Next Song I Sing (NEXT TIME AROUND) (22 page)

“Nothing. I just haven’t seen Jasper jealous in a long time,” Sam said quietly.

Then she felt an arm around her waist pulling her back into a very firm chest. Closing her eyes to sniff, she smelled Jasper’s cologne. Her arms crossed over his just as his arm moved up. The weight of her breasts resistant against the tightness of his grip around her brought their lovemaking back in a rush.

“You flirting with my best friend again?” Jasper asked, planting a kiss on Chloe’s neck and relishing the small tremor it caused in her.

“No, I’m lining up a second guy so that we have someone to call in case another nearly naked blonde shows up at your door,” Chloe said sharply, turning her head to the side, feeling her hair brush his jaw. A half turn more and she could kiss him, she thought.

Sam’s eyebrows rose into his hair. “Do I even want to know about this blonde?”

Chloe reached out and patted his arm. “We’ll call you next time. It’s the kind of thing you have to see to believe. Otherwise, it defies description.”

“Rayonna’s friend,” Jasper said flatly. “And Chloe is right, it was hard to believe.”

“Talk to Max then, not me. I am definitely not into skinny models,” Sam said, putting his glasses back on. “And you two can take your oozing happy vibes out of my lounge and let me get some work done.”

“Maybe I could help you with the books,” Chloe said, eager to have something to do. “I really am an accountant.”

“Not today you’re not. Today you are a lounge singer,” Max announced, walking into the lounge and poking her arm as he headed to the piano. “Get over here, Pipes. You and I have some duets to practice.”

“I have to go work before the boss gets mad,” Chloe said, spinning on her stool and patting Jasper’s cheek.

“He won’t care,” Jasper said, eyes narrowed at Max’s demand. “I promise.”

“No way. I earn my keep,” Chloe told him, sliding from the bar stool and wincing unavoidably when her feet and legs hit the floor again. She wiggled her hips and frowned at the smugness in Jasper’s eyes as she took a couple wobbling steps. “If you say a word, it’s over between us and Sam’s turn will be up.”

Jasper held up both hands in the air. “Just wondering if I needed to apologize.”

Chloe pointed her finger. “That’s seven words, Wade. Lucky for you I’m in a generous mood today.”

Grinning, Jasper climbed on the stool she vacated and bit his lip to keep from saying anything more as Chloe turned and walked away.

“We’ll discuss it later,” she told him, throwing the comment over her shoulder, but turning to see if he still had the smug look on his face.

Jasper grinned at her and nodded in agreement. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam’s shoulders shaking with repressed laughter.

“I feel like we’re back in college. That woman can barely move without grimacing. What the hell did you do to her last night?” Sam asked, whispering.

Behind them, the piano starting playing, and Jasper heard Chloe and Max working on a song.

Jasper leaned a little in Sam’s direction. “I did everything she would let me all night long. Her condition is as much her fault as mine. I’m not exactly moving fast today myself,” he whispered back, keeping his face down so Chloe couldn’t see him smiling.

“I’ll trade my interests in the hotel bars for her,” Sam said with a grin. “Nothing to buy me out. Just give me the woman and forget she exists.”

“No can do, Sam. She was so good, I offered her all my money to make me her sex slave,” Jasper said, biting the side of his cheek as Sam’s shoulders shook in mirth again. “That was just during the first time. There were several other better ones after that.”

“Stop it, Jasper. Have a damn heart,” Sam said, bitter laughter spilling out finally as he flipped his books closed. His ability to concentrate was now totally gone. “You lucky bastard. I knew when I saw her with her friends that she’d be fun.”

“Damn right I’m lucky. Thank God I’m old enough and smart enough to recognize it this time,” Jasper said, sober in reflection on how he hadn’t been very smart about his love life before Chloe showed up.

“Well, take it easy on her tonight. I know it’s been twenty years since you had a real woman, but they can be just as delicate as all the rest,” Sam told him, sliding off the stool.

“Chloe’s more to me than just a good time in bed,” Jasper said, his tone serious. “I’m falling in love with her, Sam.”

