Page 61 of Mr. Scandalous

“So why wait until next Saturday?” he asked. “Why not end it now?”

He had her there.

Whynotend it now? She’d already learned a lot, grown bold, explored her sexuality. She’d gotten her creativity back. He had already taught her a great deal about herself. What would one more week accomplish?

Involuntarily, her hand went to her lower abdomen, and she knew why she could not end things tonight. She still hadn’t accomplished the one thing that caused her the most distress. She still hadn’t been able to let him see her completely naked.

* * *

“Wow,Eden.You’ve outdone yourself.” Ashley stared at the newest Spice-Up-Your-Love-Life Cruises gift basket design, awe in her eyes. “I gotta hand it to you, linking up with Alec has done brilliant things for your creativity.”

“You really think it’s that good?” Eden felt her cheeks flush with pleasure over her assistant’s open admiration. The end-of-the-month deadline was upon her, but she was satisfied with her work.

“Definitely hot.” Ashley fingered the shredded leather miniskirt Eden had used as a liner for the battered Harley hubcap that provided the crucible. “The two leather masks connected face-to-face by a strip of red velvet ribbon, whew.”

“Simulating kissing,” Eden said.

“I get that. The Chambord is a nice touch. Trend setting. And the flashy, trashy color scheme has an urban decay chic thing going on.” Ashley farmed herself with a hand.

“I tried to merge sexy with hip and cutting edge.”

“You succeeded big time. And I love the name. Menage Masquerade.”

“Thanks.”

Eden had put the finishing touches on the design after her night with Alec. Something had been missing from the basket, but she hadn’t been able to put her finger on exactly what it was until he’d started talking about secrets and hidden identities and clandestine agendas. That’s when she had added the masks and fingerless gloves and then wrapped the entire arrangement with a black mesh veil.

The minute she finished the basket, she knew Tori Drake was going to love it. Now, if only the execs at Spice-Up-Your-Love-Life Cruises bought into her idea of edgy.

And speaking of edgy, she was still feeling nervous from last night’s love fest with Alec, not to mention deliciously sore.

The front door was flung open, and Jill Fincher rushed into the boutique. Her eyes danced and she was dressed in a sexy champagne-colored stretch-silk shirt and matching silk pants.

Who knew the woman possessed such a red-hot figure?

“Eden!” she cried. “The wedding’s back on and it’s all thanks to you!”

“Me?”

“I took your advice and it worked to a tee. I dressed up like a stripper and seduced Randy in the ladies’ room at Bombshells. The sex was out of this world.”

“When you go out on a limb you really go out on a limb.” Eden grinned at the woman.

Jill looked so happy that pride welled in Eden’s chest. To think she had had a hand in Jill’s transformation.

“You took sex advice from Eden?” Ashley blinked.

“Sure. Why not?” Jill glanced from Ashley to Eden, and back again.

Ashley smirked, shook her head and went back to unpacking a box of supplies. “All I gotta say is, Eden Montgomery, you’ve changed.”

“Oh!” Jill said, distracted by the Spice-Up-Your-Life basket. “Is this your latest creation?”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s incredible. Oh my goodness, is that what I think it is?”

Eden nodded. “Yep. The rattlesnake. It’s the edgiest vibrator on the market.”

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