”
She choked on a giggle. “Trust me, you are no Jazz.”
“Don’t think I’m good enough?”
“Oh, you’re good. Too good.” She mumbled and licked her lips.
Great. He was trying to behave, he really was, but how could he not think of sex when she said things like that and proceeded to nibble on her lips, plumping them even more. His cock sat up, ready for action.
“So you don’t think I know about decoration? I can prove you wrong. I have two sisters who had nothing better to do than teach me that purple and pink worked well together and blue and silver made a great combination.”
She was listening to him quietly. A smile flirted over her full lips. “They also teach you about centerpieces and table setup?”
He shrugged. “I’m not admitting to anything that makes me sound like Martha Stewart.”
She laughed and he grinned. Her laughter was infectious and made him want to hear it again.
“The last thing I’d see you as is Martha Stewart.”
Still grinning, he glanced over at her eyes. They were filled with mischief. “Oh really? I guess now I’ll have to prove you wrong, just so you don’t think I’m boasting.”
“What did you have in mind?” Her voice turned husky. He gripped the wheel, almost missed a turn, and tried to calm the raging hard-on in his pants.
He peeked at her before turning back to the road. She was looking at him with longing and enough desire to burn through his clothes. “Come over for dinner tonight.”
“I can’t to
night. We’re having a girls’ night with Nina.” She sounded apologetic.
“Tomorrow then.”
He flicked a quick glance at her and noticed a wide smile settle over her lips. “All right.”
His heart soared, and he wanted to smile but didn’t want to look insecure in front of her. “Perfect, I’ll pick you up around seven.”
Inside the venue, he watched her stare at multiple table setups with the same colors: burgundy and gold. He’d heard about the Valentine’s Day Ball that had pushed Nina and Max closer together, and it made sense they’d use the same colors in their wedding decorations. The table itself was covered in a burgundy cloth with a gold lace overlay. Multiple shades of red roses filled a tall, thin crystal vase. Red votive candles surrounded the silver vase. Small crystal strings fell from the upper edge of the vase in loops, and tiny photo frames hung from the crystal strings, displaying casual photos of Nina and Max.
He had to admit: he was impressed. There were no rose petals on the tables, just burgundy china and silverware that he could see his reflection on. On each plate, there was a gold-trimmed burgundy napkin, folded in a way that showed off the burgundy-edged gold menu for the event.
“This is great.” Lucky grinned. Her consultant at the venue had left them alone so she could take notes and decide if anything needed changing. “What do you think?”
He glanced up and found her watching him expectantly. “Do you really want to know, or are you just asking to be polite?”
She snorted. “I’m a professional event planner. I don’t ask to be polite. I either want your opinion, or I don’t. If I don’t, I won’t ask. So what do you think?”
Senseless joy filled him. No woman had ever truly asked his opinion before. Usually they were too busy giving him theirs. “I think this looks fantastic. Who picked this style setup?”
Her smile was filled with delight. “I did. Nina pretty much just said she wanted those colors and roses, but she left the entire setup to me.”
Nodding as he walked around the table, he stopped beside her. “You did a great job. The whole thing looks amazing. Choosing multiple shades of red for the flowers makes them stand out more than using just one particular color…and”—he pulled the red silk panties she’d left behind on the yacht out of his pocket—“I’m particularly fond of this shade.”
Her gaze drifted to the lace in his hands. “Are you out of your mind?” She glanced at the entrance. “Put that away!”
He chuckled and shoved them back in his pocket.
She frowned. “I will ignore your showing of my panties. But as far as the colors for this wedding go, I think I may have to revise the opinion of you not being Martha Stewart.”
He loved the way she scrunched her nose whenever she didn’t understand something, or when he didn’t seem to fit whatever category she had put him into. “I still have to prove I can cook.”
“That’s true, you do.” She had that same sparkle in her eyes, and he couldn’t stop himself from closing the distance between them. “What are you doing?”
Her voice sounded breathless and excited when he grabbed her waist over the pretty blue sundress and pulled her flush against his body, lining up his erection with her belly. He filled his hands with her curves and kissed her before she could utter another word.
The notepad and pen she had in her hands slapped his back the moment she curled her arms around his neck. She moaned. It was a soft little sound that tortured his already throbbing cock.
“Have you—oops!”
Lucky tore away from Jared and glanced at the woman who’d shown up to assist them. “I can come back,” the woman said with an understanding smile. “Couples always get kind of frisky when they realize it’s so close to their big day.”
Lucky’s face turned beet red. “We’re not—this isn’t—”
Feeling bad that she was so embarrassed, he decided to help her out. “What she means to say is that we’re always frisky. It’s not just because of the wedding.”
The woman’s smile widened, and she chuckled.
Lucky turned to him with a look of pure disbelief. He grinned and blew her a kiss. Hanging out with her was turning out to be a lot more fun than he’d expected.
“Everything is perfect as it is set up.” She cleared her throat and made notes on her pad.
