He was right, she thought, feeling dazed. She was letting her fears overtake her. David loved her. She should trust that. Trust him. Maybe in doing that, she would learn to trust herself.
She flung her arms around his neck and hung on. Just like he’d asked her to.
Courtney had seen dozens of parties at the hotel, but none of them compared to the one Quinn threw in Malibu. The caterer started setting up at eight in the morning. Food was delivered in trucks, as were flowers. The plates, glasses and flatware were enough to supply half the city.
Quinn had offered her the use of a stylist if she wanted. She’d accepted because, hey, when was that ever going to happen again? So she spent the afternoon at an exclusive Malibu spa. She was buffed, waxed and spray-tanned. Her hair was glossed, trimmed and curled into casual, beachy waves that took over an hour to achieve. Makeup, including false eyelashes, followed.
She’d brought her dress with her—the one she and Quinn had bought the previous afternoon. It was an off-the-shoulder fitted scrap of blue lace that cost more than her car. Fortunately, it was the exact color of her Saint Laurent heels, so she could wear them.
She put on the dress, then the shoes, packed up the shorts and T-shirt she’d worn in, then realized she wasn’t sure how to get back to the house. Quinn had dropped her off at the spa, but he would be busy with party stuff now.
The spa receptionist approached. “Your car is here, Ms. Watson.”
She had a car? “Thank you. Um, about the bill...”
“Oh, that’s been taken care of. Along with a very generous tip for everyone who assisted you today.”
Quinn, Courtney thought. She shouldn’t be surprised. He’d treated her to the dress, as well. The man was just plain nice.
She stepped outside and saw a long, black limo waiting for her. Seriously? For a two-mile drive? She was still laughing when they pulled up in front of the house.
Inside she found controlled chaos. The caterer was in the final stages of prep. Courtney slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot to the bottom floor, where she saw Quinn buttoning up a solid black shirt.
The dark color contrasted with his blue eyes and blond hair. He looked sexy and dangerous, not to mention powerful. When he saw her, he smiled slowly.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She crossed to him. “For everything. The dress, the spa day. This has been an amazing trip.”
“I like making you happy.”
“You know that doesn’t require stuff, right?”
“I do, but sometimes stuff is fun. How were the treatments?”
She grinned. “Interesting. I have something to show you later.”
“What does that mean?”
She pointed to her crotch. “I’ve always kept things trimmed, but this time I went for it. Full-on waxing.” Her smile faded. “Wow, does that hurt.”
“You okay?”
“I’m fine and later we’ll have to take me for a test drive.”
He pulled her against him. “I’d like that. But first I want to show you off.”
She laughed. “That’s just what I was thinking about you.”
The party didn’t get started until after nine. Courtney would guess that none of these people had jobs that required them to be at a desk at seven in the morning.
She spent most of her time on the deck, observing the beautiful people. Quinn kept finding her and bringing her back inside, where he introduced her to everyone. Then she would slip away again.
This wasn’t her thing. Not really. While it was fun to watch celebrities and actors and singers mingle, she didn’t know what to say to them. No, she hadn’t seen their latest movie or TV show, nor had she listened to their latest song. Until this summer, she’d been working full-time and going to college. She didn’t have time for much more than that. She wasn’t interested in the industry gossip or who was sleeping with whom. Sure, it was fun to be here for the day, but any more than that would be tedious.
But for now she was going to take it all in and enjoy every second. The champagne was delicious, as was the food, and watching Quinn, well, that was always the best show possible. The man was beautiful in the most masculine sense of the word. She liked how he listened patiently, even when he wasn’t interested in what the other person was saying. She was surprised no one else could read his body language, but it was sure clear to her.
She leaned against the railing and let the cool night air wash over her. Music played from hidden speakers. A tall, slender brunette walked over to her. Courtney tried to place her and honestly couldn’t. Model, maybe? Actress? The dress was stunning, as was the body. Courtney had never had much on top, but this woman had fantastic breasts.