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He gave her a lascivious glance. “I’m not going to stop doing my worst to you until your cries ring from the rafters and rattle the dishes in the kitchen.”
“Seriously? I’ll never be able to look your employees in the face again. Too embarrassing.”
They dashed over small bridges and darted past hedges.
“Except for security, and they stay on the perimeter and gates, I sent everyone else away,” Ian said. “They’re off on a well-deserved break. Won’t come back until I tell them to.”
Her heart fluttered. “In that case, tell me again what you’re going to do to me.”
Ian grinned, his dark hair shining in the sun, his tanned, strong hand clasped around hers. “Jada, I’m going to make you mine.”
That sounded fine to her. In fact, it was more than fine.
It was the perfect fantasy come true.
Chapter Nine
Three months later
JADA HANDED IAN THE BOWL of popcorn and flopped down next to him in the king-sized bed. She snuggled beside his big, warm body and Ms. Kitty delicately snuggled in next to Jada on her other side.
“Turn it on. We’re going to miss the beginning,” she said, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
He turned on the TV and flipped to CGTV. Piper Sandy’s tight, half-immobile face filled the screen.
Ian flinched. “Someone needs to tell that woman to back off the botox. She’s going to mummify herself alive.”
“I don’t think she cares,” Jada said. “Turn it up. I can’t hear.”
“Always telling me what to do,” he mumbled.
She bumped shoulders with him and grinned. “Shh.”
Piper’s shark-smile gleamed out of the screen. “First up tonight, an interview with supermodel Sasha. We’re going to get the scoop on all the latest news, from her coming out party to her shocking decision to retire from modeling. What’s next for Sasha? Let’s welcome her and find out.”
The scene panned wide and showed the typical talk show set, complete with small couches and chairs. Sasha lounged on the couch like she was at home. Piper perched in one of the chairs, her sidekick Dirk preening away in the other.
“Sasha darling, tell us it isn’t so,” Piper said. “You aren’t seriously going to retire from modeling I hope. At your age? You still have what ... a good six months left before you’re too old to get bookings? Why throw all that away?”
Jada laughed. “She’s just so ... Piper.”
“She’d better be careful. A minute in and she’s already treading the line,” Ian said.
Back on the set, Sasha was totally unfazed by Piper’s barb. “It’s true. I’m chucking it all. I’m retiring from modeling forever.”
Dirk gasped. “Forever? But why? Why would anyone give up a glamorous career like yours?”
“It’s not as glamorous as you might think, Dink,” Sasha answered. “Ha! Think Dink. That rhymed.”
“It’s Dirk,” he said, flipping back the thick shock of frosted hair that swooped down over his forehead.
“Is modeling hard work?” Piper asked, hardly bothering to hide her ridicule behind faux concern. “Is that what you’re telling us, Sasha? Having to stand and look beautiful while someone takes your picture is probably horribly tiring. And those runway shows. You have to walk down those runways what ... three four times a day sometimes? You models have it tough.” She smirked straight into the camera.
“No, that’s not what I meant. But I can see how someone who never had the least hope of being a model themselves might misunderstand how it works,” Sasha said.
“Me-ow!” Dirk said.
Piper and Sasha ignored him, only having eyes for one another, eyes like two heavyweight boxers squaring off in the ring.
“Yikes, I can almost feel the tension in there.” Jada grabbed up a handful of popcorn.
“I hope they remember what they’re about,” Ian said.
“So what’s next, Sasha?” Piper asked. “Perhaps you’ve found yourself a sugar mama. Wait, I know. You’re getting your own line of bikinis that someone else designs, produces and sells for you so you don’t have to tax yourself overly much?”
“Ooh!,” Dirk cried. “The bathing suits could be made out of sashes. Get it? Sashes by Sasha. I loooove it!”
“Great idea, Dork,” Sasha said with her brightest makeup-ad smile. “I’ll keep it in mind. But actually, I’ve been accepted to culinary school. I’m becoming a chef.”
“That’s Dirk,” he muttered, his enthusiasm dowsed.
