Swallowing hard, she faced Toby again and gave him a smile. She could do this. Perhaps she’d even have fun. “Sure. Lead the way.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Now
On the back deck of the cabin where Gray and Nick were staying, Jazz tugged down her slip dress and peered at her phone. It was late. She debated texting Harper, then decided she needed an urgent pep talk that involved actual speech.
She was about to seduce Gray. All alone. Him and her. And Nick, except he’d be in a different room. That was a whole other kettle of hot mess. Her guilt on that score alone made her want to turn and hide. But she wasn’t hiding. She was going for it.
She was almost sure.
Ducking behind the hot tub, she called her partner-in-crime. It was chilly tonight so she sway-rocked on her high-heeled boots to generate body heat while she waited for Harper to answer. And maybe because she was nervous. Just a tad.
“Help me,” she whispered as soon as her friend answered.
“Let me guess. His zipper broke?”
“Ha ha. So not funny. I’m on the verge of chickening out. He’s not answering my texts and I’m dressed like a—” She glanced down at the insanely expensive scanty red dress she’d bought at the spa’s gift shop. The boots were on loan from Harper from a few weeks ago, but this was her maiden voyage in them. “I think I might look like a hooker. A scared one. Harp, I’m blonde. What the hell was I thinking?”
“You know, I’ve heard blonde is a perfectly respectable hair color. Sometimes blondes even have more fun.”
“I’m not having fun right now. My scalp still hurts from all the bleach and I’m getting drafts in places that should never feel cold air. Why am I doing this again?”
“The hair thing, I couldn’t tell you, since you were plenty hot as a brunette and a rainbow and every color in between. If I had to guess, you thought becoming blonde would help you score. But I seriously doubt you needed to bother, since your scoring is in the bag.” Harper paused. “Where are you anyway?”
“At this very instant?”
“No, last Tuesday. Yes, right now.”
“Kind of crouching behind the hot tub. Gray’s window overlooks the deck. It’s sunken. The hot tub, I mean, not his window—”
“Jasmine. Go inside and talk to the man. You’re going to get pneumonia if you stand around outside half-naked.”
“Aww.” Jazz couldn’t help but smile. “You sound like a mom. How cute.”
“Do I?” Harper asked, clearly pleased.
“You so do. I have to get knitting. I found this pattern for the most adorable booties—”
“Jazz. Stop stalling.”
“But he hasn’t texted me back since this afternoon. He was supposed to tell me which room was his and instead I had to guess. What if he doesn’t want me here?”
“What was the last thing he said to you?”
Jazz gripped the edge of the Jacuzzi to adjust her position. “Uh, something about me being the hottest girl he’s ever seen.”
“And you’re still outside? Did that bleach fry your brain or what?”
“I’m scared. This is so huge. And—and Nick’s here.”
“Oh Lord. Don’t tell me you want a repeat of that threesome, because I swear to God, I will come there and—”
“No, no, of course not.” Jazz had to laugh. “Believe me, once was plenty. It wasn’t even a normal threesome. I told you, there wasn’t penetration by both, just Nick.”
“The words penetration and Nick should never be in the same sentence. Just FYI.”
“Nick’s not that bad. Okay, fine, yes he is, but he has redeeming qualities.”
“Do not mention his penis. Na-na-na, can’t hear you,” Harper said in a singsong voice as Jazz choked out a giggle.
“I’m not. I’m just saying, I feel bad for doing this while he’s here. It doesn’t seem right. I don’t want to hurt him if I can help it.”
“You can be discreet, right? You’ll be leaving early in the morning. Just try not to swing from the chandeliers—or the deer antlers—and you should be good.”
Jazz peeked over the hot tub at Gray’s window. He’d lifted it part way and the light was on in his room but from this angle she couldn’t see if he was actually in there. Dammit, why wasn’t he answering his texts? “I can be discreet, I just don’t want it to be awkward.”
“So wait for a less complicated time then. Bring back my catering truck and go back to the ginormous suite of rooms at the spa you’re sharing with my delectable husband and the manwhore. Just keep on pretending that your heart isn’t breaking every moment you’re not with Gray. Go on, I dare you.”