by Carrie Elks
“No rush. And no need to clean them.” Because he was a dog, and wanted to smell her on them.
“Goodnight.” Lydia gave him the smallest of smiles. “Don’t work too hard tonight. You need sleep, too.”
The corner of his lip quirked up. “I’ll try not to.”
She cracked opened the door and froze. As if on impulse, she turned and leaned across the car, cupping his jaw with her hand and planting a huge kiss on his cheek. “By the way, I’m not sorry at all about what happened outside your bathroom.”
Before he could reply, she was hopping out of the car and closing the door behind her, carrying her wet clothes in the bag he’d given her, as she sashayed along the driveway to Griff and Autumn’s house.
Jackson laughed to himself, because what else was he supposed to do?
The truth was, he wasn’t sorry, either.
10
Lydia was the last to get up the next morning. By the time she climbed out of bed at nine, Griff was long gone, and Autumn was flying out of the house, Skyler in her stroller. “I’m in meetings this morning,” she told Lydia. “And this afternoon I have the decorators coming to nail down the plans for the ceremony. But tonight is girls’ night. Ally’s invited us all over for cocktails.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You up for that? We can go somewhere just the two of us if you prefer.”
“Girls’ night sounds good,” Lydia said, smiling. She liked Autumn’s friends. After last night’s heated exchange with Jackson, maybe a room full of estrogen was what she needed.
And anyway, they had the info on Jackson. And Hayley, whoever she was. Fun and facts – that was the kind of night she liked.
Lydia pressed a kiss to Skyler’s smooth brow. The baby grabbed her hair and held on tight, making Lydia laugh.
“You sure you’ll be okay alone today?” Autumn grimaced. “You can come to the pier again if you’d like?”
“It’s good. I have a video conference this morning with some clients. After that, I’ll walk to the boardwalk to do a little shopping. I want to check on Deenie’s Instagram, and I promised to set Lorne Michaels up, too.”
“You know more people than I do here,” Autumn teased.
“Hardly. But they’re nice and I like helping them.” Lydia shrugged. “So please don’t worry. I won’t get bored.”
“You never do,” Autumn agreed. “That’s one of the things I admire about you.”
That made Lydia’s skin glow. Her older sister wasn’t big on compliments. So when they came, they really meant something. “You sure I can’t look after Skyler for you while you’re working?” she asked Autumn.
“That’s so sweet of you, but I want to spend a bit of time with her between meetings.” Autumn gave her a quick hug. “You have the spare keys to the house, right?”
“Sure do.” Lydia grinned.
“Okay. I’ll see you this evening. Be ready for girls’ night.” She pulled open the front door and wheeled Skyler out to her car, lifting her from the stroller to her car seat. Lydia blew a kiss at them both and closed the door.
After pouring herself a coffee, and silently congratulating herself for not breaking anything, Lydia placed her laptop on the kitchen table, and grabbed her pad, quickly scanning through her notes.
Serena Blake had booked Lydia’s services last year, the day after she’d gotten engaged to her fiancé, a successful investment banker in New York. When Lydia had told her she wasn’t available for more than twelve months, Serena had taken it in her stride.
“That’s fine,” she said. “We can plan the wedding around your availability.” She wasn’t even joking.
Now it was only three months until they were due to go to Rio for their honeymoon, and Lydia had sent over their itinerary last week. Wherever possible, she always tried to follow it up with a meeting or video call to make sure things were to their liking. It was important her clients were happy.
Clicking on the icon to start the call, Lydia waited for it to connect, and smiled when she saw Serena and Damon appear on the screen.
“Hi,” she said. “How are you?”
“Great,” Serena said. Damon nodded and said nothing. From the set of his eyes, Lydia was certain he was scrolling through his phone.
Behind them, Lydia could see the elegant lines of their expensive living room furniture, and a window overlooking Central Park, the trees swaying softly in the spring breeze.