They left the venue and Lucky still appeared embarrassed to have been caught making out with him. Granted, he was doing a major amount of groping her ass, but still, he didn’t see what the big deal was. She was hot, and he’d wanted to touch her.
“Are you hungry?”
She glanced down at her schedule. “We do have an hour before my next appointment.”
“Perfect. Let’s go to this awesome restaurant I know.”
“OK, but we can’t have dessert.”
“Why not?”
“We’re tasting cake next.”
“Will there be ice cream?”
She laughed. “I’m not sure. I don’t think Nina requested ice cream as part of her wedding cake design.” Her laughter bounced inside the car, filling his chest with joy. “But don’t worry, if they don’t have any, we’ll go get some.”
“You have a deal.”
They went to a nice little Italian restaurant in Little Italy, downtown. She sipped red wine while looking over the menu.
“What are you having?” he asked after a few minutes.
“Honestly? I want a little bit of everything.” She groaned. “It all looks so delicious.”
The face she made, almost as if it were a crime to want to eat, made him laugh. “Have whatever you want. I will too.”
They placed their orders, and she smiled at him.
“Yeah, you can order whatever you want. I’m the one who has to fit into a gold dress that’s already a little too tight.”
He slid his gaze down to her chest, where her breasts were peeking from the neckline of her dress. “You’re beautiful.”
“Um, OK.” She shrugged.
“You don’t think so?”
“I didn’t say that.” She laughed. “I’ve never felt ugly or shy about my curves. I fully believe I look great, even with the extra padding I have, but I’m no supermodel.”
He frowned. “Who wants a supermodel?”
His ex-fiancée had been a model. A bitchy, whiny model who only wanted to eat lettuce, talk bad about her supposed friends, and who ended up being a criminal. And she’d never turned him on the way Lucky did.
She rolled her eyes and snorted. “Most men.”
“That’s not true. I only want one woman.”
He watched her lick her lips. Her hand shook slightly when she picked up her wine glass and took a gulp of her wine. “You’re good, Jared.”
“I’m not trying to be good. I’m being honest.”
Before she got a chance to say anything, the waiter showed up with a warm bread basket and a shallow dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix.
“What was my guest talking about when he mentioned the McKinley-James wedding?”
Panic flared in her eyes. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”
She was lying. He could tell by the tremble in her voice and the way she glanced away from him. The question was, why was she lying?
“Tell me. Were you taking care of that event?” Draining her glass of her wine, she nodded and turned green. “Are you OK?”
“I’m fine. I just really would prefer not to talk about it.”
“It’s not healthy to hold things in.”
Her gaze jerked up to meet his. “Oh? Since you feel that way, I heard you had been engaged before.”
Surprise knocked his breath out. He didn’t want to rehash his past with his ex. Her telling him about her problems was different. His experience had been life-altering.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He winced at how harsh the words came out, but he really didn’t want to mess up the mood by remembering the way his last relationship had ended.
“Hey, I understand. I’m not gonna force you.” She nodded when the waiter offered to fill her wine glass and then lifted it in his direction. “Let’s drink to the here and now?”
Although he would drink to anything she wanted, he really wanted it to be to something special between them. Not to ignore their past.
He raised his wine glass in a toast and studied her beautiful eyes. “To you.”
“Me?”
“So far, what you considered a torturous day has been nothing more than some pleasant time getting to know you better.”
She dropped her gaze and sipped from the glass, her throat working as she swallowed, beckoning him to touch.
“You’re a dangerous man.” A small, humorless smile flirted over her lips.
“Why do you say that?”
Their meal was brought out, and she waited for the waiter to depart before replying. “Because you’re saying things that sound charming so effortlessly. It must be second nature, huh?”
He frowned, watched her cut a piece of fish, her facial lines drawn tight. Did she think he was humoring her? Her disbelief came as a surprise. He’d never been questioned on his honesty. It was strange. He didn’t like the feeling swimming around inside him, pushing him to ensure she believed him.
Soft, warm skin caressed his palm when he placed his hand over hers. She placed the knife down and met his gaze.
“I’m not a liar. I don’t say things just to say them. I mean every word that comes out of my mouth.” He contemplated her eyes. There was insecurity and what appeared to be distress filling their depths. His instinct told him to reassure her, to make her see him, but another part rebelled. If she didn’t believe what he said now, she never would. Instinct won over pride. “You’re much more than interesting. Yes, you’re hot, but your beauty or sexiness isn’t what’s making me seek more time with you—it’s the woman I see beneath. You’re strong, persistent, independent, and a fighter. Those make you beyond sexy in my book. They make you special.”
Chapter Eight
Lucky struggled to swallow the mouthful of fish. She was too worked up to pay much attention to the delightful flavors of the seasonings used to create the palate-loving masterpiece. At any other time she’d be moaning in pleasure over the meal, but right now she was awestruck over Jared’s words. After taking a sip of wine, she decided to move the conversation to a lighter topic.