“Yeah, I knew that too the first time I saw you looking at her like she was the only woman on earth,” Sam said. “I’ll cross my fingers for you, old man, but now that I know how right I was about her being a good time, I’m for damn sure not giving up second dibs.”

“Don’t make me kill you, Samuel. Good friends are hard to find too,” Jasper told him as he walked around him.

Shaking his head, Sam walked behind the bar and through a door into his office.

Chapter 18

Several days later, Taylor called and arranged for them to meet for lunch at a restaurant near where she worked. It was just after Emma’s meditation class at her gym, so Chloe was the only who had to drive to get there.

“Okay, Chloe. I’ve been waiting for you to volunteer information. You’re pretending nothing has changed and it is officially driving me crazy. How was Jasper Wade in the sack?” Taylor demanded, digging into her salad.

“How would I know yet?” Chloe asked innocently, taking a bite of her own salad, fighting not to grin at her friend’s frown as she chewed.

Emma glanced between the two of them and giggled, making them both look at her.

“Chloe, you might as well be wearing a sign announcing you got laid. You’re glowing for pity’s sakes. Just admit it. We know each other too well. Plus you haven’t uttered a single snarky complaint about anything in the last forty minutes, including the slow service and lack of breadsticks on the table at any given moment. There’s only one thing that puts a demanding woman like you in that good a mood. You’re having sex—great sex, judging from the smile on your face.”

“If you think I’m sharing the details of my revitalized sex life with you two horny women, you need your infamous chi checked, Wallace,” Chloe said, making her eyebrows jump. “That goes double for you, Baird.”

“Oh come on,” Taylor pleaded, “we’re skipping dessert here, and they have the best pie in town. That’s enough torture for one day. Give us something at least.”

Chloe swallowed, picked up her water glass, and sipped as she thought of how to explain the bedroom awesomeness of Jasper in such a way that her friends would admire her without fantasizing.

“Okay. I’m not one to brag about what happens behind bedroom doors, but for you two I’ll make an exception this once. You know how you dream of that guy who’s going to ask you what you want in bed and give you everything you mention until you can’t stand it anymore?”

She wanted to laugh when two solemn, hopeful women nodded at her words.

“Well, he’s not like that,” Chloe said firmly, laughing as her friends groaned at her fake-out. “Finding me to be an enthusiastic partner, Jasper is making up for his unsatisfying past and putting me through the paces of everything
he’s
ever wanted from a woman. The first time with him was average, but let me tell you ladies, I could write a book about everything we’ve done since. Someday when we’re sixty, I’ll tell you about what he did to me with chocolate mousse.”

Emma coughed as she choked on a sip of water. “Chocolate mousse?” she said. “I love chocolate mousse.” Her loud, envious sigh was unpreventable.

Taylor smiled and laughed deep in her throat. “Bitch,” she said lovingly to Chloe.

“Happy and very satisfied bitch,” Chloe replied with a smug smile at Taylor. “You need to give Max a chance, honey. Maybe that talent runs in the family.”

“If you don’t, I might after that story,” Emma said, taking another sip. “Lord, I think I’m having a hot flash over chocolate mousse. I may have to have pie now to take the edge off.”

“Give it up, Emma. You’re not dating Max,” Taylor stated, making sure the words carried the strong emphasis of her conviction.

Chloe and Emma looked at her, eyebrows arched at her tone.

“Get that hopeful look off your faces—I’m not dating him either. Maximillan Wade is off limits completely,” Taylor said firmly. “I did an Internet search on him, not even a real investigation. You should see the trail of broken hearts he’s left between here and Canada, including Ryan Carmichael’s reporter friend that did the article on him. The magazine she worked for ran a feature article talking about how she and Max were exclusive. They were seen all over town together just before Max dumped her for some twenty-two-year-old actress from a dog food commercial. He’s a worse player than I even suspected, no matter how much Jasper wants to say he’s a good man. He may have slowed down some since he’s been staying with his brother, but I doubt Max has changed.”