“Thanks for agreeing to do this virtually. I’m sorry we can’t meet in person,” Lydia told them.
“No no, it’s fine.” Serena leaned forward, her baby blue cashmere sweater pulling down to reveal a tiny silver locket nestling at the dip in her throat. “We’re just grateful you have time to meet with us. We know how exclusive you are.” She took Damon’s hand and squeezed it. He looked up from his phone, eyes widening as though he didn’t expect to be looking at a computer screen filled with a woman in California.
“Isn’t that right, honey? We’re very lucky Lydia could fit us in.”
“Yeah.” He gave an absent nod and looked back at his phone.
“Have you taken a look at the itinerary?” Lydia asked. “Since you’re honeymooning in June, it’ll be winter in Brazil. Which is perfect, because the weather ranges between seventy and eighty degrees.” Lydia smiled at the camera. “That should mean we can see a lot of things without getting overheated.”
“I have and I love it.” Serena nodded. “But there’s one issue. You haven’t included the Christ the Redeemer statue. We really want to visit it, don’t we, Damon?”
He looked up with those same wide eyes. “Yeah.” He nodded, though it was clear he had no idea what he’d been asked. “Sounds good.”
“I put two free days into your schedule. I won’t be charging for those,” Lydia told them. “I figure you can use those to do the usual touristy things, or to rest if you prefer. There’s no point in paying me to take you to Christ the Redeemer. You can easily get there yourself.”
“Oh.” The woman blinked. “I thought you’d be with us the whole time.”
Lydia bit down a smile. “But it’s your honeymoon. Won’t you want some time together alone?” She glanced at Damon. He’d given up any pretense at listening and was typing furiously on his phone screen, his lips pressed together so hard they were white.
Serena shifted in her chair. “Um, I guess.”
“I can always write a few things into the free days with directions on how to get there,” Lydia told her. “I could arrange a spa visit, or have a driver take you to the beach. We have a couple of months to get the fine details arranged.” She smiled widely. “You must be excited about the wedding.”
“The wedding?” Serena’s eyes widened. “Oh that. Yes, of course. Very excited. Aren’t we, darling?”
“Sorry. Work email.” Damon flashed a smile, and put his phone down. “What did you say?”
Those two really needed some quality time together. Maybe she’d take them up to The Maze one night. It was a nightclub at the top of the hill of one of the favelas, full of beautiful, sensual people and music that made you lose your inhibitions.
Perhaps she’d also somehow get Damon to lose his phone. The thought of him traveling around Rio without paying attention to his new wife, or the beautiful city, made her stomach turn. She’d have to think about it. One thing was for sure, she’d make it a perfect vacation for them.
“If there’s anything else you need, let me know,” Lydia told her. “I’ll be traveling for the next couple of months, but I can be contacted by email or messenger.”
“Where are you going?” the woman asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.
Lydia laughed, because she could talk about her travels all day. “Right now, I’m in California for my baby niece’s naming day. Then I’m off to Spain and Europe for a month.”
Serena clapped her hands together and turned to her fiancé. “Hey, aren’t the Bartons going to Spain?” She glanced back at Lydia. “Ella Barton. Is that who you’re taking?”
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“I can’t tell you.” Lydia shrugged apologetically. “Client confidentiality.”
The woman pursed her lips. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll find out another way.”
I bet you will. “Do you have any other questions about the itinerary?”
“Not that I can think of. As long as we also get to see the statue, I’m happy.”
“Great.” Lydia smiled at them. “But drop me an email if you think of anything. I’ll answer as soon as I can. Either way we will be in contact before June, but the plan is to meet at Galeão International Airport, and that’s where your tour will begin.”
“Thank you so much.” Serena smiled widely. “Oh! And can we take a selfie with you? Just so we can show our friends we’ve been video calling with you? I’m a big fan of your Instagram page.”
“She’s a stalker,” the man said, finally putting his phone down. “Like your number one fan.”
“Sure. Of course.”
