And it was ultra sexy.
I memorized his torso, finding a little freckle on his left side, and learning he wasn’t as ticklish as I was. My lips traveled along the hollows of his neck and the sculpted parts of his collarbone.
In return, he put his mouth on every single part of me. Seriously. He kissed me behind my ear and along my neck down to my fingertips, then kissed my palm and all the way on up my inner arm. Then he repeated it on the other side, as if he too was mapping my body. Reverently.
“Yeah,” I said on a happy sigh. “This is better.”
“I have a present for you,” he said. And he pulled out a small gift bag.
I had no idea if he was giving me lingerie or a sex toy or something naughty, but it ended up being a couples’ massage oil that smelled divine.
From our make out session, our shirts were off. But we took everything else off.
He got on his belly, and I rubbed the oil between my hands, then straddled his back and used it on his naked shoulders, all the way down to his perky ass. As I massaged every part of his back, he moaned in pleasure. And I kissed as much of him as I could reach.
He returned the favor. Low lights. Quiet music. And his broad hands all over my back. Seeing me, really seeing me.
We didn’t have sex, at least not anything penetrative. But he brought me to an orgasm, his intense eyes watching me, and then I watched him do it to himself per my request.
I thought that it didn’t matter if I landed in Merlot or New York or Stockholm or Kiev. If I had Tate in my life, it was enough.
Twelve
Boring Party with Decent Catering
Tate
I hoisted the tray of goat cheese canapés and wended my way through the crowd. It was a pretty party—a fiftieth birthday celebration—but it didn’t matter who attended this shindig because I was on the clock and not here to socialize. In the summer evening at the edge of a vineyard, a Beatles cover band played near a white tent. Strings of large white lights draped over the outdoor dance floor, and white roses sat on tables covered in white tablecloths.
I yawned.
At least they’d hired a decent caterer, but the decor was as blandly pretty as it could be.
Or maybe it just lacked the spark of a certain redhead.
I had a job to do. With a smile, I offered the hors d’oeuvres to guests in gauzy dresses and pastel polo shirts.
Until my smile fell when I ran into a familiar face. Jade Lopez stood before me, wearing a dark blue linen dress and high heels.
“Hey,” I said, not wanting to be rude. I set down the tray of hors d’oeuvres on a nearby table and brushed off my hands. Somehow I’d ended up at the edge of the party. I glanced around for an exit, but to escape her, I’d have to push through the crowd and make a scene. I sighed, cornered. “What are you doing here?”
She took a step toward me. I had to keep myself from taking a matching step back. “It’s my mom’s birthday,” she cooed. “I’m glad you could come.”
“Ah. I’m, uh, just here to work for my mom. I’m not a guest.”
“I know. We talked about it at Barnes and Noble.”
“Ah, that’s right.” I’d totally forgotten.
“You’d know that if you answered my texts,” she said.
“About that—”
“Still, you’re here. And that’s all that matters.” She took another step toward me, and I wished I hadn’t set down the tray. I needed a buffer.
“I need to—”
“Tate. Why don’t you see if you can stay after the party. We have a guest house. It’s very private. We can, you know. Hang out.” And the way she said it left no doubt as to what she meant.
I stared at her. “No. After this I have to go—”
Before I could do anything, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.
It felt all wrong. Wrong girl, wrong lips, wrong place. Just no.
I stood there in shock before I recovered, unhooked her arms that encircled my neck, and stepped back. “Jade, look. You have to leave me alone. I’m not interested in dating you. Audrey and I are together.”
A wicked look came over her face. “For now. When you go to Columbia, you won’t be seeing her. I’ll be close at Penn. I can come visit.”
“No, she’s coming with me to New York. I’ll be spending most of my time with her.”
She gave me the evilest grin I’d ever seen outside of a Disney villain. “Oh, Tate. Audrey isn’t going to New York.”
A sinking feeling in my gut outpaced the sudden headache I was getting. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“She’s staying in Merlot to take care of her mom.” Jade’s face said innocent, but I knew she was anything but. And I was trying to figure out how I could wipe off her kiss discreetly.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “How do you know about that?”
“I see Audrey every week when she takes her mom for her appointments, and she told me all about her plans. I don’t know why she didn’t tell you.” Again, the faux innocence. I just needed to throttle her.
But her words made me pause.
I knew Mrs. Staunton had been diagnosed with MS. Audrey had told me before, and she’d talked about going with her to doctor’s appointments.
But Audrey staying in Merlot?
Jade was still talking. “I didn’t know you had no idea. I thought she would have told you she wasn’t going to New York with you.”
Not going to New York? What the actual fuck?
God, Jade was such a conniving bitch.
But what if Jade was telling me the truth? Because if she’d seen Audrey’s mom, maybe she did know what she was talking about.
If Audrey wasn’t going to New York, I couldn’t … breathe.
“I have to go,” I blurted, not waiting to see Jade’s reaction, and took off with my tray the long way to the prep area. Once there, I set down my tray and found my mom.
“Do you have enough coverage tonight? Something’s up with Audrey and her mom. It’s important. Can I go?”
She nodded, surely seeing my wild-eyed expression. “Tate? What’s wrong?”
Why wouldn’t Audrey tell me?
“I don’t know, Mom. I need to find out if Audrey is alright.”
Did she not trust me?
“Yes, of course you can go. Let me know. I hope she’s okay.” She paused and wiped what was assuredly lipstick off the side of my mouth. “What happened?”
“Long story.”
“Then go.”
And I ran to my truck and raced to her house.
Audrey opened the door with a surprised expression. “Tate? What are you doing here? I thought you were working.”
“I left early,” I said. “I wanted to talk with you.”
She looked over her shoulder into the dining room where her parents were seated.
“We’re just sitting down for dinner,” Chief Staunton said. “Want to join us?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes.”
Thirteen
Guess Who Comes to Dinner