by Maggie Marr
“Sophia!” he yelled. His body hardened, every muscle tight as he finally stopped and was still. His body shook. The heat of his come pulsed into my body. Then he fell forward.
Both of us spent.
My eyes heavy.
Trick was with me, and I was with him.
At last.
Chapter 24
Ellen
“Doll, you ready for this?” I looked at Daddy. The “Steve Legend” smile was fixed on his face.
“This one is easy, Daddy,” I said. “It’s the next wedding that’ll kill me.”
I pressed my hands over my sky-blue silk gown. Daddy squeezed my arm and we walked toward the room where Jackson and his groomsmen were holed up. Fifteen more minutes. I took a long deep breath.
I’d left the bridal suite a while ago—they didn’t need me. Too much makeup, too many giggles, too much silliness, and that was everyone but Choo. This wedding, Choo and Jackson’s, would be easy-peasy compared to what I’d endure in nine months’ time. All I had to do for this wedding was show up, get my hair done, and put on a dress.
But the next one? I looked over my shoulder to where Trick and Sophia canoodled in the corner. They had their foreheads pressed together. They smiled and whispered like two lovesick puppies. It had been cute. At first. But the two of them had been like this for nearly a year.
“Get a room,” I called in a not-too-quiet voice.
Sophia shot me a look, but there was a smile attached. Where had my bitchy sister gone? Oh, yeah, she’d become the girl next door now that she’d fallen in love.
“Daddy, would you mind if I just hung out here for a while? I’ve had enough drama and the wedding hasn’t even started.”
“No problem. I’m going in there to kick ass and take names. You wait for me right here,” he said, as he gave me a kiss on the cheek.
I pressed my bouquet of magnolias and gardenias to my nose and took a long intoxicating breath. I’d better enjoy these weddings now, because I wouldn’t be having one of my own anytime soon. If ever.
“Well, hello, beautiful lady. I don’t think we’ve met. You’ve probably heard of me. I’m kind of a big deal if I so say so myself. I’m Webber. The Webz. Webzie, if we’re friends.”
I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling and spun on my high heels. “Webber, what the hell are you doing?”
His jaw dropped open and his eyes swept up from the bottom of my dress until his gaze finally landed on my … cleavage. “Yo! Webber, eyes up here buddy.”
“Uh … uh … Ellen. Yeaaaaah. So sorry babe, I didn’t recognize you from behind. You’re in a dress. Showered. Not sure I would have recognized you from the front either.” His eyes bounced back to my cleavage. “Yowza! Nope, not at all.” His gaze finally locked with mine. “You are one beautiful woman.” His voice was softer. He sounded a little surprised by his comment. As though my beauty were a revelation. What a dumbass.
“My identical twin is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.”
“Right.” Webber scrubbed his hand over his jaw and shook his head. “Guess I just never thought of you that way, babe. I mean, who’d know, right? You’ve always got your hair in a ponytail and your nose in a book.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say here, but you’re not winning points,” I said as I walked toward the staircase that led up to the bridal suite. I sighed. I was resigned to being surrounded by superficial and shallow people today and Webzie was one of them.
“Hey, no!” Webber jumped in front of me. He pulled at his black tie. “Ellen. Come on. You know how I am. I can be really bad with the mouth. But, babe, I promise, I’m smooooooth. Or I can be. Swear to God.”
I couldn’t help but crack a smile. Webber was a lot of things, but he was not smooth unless he was negotiating a deal. He thought he brought that same savoir-faire to the way he handled women, but he was sadly mistaken. He didn’t know how to be anybody else. He was all Webber, all the time.
“I’m just surprised is all. I never really thought of you as being world-class pretty.”
“Ah, there you go again. Thanks for the compliment.” I started up the staircase and then called back to him, “Daddy’s with Jackson and Rhett. Trick is in the corner making out with Sophia. Isn’t that like half your client list? Why don’t you stop insulting the ugly, no-talent member of the Legend family and go stick your nose up the ass of all the rest of them.” I marched up the stairs.