Taylor frowned, thinking about all the rest she’d read about Max too, but there was no reason to go into his entire history of being a recovering alcoholic. The trail of shattered women he’d left under his feet as he moved on was enough discouragement.

Emma frowned. “That’s too bad. Max seemed like a nice guy. Maybe he just hasn’t found the right person,” she said.

Chloe and Taylor exchanged looks, both shaking their heads.

“Forty and she’s still an innocent. I have to check out all the men Emma dates. She’s such a nice person that she doesn’t recognize the bad guys,” Taylor explained, looking at Chloe, who grinned.

“What about Ryan? He seemed like a nice guy. What’s your story with him?” Chloe asked. “Taylor say he gave you his phone number. In fact, she said it was hard to miss him writing on your hand for a full five minutes while he smiled at you. Do you like him?”

Emma nodded. “Yes—of course I like him. Ryan’s a great guy. I think he’d be fun to date too, but I need more permanence than he can offer me. Ryan is a wanderer who doesn’t know what ‘home’ means. The last time Ryan left, it was for more than a year—a
year
. I thought we were good friends, but he didn’t stay in touch or even offer to. I don’t think he makes those kinds of connections.”

“Maybe Ryan stayed away because he didn’t know you were having problems and getting a divorce. Did you even tell him you were separated when you knew him? Or that your ex got another woman pregnant? Or that you might someday want to date him when you got your life straightened out?” Taylor asked.

“Why would I tell Ryan all that? I didn’t know him that well then. Besides, a married woman doesn’t date—even when her husband is living with his pregnant girlfriend. I know both my parents did it, but I just couldn’t do that,” Emma said firmly, surprised at the idea, because it truly had never crossed her mind to share her failures with a client, even one that was a friend.

“Ryan sure looked interested in you Emma, especially for a man who hasn’t seen you in a long time,” Taylor said.

“I honestly don’t know what that was about. Believe me, Ryan Carmichael never said or did anything that indicated he would have been interested in me if I was available. That little flirting display the other night was way out of character for him,” Emma said, having done a good job of not thinking about it until Taylor and Chloe brought it up. “I haven’t called Ryan back because I do like him. I’m simply not interested in getting involved with another man who’s just going to leave me. I’m the kind of person who’s in it for the long haul. I may seem like I haven’t learned my life lessons about love, but I have, Taylor.”

Taylor reached over and covered Emma’s hand with hers. “I’m sorry if I implied otherwise. Of course you have, and I shouldn’t have teased you about your positive outlook on men. You
should
be looking for a guy who wants nothing more than to be there at the end of the day with you. Don’t ever settle, Em. I’m not settling next time around either. No more philandering jocks or exploiting playboys for me. I’m holding out for a nice guy too.”

“Thanks, you two. Now I feel guilty as hell,” Chloe said, tossing down was left of her bread stick to her empty plate. “Jasper Wade is pretty great as a guy. How did I get lucky enough to find Mr. Wonderful when you two look as good as Jasper’s ex-wife model and her friends? What’s up with that?”

Emma squeezed Taylor’s hand in forgiveness and let go. She looked at Chloe and grinned. “I think it’s your breasts. You draw earthy men who want intimate relationships with them as much as you. Maybe Taylor is right. I should play up my own assets more.”

Chloe gave a shrugging, grinning Taylor a scathing look before turning a kind gaze on Emma. “Right—so are you thinking about getting double-D implants just to meet men? Keep in mind that size-fourteen hips also come along with my more attractive girly assets. I wouldn’t recommend a size fourteen anything for a woman your height. You look great like you are.”

Taylor laughed, but Emma didn’t. Instead, Emma shook her head.

“No—Taylor said I had to pick one asset to play up, so I’m just interested in breasts. I wear a single D cup. I’m just going to buy push-up bras with gel pads. I’ll look like you then, only shorter and with tanned breasts,” Emma said with a shrug. “See—look at these? I just need a little help.”

Chloe chuckled as Emma lifted her proportional breasts in her hands only to let them fall again. She glanced around to see if anyone in the restaurant had noticed Emma’s show. Fortunately, they had out-lasted the normal lunch crowd.