Serena turned her back to the screen and made Damon do the same, holding her phone up high to take a photo of the three of them. “There,” she said. “That’s perfect. I’ll tag you.”
“Great.” Lydia smiled. “Thanks.”
She didn’t really mind. This was what they paid her for, after all. Not just a chance to see the real cities of the world, but also the opportunity to brag about it to their friends. She wasn’t part of that world, no matter how much her father would have liked her to be. She preferred airplanes to dinner knives, fiestas to cocktail bars. As long as she was traveling, she felt like she was living.
Not simply existing, the way so many people seemed to do in New York. And if a few selfies and Instagram tags made her clients happy, then she was happy, too.
“Thank you.” Serena smiled. It genuinely lit up her face. Lydia made a mental note to make her smile a lot when they were in Rio.
“Any time.”
“And congratulations on your niece. I hope the naming day goes well.”
“Thank you.” Lydia grinned warmly. “And good luck with your wedding preparations. I can’t wait to hear all about it in Rio.”
“Be good,” Griff said, kissing Autumn on the cheek. She leaned down to kiss Skyler before hugging him hard.
“We will. It’s just girls’ night.”
“I know what happens at girls’ night.” He lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve already sent Nate my commiserations. I can’t believe he agreed to host.”
“Nate loves being surrounded by women,” Autumn pointed out. “Anyway, just be thankful we’re not all coming here. This way you get to cuddle with Skyler and watch whatever you’d like on the television.”
“And you don’t have to listen to girl talk all night,” Lydia teased. “That’s a double win.”
“I like girl talk.” Griff tapped her with his elbow. “You know that.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll fill you in on all the gossip when we’re back. Unless you’re asleep.”
They waved goodbye to Griff, and Lydia couldn’t help but smile at the difference between his giant body, and the tiny form of Skyler. She was snuggled against his chest, a contented smile lifting her chubby cheeks.
A glance at Autumn’s expression told Lydia she was as captivated with Griff as her daughter. Her bottom lip wobbled, as though she didn’t want to leave them.
“Come on,” Lydia said, sliding her arm through her sister’s. “We’ll only be gone a few hours. And you can message Griff while we’re gone.”
“I might not answer though,” Griff told them. “I’m kind of sleepy.”
“You’d better.” Autumn lifted a brow. “And I want photos, too.”
“The naked kind?” Griff waggled his eyebrows.
“Eeugh. Can you guys cut it out?” Lydia pleaded. Though her thoughts weren’t on Griff and Autumn at all. Instead, she was thinking about Jackson and the way his finger trailed along her hip last night. How his lips had felt warm and soft as they’d brushed against hers. She swallowed hard at the memory of the rush of blood to her skin as he curled his fingers around her hip, pulling her closer.
And then it had ended abruptly, with the arrival of his dad.
In just a few days, he’d come to dominate her thoughts, and she had no idea what to do about it. All she knew was that she wanted to know him. To feel him. To touch him.
And she also wanted to know who Hayley was.
Tonight, she was going to find out. All of Jackson’s friends – of the female variety – would be at Ally’s house for cocktails. They’d have to know about Hayley and Jackson, and why he kept blowing hot and cold.
“When I asked for photos, I mean of Skyler, you goof.” Autumn shook her head at Griff, and allowed Lydia to lead her to the waiting car.
Griff winked and blew her a kiss. Autumn blew him one right back.
“Come on, let’s go,” Lydia said, pulling open the door. It was time to kick back, have some fun, and maybe get some answers about Jackson.
“It’s seven o’clock,” Lisa pointed out. “You should go home.”
Jackson looked up from the screen, his eyes blinking as they adjusted to the darkening office. “Seven? Seriously? Last time I looked it was four.”
Lisa shook her head. “I’ve fed Eddie, but he needs a walk.” She leaned down to tickle Eddie’s chin. His tongue lolled out with pleasure. “And you need to get some fresh air. You’ve been in here for twelve hours.”