“What? Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ellen? Why so much hostility? I gave you a compliment.”
I spun on my heels, almost losing my balance, but I managed to catch the railing and prevent myself from falling on my ass. “Compliment? Webber, if that is your idea of a compliment then I completely understand why you’re here without a date.”
“What are you talking about?” He tugged on the cuffs of his dress shirt. “There are plenty of ladies who’d love to be here with The Webzie. I simply prefer to go stag at weddings.”
“Really? You might be good at selling that story to your clients, but it’s not working on me.”
“Babe, I’ll have you know the best and the easiest piece of ass is always found at a wedding. And that is not a word of a lie. Every single woman here will drink the kool-aid today.” He tilted his hand as though sucking down a glass of liquor.
What was he—a mime now, too? I knew teenaged boys who were more sophisticated than this guy.
“They all want to get married and today they will remember why. Easy pickings for a guy like me.”
“Okay, Webzie, you go enjoy your easy pickins’. I’m sure whomever you go home with tonight will wake up tomorrow morning feeling pretty damn proud that she went home with you. Of course, that is assuming there is someone here who is interested in your ‘kool-aid.’” With that I turned my back on the biggest douche I’ve ever met in my life.
“Thanks, babe!” Webber called after me. “I always appreciate a compliment.”
I just kept moving. “The Webz” might be great at being an agent, but he definitely didn’t understand an insult when he heard one.
I walked into the bridal suite, my lips pressed together as I tried not to cringe at the sickly sweet smell of hairspray and body lotion.
“You look pissed.” My half-sister Amanda handed me a glass of champagne.
“Nope. Just shocked at the things that come out of Webber’s mouth.”
Amanda smiled and nodded her head. “He’s harmless. Actually, he’s sweet, too. Poor guy. I’ve always thought if he’d only find the right girl he’d be a completely different person.”
“Who are we gossiping about?” Lane walked toward us. She upended her glass of champagne and snagged another one.
“The Webber, Webz, Webzie if you know him,” I said.
“Oh yes, Webber. Friend to all women, hater of commitment.” Lane smiled. “One of these days he’s going to get hit so hard by love he isn’t going to be able to pick his ass up off the floor.”
I took a drink of my champagne. “I can’t imagine what kind of woman would go for his line of bull but I, for one, can’t wait to meet her.”
“To Webber’s future girlfriend.” Amanda lifted her glass and Lane and I joined her in the toast. “May we all get a chance to meet her.” We clinked glasses, drank our champagne. None of us realized that Webber’s future girlfriend had been in the room with us all along.
The End
About This Series
Thanks for reading Luxe Glamour. I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews help other readers find books and I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Please take a moment and write a review for Luxe Glamour.
You’ve just read the fifth book in the Glamour Series. This is the full series:
1. Hard Glamour
2. Broken Glamour
3. Fast Glamour
4. Easy Glamour
5. Luxe Glamour
6. Impossible Glamour—coming soon
Would you like to know when my next book is availab
le? You can sign up for my new release e-mail list at http://maggiemarr.blogspot.com/p/maggies-newsletter.html.
Follow me on Twitter at : http://twitter.com/maggiemarr, or like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Marr-Books/168071873226783?ref=ts.
Visit my Website at http://www.maggiemarr.blogspot.com.
Book two of The Eligible Billionaires series is out. Just click the link if you'd like to read an excerpt from One Night for Love.
