Page 116 of Champagne Fizz

“Okay,” Connor’s eyebrows knit together, “then you need to make her orgasmbetterthan any other guy ever has.”

“Trust me,” I repeat, “that’snotthe problem.”

“Seriously?” Connor gives me a skeptical look. “You’re mister magic fingers and tongue?”

“I am when she’s never been with any guy before,” I reveal.

“So what the fuck did you do to mess this up? Why isn’t she crawling back for more?” Connor looks at me perplexed. “This situation should be a sure thing wrapped up in a giant yellow bow. She’s into you. You’re into her. How are you two not in the hot honeymoon phase of you teaching her all the amazing ways she can come?”

I give him a wry look. “Well now, Mr. Sex-Advice-Guru,” I say sarcastically, “aren’t we back where we started withit’s complicatedandI’m not going to betray Kendall’s trust and tell you why.”

“Huh.” Connor puts his hands on his hips, stumped. “What you’re saying is I should just ask her directly.”

“If you say anything to her—” I snap, knowing Kendall will be pissed if Connor mentions she’s a virgin. “You’re the one who’s going to trigger Arie, and you’re the one who’s going to burn this all to the ground.”

A click rings out behind us and we both turn to the sound.

The storage closet opens to reveal one sassy redhead power-posturing in the doorway. Arie dangles her key ring from her finger and looks in at the mess that surrounds us.

“Okay you two,” Arie says with a devilish glint in her eyes. “Connor never locks anyone in here unless it’s me, and it’s to fuck. So, unless you’re suddenly into guys—” She gives Connor a piercing look. “—someone better start explaining.”

Great.

Really fucking great.

31

KENDALL

Iswallow the fist-sized lump of nerves in my throat and walk into Flambé. I have a meeting with Arie to finalize everything for Ned and Olivia’s event in three days, and it takes all my courage just to open the door. I don’t know what I’m going to do when Simon walks up and … I don’t know, pretends he isn’t the one person who has the most carnal knowledge of my body this side of the Pacific. Not that I want him to broadcast that information, I just—I have no idea how he’ll act, or what he’ll do. And worse, I don’t know how I want him to act.

I don’t trust him, and at the same time I want to go back to that perfect moment before he ran into the ocean and away from the pleasure he’d unleashed from me in the sand. Lady Lada wants to go back there too, but we can’t.

He can’t handle me.

That’s the truth of it. So, hopefully, Simon can at lease handle me in the professional sense.

I walk into Flambé’s empty dining room carrying my itinerary and plans, but I’m met with silence: abandoned booths, stale air, sunshine glaring through the picture window, everything cold and sterile.

“Hello?” I let out half-heartedly, feeling like I’ve walked into a haunted house and ghosts are about to jump out and attack me with crème fresh. I know the restaurant doesn’t officially open till the evening, but usually someone is around—Connor’s behind the bar, or a kitchen hand is washing dishes. “Hellooooo?”

I head toward the back offices, hearing the faint echo of voices down the dark hallway. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but one of the voices is definitely Simon’s. My body warms like there’s a sun in my chest attuned to his voice. Only, he sounds upset, which triggers the image of him closed-off and angry when we left the beach.

A shadow casts over the brightness inside me, and I know I need to keep my emotions in check. Especially, when I realize the voices are coming from behind a door and one of the other voices is Arie’s.

Take accountability, I mentally whisper to myself. You can handle whatever fallout comes from getting involved with Simon. And you’renotinvolved with him anymore. He called it off. So be a professional. This doesn’t have to be any different than any other normal business meeting.

All of your business meetings with Simon have not been normal,Lada points out.

That doesn’t matter. This meeting is with Arie anyway.

I walk closer to the door which is slightly ajar. Arie doesn’t know what Simon and I have been up to, and there’s no reason for her to start now. Focus on the wedding.

“Excuse me!” Arie’s voice cuts down the hallway. “What exactly have you been doing with Kendall?”

My heart jolts at the sound of my name.

They’re talking about me.

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