Ian put his arm around Jada’s shoulder and squeezed. “It was a real stroke of genius, Jada, getting Agatha to leave Sasha alone. Threatening to sic your DA friend on Sasha for fraud unless Agatha stepped back and let her daughter make her own decisions about her life—genius. It worked exactly like you said it would.”
“I simply counted on Agatha being a mother first and a publicist second,” Jada said.
“I don’t know if I would have been as sure as you about the outcome,” he teased.
“Oh, they’re getting to the good stuff,” Jada said. “Look.”
The few muscles in Piper’s face that still worked, twitched. “There you have it. From supermodel to chef. Bizarre. Moving on. I hear you’ve brought us some pictures, Sasha. This is a big surprise for all you fans out there. So exciting!”
“That’s right,” Sasha said. “I wanted to share some photos from my friends’ re-commitment wedding ceremony.”
“And tell us who those friends are,” Dirk practically squealed.
Sasha waved her hands like a game show co-host. “Ian and Jada Buckley.”
Dirk could hardly contain himself. “Ooh, so thrilling.”
Piper was less demonstrative in her delight. “Yes, so exciting, I’m sure. I’m wondering though, why a couple who has only been married three months needs a re-commitment ceremony. Trouble in newlywed paradise, perhaps?”
Jada snorted. “Nope. We just had to make our marriage legal. Not that Piper knows that, thankfully.”
Back on television, Sasha said, “Believe me, there hasn’t been any trouble between Jada and Ian. They’re off on a honeymoon cruise on Ian’s yacht right now. They’re so happy it’s revolting. You don’t want to be around it. Touchy-feely all the time. They can’t keep their hands off of each other. Don’t even try to sit down and have a normal conversation with either of them because they’re either spaced out flirting with each other or they go running off to knock ... you know.”
“Day-um,” Dirk said.
“TMI,” Piper interjected.
“Finally,” Ian said. “Piper and I agree on something.”
Jada laughed. “Oh look, they’re putting the pictures up finally.”
“I understand the ceremony was at Ian’s lakeside estate, right?” Piper asked.
“Yep,” Sasha answered. “You can see in this picture where they were. It was next to this sickening, bubbling perfect creek. T
here’s Ian and Jada standing on the fancy Japanese bridge. That’s where they said their vows.”
“Oh, so romantic. Aren’t they a wonderful-looking couple?” Dirk gushed.
“Kind of simple attire, wasn’t it?” Piper asked.
“Jada wanted a small ceremony, only friends and family. She’s not into showy stuff, unlike some people.” Sasha looked Piper up and down, obviously unimpressed.
“You looked beautiful in that dress, Jada, and in that photo,” Ian said. “And if Piper knows what’s good for her, she’ll say as much.”
“Well Jada looks absolutely stunning, I must say,” Piper said, sounding as sincere as she ever did, which was a miracle.
“Good,” Ian mumbled.
“That dress suits her perfectly,” Piper added. “So classy. We’ll have to put her on our best-dressed wedding list, won’t we Dreck?”
Her sidekick eeped. “Dirk. Dirk. Why can’t anyone get it right today?”
“I agree with you, Piper,” Sasha said. “I’ve never seen a lovelier bride. I was totally jealous of Ian.”
Piper laughed awkwardly. “Yes, I’m sure you were.”
“I was.”
“I’m sure you were.”
“I was.”
They glared at one another until Dirk cried out, “Oh, who’s in that picture?”
Sasha glanced at the monitor. The pictures slowly changed as Sasha spoke. “Just family. There’s Jada’s parents and sister. There’s Ian’s parents. There’s my mother with her new husband, Saturn Talleyrand, good luck to him. That’s my brother, Trey, with Ian’s lawyer, Sullivan. There’s some of the estate staff, a few friends of the bride and groom.”
“Who’s that older woman you’re standing next to?” Piper asked.
Sasha’s smile was wide and genuine. “Oh, that’s Mrs. Best. She’s my cooking inspiration and mentor.”
“You’re looking at her like she’s ... like she’s your date or something.” From the sound of her voice, Piper’s brow may have been furrowed, if her brow had been capable of furrowing.
“I’d date her if she’d let me,” Sasha said. “But she won’t have me. Says I’m too young.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Piper said.