“What are you still doing here anyway?” Jackson asked her. “You finish at six, don’t you?”
Lisa nodded. “Usually. But I worked an extra hour tonight because I have an appointment tomorrow, remember?”
No, he didn’t. But he was always flexible with his staff’s hours. Two of his programmers were pathologically allergic to early mornings, so they didn’t start work until eleven. They usually finished at eight, but sometimes worked through the night like Jackson.
As long as they got the job done, he really didn’t care what hours they worked. He was the one who needed to be here during office hours, in case of problems with their clients.
Being in the office had one added bonus. He didn’t keep walking past the bathroom to remember that damn hot almost-kiss he and Lydia had shared last night.
Who was he kidding? He didn’t need to be there to remember it. Each slide of his finger and hitch of her breath was etched into his brain. That’s why he’d tried to bury himself in his work, so he didn’t keep wondering what would have happened if his dad hadn’t arrived.
His lips curled up as he remembered her parting words. That she wasn’t at all sorry about what happened. He wasn’t either. He was just sorry it had ended so abruptly.
Yeah, so why haven’t you called her?
Truth was, he’d thought about it all day. But he had this damn program to sort out before somebody figured out how to get through the hole in his client’s defenses. But now the job was almost done – ten minutes and he’d run some tests. After that?
The night was his.
He lifted his hand as Lisa wished him a goodnight. Seeing his pal leaving, Eddie padded over to Jackson and lay his head down on Jackson’s thighs, looking wistfully up at him.
“I’ll take you for a walk in half an hour, buddy,” Jackson told him. “Promise.”
Eddie let out a little whimper.
“I’ll even take you on the beach. And I won’t complain if you get wet.”
Satisfied, Eddie curled up on the floor by the chair, while Jackson started to run the program.
As the data scrolled across his screen, he picked up his phone and scrolled until he hit Lydia’s number. Before he could think better of it, he hit the call button, his jaw ticking as he waited for it to connect.
“Hey,” Lydia answered, her voice breathless. “How are you?”
She sounded pleased to hear from him. It was strangely gratifying.
“I’m good. Still in the office, about to head out and walk Eddie.” The dog opened one eye at the sound of his name, before closing it again w
hen he realized he was being talked about, not to. “And I was thinking after that we could head out for your driving lesson. If you’re still up for it.”
“Oh.” Lydia’s voice fell. “I can’t. I’m on my way out right now. I assumed you were busy.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her where she was going, but he swallowed that question down. It was none of his damn business.
“It’s girls’ night,” Lydia added, as though he’d asked the question out loud. “Autumn and I are heading over to Ally’s. We’re having cocktails.”
His shoulders relaxed. “In that case, let’s take a raincheck.”
“I’m free tomorrow,” she suggested. “I could come over and take Eddie for a walk, and after we could go for a drive.”
“Sounds good.” He was glad Lisa wasn’t there to see his smile.
“I promise I’ll stay dry this time.”
He chuckled. “I don’t care if you get wet.” And damn if that didn’t make him think about a different kind of activity altogether. One that involved finding exactly where her cherry blossom tattoo ended.
Over the phone he could hear the car door slam.
“Jackson?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got to go.” She sounded reluctant. “We’ve just got to Ally’s and she’s already handing Autumn a cocktail. She’s not even reached the doorstep yet.” Her voice lowered. “Last time I saw her drinking cocktails she ended up buying a pier. I need to keep an eye on her.”
“Why do I think it’s the other way around?” Jackson asked her, his voice teasing. “I’m pretty sure you’re the one who needs keeping an eye on.”
“Is that an offer?” she asked lightly.
“It’s whatever you want to take from it.” The corner of his lip quirked. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Seven okay?”
“Seven’s perfect. Oh and Jackson?”
“Yeah?” He was getting used to her parting shots. They made his muscles feel tight and full.
“Maybe tomorrow I’ll show you the other tattoo I have. The one on my ass.”