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“Calmed him down?” Grayson stared at her. “Sorta like you calmed him down by becoming his punching bag?”
“That’s none of your business! I understand you wanting to save Madison so you can exploit her body in your catalog, but I’m not working for you, and I sure as hell don’t need saving.” She headed for the cabin door, but Grayson stepped in front of her and blocked her way.
“Gray,” Nash said, “what has gotten into you? If she wants to go, you can’t keep her here.”
Grayson didn’t move. “She stays.”
Eden knew he was right. If Chloe went back now, there was a good chance Zac would kill her. “I agree with Grayson. She can’t go back to Zac.”
Chloe turned on her. “I don’t need you chiming in. You playing escort was the reason I got my ass kicked in the first place.”
Eden cringed and glanced at Nash, but he didn’t seem to catch the slip.
“But she didn’t take any money from Nash,” Madison said. “So there’s no reason for Zac to be mad at her.”
Chloe looked at Nash. “You’re the Dark Seducer?”
Before he could answer, a voice came over the speakers. “This is your captain speaking. If you’ll take a seat and buckle up, I’ll get this bird in the air.”
Grayson and Chloe continued their stare-down, but once the plane started to move, Chloe released an exasperated grunt and flopped down in the seat next to Madison. At that point, Eden should’ve spoken up. She might not work at the newspaper any longer, but she did work at The Lemon Drop, and she couldn’t just take off without getting someone to cover her shifts.
She glanced at Nash. He didn’t say a word. He just stood there looking delectable in his jeans and Henley as if waiting for her to make a decision. It didn’t take long. She chose a window seat and quickly buckled up. Nash sat down in the seat next to her and took her hand, firmly linking their fingers together. He smiled a sexy smile that took away any reservations she still had before he leaned over and whispered, “Good choice.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
It was hard to stay focused on goals when you were stretched out on a cushioned lounge chair with warm, white sand beneath your feet and a cold, fruity cocktail in your hand. Eden had come out to the beach to organize her thoughts and figure out a plan for her life. Now that she wasn’t going to be a reporter, she needed to decide on a new career path. Instead, her gaze kept drifting to the beautiful turquoise waters that sparkled beneath the bright tropical sun. And her mind kept drifting to a man with mesmerizing violet eyes that sparkled with the unquenchable heat of desire.
They had arrived in Fiji the day before. Since everyone was jet-lagged from the trip, they had headed straight to the hotel where the rest of the models and camera crew were staying. It was a five-star resort nestled between the ocean and a coconut plantation. Her and Nash’s room had spectacular views of both. Not that they had paid much attention to the views.
Nash’s aversion to touching women was over. Eden had been thoroughly touched. And not just her body. Nash touched something deeper. Something more than just flesh and bone. He had touched Eden’s heart. It ached for the young boy who had lost his mother. The sensitive teenager who had lost his faith. And the jaded man who had lost his way. And at the moment, the only goal she could think about was making Nash smile. Which was hard to do when he wasn’t with her. He had left early that morning to help Grayson with the photo shoot, and because Eden had gotten little sleep the night before, she had stayed in bed. Now she wished she had gone with him. After just a few hours, she felt lost.
Unable to resist, she lifted her phone and texted him.
How’s photo shoot going? I bet it’s hell being surrounded by all those hot models.
His reply came quickly.I’d rather be surrounded by one hot bartender.
Smiling, she answered.Okay… if you insist. When are you coming back?
Her phone pinged seconds later.If I wasn’t worried about Grayson getting the models to strip, I’d be there now. Speaking of naked, are you?
She looked down at her tankini and typed.As a jaybird.
Ping.God, you’re killing me.
She grinned.How is Madison doing?
Ping.Surprisingly well. She seems to take to the camera like a duck to water.
That didn’t surprise Eden. Madison was a master at seduction, and now she had a venue to seduce the entire world. Eden couldn’t have been happier for her. The rich and famous model lifestyle was a perfect match for her new friend.
Her phone pinged, and she glanced down at Nash’s message and laughed.
I spoke too soon… she just demanded a chocolate eclair or she’s quitting. Better see what I can do. Text you later.
Not knowing how to reply to that, Eden tapped over to her emoticon screen. She intended to send a cute smiley face with sunglasses as a goodbye, but instead she texted something stupid. And once the single red heart popped up on the screen, it looked extremely pathetic. She quickly tapped a variety of faces and images, in the hopes that the heart would get lost in the emoji clutter, but before she could send them, her phone pinged.
A single red heart. A single red heart that made Eden’s heart want to jump right out of her chest. It probably didn’t mean anything. Nash was probably just mimicking hers. But that didn’t stop her from releasing a squeal of delight, followed by a lounge-chair happy dance that included wiggling her hips and lifting her hands over her head in a wild wave.
