Page 62 of Mr. Scandalous

Jill eyeballed the sex toy. “You are so creative!”

Only because of Alec.

Now that was silly. She didn’t need Alec to stay in the creative groove. He was the dynamite who’d removed her block, but that was all. She wasn’t dependent on him.

Right?

“Anyway, I dropped by to tell you, you’re invited to the wedding. It’s next Saturday at three in New Haven. Here’s the address.” Jill handed her an engraved invitation.

Next Saturday? But that was supposed to be her last day with Alec. Which meant, of course, he would be at the wedding and not meeting her for their final hurrah at the Grand Duchess.

“Jill, that’s so sweet of you, but I’m afraid I can’t make it.”

The mere thought of seeing Alec at a wedding, surrounded by his adoring family and friends, caused her heart skittering. Too sweet for comfort. And besides, she didn’t trust herself. She was on the verge of falling in love with him and something like watching a happy couple exchange vows could shove her over the edge. The last thing she needed was to go soft in the head over a man married to bachelorhood.

Jill looked disappointed. “That’s too bad. I was so looking forward to having you there. If you change your mind, the invitation stands.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thankyou.”Jill leaned over to give her a hug.

Eden hugged her back then walked her new friend to the door. As she watched Jill leave, Eden realized Tuesday night with Alec would be her last.

* * *

Alec neededa grand seduction scheme. A no-fail plan to guarantee Eden would agree to extend their affair. He couldn’t understand why she was so adamant about sticking to this one-month time frame. It was nonsense. They were both having a fun time and they hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface of their sexual adventures together.

There were so many things they hadn’t yet tried.

Alec wanted to sleep with her on a blanket stretched out on a sandy beach. He wanted to make her tingle with ecstasy as they made love on the desk in his office. He was dying to do it in the woods, in a swimming pool, in an elevator. He fantasized about taking her warm, willing body on a mountain, in the rain, on a sailboat.

But most of all, he wanted to see her completely naked. To admire that luscious body she coyly and mysteriously cloaked in shadows and costumes. He wanted to see her in full sunlight. With mirrors. He wanted to gaze at her body and watch her respond to his touch.

She’d shown him she was up for almost anything and that knowledge excited him even more. He was determined to make his fantasies come true.

His mission—to show her such a wonderful time she would be unable to resist continuing their relationship. But he needed a foolproof plan, and he was coming up empty.

Then when Randy burst into his office, grinning ear to ear and spouting wild stories about Jill and the restroom at Bombshells and the wedding being back on, Alec found the way to achieve his goal—keep Eden off balance the same way she’d knocked him lopsided with her devilish tricks.

Leave her wanting more.

He told Holden to call Wickedly Wonderful and tell Eden he couldn’t keep their Tuesday night appointment and then he sat back in his chair to wait.

Not five minutes passed before his cell telephone buzzed.

“Alec?” Eden sounded breathless, anxious and disappointed. A little huff of air rolled from the phone and tickled his ear. Her cute little noise had him ready to cave, but he held firm. It was like reeling in a swordfish. Jerk too hard, move too soon and you’ve lost her.

“Hi.”

“You’re canceling on me for tomorrow night?”

“Sorry, sweetheart, but something’s come up.” He hated fibbing to her, but he assured himself it was for a greater good.

“Oh.”

“Is something wrong?”

“You’ll be going to Randy and Jill’s wedding on Saturday, so I won’t see you then either.”

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