Page 8 of Fake Spring Fling

She smiles at me, catching my discreet wink. “Thank you.”

I sip my drink slowly, as Lauren regales the group with hilarious stories of the worst customers she’s ever had. I wait for a big laugh, then murmur, “I’ve got some good news and bad news about our room.”

Madison looks up at me with a half shrug. “We’ll manage. What is it?”

“The lake view is spectacular. However, there’s only one bed. But it’s king-sized.”

It’s hard to tell in the low party lighting, but I think she’s blushing slightly. “That’s okay. It’ll be nice waking up right beside the lake, so I’m glad we got a suite.”

The laughter is dying down as Sarah turns around, wide-eyed. “You got a suite? Splurging, much?” She taps my arm, then winks at Madison. “Well, I guess this hottie is rich. I mean, he obviously does nothing but work out.” The music grows louder, and she follows a swarm of people toward the end of the room and the dance floor.

My head shakes. “What a strange world we live in, where being wealthy means you’re less likely to have a busy job.”

“I’m so sorry.” Madison’s perfect plush lips tighten into a frown. “I’m sure she doesn’t mean?—”

“Oh, I’m not offended. Just amused.” I tip her chin up with my finger. “Cutie, I don’t think you could offend me if you tried.”

If I didn’t know better, I would swear that her heart is sending beams of sweetness at me, like those colorful cartoon bears who projected their feelings that Mom was so obsessed with as a child.

We stand quietly for a while as she sips her soda water. Every time a guy walks by and looks at her, I catch his eye and he suddenly moves away. I’ve never felt so protective before. Like I’m her personal security guard.

“So, what’s the plan?” I ask. “Have you spoken with everyone you need to here tonight?”

“Yes.” Her smile tells me she’s proud of herself. “I have at least ten numbers and emails of people who want to share information and ideas.”

She slips out her phone and checks the time. “The bar here closes at midnight, so they’ll be doing their last call shots around eleven. Which means they’re planning on being smashed by nine, so they’re brave enough to hit on anyone they like…”

“But right now they’re just a few drinks in, and will remember things clearly?”

“Yes.”

I take another sip of my whiskey, rolling it around in my mouth. “All right. Let’s go make friends with everyone.”

Over the next hour, I drag Madison around to every large group of people, chatting everyone up. I compliment their outfits, compare them to various actors they vaguely resemble, and point out how wonderful it is to be in what feels like a ski lodge without any pesky snow and ice. My couple of whiskeys have me slightly more animated than usual.

“I didn’t realize you’d be the life of the party,” Madison whispers after I extract us from the final large group.

“You’d be surprised. Pharmaceutical conventions are incredibly social. To get the best info out of people, you need to become their best friend on Friday night, then catch them for a quiet one-on-one coffee on Saturday.”

She squeezes my arm. “A man with a plan. Fantastic.”

“And now, Lauren and Sarah need to see you dancing. Ready?”

I twirl Madison onto the dance floor and pull out a couple of flashy disco moves that make her head fall back with laughter. Then I spin her into my arms, holding her close against me as my lips drop to her ear. “In case you’re wondering, this is the moment where we establish you are not available for any other guy here.”

My hand glides down her back, then across her soft, round ass, then back up her hip.

I expected her to stiffen and tense up. Instead, her lips part as she looks up at me with a small sigh. My lips drop to nuzzle her throat as we sway to the music, lost in each other for a few moments as her hands circle the back of my neck and pull us close.

Her eyes dart to the side. “Lauren and Sarah are completely staring at us,” she giggles.

“Do they notice us being completely inappropriate and all over each other?”

She laughs, spinning slightly to flaunt my hand on her ass again. “Pretty sure.” She laughs even more loudly as I pick her up and carry her to an easy chair right behind a group of people.

Pulling her into my lap, I place her across me sideways. “Kick out your feet, as if I’m tickling you.”

She does, her sandals catching the light as I lean back to peer around two men to confirm that her friends are still watching. I take a moment to revel in the weight of her entire body on me. The way she feels in my arms, squirming her luscious ass on me as if she knows exactly what she’s sitting on.

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