Chapter One
“You have to tell me everything.”
Lily’s voice interrupted Jane as she was counting the crates of freshly washed glassware. The brunch was set to begin in less than an hour and her business partner had waited until now to show up? Jane wrote the number of crates on her checklist before she forgot it.
“A little late aren’t you?” Jane kept her gaze focused on the list of items to be completed.
“I slept in.”
I’ll bet.
“I’m dying here. Tell me.” Lily snatched the clipboard from Jane’s hands. “How was it?”
“How was what?” Jane scowled at the redhead.
“You naughty girl. You’re holding out on me.”
“Give me my clipboard. Unlike you I have work to do.”
Lily tucked the board behind her, and Jane rolled her eyes. Unless she wanted to engage in a childish shoving match, she’d have to wait until Lily decided to give it back.
“Lily—”
“The least you could do is look at me when you lie.” Lily was grinning from ear to ear.
“I am looking at you,” Jane snapped. “You can be quite tedious…”
Her attention was caught by a pale bruise on the other woman’s throat. Lily had a love bite. Jane began to smile. It looked like her friend had a few stories to tell as well.
“You have a hickey.”
“Son of a bitch.”
Lily shoved the clipboard at Jane then pulled a silver compact from her pocket. She flipped it open.
“I told him to not leave any marks.” She dabbed the puff over the faint spot on her throat. “I have to work this weekend, and I can’t wander around with love bites all over me.” She muttered the last bit under her breath.
“Mmm, I guess he didn’t hear you.” Jane bit her lip. It was all she could do to keep from laughing outright.
Lily shot her a dark look. “Well, you’re looking pretty pleased with yourself for someone who has razor burn on your jaw.”
“Drat.”
Jane dropped the checklist and snatched the compact out of Lily’s hand. There along her jaw was a faint pink line. Blood rushed to her cheeks. The burn combined with the sleepy, satisfied look in her eyes practically announced she’d had hanging-from-the-chandelier sex last night. It would be more subtle to take out a newspaper ad proclaiming the end of her self-imposed celibacy.
“It’s not like you can hide anything from me, Jane.” Lily sounded smug. “Not only am I your best friend and business partner, but your name has been on the lips of every envious woman here.”
“Yeah, right.”
Jane carefully covered the razor burn with the powder. She hadn’t noticed the mark this morning, then again she’d been in a hurry to escape the bedroom before Antonio awoke. Having the most mind-blowing sex of her life in the dark with a complete stranger was one thing; it was another to face each other in broad daylight. She knew very little about him and he was seven years younger…
“Girl, everyone is talking about how you waltzed in here and took possession of the birthday boy last night.” Lily made fake sniffing noises as she wiped away non-existent tears. “Mama is so proud of you.”
“So am I.” Jane shut the compact and tossed it at her friend. “I think I’ve got my groove back.”
“Yes you do, my sister. And it’s time to celebrate.” Lily turned toward where the head of the serving team was setting up the bar. “Richard, can you bring me a bottle of champagne and two glasses?”
“Right away, Ms. Tyler.”
Feeling like a child who’d skipped school, Jane allowed Lily to drag her outside onto the terrace. The wide space had already been setup for the coming meal.
Multi-colored pastel tablecloths gave the tables a floral garden feel. Each table boasted a round bowl of color-coordinated blooms along with silver trimmed china and an array of sparkling glassware. It was funky and elegant, exactly what Kitten had ordered.
Jane made a mental note to pass her thanks on to Richard and his staff.
Lily chose a table in the corner with a
“You have to tell me everything.”
Lily’s voice interrupted Jane as she was counting the crates of freshly washed glassware. The brunch was set to begin in less than an hour and her business partner had waited until now to show up? Jane wrote the number of crates on her checklist before she forgot it.
“A little late aren’t you?” Jane kept her gaze focused on the list of items to be completed.
“I slept in.”
I’ll bet.
“I’m dying here. Tell me.” Lily snatched the clipboard from Jane’s hands. “How was it?”
“How was what?” Jane scowled at the redhead.
“You naughty girl. You’re holding out on me.”
“Give me my clipboard. Unlike you I have work to do.”
Lily tucked the board behind her, and Jane rolled her eyes. Unless she wanted to engage in a childish shoving match, she’d have to wait until Lily decided to give it back.
“Lily—”
“The least you could do is look at me when you lie.” Lily was grinning from ear to ear.
“I am looking at you,” Jane snapped. “You can be quite tedious…”
Her attention was caught by a pale bruise on the other woman’s throat. Lily had a love bite. Jane began to smile. It looked like her friend had a few stories to tell as well.
“You have a hickey.”
“Son of a bitch.”
Lily shoved the clipboard at Jane then pulled a silver compact from her pocket. She flipped it open.
“I told him to not leave any marks.” She dabbed the puff over the faint spot on her throat. “I have to work this weekend, and I can’t wander around with love bites all over me.” She muttered the last bit under her breath.
“Mmm, I guess he didn’t hear you.” Jane bit her lip. It was all she could do to keep from laughing outright.
Lily shot her a dark look. “Well, you’re looking pretty pleased with yourself for someone who has razor burn on your jaw.”
“Drat.”
Jane dropped the checklist and snatched the compact out of Lily’s hand. There along her jaw was a faint pink line. Blood rushed to her cheeks. The burn combined with the sleepy, satisfied look in her eyes practically announced she’d had hanging-from-the-chandelier sex last night. It would be more subtle to take out a newspaper ad proclaiming the end of her self-imposed celibacy.
“It’s not like you can hide anything from me, Jane.” Lily sounded smug. “Not only am I your best friend and business partner, but your name has been on the lips of every envious woman here.”
“Yeah, right.”
Jane carefully covered the razor burn with the powder. She hadn’t noticed the mark this morning, then again she’d been in a hurry to escape the bedroom before Antonio awoke. Having the most mind-blowing sex of her life in the dark with a complete stranger was one thing; it was another to face each other in broad daylight. She knew very little about him and he was seven years younger…
“Girl, everyone is talking about how you waltzed in here and took possession of the birthday boy last night.” Lily made fake sniffing noises as she wiped away non-existent tears. “Mama is so proud of you.”
“So am I.” Jane shut the compact and tossed it at her friend. “I think I’ve got my groove back.”
“Yes you do, my sister. And it’s time to celebrate.” Lily turned toward where the head of the serving team was setting up the bar. “Richard, can you bring me a bottle of champagne and two glasses?”
“Right away, Ms. Tyler.”
Feeling like a child who’d skipped school, Jane allowed Lily to drag her outside onto the terrace. The wide space had already been setup for the coming meal.
Multi-colored pastel tablecloths gave the tables a floral garden feel. Each table boasted a round bowl of color-coordinated blooms along with silver trimmed china and an array of sparkling glassware. It was funky and elegant, exactly what Kitten had ordered.
Jane made a mental note to pass her thanks on to Richard and his staff.
Lily chose a table in the corner with a
Similar Books
