“Elsa, thank you for telling Jazz to be nice to me,” Slash said.
“She wasn’t supposed to say anything.” After a beat, Elsa’s expression fell. “I’m concerned he’s using her for the Santini name.”
“She told me something in confidence,” Slash began. “About her and Russell.”
“Tell us,” Carrera said.
Slash looked from him to Elsa. At a crossroads, she stayed silent. Betraying a confidencewasn’tsomething Slash did.
“We won’t say anything,” Elsa said. “If you’re concerned about her, we should know.”
“They’ve never been intimate,” Slash said, “and Jazz doesn’t know if they’re sexually compatible.”
“Maybe he wants to wait for the honeymoon,” Elsa said.
“She told me he thinks of her as a Madonna,” Slash confided.
“I had a friend whose husband was similar,” Elsa said. “After their last child was born, he started having multiple affairs. That’s not good. G-pa and I had a strong relationship in that department.”
“Not an image I need,” Carrera said.
Elsa bit back a smile. “Sexual intimacy is part of life.”
“Their entire relationship is centered around his work—” Slash’s thoughts came to a screeching halt.
Ah, fuck. Fuck me. That’s just like Carrera and me. We’re completely focused on work.
Her heart dipped.
“What?” Carrera asked.
“I thought you should know, that’s all,” Slash said. “Please don’t?—”
“Not a word,” Elsa said.
“I’mnotgetting involved in Jazz’s sex life,” Carrera said.
Slash kissed Elsa on her cheek. “It’s been a long day. I’m gonna say goodnight.” She left the room trying to squelch the emotion that made her heart hurt.
She and Carrera were also uber-focused on work. Was that all this was? A relationship of convenience?
