Page 129 of Crossing Every Line

“No, you definitely should have called me. I’m your best defense. Besides, I wield a makeup brush better than anyone at the Macy’s counter. And you have some serious circles that I need to correct.”

That was true. Only Bells could get away with saying it, but it didn’t make it any less true. On both counts. “Okay, fairy godmother. I will leave myself in your capable hands.”

Bells spun about, her deep auburn corkscrew curls dancing around her shoulders. Her makeup was already done, and her huge blue eyes were even more pronounced thanks to her deft touch with smoky shadow. “Wait, I didn’t have to talk you into it? Okay, it’s worse than I thought.”

Kendall turned her toward the stairs. “I’m just tired, and if you have tricks in that huge trunk of makeup you call a to-go bag, then I’m all for slapping on an artificial happy face.”

“All right, don’t get pushy. Throw yourself in the shower and use the loofah until you’re pink. I brought a sexy lotion to go with your sexy dress.”

“I like my lotion.”

“The girl-next-door thing works three hundred sixty-four days out of the year. Tonight? I’m going with vamp and the scent to match. The boy will be groveling by the time I’m done with him.”

Kendall nibbled on her lower lip. Any help in getting Shane out of the let’s-play-it-safe mode was welcome. She wanted the hot, hard length of him between her thighs tonight. Or that relentlessly patient tongue—she wasn’t picky which one she got at the moment.

“Don’t blow up my bedroom.”

“Oh, honey. There’s no doubt that your room will be trashed. It’s a freaking closet.”

She sighed and grabbed one of the fluffy towels from the linen closet and allowed herself a ten-minute shower. And because it was a good idea to use the loofah, she listened to her friend and exfoliated until her skin buzzed.

Kendall wrapped her hair up in a towel and brought her hair dryer with her. Bells was on a rampage. Might as well just let her take care of everything. When she was in steamroller mode, there was no stopping her.

Bells had pulled her bed out into the middle of the tiny room and left leg space to walk around. Two garment bags hung from the door, and her best friend’s makeup bag had exploded across Kendall’s bed.

“Here.” Bells handed her a thin tube of lotion.

“That’s it?”

“It’s very special, very expensive lotion.”

“Then you should wear it.”

“Oh, I am. A different scent, of course, but I am.” She held her wrist up to Kendall’s nose.

The rush of dark and exotic flowers and a hint of jasmine wafted over her. “Oh, wow, how come you get the delicious one?”

“Smell yours.”

Kendall popped the cap and rubbed a little on her pulse point. Orange blossoms and spice clung to her, leaving a light pearly sheen to her skin. “No wonder it’s pricey.”

“Worth it for a special occasion. Now sit down and let me make you a girl.”

“I am a girl. Just a busy one who doesn’t care about this stuff.”

“New Year’s Eve is the night to get in the mood. Besides, I have to keep my talents fresh.”

Kendall knew her friend was just trying to make her feel better, so she sat down and let Bells fuss.

“Now tell me what’s been going on.”

“Lots of hostess stuff.”

“I don’t care about the Heron crap, Ken. I want to know about the hunky carpenter dude. Why didn’t you tell me this guy was beautiful? I had to find out when I walked up the drive.”

“He actually came out of his workshop?”

“Yeah, he was shoveling or something. I saw two girls giggling from the window.”

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