Also by Maggie Marr
The Hollywood Girls Club Series
Hollywood Girls Club
Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club
Hollywood Hit
Hollywood Girls Club the Series
The Eligible Billionaires Series
Can’t Buy Me Love
One Night for Love
A Christmas Billionaire
Last Call for Love – coming soon
Running from Love – coming soon
A Forever Love – coming soon
The Powder Springs Series
Courting Trouble
The Christmas Wish
The Glamour Series
Hard Glamour
Broken Glamour
Fast Glamour
Easy Glamour
Luxe Glamour
Impossible Glamour – coming soon
About the Author
Maggie Marr is an attorney, author, and producer. She began her career in the entertainment industry pushing the mail cart but rose to the position of motion picture literary agent. She has written for TV, film, and celebrities. Maggie has been featured on KCRW's The Business and reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Romantic Times. She lives in LA with her family.
Maggie is eternally grateful for the graciousness and support of her readers.
Please visit her Website at: http://www.maggiemarr.blogspot.com.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/maggiemarr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Marr-Books/168071873226783?ref=ts
Acknowledgements
First, always, and forever, thank you to my readers! You are my inspiration for every book and you are the reason I keep writing. I truly hope you enjoy this book.
Thank you to my agent Kristin Nelson. Her guidance, professionalism, knowledge, and pep talks inspire me. I am truly blessed to have Kristin in my life. Thank you to the team at NLA Digital, Lori Bennett and Angie Hodapp. Thank you to my amazing editor Valerie Gray and my proofreader Jennifer Brown. Thank you to Sarah Hansen at Okay Designs for her vision for every book cover in The Glamour Series. Thank you to Sarah Altman for tackling every task that I throw her way with grace and dedication.
Thank you to my Beta Readers! You ROCK!
Thank you to the Romance Writers Association (RWA), Los Angeles Romance Authors (LARA), and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). Each of these organizations provides me with inspiration and fabulous writer friends.
A special thank you to my friends and family: Margaret L. Marr, Nancy Veskerna, Nealie Harrison, Lauren Harrison, Gavin White, Linda and Bill Henderson, Lindsy and Mark Henderson, Joyce and Tom Leahy, Eloise and Dixie Marr, Gayle Leftwich, Garrett Marr, Amy and Brent Zacky, Victoria and Karl Makinen, Sheryl and Steven Ross, Lara and Brent Phillips, Kari and Craig Smith, Melissa Lamoureaux, Paramount Elite Gymnastics and the entire PEG family, Peggy Cafferty, Maria Seager, Sylvie Fox, Christine Ashworth, Debbie Decker, Cami Brite, Jane Porter, Chandra Years, Beverly Diehl, Rebekah Ganiere, Sarah Vance-Tompkins, and Kady Ambrose.
To Chad and the kidlets: I love you to the moon and back, more today than I did yesterday, and even more tomorrow.
An Excerpt from One Night for Love
One Night for Love, book two in The Eligible Billionaires Series, now available from Maggie Marr.
Chapter One
“I want it harder,” Prim said. A grunt came from behind her. “God, yes.” Warmth pulsed through Prim’s body. Tingles shot from her spine and into her limbs. “Yes, deeper, deeper.” The warmth in her core puddled. Her muscles loosened. Her eyes closed. She soaked in the pleasure of a strong, hard, touch. To be stroked and kneaded and rubbed.
This was paradise.
“Lady got too much tension in her shoulder.” Layla’s hand supple with oil trailed along the fine vertebrae of Prim’s neck. “Muscles still knotted in here”—her deft fingers pulsed along Prim’s left shoulder—“even after six days of massage.”
Air wooshed from Prim’s lungs. She opened her eyes and stared at the terra cotta tile floor beneath the massage table. What could she say? Even with the sun, surf, and sand she couldn’t forget what she was about to return to in California.
Gargantuan changes and potentially a huge mess of an existence.
“Lady’s lower back is still tight.” Layla's fingertips fanned out and Prim felt the heat in her core melt. Relaxation oozed through her. “Lady needs to be with a man.”
Prim jerked her head from the circular cushion. “A what?”
“Head down,” Layla pressed on the back of Prim’s head. “A man. Lady, needs to be with a man to release the tension in her body.”
