loved to shock, loved to defy, loved to make people just a tad bit uncomfortable.
Jack ignored the bait. “Well, come on in.”
“We brought drinks, lots of booze,” Billie said, sliding by and turning to offer her hand. “I’m Billie Nader. I met you at Marilyn Turner’s benefit last year.”
“Of course.” Jack smiled, taking her hand. “Nice to see you again. And you too, Trish.”
“Jack.” Trish nodded, as elegant as a Nubian queen.
All three women sauntered into the huge living area just past the open foyer, leaving Nellie alone with Jack.
“Hi.” She smiled, unable to keep her sudden nervousness at bay.
Jack leaned one tanned arm against the doorjamb, preventing her from slipping by. “Hi, yourself, pretty lady.”
Nellie tried to shrug off her tenseness. Lord, she’d been naked on the stairs with him just five hours before. She forced a breezy smile. “Am I invited to this shindig or not?”
“There’s a price for entering.”
“Oh, really? No one else paid.”
“They don’t have the right qualities.” Jack reached up and tucked a hank of hair behind her ear. His actions were tender, his words heavy with meaning. She swallowed.
“What’s the price?” she asked.
“Just a kiss.”
“Oh, that doesn’t seem like so much.” She rose up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “There.”
“Nope.” He wagged a finger. “That will get, uh, maybe a toe in.”
Nellie laughed. “A toe? Come on. It was worth more than that.”
“Try again.” He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.
She wanted to run her hands under his trendy little T-shirt and then let her tongue trace the bottom curve of his lower lip, but her hands were full of bottles of appletini mixers and the foyer could easily be seen from the warehouse of a living area where the others had gathered.
Nellie sighed and pressed her mouth to his again, allowing her tongue to flick out and taste his lips teasingly. Jack let her take control of the kiss, seeming to satisfy himself with a passive role. She could feel herself slipping under his spell, entering that place where all else ceased to exist—a most wonderful place.
Jack grabbed the bottles from her hands, simultaneously breaking the kiss. “Come on in, then.”
Nellie fell back to earth and followed him into the living room.
Trish and Billie lounged on the large sectional couch while Kate busied herself unloading the booze at the bar. Four guys ranging from hulking to lithe were also in the room. Two were engaged in a heated discussion about illegal recruiting practices, whatever that was, one stabbed his BlackBerry with a small black pen, and the other brooded at the end of the bar. All of them turned and stared at Nellie as she followed Jack into the room.
“Guys, this lovely woman is Elle Hughes.”
A chorus of “hey” shot her way. Nellie tried to paste a smile on her face, but she felt damned awkward, no way around it. She wasn’t used to being center of attention. Plus, she prayed both Trish and Billie remembered her pretend name. They’d practiced in the car on the way over.
“Elle, the two guys by the window are Jay Busby and Nick Jones,” Jack said. “Both are assistant coaches for UNLV. Tim Heyward, the guy checking his e-mail, is my best friend from college.” He rebuked the slightly nerdy looking guy with a hard look. The man slid the BlackBerry into his pocket with an apologetic smile.
“And that mountain over there is my business partner, Dave O’Shea,” Jack finished.
“Nice to meet y’all.” Nellie nodded, purposely making eye contact with each of Jack’s friends. She looked at her own friends. Kate was ignoring everyone, plunking down glasses and wrenching lids from the bottles she’d brought. Trish and Billie cast uncertain glances at each other. Were they wishing they had made other plans?
“Has everyone else been introduced?” Jack asked.
Mumbled introductions were made, none overly friendly.
Jack ignored the bait. “Well, come on in.”
“We brought drinks, lots of booze,” Billie said, sliding by and turning to offer her hand. “I’m Billie Nader. I met you at Marilyn Turner’s benefit last year.”
“Of course.” Jack smiled, taking her hand. “Nice to see you again. And you too, Trish.”
“Jack.” Trish nodded, as elegant as a Nubian queen.
All three women sauntered into the huge living area just past the open foyer, leaving Nellie alone with Jack.
“Hi.” She smiled, unable to keep her sudden nervousness at bay.
Jack leaned one tanned arm against the doorjamb, preventing her from slipping by. “Hi, yourself, pretty lady.”
Nellie tried to shrug off her tenseness. Lord, she’d been naked on the stairs with him just five hours before. She forced a breezy smile. “Am I invited to this shindig or not?”
“There’s a price for entering.”
“Oh, really? No one else paid.”
“They don’t have the right qualities.” Jack reached up and tucked a hank of hair behind her ear. His actions were tender, his words heavy with meaning. She swallowed.
“What’s the price?” she asked.
“Just a kiss.”
“Oh, that doesn’t seem like so much.” She rose up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “There.”
“Nope.” He wagged a finger. “That will get, uh, maybe a toe in.”
Nellie laughed. “A toe? Come on. It was worth more than that.”
“Try again.” He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.
She wanted to run her hands under his trendy little T-shirt and then let her tongue trace the bottom curve of his lower lip, but her hands were full of bottles of appletini mixers and the foyer could easily be seen from the warehouse of a living area where the others had gathered.
Nellie sighed and pressed her mouth to his again, allowing her tongue to flick out and taste his lips teasingly. Jack let her take control of the kiss, seeming to satisfy himself with a passive role. She could feel herself slipping under his spell, entering that place where all else ceased to exist—a most wonderful place.
Jack grabbed the bottles from her hands, simultaneously breaking the kiss. “Come on in, then.”
Nellie fell back to earth and followed him into the living room.
Trish and Billie lounged on the large sectional couch while Kate busied herself unloading the booze at the bar. Four guys ranging from hulking to lithe were also in the room. Two were engaged in a heated discussion about illegal recruiting practices, whatever that was, one stabbed his BlackBerry with a small black pen, and the other brooded at the end of the bar. All of them turned and stared at Nellie as she followed Jack into the room.
“Guys, this lovely woman is Elle Hughes.”
A chorus of “hey” shot her way. Nellie tried to paste a smile on her face, but she felt damned awkward, no way around it. She wasn’t used to being center of attention. Plus, she prayed both Trish and Billie remembered her pretend name. They’d practiced in the car on the way over.
“Elle, the two guys by the window are Jay Busby and Nick Jones,” Jack said. “Both are assistant coaches for UNLV. Tim Heyward, the guy checking his e-mail, is my best friend from college.” He rebuked the slightly nerdy looking guy with a hard look. The man slid the BlackBerry into his pocket with an apologetic smile.
“And that mountain over there is my business partner, Dave O’Shea,” Jack finished.
“Nice to meet y’all.” Nellie nodded, purposely making eye contact with each of Jack’s friends. She looked at her own friends. Kate was ignoring everyone, plunking down glasses and wrenching lids from the bottles she’d brought. Trish and Billie cast uncertain glances at each other. Were they wishing they had made other plans?
“Has everyone else been introduced?” Jack asked.
Mumbled introductions were made, none overly friendly.
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