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“Wow. You are a shitty reporter.”
Eden tried to think of a good comeback, but it was hard to argue with the truth. “You’re right. It seems I didn’t get one of my dad’s journalism genes.” She expected to get a satisfied smirk from Chloe. Instead, Chloe surprised her with a compliment.
“Yeah, well, you might be a shitty reporter, but you’re a good friend for letting Madison move in with you. I didn’t do a thing to stop Zac from kicking her out of her apartment—not one damned thing. I was too chickenshit. I’m surprised she doesn’t hate me.”
Eden laughed. “Madison? Are you kidding? She enjoys life too much to hold a grudge.”
A few moments passed before Chloe replied. “Maybe she’s onto something.” She glanced over and, for the first time, gave Eden a smile. It was amazing how it transformed her face. Sullen, she was beautiful. Smiling, she was breathtaking. And Eden understood why Zac was grooming her to be an escort. She would make him millions.
Correction, she would’ve made him millions. Because right then and there, Eden decided on a new goal. Chloe. Eden figured if she could get the Happy Hooker to quit the escort business, she could get Chloe away from Zac’s clutches. But in order to do that, she would need to become her friend. Which didn’t seem like such a sacrifice.
Eden returned her smile and held out a hand. “Should we let bygones be bygones?” Behind the sunglasses, she knew Chloe rolled her eyes, which made Eden smile all the brighter.
“Fine,” Chloe said, and gave her hand a side high five. “Now let’s order lunch. I’m starving.”
For being so thin, Chloe ate like Eden’s little brothers and held her liquor like Madison. Although after their fourth mai tai, they were both pretty wasted. Which was how Eden ended up asking the question that had been swirling around in her head for hours.
“Did Nash touch you?” Once the question was out, she realized that she didn’t want the truth after all. “Never mind.” She flapped a hand. “I’m drunk.”
Chloe sat cross-legged on the lounge chair, eating from the tray of food the waitress had brought. She finished off the fish taco before turning to Eden. She had bent the front rim of her hat up and now resembled a pirate in big sunglasses. “No, your boyfriend didn’t touch me. It seems that he’s a much better judge of age than our waitress. He took one look at me and requested an older woman. Not wanting Zac to be pissed, I told Nash I’d take care of getting him a new girl. That’s where you came in.”
“So you didn’t strip for him?” When Chloe shook her head, Eden released the most girlie noise she had ever made, before she launched herself at Chloe and hugged her.
Chloe did not return the hug. “Geez, you are such a wimp.”
“Says the woman who won’t get in the water.” Eden sat back. “So how old are you?”
“Twenty.”
Eden’s eyes widened. “Twenty? You’re almost the same age as my little brothers.” Her eyes narrowed. “Zac should be shot for preying on someone so young.” She grabbed Chloe’s mai tai. “And give me that. You’re not old enough to drink.”
Chloe laughed. “Too late, I’m already drunk.” She popped the last plantain chip in her mouth before moving the tray off the lounge and reaching for the strings of her bikini top.
“What are you doing?” Eden asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking off my top. Even with sunscreen, I’m starting to get tan lines.” She dropped her bikini top to the sand and then stretched out in the sun. “And so are you.”
“Well, I’m not taking off my top,” Eden said as she glanced around. There were few people on the secluded beach, and none that were paying any attention to them. Like Chloe and Eden, they had their own little thatched-roofed cabana and were enjoying their vacation.
“We make quite a pair.” Chloe laughed. “I’m afraid of going in the water, and you’re afraid of showing your boobies.”
“I’m not afraid,” she snapped.
“Then prove it.”
Dares had always been Eden’s downfall. Losing a dare was like not accomplishing a goal. And since she had already failed at becoming a journalist, she wasn’t about to fail at this.
She glanced around and made sure no one was watching before she reached behind her and untied her tankini top. Once it was untied, she held it to her breasts and continued to look around until Chloe snorted.
“You are the biggest wimp ever.”
Eden jerked it over her head. “There! Are you happy now?”
Chloe smiled before she took off her sunglasses and flipped the brim of her hat over her face. “As a matter of fact, I am feeling pretty happy. Happier than I’ve felt in years. Now relax that tight ass of yours and enjoy the moment.”
It wasn’t easy to heed Chloe’s advice. Especially when your breasts were bared for God and the world to see. But after a few moments of glancing around and discovering that no one seemed to care one way or the other if Eden was topless, she relaxed. And she soon discovered that there was something hedonistic about lying in the sunshine with the cool ocean breezes brushing against your naked breasts. She closed her eyes and smiled. Her grandparents would be so proud.
Eden woke to the feel of something cold and titillating caressing her skin. At first, she thought it was the breeze, but then she realized the touch moved in a loopy pattern, brushing beneath one breast before gliding over the top of the other. She opened her eyes to find Chloe gone and Nash sitting on the lounge next to her, his hooded gaze following the path of the piece of ice he was outlining her breasts with.