Prim resettled her forehead and cheeks against the cushion. Her sex life, of lack thereof wasn’t something she really wished to discuss with her masseuse. Of course Layla's hands had kneaded nearly every inch of Prim's body for the last six days. The massage, each day, was a high point of Prim’s existence at La Meridian Ora at which she’d spent the last six days trying to decompress, relax, and prepare for what she would return to in L.A.
“Thought Lady would find a friend by now,” Layla continued. “Every day I walk up to house and think, this is the morning pretty Lady has no more tension here.” Layla’s thumb dug deep into the muscle of Prim’s left shoulder.
“Oooow,” Prim whined. Layla’s thumb hurt so good.
“Lady is pretty. She is young. She has beautiful body. Not married. No kids. She has private house, private beach at resort.” With each word, Layla rubbed her hands deeper into the muscles of Prim’s back. “She on holiday without man, but plenty of men at resort on holiday without a woman.”
Prim closed her eyes, Layla was beginning to sound more and more like Prim’s mother in London.
“So why, I ask, why has Lady, while she here, not found friend to take care of all the tension in these muscles?” Layla pulled the heavy heated towel up over Prim’s back and took her strong hands and stroked down Prim’s left leg.
“God, yes,” Prim whispered between her teeth.
“You not answer me.” Layla laughed. “Maybe Lady not know answer.”
“Men are pigs.” Prim said. There were two Prim wanted to gut right now.
“You’re not having sex.” Layla said. “I feel it in your muscles. I see it in your joints. Too tight. No sex.”
Prim’s sexual frustration bubbled through her chest and replaced the relaxation that Layla’s hands provided.
“I just haven’t found anyone,” Prim said. “No one that I want to be with.”
“Don’t have to keep the man, just have to use the man. Don’t keep the pig for a pet, just use it for what you need.”
Prim smiled. She liked the way Layla thought.
“Done,” Layla said. She tickled Prim’s right toes. Prim sat up and pulled the sheet around her body.
“Lady leave tomorrow?” Layla asked. She wiped her hands on a towel.
Prim nodded. “Early. I return to work on Monday.”
“Maybe you get lucky tonight. With all the massage your muscles are ready for a man. The heat will explode for you. Maybe you find one at Devils and Angels?”
Prim screwed up her face and shook her head. “Not going.” She slid from the massage table. She grasped the table with her hand. The first few steps, after a massage, were always tough. “Leaving early tomorrow morning, spending the night here.”
Layla’s smile slipped from her face. “Lady must go to Devils and Angels party.” Her grey hair was in a long thick braid. The skin around h
er eyes was etched with tiny wrinkles but Prim could neither tell Layla's heritage nor, for certain, her age. She seemed timeless. “Someone you must meet. I feel it in your body.”
Okay. A little too much voodoo with the massage. Prim reached for the envelope she’d prepared and handed it to Layla. “I can’t thank you enough for this week. You’ve made my body feel,” Prim pulled the sheet tighter around her body. “Well you’ve made my body feel better than it has in years.”
“Eighteen months,” Layla said. “It’s been almost eighteen months since you’ve been with a man.”
“How do you-?”
“You still not believe what my fingers feel? I can feel it all in your muscles, in your bones. We carry the body through life and life, it infiltrates all of the body.” Layla said the words as if it all was obvious. “You go tonight. You meet someone take away the tension these hands can’t reach.” Layla reached for her bag of oils and hefted it over her shoulder. “You go.”
“Not going,” Prim said, again, and followed Layla toward the door. “But thank you.”
“You are going,” Layla said a smile plastered to her face. “The man who will take the tension from you will be there. You will find him tonight.”
Prim’s smile remained fixed to her face. Perhaps it was the language barrier. She’d had similar conversations with Layla over the course of the last six days and instead of arguing or trying to explain Prim had simply nodded and smiled. The last one was when Prim emphatically denied that she would go snorkeling but then she....had?