“Oh, thank you.” I bounced to my feet and brushed off the front of my shorts. I held out my arms to Whiskey. “Want to hang out in the spa with me and the girls?”
He answered by jumping down from the lounger and padding over to join Mac—hopping up on the snoozing bodyguard’s stomach.
I frowned at my cat’s fluffy butt, a little betrayed.
Had Mac replaced me as Whiskey’s favorite person?
The spa was a magical place.
Even the sting of Whiskey’s betrayal faded once I entered its hallowed halls. Spa staff talked me into a whirlwind of treatments—from facials to waxing to all sorts of different massages. Everything was exfoliated, my hair was blown out, and there were multiple baths with colorful contents. I politely declined anything involving needles or cups, but I happily wore a fluffy white robe with matching slippers.
Would it be bad taste to ask Cade if I could keep the slippers after our ruse was over? I felt like a princess in them.
But my fairy tale crashed to a halt when I joined the other girls in the spa lounge.
I hesitated outside the lounge door, giving myself a little pep talk to lie and deceive again, when the conversation inside caught my attention.
“I’m just saying, has anyone told Cade it’s perfectly acceptable to write a check to charity?” Candace asked. “He doesn’t need to take on personal projects himself.”
I blinked. Oh wow. She wasn’t actually callingmea charity project… was she?
“Chill, Candace.” Piper sighed, followed by the rustle of a magazine page turning. “You’re only upset because Ellie beat you in the ropes course.”
Yep. Definitely me, then.
Candace scoffed. “Beat me? Cade had to carry her the entire way. She did nothing.”
I twisted the fake-engagement ring around my finger. She made a good point. I hadn’t exactly come across as a catch for Cade so far.
Not to mention, he’d told me point-blank to my face that I wasn’t his type. Clearly Candace saw it, too.
“So what if he carried her? Harrison practically dragged me across the course,” Madison chimed in. “Plus, Ellie seems genuinely sweet. Give her a chance.”
The knots in my stomach coiled tighter at Madison calling megenuinelyanything when I’d been lying to their faces.
Yeah, this was a terrible idea.
I pivoted on my heel to turn tail and run back to my cabin—only to come face-to-face with Dr. Lovejoy.
“Holy—” I just about jumped out of my skin, then quickly pasted on a tight smile. “Dr. Lovejoy! Um, hi. Sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
Lurking silently behind me while I eavesdropped like a Nosy Nelliewas left unsaid.
“Miss Ellie Darling, your skin is absolutely radiant.” Her large eyes blinked back at me as she smiled warmly and tapped her cheek. “I may need to get a facial myself. How’s the spa day treating you?”
I was still staring at her like a deer in headlights. “Um, good. I mean great! Really great. I feel like a princess.”
“Lovely, lovely. If things go as planned, you may be transformed from a princess to a goddess by the end of the night.” A mischievous glint entered her eyes that put me on alert,but she grabbed my arm before I could question it. “Let’s join the others.”
I opened my mouth to protest, because that lounge was the last place I wanted to be after what I’d overheard, but Dr. Lovejoy kept a vise grip on my arm while she flung the door open.
Madison, Piper, and Candace sat on a couple couches inside, sipping champagne and flipping through magazines in their own fluffy white robes. I wasn’t sure what this place’s obsession with white was—it left me endlessly paranoid about food stains.
“Good evening, ladies.” Dr. Lovejoy gave me a solid push further into the room, and I struggled to catch my footing with the slippers on such smooth flooring. “I hope we’re not interrupting.”
I’d have to be blind to miss the sneer Candace directed my way. It made me want to bop her on the head. But I forced a smile instead, because I had a feeling physical violence would be against the contract Cade and I had signed.
Besides, I’d taken an oath to spread kindness when I became a cuddler. Seeking vengeance didn’t really vibe with that.
